Wednesday 22 September 2010

September 2010

C & L are in Northern Sweden to visit family. I couldn't join them since I had too much work to do. Is that really true? I'm trying to take it easy since papa died, 'cause there's so much more in life than work. But if I hadn't been able to work for ten days, it would have been stressful afterwards.

So what's on? The new academic year has now most definitely started with many students studying human geography and tourism studies. Of course this is a good sign for us, but it also means much more work with still the same amount of time that we get paid for. 33 students may not seem so much, but dividing them into 2 groups with three seminars for each group and having to correct 3 assignments 33 times takes time!

Well, we're planning as we speak, and as it is me who is repsonsoible for the course this autumn, I also book lecture rooms and that sort of administrative thing. This time, we even scheduled a study visit to the Migration Board in Örebro (http://www.migrationsverket.se/). Let's hope this gives somewhat of a practical start of the course, as students may learn a lot more from this than from reading a 100 pages...

Also, on 14 and 15 Ocotober 2010, CUReS will host the first Nordic Urban Workshop for PhD Students studying urban phenomena from a broad spectre of disciplines (sociology, Health, Education, Politic science, Human Geography and History). Anders and me are busy planning this and we'll hopefully be host to people from Norway, Sweden, Finland, France and Italy. It will be quite international and intercultural, with a seminar, a guided tour of Örebro Castle and dinner in town.

Meanwhile, Mats, Dieter and me started preparing for two new articles to come. One about place marketing and one considering the decision making process of the Dutch lifestyle migrants coming to Central Sweden in the early 21st Century. A lot of studying and planning needs to be done, as I will probably visit the Scandinavia Day in Hoevelaken in January and the Emigration Fair in Houten in February 2011. A start is made with studying Simon Anholts books and website considering his work about competitive identity and the Nation Brands Index.

So, yes it's true that I couldn't join C & L to Northern Sweden. What is more, I have finally been doing some work in and around the house; I hope the garden, car, stairs and trees look nicer now than before (but see another blog).