Michael Tan – författare

As China began its economic reforms in the late 1970s and made a transition from planned to a market economy, corporate governance of the banking sector became an increasingly pressing issue. Further, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crises in the late 1990s, Chinese authorities became acutely aware of the importance of corporate governance to ensure that their banking system would not suffer similar fates to those of other Asian countries.

This book examines corporate governance in city commercial banks, which are the main source of loans to the dynamic small and medium enterprises that are crucial to the development of China’s economy. By the end of 2008, there were 136 city commercial banks in China, 13 of which had foreign partners, and this book clearly demonstrates the positive effect of these foreign partnerships on corporate governance practices, in addition to financial performance. With evidence from extensive interviews with 10 city commercial banks in China, Michael Tan explores the different models of corporate governance, and in turn, asks which model is most suitable to China, how are Chinese authorities overcoming problems with corporate governance, and how do these problems compare with those in other transition economies?

Whilst the primary focus of this study is on China''s city commercial banks, there are lessons that apply much more broadly to the industry and it therefore will be invaluable to foreign banking institutions wishing to invest in China. This book will also be of great appeal to students and scholars of Chinese business and economics, corporate governance and banking.

As China began its economic reforms in the late 1970s and made a transition from planned to a market economy, corporate governance of the banking sector became an increasingly pressing issue. Further, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crises in the late 1990s, Chinese authorities became acutely aware of the importance of corporate governance to ensure that their banking system would not suffer similar fates to those of other Asian countries.

This book examines corporate governance in city commercial banks, which are the main source of loans to the dynamic small and medium enterprises that are crucial to the development of China’s economy. By the end of 2008, there were 136 city commercial banks in China, 13 of which had foreign partners, and this book clearly demonstrates the positive effect of these foreign partnerships on corporate governance practices, in addition to financial performance. With evidence from extensive interviews with 10 city commercial banks in China, Michael Tan explores the different models of corporate governance, and in turn, asks which model is most suitable to China, how are Chinese authorities overcoming problems with corporate governance, and how do these problems compare with those in other transition economies?

Whilst the primary focus of this study is on China''s city commercial banks, there are lessons that apply much more broadly to the industry and it therefore will be invaluable to foreign banking institutions wishing to invest in China. This book will also be of great appeal to students and scholars of Chinese business and economics, corporate governance and banking.

This book provides an overview to a range of theories in science and technology that inform the different ways in which makerspaces can be educative. Makerspaces are an indispensable site for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction and pose novel risks and opportunities for STEM instruction. Educators are likely to reach towards activities that have a high degree of engagement, but this might result in observations like ''it looks like fun, but what are they learning?''.

Beginning from the question of how we know what we know in science, the author asserts that understanding scientific knowledge requires us to know more than the abstract concepts typically presented in schools. The social and material aspects of knowledge are also important—these take the form of questions such as: What is the interplay between knowledge and power? How do we understand that we can have a ‘feel’ for materials and artefacts that we cannot completely describe in words? How do we know what ideas ought to be made real though technology and engineering? Significantly, this book also discusses the ethical dimensions of STEM education, in thinking about the kinds of STEM education that could be useful for open futures.

This book will be useful to graduate students and educators seeking an expansive view of STEM education. More generally, these ideas outline a possible new strategy for a vision of school that is not merely training or preparing students for work. Education needs to also prepare students for sociopolitical participation, and with STEM being central to our contemporary lives, this book provides insights for how this can happen in makerspaces.

This book provides an overview to a range of theories in science and technology that inform the different ways in which makerspaces can be educative. Makerspaces are an indispensable site for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction and pose novel risks and opportunities for STEM instruction. Educators are likely to reach towards activities that have a high degree of engagement, but this might result in observations like ''it looks like fun, but what are they learning?''.

Beginning from the question of how we know what we know in science, the author asserts that understanding scientific knowledge requires us to know more than the abstract concepts typically presented in schools. The social and material aspects of knowledge are also important—these take the form of questions such as: What is the interplay between knowledge and power? How do we understand that we can have a ‘feel’ for materials and artefacts that we cannot completely describe in words? How do we know what ideas ought to be made real though technology and engineering? Significantly, this book also discusses the ethical dimensions of STEM education, in thinking about the kinds of STEM education that could be useful for open futures.

This book will be useful to graduate students and educators seeking an expansive view of STEM education. More generally, these ideas outline a possible new strategy for a vision of school that is not merely training or preparing students for work. Education needs to also prepare students for sociopolitical participation, and with STEM being central to our contemporary lives, this book provides insights for how this can happen in makerspaces.