Book published by graduate

November 13, 2019. One of our graduates, Norbert Edomah, has published a book titled, “Electricity and Energy Transition in Nigeria (Routledge Explorations in Energy Studies).” You can find his book on Amazon, Bokus.com, CRC Press, and more. Summary: Electricity and Energy Transition in Nigeria provides readers with a detailed account of the dynamics of energy infrastructure change in Nigeria’s electricity sector. The book starts by introducing the basic theories underpinning the politics of energy infrastructure supply and goes on to explore the historical dimensions of the Nigerian energy transition by highlighting the influences and drivers of energy systems change. Norbert also examines the political dynamics at play, highlighting the political actors and institutions that shape energy supply, as well as the impact of consumer politics. The book concludes by considering how all these factors may influence the future of energy in Nigeria. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy transitions, energy technology and infrastructure, and African Studies more generally. Find his book here: https:// www.amazon.com/ElectricityTransition-Nigeria-RoutledgeExplorations-ebook/dp/ B07Z6RWFBR Norbert completed a Master’s program in Information Systems at Atlantic International University and has also completed a Doctorate program at Angila Ruskin University, Cambridge UK.

We light a candle

November 5, 2019. With great sorrow and sadness we report the death of Ms. Julia del Carmen Barrientos de Prado, mother of the Director of AIU in Guatemala and dear friend, Ing. Jorge Eduardo Prado. Ing. Prado has been a pillar in the development and positioning of AIU Guatemala for more than 16 years. His absolute commitment to the education of individuals and their contribution to their professional improvement, is and has been extraordinary. That is why, on behalf of the entire AIU Educational Family throughout the world, the Academic Council of AIU and all the Staff, we transmit our condolences and solidarity to him, his entire family and AIU Guatemala. May he and his family only celebrate joys and happy occasions from now on.

Graduated with Honors

November, 2019. This graduate student completed the majority of the requirements to obtain honors, which included a 4.0 GPA, published works, recommendation from his advisors, patent a product, etc. Congratulations!

CUM LAUDE
Angel Rodriguez Mojica
Doctor of Business Administration
Marketing

15TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON The arts in society

Call for Papers This Conference will be held 24–26 June 2020 at NUI Galway in Galway, Ireland. We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops/ interactive sessions, posters/ exhibits, colloquia, focused discussions, innovation showcases, virtual posters, or virtual lightning talks. 2020 Special Focus: “Against the Grain: Arts and the Crisis of Democracy”
Theme 1:
Arts education
Theme 2:
Arts theory and history
Theme 3:
New media, technology, and the arts
Theme 4:
The arts in social, political, and community life
Become a Presenter:
1. Submit a proposal
2. Review timeline
3. Register
Early registration deadline 24 December 2019
Regular registration deadline 24 May 2020
Late registration deadline 24 June 2020
Visit the website:

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Student mental health & wellness

Invitation to attend This Conference will be held 5–6 December 2019 at Protea Hotel Midrand, Johannesburg South Africa.

Higher Education is facing an increasing crisis in student mental health; 1 in 4 students are affected by depression and anxiety, student drop outs have trebled, and student suicide rates have reached record highs. It is therefore essential that Universities/Schools are placing mental health at the top of the agenda to remove barriers, reduce stigma and better support their student population. Mental Health conference aims to improve mental health literacy through greater depth and breadth of understanding of mental health issues.

The purpose of MH is to teach participants how best to assist someone showing signs of a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The purpose of this session is to learn how to recognize concerning behaviours among students and how to respond with particular emphasis on someone in immediate distress and/or in crisis. Visit the website:

15TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Call for Papers This Conference will be held 10–12 June 2020 at the University of Milan in Milan, Italy. We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops/ interactive sessions, posters/ exhibits, colloquia, focused discussions, innovation showcases, virtual posters, or virtual lightning talks. 2020 Special Focus: “Urban diversities: exclusion and inclusion of immigrants and refugees at the local level.”
Theme 1:
Identity and belonging
Theme 2:
Education and learning in a world of differences
Theme 3:
Organizational diversity
Theme 4:
Community diversity and governance
Become a Presenter:
1. Submit a proposal
2. Review timeline
3. Register
Early registration deadline 19 December 2019
Regular registration deadline 10 May 2020
Late registration deadline 10 June 2020 Visit the website:



Joaquim Bumba
Master of Science and Engineering
Telec ommunications
Angola
Helio Abias Venancio Mota
Bachelor of Business Administration
Projec t Management
Angola
Leonardo Tovar Gutiérrez
Doctor of Science
Health Service s Administration
Argentina
José Luis Lozano
Master of Arts
Conflict Resolution, Mediation & Human Rights
Argentina
Eduardo Emilio Medina
Bachelor of Science
Civil Enginee ring
Argentina
Davin Vivake Persaud
Master of Education
Curriculum Development
Bermuda
           
Francisco Feliciano Delgado
Bachelor of Science
Elec trical Enginee ring
Cape Verde
Fernando Jorge Lopes Tavares Borges
Doctor of Business and Economics
Business Administration
Cape Verde
Maria Angelica Restrepo Molina
Bachelor of Business Administration
Business Administration
Colomb ia
Diana Carolina Bastidas Pantoja
Bachelor of Science
Clinical Psychology
Colomb ia
Edgar Fernando Lozano Muñoz
Master of Business Administration
Business Administration
Colomb ia
Héctor Rolando Santana Santana
Doctor of Political Science
Political Parties Mode l
Dominican Republic
           
Vilma María Bolaños Fuentes
Doctor of Human Resources
Human Resource s
El Salvador
Ignacio Nzambi Nzambi Angono
Bachelor of Legal Studies
Criminology
Equatorial Guinea
Anita Andeme Biyogo Andeme
Bachelor of Business Administration
Banking and Finance
Equatorial Guinea
Esther Asante
Bachelor of Arts
Projec t Management
Ghana
Edwin Julian Castellanos Reyes
Bachelor of Administration Human Resource
Administration Human Resource
Guatemala
Funsho Oladele Ibrahim
Master of Arts
International Relations
Guinea
           
Yosef Joseph Amram
Doctor of Economics
Economics
Israel
Frances Abigale Collie
Bachelor of Science
Human Resource s Management
Jamaica
Paradzai Daniel Cambela
Certificate of Business Administration
Business Management
Mozamb ique
Daniel Shashitwako Haikali
Bachelor of Science
Mec hanical Enginee ring
Namibia
Lachmanpersad Ramadhin
Doctor of Science
Mec hanical Enginee ring
Netherlands
Ezeakunne Chinwe Nkem
Master of Business Administration
Business Management
Nigeria
           
John Akpan Markson
Doctor of Philosophy
Higher Education and Promotion
Nigeria
Simplicius Udochukwu Anyahara
Doctor of Philosophy
Business Administration
Nigeria
Olumide, Abiodun Oluyinka
Doctor of Science
Construction Projec t Management
Nigeria
Uwadiae Oduware
Doctor of Business Administration
Business Management
Nigeria
Omayra Orozco de Alfaro
Doctor of Philosophy
Health and Nutrition Research
Panama
Manuel Aronategui Góndola
Bachelor of Science
Chemistry
Panama
           
Mariela Fábrega Fábrega
Bachelor of Science
Psychology
Panama
Angel Rodriguez Mojica
Doctor of Business Administration
Marketing
Puerto Rico
Hakizimana Leopord
Doctor of Philosophy
Information Tec hnology
Rwanda
Thomas Anthony
Doctor of Philosophy
Projec t Management
Singapor
Ntombi Eunice Mthunzi/ Motsa
Doctor of Educational Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Swaziland
Ehab Elzubair
Bachelor of Journalism
Journalism
Switzerland
           
Nurettin Doğanay
Bachelor of Arts
Business Administration
Turkey
Patrick Stanley Nyeko
Doctor of Project Management
Projec t Management
Uganda
Tesfu Weldegerima Ghebru
Doctor of Philosophy
Renewable and Non-Renewable Resource
United Kingdom
Gail L. Draper-Lindemann
Doctor of Social Work
Social Work
USA
María Isabel Maegli Novella
Bachelor of Arts
Arts and Crafts
USA
Angel Aguilar
Bachelor of Science
Computer Science
USA
           
Nyambe Muyunda
Bachelor of Business Administration
Acc ounting and Finance
Zamb ia
Edward Tsai
Master of Science
Psychology
Zimb abw e
       
           

Find More Graduates

Gallery: aiu.edu/Graduation/grids/currentgallery.html
Interviews: www.aiu.edu/Graduation/grids/interviews.html
This month we have graduates from: Angola · Argentina · Bermuda · Cape Verd e · Colombia · Dominica n Republic · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Ghana · Guatemala · Guinea · Israel ·Jamaica · Mozambique · Namibia · Netherlands · Nigeria · Panama · Puerto Rico · Rwanda · Singapore · Swaziland · Switzerland · Turkey · Uganda · United Kingdom · USA · Zambia · Zimbabwe


Student Testimonials

Sheila Mandinde
Bachelor of Education
September 30, 2019

“AIU gave me a lot of teaching experience and skills in as far as research and teaching methodologies are concerned. I developed an extensive analytical, critical, generic and effective academic skills. I am able to proficiently solve and tackle any problem relating to class room management, planning, counselling and coaching of learners, mentoring of other educators and dispute handling. AIU staff communication is so amazing and fantastic, I really enjoyed their interaction and timeous response to any communication that I forwarded through. There are times when I faced financial predicaments and AIU staff showed their sympathy by allowing me to progress with my studies without any interruption. I felt very much welcomed whenever I forwarded my concerns to my advisor. AIU staff and management motivated me to accomplish my studies in the prescribed period and I am now an independent and happily engaged educator in possession of a Bachelor of Education degree. I would like to express my extended ... Read full text:
Victor Bhosha
Bachelor of Computer Science
October 9, 2019

“I have just completed my first Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with AIU. The journey has not been easy due to the nature of my work which required me to travel a lot. However, in that hectic work schedule, I thank AIU community for the great help and support they gave me during my study with this institution. I really appreciate the time and effort they made to make it a success. I would not have made it this far if it where not for the follow up made at each stage of my studies in an effort to assist me in meeting even the deadlines of my modules. The advice I got from my team is invaluable. I am forever grateful and look into the future to the many opportunities this degree will offer. I also look forward to starting the next level of Masters Degree. The physical distance between the University and my home is miles apart but the friendliness and supportiveness of instruction’s capable staff team of Admissions Tutors, Advisors made the journey worth it. I also want to say that the materials ... Read full text:
Olatunji Emmanuel Omoniyi
Master of Public Health
October 17, 2019

“At AIU, I experienced an educational system that was significantly different from the ones I have earlier experienced. The concept of flexibility in course combinations to suit a student’s academic and professional needs was quite unique and commendable. Also the concept of self-paced studies was a plus for me. I love doing things at my pace. The flexibility in tuition fee payment plan was highly instrumental to my ability to attempt a degree program in a university of this caliber. Thank you AIU.
Josefina António Samanyanga Chirua
Master of Occupational Health and Safety November 6, 2019

“It has been a great opportunity to study with AIU. As I was scrolling down on internet for universities and institutions to study Occupational Health and Safety, AIU just appeared. As I tried to apply I realized that I could not afford the tuition. I was still interested though and I could not let my dream to study, die just like that. One day I saw the offer for partial scholarship and I hit the email button. AIU was offering part scholarship for my studies. I discussed with Rina Lehnoff and she made it clear that my academic progress and my payment plan can be treated separately whereby I could proceed with my studies as I do a monthly installment. This was very encouraging so I did not take my time. I enrolled with AIU for my Masters programme. The automatic online payment system also made my life very easy, I do not worry about making a payment but AIU automatically deducts the amount for my monthly tuition. Studying with AIU implied that I could meet my academic needs at the same time, meeting my financial obligations at the same time feeling very comfortable. At AIU I had my first experience to study online with the sophisticated system. AIU staff was always available and would assist me on how I could continue my studies in the most comfortable and interesting way. I sometimes had challenges on submitting an assignment every month because of my busy schedule and also sometimes due to electricity and internet cut offs in the small district of Angónia, Mozambique where I come from. AIU staff never ... Read full text:




Find more testimonials from AIU s tudents here: www.aiu.edu/Testimonials.aspx


Reasons for living and gender

as determinants of adolescent suicidal ideation in Ghana

Foster S. Nanewortor | Doctor of Psychology | Part 1/2



Abstract
Suicide remains a global public health concern. It is estimated to be the leading cause of death among the youth 12-24 years. Studies on suicide is gaining popularity in Ghana unlike the past when the topic is mostly avoided. In order to broaden the knowledge base on suicide among young people in Ghana, the present study investigated the relationship between reasons for living, gender and suicidal ideations. Three hundred and eighty-three (383) senior high students between the ages of 13 and 19 years completed Reasons for Living Inventory for adolescents (RFL-A) and Suicidal Ideation scale. Partial correlation and Hierarchical regression were used to analyze the data collected. The results revealed significant negative relationships between the reasons for living (i.e., self -acceptance, family alliance, peer acceptance and support, future optimism and Suicide related concerns) and adolescent suicidal ideation.

Furthermore, the results showed that the relationship between reasons for living and suicidal ideations were significantly moderated by gender. The results also established that gender as an independent factor influences suicidal ideation. It was concluded that suicide management professionals such as clinical psychologist, counsellors should consider reasons for living in adolescents.

Introduction
The pain and the guilt of surviving the death of a family member through suicide is traumatic and the associated experience may differ from other types of grieve (DeLeo, Bertolote, & Lester, 2002; Jordan, 2001; Young, et al., 2012). All deaths resulting directly or indirectly from the positive or negative act of the victim, with his or her prior knowledge of causing death is termed as suicide (Ramsden & Wilson, 2014). Simply put, suicide means killing oneself or a person intentionally indulging in behaviours that will cost his or her life. Further, Seroff (2010) referred to suicidal behavior as any deliberate behavior or action with potentially life-threatening consequences, such as taking a drug overdose, jumping of high heights or deliberately crashing a car. The method of suicide can be relatively nonviolent (such as poisoning or overdose) or violent (such as shooting oneself).

Many suicide cases are likely not to be reported, because of the difficulty to identify nonviolent and indirect suicides especially in developing countries where autopsy is new. Families are not willing to report suicide cases due to the criminality associated with it in some countries such as Ghana. But this notwithstanding, suicide is a major public health concern, nearly 1 million people die by suicide globally each year (DeLeo, Bertolote, & Lester, 2002; World Health Organization, 2009; Young, et al., 2012). Suicide ranks as the suicide ranks among the three leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults and the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States (NIMH, 2008). Data from the National Center for Health Statistics, USA (2005) indicated that 8.5% of high school students reported attempting suicide in the past year, and 16.9% reported having seriously considered it. According to Dali (2009), suicide rates in Ghana are becoming very alarming with more than 1,556 cases involving 1,129 males and 427 females in the year 2008 alone. He released the figures in a speech at a ceremony to mark the International Suicide Prevention Day-2009, stating that suicide is becoming a menace in Ghana.

The current trends on suicide resonates with the World Health Organization (1999) projection that the global suicide rate by the year 2020 would approximate 1.53 million. Bertolote and Fleischmann (2002) reported that the highest suicide rates for both men and women are found in Europe, more particularly in Eastern Europe, in a group of countries that share similar historical and socio-cultural characteristics, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and, to a lesser extent, Finland, Hungary and the Russian Federation. Suicide literature has implicated gender as a significant risk factor in suicide and attempted suicide. The evidence suggest that males of all ages commit suicide at a higher rate than females although females attempt suicide more often than males (Norhayati, Amit, Che Din, & Ong, 2017). Lewinsohn, Rohde, Seeley, and Baldwin (2001), however, asserted that eventhough suicide is high among males, suicial thoughts and attempt were high among female adolescents. The suicide ratio among males and females ranges from 2:1 to 7:1 respectively (Kumar & Signh, 2006).

This difference can be attributed to differences in the nurturing of males and females that forms the basis for gender roles. Psychosocial correlates of suicidal ideation has been suggested to account for the differences. Whereas Females had greater fear of death/injury; males had greater fear of social disapproval over having suicidal thoughts. On the other side of the suicide spectrum lies the reason for living. Reasons for living (RFL) are beliefs or expectancies thought to mitigate risk for suicide, and include survival and coping beliefs, responsibility to family, child-related concerns, fear of social disapproval, and moral objections (Kwok & Shek, 2010).

There are varied and individual specific reasons why people live and these reasons propel them to stay alive even in the face of unbearable difficulties. Other factors such as future optimism, suicide-related concerns (fear of death by suicide), peer acceptance and support, and self-acceptance have been implicated as protective factors against suicide (Linehan et al. 1983). This means that persons with stronger future optimism, stronger peer acceptance and support, and closer family alliance are less likely to harbour suicidal thoughts. The relationship between reasons for living and suicide is well established in the suicide literature. A significantly negative relationship has been found to exist between reasons for living and suicide. To this end, the two constructs are polarized to the extent that the resurgence of one tame the other to the minimal level (Norhayati, Amit, Che Din, & Ong, 2017). This is to say that the stronger the reasons for living, the weaker suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

In a study to compare the gender differercne in suicidal ideations and to determine its related risk factors. Norhayati, Amit, Che Din, and Ong (2017) found suicidal ideations to be higher for males than females. Also, whereas age predicted male suicidal ideations, depression, loss of motivation and hopelessness predicted female suicidal ideations. Eshun (2003) also investigated socio-cultural determinants of suicide ideation among Ghana and American college students. This study revealed that gender was a significant determinant for suicide ideation among Ghanaians. A study by Kumar and Signh (2006) among 400 adolescents drawn from various Government Senior Secondary schools by using the multi-stage random sampling in India reveals that female adolescents scored significantly higher on the measures of suicidal ideation, whereas male adolescents have more psychological impairment on psychopathic deviation.

Studies conducted in the developing countries of the African continent show that the trend of more attempted suicides by women was maintained but the rates for completed suicide for men were higher. In South Africa for instance 76.8% of all suicide attempts were made by women (Sukhai, Harris, Moorad & Dada, 2010). In Nigeria the ratio for completed suicide for men to women was 3.6 to 1, while a study in Cairo, Egypt conducted in 1975 reported that there was no major difference between the two sexes when it came to suicide attempts (Nwosu & Odesanmi, 2001) Batigün (2005) conducted a study to determine reasons why people live by randomly selecting 683 adolescents and adults between the ages of 15-65. The results of the study revealed that participants aged between 15-25 years indicated limited reasons for living, higher suicide probability, more hopelessness and loneliness compared with old age. A further regression analyses suggest that level of education, hopelessness, loneliness and reasons for living were found to predict suicide probability. Significant inverse relationship has been found to exist among hope, total reasons for living and suicidal ideation and attempts (Luo, Wang, Wang, & Cai, 2016). The foregoing evidence about suicide predictors form the basis for wealth of suicide prevention strategies (Zampora, Seburn, Brackenbury, & Tagalik, 2005). Although substantial efforts have been made to understand what risk factors contribute to suicide and suicidal behaviour, less attention has been paid to clinical features that may protect against the emergence of suicidal behaviour (Malone, et al., 2000). This article documents particular risk factors that propel suicidal ideations and specific protective factors that can mitigate against adolescent suicidal ideations from progressing to suicide attempts. The objectives of the study therefore was to; • To identify which reasons for living (e.g., family alliance, peer acceptance and support, self-acceptance, fear of death by suicide and future optimism) are stronger in predicting suicidal ideation • To find out whether gender will moderate the relationship between reasons for living and suicidal ideation

Hypotheses
1. There would be a significant negative relationship between overall scores on Reasons for Living Scale and suicidal ideation. 2. All subscales on Reasons for Living Scale (Future Optimism, family alliance, Fear of death by suicide, Peer acceptance and Support, and Self-acceptance) would significantly predict adolescents’ suicide ideation. 3. Gender would moderate the relationship between suicidal ideation and reasons for living.

Methodology
Design The research design was mainly correlational in nature. The main variables that were investigated in the study are: reasons for living, gender and suicidal ideation. The research investigated the relationship that each variable (reasons for living and gender) individually have with suicidal ideation and how they contribute together in influencing the level of suicidal ideation.

Participants
Three hundred and eightythree (383) adolescents were randomly recruited to participate in the study. This consisted of 182 males and 201 females. Their ages ranged between 13 and 19 years with an average age of 16.46 years with a standard deviation of 1.4. There were participants from all the ten (10) regions of Ghana who reside in various towns and villages. The 383 participants are justified based on the recommendations made by Krejcie and Morgan (1970). According to Krejcie and Morgan (1970), in order to obtain results that are a true representation of the population of about 6000 people, (with 95 % level of confidence), at least 361 participants should be chosen.

Measures
Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A) Scale Reasons for Living Inventory for adolescents (RFL-A) (Osman, Downs, Kopper, Barrios, Bessett et al ,1998). The RFL–A is a 32-item self-report measure designed specifically to assess adolescents’ adaptive reasons for not committing suicide. It is comprised of five subscales: Future Optimism (FO), Suicide- Related Concerns (SRC), Family Alliance (FA), Peer Acceptance and Support (PAS) and Self- Acceptance (SA). The alpha coefficients for the RFL–A scales were as follows: FA = .88, SRC = .92, SA = .91, PAS = .89 and FO = .90. The Cronbach’s alpha index for the RFL–A total scale was .93. The result of retest after 2 weeks on the sample yielded a reliability coefficient of .87. The RFL-A follows a six point Likert scale scoring system. The responses are scored as follows: 1 = Not at all important, 2 = Quite unimportant, 3 = Somewhat unimportant, 4 = Somewhat important, 5 = Quite important and 6 = Extremely important. This implies that scores on the scale range from 32 to 192. Lower score means weaker reasons for living while higher scores indicate stronger reasons for living.

Procedure
Prior to questionnaire, the researcher trained research assistance to assist in questionnaire administration. The training components involved objectives of the study, ethical issues pertaining to the study and questionnaire administration. Further, participants indicated their acceptance to partake in the study by endorsing the consent form. Owing to the large number of participants, the questionnaire was administered in groups at the schools assembly hall. On a whole, questionnaire was completed between 6-10 minutes.

Data Analysis
Hypotheses one and two were analysed using partial correlation because these hypotheses involve finding the relationship between the variables involved. In order to determine the mediating role of gender, the Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses was used in testing hypothesis two.
To be continued

Carl Sagan and our tiny world

By Dr. Rosa Hilda Lora M. Advisor at AIU | [email protected]


Carl Sagan, astrophysicist, cosmologist and disseminator of science. He was a professor at Harvard University. He was also a NASA advisor receiving the awards for Exceptional Scientific Merits, twice, and for Distinguished Public Service.

NASA distinguished him with the Apollo Achievement Award. The American Astronautics Society awarded him the John F. Kennedy Prize and the National Academy of Sciences awarded him the highest distinction: the Public Welfare Medal. He also received the Pulitzer Prize. At Cornell University he was director of the Planetary Studies Laboratory. He published more than 20 scientific papers. He refers to our planet as the pale blue dot.

That pale blue dot is motivated by the photography of the Earth from Voyager I, at a distance of 6,000 million km. The photograph was taken on February 14, 1990. The following text was recited by him at Cornell University for the first time and appears in the book he wrote “Pale Blue Dot, A Vision Of The Human Future In Space” published in 1994. According to: “From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it’s different. Consider again that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every ‘superstar,’ every ‘supreme leader,’ every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there —on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner.

How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturing, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have, some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.

In our obscurity —in all this vastness— there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. The Earth is the only world known, so far, to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment, the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.

To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known”. (Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, a vision of the Human Future in Space, The New York Times Bestseller, 1994) We could say that it’s a wonderful poem, but the wonder is what our planet means in the life of each one of us. Sagan tells us that in that little blue point there are so many activities that have been done that anyone would say is a huge star and it turns out that it is not so: we’re a blue point in space.

This wonderful writing leaves us, rather we would say wonderful poem, the world we build. That world built in such a small space is great for what we do.

The greatness of our world is the greatness of our actions. Sagan also sees the not very good things we do. This poem should make us reflect on how much we can do as human beings; build a world as big as we want, build the world that seems to be needed.

We live in a world where the communication is instantly and we see and hear events and not very good news. With the greatness that we have, what we must do is build an ever better world. What are you going to do to make this pale blue dot better and better for you? What do you intend to do to make this pale blue dot better and better for others? Do you study to have life quality? Are you studying to build a happy life for you and yours? Do you think about your work as the opportunity to contribute something to society?

Do you think about your community as the space in which you have to do something for a better life for everyone? In that tiny pale blue dot suspended in space is our life and we have to make it a major point in our minds even if it is so small in reality. Never forget how small we are in space but how great that with our daily living we can make our “pale blue dot”.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. Sagan, Carl (2003). El Punto azul Pálido, una visión del futuro humano en el espacio. México: Planeta. Retrieved from: https://lasteologias.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/sagan-carl-unpunto- azul-palido-una-vision-del-futuro-humano-en-el-espacio.pdf

AIU’s first Virtual conference

IT WAS CELEBRATED LAST OCTOBER


Great news to our AIU community members. Last October we offered our first Virtual conference called “Education in the 21st Century” Date: October 16, Wednesday Time: From 9 am to 7 pm. (Eastern Time of the USA) Theme: Education in the 21st Century. https://aiuwebinars.clickmeeting.com/aiuconferencia- de-la-educacion-del-siglo-21 Conference Coordinator:
Dr. Edward Lambert

SCHEDULE
9:00 am Dr. Jack Rosenzweig Introduction

9:15 am Miguel Angel Gonzalez Cernuda Applied Knowledge: The Competitive Advantage in the Digital World

10:00 am Pascual Nunez Internet Breaks Paradigms and Idiomatic Borders

11:00 am Ana María Torres Hernández Sustainable Development from the Construction of a Social and Solidarity Territory

12:00 pm Maria Laura Gianfri From Convergent Thought to Divergent Thought

1:00 pm Fernando Antonio Espinar La Torre Applied Ethics in Higher Education

2:00 pm Rosa Linda Gutiérrez Vital Crises: Proposals for Management and Overcoming

3:00 pm Hernando Murillo Gómez What to Teach in the Knowledge Society?

4:00 pm Pedro de León Rivera Professional Life with Success

5:00 pm José Rubén Aguilar Sánchez Analysis of Torsion Efforts in Rugo-Interference through the Finite Element Method

6:00 pm Dr. Franklin Valcin Conclusion

In case you are interested in any of these topics you may contact your tutor for more information






Learning

Dog communicates in sentences

Speech pathologist teaches her dog to use a soundboard.

Christina Hunger, 26, is a speechlanguage pathologist in San Diego, California who believes that “everyone deserves a voice.” Hunger works with one- and two-year-old children, many of which use adaptive devices to communicate. So she wondered what would happen if she taught her two-monthold puppy, a Catahoula/Blue Heeler named Stella, to do the same. “If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn’t they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans?” she wondered. Hunger and her fiancé Jake started simply by creating a button that said “outside” and then pressed it every time they said the word or opened the door. After a few weeks, every time Hunger said “outside,” Stella looked at the button. Soon, Stella began to step on the button every time she wanted to go outside. They added more buttons that say “eat,” “water,” “play,” “walk,” “no,” “come,” “help,” “bye,” and “love you.” ... “Instead of rewarding Stella with a treat for using a button, we responded to her communication by acknowledging her message and responding accordingly. Stella’s voice and opinions matter just as our own do,” she said. ... Today, Stella has learned over 29 words and can combine up to five at a time to make a phrase or sentence. ...
Read full text:

First job as an artist

Joe Whale kept getting into trouble for doodling during classtime.

Rather than shutting down the habit of scribbling in his workbook, Joe’s parents decided to encourage his creativity by sending their son to an after-school art class. His teacher recognised Joe’s talent and posted his work all over Instagram, which led to something pretty wonderful. Number 4, a restaurant in Shrewsbury, contacted Joe’s teacher to ask if the nine-year-old could come to the building and decorate the dining room with his drawings. Every day after school Joe’s dad drives him to the restaurant so he can doodle his ideas straight on the wall. Once he’s all done, the work will remain there permanently. Dad Greg said: ‘Joe is a really talented little boy, he’s excelling at school, he’s a great footballer and cricketer, but drawing is definitely what he is most passionate about. ... He was in school getting frustrated at the little amount of art he could do so he used to doodle on the table’s whiteboard in class and get into trouble for doodling. His mum and I decided to get him into an art class outside of school. His drawings blew his teacher away and they gave him his own wall to keep doodling on which he does every week when he goes there. ... Read full text:


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More than 800 mammoth bones

Discovered in ancient “mega” hunting site in Mexico.

An area in the Mexican city of Tultepec slated to become a landfill has held a long-buried surprise: the largest prehistoric mammoth hunting site ever to be found in the country, complete with more than 800 bones from 14 individuals dating back 15,000 years. Archaeologists with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have been excavating the site for 10 months. They call its discovery a “watershed” moment that serves as a “touchstone on what we imagined until now was the interaction of huntergatherer bands with these enormous herbivores,” said INAH Coordinator of Archaeology Pedro Francisco Sánchez Nava in a statement. Named Tultepec II, the entire excavation site measures 40 by 100 meters (131 by 329 feet). Within it, archaeologists observed stark vertical cuts in the layers of the Earth that contain two traps with almost 90-degree walls, each measuring 1.7 m (5.6 feet) by 25 m (82 feet) in diameter. Used for an estimated 500 years, the traps were likely visited by 20 to 30 hunters that used burning torches and branches to separate individual mammoths from their herd and push them into the pits. At least 824 individual bones have so far been found at the “Mammoth Megasite”, including eight skulls, five jaws, 100 vertebrate, 179 ribs, 11 scapulae, five humeri, a pelvis, femurs, tibiae, and other “small” bones. ...
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First full cyborg

Terminally-ill scientist aims to become it.

Dr Peter Bowman Scott-Morgan is an English-American roboticist suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This degenerative condition pushed Scott-Morgan into a daring approach to counteract it and become, in his words, the “world’s first full cyborg”. The roboticist took to Twitter in October to announce that he was undergoing four medical procedures to improve the quality and length of his life. He claims that he’s now Peter 2.0. Doctors inserted a feeding tube directly into his stomach, a catheter directly into his bladder, and a colostomy bag into his colon. He also underwent a laryngectomy, a procedure where doctors surgically remove the larynx, the part of your body that connects the mouth and nose to the lungs. Without his larynx, he can no longer talk with his natural voice, but he also doesn’t risk saliva accidentally accumulating in his lungs. He’s now breathing with a respirator. “Just home from 24 days in Intensive Care. All medical procedures now complete and a huge success. My mini-ventilator keeping me breathing is a LOT quieter than Darth Vader’s. All speech is synthetic but at last sounds like me again. Long research road ahead but in great spirits,” Scott-Morgan wrote in a tweet. ...
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Invisibility cloak

Can conceal people and objects.

Canadian camouflage company Hyperstealth Biotechnology has patented the technology behind a material that bends light to make people and objects near invisible to the naked eye. ... As well as making objects close to invisible to the naked eye, the material also conceals them from infrared and ultraviolet imagers. Unlike traditional camouflage materials, which are limited to specific conditions such as forests or deserts, this “invisibility cloak” works in any environment or season, at any time of day. This is made possible through something called a lenticular lens –a corrugated sheet in which each ridge is made up of a convex or outwardcurving lens. ... Read full text and watch video: https://www. dezeen.com/2019/11/07/hyperstealth-biotechnology- quantum-stealth-invisibility-cloak/
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Michaela DePrince

From war orphan to star ballerina.

Michaela DePrince was born in Sierra Leone and grew up in the United States. Together with her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, she wrote the book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. At The Rock School in Philadelphia, Michaela specialised in classical ballet. In 2013, Michaela started her career in the Netherlands as a member of the Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company, which had just started up. In August 2014, she transferred to Dutch National Ballet, in the rank of élève. One year later, she was promoted to coryphée and in 2016 to grand sujet, and then to soloist at the end of the same year.
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New pavement

Self-repairs when it rains.

Rain would repair rather than damage roads if they were made of the tyre-based pavement invented by Israel Briseño Carmona, a Mexican student and winner of the nation's James Dyson Award. The Coahuila Autonomous University student’s rubber pavement is made of recycled tyres combined with additives that allow it to self-regenerate upon contact with water. Carmona began his research wanting to solve the problem of rainwater damage to streets, which manifests as potholes and cracks. “Damage is caused by rain filtering to the base of pavements, weakening it and creating subsidence,” said the designer. “This is how the idea that turning the greatest degradation agent into a recovery agent was born.” ...
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'Waves' of fluid

...clear the brain of toxins during sleep.

The function of sleep has been something of a mystery for a long time. Nearly every creature in the animal kingdom sleeps in one way or another, indicating that it’s a highly important function for survival ... . However, new research published in the journal Science may have just uncovered what’s really going on in our brains while we dream about being late for an exam because our teeth fell out. Our brains may actually be taking a bath in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a watery substance that washes out all the gunk that accumulates in our brains over the course of the day. Neurons take up a lot of energy. In fact, the brain alone accounts for roughly 20% of the body’s total energy consumption. All of this activity and fuel-burning also means that the brain generates a lot of waste. Two varieties are particularly concerning: beta-amyloid peptides and tau proteins. Studies have shown that these waste products build up into clumps and entangled nets within the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, damaging the connections between neurons. The brain produces a lot of waste over the course of a day, and yet we don’t see people getting ... neurodegenerative diseases in their 30s. Part of the reason why is because when we sleep, our brain takes the trash out. Prior studies in mice have shown that the levels of neurotoxic waste products in the brain drop overnight. ... Read full text:

The religiosity gap

Women are more religious than men, but why?

In virtually all countries in the world, women tend to be more religious than men. In the USA, recent surveys show a sizeable 12-point difference between the genders in terms of religiosity. What explains the gap? A new study published in The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion suggests one factor is that men are more likely to take risks. ... For the study, John P. Hoffmann, a professor of sociology at Brigham Young University, examined data from the 2015 Monitoring the Future study, the 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, and the 2005 National Survey of Youth and Religion. These sources recorded the risk preferences, religiousness and demographic variables of 22,745 American adolescents. After comparing the data, the results showed that men were more willing to take risks, while women were more likely to be religious. What’s more, the gap between male and female religiousness nearly disappeared when risk-taking served as a control variable. ... Hoffman cautioned that the study doesn't prove that risk-taking preferences fully explain the gap in religiosity between men and women, and that the study only focused on young people. ... As sociologists Omar Lizardo and Jessica L. Collett once wrote, the religiosity gender gap is still “a genuine scientific puzzle.” Most explanations argue that either nature or nurture is responsible for the gap. ... Read full text:

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The Delhi air crisis

Was predicted by a study more than a decade ago.



Officials have implored the people of New Delhi to stay inside, indefinitely. Five million children in India’s capital have been handed face masks. Everyone is to keep windows closed. Contrary to the most fundamental medical advice, the city’s chief minister urged residents this week to “avoid outdoor physical activities.” News images seem cut from an apocalyptic outbreak film. One of India’s holiest rivers is covered in toxic foam that looks like white cotton candy. Midday visibility is like a foggy dusk. The air reportedly causes people’s eyes to burn. At the root is not some panicinducing virus, though. The cause is simply pollution from agriculture and transportation. And the city’s air crisis is unique only in degree. The same elements are accumulating in the air everywhere. More than a decade ago, a study by India’s government predicted the untenability of the air in New Delhi, warning that the crisis was primarily due to emissions from the city’s more than 8 million cars. Since then, New Delhi’s air has constantly been among the world’s most dangerous, and it has recently gone through phases of being simply uninhabitable. This happens often in the weeks when nearby farmers set their fields ablaze after harvest, adding to an already precarious baseline of smog from burning fossil fuel. Automotive and industrial emissions ... Read full text:

Want to plant more trees?

Do it by using the search engine Ecosia.

Ecosia is a search engine that donates the bulk of its expendable funds to tree-planting organizations around the globe. ... Ecosia anonymizes all user data after holding it for four days (for security purposes) and has a written agreement with Microsoft requiring the company to follow the same practice. After paying for its operational and marketing costs, Ecosia invests the rest in long-term projects and tree-planting organizations. That’s how, by Ecosia’s own count, it has planted over 70 million trees since its founding in 2009. It also takes a “first, do no harm” approach by building solar farms that cover the energy required to operate Ecosia itself. Ecosia is part of the Microsoft Search Network, which includes Yahoo, AOL and DuckDuckGo. ... This partnership means that an Ecosia search requires not just its own servers but Microsoft’s as well, and when it comes to sustainability, Microsoft is crushed by Google. Google reached 100 percent carbon neutrality in 2018, with clean energy purchases that offset both its data centers and offices (its actual power still comes largely from dirty sources, but it buys an equivalent amount of clean energy). Microsoft, on the other hand, states that it is on pace to reach 60 percent carbon neutrality by the end of 2019, and is committed to 70 percent by 2023. ...
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The price of insulin

The World Health Organization declares war on it.

The World Health Organization is hoping to drive down the cost of insulin by encouraging more generic drug makers to enter the market. The organization hopes that by increasing competition for insulin, drug manufacturers will be forced to lower their prices. Currently, only three companies dominate the world insulin market, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi. Over the past three decades they’ve worked to drastically increase the price of the drug, leading to an insulin availability crisis in some places. In the United States, the price of insulin has increased from $35 usd a vial to $275 over the past two decades. “Four hundred million people are living with diabetes, the amount of insulin available is too low and the price is too high, so we really need to do something,” Emer Cooke, the W.H.O.’s head of regulation of medicines and health technologies, said in a statement. Through a process called “prequalification” UN agencies, such as Doctors without Borders, will be able to buy approved generic versions of insulin. The W.H.O. used similar tactics to make HIV/AIDS drugs more affordable. In 2002, 7,000 Africans were dying every year ... because Western drug companies sold the life-saving drugs for around $15,000 a year. Now the drugs are made in countries with thriving generic drug industries and ... cost only around $75 a year. ... Read full text: https://www.good.is/who-plan-insulin-affordable Read full text and watch video:

Zoos of death

The animals at Indonesia’s zoos need your help.

Sometimes rescued wild animals end up in zoos. But the wild animals in Indonesia’s zoos are actually the ones that need rescuing. It wasn’t too long ago when the Surabaya Zoo, known by its critics as the “Zoo of Death” made headlines across the globe. The park was reportedly losing 25 of its 4,000 head menagerie per day and was reeling from the death of one of its Sumatran tigers. Another one of their tigers, Melani, was shown in photos to be so emaciated that officials were forced to consider euthanizing her to put her out of her misery. That was nearly six years ago, but it seems like welfare standards for Indonesia’s zoo animals haven’t improved since then. The public is now in an uproar about more animals from various Indonesian zoos that are visibly suffering, starving or neglected. According to one Indonesian animal rights group, 90% of all the zoos in Indonesia should be shut down. The organization based its conclusion on the ability of the assessed zoos to satisfy five key criteria: keeping animals free from hunger and thirst, free from pain and injury, free from discomfort, free to behave as they would in the wild and free from stress. ... Sign the petition:

Get a better knowledge about our rights and the way we can use them on a daily basis to prevent any abuse or limitations of them. Visit MyAIU Human Rights.


Campus

Being nonbinary has nothing to do with looking nonbinary

I’ve been on hormones for almost four years. My presentation is femme. I use she/ her pronouns. But I consider myself nonbinary, neither a man or a woman.

Often there is this stereotype that nonbinary people must strive for perfect androgyny. But that stereotype is harmful and overlooks the broad diversity among nonbinary people. Just like AFAB (assigned female at birth) nonbinary people don’t have to disavow a feminine appearance, neither do AMAB (assigned male at birth) nonbinary people. Vice versa for masculine or androgynous looks. When we create and enforce these stereotypes in the trans community, we risk playing gatekeeper on who is trans or not. But just like there is no “right” way for men or women to present themselves, there is not a “right” way for nonbinary people to present themselves. There is a similar stereotype that all nonbinary people prefer “they” pronouns. But pronoun usage does not define whether someone is “really” nonbinary. There is no logical entailment between what pronouns you prefer and whether you’re nonbinary. Furthermore, not all nonbinary people even identify as trans. Some do. Some don’t.

Another stereotype is that AMAB nonbinary people have facial hair. This is not true. While we shouldn’t use facial hair to invalidate the transness or femmeness of AMAB nonbinary people, we also shouldn’t be surprised that some, such as myself, have dysphoria about their facial hair and seek to remove it. And speaking of dysphoria, there is no logical connection between being nonbinary and how much dysphoria you may or may not have or whether you want surgery or hormones. Some nonbinary people have strong dysphoria and go on HRT (hormone replacement therapy)/have surgery and others don’t.

There’s this idea that being nonbinary is about being “in between” male and female. But there are many ways of thinking about being nonbinary. For some, it’s being neither male or female and defining your own gender. For some, it is about being “in between” and achieving a kind of androgyny. And we can also think about gender as a multidimensional spectrum and nonbinary people falling somewhere outside the two primary positions of manhood/ womanhood. In other words, there are many different ways for nonbinary identity to situate itself with respect to the binary. In a broader sense, nonbinary is just an umbrella term for anyone who does not identify within the binary.

In summary, there is no single way for nonbinary people to look or identify. There is so much diversity in the community and we do ourselves a disservice by focusing only on androgyny and neutrality as the ideals of being nonbinary. There is room for the full spectrum of expression within the nonbinary label.

Non-binary gender
Non-binary is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine‍ — identities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary people may identify as having two or more genders (being bigender or trigender); having no gender (agender, nongendered, genderless, genderfree or neutrois); moving between genders or having a fluctuating gender identity (genderfluid); being third gender or other-gendered (a category that includes those who do not place a name to their gender). Source: en.wikipedia.org Read full text by Gillian B. White:

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Kamp-Rite 3 in 1 tent..

Converts from lounge chair, to cot, to personal tent. Comes with rain fly and carry bag. Its 2 zippered entrances and mesh openings can be closed or opened for additional air flow. www.amazon.com

Sprout plant.

The Modern sprout plant gift set includes a bamboo pot, plastic plant stand and tray, plant food, a special growing medium made from recycled glass and coconut husks, and a polypropylene wick. Available in lavender or basil. store.moma.org

Self watering pot..

This elegant pot from Eva Solo ensures optimum growing conditions for potted orchids with a minimum of care. www.finnishdesignshop. com

—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 1989–.

“Mentors of mine were under a big pressure to minimize their feminity to make it. I’m not going to do that. It takes away my power. I’m not going to compromise who I am.”

—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 1989–. American politician and activist. At age 29, she became the youngest woman to serve in the United States Congress.

Lovely logics 1

1. Make peace with your past so it doesn’t spoil your present. 2. What others think of you is none of your business. 3. Time heals almost everything. Give the time some time. Source: www.elephantjournal.com

Bachelor of Democratic Studies

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

The Bachelor of Democratic Studies program is offered online via distance learning. After evaluating both academic record and life experience, AIU staff working in conjunction with Faculty and Academic Advisors will assist students in setting up a custom-made program, designed on an individual basis. This flexibility to meet student needs is seldom found in other distance learning programs. Our online program does not require all students to take the same subjects/courses, use the same books, or learning materials. Instead, the online Bachelor of Democratic Studies curriculum is designed individually by the student and academic advisor. It specifically addresses strengths and weaknesses with respect to market opportunities in the student’s major and intended field of work. Understanding that industry and geographic factors should influence the content of the curriculum instead of a standardized one-fits-all design is the hallmark of AIU’s unique approach to adult education. This philosophy addresses the dynamic and constantly changing environment of working professionals by helping adult students in reaching their professional and personal goals within the scope of the degree program.

Important:

Below is an example of the topics or areas you may develop and work on during your studies. By no means is it a complete or required list as AIU programs do not follow a standardized curriculum. It is meant solely as a reference point and example. Want to learn more about the curriculum design at AIU? Go ahead and visit our website, especially the Course and Curriculum section: http://aiu.edu/course-curriculum.html

Core Courses and Topics

Comparative democratization
Theories of political development
Program design and evaluation
Research design in democracy and democratization
Democracy promotion
History and theories of democracy and democratization
Democracy, governance, and institutions
Democracy and society
Democracy, governance, and development policy
Regional studies in democracy
Society and politics specialization
Political participation in democratic regimes
Democracy and national security
Africa between democracy and dictatorship
Social democracy in western europe
Democracy and democratization in the arab world
Dictatorship and democracy in latin america
Strikes and lockouts in a democratic perspective
International electoral policy and practice
Political institutions

Orientation Courses

Communication & Investigation (Comprehensive Resume)
Organization Theory (Portfolio)
Experiential Learning (Autobiography)
Academic Evaluation (Questionnaire)
Fundament of Knowledge (Integration Chart)
Fundamental Principles I (Philosophy of Education)
Professional Evaluation (Self Evaluation Matrix)
Development of Graduate Study (Guarantee of an Academic Degree)

Research Project

Bachelor Thesis Project
MBM300 Thesis Proposal
MBM302 Bachelor Thesis (5000 words)

Contact us to get started

Each graduate is encouraged to publish their research papers either online in the public domain or through professional journals and periodicals worldwide

aiu.edu/apply-online.html

Pioneer Plaza/900 Fort Street Mall 410
Honolulu, HI 96813
800-993-0066 (Toll Free in US)
808-924-9567 (Internationally)

Publication.

Each Bachelor graduate is encouraged to publish their research papers either online in the public domain or through professional journals and periodicals worldwide.


About Us

Accreditation

Atlantic International University offers distance learning degree programs for adult learners at bachelors, masters, and doctoral level. With self paced program taken online, AIU lifts the obstacles that keep professional adults from completing their educational goals. Programs are available throughout a wide range of majors and areas of study. All of this with a philosophically holistic approach towards education fitting within the balance of your life and acknowledging the key role each individual can play in their community, country, and the world. Atlantic International University is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC). ASIC Accreditation is an internationally renowned quality standard for colleges and universities. Visit ASIC’s Directory of Accredited Colleges and Universities. ASIC is a member of CHEA International Quality Group (CIQG) in the USA, an approved accreditation body by the Ministerial Department of the Home Office in the UK, and is listed in the International Directory of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The University is based in the United States and was established by corporate charter in 1998.

Our founding principles are based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; per article 26, AIU believes that Higher Education is a Human Right. The University has implemented a paradigm shifting educational model for its academic programs that have allowed it to move closer to this goal through the self-empowerment of its students, decentralization of the learning process, personalized open curriculum design, a sustainable learning model, developing 11 core elements of the Human Condition within MYAIU, and utilizing the quasi-infinite knowledge through the use of information technology combined with our own capacity to find solutions to all types of global issues, dynamic problems, and those of individuals and multidisciplinary teams. Due to these differentiations and the university’s mission, only a reputable accrediting agency with the vision and plasticity to integrate and adapt its processes around AIU’s proven and successful innovative programs could be selected. Unfortunately, the vast majority of accrediting agencies adhere to and follow obsolete processes and requirements that have outlived their usefulness and are in direct conflict with the university’s mission of offering a unique, dynamic, affordable, quality higher education to the nontraditional student (one who must work, study what he really needs for professional advancement, attend family issues, etc.). We believe that adopting outdated requirements and processes would impose increased financial burdens on students while severely limiting their opportunities to earn their degree and advance in all aspects. Thus, in selecting the ASIC as its accrediting agency, AIU ensured that its unique programs would not be transformed into a copy or clone of those offered by the 10,000+ colleges and universities around the world. Since ASIC is an international accrediting agency based outside the United States, we are required by statute HRS446E to place the following disclaimer: ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS NOT ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. Note: In the United States and abroad, many licensing authorities require accredited degrees as the basis for eligibility for licensing.

In some cases, accredited colleges may not accept for transfer courses and degrees completed at unaccredited colleges, and some employers may require an accredited degree as a basis for eligibility for employment. Potential students should consider how the above may affect their interests, AIU respects the unique rules and regulations of each country and does not seek to influence the respective authorities. In the event that a prospective student wishes to carry out any government review or process in regards to his university degree, we recommend that the requirements of such are explored in detail with the relevant authorities by the prospective student as the university does not intervene in such processes. AIU students can be found in over 180 countries, they actively participate and volunteer in their communities as part of their academic program and have allocated thousands of service hours to diverse causes and initiatives. AIU programs follow the standards commonly used by colleges and universities in the United States with regards to the following: academic program structure, degree issued, transcript, and other graduation documents. AIU graduation documents can include an apostille and authentication from the US Department of State to facilitate their use internationally.

The AIU Difference

It is acknowledged that the act of learning is endogenous, (from within), rather than exogenous.

This fact is the underlying rationale for “Distance Learning”, in all of the programs offered by AIU. The combination of the underlying principles of student “self instruction”, (with guidance), collaborative development of curriculum unique to each student, and flexibility of time and place of study, provides the ideal learning environment to satisfy individual needs.

AIU is an institution of experiential learning and nontraditional education at a distance. There are no classrooms and attendance is not required.

Mission & Vision

MISSION:

To be a higher learning institution concerned about generating cultural development alternatives likely to be sustained in order to lead to a more efficient administration of the world village and its environment; exerting human and community rights through diversity with the ultimate goal of the satisfaction and evolution of the world.

VISION:

The empowerment of the individual towards the convergence of the world through a sustainable educational design based on andragogy and omniology.

Organizational Structure

Dr. Franklin Valcin
President/Academic Dean

Dr. Ricardo González
Executive Vice-President
Ofelia Hernandez
Director of AIU
Clara Margalef
Dir. of Special Projects of AIU
Juan Pablo Moreno
Director of Operations
Paul Applebaum
IT Director
Nadeem Awan
Chief Programing
Dr. Jack Rosenzweig
Dean of Academic Affairs
Paula Vieria
Admissions Manager
Dr. Edward Lambert
Academic Coordinator
Dr. Ariadna Romero
Academic Coordinator
Maricela Esparza
Administrative Coordinator
Jaime Rotlewicz
Admissions Coordinator
Carlos Aponte
Telecom. Coordinator
Rosie Perez
Finance Coordinator
Nadia Gabaldon
Student Services Supervisor
Dr. José Mercado
Chief Executive Officer

Felipe Gomez
Design Director
Kingsley Zelee
IT Coordinator
Linda Collazo
Student Services Coordinator
Giovanni Castillo
Operations assistant
Liliana Peñaranda
Logistics Coordinator
Amalia Aldrett
Admissions Coordinator
Alba Ochoa
Admissions Coordinator
Sandra Garcia
Admissions Coordinator
Veronica Amuz
Admissions Coordinator
Junko Shimizu
Admissions Coordinator
Roberto Aldrett
Communications Coordinator
Nazma Sultana
Assistant Programming
Jhanzaib Awan
Assistant Programming
Chris Benjamin
Hosting Server
Dr. Ricardo González
Provost

Paulina Garcia
Academic Assistant
Daritza Ysla
Accounting Coordinator
Patricia C. Domenech
Human Resources
Irina Ivashuk
Administrative Assistant
Kimberly Diaz
Academic Tutor
Renata Da Silva
Academic Tutor
Lourdes Puentes
Academic Tutor
Rina Lehnhoff
Academic Tutor
Renato Cifuentes
Academic Tutor
Arturo Vejar
Academic Tutor
Arhely Espinoza
Academic Tutor
Luisa Villar
Academic Tutor
Cyndy Dominguez
Academic Tutor
Vivian Calderon
Registrar Office

School of Business and Economics

The School of Business and Economics allows aspiring and practicing professionals, managers, and entrepreneurs in the private and public sectors to complete a self paced distance learning degree program of the highest academic standard. The ultimate goal is to empower learners and help them take advantage of the enormous array of resources from the world environment in order to eliminate the current continuum of poverty and limitations. Degree programs are designed for those students whose professional experience has been in business, marketing, administration, economics, finance and management.

Areas of Study:

Accounting, Advertising, Banking, Business Administration, Communications, Ecommerce, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Home Economics, Human Resources, International Business, International Finance, Investing, Globalization, Marketing, Management, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Public Administrations, Sustainable Development, Public Relations, Telecommunications, Tourism, Trade.

School of Social and Human Studies

The School of Social and Human Studies is focused on to the development of studies which instill a core commitment to building a society based on social and economic justice and enhancing opportunities for human well being. The founding principles lie on the basic right of education as outlined in the Declaration of Human Rights. We instill in our students a sense of confidence and self reliance in their ability to access the vast opportunities available through information channels, the world wide web, private, public, nonprofit, and nongovernmental organizations in an ever expanding global community. Degree programs are aimed towards those whose professional life has been related to social and human behavior, with the arts, or with cultural studies.

Areas of Study:

Psychology, International Affairs, Sociology, Political Sciences, Architecture, Legal Studies, Public Administration, Literature and languages, Art History, Ministry, African Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, Islamic Studies, Religious Studies.

School of Science and Engineering

The School of Science and Engineering seeks to provide dynamic, integrated, and challenging degree programs designed for those whose experience is in industrial research, scientific production, engineering and the general sciences. Our system for research and education will keep us apace with the twenty-first century reach scientific advance in an environmentally and ecologically responsible manner to allow for the sustainability of the human population. We will foster among our students a demand for ethical behavior, an appreciation for diversity, an understanding of scientific investigation, knowledge of design innovation, a critical appreciation for the importance of technology and technological change for the advancement of humanity.

Areas of Study:

Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Communications, Petroleum Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Nutrition Science, Agricultural Science, Computer Science, Sports Science, Renewable Energy, Geology, Urban Planning.

Online Library Resources

With access to a global catalog created and maintained collectively by more than 9,000 participating institutions, AIU students have secured excellent research tools for their study programs.

The AIU online library contains over 2 billion records and over 300 million bibliographic records that are increasing day by day. The sources spanning thousands of years and virtually all forms of human expression. There are files of all kinds, from antique inscribed stones to e-books, form wax engravings to MP3s, DVDs and websites. In addition to the archives, the library AIU Online offers electronic access to more than 149,000 e-books, dozens of databases and more than 13 million full-text articles with pictures included. Being able to access 60 databases and 2393 periodicals with more than 18 million items, guarantees the information required to perform the assigned research project. Users will find that many files are enriched with artistic creations on the covers, indexes, reviews, summaries and other information.

The records usually have information attached from important libraries. The user can quickly assess the relevance of the information and decide if it is the right source.

Education on the 21st century

AIU is striving to regain the significance of the concept of education, which is rooted into the Latin “educare”, meaning “to pull out”, breaking loose from the paradigm of most 21st century universities with their focus on “digging and placing information” into students’ heads rather than teaching them to think. For AIU, the generation of “clones” that some traditional universities are spreading throughout the real world is one of the most salient reasons for today’s ills. In fact, students trained at those educational institutions never feel a desire to “change the world” or the current status quo; instead, they adjust to the environment, believe everything is fine, and are proud of it all.

IN A WORLD where knowledge and mostly information expire just like milk, we must reinvent university as a whole in which each student, as the key player, is UNIQUE within an intertwined environment. This century’s university must generate new knowledge bits although this may entail its separation from both the administrative bureaucracy and the faculty that evolve there as well. AIU thinks that a university should be increasingly integrated into the “real world”, society, the economy, and the holistic human being. As such, it should concentrate on its ultimate goal, which is the student, and get him/her deeply immersed into a daily praxis of paradigm shifts, along with the Internet and research, all these being presently accessible only to a small minority of the world community. AIU students must accomplish their self-learning mission while conceptualizing it as the core of daily life values through the type of experiences that lead to a human being’s progress when information is converted into education. The entire AIU family must think of the university as a setting that values diversity and talent in a way that trains mankind not only for the present but above all for a future that calls everyday for professionals who empower themselves in academic and professional areas highly in demand in our modern society. We shall not forget that, at AIU, students are responsible for discovering their own talents and potential, which they must auto-develop in such a way that the whole finish product opens up as a flower that blossoms every year more openly.

THE AIU STANCE is against the idea of the campus as a getaway from day-to-day pressure since we believe reality is the best potential-enhancer ever; one truly learns through thinking, brainstorming ideas, which leads to new solutions, and ultimately the rebirth of a human being fully integrated in a sustainable world environment. Self-learning is actualized more from within than a top-down vantage point, that is to say, to influence instead of requesting, ideas more than power. We need to create a society where solidarity, culture, life, not political or economic rationalism and more than techno structures, are prioritized. In short, the characteristics of AIU students and alumni remain independence, creativity, self-confidence, and ability to take risk towards new endeavors. This is about people’s worth based not on what they know but on what they do with what they know.

Read more at: www.aiu.edu

AIU Service

AIU offers educational opportunities in the USA to adults from around the world so that they can use their own potential to manage their personal, global cultural development. The foundational axis of our philosophy lies upon self-actualized knowledge and information, with no room for obsoleteness, which is embedded into a DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEM based on ANDRAGOGY and OMNIOLOGY. The ultimate goal of this paradigm is to empower learners and help them take advantage of the enormous array of resources from the world environment in order to eliminate the current continuum of poverty and limitations.

This will become a crude reality with respect for, and practice of, human and community rights through experiences, investigations, practicum work, and/ or examinations. Everything takes place in a setting that fosters diversity; with advisors and consultants with doctorate degrees and specializations in Human Development monitor learning processes, in addition to a worldwide web of colleagues and associations, so that they can reach the satisfaction and the progress of humanity with peace and harmony.

Contact us to get started

Now, it’s possible to earn your degree in the comfort of your own home. For additional information or to see if you qualify for admissions please contact us.

Pioneer Plaza / 900 Fort Street Mall 410 Honolulu, HI 96813
800-993-0066 (Toll Free in US) [email protected]
808-924-9567 (Internationally) www.aiu.edu

Online application:

https://www.aiu.edu/apply3_phone.aspx