Vassar College “I can’t believe I’m teaching a class across three continents! By joining Pioneer, students become part of a special learning community that transcends boundaries.”
Harvard University “ It is really exciting to have such strong students engaging at such a high level. In fact, I am actually using some of the students’ research in my class at Harvard. ”
Students began signing on to Pioneer Academics’ Pioneer Open Dialogue Series (PODS) landing page a half-hour early, not to get a good seat, for no one had to leave their home to attend; but to make sure the technology was working. “Microphone?” “Check!” “Camera?” Check!” “You’re good to go,” from Pioneer Academics Program Director Matthew Jaskol meant you were registered, signed in and ready to participate in Pioneer Academic’s first Pioneer Open Discussion Series event of 2017: Justice and the Arab Spring: A Guide to Arab Street with Princeton University Professor Lawrence Rosen, PhD.
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When 9:00 a.m. EDT arrived, 35 students from US, India, Canada, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey, Taiwan, and China were online and excited to join Dr. Rosen in a discussion of cultural components of the Arab Spring through the eyes of people on the street in the Middle East.
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First, the students met two men politely trying to determine who was responsible for a bird escaping from a shopkeeper’s cage. Who’s responsible for the loss? The shopper or the shopkeeper? In Arab culture, it’s the first sentient being involved who is responsible. In this case, the bird! It is man’s responsibility to use his reason to understand this, and to enhance his relationships with others. So the shopper and the shopkeeper agree they both are responsible, and parted friends, i.e., indebted to each other.
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Next Dr. Rosen introduced the students to Hussein from Morocco, who inquires of Dr. Rosen whether there is corruption in America. “Yes,” responds Dr. Rosen, as he cites several examples.
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“Bribing a politician,” posits Dr. Rosen? “No, that’s just politics,” says Hussein.” “Kickbacks,” says Dr. Rosen. “No, that’s just business,” says Hussein. Then Dr. Rosen cites nepotism; and Hussein says that’s just family solidarity, and concludes, “That’s why America is a great country, because there is no corruption there!”
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Lastly the students met Ibanik, also from Morocco, who tells us about an individual whom he knows not, based on pictures he is shown of that person in social settings. He talks about the person without regard for chronology, as if the person’s past is his present.
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Each of these examples, Dr. Rosen explains, are manifestations of Arab culture, in which reason and relationships are paramount, and which seem unintelligible to many Westerners. By understanding these men on the street, Dr. Rosen went on, one can better understand the Arab Spring and what it meant to the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.
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Dr. Rosen responded to student questions submitted in advance (so he could prepare better answers) and to some rising spontaneously during his talk.
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Dr. Lawrence Rosen, Ph.D., is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University. He is both a distinguished anthropologist and accomplished attorney at law.
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Student reactions to the Pioneer Open Dialogue Series were enthusiastic, even though for some it was late night; while for others, early morning. “It was a great presentation and it really invoked a lot of thoughts for me,” said one student. “The session was enlightening, and has helped me understand the situation of the Arab Spring from a different point of view,” explained another.
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Pioneer Open Dialogue Series is free to persons of all ages and ethnicities from around the world. All that is required is a computer with a camera and microphone. “It’s Pioneer’s way of providing additional educational opportunities to a much wider audience than the Pioneer Research Program provides,” Pioneer Academics Program Director Matthew Jaskol states. “It’s a way of sharing great ideas,” Jaskol explained, “without regard for anything but the joy of learning.”
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The next Pioneer Open Dialogue Series discussion is planned for Summer 2017.
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Pioneer Academics provides 100% online educational opportunities for academically outstanding high school students around the world through it’s innovative Pioneer Research Program. Learn more at www.pioneeracademics.com.
- Justice and the Arab Spring: A Guide to the Arab Street
Students began signing on to Pioneer Academics’ Pioneer Open Dialogue Series (PODS) landing page a half-hour early, not to get a good seat, for no one had to leave their home to attend; but to make sure the technology was working. “Microphone?” “Check!” “Camera?” Check!” “You’re good to go,” from Pioneer Academics Program Director Matthew Jaskol meant you were registered, signed in and ready to participate in Pioneer Academic’s first Pioneer Open Discussion Series event of 2017: Justice and the Arab Spring: A Guide to Arab Street with Princeton University Professor Lawrence Rosen, PhD.
。
When 9:00 a.m. EDT arrived, 35 students from US, India, Canada, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey, Taiwan, and China were online and excited to join Dr. Rosen in a discussion of cultural components of the Arab Spring through the eyes of people on the street in the Middle East.
。
.
First, the students met two men politely trying to determine who was responsible for a bird escaping from a shopkeeper’s cage. Who’s responsible for the loss? The shopper or the shopkeeper? In Arab culture, it’s the first sentient being involved who is responsible. In this case, the bird! It is man’s responsibility to use his reason to understand this, and to enhance his relationships with others. So the shopper and the shopkeeper agree they both are responsible, and parted friends, i.e., indebted to each other.
.
Next Dr. Rosen introduced the students to Hussein from Morocco, who inquires of Dr. Rosen whether there is corruption in America. “Yes,” responds Dr. Rosen, as he cites several examples.
.
“Bribing a politician,” posits Dr. Rosen? “No, that’s just politics,” says Hussein.” “Kickbacks,” says Dr. Rosen. “No, that’s just business,” says Hussein. Then Dr. Rosen cites nepotism; and Hussein says that’s just family solidarity, and concludes, “That’s why America is a great country, because there is no corruption there!”
.
Lastly the students met Ibanik, also from Morocco, who tells us about an individual whom he knows not, based on pictures he is shown of that person in social settings. He talks about the person without regard for chronology, as if the person’s past is his present.
.
Each of these examples, Dr. Rosen explains, are manifestations of Arab culture, in which reason and relationships are paramount, and which seem unintelligible to many Westerners. By understanding these men on the street, Dr. Rosen went on, one can better understand the Arab Spring and what it meant to the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.
.
Dr. Rosen responded to student questions submitted in advance (so he could prepare better answers) and to some rising spontaneously during his talk.
.
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Dr. Lawrence Rosen, Ph.D., is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University. He is both a distinguished anthropologist and accomplished attorney at law.
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Student reactions to the Pioneer Open Dialogue Series were enthusiastic, even though for some it was late night; while for others, early morning. “It was a great presentation and it really invoked a lot of thoughts for me,” said one student. “The session was enlightening, and has helped me understand the situation of the Arab Spring from a different point of view,” explained another.
.
Pioneer Open Dialogue Series is free to persons of all ages and ethnicities from around the world. All that is required is a computer with a camera and microphone. “It’s Pioneer’s way of providing additional educational opportunities to a much wider audience than the Pioneer Research Program provides,” Pioneer Academics Program Director Matthew Jaskol states. “It’s a way of sharing great ideas,” Jaskol explained, “without regard for anything but the joy of learning.”
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The next Pioneer Open Dialogue Series discussion is planned for Summer 2017.
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Pioneer Academics provides 100% online educational opportunities for academically outstanding high school students around the world through it’s innovative Pioneer Research Program. Learn more at www.pioneeracademics.com.
see more - Pioneer Professor: You Can Be an Entrepreneur
Pioneer Academics held a Pioneer Open Dialogue Seminar (PODS) with Professor Ted Zoller of University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business on December 16, 2016. At UNC, he oversees the teaching and outreach programs of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. Dr. Zoller spoke online with 20 students from six regions: Rwanda, India, China, Hong Kong, the United States, and Malaysia. He spoke about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and how students can develop the skills necessary to become one.
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Co-host: Christina Sun
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Cohosting the event was Christina Sun, one of Professor Zoller’s students in the Pioneer Research Program last summer. Christina is a senior at Harbin No.3 High School in Harbin, China. Opening the event, Dr. Zoller said to the students that the goal of his talk was “to open you up to what could be your entrepreneurial future.”
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What is entrepreneurship?
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Dr. Zoller challenged student attendees, asking, “are you an entrepreneur?” He said that many young people don’t see themselves as entrepreneurs when, in fact, they have the potential to be. He said the common excuses are “I don’t have an idea,” “I don’t have enough resources,” and “I don’t have the capability to be an entrepreneur.” Dr. Zoller then told students that entrepreneurship is a process of constructing and designing their own lives. He said that the biggest barrier to becoming an entrepreneur is giving oneself permission to seize opportunities. The students learned Howard Steven’s definition of entrepreneurship – “the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled.”
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Dr. Zoller likened entrepreneurship to playing checkers and not chess. One always has to look at the changing context of the market. A new idea is only disruptive until the market adopts and assumes it. Innovative ideas may not initially be well received because they’ve never existed before. But if they solve a real need, then they will become part of the market landscape.
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Success
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Dr. Zoller led a discussion of words like “opportunity,” “risk, “luck,” and “failure” in the context of entrepreneurship. He also lingered on the word “success,” saying everyone has a different understanding of it, but that “unless you define it, you don’t know how to acquire it.” He advised students to think about the special contribution they wanted to make in their lifetimes and the change they’d like to see in the world, and then define that as success for themselves.
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Preparing to be an entrepreneur
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One student in India asked what formal training or things students should do to prepare to be entrepreneurs. Dr. Zoller suggested studying the nature of markets, finance, and economics, and also building experience in the domain in which they’d like to make a difference, like biotechnology, product development, etc. He also recommended students consider universities that have programs to teach innovation, problem solving, and business creation.
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New ideas
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The discussion also touched on the nature of ideas. Students learned that “ideas are valuable, but ideas that are applied are invaluable.” Dr. Zoller told them that entrepreneurs may have new ideas or not, but that they take ideas and make them available to others to solve real problems.
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What makes an entrepreneur?
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In the session, Dr. Zoller conceived of a model of entrepreneurship in which the entrepreneur understands both the market and an innovation. The entrepreneur knows the need of a customer that’s not being met and then the insight that will allow an innovation to meet that need. The customer may not be aware a problem is not being solved until they’re presented with the solution. This is where the entrepreneur’s value proposition lies. This entire process is one of iteration. The expert entrepreneur arrives at the value proposition through having an insight that they test in the market, and then take the market’s feedback to improve their solution. This is often called “lean methodology.”
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The importance of teams
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Dr. Zoller also hit on another key component of entrepreneurship—execution. It is essential to deliver a solution in a timely way that does not expend more resources than it creates. He said that a strong team brings in “left brain entrepreneurs,” those who focus on details, and “right brain entrepreneurs,” those who see the big picture. The left brain entrepreneur dives deep into the business plan and into how very specific details work. The right brain entrepreneur considers how the overall business model meets market trends. A good venture will make use of both kinds of people because they complement each other.
see more - Pioneer Announces Nominees for Publication in the 2016 Pioneer Research Journal
Pioneer Academics has announced the nominees for publication in the 2016 Pioneer Research Journal! The nominated papers were produced by 10th and 11th grade high school students from around the world and are the culmination of their participation in the Pioneer Research Program.
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The Journal is published each year to showcase the outstanding work of select young Pioneer scholars.
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For many of the nominees, the paper represents an academic milestone. Despite their prior unfamiliarity with the academic research process, the students quickly learned how research is conducted at the undergraduate level and beyond. Under the guidance of their Pioneer professors, all distinguished educators at top American colleges and universities, the students mastered critical research skills, such as determining a research topic, locating sources, and forming cohesive, structured arguments to defend research results.
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˝Pioneer really taught me many skills, both academic and personal,˝ said nominee Sophia Xu of China, whose paper provided a business model for app developers that could help create effective solutions for keeping diabetes in check. ˝The most important skills Pioneer taught me are the academic research skills. Pioneer showed me how to select information which was most important for my research paper. The second set of skills Pioneer taught me was on a more personal level – how to express my opinions and how to clearly communicate with professors.˝
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˝Something that surprised me is the amount of pride that I feel after having done the Pioneer Program,˝ said nominee Rahil Bathwal of India, who used mathematical models to solve his city’s trash problems.
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Each nominated paper will be evaluated by the Pioneer Research Journal Committee, a panel of distinguished professors from leading American undergraduate and graduate institutions, who will determine which papers are to be included in the Journal. The research papers under consideration represent the top 20% of papers written in the Pioneer Research Program’s academic year of 2016.
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The 2016 Pioneer Research Journal student nominees are as follows.
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Nominees
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Adonyev, Philipp
Eton College – Windsor, United Kingdom
We should not strive to be happy
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Bathwal, Rahil
Jamnabai Narsee International School – Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Locating Obnoxious Facilities
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Chen, Xinyu
High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University – Shanghai, China
Sound of Silence: African Spirituality, Cosmology, and Christianity in The Bluest Eye
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Cheng, Yi-Yun (Ethan)
International School of Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A Review Paper on the CRISPR/Cas System
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Du, Yibing
The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China – Beijing, China
East European Jewish Children’s Health Conditions on the Lower East Side, New York City, 1890-1914
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Erez, Erce
Robert College of Istanbul – Istanbul, Turkey
Visual Proofs of Fibonacci-like and Other Interesting Sequences
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Fu, Minqi
Beijing National Day School – Beijing, China
Could LIGO Have Heard the Event GW150914 Before Its Upgrade?
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Guo, Boyu (Beryl)
WHBC of Wuhan Foreign Languages School – Wuhan, China
Your Body, My Voice: An analysis of Chinese Naruto Fans’ communication patterns
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Hu, Sean
Pacific American School – Hsinchu, Taiwan
Athena’s Spoiled Olives – How Institutional Flaws of the European Union and Greek Politics Instigated a Failing Economy
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Huang,Yutong
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China
The Silver Lining Behind the Darkness: Social Media as an Innovative Tool to Combat Sex Trafficking in Southeast Asia
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Ick, Isaac
Dobyns-Bennett High School – Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
Molecule Transistors: The Effects of Test Molecules on the Conduction Patterns of a Lithium Nanowire
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Jin, Miaochen (Andy)
Beijing No.8 High School – Beijing, China
Coloring Integers: Van der Waerden’s Theorem and Related Theorems
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Khanna, Samar
Dhirubhai Ambani International School – Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
The Effect of Elastic Waves on Semiconductor Band Gap Energies
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Khemka, Pranav Bharat
Jamnabai Narsee International School – Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Study of Neural Circuits Involved in the Intuitive Decision Making Process in Teleostei
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Li, Kevin
Naperville North High School – Naperville, Illinois, USA
The Market Efficiency of “Smart Money” During the Tech Bubble
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Liu, Enci (Jessica)
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China
Chinese Tracking: An Unexploited Controversial Hotspot with Underlying Benefits
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Luo, Dinghao
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, Chin
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Lithium, Valproate and Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder
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Ma, Xiaoyuan (Carol)
Shenzhen Middle School – Shenzhen, China
Employing Nature: A Review of Microbial Remediation of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil
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Madadi, Ali Masoud
United World College Dilijan – Dilijian, Armenia
How Afghan Migrants Impact Their Homeland Through Remittances
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Mafi, Mina
Crystal Springs Upland School – Hillsborough, California, USA
The Role of Islam in the Gulf Nations
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Qu, Jason
St. George’s School – Vancouver, Canada
Political Culture and Perspective in Transition: Generational Cleavages in the 2016 European Union Referendum in the United Kingdom
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Roth, Joshua
Northside College Prep High School – Chicago, Illinois, USA
Culture and Pain: The Effect of Culture on the Production of Endorphins in the Brain
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Surprenant, Zita
Crossroads School – Santa Monica, California, USA
Residential Skyscrapers in New York City
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Tan, Xin
Chengdu Experimental Foreign Languages School – Chengdu, China
The Great Leap Forward: An Althusserian Analysis of Leftism as Ideology
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Tomar, Ria
Mission San Jose High School – Fremont, California, USA
The Neural and Cognitive Basis of Dreaming
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Truesdale II, Wallace
The Pingry School – New Jersey, USA
When the Soldier Becomes the Robot: Examination of the Mental Effects of Autonomous Weaponry
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Ugur, Baris Eser
Robert College of Istanbul – Istanbul, Turkey
Behavior of Single Molecule Capacitors in Correlation with the Molecular Structure
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Wang, Jingxu
High School Attached to Capital Normal University – Beijing, China
2016 United States Risk Analysis
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Wang, Yixi (Cecilia)
Chengdu Foreign Languages School – Chengdu, China
Comparison of Nonverbal Communication in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine
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Wong, Yun Ying (Alesha)
Tenby International School – Penang, Malaysia
Comparing and Contrasting Economic Development: The Case of Malaysia and Singapore
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Xu, Cheng (Sophia)
WHBC of Wuhan Foreign Languages School – Wuhan, China
Potential for Developers and Investors in Diabetes Apps to Profit by Improving the Chinese Healthcare Industry
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Xu, Wenxi (Tilly)
The Madeira School – McLean, Virginia, USA
A comparison of Ideologies and Practices: Malcolm X’s influence on Black Lives Matter
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Xu, Yuchen (Henry)
The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China – Beijing, China
A World of Possibility — Tier-Oriented Base-Storage Network for CCN Routing
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Xi, Yue (Kelly)
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China
High-Tech Organicity
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Yin, Boshang
Beijing 101 Middle School – Beijing, China
The Chinese Reform of the Science and Humanities Curriculum
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Zeng, Lu (Doris)
Shenzhen Foreign Languages School – Shenzhen, China
From the Dark Knight to Francis Underwood: Twenty-first Century Noir Heroes
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Zhang, Haiyi
The Experimental High School Attached To Beijing Normal University – Beijing, China
Urbanization, Tourism, and Village Life: Cuandixia Village
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Zhang, Tianren
WHBC of Wuhan Foreign Languages School – Wuhan, China
The Impact of Florence Nightingale on Sanitary Reform during the Victorian Era
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Zhang, Tongxin
WHBC of Wuhan Foreign Languages School – Wuhan, China
How Effective is Fiscal Policy in Correcting Income Inequality?
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Zhang, Zijun (Annabel)
The Experimental High School Attached To Beijing Normal University – Beijing China
Characterization of chitosan/PVA scaffolds with chitosans of different average molecular weights for tissue engineering
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Zhao, Zihao (Tony)
Shenzhen Foreign Languages School – Shenzhen, China
The Relationship Between Supercontraction, Water Content and the Mechanical Properties of Spider Silk
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Zheng, Ziyue (Mae)
Shenzhen Middle School – Shenzhen, China
Immigration: A Cure or a Curse? The Effects of Immigration Inflow on the Wages and Employment of European Residents
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Zhong, Haoyang
The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China
Investigation of the radicalization process of Aum Shinrikyo Members
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Zhou, Chen (Andre)
Chengdu Jiaxiang Foreign Languages School – Chengdu, China
Impact of School Facilities on the Quality of Senior High School Education in China: A Quantitative Study
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Zhu, Mengwen (Jack)
Henan Experimental High School – Zhengzhou, China
Analyzing Tactile Sensory Plasticity through TISL, Attention, and Perceptual Learning Generalization
see more - AO Dialogue: Pomona College – A Small School With Outsized Possibilities
Even though it’s small in size, Pomona College has a major reputation and is consistently ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in the US. It’s strong in research, resources and professional opportunities for students, and diversity in its community. This is why Pioneer Academics recently organized an Admission Officer (AO) Dialogue session for its Pioneer scholars with Assistant Dean of Admissions at Pomona College Samantha Schreiber.
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Schreiber explained why Pomona’s size shouldn’t be considered a negative factor:
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˝Many of the opportunities for students exist because of the size of the school, and we can counterbalance our small size by having the consortium of Claremont Colleges. It’s also very easy to expand your circle here. Closer relationships are more valuable than having lots of people around.˝
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Pomona is one of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions that make up the Claremont Colleges Consortium. Even though Pomona has only 1663 students, there are almost 5,500 students living within a square mile radius/a 2.6 square kilometer radius, said Schreiber.
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The school is located in Claremont, only 45 minutes from one of the largest and most diverse cities in the world – Los Angeles. The location provides many opportunities for research, internships or just having fun on the weekend.
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.Studying in Pomona
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Pomona offers 48 majors. That broad array complements the fact that students here have a wide variety of interests, academically and outside of the classroom. They really make the most of of the liberal arts concept, taking classes for fun as well as for learning for the sake of learning. Students often try different courses until they know where they want to focus their attention. This is why those who want to focus on only one field and be around people who are similar to them might not find what they are looking for at Pomona.
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Students can also choose interdisciplinary majors like STS – science, technology and society – or PPE – philosophy, politics and economics. Media studies is another interdisciplinary major coordinated among different Claremont schools.
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Pomona also lays claim to an excellent school for the arts. Students can become a serious musician or dancer, learn an instrument for the very first time, or take dance or theater.There are many opportunities to develop one’s creative side. Those who do not intend to major in theater, art, dance or music can still submit art supplements, which showcase their arts backround and artistic work to demonstrate how proud they are of their accomplishments.
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It’s also important to mention that Pioneer scholars can submit the papers they have written, and the faculty at Pomona will examine them with interest.
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Shared Resources
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The consortium enables students to cross-register and take courses in any of the Claremont Colleges. In addition to academic and faculty support, the Claremont Colleges share many resources that aid the growth and development of their students.
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The most extensive Pomona programs for research and internships are the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP) and the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).The PCIP was created because many internships these days are unpaid, so students have to choose between getting a job and getting important professional experience. If a student gets an unpaid internship, he can apply for the PCIP program which will pay for the internship. The program is run through the Career Development Office (CDO).
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The SURP program is used for funding research, be it domestic or international, over the summer. Students have to write up their proposal and have a faculty member sign off on it. SURP will ensure the funds to make that research happen. Over 200 students receive funding each year, and they present their experience at a poster conference in the fall.
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It’s very important to know that this is a widely available program; in fact, 45 percent of juniors and seniors receive this sort of funding. Prospecting students can find out more on the department’s website where receivers of the PCIP or SURP funding are listed along with the titles of their projects.
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The Student Experience
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Pomona has an enviable student-faculty ratio of eight students to one professor. This means a great deal of personal attention and face-to-face interaction with professors in class. Students are expected to be ready to participate and to engage. They are held accountable for their education and are expected to take it seriously.
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The one-on-one connection and personalization are a serious aspect of the academic experience at Pomona, even outside the classroom. Academic advising is done by the faculty, which helps students select courses and advise them on graduate programs. But the the most significant benefit they provide for students is showing them different paths to their goal. A great many students come with one idea about what they want to do, not realizing there are many ways to apply their knowledge or to accomplish their goals. It’s important that students come with open minds and explore different options before settling on one focus.
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The Sponsor Group Program and the ISMP
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The Sponsor Group allows each student to be assigned two or three class sponsors who help him with any questions.
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Pomona also offers a great deal of support for international students, such as the ISMP (International Student Mentoring Program). The program is optional. It allows international students to have a mentor, someone to talk to a to about the unique things they are experiencing while being so far away from home. Pomona’s first-year students are 12.5 percent international, while overall, international students comprise 10 percent of the population. This number is rising.
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Applying to Pomona
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There are two terms in which students can apply for Early Decision and one for Regular Decision. For Early Decision 1, the deadline is November 1st, and students learn the result on December 15th. The deadline for Early Decision 2 is January 1st, and the results are out February 15th. Regular decision deadline is January 1st, and the results come in by April 1st.
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The difference between Early and Regular Decision is that the Regular Decision option gives students more time to work on their application and explore more schools. It’s less about tactics and more about having all the information needed to make a thoughtful decision. Admission during Early Decision is binding and prevents the applicant from applying to other schools. There are no set quotas for these two terms, and those who qualify for Early Decision will also qualify for Regular. The question is whether the student is ready to make that commitment.
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Outside of the Classroom
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The largest student organization is called On the Loose (OTL). It runs programs almost every weekend to get students off campus and out into nature. The programs are all funded by the school because Pomona’s primary concern is that students have opportunities regardless of their financial situation.
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The Draper Center for Community Partnership is here to connect students to the surrounding community. A majority of Pomona’s students will at some point perform some community volunteer work like tutoring school children or helping in afterschool programs. April 7th is a big day for community service; the entire college is encouraged to engage in projects sponsored by the school.
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The Career Development Office (CDO) can meet students as soon as they set foot on campus and helps them find opportunities through the Claremont Connect website. The CDO has partnerships with different conosortia in this field which helps them find opportunities for students. Their staff is dedicated to specific areas like internships, graduate programs, and job programs, helping students at every stage of their career.
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Most students also attend career fairs, and a great many companies come to Claremont because it has five schools and a subsantial pool of highly qualified students.
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Schreiber finished her presentation by inviting Pioneer scholars to check out Pomona’s YouTube channel to learn more about the school and Pomona’s blog ‘Voices’ where students post their experiences.
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˝We also have interns and senior interviewers at our office,” Schreiber said, “whom you can contact online if you have questions.˝
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Important Note: Colleges’ and universities’ admissions departments do not endorse any program, organization or company. Any type of organized communication with admissions officers should not be construed as an endorsement of the communication organizer.
see more - Pioneer Academics and Oberlin College Announce Partnership in Offering a New Approach to Online Education
Monroe Township, N.J. — Pioneer Academics, the leading online academic research program for high school students, and Oberlin College, a premier American liberal arts college, today announce a partnership in offering a new approach to online education. Starting in 2016, Ohio-based Oberlin will grant course credit and provide an Oberlin transcript to Pioneer students upon their completion of the Pioneer Research Program. Additionally, Pioneer students will be granted access to Oberlin’s library resources and scholastic databases, including the music library of Oberlin’s world-renowned conservatory and the art library associated with the Art Department and the College’s Allen Memorial Art Museum, one of the top collegiate art museums in the U.S.
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This bold initiative is a key step in furthering Pioneer’s commitment to providing high school students with unparalleled academic research opportunities otherwise unavailable to them. Pioneer students will now have the backing of a premier American liberal arts college behind their Pioneer research pursuits, and will be able to use their work with Pioneer to further their education in ways which were not previously possible. The Oberlin College credit and formal Oberlin transcript, which Pioneer students will receive, can be transferred to colleges, universities, or other academic institutions—pending approval—in which they enroll later in their careers. Access to Oberlin’s library resources will place a world-class, comprehensive collection of texts, videos, music, art, and other academic materials at students’ fingertips, a privilege rarely enjoyed at the high school level.
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Pioneer and Oberlin share a deeply rooted commitment to providing high-level educational opportunities to talented, intellectually motivated students of all backgrounds. Oberlin was the first college in the U.S. to adopt a policy to admit students of color, as well as the first to create a coeducational undergraduate program. Pioneer’s fully online platform allows the Pioneer Research Program to draw students from all parts of the world. Additionally, through Pioneer’s generous need-based scholarship program, students of all backgrounds are able to benefit from all the program has to offer.
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“As an academic institution which has always prided itself on pushing the boundaries of higher education and ensuring that educational opportunities are equally available to all, we are looking forward to working with Pioneer to offer first-rate research opportunities to high school students around the world,” says Tim Elgren, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin. “Pioneer’s unique online model which allows students to participate in the program regardless of where they live, as well as the extraordinary quality of the research opportunities which Pioneer is able to offer its students, were powerful factors in our decision to partner with Pioneer.”
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“We are honored to have Oberlin’s support and backing, and are excited to be able to enhance the value of the Pioneer Research Program with Oberlin’s course credit and comprehensive library resources,” says Matthew Jaskol, Pioneer’s academic director. “Oberlin is unique in that it is home to an internationally-acclaimed music conservatory and a world-class art museum in addition to its outstanding College of Arts and Sciences. This diverse blend of educational opportunity at a single liberal arts institution embodies the all-encompassing view of education we take at Pioneer. Additionally, our mission to attract all outstanding students, regardless of background, exactly aligns with Oberlin’s longstanding dedication to access, inclusiveness and diversity in selecting its student body. I am looking forward to joining Oberlin in furthering this mission, and working together to provide the best academic experience for our students.”
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About Pioneer Academics
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Pioneer Academics offers undergraduate-level research opportunities to talented, intellectually motivated high school students from around the world. In the Pioneer Research Program, students work one-on-one with leading U.S. university professors in advanced study and research of a topic of their interest, culminating in a full-length research paper. The program is conducted entirely online, allowing high school students from all over the world to participate. More than 270 students from 18 countries and regions have participated in the program in the past three years.
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About Oberlin College
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Ranked consistently among the nation’s top liberal arts schools, Oberlin College is committed to rigorous academics, artistic and musical excellence, and social justice. Founded in 1833, Oberlin was the first institution of higher education in America to adopt a policy to admit students of color (1835) and the first college to award bachelor’s degrees to women (1841) in a coeducational program. Oberlin’s distinct history of challenging intellectual and social conventions shapes the student experience today, which fosters strong bonds among a diverse community of bright and talented students from around the world.
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Contacts:
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Robert Wittenburg, Pioneer Academics, LLC
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www.pioneeracademics.com / robert.wittenburg@pioneeracademics.com
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Scott Wargo, Oberlin College Scott.Wargo@oberlin.edu
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see more - A Recap of Our July 23 PODS Discussion with Peter Hauet – Finding the College That Fits You Best
On July 23, Pioneer hosted its first PODS – Pioneer Open Dialogue Seminar – session of 2016. Logging in from nine locations around the globe, more than 30 Pioneer students and parents joined us in a dynamic discussion of a topic weighing on all of their minds – applying to college. The discussion, led by International Association for College Admission Counseling founding member and veteran college counselor Peter Hauet, centered on how to identify and apply to one’s “best-fit” college as well as other pointers about preparation for and success in college and beyond. Take a look at some of the invaluable advice shared during the discussion:
1. Eliminate stress from the college application process: Start the process early – or at least on time. If you’re entering your senior year, you should be working on your essays right now. Keep a notebook with you to jot down ideas related to college essays which occur to you through the day; when you sit down to write the essays, you can refer back to those thoughts. Don’t procrastinate! Also – make sure to make time for physical activity and exercise – this will make you a better student and make you less stressed. Parents – don’t add stress to your child’s college application process with comments like ‘if you don’t get into X school I’m not paying your tuition’ – there is enough pressure on your child when he/she is applying to college as it is.
2. Show interest in your chosen college – properly: Don’t be a ‘mosquito,’ constantly bombarding admissions officers with emails – they will not appreciate this. Instead, be sure to attend any information sessions for that college when their admissions representatives are in your city, and make sure they know you attended (filling out the attendance cards they provide is a good way to do so). Visit the school, unless your financial situation or another legitimate reason prevents you from doing so. Last but not least, focus on building a connection with someone at the college of your interest, and follow up with them.
3. It’s not all about the rankings: Who determines the order in which colleges are ranked? What criteria are considered in the rankings? The “number one” school may not be number one for your individual needs. There are about 4,000 colleges in the U.S. – the difference in quality among the top 100 schools is infinitesimal. Additionally, most of the top 100 individuals in terms of net worth in the United States did not attend ultra-high ranked schools, but rather large state schools.
4. Have “the money talk” with your parents: College is expensive, and it is critical to be realistic about your financial needs. Have an honest, open discussion with your parents about your financial situation early in the college application process. Consider the effects of your future college’s tuition on your parents (and siblings, if you have them), and don’t forget about expenses beyond tuition, such as the cost of living in your future school’s area. Neglecting to have such a discussion can cause stress further down the line, and can prevent you from being able to attend schools to which you are accepted if you are unable to pay the school’s tuition.
5. Don’t forget about grad school: In this day and age, your educational career is likely to extend past college. Focus less on the “name value” of the college you’re applying to – “name value” is more important in a graduate school than a college. Your choice of undergraduate institution is not nearly as important as doing well once you’re there.
6. Think outside the box – and outside the country: Though the U.S. offers an abundance of high-caliber colleges, there are an increasing number of English-language programs available in other countries as well. Places like the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, and even Japan offer top-notch undergraduate degree programs, taught in English. These are high quality programs, offered at a fraction of the cost of a U.S. undergraduate education.
7. Engage in community service which is personally meaningful: Community service refers to anything that helps your community, large or small – though it must be broader than babysitting for your family. Don’t do community service because you think it ‘looks good’ – do community service that changes you as a person and affects your worldview. Make sure you choose community service work that clearly demonstrates your passion. For instance, if you love basketball, help coach a local children’s basketball team rather than volunteer at a nursing home unless you see the value in it.
8. Need-based scholarships – only apply if you need them: Applying for a need-based scholarship unfortunately decreases your chances of acceptance to any college to which you apply – even those that claim to be need-blind. As such, only apply for a need-based scholarship if you need one.
Thank you once again to Mr. Hauet for sharing his wisdom with our group!
*A note about the discussion: in offering the opportunity to hear from and speak with Mr. Hauet, our one and only goal was to provide valuable information to consider in the college application process. This event was not a promotion of any kind. Pioneer unequivocally does not participate in or advocate for any consulting business or college counseling service. Mr. Hauet is retired and is not involved in any type of paid college counseling.
see more - Pioneer Research Journal Showcases Work of Top High School Students
Pioneer Academics is pleased to announce the publication of the 2015 Pioneer Research Journal, a showcase of the work of select Pioneer Scholars, outstanding, academically-driven high school students from around the world who participate in the Pioneer Research Program. The articles featured in the 2015 journal, Pioneer’s second, are the final product of the Scholars’ undergraduate-level research completed in the Pioneer Research Program, accomplished under the mentorship of distinguished American professors.
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Each paper published in the journal was required to pass a rigorous evaluation process to qualify for publication. Only Scholars who received a program grade of A- or higher and were nominated by their Pioneer professors were eligible for publication. Nominated papers were each submitted anonymously to a contributing reader, a professor familiar with the paper’s research area. Papers which passed the contributing readers’ reviews were accepted for publication, though only after the papers’ authors implemented any edits deemed necessary by the contributing readers.
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The papers cover a wide range of research areas, from a look at the neuroscience behind the increased propensity of adolescents to take risks, to the expansion of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, to a look at the effects of Greece’s economic situation on the European Union, to the proving of the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem. The geographic distribution of the authors featured within the Journal is broad as the range of topics. This year, the authors come from Spain, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and China.
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With the tutelage of their Pioneer Research Program professor-mentors, who are educators at top American colleges and universities, Pioneer Scholars master critical research skills usually taught at the college level: determining a research topic, locating sources, and forming cohesive, structured arguments to defend research results. The program begins with small group seminars, each capped at four students and taught by a Pioneer professor-mentor. The topic is an area of the professor’s interest and expertise. Each student then works one-on-one with the professor in cutting-edge study about that topic. The final product is the research paper, an academic milestone for the Scholars. The professors evaluate the Pioneer participants’ work and work ethic with the rigorous academic standards of their respective institutions.
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The Pioneer Research Program offers 22 areas of study, among them neuroscience, international relations, philosophy, chemistry, literature, and art history. Almost 300 students from 18 countries and regions have participated in the program in the past three years.
see more - Nominees for Publication in the 2015 Pioneer Academics Research Journal
Pioneer is pleased to announce the nominees for publication in the 2015 Pioneer Academics Research Journal!
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The Journal, published annually, showcases the work of select Pioneer Research Program participants, academically driven high school students from around the world. It is a collection of these participants’ Pioneer research papers – the final product of the students’ undergraduate-level Program research. The Pioneer Academics Research Journal Committee, a panel of distinguished professors from leading American undergraduate and graduate institutions, will evaluate each nominated paper and determine which will be published in the Journal.
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The papers, and the Program research, are academic milestones for many of the nominees. “It was everyone’s first time experiencing a college-level research project,” says nominee Sooah Kang of South Korea, indicating her Pioneer classmates as well as herself. “Before I went into the program, I had never really experienced this kind of individual project,” echoes Eren Kafadar of Turkey, another nominee.
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Under the guidance of their Pioneer professors, all leading educators at top American colleges and universities, the students mastered critical research skills, such as determining a research topic, locating sources, and forming cohesive, structured arguments to defend research results. “My readings, reflections, and discussions constantly reshaped my perspective, and my professor never ceased to inspire me” reflects nominee Ziqi Ma of China. “I think Pioneer was a good gateway and entryway into the kind of research that I will get to do in university,” adds nominee Timothy Wee, who comes from Singapore.
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The 2015 Pioneer Academic Research Journal student nominees are listed below. Their research papers represent the top 20% of papers written in the Pioneer Research Program’s academic year of 2015.
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Nominees
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Cherise Cao。
Tianjin No. 1 Middle School – Tianjin, China。
The Role of Apps in Disrupting Global Healthcare*。
Xiangting Chen
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The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China。
The Dynamics of Movie Selection: a Study of Social Contagion using the Revised SI Model Based on Word of Mouth。
Trang Duong
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Blair Academy – Blairstown, NJ, USA。
Iran’s Theocratic Government and its Transformation of Democracy。
Beril Erdogdu
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Robert College – Istanbul, Turkey。
A Discussion of the “Subject”: René Descartes, David Hume, Edmund Husserl。
You Jin Jung
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Korea International School – Seoul, South Korea。
Adolescent Decision Making: Neuroscientific Basis of Risk Taking Behavior in the Developing Brain。
Eren Kafadar
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Robert College – Istanbul, Turkey。
The Effect of Diffraction Slit Structure on Reciprocal Space。
Sooah Kang
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Seoul International School – Seoul, South Korea。
The Role of Apps in Disrupting Global Healthcare*。
Zhimin Lin
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The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China。
Which Model is Feasible for Hong Kong? A Comparison among the Democracies in Britain, Mainland China, and Hong Kong。
Yige Liu
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Beijing No. 4 International High School – Beijing, China。
The Difference between Oversampling and Undersampling the Proving of Nyquist Sampling Theorem。
Matthew Lo
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University High School – Irvine, CA, USA。
Textual and Visual Appeals in The New Yorker Performing Arts Advertisements。
Raquel López-Ríos de Castro
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IES San Mateo – Madrid, Spain。
The Charged Coupled-Device (CCD) Era。
Sicheng Luo
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Hangzhou Foreign Language School – Hangzhou, China。
Accelerated or gifted education——Which one is a better fit for Chinese students?。
Ziqi Ma
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The High School Affiliated with People’s University of China – Beijing, China。
Transformation of the meanings of arts and crafts in China and Australia。
Jonathan Mak
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Chinese International School – Hong Kong, China。
Pesticides and Endocrine Disruptors. Understanding the molecular mechanism by which some pesticides (Aldrin, DDT, Mecoprop) act as endocrine disruptors。
Yu Que
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The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China。
Sense and Sensibility of Artificial Intelligence: When Machines Can Think。
Amanda Rabin
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Pine Crest School – Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA。
Brain controlled Prosthetics。
John Sheng
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Woodside Priory School – Portola Valley, CA, USA。
Transhumanist Memory Uploading Through the Lens of McConnell’s Experiments。
You Shu
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Hangzhou Foreign Language School – Hangzhou, China。
The Analysis of Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Their Economics。
Yuyang Song
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The High School Affiliated with People’s University of China – Beijing, China。
Cecilia Gallerani: Flemish Influence on Leonardo da Vinci’s Innovative Portraiture, Use of Chiaroscuro and Symbols。
Darren Tong
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Chinese International School – Hong Kong, China。
Hukou, Development, and Fairness。
Yuan Wang
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The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China。
Sensation, Perception and Judgment in Descartes。
Timothy Wee
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Shanghai Community International School – Shanghai, China。
Biology (Macromolecular Machines)。
Yilin Wen
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Chengdu Foreign Language School – Chengdu, China。
The Motif of Culture: The Costume Culture of the Yi ethnic group of Liangshan。
Sibei Wu
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The High School Affiliated with People’s University of China – Beijing, China。
Is Greece’s Crisis in the Eurozone a “Tipping Point” in the Development of the European Union? The Challenges and Opportunities in the Greek Crisis and the Fate of Europe’s Integration。
Siwei Xie
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Beijing No. 4 International High School – Beijing, China。
The Role of Apps in Disrupting Global Healthcare*。
Hugo Taro Blázquez Yamagishi
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IES San Mateo – Madrid, Spain。
Aerobic Exercise Effects on Hippocampus Roles。
Hongkang Yang
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Shenzhen Middle School – Shenzhen, China。
Imidacloprid: General Information and Unintended Effects。
Shuying Yang
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Beijing No. 4 High School – Beijing, China。
Should the Dragon follow the Eagle? Economic Development of the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America during the post-World War Era。
Jiahong Yi
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The High School Affiliated with People’s University of China – Beijing, China。
The Influence of Leadership Worldview on Russian Foreign Policy: Putin’s Worldview Shift from Pragmatism to Civilizationism。
Rong Yu
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Wuhan Britain-China School at Wuhan Foreign Languages School – Wuhan, China。
The Role of Apps in Disrupting Global Healthcare*。
Ashley Zhang
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Crean Lutheran High School – Irvine, CA, USA。
Women Uniting on the Web: Social Media Contributions Against Gender-Based Violence in Turkey。
Jingyi Zhang
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Beijing No. 4 High School – Beijing, China。
Report on Pioneer research project on Fibonacci numbers and visual proofs。
Yueting Zhang
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The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University – Guangzhou, China。
Russia and India: The Road to Advancement and Modernization。
Peicheng Zou
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Wuhan Britain-China School at Wuhan Foreign Languages School – Wuhan, China。
The Probabilistic Method in Graph Theory*。
*Denotes a paper co-authored by multiple students
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