The 54th parallel

New technology stumps older workers everywhere, but in South Korea the problem is compounded by the country’s compressed development. Baby-boomers spent their formative years in a less sophisticated economy and a less educated society. . . . Internationally, there is little evidence to suggest that older workers are less productive than younger ones, according to Thomas Klassen of York University in Toronto. Their underperformance in South Korea, if real, may be a self-fulfilling prophecy, he argued in The Economist Oct. 26. It could be the prospect of premature retirement that discourages older Koreans from investing in skills. Read full story.

‘You’re blaming the victim’: Contentious discussions of campus rape pit sexes against each other
Our penchant for simple narratives doesn’t help the culture of distrust at a time in which girls get so many mixed messages about their sexuality, said Natalie Coulter, a professor of communications at York University who researches tween girl culture. “We automatically assume a really clean binary where women can potentially be the victims and men are aggressors,” she said in the National Post Oct. 24, adding that a lot of terrible things happen to men at parties too, such as hazing. “But those aren’t the complex debates we have.” Read full story.

Homes for homeless
Matt Galloway spoke with Jonathan Rosenthal on CBC’s “Metro Morning” Oct. 24. He is a criminal lawyer who teaches at Osgoode Hall Law School, and one of 20 people who are hosting dinner parties at their homes tomorrow night. It is in support of Homes First, an organization that provides housing for people who would otherwise be living on the streets. . . . The tickets are all gone for this year, but the organization plans to expand the fundraiser next year to include more hosts and guests across the city. Listen to full interview.

The 11-square-mile experiment
Gregory Chin, a professor of political economy at York University in Canada and a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing, said the new policies in financial services in the zone mark “an important watershed moment” in Shanghai’s efforts to build a greater role as a hub for onshore RMB business and cross-border RMB business. “For a long time now, especially in the period since China entered the WTO, foreign banks and financial interests have wanted more room to operate inside the Chinese market, especially in the Shanghai area, and beyond,” said Chin in China Daily Oct. 25. “Foreign financial institutions see enormous business potential inside China, especially if they can expand into more areas of RMB-based lending and other RMB financial activities.” Read full story.

Telfer makes a foray into France
Earlier this year, six Canadian business schools active in international recruitment joined forces to boost efforts to attract top students from abroad. The initial forays are encouraging, says a spokeswoman for the Canadian MBA Alliance. Members include the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto; Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont.; Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Montreal; Queen’s University School of Business in Kingston; Sauder in Vancouver; and York University’s Schulich School of Business in Toronto, reported The Globe and Mail Oct. 25. Read full story.

High School Confidential: Bullying
The Dirties is a low-budget but compelling look at alienation from the viewpoint of the social outsiders, reported Beach Metro Oct. 24. Two best friends Matt (Matt Johnson) and Owen (Owen Williams) are making a student film about exacting revenge on a group of bullies they call “the Dirties”.  For Matt, the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred. It’s not just a joke anymore. . . . Johnson, a graduate film student at York University, is the co-writer, star and director. The Dirties was made on a shoestring budget of around $15,000 (and that’s Canadian currency). Read full story.