Frederikshavn vs. Vallejo

My plan here is diverse, and I have to admit that I have not fully planned. But I’m going to specially look at the city of Vallejo, as you can see in my description (Local development and the socioeconomic factors of Vallejo, CA). This city has many differences with the city I do research for (Frederikshavn, Denmark) but that also has many similarities. Stay tuned for more details.

Here I put two maps of the area that I’m interested in. Note that in both maps, south of the black square is where I have my offices (Aalborg and Berkeley). Maps are on the same scale courtesy of Bing Maps.

Municipality of Frederikshavn (North Denmark)

City of Vallejo (California, USA)

Arrival to California

After beating the jet lag, I had plenty of things to settle in. Regarding practicalities we made sure we had a place to live in, buy a car (which hopefully I can sell in 6 months), get a phone, etc. Work related I visited campus, and after all the paperwork I’m a fully University of California (UC) Berkeley visiting student researcher. The campus is cool compared to European standards. People are super nice.

This first week I’m staying close to Sacramento, with some good friends. This is because the house where we’re staying the renters don’t leave until the 6th. But this week has been good to orient my self, even I had to drive some miles.

I’m looking forward to start meeting the faculty and more PhD students, as so far I have only met a few.

See you later Aalborg

2 weeks ago I came from my Christmas holidays from Japan. I have spent to hectic weeks here at Aalborg. Meeting with part of the Reference Group at the local government in Frederikshavn, examining students, attending the DRUID Winter PhD Conference, prepare my work for Berkeley and wrap up everything here. It’s sad to leave my colleages and work at Aalborg, but I’m also excited for the opportunity in California. All this travelling has been stressing though as tomorrow we’re leaving. I’m so happy my wife and little baby have so much patience with me.

Christmas in Japan

My in-laws live in Japan, and we came to spend the holidays with them. I have been fascinated by Japan. Tokyo is amazing. There are so many things to learn from this country. Now I’m currently in Okinawa, and the weather is very good. I feel my mind has expanded a lot by visiting Asia for the first time.

But it’s not all party I have been working on a paper for the DRUID Winter Conference 2010, the deadline to submit the paper is for January 4th. I’m we’re almost done. I’m collaborating with Kristian Nielsen, from the Business Dept. and it has been a pleasure working with him.

Happy 2010!

Kotkin: Back to Basics

I have been organizing all my notes and material, and I have found the very first notes. That was from my first day as  a PhD student when I went to a presentation of Joel Kotkin. As I explain it was partly done as a presentation to try to neutralize the influence of Richard Florida and the creative class theories, in the Danish local planning and economic development.  It was a good start for me.

Looking at the notes I google some of his words, and got it.

The decline of cities and regions come from:

• Inability to absorb newcomers
• Lack of upward mobility
• Inattention to basic infrastructure
• Lack of shared common culture
• Decline of Family

Here is the link of his presentation (Back To Basics: A Return to the Essentials of Urban Growth)

This five points, according to Kotkin, are interesting. I agree to some extent with them. Regarding the first one, I wrote a paper for a PhD course in Economic Geography, and my conclussion was basically the same. Although I don’t think I was remembering him. Concerning the other points, I think he basically cut and pasted the conclussions from the U.S. and put it in Denmark. I already said that in the post in April 2008, though. But, anyways I find it interesting his thesis. I found a more updated presentation, from Sept. 2009. After the Bubble: Back to Basics. Coping with Hard TimesBack. I think the title is very appropriate, as I look back at my basic notes.

New book: New energy and innovation in Denmark

Last week I went to a presentation of a book. This was done by my academic supervisor, Birgitte Gregersen, who is one of the authors. The book is JUST published. It’s only in Danish and the original title is: ”Ny energi og innovation i Danmark”. Honestly I have not much idea about energy issues, well, at least compared with many of my close friends who are doing their PhD’s in Energy (in engineering, planning and economics).

I will post some of the policy proposals they suggest for the case of Denmark. The reason why I’m doing it is because I always find very interesting the policy proposals, no matter in what field. It’s always nice to discuss it. And honestly I admire the reports, articles and books, that dare to give policy proposals. I find more interesting these ones, that the ones who are purely descriptive. One of the teachers I had in a Phd class, Andrea Fernandez Ribas, said that the ones who don’t give policy proposals do not really contribute for the society (or something like that).

Here are the policy proposals about how to improve the energy industry in Denmark. Something that probably any country can learn from. Again, I insist, I do not know too much about energy. So here I’m trying to repeat things, like a parrot. This is from the notes I took at the presentation.

1)    Strength Danish framework: collaboration among Danish firms and institutions (I guess this follows the ideas of the theories on National Systems of Innovation)
2)    Policy should be different for each technology (solar, wind, fuel cell, etc.)
3)    Continue strength Public-Private Partnerships
4)    On public money: More transparency (for example clearly show in websites the budgets, etc.). Avoid stop-go policy, that is ensure long term plans, to avoid momentum because of different policy makers in power. Also merge similar support schemes. If there are going to be changes, early warning, avoid surprises.
5)    Stimulate demand for renewable energies. R&D is not enough. (This can be done not only with subsidies, but taxing the use of other energies)
6)    More public innovation procurement as a direct policy. For example for new buildings and renovation of them.
7)    Better coordination of the energy and innovation policy
8)    Strength systematic experiences and learning process. For example, teaching energy efficiency in technical schools.

Denmarks efforts in attracting foreign students

A couple of weeks ago I found at the Copenhagen airport the magazine Focus in Denmark, I’ve seen it before but this time I read it while waiting. The article ATTRACTING FOREIGN STUDENTS seemed quite interesting to me. The basic idea you can learn is that if you’re a student around the world you should consider Denmark, if you’re already in Denmark, you should consider stay. If you’re a Dane, this is quite hard to listen (It would be hard for me to read this if a Spanish official would say it)

“We want to be a top-class international university and it is not the passport number that decides, but what our students have between their ears. We must attract the best, and if it is others than Danes, then it is they we want to have. But internationalisation is not a separate point in our strategy – it is incorporated into everything we do,” says Lykke Friis, prorector of the University of Copenhagen.

So, if you’re a Dane, you know that you’re not competing against the other Dane down the street or the other Dane across the bridge, but against all the world.

Of course things are not that clear cut neither the life for newcomers (especially in the beginning) is so rosy, but anyways I’m glad that I’m here among the Danes.

p.s. Yesterday I went and vote in the local and regional elections. As an EU citizen we’re allowed to do that, no matter where you’re in the EU. However, for the national elections we can only vote in our respective countries.

October teaching

It has been 6 weeks withouth writing anything in my blog.  Thanks Heavens, today is Friday and I have finally finished everything many things that I had to do.

I finished teaching 2 weeks ago. Most of teaching hours were devoted to the second year class of the Geography undergrad. I also tood a study trip to Barcelona (that was the previous post, a draf I had form October).  I’m also supervising a group of visiting students from Hannover. They’re pretty smart.

Something about teaching I like to pass in the last class a questionnare to give me feedback. I’m quite glad because my average evaluation has improved from last year.  I think that the changes that I have introduced have been good, but I still have to refine many things for next semesters.

Last year was my first year teaching in Denmark. It’s fine teaching the vast majority in English, but of course it’s a problem because that’s my second language and the students one. But I think the main problem comes from cultural differences. I have been mostly educated in Spain, and I know how the systems works. Also I have totalled four semester in the U.S., and I was a teaching assistant at Georgia Tech, so I know they system well to. By the way, out of the 5 other T.A.’s that I consult, I think the students highly pleased with me. But Denmark… is the culture. I studied here for 2 semester during my masters, but still sometimes is hard, and perhaps here in Aalborg is more challenging. Oh, well. We all have to learn.

Study Field to Barcelona city region.

Playing around with the students in Montseny Park (me in the left)

In the first week of October I went with the third year students of Geography to Barcelona. On the second year they Geography students they travel somewhere in Denmark, and the third year they go abroad. In previous years they have gone to Germany or the Netherlands. This year they assigned me to go somewhere and they suggested Spain. I’m from Madrid, and perhaps I should have gone there, but I though it would be interesting to go there and students will enjoy it more during their free time. (I think they did enjoy having almost 30 degrees and go to the beach!). I also wanted to visit some people at the University there.

It was an interesting experience. I think overall they liked it. We learn many things regarding, planning, socioeconomic factors, environment, economic geography, and of course learning from a different culture (for them, and a little bit for me I think they were also very good students, not only in general, but during the trip.

I’m looking forward next year.

Amazing things have been happening around my project…

And I have had not time to write. But I will. First, Joe Pine was here at Aalborg University three weeks ago. It was a very good presentation. I’ll tell about it. Also 4 days ago, David Plouffe, the chief campaign manager for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and other interesting leaders, presented in in a business leader seminar. They told me it was outstanding, I missed so much I did not go.

Anyways I just want to put a video here about a new upcoming event in Frederikshavn. Perhaps it’s not that exciting as the other two, only perhaps. It’s about the yearly Blues Festival of Frederikshavn. They just put it online.

I have not written here as I have been busy teaching, writing and preparing my study abroad for Spring 2010.