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World in Brief *Nobel Committee awards Economics prize to US researchers* The Nobel Committee has given two American researchers the coveted Nobel Prize for Economics in recognition for their study of how economic governance is conducted in communities - including companies and society at large. Elinor Ostrom of Indiana University and Oliver Williamson of UC Berkeley were given the honour for their work on how local decision making and structures can help alleviate economic problems. Prof Ostrom's research is seen to be a counter-argument to the dominant theory popularised since the 1970s of the "tragedy of the commons" - which states that resources need ownership otherwise shared usage will lead to overexploitation and destruction. However, in her studies Ostrom showed that if decisions were to be taken by the grassroots on shared resources, then all parties will be able to come up with common agreements on how best to use them. Similarly, in his studies, Prof. Williamson has highlighted how large companies have established the structures that allow them to better resolve conflicts and to govern themselves thus increasing efficiency. He also argued that in cases of when too large companies may abuse their position such as monopolies, the solution should not be to break them up but to introduce industry regulations to keep them in check. All in all, the Economics Prize this year is a marked change from the study of markets that has been the dominant theme of previous Nobels. Some have also observed that both winners have put forward theories that seem to favour group or internal regulation as being more effective than external ones. A judgement perhaps on how regulatory failures led to the current crisis.
New collaboration model needed According to the "Higher Education and Collaboration in Global Context: Building a global society" report commissioned by Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister; university leaders in the UK and US should develop multilateral partnerships and bring longstanding trans-Atlantic partnerships to bear in other countries. Both UK and US universities have been arguing in recent months for a new model for further enhancing UK-US collaboration to help them maintain a leading edge in higher education in the face of an increasingly competitive world. Led by Professor Rick Trainor, Principal of King's College London and the President of the Vice-Chancellor's group, Universities UK and Professor John Sexton, the President of New York University, the report took six months to produce, and it analyses the position of US and UK universities in the emerging global environment and suggest ways to enhance their global positions and contributions. Based on the university leaders' findings, the biggest challenge now is to focus on ways to extend the UK-US model to other locations. Doing so will benefit universities from both countries immensely as well as foster the growth of open, competitive and accessible higher education in other nations. The group proposed to set up an "Atlantic Trust", which "will invest in the establishment of a global civil society through multilateral international collaborations built on the foundation of UK-US partnerships."	Gordon Brown, UK's Prime Minister opines that the UK and US should develop multilateral partnerships and encourage longstanding trans-Atlantic partnerships to other countries.
Kuala Lumpur awarded RI Kuala Lumpur has become the first Asean hub to be awarded the prestigious Reputation Institute (RI) network recognition, which places it amongst world-class business capitals such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and New York. At the inaugural RI Asean Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, Russ Consulting, RI's Asean associate, managing director Rasila Hamzah said, "As one of the key business cities of South-East Asia, Kuala Lumpur is the launchpad for RI to make its presence felt in the region's business sector," and added that RI's initiatives has helped Malaysia raise its reputation in the sector. RI evaluates nominees by its annual Global Reputation Pulse which derives its findings based on how the general public rates 1,000 companies in 24 industry categories. The research poll, conducted over 30,000 respondents across 29 countries, publishes its results worldwide through various publications. IBM develops DNA microchips US researchers at IBM's Alamaden research centre in San Jose, California have managed to replace the use of silicon with DNA in the microchip manufacturing process which could prove to be a revolution in the industry. The method could pave the way for a new standard in the way the common electrical circuit is made using slicon wafers. In collaboration with the California Institute of Technology, tiny microchips are created using strands of DNA and carbon nanotubes-microscopic cylinders constructed from carbon molecules. In a process called "DNA origami" genetic materials are arranged in an order similar to traditional microchips but only smaller, thus a faster microchip can be produced. The technique can produce chips with 6 nanometre gaps compared to most commercially produced ones which are at a scale of 45 nanometre and more advanced chips that are at 22 nanometres. "This is the first demonstration of using biological molecules to help with processing in the semiconductor industry... Basically, this is telling us that biological structures like DNA actually offer some very reproducible, repetitive kind of patterns that we can actually leverage in semiconductor processes," IBM research manager Spike Narayan said. As the cost of chip manufacturing increases, new technology could help maintain profits but IBM says that the technique is still 10 years from maturity. "The cost involved in shrinking features to improve performance is a limiting factor in keeping pace with Moore's Law and a concern across the semiconductor industry... The combination of this directed self-assembly with today's fabrication technology eventually could lead to substantial savings in the most expensive and challenging part of the chip-making process." - Spike Narayan, Manager, Science & Technology, IBM Research-Almaden.
R&D output to double Malaysia: The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will increase its efforts in Research and Development (R&D) in order to increase performance of its five key result areas (KRAs) according to its minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili. Discussions on how this will be achieved would be done when the ministry meets with its 28 agencies in a matter of time. He said that a total of 3,882 projects have been approved to date via 16 funds under the Ninth Malaysia Plan at a value of RM2.5b (US$708m). He added that he would like to see more projects proposed under the Science Fund, which has approved 2,644 projects costing RM493.4m (US$139.8m). Datuk Dr Ongkili also said that the main objective is to apply R&D in the advancement of Malaysian innovations commer-cially in order to create wealth for citizens and the nation. To this end, innovation and creativity must be embedded into our culture. Discussions will also take place on the proposal to set up a number of National Innovation Centres at selected higher learning institutions. The centres would conduct R&D projects and implement policies by the ministry.