Study abroad … in North Korea!

by Jerry Guo on

I’ve recently been in contact with Malcolm Gillis, former president of Rice University and one of the organizers of the first international university in of all places, North Korea. Known as Pyongyang University for Science and Technology, the institution is slated to open in April 2008.

What’s surprising, and welcoming, about this project is that it’s the brainchild of both the North and South Koreans, along with supports from China and the US. It looks like the first batch of students will come from all four countries, as well as others. School will be taught in English and Korea.

This could be a dramatic breakthrough for international exchange in the hermit kingdom. If you look at recent history, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the impetus for change often comes from within the country. This new attitude towards a more open society could spell good things for both the North Koreans and the rest of the world. Of course, we should keep our expectations grounded. Case in point: their website hasn’t been up for a while (or perhaps it never was).

The Smartest (and Least Smart) Cities in the U.S.

by Willy Volk on

By analyzing Census data on educational achievement, Bizjournals developed a methodology wherein it ranked adults in nearly 16,000 cities, towns, villages, boroughs and unincorporated areas throughout the U.S. In the end, the methodology provided insight into the distribution of gray matter in America. Which big city proved to be brainiest? Seattle came out tops, with San Francisco and Austin followed close behind.

In terms of mid-sized communities, Arlington, Virginia, took first place. Ann Arbor, Michigan beat out the pack in the small cities category.

Of course, any time you rank the strongest, you necessarily have to rank the weakest. Which cities came in at the bottom?

For large communities, Miami edged out the competition. For medium communities, Santa Ana, California emerged the victor. For small communities, East Los Angeles took the top spot.

It’s important to note that whether a city is considered more or less smart should not affect your enjoyment of the place. Just because the city, as a whole, has less educational achievement doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, or boring, or not worthy of a visit. I just returned from Miami, for example, and I had an absolute blast! Moreover, Santa Ana has a rich history and lots of things to do.

If a community offers activities that you’re interested in, go for it! Don’t worry about statistics!

Get smarter:
* The Smart Traveler’s Passport
* World’s Most Expensive Cities
* The World’s Most Polite and Rude Cities