The thesis focuses the topic of squatter settlements located along borders in twin cities on the Amazon context. The study claims that Twin Cities are integrated by informality, in this case by squatter settlements along borders. In addition to the integration, these squatter settlements are transforming the border from a limit towards a social spatial construction of their territory. Based on that, the study looks for a cross border approach which can be developed by local governments of twin cities in order to manage squatter settlements along borders as a shared and common problem. In order to develop the research, the study has been done in the case of Leticia (Colombia) and Tabatinga (Brazil) twin cities in the Amazon. The thesis is focused in a natural space which has been the border between these twin cities the San Antonio ravine. Along this “natural” limit between Colombia and Brazil has been taken place an occupation of squatter settlements that has transformed the international limit into an “informal” urban space. The thesis developed two approaches in order to study the mentioned case of squatter settlements located along borders in twin cities. First, the study developed a bottom up approach analysing socioeconomic and physical characteristics of squatter settlements inhabitants and comparing both squatter settlements based on fieldwork findings. The comparative study looks for symmetric and asymmetric issues between both squatter settlements which are a key output towards a cross border approach between the twin cities based on needs and characteristics of squatter settlements inhabitants in the Amazon context. On the other hand, the study developed a review of urban policies of Colombia and Brazil looking for aspects that can be taking into account for local government of Leticia and Tabatinga in their local policies for managing squatter settlements on flood prone lands located on the border’s fringe. In addition, the study made a review of the current frontiers policies of both countries in order to find key elements that can used by local government for developing a cross border cooperation for managing squatter settlements in a cooperation and integration framework.Finally, the study looks for a short and long term appropriate approach for managing these two squatter settlements located along the border between the Leticia and Tabatinga twin cities. The recommendations for both terms can be useful input for future housing policies, and urban planning and management instruments in the twin cities based on Amazon characteristics. Moreover, the research methodology developed in the study can be an appropriate research procedure for further urban studies in Leticia and Tabatinga twin cities, especially on squatter settlements along border’s fringe.

In order to receive the title of Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management, the author Juan Pablo Rolón Paz, developed the current Master Thesis, which by the hand of the Dutch company ASML Holding, identified, described and analysed strategies to service generations of machines developed by ASML, now referred as platforms, during the decline stage and post Product Life Cycle (PLC). ASML is a company that designs, develops, integrates, markets and services machines to create chips that power electronic, communications, and information technology products. The services provided by ASML include spare parts, tooling and labour. ASML is characterised to offer perpetual support for their products. They service their recently released equipment, to the ones developed over the life of the company. In this light, ASML wants to identify strategies to service their platforms during the decline stage of product life cycle. This means, strategies to service their aged platforms. ASML is interested in identifying the criteria for deciding whether to stop offering their service products or not, and in the situation they agree to stop offering their service products, what approaches to take regarding post PLC.  To identify strategies to service platforms in the decline stage and post PLC, we decided to do a literature and benchmarking study, to get the best practices in service management, service parts management and service parts logistics for aged products. We met with people within ASML, and people of other companies in The Netherlands, and the United States of America. The results were triangulated with the information gathered through the literature research, meetings with experts on product life cycle and spare parts management, and having feedback from managerial people of ASML. In the next chapter, we define the research, developing the research statement, objectives, questions, scope, delineation, deliverables, method and structure.

Over the last decade, the Latin American Cross-Border M&A activity experienced a significant increase in terms of volume, value, and complexity. Between 2002 and 2011, 1483 M&A announcements involving Latin American bidders were found in this study. From this sample 344 were targeting companies in a foreign country. With the purpose of measuring to what extent CB-M&A can be a catalyst of value creation or destruction for the bidder in the short-term, the event study methodology was employed in a sample of 47 observations. I found that on average, the market reaction is positive after the announcement, leading to the short-term value creation for the Latin American acquirers. Regarding the allocation of investments in terms of geographies, the outcome shows that bidders tend to favor countries with similar cultural values and geographically close. The Hofstede’s cultural dimensions along with additional factors such as language, legal origins, and religion were analyzed in order to evaluate to what degree cultural differences affect cross-border acquisitions. However much the results are not statistically significant, it appears that cultural differences tend to have a negative effect on the bidder’s short-term performance.

Since the creation of the Old Age Pension scheme (Algemene Ouderdomswet, henceforth; AOW) in 1957 some important changes in its regulation have taken place. The purpose of this study is to analyse the redistribution of income for different individuals in the AOW taking into account these changes in regulation and different groups of individuals according to their gender, civil status and income. This comparison is made by using the Generational Accounts approach, initially presented by Auerbach (1991), in which the Net Present Value of the pension benefits received by every individual from the system is subtracted from the Net Present Value of the contributions paid to the system. In this study the database IPO, Documentatierapport Inkomenspanelonderzoek from CBS, Statistics Netherlands, has been used for some specific years after 1977. For the data of 2008 onwards the future contributions and benefits of the individuals will be projected according to the forecasts of the wage increases and pension benefits. A sensitivity analysis is also performed in order to check the changes in the Generational Accounts of the individuals with different discount rates and including the effects of the New Pension Contract.

When complying with anti-money laundering (AML) regulation, financial institutions faced some problems reflected in the form of risks and costs. In some cases, those problems have legal solutions but, in other cases, place banks in the position to decide between two risks – one being less harmful than the other. The aim of this dissertation is to provide an analysis of such risks and costs handled by financial entities, presenting some solutions provided by courts, but also identifying the gap between regulation and reality. Chapter I includes a general overview of money laundering; it makes reference to Financial Action Task recommendations in this matter and at the end the regulatory context of the crime in United Kingdom (UK). In Chapter II, each subsection refers to the risks banks may have when complying with money laundering regulations; the duality between the risk of being involved in a money laundering offence against the risk of being sued as a constructive trustee, the problem between reporting suspicious transactions against the tipping off offence, the dilemma of whether compliance with AML requirements and breaching contractual duties with customers, and an analysis of how legislation has partially solved the dilemma regarding confidentiality duty. Then, I shall discuss the costs that banks have to assume in implementing the AML system and the perception of the bankers regarding AML regulation.

In this project, the aim is the experimentation and further development of a new composite material made out of plywood, fiber glass and resin. It proposes a fabrication logic to design large continuous double skin, self structural and performative surfaces. The project introduces a step forward in the manipulation of plywood panels, pre-stressing them in a form finding process to achieve curvatures; thus, developing large structures. Through a reinforcing construction process necessity of big mandrels is avoided. Digital simulations and physical experiments were implemented in the research in order to achieve real possible geometries, to reduce weight and to simplify the structure. THE OBSESSION WITH A SURFACE The project gets the interest of producing one continuous surface based on the material behavior just as Dieste explored deeply in his research where he recognized that the surface offered a realm formal exploration that in turn, could solve structural problems. The surface is the result of environmental, structural and architectural necessities. Its efficiency responds to the optimization process. Therefore form and expression, fabrication and structural efficiency led the development of a new language of building. The optimization process determines the final shape. The shells are the material with certain thickness, but the shape is still more fundamental as it contains the space and the quality of itself.

Abstract: With this dissertation my intention is to look at the ways in which Colombian migrants in London understand and mark their identity, studying migration from a material culture perspective. I analyse the different objects used by Colombians for materialising their identity in a multicultural context and also the way in which they represent themselves and the idea of the homeland appropriating the social landscape. In the process of movement and settlement the concepts of identity and social affiliation are renegotiated at three levels: regional, national and Latin American. Resumen: Por medio de este artículo la atención de la autora se centra en mirar las diferentes formas por medio de las cuales los migrantes colombianos en Londres entienden y marcan su identidad, estudiando el fenómeno de la migración desde la perspectiva de la Cultura Material. Se tienen en cuenta razones de movilización y las maneras de adaptación a esta ciudad por parte de los diferentes tipos de colombianos que allí se encuentra. Se analizan los diferentes objetos que usan los colombianos para materializar su identidad en un contexto multicultural y también las formas en las cuales se representan a si mismos y la idea de patria o país por medio apropiando el nuevo sitio de vivienda y transformando la apariencia de este. También se estudia como en el proceso de movimiento y de asentamiento los conceptos de identidad y afiliación social de los colombianos son negociados en tres niveles: regional, nacional y latinoamericano.

CONTEXT: Equity-oriented policies based on social determinants of health (SDH) and intersectoral approaches have become a high level priority on the public sector agenda (Whitehead et al, 2006) and generated much research (Roberts, 2009). However, little is known on the conditions leading to successful implementation of these policies and the challenges facing decision-makers (PAHO, 2014, WHO, 2015). This study aimed to provide more evidence on these conditions and challenges by drawing on the experience of Cundinamarca-Colombia. RESOURCES AND METHODS: This study followed an exploratory qualitative approach. Key informant interviews method was used, with face-to-face semi-structure interviews conducted with public policy-making leaders at the national (Colombia) and subnational levels (Cundinamarca). Thirty interviews were conducted from February 26 to April 14, 2015. Thematic content analysis was carried out on the interviews and Governmental documents and secondary data sources were reviewed (published literature from 1985 - 2015). RESULTS: Among the key elements identified by the participants to work on the “determinants of health” and “transectoral” approaches was the “paradigm shift” from a “dominant health thinking” of the public policies to the adoption of more “inclusive concepts” such as the determinants of quality of life. The strengthening of “territorial planning” and sectoral competencies”, the interrelation of “synergistic approaches”, and the use of Information and Communication Technologies were also mentioned. Likewise, respondents reported on a number of challenges such as the State structure and the uneven development of sectors; and barriers related to “sectoral sovereignty”. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the experience of Cundinamarca-Colombia has shown that emerging concepts such as “transectorality”, “Health Management Models”, and “Determinants of Quality of Life” along with considerations regarding the State structure and the role of subnational governments and communities should inform the implementation of equity-based policies. However, further work is needed to cover the full range of conditions to successful implementation and to better appraise the impact of these approaches on the population.

This dissertation studies the Indigenous Guard, a non-violent strategy of survival of the CRIC Indigenous Movement of southern Colombia. It seeks to understand what has made the unarmed alternative of the Indigenous Guard viable in the midst of the Colombian armed conflict. Different approaches to non-violent action are discussed, and based in this discussion it is argued that a combined attention to changing conditions in the social field and internal community dynamics is needed to account for the viability of the Indigenous Guard. Thus, the case study is pursued through attention to two levels. Firstly, it approaches the broad framework in which the CRIC operates, in which the struggle for land and changing citizenship regimes are key explanatory factors. Secondly, and in order to approach internal community dynamics, participant observation and a series of interviews with members of the communities were carried out, the results of which are presented. It is concluded that the functioning of the Indigenous Guard is based in strong norms of reciprocity – duty towards each other- that are reinforced by external referents such as the FARC guerrilla and the Colombian state. Furthermore, it is suggested that this process affects how these communities face changing political opportunities.

En este trabajo he desarrollado un ejercicio nuevo para mi, un ejercicio que plantea Tim Clark y sus colaboradores en el texto "Tu modelo de negocio", en el cual se proponen evaluaciones y autoevaluaciones sobre lo que somos, lo que queremos y lo que tenemos para brindarle al mercado, pero desde una perspectiva personal y no una perspectiva de compañía, es decir soy yo el que me considero la empresa, soy yo el modelo de negocio, soy yo el que descubro mi valor agregado y a través de una serie de actividades puntuales, secuenciales, ilustradas y sustentadas logro "dibujar" los elementos de un modelo cuyo mercado es la sociedad misma. La meta será encontrar un Canvas personal y mejorado, que represente la esencia de la persona en cada uno de sus elementos: clientes, canales, relación con el cliente, valor agregado, actividades clave, recursos clave, socios clave, ingresos y costos, sean diseñados conforme a las habilidades, debilidades, experiencia, capacidades, intereses, gustos y objetivos de la persona.