beSMART

BARRIERS TO CREDIT ACCESS AND CONSEQUENCES IN INFORMAL MICROFINANCE SYSTEMS IN RURAL AREAS OF AN GIANG, VIETNAM

Nguyen Huu Tri

Although formal microcredit programs exist in Vietnam, their scope and impact still remains limited, creating room for a large informal microfinance market. This study was designed to better understand the reasons for and aspects of informal microfinance. Our results show that a major cause for the prevalence of informal microfinance is that VBSP lending programs are extremely ineffective. Due to selection bias, poor local management, and an under use of social capital, the impact of VBSP programs remains limited. Less than 50% of all lending that takes place in rural An Giang province is informal. Dangerously, informal lending contributes to chronic indebtedness and locks borrowers in poverty. Despite this reality, informal lending remains a vital resource for the rural poor—a resource that saves poor households in the event of economic shocks or emergencies. Thus, changes cannot be directly made to the informal systems. In order to manage rural microfinance systems, it is necessary to focus on improving formal programs, which will in turn decrease the volume of informal microfinance taking place.

microcredit, microfinance market system, informal lending

Hybrid Model for 2D Hand Gesture Image Segmentation & Detection

Azmi Shawkat Abdulbaki

Human Sign Language (HSL) provides people a natural tool to contact with computer machine. This contact is called nonverbal interaction. The Sign Language Recognition (SLR) called Hand Gesture Recognition (HGR) involving computer vision, pattern recognition and image processing . In this model, a new hybrid algorithm consists of Artificial Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm for mute person to build a communication between disabled persons and personal computers are present. This algorithm enhances communication capabilities of the disabled person and computer interaction.

Artificial Neural Network, Genetic Algorithm, Image Segmentation, Human Computer Interface, Hand Gestures, Human Sign Language.

SECURE MOBILE APPLICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Hao Zhao and Sead Muftic

      This paper describes the concept and approach of using Trusted Services Management (TSM) Server and the corresponding m-Security client, loaded in smart phones, to manage Javacard applications (applets) in mobile phone’s chip. In our research, we propose to use Javacard chip in mobile phones as secure element and Javacard applets to provide mobile services to subscribers. Javacard technology provides more secure runtime environment than mobile phone applications. The concepts of the TSM Server and m-Security client are used to manage mobile services based on open management architecture. With our system, service providers upload their Javacard applets to the TSM Server through service providers interfaces. Client users use m-Security client to search and download Javacard applets available at the TSM Server and install them into Javacard chips in their mobile phones. This paper focuses on security aspects of the protocol between the TSM Server and m-Security client. In our research we propose corresponding solutions described in this paper.

mobile services, TSM, m-Security client, Javacard, Javacard applets, secure mobile services

CONCERNS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND
EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Dr. RALPH A. SABIO, Dr. CECILIA JUNIO-SABIO

Higher education is the backbone of any society. It is the quality of higher education that decides the quality of human resources in a country. Higher Education, as we see today, is a complex system that facilitates teaching, research, extension and international cooperation and understanding.

This paper is a documentary analysis of quality and quality assurance in Higher Education. The first part introduces the international perspective of quality from the context of U.N. adopting a common vision, direction, framework and standards for Higher Education Institutions called the “World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st Century.” CHED’s role in promoting quality and excellence in Higher Education in the Philippines was discussed, as well as some quality indicators.

Finally, the Philippine accreditation process as a way to assure quality was examined at the latter part and the current government’s thrust on ensuring quality in higher education e.g. accreditation targets, indicators and measures towards the end of 2015.

excellence, quality assurance, accreditation, higher education and institutions (HE/HEIs), Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

STEGANOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE USING FRACTAL IMAGE

Ahmad Sami Nori, Asmaa M. Al-Qassab

The important of reducing a chance of the information being detected during the transmission is being an issue nowadays, Some solution to be discussed is how to pass information in a manner that the very existence of the message is unknown in order to repel attention of the potential attacker.
Researchers begin to explore new methods to manage the huge amount of data shared over the Internet, in order to use them more efficiently and safely, One of the ways that is raised nowadays is Steganography, the art of information hiding within electronic media. Steganography ways vary in their approaches for hiding information. Generally, hiding data within electronic media will alter some of the media properties that may introduce few degradation or unusual characteristics.
This research introduces a novel image Steganographic method, that is a(blind) type, for embedding secret information (images, texts, sounds,…,etc.) into generated fractal images that are used as a cover for that secret information and without acquiring any distortion that draws attention.

fractals; Steganography ; Information hiding, Julia set, fractal geometry