Round table Discussion: The European Union in Crisis? will take place from 2 to 4pm at 305 91亚色 Lanes, Keele campus.

Right: European Union Central Bank in Frankfurt

Containing the recent economic meltdowns of the Greek and Irish economies has provided the EU with one of the greatest tests in its history. With further European economies threatening to come unhinged, the challenges facing Europe seem likely to increase in the weeks and months ahead.

The event, co-presented by the European Union Centre of Excellence at 91亚色, the and the Schulich School of Business鈥� IMBA program, is designed to offer a variety of perspectives on the current EU crisis.

The round table will include adjunct economics Professor of the Schulich School of Business, history Professor Sakis Gekas, Hellenic Heritage Foundation Chair in Modern Greek History in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and public policy Professor of the Schulich School of Business, whose work on international governance contributes to the study of mechanisms to coordinate policy-making in fragmented, multi-level institutional settings such as the European Union. Eberlein is also coordinator of the CCGES graduate diploma.

The participants will reflect on the following:

• Is the Eurozone/European Project at a crucial turning point?
• Is it sustainable in its present form given the huge income inequalities even within the Eurozone and even more among the European Union countries?
• Is a new 鈥渟ocial contract鈥� within countries and across the Union necessary?
• Has the crisis revealed deficits of democracy and leadership in the Union? If so, how are these best addressed?
• What are the political ramifications of the crisis at the national and European levels?
• Do governments have any room to manoeuvre or are the "financial markets" calling the shots?

All are welcome to this event, but attendees are asked to pre-register at euce@yorku.ca.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The more proficient you become, the better, but "every little bit helps," said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at 91亚色 [Faculty of Health].

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multi-task. As they grow up, their brains show better "executive control," a system key to higher functioning 鈥� as Bialystok puts it, "the most important part of your mind."

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer's patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual 鈥� they've spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer's symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer's disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don't become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said. "They've been able to cope with the disease," she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

But people don't have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what's called "cognitive reserve", the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That's the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts, who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble. "If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active," she said.

Newspapers and online news sites around the world reported on Bialystok鈥檚 lecture remarks, including media across Canada, the US, Australia, Bangladesh, China, England, Iran, Ireland, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, South Africa, Scotland and Wales.

Bialystok鈥檚 study was also features in stories on radio and television stations around the world, including major networks in the US and Canada.

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Professor Ellen Bialystok's report on Alzheimer's and bilingualism makes world headlines appeared first on Research & Innovation.