Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Asylum |
AsylumNoun1. A shelter from danger or hardship. 2. A hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "asylum" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
Etymology: Asylum \A*sy"lum\, noun; plural English Asylums, from Latin expression Asyla. [Latin expression asylum, Greek, from exempt from spoliation, inviolable; 'a priv. right of seizure.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of an asylum, denotes sickness and unlucky dealings, which cannot be overcome without great mental struggle. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Literature | Asylum means, literally, a place where pillage is forbidden (Greek, a (negative), sulon, right of pillage). The ancients set apart certain places of refuge, where the vilest criminals were protected, both from private and public assaults. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The term asylum can mean at least two things:
- a mental hospital, or
- political asylum
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Asylum."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Under international law, a refugee is a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution. They are distinguished from economic migrants who have voluntarily left their country of origin for economic reasons.
Those who seek refugee status are sometimes known as asylum seekers and the practice of accepting such refugees is that of offering political asylum. Some governments are relatively tolerant and accepting of asylum claims; other governments will not only refuse such claims, but may actually arrest those who attempt to seek asylum. The most common such claims are based upon political and religious grounds.
The United Nations defines as refugee as someone who was forced to leave their country "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country."
In the world, about 10 countries take quota refugees for example from refugee camps. Usually they are people who escape war. They are then quota refugees. In late years, most of quota refugees have came from Iran, Iraq and former Yugoslavia.
Under the 1951 Convention on Refugees and 1967 Protocol, a nation must grant asylum to refugees and cannot forcibly return a refugee to their nation of origin. Refugees are also the subject of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Many nations routinely ignore this treaty.
Palestinian refugees from 1948 and their descendants do not come under the 1951 convention or UNHCR, but under the earlier UNRWA agency. As such they are defined differently; see Palestinian refugee.
For boat people, see Vietnam War.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Refugee."
Synonyms: AsylumSynonyms: insane asylum (n), institution (n), mental home (n), mental hospital (n), mental institution (n), psychiatric hospital (n), refuge (n), sanctuary (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Defense | Hold, stronghold, fastness; asylum; (refuge); keep, donjon, dungeon, fortress, citadel, capitol, castle; tower of strength, tower of strength; fort, barracoon, pah, sconce, martello tower, peelhouse, blockhouse, rath; wooden walls. |
Refuge | Noun: refuge, sanctuary, retreat, fastness; acropolis; keep, last resort; ward; prison; asylum, ark, home,Noun: refuge, sanctuary, retreat, fastness; acropolis; keep, last resort; ward; prison; asylum, ark, home, refuge for the destitute; almshouse; hiding place; (ambush); sanctum sanctorum; (privacy). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Asylum |
| English words defined with "asylum": Asyla, Asylums ♦ bedlam, booby hatch ♦ crazy house, cuckoo's nest ♦ funny farm, funny house ♦ House of refuge ♦ loony bin ♦ madhouse ♦ nut house, nuthouse ♦ sanatorium, shelter tent, snake pit. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "asylum": May Meetings ♦ Norna of the Fitful Head ♦ orphan, Orthography ♦ understanding. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Asylum" is also a word in the following language with English translations in parentheses. Latin (asylum, sanctuary). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | No, he scratched himself to death in an insane asylum. (The Little Shop of Horrors; writing credit: Charles B. Griffith) All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people (My Man Godfrey; writing credit: Eric Hatch; Morrie Ryskind) They wanted to send him to an asylum, but his daddy said no Radley was going to any asylum (To Kill a Mockingbird; writing credit: Harper Lee; Horton Foote) Nah none taken sir, I grew up here, all I ever knew of Ireland was from the talk of the others at the orphan asylum. (Gangs of New York; writing credit: Jay Cocks) Have you tried the insane asylum where everybody in this room is supposed to be (Gilmore Girls; writing credit: Povl Erik Carstensen; Sebastian Dorset) | |
Lyrics | In the mad house asylum (Carnival; performing artist: Natalie Merchant) I dropped you off at the asylum on a friday (Lunatic To Love; performing artist: The Residents) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Sex Asylum (1972) Asylum of Satan (1972) The Escaped from the Asylum (1913) Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band (1898) Asylum (2003) | |
Song Titles | Misery (performing artist: Soul Asylum) Runaway Train (performing artist: Soul Asylum) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | [Exterior view- Columbia Hospital for Women and Lying-in Asylum, Wash., D.C.]. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | Mental Disorders : Side view of Asylum Van (period: 1890). Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
 | The man is a paranoiac : he should be at once confined in an asylum for the criminal insane. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | The Riots at New York--the rioters burning and sacking the colored orphan asylum. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Charleston, S.C. Orphan Asylum (160 Calhoun Street). Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Asylum for the Blind, Jacksonville, Ill. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Deaf and Dumb Asylum, Jacksonville, Ill. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Washington arsenal, Insane Asylum in the distance. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Columbus, O., taken from the blind asylum / engraved by Felch. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Irkutsk - church and the Bazanoff orphan asylum. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Anne M. Burford | Too small to be a state but too large to be an asylum for the mentally deranged. |
Ralph Waldo Emerson | We fly to beauty as an asylum from the terrors of finite nature. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
United Nations | 1948 | Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | This is the home of no man, except him who needs an asylum. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | The legislated changes also limited legal recourse against denials of asylum applications. (references) | |
There are almost 7 million foreign residents, including those granted asylum, guest workers, and their dependents. (references) | ||
Despite tightening of asylum laws, Germany remains a prime destination for political and economic refugees from much of the Third World. (references) | ||
Children | United Kingdom | The NGO's Refugee Council and Save the Children claimed in an August report that children in the asylum system are not afforded the same level of care and protection that other children receive under childcare legislation. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Russia | A few are asylum seekers. (references) |
Czech Republic | In 2000 133 asylum claims were granted. (references) | |
Economic History | Paraguay | Cubas left for Brazil the next day and has since received asylum. (references) |
Malawi | In 1996, Malawi received a number of Rwandan and Congolese refugees seeking asylum. (references) | |
Ethiopia | Mengistu fled the country and was granted asylum in Zimbabwe, where he still resides. (references) | |
Human Rights | Korea | Hong and his wife escaped from their abductors and then requested asylum. (references) |
Hungary | In 2000 a Cameroonian asylum seeker, Ebune Christian Ecole, died while being deported. (references) | |
Belarus | Petrushkevich and Sluchek, fearing reprisals, left the country and sought asylum abroad. (references) | |
Minorities | Netherlands | The 2000 report showed that racism was directed increasingly against asylum seekers and Jewish persons. (references) |
Hungary | The ECHR has agreed to review that asylum case and is temporarily housing and maintaining the remaining applicants. (references) | |
Hungary | The asylum claims came after 3 years of tensions in Zamoly between the clan and the local community over housing issues. (references) | |
Political Economy | South Africa | Xenophobia continues to be a problem, and there were a number of violent attacks on foreigners, including refugees and asylum seekers. (references) |
Venezuela | However, in August the National Assembly approved a law on refuge and asylum designed to broaden refugees' rights and improve their treatment. (references) | |
Ireland | Asylum seekers and Travellers (an itinerant ethnic community) faced some discrimination, and there were incidents of violence against racial minorities and immigrants. (references) | |
Political Rights | Saudi Arabia | The Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights (CDLR), an opposition group, was established in 1993. The Government acted almost immediately to repress it. In 1994 one of its founding members, Mohammed Al-Masari, fled to the United Kingdom, where he sought political asylum and established an overseas branch of the CDLR. In 1996 internal divisions within the CDLR led to the creation of the rival Islamic Reform Movement (IRM), headed by Sa'ad Al-Faqih. (references) |
Travel | Ghana | Asylum Down Roundabout, Nasibakill. (references) |
Women | South Africa | Female immigrants and asylum seekers were abused sexually during detention. (references) |
Worker Rights | France | Trafficking victims may be granted temporary residency while they apply for asylum. (references) |
Nigeria | The girls reportedly request asylum at British airports and are taken into the care of social services or foster care. (references) | |
Azerbaijan | Azerbaijanis are trafficked into northern Europe, particularly to the Netherlands and Germany, where many unsuccessfully seek asylum. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | UNDERSTANDING, n. A cerebral secretion that enables one having it to know a house from a horse by the roof on the house. Its nature and laws have been exhaustively expounded by Locke, who rode a house, and Kant, who lived in a horse. His understanding was so keen That all things which he'd felt, heard, seen, He could interpret without fail If he was in or out of jail. He wrote at Inspiration's call Deep disquisitions on them all, Then, pent at last in an asylum, Performed the service to compile 'em. So great a writer, all men swore, They never had not read before. Jorrock Wormley |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
James Madison | 1809-1817 | Instead of holding forth an Asylum to the persecuted, it is itself a signal of persecution. |
James Monroe | 1817-1825 | Adventurers from every country, fugitives from justice, and absconding slaves have found an asylum there. |
Jimmy Carter | 1977-1981 | Major relief efforts to aid refugees in countries of first asylum continued in several areas of the world. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Asylum" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 98.34% of the time. "Asylum" is used about 844 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 98.34% | 830 | 8,455 |
| Noun (proper) | 1.54% | 13 | 97,576 |
| Noun (common) | 0.12% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 844 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "asylum": afford asylum to ♦ grant political asylum ♦ insane asylum ♦ lunatic asylum ♦ mental asylum ♦ orphans' asylum ♦ political asylum ♦ politicum asylum ♦ right of asylum ♦ seek political asylum. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "asylum": asylum-seeker, asylum-seekers, asylum-seeking. | |
Ending with "asylum": non-asylum, orphan-asylum. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
asylum | 411 | arkham asylum | 20 |
soul asylum | 254 | asylum improv | 20 |
asylum audio | 162 | 5600 asylum fx geforce | 19 |
insane asylum | 123 | asylum hill silent | 19 |
asylum street spankers | 113 | asylum lyrics runaway soul train | 18 |
asylum kiss | 108 | alices asylum | 17 |
art asylum | 76 | 5200 asylum fx geforce | 16 |
asylum lyrics soul | 74 | asylum hospital | 16 |
asylum motorsports | 60 | asylum body kit | 16 |
youth asylum | 59 | asylum kates | 16 |
asylum card video | 49 | asylum tube | 15 |
political asylum | 47 | humor asylum | 15 |
asylum seeker | 47 | asylum geforce | 15 |
39 asylum b b b b b b mega metal metal music s | 37 | asylum fantasy | 14 |
asylum record | 24 | abandoned asylum | 14 |
asylum newtype | 24 | asylum lyrics youth | 13 |
asylum bfg | 24 | asylum mental | 13 |
asylum jag | 23 | asylum haunted insane | 13 |
asylum motorsport | 21 | soul asylum runaway train | 13 |
haunted asylum | 21 | asylum insane picture | 12 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "asylum"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | toevlugsoord (place, place of refuge, sanctuary, shelter), asiel (sanctuary). (various references) | |
Albanian | azil (hospice, hostel, sanctuary), strehë (awning, cover, dwelling, hangout, Harbor, harbour, haven, home, hostel, house, housing, hovel, Lee, lodgement, lodgment, lurking place, mew, pad, peak, port, recourse, refuge, retreat, roof, sanctuary, sanctum, sconce, shade, shed, shelter), siguri (aplomb, assurance, assuredness, certainty, certitude, confidence, cover, dependability, guaranty, hostage, reliability, reliance, safety, security, sureness, surety, trustiness). (various references) | |
Arabic | ملتجأ آمن, ملجأ (burrow, cover, harbor, harbour, haven, hideaway, hideout, home, lair, poorhouse, recourse, refuge, resort, resource, retreat, sanctuary, sanctum, shelter), ملاذ (anchor, anchorage, harbor, harbour, haven, hermitage, hideaway, recourse, refuge, resort, retreat, sanctuary, shelter), مأوى (dwelling, habitation, haven, house, quarters, refuge, resort, resting place, retreat, sanctuary, shelter), حق اللجوء السياسي, الحرم المقدس. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | убежище (citadel, harborage, harbourage, haunt, haven, port, protection, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, sconce, sheet anchor, shelter), приют (home, hospice, rest, retreat, shelter), политическо убежище. (various references) | |
Chinese | "容所 (Asylums). (various references) | |
Czech | azyl (haven, sanctuary). (various references) | |
Danish | asyl (place of refuge, sanctuary, shelter). (various references) | |
Dutch | asiel (sanctuary), toevluchtsoord (place of refuge, sanctuary, shelter). (various references) | |
Esperanto | azilo. (various references) | |
Farsi | یتیم خانه (Orphanage), پناهگاه (Awning, Burrow, Covert, Harbor, Hovel, Refuge, Resort, Sanctuary, Shelter, Stronghold), نوانخانه (Almshouse, Poorhouse, Soupkitchen), گریزگاه , تیمارستان (Bedlam, Madhouse), بستگاه (Sanctuary). (various references) | |
Finnish | turvapaikka (haven, place of safety). (various references) | |
French | asile, refuge. (various references) | |
Frisian | asyl (sanctuary). (various references) | |
German | Asyl (place of refuge, sanctuary, shelter), Heim (at home, clubhouse, fireside, hall of residence, home, homewards, hostel, recreation center). (various references) | |
Greek | άσυλο (covert, hospice, retreat, sanctuary, shelter). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מקלט (haven, refuge, shelter), מפלט (escape, haven, refuge, retreat, shelter), בית מחס" (almshouse, poorhouse, retreat, workhouse). (various references) | |
Hungarian | elmegyógyintézet (bedlam, laughing academy, lunatic asylum, madhouse, mental home, mental hospital). (various references) | |
Indonesian | suaka, rumah sakit (clinic, hospital, infirmary). (various references) | |
Italian | asilo (home, kindergarten, nursery, nursery school, playgroup, sanctuary, shelter), rifugio (covert, den, Harbor, harborage, harbour, harbourage, haven, housing, hut, refuge, sanctuary, shelter), ricovero (admission, haunt, home, hospitalization, old people's home, poorhouse, recovery, rest, sanctuary, shelter). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 収容所 (camp, home). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | しゅうようじょ (camp, home). (various references) | |
Korean | 보호 시설 (Asylums). (various references) | |
Manx | thie mooar (dwelling, hall, manor, mansion), thie coadee, thie baanrit (bedlam, lunatic asylum, madhouse). (various references) | |
Norwegian | asyl. (various references) | |
Papiamen | asil (sanctuary). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | asylumay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | asilo (franchise, home, refuge, rest home, shelter, workhouse), albergue (den, harbor, harbour, hostel, inn, kip, lair, refuge, rest). (various references) | |
Romanian | azil (home, hospice, hospital, institution, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, shelter), refugiu (covert, flight, Harbor, harbour, haven, hiding, home, kennel, niche, pied a terre, recourse, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, shelter), ocrotire (charge, defence, Favor, favour, screening, shelter, sheltering). (various references) | |
Russian | приют (charity school, charity-school, foundling hospital, foundling-hospital, harbourage, haven, hospice, niche, nook, orphanage, shelter). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | azil, utočište (anchor, harborage, harbourage, haunt, haven, niche, refuge, shelter). (various references) | |
Spanish | asilo (haven, home, institution, refuge, sanctuary, shelter), refugio (Alpine hut, climber's hut, cover, covert, harborage, harbourage, haven, housing, lieu, mountain hut, pied a terre, place of refuge, refuge, retreat, safety island, sanctuary). (various references) | |
Swedish | asyl (sanctuary). (various references) | |
Thai | ที่หลบ ัย (haven, safe house, sanctuary). (various references) | |
Turkish | akıl hastanesi (booby hatch, bughouse, funny farm, insane asylum, loony bin, lunatic asylum, madhouse, mental home, mental hospital, nuthouse), sığınma (defection, sanctuary, taking refuge, taking shelter), sığınak (air-raid shelter, bunker, burrow, cove, cover, covering, covert, cranny, creep, den, fastness, Harbor, harbour, haven, lair, refuge, repair, sanctuary, shelter, stronghold, tabernacle, tower), koruma (aegis, auspices, bodyguard, conservancy, conservation, convoy, covering, custody, defending, defense, escort, Favor, favour, guard, guarding, indemnity, keeping, lifeguard, maintenance, patronage, preservation, protection, protective, retention, safeguard, safekeeping, shade, shadow, shield, tutelage, umbrella), iltica (defection, refuge), himaye (auspices, care, defence, keep, keeping, patronage, protection, safeguard, shield, sponsorship), barınak (burrow, cove, Harbor, harbour, haven, hiding place, housing, refuge, repair, sanctuary, shelter). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | захисток (shelter), психіатрична лікарня, приют (hospitality), пристановище (accommodation, charity, harborage, harbourage, haunt, nook, resort), притулок (accommodation, bield, chimney, cover, harbour, niche, nook, port, purlieu, refuge, sanctuary, shelter, subterfuge, succor, succour). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | viện cứu tế nh thương điên, nơi nương náu, nơi ẩn náu (haven, hiding-place, lurking-place, refuge). (various references) | |
Welsh | noddfa (refuge). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Greek | 700 BCE-300 CE | asylon. (various references) |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | asylum. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "asylum": asylums. (additional references) | |
| |
"Asylum" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Absolom, Acklom, alysum, amylum, Asalam, ascyrum, asellus, Asklund, aslaug, aslylum, aslyum, Asplund, assylum, Assyut, asulam, asyl, asylam, asylem, asyllum, asylm, asylom, asylym, aylum, ayum, davyum, faiyum, Haslum, Qayum, Salum, Saywun. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "asylum" (pronounced usī"lum) |
| 4 | -ī" l u m | phylum. |
| 3 | -l u m | alum, antebellum, bedlam, pablum, pendulum, problem, column, curriculum, diverticulum, emblem, exemplum, flagellum, fullam, golem, hoodlum, slalom, solemn, Solum, tantalum. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-l-m-s-u-y" | |
-1 letter: alums, amyls, mauls. | |
-2 letters: alms, alum, amus, amyl, lams, lays, lums, maul, mays, saul, slam, slay, slum, yams. | |
-3 letters: als, amu, ays, lam, las, lay, lum, mas, may, mus, sal, sau, say, sly, sum, yam, yum. | |
-4 letters: al, am, as, ay, la, ma, mu, my, um, us, ya. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-l-m-s-u-y" | |
+1 letter: alyssum, amylums, asylums. | |
+2 letters: alyssums, amusedly, famously, yamulkas. | |
+3 letters: amorously, amusingly, amygdules, assumably, mealybugs, musically, subfamily, summarily, yarmulkes. | |
+4 letters: aneurysmal, bigamously, infamously, measurably, measuredly, muscularly, musicality, musicianly, paramylums, polygamous, presumably, qualmishly, shamefully. | |
+5 letters: ambiguously, ambitiously, amorphously, anomalously, anonymously, autosomally, clamorously, customarily, glamorously, implausibly, lumberyards, maliciously, marvelously, masculinely, masculinity, masterfully, muscularity, myelomatous, squeamishly, stimulatory, subassembly, subdermally, subnormally, summability, superfamily, sympetalous, unanimously, unashamedly. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Quotations: Familiar | 9. Quotations: Historic 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Speeches | 13. Usage Frequency 14. Expressions 15. Expressions: Internet 16. Translations: Modern | 17. Translations: Ancient 18. Derivations 19. Rhymes 20. Anagrams | 21. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
