Country Report

 A Country Report is required for any number of reasons.  Maybe, you want to do business with China, or wish to travel to India on a long holiday or going for higher studies or research in a foreign university.  It is always nice to have some basic understanding of the country’s geography, culture, and people.

For whatever reasons you are compiling the country report, there is a certain way in which to put the report together that will help you to handle things better and more confident when you arrive at the country and also keep everyone in the know.

Follow the steps below for preparing the Country Report:

• The report must be logical based on the purpose for which it is done – business, travel, education, etc.  A title page with a brief overview of the country as a whole is an ideal way to begin.  Subsequent sections can include topography, geography, and add an appendix to give more information may be useful.
• Prepare the report to suit your specific needs. If you are an educationist or university professor, you will have information on the major and well known universities in the specific city you are visiting.  The vice-chancellor or head of the university, head or dean of the particular department with which you are concerned and related information are a must.
• Always focus on traditional sources for research, books, magazines, and government publications.  Electronic sources can be really useful in gathering information. A wide variety of information of important phone numbers, embassy contacts, crime reports, and other relevant material will be handy.
• You can  look at the blogs from the country you are visiting; even you can write to the blogger to get answers to your queries; know local culture, customs in that part of the country you are visiting and important festivals and other occasions and happenings around the time of your visit.
• Keep the report aside for a couple of days, so that you can polish and improve the country report with greater care.  Look at the report from the point of view of the person – banker, attorney, educationist, or medical doctor – for whom it is intended to make it more subject specific.

Check and re-check for typographical and grammatical errors; eliminate redundant and superfluous words, and words out of context to make it precise, concise and as a well written Country Report.

Questions:

• Why does one require a country report?
• What steps will you take to prepare a good country report?