NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The project of students of SPbGASU was recognized as the best in the student nomination at the competition “Center of Historical Memory in the Village of Zaitsevo”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – From left to right: Yulia Yankovskaya, Kristina Zaika, Ekaterina Zlotnikova, Valeria Dmitrieva and Elizaveta Doroshenko

    The project “Center of Historical Memory in the Village of Zaitsevo” by second-year students of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU was recognized as the best among student works submitted to the competition “Concept of Spatial Development of Municipalities of the Leningrad Region” in the nomination “Concept of Spatial Development of the Public Exhibition Center “Center of Historical Memory”. It was developed by Ekaterina Zlotnikova, Kristina Zaika, Elizaveta Doroshenko and Valeria Dmitrieva under the supervision of the head of the Department of Urban Development Yulia Yankovskaya for the territory of the Memorial Complex to the Civilians of the Soviet Union Who Died During the Great Patriotic War and the improvement of the territory in the village of Zaitsevo in the Gatchina Municipal District of the Leningrad Region.

    “Participation and especially victory in such professional competitions are very important both in professional development and in patriotic education of students. The students studied historical materials related to this place with great interest and attention, analyzed domestic and foreign experience in designing memorial complexes, gave an original compositional and figurative interpretation of the museum object and proposed a concept for the improvement of the territory,” noted Yulia Yankovskaya.

    According to her, the project is interesting for a number of ideas. Thus, a new landscaping solution has been given on the territory of the complex with the placement of a number of thematic areas focused on tactile, sound, color and light presentation of the events of the Great Patriotic War. The historical memory center itself is designed in modern dynamic forms, the “memory ribbon” covers the volume of the building from all sides.

    In accordance with the task, the functional filling includes a universal auditorium, a memorial and exhibition space, and a cultural and educational space with a small conference hall. The composition of the object is built on triangular shapes in plan, symbolizing fragments, the breakdown of people’s lives. In contrast to them, the “memory tape” connects the disparate volumes and fills them with a new peaceful life. Two atrium spaces adjoin the central part of the building with an entrance group, a foyer, and a hall on both sides: on the right – with an exhibition of objects related to military themes, on the left – a green space related to peaceful life. The interior of the building uses the works of monumental artists, students of the I. E. Repin Academy of Arts Ekaterina Okisheva and Xu Zhoke.

    “I would like to emphasize that this complex and multifaceted project with the development of a concept for the improvement, landscaping of the complex, a number of pavilions and thematic areas, as well as a rather complex public exhibition center, was completed by second-year students (of course, under the guidance of their teacher). Success speaks of both their good professional training and creative activity. The inspiration for this work was Ekaterina Zlotnikova. Last year, she took third place in the “Environment” nomination of the international competition “Form-Illusion”. I am glad that with her desire to actively participate in competitions and exhibitions, she encourages other students to be creative. Both the department and I, as the head of the workshop, do our utmost to reveal the creative potential of students and support their desire to develop their professional skills in creative professional competitions, not limited to student ones,” said Yulia Yankovskaya.

    The concept of the Center of Historical Memory “History Tape”

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Discusses Developments in Joint Relations with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Director


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    H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, met with Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Professor Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

    This was part of her ongoing participation in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Spain from June 29 to July 3, 2025, as a member of the Egyptian delegation headed by H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, on behalf of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic of Egypt.

    H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat discussed with the UNCTAD’s Secretary-General the joint relations between Egypt and UNCTAD, reviewing ways to elevate cooperation in the fields of economic development and investment.

    H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat expressed appreciation for the joint efforts with UNCTAD in issuing the Global Investment Report 2024, which monitors the most prominent trends in foreign direct investment worldwide. She highlighted the importance of this report in shedding light on Egypt’s position among the most attractive countries for investments, in light of the economic reforms implemented by the Egyptian government.

    The meeting also touched on the joint relations between Egypt and UNCTAD, underscoring the significance of cooperation in economic development and promoting foreign investments, in addition to utilizing the organization’s tools to measure the impact of development policies and enhance trade and investment strategies.

    In another context, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat met with Professor Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), an economist and professor in the Department of International Development at Oxford University, to discuss endeavors to promote investment in human capital.

    The two sides reviewed human development efforts and increasing investment in human capital to improve living standards and foster inclusive and sustainable economic development.

    The meeting also highlighted the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, reaffirming that it represents an annual international measure of acute multidimensional poverty, covering over 100 developing countries. This index is a key tool for measuring the severity of poverty through 7 main dimensions: education, health, basic services, employment, social protection, and food security.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Buses will temporarily replace trams between Krasnoselskaya metro station and Belorussky railway station

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Five tram routes will be changed from July 10 during the construction of a new intersection at the intersection of Kalanchevskaya Street and Masha Poryvayeva Street. For up to 28 days, ground rail transport will not run between the Krasnoselskaya metro station and Belorussky Railway Station, as well as in the area of the Russian University of Transport (MIIT) and the Novoslobodskaya metro station. The changes will affect routes No. 7, 9, 13, 37 and 50.

    Trams will operate during this period:

    — No. 7 — from the metro station “Bulvar Rokossovskogo” to the metro station “Sokolniki”;

    — No. 9 — will not work;

    — No. 13 and 50 will be combined into a single route No. 13 50, which will run from Metrogorodok past the Krasnoselskaya, Baumanskaya and Aviamotornaya metro stations to the Compressor Culture Center;

    — No. 37 — from Novogireevo station of the fourth Moscow Central Diameter (MCD-4) to Lefortovo Bridge.

    Instead of trams, compensation buses will be launched. Bus No. 07 will run from Sokolniki metro station to Belorussky railway station, and the route of electric bus C510 will be extended from Tikhvinskaya street to Novoslobodskaya metro station.

    Passengers will also be able to use buses T88, T22, 604, the museum trolleybus T and the metro.

    Passengers are asked to plan their trips in advance, taking into account temporary restrictions and follow information about all changes in the operation of trams in the Telegram channel “Deptrans. Promptly”, on the website Moscow metro and other resources of the capital’s transport complex. Information will also be available at tram stops.

    Development of the tram network

    As a result of the work on the area of three railway stations, a three-track tram intersection will appear for the first time in the capital, said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov. Thanks to this, the routes towards the metro stations “Prospekt Mira” and “Chistye Prudy” will be divided into directions. The work is being carried out as part of the construction of a new section along Akademika Sakharova Avenue.

    “The construction of a tram line along Akademika Sakharova Avenue is the largest tram network development project in recent decades, which is being implemented in accordance with Sergei Sobyanin’s task. Thanks to this, for the first time in the capital, there will be diametric tram routes through the city center, and the Komsomolskaya metro stations of the Circle and Sokolnicheskaya lines will be relieved by 10 percent. Convenient stops will be built on the new section and a short transfer from trams to two MCD lines will be made,” added Maxim Liksutov.

    The new tram line will connect Komsomolskaya Square with Chistoprudny Boulevard. In total, it is planned to lay more than two kilometers of tracks. With the opening of the new line, the first diametric tram routes will appear in the capital, which will connect the eastern, southern and south-eastern districts and pass through the city center. The first route will run from Metrogorodok to the Chertanovskaya metro station, and the second – from the Novogireevo station of the fourth Moscow Central Diameter to the Universitet metro station. They will connect 19 districts of Moscow and will serve about two million residents. Along the new line there are many administrative and financial institutions, such as the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the Federal Antimonopoly Service and the Federal Agency for State Property Management.

    Tram tracks on Academician Sakharov Avenue are being built on a separate track and will be separated from the roadway by markings. Builders are using seamless track laying technology to ensure quiet and smooth running of trams. Modern low-floor trams of Russian manufacture will be on the line. They will travel along the section on Academician Sakharov Avenue at an increased autonomous speed. This condition is included in the technical specifications for 100 new Lvenok-Moscow trams, which will arrive in the capital in 2025–2026.

    As part of the improvement of the capital’s streets, new turnouts have already been installed on Chistoprudny Boulevard in the city center, track laying continues on Academician Sakharov Avenue, and a large-scale reconstruction of tram tracks and the laying of a new section at the intersection of Kalanchevskaya Street and Masha Poryvayeva Street has begun. This will allow the new tram line along Academician Sakharov Avenue to be connected to the existing network.

    During the closure of tram traffic, specialists will also renew tram tracks in Protopopovsky Lane, on Durova and Palikha streets. Compensatory buses will run taking into account the work being carried out.

    The main reconstruction works of the tram turnaround on Chistoprudny Boulevard have been completedTram tracks are being reconstructed on Turgenevskaya Square

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156142073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sanjay Malhotra: Convocation address – Indian Institute of Technology

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Chairman of the Board of Governors, Director of the Institute, Prof and Padma Shree Manindra Agrawal, winner of numerous awards, who was my senior here and who I hold in very high esteem, faculty members, staff, proud parents, family and friends of the graduating students, distinguished guests, and my dear graduating students, alumni, ladies and gentlemen.

    Today marks the culmination of an exciting chapter for the graduating students, where you have not only learnt new things – academic and extra-curricular – but have also had an enjoyable and memorable experience. I extend a very warm congratulations to all the graduating students. Please give yourselves a huge round of applause.

    To the parents and guardians, this moment belongs as much to you as it does to your children and wards. Your innumerable sacrifices, continuous support, unconditional love and unwavering encouragement have laid the foundation upon which these young achievers now stand. I know this is an emotional and proud moment for you. I have myself experienced these emotions when my sons graduated – one from IIT Bombay and the other from IIT Guwahati. My warmest congratulations to you as your ward steps into a new chapter in life.

    Dear graduates, it is a special day for you as you enter a new and exciting phase of life. It is an equally special day for me and doubly so. First, this institute has had a transformational impact on me, my life and my thoughts. I remember with nostalgia my years at IIT. I still vividly remember my first day at IIT when my mother came to drop me with another batchmate. I recollect my days at Hall III and then Hall I, the healthy rivalry between Hall II and Hall III, phatta cricket, bulla, the various celebrations at Red Rose Restaurant on the campus and Chung Fa restaurant in the city, movies at L7, DEC 10 of which we were so proud, the iconic library, Culfest and the many friends that I made and treasure till date. The steel trunk which carried my belongings to IIT and which my loving wife has preserved till date is still with me. I still have my Wilson tennis racket, with which I religiously played every evening at the clay courts on campus. IITK has a special place in my heart. This convocation ceremony is even more special as I did not attend our convocation ceremony; in fact, we did not have a proper convocation ceremony, perhaps the only batch not to have it. So, it’s an honour to be back here after thirty-six long years in a new and privileged role and be a part of the convocation ceremony today. Thank you, IIT, for this honour.

    Times have changed a lot since I graduated. But there are certainly lessons which endure time. As a fellow-alumnus, roll number 85213, who has experienced life after campus, I will speak about four learnings from my journey.

    Learning for Life

    Many of you would have got your dream jobs. Others, who plan to pursue further studies, would get them soon. With a degree from a prestigious institute and a good job in hand, please don’t think that you have arrived. The moment you think you have arrived, you will stagnate. The moment you believe you know everything, you will stop growing.

    This is just the beginning, only the first step. The degree has only laid a solid foundation and will take you thus far. You will need to build from here. You will need to learn when you change sectors, move across organisations within a sector, take up different roles within an organization and even within the same role in an organisation. Technology is advancing at a lightning speed. What you learnt yesterday would be outdated tomorrow as new ideas and tools emerge daily.

    I can assure you that the institute has prepared you well for your life ahead. It has not only imparted you with knowledge which will be of immense use but, more importantly, equipped you with the most important tool – the tool of self-learning.

    Like other IAS officers, I worked in diverse fields like urban management, land resources, industries, power, health, taxation, banking, finance, etc. Many of them were general management but many were highly technical and specialized, which had a steep learning curve. The IITK emphasis on basic sciences and core engineering subjects, its importance to the fundamentals of a subject, its priority to deriving the formulae rather than merely memorizing and applying them, its attention to problem-solving from first principles, and various other methods of problem solving have held me in good stead. IIT gave me the necessary tools for self-learning. I am sure it has given you too the same tools.

    So, continue your quest for knowledge. Remember that learning is for life. The moment one is not learning, it is a signal that one is not growing; one is not advancing. It is knowledge which will keep you ahead of others. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized. I urge you all, as Stephen Covey said, to continuously sharpen your saw and cut the grass under your feet.

    Question the status quo

    My second learning pertains to the period between 2003 and 2006, when I was working in the United Nations. I was managing a project to improve productivity in the hand tools clusters in India. We hired a Total Quality Management expert for some of our interventions. He had long and diverse experience across organisations.

    He challenged the forging units there to reduce the time taken in changing a die from about eight hours to less than an hour. All of them including the most advanced, productive and efficient forging units vehemently denied the possibility of reducing the time. When he failed after many days of trying to convince them to improve, he suggested some changes including installation of a video camera. This was tried in a unit. These small changes reduced the time to five hours. When asked, the supervisor, apart from other things, explained that the work started on time, as scheduled; no one was late; no one took an unscheduled tea break; all required equipment were pre-arranged and kept ready for use; there was no wastage of time. The small changes and videography did the trick as everyone was being watched. What followed was a series of improvements or what are called kaizens, not only in the exchange of dies, but also various other processes – forging, grinding, electroplating, packaging, etc, as every process was questioned. We ended up reducing costs by about 10%.

    I learnt to question the status quo. I learnt that there is always scope for improvement. This helped me improve efficiency in various organisations and departments that I worked in. It helped in reducing processing time of files. I reduced turnaround times for applications. It helped me make changes in laws, rules and procedures for the benefit of citizens and government alike, as I questioned the status quo.

    As Albert Einstein famously said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” When you question the status quo and ask questions, you open the door to new ideas and fresh perspectives. It is fuel for innovation; it drives you to explore, experiment, and create something better. So, no matter where you are in life or your career, never stop questioning the status quo and improving.

    Pursue virtuous Karma

    The third learning pertains to my tenure as Secretary, Department of Personnel in the Government of Rajasthan in 2007-08. Promotions from the state civil service to the IAS were plagued with disputes and court cases. For almost about 20 years, no one was promoted to the IAS. My predecessors did not take up this issue as they thought it would be an exercise in futility as some aggrieved officer will approach the doors of the judiciary. When I was given responsibility for this department, I took up the gauntlet. I studied all the disputes and judicial pronouncements meticulously; decided on claims of seniority and promotion, without fear or favour; finalized and published the seniority lists; and after spending months on this mammoth exercise, sent the proposals to UPSC for promotion. Just when we were about to convene the meeting for promotion, one officer again approached the court and got a stay. Months of my hard work was brought to nought. Even though many officers commended me for the hard work and getting the matter so close to finalization, I was disappointed.

    I had to leave for Princeton for my masters within a few days and could not pursue the case in the courts. After I returned, I was put in a different department. In a few years, the court lifted the stay. I was asked if I would be interested in giving finishing touches to the work I had initiated. Once bitten, twice shy, I did not take up the challenge this time. The work was completed by another officer. In recognition of his efforts, he was conferred with the state award for civil service.

    I realized I did not follow my karma as I feared failure. I realized I needed to follow my karma boldly and decisively without bothering about the results.

    Without going in to details of my journey thereafter, today, as I look back, I can confidently say that it is karma that largely determines outcomes and results. It is the path that one chooses that broadly determines the destination. Today, I appreciate how true Steve Jobs was when he said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Right now, you may not fully grasp how your karma – each late-night lab session, each frustrating bug, and each decision that you take – will impact your journey. You may not appreciate, how delayed gratification, the hallmark of all great leaders, will deliver bigger success over the longer term for the instant rewards foregone. But trust me, over time, the dots will connect and it will be in large measure due to your karma.

    Trust

    My last learning is from the student days in IIT, when we were always short of money and under debt. Food at the mess was as good as it can be. We relied heavily on the hostel canteen. A samosa at that time costed 35 paise and a bottle of Thums Up 2 rupees and 25 paise. The canteen was managed by a person called Lala. Lala was loved by everyone. He would serve us till late in night and very generously gave us credit. Even outside hostel, we got credit from the juice vendor, the shops in Shopping Centre, etc. This may not be surprising. Lala knew us, recognizing us as hostelers. Other vendors too recognized us as students from the campus. What was surprising though was that we got credit even from some shopkeepers in Kanpur, who did not know us at all. Why did these shopkeepers give credit to us? It is because of their trust in the IIT students.

    It is because people do business with people they trust. Trust is the foundation on which any relationship is built, whether it is marriage, friendship, or at workplace – between the CEO and the employees, or between a company and its consumers.

    It is trust in a person that makes him a leader; it is trust which makes people follow a leader. Integrity and ethics are paramount to develop trust. It is not easy to gain trust. To earn trust, a leader must have the courage to take difficult decisions. He must act in the interest of the employees and other stakeholders. He must be willing to accept responsibility. He must lead by example. He must possess the humility to learn from his mistakes. He must be just, transparent and respectful. Trust takes time to build. But it is easy to lose trust. To be a successful person, a successful leader, graduating students, try to gain trust and having gained it, preserve trust.

    Your time to shine

    To conclude, dear graduating students, as you leave this campus today, have confidence in yourself. Dream big, but more importantly, act on those dreams. Make IIT Kanpur proud. Make your parents proud. Make India proud. But most importantly, make yourselves proud – proud by living lives of character, ethics and humility; lives filled with purpose, service and impact. As you step into tomorrow, carry with you the spirit of this institution, carry with you the love of your families, and carry with you the dreams of a billion Indians who believe in your potential.

    Your journey of transformation began here at IIT Kanpur. Now, transform the world as leaders who are trustworthy; who continue learning for life; who question the status quo and who pursue virtuous karma.

    May God bless you with all the very best in your journey ahead.

    Thank you.

    Jai Hind.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sanjay Malhotra: Convocation address – Indian Institute of Technology

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Chairman of the Board of Governors, Director of the Institute, Prof and Padma Shree Manindra Agrawal, winner of numerous awards, who was my senior here and who I hold in very high esteem, faculty members, staff, proud parents, family and friends of the graduating students, distinguished guests, and my dear graduating students, alumni, ladies and gentlemen.

    Today marks the culmination of an exciting chapter for the graduating students, where you have not only learnt new things – academic and extra-curricular – but have also had an enjoyable and memorable experience. I extend a very warm congratulations to all the graduating students. Please give yourselves a huge round of applause.

    To the parents and guardians, this moment belongs as much to you as it does to your children and wards. Your innumerable sacrifices, continuous support, unconditional love and unwavering encouragement have laid the foundation upon which these young achievers now stand. I know this is an emotional and proud moment for you. I have myself experienced these emotions when my sons graduated – one from IIT Bombay and the other from IIT Guwahati. My warmest congratulations to you as your ward steps into a new chapter in life.

    Dear graduates, it is a special day for you as you enter a new and exciting phase of life. It is an equally special day for me and doubly so. First, this institute has had a transformational impact on me, my life and my thoughts. I remember with nostalgia my years at IIT. I still vividly remember my first day at IIT when my mother came to drop me with another batchmate. I recollect my days at Hall III and then Hall I, the healthy rivalry between Hall II and Hall III, phatta cricket, bulla, the various celebrations at Red Rose Restaurant on the campus and Chung Fa restaurant in the city, movies at L7, DEC 10 of which we were so proud, the iconic library, Culfest and the many friends that I made and treasure till date. The steel trunk which carried my belongings to IIT and which my loving wife has preserved till date is still with me. I still have my Wilson tennis racket, with which I religiously played every evening at the clay courts on campus. IITK has a special place in my heart. This convocation ceremony is even more special as I did not attend our convocation ceremony; in fact, we did not have a proper convocation ceremony, perhaps the only batch not to have it. So, it’s an honour to be back here after thirty-six long years in a new and privileged role and be a part of the convocation ceremony today. Thank you, IIT, for this honour.

    Times have changed a lot since I graduated. But there are certainly lessons which endure time. As a fellow-alumnus, roll number 85213, who has experienced life after campus, I will speak about four learnings from my journey.

    Learning for Life

    Many of you would have got your dream jobs. Others, who plan to pursue further studies, would get them soon. With a degree from a prestigious institute and a good job in hand, please don’t think that you have arrived. The moment you think you have arrived, you will stagnate. The moment you believe you know everything, you will stop growing.

    This is just the beginning, only the first step. The degree has only laid a solid foundation and will take you thus far. You will need to build from here. You will need to learn when you change sectors, move across organisations within a sector, take up different roles within an organization and even within the same role in an organisation. Technology is advancing at a lightning speed. What you learnt yesterday would be outdated tomorrow as new ideas and tools emerge daily.

    I can assure you that the institute has prepared you well for your life ahead. It has not only imparted you with knowledge which will be of immense use but, more importantly, equipped you with the most important tool – the tool of self-learning.

    Like other IAS officers, I worked in diverse fields like urban management, land resources, industries, power, health, taxation, banking, finance, etc. Many of them were general management but many were highly technical and specialized, which had a steep learning curve. The IITK emphasis on basic sciences and core engineering subjects, its importance to the fundamentals of a subject, its priority to deriving the formulae rather than merely memorizing and applying them, its attention to problem-solving from first principles, and various other methods of problem solving have held me in good stead. IIT gave me the necessary tools for self-learning. I am sure it has given you too the same tools.

    So, continue your quest for knowledge. Remember that learning is for life. The moment one is not learning, it is a signal that one is not growing; one is not advancing. It is knowledge which will keep you ahead of others. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized. I urge you all, as Stephen Covey said, to continuously sharpen your saw and cut the grass under your feet.

    Question the status quo

    My second learning pertains to the period between 2003 and 2006, when I was working in the United Nations. I was managing a project to improve productivity in the hand tools clusters in India. We hired a Total Quality Management expert for some of our interventions. He had long and diverse experience across organisations.

    He challenged the forging units there to reduce the time taken in changing a die from about eight hours to less than an hour. All of them including the most advanced, productive and efficient forging units vehemently denied the possibility of reducing the time. When he failed after many days of trying to convince them to improve, he suggested some changes including installation of a video camera. This was tried in a unit. These small changes reduced the time to five hours. When asked, the supervisor, apart from other things, explained that the work started on time, as scheduled; no one was late; no one took an unscheduled tea break; all required equipment were pre-arranged and kept ready for use; there was no wastage of time. The small changes and videography did the trick as everyone was being watched. What followed was a series of improvements or what are called kaizens, not only in the exchange of dies, but also various other processes – forging, grinding, electroplating, packaging, etc, as every process was questioned. We ended up reducing costs by about 10%.

    I learnt to question the status quo. I learnt that there is always scope for improvement. This helped me improve efficiency in various organisations and departments that I worked in. It helped in reducing processing time of files. I reduced turnaround times for applications. It helped me make changes in laws, rules and procedures for the benefit of citizens and government alike, as I questioned the status quo.

    As Albert Einstein famously said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” When you question the status quo and ask questions, you open the door to new ideas and fresh perspectives. It is fuel for innovation; it drives you to explore, experiment, and create something better. So, no matter where you are in life or your career, never stop questioning the status quo and improving.

    Pursue virtuous Karma

    The third learning pertains to my tenure as Secretary, Department of Personnel in the Government of Rajasthan in 2007-08. Promotions from the state civil service to the IAS were plagued with disputes and court cases. For almost about 20 years, no one was promoted to the IAS. My predecessors did not take up this issue as they thought it would be an exercise in futility as some aggrieved officer will approach the doors of the judiciary. When I was given responsibility for this department, I took up the gauntlet. I studied all the disputes and judicial pronouncements meticulously; decided on claims of seniority and promotion, without fear or favour; finalized and published the seniority lists; and after spending months on this mammoth exercise, sent the proposals to UPSC for promotion. Just when we were about to convene the meeting for promotion, one officer again approached the court and got a stay. Months of my hard work was brought to nought. Even though many officers commended me for the hard work and getting the matter so close to finalization, I was disappointed.

    I had to leave for Princeton for my masters within a few days and could not pursue the case in the courts. After I returned, I was put in a different department. In a few years, the court lifted the stay. I was asked if I would be interested in giving finishing touches to the work I had initiated. Once bitten, twice shy, I did not take up the challenge this time. The work was completed by another officer. In recognition of his efforts, he was conferred with the state award for civil service.

    I realized I did not follow my karma as I feared failure. I realized I needed to follow my karma boldly and decisively without bothering about the results.

    Without going in to details of my journey thereafter, today, as I look back, I can confidently say that it is karma that largely determines outcomes and results. It is the path that one chooses that broadly determines the destination. Today, I appreciate how true Steve Jobs was when he said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Right now, you may not fully grasp how your karma – each late-night lab session, each frustrating bug, and each decision that you take – will impact your journey. You may not appreciate, how delayed gratification, the hallmark of all great leaders, will deliver bigger success over the longer term for the instant rewards foregone. But trust me, over time, the dots will connect and it will be in large measure due to your karma.

    Trust

    My last learning is from the student days in IIT, when we were always short of money and under debt. Food at the mess was as good as it can be. We relied heavily on the hostel canteen. A samosa at that time costed 35 paise and a bottle of Thums Up 2 rupees and 25 paise. The canteen was managed by a person called Lala. Lala was loved by everyone. He would serve us till late in night and very generously gave us credit. Even outside hostel, we got credit from the juice vendor, the shops in Shopping Centre, etc. This may not be surprising. Lala knew us, recognizing us as hostelers. Other vendors too recognized us as students from the campus. What was surprising though was that we got credit even from some shopkeepers in Kanpur, who did not know us at all. Why did these shopkeepers give credit to us? It is because of their trust in the IIT students.

    It is because people do business with people they trust. Trust is the foundation on which any relationship is built, whether it is marriage, friendship, or at workplace – between the CEO and the employees, or between a company and its consumers.

    It is trust in a person that makes him a leader; it is trust which makes people follow a leader. Integrity and ethics are paramount to develop trust. It is not easy to gain trust. To earn trust, a leader must have the courage to take difficult decisions. He must act in the interest of the employees and other stakeholders. He must be willing to accept responsibility. He must lead by example. He must possess the humility to learn from his mistakes. He must be just, transparent and respectful. Trust takes time to build. But it is easy to lose trust. To be a successful person, a successful leader, graduating students, try to gain trust and having gained it, preserve trust.

    Your time to shine

    To conclude, dear graduating students, as you leave this campus today, have confidence in yourself. Dream big, but more importantly, act on those dreams. Make IIT Kanpur proud. Make your parents proud. Make India proud. But most importantly, make yourselves proud – proud by living lives of character, ethics and humility; lives filled with purpose, service and impact. As you step into tomorrow, carry with you the spirit of this institution, carry with you the love of your families, and carry with you the dreams of a billion Indians who believe in your potential.

    Your journey of transformation began here at IIT Kanpur. Now, transform the world as leaders who are trustworthy; who continue learning for life; who question the status quo and who pursue virtuous karma.

    May God bless you with all the very best in your journey ahead.

    Thank you.

    Jai Hind.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University teachers completed internships at enterprises in the real sector of the economy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Employees of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade completed an internship at the production sites of the Obukhov Plant. They studied the application of lean manufacturing principles in the context of the military-industrial complex. The teachers also completed an internship at the Gazprom Corporate Institute, aimed at teaching digital transformation and corporate management.

    In order to improve their qualifications and study the best practices of enterprises in the real sector of the economy, 12 teachers of the Higher School of Industrial Management completed a specialized internship at the production sites of the scientific and production association “North-West Regional Center of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern – Obukhov Plant”. The emphasis was on the development of a lean manufacturing management system (Lean) at enterprises of the military-industrial complex (MIC).

    The internship included a detailed introduction to real production processes in the key workshops of the enterprise: thermal and mechanical processing, galvanic and foundry, as well as other technological areas. The teachers immersed themselves in the specifics of applying lean manufacturing principles in the conditions of a high-tech defense enterprise.

    The program covered several relevant areas:

    lean manufacturing in logistics: optimization of internal material flows, organization of warehouse management and supply systems; labor standards and production organization: methods of analysis and optimization of work operations, increasing labor productivity based on the Lean approach; information technology in lean manufacturing: use of digital tools for visualization of flows, data analysis and process management.

    The internship participants not only observed the work of the workshops, but also actively discussed with plant representatives specific cases and successful solutions in the field of implementation and development of the Lean system in the specific environment of the defense industry.

    We learned how lean manufacturing principles are adapted and work in the highly responsible sphere of the military-industrial complex. Of particular interest were practical solutions in the field of Lean logistics and the use of IT for managing production flows. This experience is invaluable for further work on training personnel and developing educational programs that are as close as possible to the real needs of leading industrial enterprises, including the defense sector, – shared the head of the cluster of educational programs “Industry Management”, associate professor of the Higher School of Management Management Irina Bagaeva.

    The internship was another step in strengthening the interaction between the Polytechnic University and the Obukhov Plant as an industrial partner. We see a real mutual enrichment of ideas and experience between our organizations. This is beneficial both in the educational activities of the university and in the production processes of the industrial enterprise, – said the head of the scientific and production association “North-West Regional Center of the Air Defense Concern “Almaz-Antey” – Obukhov Plant” Sergey Baushev.

    In addition, the teachers of the Higher School of Management and Management completed an internship at the Gazprom Corporate Institute in the educational complex located in the innovative business space “Lakhta Center”. They studied one of the most relevant vectors of development of education and the economy – corporate training in the context of digital transformation and the introduction of information technology.

    The event was organized and curated by specialists from the educational projects department of the Corporate Institute, headed by Deputy Director for Academic Affairs Vladislav Plotnikov. The program included a presentation of corporate approaches to training, a round table, and a question and answer session with representatives of the institute’s top management. The participants included teachers and specialists from the Higher School of Management and Management, involved in the development and implementation of educational programs related to the digital economy and the transformation of production management.

    Internships of teachers at the Obukhov Plant and the Gazprom Corporate Institute are an important element of our institute’s interaction with the real sector of the economy. The systematic practice of internships allows teachers to form new professional competencies, master practical skills and knowledge of modern technologies and methods of work in production, and update educational programs to meet employers’ requests, commented Vladimir Shchepinin, Director of the IPMEiT.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-06-30
    President Lai meets Minister of State at UK Department for Business and Trade Douglas Alexander  
    On the morning of June 30, President Lai Ching-te met with Douglas Alexander, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom. In remarks, President Lai thanked the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Noting that two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an enhanced trade partnership (ETP) arrangement, the president said that today Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP, which will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He expressed hope of the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) so that together we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Minister Alexander and wish a fruitful outcome for the 27th round of Taiwan-UK trade talks later today. Taiwan-UK relations have grown closer in recent years. We have not only continued to strengthen cooperation in such fields as offshore wind power, innovative technologies, and culture and education but also have established regular dialogue mechanisms in the critical areas of economics and trade, energy, and agriculture. The UK is currently Taiwan’s fourth-largest European trading partner, second-largest source of investment from Europe, and third-largest target for investment in Europe. Two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an ETP arrangement. This was particularly meaningful, as it was the first institutionalized economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country. Today, this arrangement is yielding further results. I am delighted that Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP covering investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero. This will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and advance industrial development on both sides. I also want to thank the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This month, the UK published its Strategic Defence Review 2025 and National Security Strategy 2025, which oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. These not only demonstrate that Taiwan and the UK share similar goals but also show that security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable from those of the transatlantic regions. In addition, last November, the House of Commons passed a motion which made clear that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 neither established the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan nor determined Taiwan’s status in the United Nations. The UK government also responded to the motion by publicly expressing for the first time its position on UNGA Resolution 2758, opposing any attempt to broaden the interpretation of the resolution to rewrite history. For this, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I once again want to extend my deepest gratitude. Taiwan and the UK have the advantage of being highly complementary in the technology sector. In facing the restructuring of global supply chains and other international economic and trade developments, I believe that Taiwan and the UK are indispensable key partners for one another. I look forward to the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP so that together, we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. In closing, I wish Minister Alexander a pleasant and successful visit. And I hope he has the opportunity to visit Taiwan for personal travel in the future. Minister Alexander then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great personal honor to meet with everyone today to discuss further deepening the UK-Taiwan trade relationship and explore the many opportunities our two sides can pursue together. He mentioned that he traveled to Taiwan in 2022 when he was a private citizen, a visit he thoroughly enjoyed, so he is delighted to be back to see the strength of the UK-Taiwan relationship and the strengthening of that relationship. He said that relationship is built on mutual respect, democratic values, and a shared vision for open, resilient, and rules-based economic cooperation. As like-minded partners, he pointed out, our collaboration continues to grow across multiple sectors, and he is here today to further that momentum. Minister Alexander stated that on trade and investment, he is proud that this morning we signed the ETP Pillars on Investment, Digital Trade, Energy and Net Zero, which will provide a clear framework for our future cooperation and lay the foundation for expanded access and market-shaping engagement between our two economies. The minister said he believes that together with our annual trade talks, this partnership will help UK’s firms secure new commercial opportunities, improve regulatory alignment, and promote long-term investment in key growth areas, which in turn will also support Taiwan’s efforts to expand high-quality trade relationships with trusted partners. Minister Alexander said that President Lai’s promotion of the Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s recently published industrial and trade strategies are very well-aligned, as both cover clean energy and semiconductors as well as advanced manufacturing. He then provided an example, saying that both sides plan to invest in AI infrastructure and compute power-creating opportunities for great joint research in the future. By combining our strengths in these areas, he said, we can open the door to innovative collaboration and commercial success for both sides. He mentioned that yesterday he visited the Taiwan Space Agency, commenting that in sectors such as satellite technology, green energy, and cyber security, British expertise and trusted standards can provide meaningful solutions. Noting that President Lai spoke in his remarks of the broader challenge of peace and security in the region, Minister Alexander stated that the United Kingdom has, of course, also continued to affirm its commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, along with its G7 partners. The UK-Taiwan relationship is strategic, enduring, and growing, he stated, and they reaffirm and remain firm in their longstanding position and confident in their ability to work together to support both prosperity and resilience in both of our societies. Minister Alexander said that, as Taiwan looks to diversify capital and build global partnerships, they believe the UK represents a strong and ambitious investment destination, particularly for Taiwanese companies at the very forefront of robotics, clean tech, and advanced industry. He pointed out that the UK’s markets are stable, open, and aligned with Taiwan’s vision of a high-tech, sustainable future, adding that he looks forward to our discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation across all of these areas and more. The delegation also included Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific at the UK Department for Business and Trade. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.   

    Details
    2025-06-27
    President Lai confers decoration on former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo
    On the morning of June 27, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon former Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Ohashi Mitsuo in recognition of his firm convictions and tireless efforts in promoting Taiwan-Japan exchanges. In remarks, President Lai stated that Chairman Ohashi cares for Taiwan like a family member, and expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan continue to deepen their partnership, bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and jointly build secure and stable non-red supply chains as we boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Every meeting I have with Chairman Ohashi, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, is warm and friendly. I recall that when we met last year, Chairman Ohashi said that he often thinks about what Japan can do for Taiwan and what Taiwan can do for Japan, and that it is that mutual concern that makes us so close. This was a truly moving statement illustrating the relationship between Taiwan and Japan. Chairman Ohashi has also said numerous times that our bilateral relations may very well be the best in the entire world, and that in fact they may serve as a model to other countries. Indeed, Chairman Ohashi is himself an exemplary model for friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan. His spirit of always working tirelessly to promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges is truly admirable. Assuming the position of chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in 2011, he served during the terms of former Presidents Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen, continuously making positive contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations. Over these past 14 years, Taiwan and Japan have signed over 50 major agreements, spanning the economy and trade, fisheries, and taxes, among other areas. In 2017, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association underwent name changes, strengthening the essence and significance of Taiwan-Japan relations. These great achievements were all made possible thanks to the firm convictions and tireless efforts of Chairman Ohashi. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I am delighted to confer upon Chairman Ohashi the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to express our deepest thanks for his outstanding contributions. Chairman Ohashi is not just a good friend of Taiwan, but someone who cares for Taiwan like a family member. When a major earthquake struck in 2016, he personally went to Tainan to assess the situation and meet with the city government. This outpouring of friendship and support across borders was deeply moving. As we look to the future, I hope that Taiwan and Japan can continue to deepen our partnership. In addition to bringing about the early signing of an EPA, I also hope that we can expand collaboration in key areas such as semiconductors, energy, and AI, continue building secure and stable non-red supply chains, and boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. As Chairman Ohashi has said, the close bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan is one the world can be proud of. I would like to thank him once again for his contributions to deepening Taiwan-Japan ties. Taiwan will continue to forge ahead side by side with Japan, jointly safeguarding the values of freedom and democracy and mutually advancing prosperous development. I wish Chairman Ohashi good health, happiness, peace, and success in his future endeavors, and invite him to return to Taiwan often to visit old friends. Chairman Ohashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his kind words. He stated that the Taiwan-Japan relationship is not only worthy of praise; it can also serve as a superb model in the world for bilateral relations that is worthy of study by other countries. He added that this is the result of the collective efforts of President Lai as well as many other individuals. Chairman Ohashi said that the current international situation is rather severe, with wars and conflicts occurring between many neighboring countries. He said that there is a growing trend of nuclear weapon proliferation, emphasizing that use of such weapons would cause significant harm between nations. He also pointed out that some countries even use nuclear weapons as a threat, leading to instability and impacting the global situation. Chairman Ohashi said that neither Taiwan nor Japan possesses nuclear weapons, which is something to be proud of. That is why, he said, we can declare that a world without nuclear weapons is a peaceful world. He also mentioned that during his tenure as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, he consistently upheld this principle in his work. Chairman Ohashi said that the mission of the World Federalist Movement (WFM) is to promote world peace. He said that the WFM has branches in countries worldwide, with the WFM of Japan being one of the most prominent, and that it also aspires to achieve the goal of world peace. Having served as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for 14 years, he said, he is now stepping down from this role and will serve as the chairman of the WFM of Japan, aiming to promote peace in countries around the world. Chairman Ohashi said that both Taiwan and Japan can take pride in our friendly bilateral relationship, emphasizing that if the good relationship between Japan and Taiwan could be offered as an example to countries around the world, there would be no more wars. He expressed his sincere hope that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan and Japan can work together to jointly promote world peace. Also in attendance at the ceremony was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-06-25
    President Lai meets Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki
    On the afternoon of June 25, President Lai Ching-te met with Kobayashi Takayuki, Japan’s former economic security minister and a current member of the House of Representatives. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains, and ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. The following is a translation of President Lai’s remarks: I welcome Representative Kobayashi back to Taiwan for another visit after seven years. During his last visit, he was with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division, and we met at the Executive Yuan. I am very happy to see him again today. Representative Kobayashi has long paid close attention to matters involving economic security, technological innovation, and aerospace policy. He also made a stunning debut in last year’s LDP presidential election, showing that he is truly a rising star and an influential figure in the political sphere. With this visit, Representative Kobayashi is demonstrating support for Taiwan with concrete action, which is very meaningful. Taiwan and Japan are both part of the first island chain’s key line of defense. We thank the many Japanese prime ministers, including former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, for the many times they have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at important international venues, and for expressing opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can engage in more cooperation and exchanges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in all aspects. In particular, China in recent years has been actively expanding its red supply chains, which threaten the global free trade system and advanced technology markets. Taiwan hopes to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains. In the semiconductor industry, for example, Taiwan has excellent advanced manufacturing capabilities, while Japan plays an important role in materials, equipment, and key technologies. I am confident that, given the experience that Taiwan and Japan have in cooperating, we can build an industrial supply chain composed of democratic nations to ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an EPA in order to deepen our bilateral trade and investment exchanges and cooperation. I also hope that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. Taiwan and Japan are democratic partners that share the values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. I firmly believe that so long as we work together, we can certainly address the challenges posed by authoritarianism, and bring prosperity and development to the Indo-Pacific region. In closing, I welcome Representative Kobayashi once again. I am certain that this visit will help enhance Taiwan-Japan exchanges and deepen our friendship. Representative Kobayashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him, and noting that this was his second visit to Taiwan following a trip seven years prior, when he came with his good friend from college and then-Director of the LDP Youth Division Suzuki Keisuke, now Japan’s minister of justice. Representative Kobayashi mentioned a Japanese kanji that he is very fond of – 絆 (kizuna) – which means “deep ties of friendship.” He emphasized that a key purpose of this visit to Taiwan was to reiterate the deep ties of friendship between Taiwan and Japan. In addition to deep historical ties, he said, Taiwan and Japan also enjoy a like-minded partnership in terms of economic, personnel, and friendship-oriented exchanges. He went on to say that at the strategic level, Taiwan and Japan also have deep ties of friendship, and that for Japan, it is strategically important that Taiwan not be isolated under any circumstances. Representative Kobayashi emphasized that cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, and even cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, are more important now than ever, and that another important focus of this visit is the non-red supply chains referred to earlier by President Lai. He said that as Japan’s first economic security minister and the person currently in charge of the LDP’s policy on economic security, he is acutely aware of the important impact of economic security on national interests, and therefore looks forward to further exchanging views regarding Taiwan’s concrete steps to build non-red supply chains. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo.

    Details
    2025-06-16
    President Lai meets delegation led by Representative Bera, co-chair of US Congressional Taiwan Caucus
    On the morning of June 16, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Representative Ami Bera, co-chair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus. In remarks, President Lai thanked the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives to strengthen Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president said that we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation and create a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges to jointly enhance economic and developmental resilience. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet with the delegation and welcome Congressman Bera back to the Presidential Office. Last January, he visited after the presidential election, demonstrating the steadfast backing of the US Congress for democratic Taiwan. This time, as head of a delegation of new members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is continuing to foster US congressional support for Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a sincere welcome to Congressman Bera and all our esteemed guests. Over the years, staunch bipartisan US congressional backing of Taiwan has been a key force for steadily advancing our bilateral relations. I thank the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives, thereby strengthening Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space, and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. I want to emphasize that Taiwan has an unwavering determination to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience and accelerate reform of national defense. The government is also prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP this year. I hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation will evolve beyond military procurement to a partnership that encompasses joint research and development and joint production, further strengthening cooperation and exchange in the defense industry. Regarding industrial exchanges, last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) each visited Texas to see firsthand Taiwan-US collaboration in AI and semiconductors. And the delegation led by Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) sent by Taiwan to this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, was again the largest of those attending. All of this demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to working alongside the US to create mutual prosperity. In the future, we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation. And I hope that the legislation addressing the issue of Taiwan-US double taxation will become law this year. I want to thank Congressman Bera for co-leading a joint letter last November signed by over 100 members of Congress calling for such legislation. I believe that by creating a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges, Taiwan and the US can enhance economic and developmental resilience. In closing, I thank you all for making the long journey here to advance Taiwan-US relations. Let us continue working together to promote the prosperous development of this important partnership. Congressman Bera then delivered remarks, saying that on behalf of the delegation, it is an honor for him to be here once again, it being last January that he and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart visited and congratulated President Lai on his election victory, noting that theirs was the first congressional delegation to do so. Congressman Bera said that this is an important time, not just for the US and Taiwan relationship, but for all relationships around the world. When we look at conflicts in Europe and in the Middle East, he said, it is incumbent upon democracies to hold the peace in Asia. He emphasized that is why it is important for them to bring a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee, adding that he believes for all of them it is their first trip to Taiwan.  Congressman Bera said that while this is a delegation of Democratic members of Congress, in a bipartisan way all of Congress continues to support the people of Taiwan. As such, in this visit he brings support from his co-chairs on the Taiwan caucus, Congressman Díaz-Balart and Congressman Andy Barr. He also took a moment to recognize the passing of Congressman Gerald Connolly, who was a longtime friend of Taiwan and one of their co-chairs on the caucus. Congressman Bera mentioned that there is always a special bond between himself and President Lai because they are both doctors, and as doctors, their profession is about healing, keeping the peace, and making sure everybody has a bright, prosperous future. In closing, he highlighted that it is in that spirit that their delegation visits with the president. The delegation also included members of the US Congress Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Johnny Olszewski.

    Details
    2025-06-13
    President Lai meets delegation led by French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Marie-Noëlle Battistel
    On the morning of June 12, President Lai Ching-te met a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. In remarks, President Lai thanked the National Assembly for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait, helping make France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. The president also said that exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France are becoming more frequent, and that he hopes this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations and help build closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to welcome Chair Battistel, who is once again leading a visiting delegation. Last year, Chair Battistel co-led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. This is her fourth visit, and first as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group, which makes it especially meaningful. This delegation’s visit demonstrates strong support for Taiwan, and on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express my sincerest welcome and thanks. France is a pioneer in promoting free and democratic values. These are values that Taiwan cherishes and is working hard to defend. I want to express gratitude to the French Parliament for their long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation, and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait. The French Parliament’s two chambers have continued to strongly support Taiwan, with the passage of a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations in 2021, as well as the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023. This has made France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. Through it all, the Taiwan Friendship Group has played a key role, and I want to thank all of our distinguished guests for their efforts. Over the past few years, Taiwan and France have continued to deepen cooperation in areas including the economy, technology, culture, and sports. At the Choose France summit held in Paris last month, Taiwanese and French enterprises also announced they will launch cooperation in the semiconductor and satellite fields. The VivaTech startup exhibition, now being held in France, also has many Taiwanese vendors participating. Exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France, whether official or people-to-people, are becoming more and more frequent. I hope that this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations, building closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  To address current geopolitical and economic challenges, Taiwan will continue to join forces with France and other like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and contribute our concerted efforts to global prosperity and development. Once again, I want to welcome our visitors to Taiwan. I hope to continue our joint efforts to create a more prosperous future for both Taiwan and France.   Chair Battistel then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for extending this invitation. Last year on May 20, she said, she and her delegation attended the presidential inauguration ceremony, so she was delighted to visit Taiwan once again with the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and bear witness to their friendship with Taiwan. Chair Battistel noted that this visit has given them an opportunity to strengthen Taiwan-France relations in areas including the economy, culture, the humanities, and diplomacy, and conduct exchanges with numerous heads of government agencies and research institutes. It has also been an opportunity, she said, to witness the importance of exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan in areas including energy, semiconductors, youth, and culture, and the impact created by important issues of mutual concern, including AI and disinformation, on the security of many countries. Chair Battistel praised Taiwan for its youth development efforts, and said that under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, 30 Taiwanese young people have embarked on a visit to France, with itineraries including the United Nations Ocean Conference and the VivaTech exhibition, as well as the city of Toulouse, which is strategically important for the aerospace industry. Members of the group are also conducting exchanges at the French National Assembly, she said.  Chair Battistel stated that the Taiwan-France partnership is growing closer, and that she hopes to continue to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, as supporting peace for Taiwan supports peace around the world.  The delegation also included Taiwan Friendship Group Vice Chair Éric Martineau, as well as National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Chair Laetitia Saint-Paul and Deputies Marie-José Allemand and Claudia Rouaux. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ACCWS releases new report on greater BRICS cooperation

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The BRICS Seminar on Governance & Cultural Exchange Forum 2025 is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 30, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

    The Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) on Monday released a report titled “Greater BRICS Cooperation: A Pillar of Stability and Progress in a Changing World” at the BRICS Seminar on Governance & Cultural Exchange Forum 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    Presented by ACCWS Vice President Sun Jingxin, the report highlights how BRICS has evolved from a concept into a major platform for Global South cooperation and is now entering a new phase of greater BRICS cooperation. 

    The study examines the contributions that BRICS has made across areas including political security, economic development, technological innovation, environmental protection and cultural exchange, emphasizing its growing influence on global governance.  

    According to the report, the greater BRICS has remained true to its founding mission of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. Its evolving vision manifests in five key dimensions that continuously enhance the bloc’s global influence: boosting growth, pursuing reform, championing inclusiveness, deepening cooperation and advancing sustainability. 

    Specifically, “boosting” stands for the greater BRICS’ resolve to inject robust impetus into global development, “reformative” signifies a commitment to global governance transformation, “inclusive” demonstrates a commitment to openness and cross-civilization dialogue, “cooperative” exemplifies the modern interpretation of partnership, and “sustainable” shows the focus on long-term progress and future well-being. 

    Sun also stressed that as the world navigates unprecedented transformation, the international community — developing countries in particular — expects BRICS to serve three vital roles: as a standard-bearer for collective self-reliance, a trailblazer for Global South interests, and an architect of a more just world order. This leadership, he concluded, will be essential to securing a future marked by peace, stability and sustainable progress.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Legends of a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific – Rev Mua Strickson-Pua

    Pacific Media Watch

    When advocates and defenders of a nuclear-free Pacific condemned the AUKUS military pact two years ago and warned New Zealand that the agreement would make the world “more dangerous”,  a key speaker was Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua.

    He was among leading participants at a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) movement teachers’ wānanga, which launched a petition against the pact with one of the “elders” among the activists, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira (Te Moana Nui a Kiwa), symbolically adding the first signature.

    Speaking about the petition declaration in a ceremony on the steps of the Auckland Museum marking the 10 July 1985 bombing of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior, Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua explained that the AUKUS agreement was a military pact between Australia-UK-US that was centred on Canberra’s acquisition of nuclear propelled submarines.

    Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua and the NFIP petition has been featured in a new video report by Nik Naidu as part of a “Legends of NFIP” series by Talanoa TV of the Whanau Community Centre and Hub.

    • This and other videos will be screened at the “Legends of the Pacific: Stories of a Nuclear-Free Moana 1975-1995” exhibition this month at Ellen Melville Centre, which will be opened on Saturday, July 12 at 3pm, and open daily July 13-18, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
    • The exhibition is organised by the Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN), Whānau Community Centre and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has passed the US Senate – these are the winners and losers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney

    Igor Link/Shutterstock

    One of the unique aspects of Washington life is a Senate “vote-a-rama,” in which the upper house of Congress tortures itself by pulling a marathon all-nighter of speeches, amendments and votes on a critical bill.

    The Senate has just endured the usual mélange of horrors before passing US President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending agenda – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    The process was a mess and the final result was tight: 51-50 after Vice President JD Vance broke the tie. But it landed another huge political win for Trump.

    It will likely be no different when the bill hits the House of Representatives, before being signed into law, maybe as soon as July 4 – Independence Day.

    Mega bill

    Using the momentum from his bunker-busting strike on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Trump pressured wavering congressional Republicans to toe the line and support the package.

    The bill includes a continuation of Trump’s tax cuts from his first term, which were set to expire next year. They are being portrayed as new tax relief, even though American tax policy remains the same because of arcane budget process rules in Congress.

    Trump included a provision eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, which will further endear him to many working Americans, particularly those in private sector unions and food services.

    The bill also provides more funding for border security and a US$150 billion (A$227 billion) boost to defence spending, which will soon be tracking at more than US$1 trillion (A$1.51 trillion) per year.

    Other measures include work requirements for government health care recipients and cuts to two major safety net programs, including Medicaid.

    As a budget bill, there are some limits to what provisions can be included, but the Trump team was able to shoehorn nearly all of his domestic agenda into this bill – hence the absurd title.

    All of this means Trump can get what he wants if he keeps Republicans united, as no Democrats are needed to pass the bill into law.

    Democrat opposition

    The “big beautiful bill” provides some political opportunities to Trump’s opponents.

    The Democrats have fought the bill at every step, saying the “tax cuts” only benefit rich people while the health care cuts will have severe consequences for the working poor.

    They can plausibly accuse Republicans of cutting taxes for the wealthy. However, the tax cuts on tips and overtime somewhat mitigate that attack.

    The Democrats have also highlighted the impact of the bill on America’s national debt, which is at historically high levels. But this attack has only highly limited benefits for the party, which is not known for its own spending restraint.

    Nevertheless, Trump’s bill is so far winning passage, often by the thinnest possible margins, at every stage of the wonderfully convoluted American legislative process.

    ‘Utterly insane and destructive’

    The victory in the Senate has not come without some costs, especially given the way it has exacerbated Trump’s explosive feud with Elon Musk.

    The public divorce between Trump and his former “First Friend” has been an ongoing soap opera. Saturation media coverage of the squabble between the world’s richest man and its most powerful, has featured threats, accusations, name-calling, and physical confrontations.

    Once it became clear Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill did not include significant budget cuts, Musk turned on his patron and severely criticised the legislative effort, as “political suicide” for the Republican Party:

    It will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country

    Although the two men patched things up a few weeks ago, the bitter feud has erupted again with the bill’s passage though the Senate.

    Musk says the bill is “utterly insane and destructive” and is vowing political retribution on Republicans who voted for it:

    In turn, Trump has threatened to deport Musk back to his birth country of South Africa and turn the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) loose on Musk’s companies that have contracts with the government, including SpaceX, which is a necessary component of the American space program.

    Musk’s tantrums are unlikely to lead to real political problems for Trump, given many congressional Republicans continue to rely on the president for support.

    They will not be tempted to support Musk no matter how much he threatens them.

    Trump’s triumph

    The president has managed his legislative strategy to near perfection.

    Trump and his team used the DOGE process to give political cover to fiscal conservatives to vote with him on the bill. Even the breach with Musk didn’t change this dynamic much.

    At the end of it all, Trump has been able to enforce discipline in his own party and get what he needed from Congress.

    When Trump signs his big beautiful bill into law, it will be another political victory for the president.

    Lester Munson receives funding from the U.S. Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He is affiliated with BGR Group, a Washington DC consulting firm.

    – ref. Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has passed the US Senate – these are the winners and losers – https://theconversation.com/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-has-passed-the-us-senate-these-are-the-winners-and-losers-260287

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Applications for general development programs in art schools have closed

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital has completed accepting applications for entrance examinations to children’s art schools (DSHI). In total, more than 30 thousand applications were accepted for pre-professional and general development programs.

    This year, 1.5 times more students applied for general development programs than in 2024. The programs at the Children’s Art School are aimed at creating a creative atmosphere in which not only professional skills are developed, but also the personal qualities of the child, including creativity, the ability to express themselves, and self-confidence.

    In Moscow, there are 153 creative educational institutions for children, subordinate to the capital’s Department of CultureThe children have access to a wide range of educational areas in the fields of music, theatre, choreography and fine arts.

    “The second stage of accepting applications to art schools from May 16 to July 1 was held for general development programs. This year, we have seen an increase in interest in general development programs: in fact, more than eight thousand applications were received. This is 47 percent more than in 2024. Piano remains one of the most popular areas – more than 1.7 thousand applications were received, over a thousand applications were received for training in vocal art and more than 500 applications for painting and architecture,” emphasized the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Culture

    Alexey Fursin.

    General development programs are suitable for children who do not plan to move to a professional educational trajectory in the future, but want to acquire quality skills. The training system is flexible and modular, with the ability to choose the duration and directions.

    Young applicants applied on the mos.ru portal and in person at creative educational institutions. Now the kids will have to take entrance exams, where the admissions committee will evaluate their knowledge and skills. In music schools, future students are tested for their sense of rhythm, memory, articulation, and musical ear. For this, they are asked, for example, to perform any children’s song and clap along to the rhythm. Similar tests are held in other areas.

    Revealing Everyone’s Talent: Children’s Art School Teachers Share Teaching Methods

    Children’s art schools in Moscow develop and implement educational programs in the field of art, ensure continuity of education between children’s art schools, secondary specialized and higher educational institutions, and also organize citywide cultural projects, festivals and competitions.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156136073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Kindergarten for 200 children to appear in Kommunarka

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A project for the construction of a kindergarten in Kommunarka on a vacant plot of land has been approved. The facility will appear within the boundaries of Filatovsky Boulevard and Projected Driveway No. 7183 (plot No. 57), reported the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “A three-story kindergarten building will be built on the territory of the Kommunarka administrative and business center near the Olkhovaya metro station. The facility will be built as part of the Targeted Investment Program. According to the project, the preschool institution will be designed for 200 children. Eight groups will be created there, each of which will have a separate group cell with a playroom, sleeping area and changing room. In addition, the building will include a gym and music hall, a medical block, and a full-cycle food service unit,” said Vladimir Efimov.

    The layout takes into account modern requirements for the design of social facilities. This ensures a comfortable and safe stay in the building and movement around it.

    “When designing educational facilities, special attention should be paid to fire safety. This project meets all relevant norms and standards. In particular, the layout allows for the fastest possible evacuation of people from all floors thanks to safe isolated corridors with fire doors, and the ventilation system, according to the documentation, will be equipped with smoke dampers,” noted the Chairman of the Moscow City Committee for Pricing Policy in Construction and State Expertise of Projects

    Ivan Shcherbakov.

    The territory of the kindergarten will be improved. Each group will have areas for walks and games in the fresh air.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the completion of construction kindergarten for 350 people in the Filimonkovsky district.

    The construction of social facilities in Moscow corresponds to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

    Schools, clinics and sports complexes: what social facilities are being built in the city

    Quickly find out the main news of the capital in official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156134073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: National Museum of Classic Books presents China’s literary heritage

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Editor’s Note: The “Exhibition of Excellent Traditional Chinese Cultural Works” is currently underway at the National Museum of Classic Books in Beijing, showcasing rare manuscripts, unearthed relics and canonical works.

    Presented in five thematic sections — “National Classics,” “Axial Age,” “Unified China,” “Mutual Learning” and “Cultural Pinnacles” — the exhibition traces the intellectual and spiritual lineage of Chinese civilization. 

    The National Museum of Classic Books is a key institution dedicated to preserving and displaying Chinese literary heritage, established to showcase some of the extensive collection of the National Library of China. As a public platform involved in research, education and exchange, the museum features a diverse range of ancient texts, inscriptions and classic editions.

    The entrance to the “Exhibition of Excellent Traditional Chinese Cultural Works” at the National Museum of Classic Books in Beijing, June 27, 2025. The theme of the exhibition is cultural transmission through ancient texts as the backbone of Chinese civilization. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australians will soon need their age checked to log into online search tools – here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University

    Shutterstock

    By the end of this year, the experience of using search engines in Australia won’t be as simple as it has always been.

    That’s thanks to a new online safety code announced yesterday by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. Among other measures, it will require all Australian users to provide assurance of their age when they sign into a search engine account.

    So what’s the new code about? How will it work in practice? And how exactly will it affect kids – and adults – in Australia who use search engines such as Google?

    What’s in the new code?

    The code orders providers of internet search-engine services such as Google and Microsoft (which owns Bing) to “implement appropriate age assurance measures for account holders” within six months.

    The code requires providers to review and mitigate “the risk that Australian children will access or be exposed to online pornography, high-impact violence material, and self-harm material” in search engine results.

    While the code does not define the age of a “child” as being under 18, or another age, a search engine must apply tools and settings that “at a minimum” filter out online pornography and extremely violent material from search results. Providers must also ensure advertising in these content areas is not served up in search results to child account holders.

    Currently, Google account holders must be at least 13 years old.

    The code creates several other rules for search engine providers that will impact everyone.

    For example, providers must “prevent autocomplete predictions that are sexually explicit or violent” and prominently display crisis-prevention information, such as helplines, in the results for queries relating to topics such as self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.

    Search engine providers will also have to blur some images in search results by default to reduce the risk of kids inadvertently accessing or being exposed to pornographic or violent material. And they will have to provide parental controls to limit or alter children’s access to adult material.

    On top of these measures, the code requires search-engine providers to report to eSafety, invest in safety and moderation teams, and engage with community organisations.

    The new code has been in development since July 2024. It was co-drafted by the Digital Industry Group Inc, an industry association representing tech companies including Google, Meta and Microsoft. A single breach could result in a search engine provider copping a fine of up to A$49.5 million.

    How will the code work in practice?

    The code does not spell out the measures to be used to assure someone’s age.

    They could including asking for government-issued ID or be similar to strategies currently being assessed for the Australian government’s under 16s social media ban, such as facial recognition technology.

    Yet, the government’s recent age assurance trials highlighted concerns about the accuracy of age estimation tools, despite claims of their overall effectiveness.

    Changing how people search

    Once implemented, age assurance requirements will likely change how people engage with search engines and other applications.

    Google is used by more than 90% of Australians and for more than just searching. The Google ecosystem includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Maps, providing seamless integration between search and other tools and tasks.

    Repeated age assurance requests could disrupt the seamlessness of content-sharing across devices that users now experience.

    Many people also opt to remain logged into their accounts on multiple devices, to quickly enable cross-device activities. This means within a family, users of multiple ages may access content on a single account, even when they don’t intend to do so.

    Will search engines need to change this functionality, to more regularly log users off their accounts, and reconfirm the account holder’s age? And how will the code affect features such as Google’s “incognito mode”, which is used for private searching?

    The code will apply to “any features integrated within the search functionality and the user interface” of the service, including results generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This means results generated by Google’s Gemini AI service fall under the code, alongside traditional search results.

    However, the code doesn’t apply to “standalone applications or tools that are not integrated within the internet search engine service”. This means that while a browser extension such as ChatGPT for Google may fall under the code, as an integrated search engine service, the standalone ChatGPT app could be excluded.

    This may make searching even more confusing for users, as many people may not understand the limitations of treating generative AI tools like search engines – but they are not.

    Will the code work?

    As with all age assurance checks, there may be ways people can get around these new search engine controls.

    For example, they may use VPNs to trick the system into believing they are outside of Australia (and therefore not subject to age assurance checks). Or, children may access content on older people’s accounts and devices.

    However, the code does preempt concerns that children might get around controls by simply not logging in to their accounts. And, the code’s insistence on reporting mechanisms means people of all ages will be able to report material and raise complaints about potential code violations.

    In this way, the code seems to reflect the government’s previously proposed (but now, paused) “digital duty of care” legislation, which aimed to hold technology companies to account for the content they provide.

    One crucial question remains: will the steps companies take to comply with the code meet Australians’ expectations for seamless, integrated search practices and personal privacy as they access information online?

    Lisa M. Given receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the International Association for Information Science and Technology.

    – ref. Australians will soon need their age checked to log into online search tools – here’s why – https://theconversation.com/australians-will-soon-need-their-age-checked-to-log-into-online-search-tools-heres-why-260199

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Olympic Solidarity and Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) support Dakar 2026 Learning Academy opportunities for African National Olympic Committees (NOCs)

    Talent from territories from all African National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will have the opportunity to join the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) through the Learning Academy (https://apo-opa.co/3TjYgCR). This will be made possible thanks to the support of Olympic Solidarity and the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA). This major new opportunity, aimed at ensuring broad representation and greater capacity-building across the continent, was announced to the IOC (www.Olympics.com/IOC) Executive Board (EB) this week by Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange.

    Learning Academy opens doors for African NOCs at Dakar 2026

    Recognising the potential impact of the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy NOC programme on the next generation of sports professionals in Africa, and in line with Olympic Solidarity’s objective to strengthen NOC capacities, Olympic Solidarity and ANOCA will jointly contribute funding for Learning Academy scholarships. These scholarships will contribute towards travel and accommodation costs, ensuring broad engagement from African NOCs and potential participants. Details on the application process will be shared with NOCs after the summer, with selected participants expected to begin the Learning Academy in early 2026 before starting their roles within the YOGOC.

    The Learning Academy is designed to give promising young professionals from across Africa hands-on experience in sports management and event delivery. Each African NOC will be invited to nominate young professionals to join the Learning Academy. Selected participants will receive intensive two-week training in Dakar and then take up roles within the Organising Committee, helping to strengthen NOCs and building capacity across the continent. Over the next 16 months, a total of up to 400 young professionals, including the 53 candidates selected via the African NOCs, will be trained and integrated into the YOGOC – the first 41 participants have already taken up their roles. 

    Dakar 2026 Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange said: “Through the Learning Academy, we are creating a lasting legacy for the Olympic Movement, and one that could serve as a model for future host cities of the Youth Olympic Games or the Olympic Games, beginning here in Dakar.”

    The YOG Dakar 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4eDY77e) will take place over two weeks from 31 October, bringing together the world’s best young athletes up to the age of 17. The Games will be held across three host sites: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    Additional information:
    https://apo-opa.co/44d8tY0

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergei Sobyanin told how Moscow art schools reveal talents

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Over the past academic year, students from Moscow art schools won more than 26,000 awards. How these educational institutions reveal talents, he told in his blog Sergei Sobyanin.

    “Moscow is deservedly proud of its developed network of city institutions of creative education: 153 educational institutions, each with its own long-standing traditions, but with a single standard of comfort and equipment. Today, they teach more than 40 areas in the field of music, painting, choreography and theater. About 100 thousand children study in Moscow art schools. And among them, there are many who will eventually turn their passion into a life’s work,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote.

    He noted that, as in any other business, success in a creative profession is achieved through hard daily work and regular participation in competitions. Competitions with peers provide indispensable experience and incentive to improve one’s art, and victories open up new horizons.

    Last academic year, students from the capital’s art schools represented the capital at more than 20 venues around the world.

    “Muscovites have won prizes in creative competitions in Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Spain, China, Cyprus, the Netherlands, the USA, Switzerland and other countries: a total of 10,000 awards and incentive prizes, including more than 280 Grand Prix,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    In addition, students from Moscow art schools have won more than 16 thousand awards at all-Russian and regional competitions and festivals, which sometimes significantly exceed international projects in terms of the number of participants.

    Winners of competitions in Beijing, New York and Spain

    In March-April, the IX International Festival-Competition “Golden Lotus” was held in Beijing. Elizaveta Menzhinskaya, a student of the B.L. Pasternak Children’s Music School, performed a solo program, as well as in a duet with her teacher Galina Ermakova.

    According to the jury’s decision, they were awarded the title of first-degree laureates as performers on large flutes, and third-degree laureates on piccolo flutes. The winners’ repertoire includes the works “Ksenia” and “Tarantella” by Yevgeny Magalif, Lensky’s aria from the opera “Eugene Onegin” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and the Karelo-Finnish Polka by Boris Tikhonov.

    In March, Alexey Mishchenko, a student of the children’s music school of the Moscow State College of Musical Performance (MGKMI) named after Frederic Chopin, won first prize at the international Golden Classical Music Awards competition in New York for his piano performance of Frederic Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata for piano No. 13 in B-flat major. In addition, he won first place at the international Clavierland Mozart Classical Music Competition and performed in the final concert of the laureates in Vienna, which took place in March at the Mozart House.

    Maya Shelikhova, a student of the Moscow City United Children’s School of Arts (MGODSHI) “Kuskovo”, became a first-degree laureate at the international competition of culture and arts Festival

    Laureates of competitions in Belarus, the Netherlands and Switzerland

    Students of the I.S. Kozlovsky Children’s Art School took almost the entire podium at the Republican Festival-Competition of Children’s Art “Lvenok” in the city of Lida (Belarus).

    Among the soloists, Dana Shakova won first place, performing the piece “Twilight” by composer Max Eichorn and “Dance” by Ezra Jenkinson on the violin; second place was taken by Antonina Struchevskaya, Maria Tuaeva, Ivan Fedotov, and Gleb Sakharov.

    Antonina Struchevskaya played “Moldavian Dance” by Boris Dubossarsky and “Arioso” by Karl Bohm, Maria Tuaeva played a piece by Manfred Schmitz on the violin. Gleb Sakharov played “March of the Wooden Soldiers” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky on the snare drum, and “Tarantella” by Sergei Prokofiev on the xylophone, Ivan Fedotov played “Hunt for a Butterfly” by Irina Iordan on the snare drum, and “Scherzino” by Viktor Kosenko on the xylophone.

    The third-degree laureate was Milana Ponomareva. She presented the play “Merry Journey” by Dmitry Kabalevsky (snare drum) and “Minuet” by Luigi Boccherini (xylophone) to the competition.

    The first place among the groups was won by the instrumental trio “Notka Boom”, which performed the works “Walking the Dog” by Peter Martin and “Beauty and the Beast” by Howard Ashman.

    In April, the Dutch International Flute Competition was held in Ittervoort (Netherlands). The laureates of the competition were talented flutists from the Gnessin Moscow Secondary Specialized Music School (MSSMSh).

    Vasilisa Melnikova received the first prize, Yuna Guryanova received the third prize, and in the under 18 category, Elen Virabyan won the first prize.

    The gold medal in the senior category of the Frederic Chopin Youth Competition, which took place in March in Lugano (Switzerland), was awarded to Ivan Chepkin, a student of the Gnessin Moscow Specialized Music School.

    The bronze medal in the middle age category was won by pianist Denis Kochanowski, who performed the Polonaise (opus 40, no. 2), Nocturne (opus 15, no. 1), Waltz (opus 18), and Barcarolle (opus 60) by Frederic Chopin.

    Ivan Chepkin played two etudes (opus 10, no. 1 and opus 25, no. 6), a nocturne (opus 27, no. 2), a mazurka (opus 33), a polonaise (opus 53) and a ballade (opus 52) by Frederic Chopin on the piano.

    Winners perform in Andorra, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Russia

    From April to May, Andorra hosted the XI international saxophone competition Andorra Sax Fest, one of the most prestigious, which annually brings together the best saxophonists from all over Europe.

    In the senior group, the third-degree laureate was Vladimir Petskus, a graduate and now a teacher at the Frederic Chopin Moscow State Musical Institute for Children. Arseny Budanov, a student at the same school, received the first prize in the junior group.

    “Vladimir and Arseniy performed a very complex program, full of modern performance techniques, demonstrating the rapid development of classical saxophone playing techniques. Vladimir presented his own composition SoloS at the competition, which can be played the same way from beginning to end, and vice versa. In the final, Vladimir performed a piece by the outstanding modern saxophonist Vincent David, with the author himself acting as conductor,” noted Sergei Sobyanin.

    Arseniy Budanov participated in two age categories at once. In the junior group, he presented Eugene Bozz’s etudes (No. 7, 10), the first part of Fernanda Decruk’s Saxophone Sonata to the jury and won first place. This will allow him to perform a solo concert at the next Andorra Sax Fest competition. In the senior group, the young man also showed himself, reaching the semi-finals.

    Students of the Moscow State Children’s Art School “Kuskovo” also became laureates of the saxophone competition: Alexander Ivashkov won first place, Alexander Dolgov – third.

    In April, the 1st International Competition of Professional Harpists and Amateurs VivaHarp was held in Sofia, bringing together the best performers from all over the world. The title of second-degree laureate was awarded to Tatyana Smirnova, a student of the Moscow State Children’s Art School “Kuskovo”.

    In May in Paphos (Cyprus), Elizaveta Ryapina, a student of the A.N. Alexandrov Children’s Music School, became a second-degree laureate of the Young Orpheus International Competition and Festival.

    In December 2024, the XXV International Competition of Young Musicians “The Nutcracker” of the Russia-Culture TV channel ended. Of the nine possible awards, students from Moscow art schools won five.

    In the Wind and Percussion Instruments category, all the Nutcrackers were awarded to young Moscow musicians. The Golden Nutcracker went to 14-year-old flutist Ekaterina Ivanova from the Gnessin Moscow Specialized Music School, the Silver Nutcracker was awarded to 14-year-old clarinetist Alisa Cherednikova from the Jazz Academy, and the Bronze Nutcracker went to the youngest participant in the competition, eight-year-old Vasilisa Moiseyeva from the D.D. Shostakovich Children’s Music School.

    Second and third places went to Muscovites in the Piano category. The Silver Nutcracker was taken by 13-year-old Andrey Goncharov from the I.O. Dunaevsky Moscow City Children’s Music School, and 12-year-old Mark Grotte from the Gnessin Moscow Specialized Music School won the Bronze Nutcracker.

    “Recognition of the skills and talents of Moscow children at Russian and international competitions is a clear indication of the quality of Moscow’s creative education,” Sergei Sobyanin emphasized.

    Moscow art schools help in the harmonious development of children and give a start in life to new generations of talents.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/13018050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Doorstop – University of Technology Sydney

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    KATHLEEN BAIRD, HEAD OF SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY: Good morning, everyone. Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation on whose land UTS stands. And I welcome you all to UTS. I’m Kathy Baird, Professor Kathy Baird, and I’m the Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery. It is an absolute honour to welcome the Minister for Education, the Honourable Jason Clare, to UTS this morning.

    I do also want to acknowledge the Commonwealth’s ongoing support through the placement payment for our student nurses and midwives. This initiative will provide much-needed financial support to our students during their clinical placements. It will help to ease the burden they face while they gain the practical skills required. Their dedication, resilience and compassion are the foundation of the future of nursing [indistinct] will be built.

    I’d also like to thank the students that came here this morning. And I would like to hand over to Minister Clare. Thank you.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much. And a big thank you to UTS for letting me visit today to talk about something which is dear to my heart and I think is going to be really important in supporting the teachers and nurses and midwives and social workers that are training in our universities now that are getting an education in our universities right now to help them with their studies, with the cost of living while they’re studying, and help them to complete their degree.

    When I got this job a couple of years ago, I remember talking to some nursing students who talked to me about placement poverty. It was something that I hadn’t heard of before. Now I understand. And it’s because of the stories that they told me. There’s a lot of nursing students who work in our hospitals right now as assistants in nursing, and it’s a part-time job where they’re getting paid to work in a hospital while they’re studying here at university. But a big part of their degree is also prac, practical training. And it’s something like 800 hours of practical training that they have to do as part of their degree.

    And often that prac will happen at the same hospital where they’ve got a part-time job, but while they’re doing their prac, they can’t do that job. So, they’re working in the same hospital, but they’re no longer being paid. And that’s what placement poverty looks like. It means that you don’t have the money that you ordinarily would have to pay the bills, to pay for parking, pay for public transport. And it can make life harder.

    The end result of that is that some students who start a degree, like nursing or teaching, don’t finish it. For some students, prac also means you have to move away from home to do it. And that can make life more difficult as well. It can mean giving up your part-time job because you’re not living around the corner while you’re doing the practical training.

    This was a key recommendation of the Universities Accord, which is a big report. It’s a blueprint for how we reform higher education in Australia over the next decade and the decade after that. And I released that report early last year, and at the budget last year, I announced that we’d allocate almost over a half a billion dollars to fund paid prac. I think I was here to talk about that then. And it’s terrific to be back at UTS on the week that it starts, where we’re bringing the words from that report to life and making it real. And, most importantly, making a difference to the sort of people I got to meet today.

    This applies to teaching students, to nursing students, to midwifery students and social work students. These are some of the most important professions in our country. These are young people who one day will teach our kids or look after us when we’re sick, who will help women giving birth, who’ll help women fleeing domestic violence. And this is a bit of practical help while you do your practical training.

    Can I just pass over to Dorsa who I got the privilege to meet this morning, who’s a third-year midwifery student here at UTS, to tell your story about what drew you to midwifery and how you think this payment might help.

    DORSA NEMATIAN: Thank you so much, Minister Clare. So I am a refugee from Iran who has been doing a midwifery course for the past three years. I started off with a degree in Bachelor of Medical Science, which helped made me realise that it wasn’t for me, and I was more drawn to midwifery and childbirth, which is the reason why I made the switch. Obviously, this Commonwealth Prac Payment will make the difference between surviving through the practical part of our degree to just enjoying it and being able to learn while we’re undertaking our practice.

    JOURNALIST: So there has been a huge slump in the number of students on youth allowance, and experts are warning that we may not meet our tertiary education targets if low-education and regional students aren’t going to uni. Would you consider raising the rate of those payments or loosening eligibility requirements?

    CLARE: We’ve already increased youth allowance as well as rental assistance. You are right that what we do need to do over the next decade and beyond is help more young people finish school and then go on to TAFE or university to get the qualifications that the jobs that are in demand now and that are going to be in even more demand in the decades ahead. There’s no part of the economy where jobs are growing faster than in nursing and in health care. That’s for sure.

    Yesterday I formally announced the creation of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission in its interim reform, and it kicked off yesterday, headed up by Professor Mary O’Kane, who is the author or the lead author of the Universities Accord. And she makes the point there that we’re not going to have the workforce that we need – something like four out of five workers in the economy with a university degree or a TAFE qualification – unless we break down that barrier that stops a lot of young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, from poorer backgrounds and from the regions and the bush, from getting a crack at university in the first place and then going on and finishing their degree.

    And that’s why the prac payment is part of this. It’s definitely part of it, support for people while they do their practical training, but it’s not the only thing that we’re doing. Next year, you’ll see the rollout of funding reform for the way our universities are funded. And, in particular, funding reform to help the sort of people that you mentioned in your question, people from disadvantaged backgrounds. And part of that is developing and rolling out a needs-based funding system a little like the Gonski model for schools for universities.

    JOURNALIST: What do you think that slump is due to?

    CLARE: We’ve seen over the course of this year and last year an increase in the total number of young people enrolling in courses at university. That’s a good sign. The number of people going to university, the number of Australians going to university, has been in decline pretty much since 2017. There was a bump during COVID. That was a bit of an anomaly where people were locked at home and enrolled in courses. But overall, we’ve seen a decline in the number of Aussies enrolling in uni degrees until last year when it jumped up, and now it’s jumping up again this year. It’s on track to be the highest number of Australians enrolling in either an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate degree on record. So that’s a good thing.

    As I say, it’s not just people leaping out of school to study at university; it’s also people going back to uni to reskill, to upskill, get more skills. So that’s a good sign. But the Universities Accord is about building on that and what more we need to do it to support more people into university and into TAFE. I mentioned the funding reforms that will take place next year. Another part of it is making sure that TAFE and university work better together. We shouldn’t see them as two separate systems; we should be thinking about how they can be more joined up or integrated, how some of what you do at TAFE can be counted when you go to university and vice versa.

    We were having a chat, Dorsa mentioned that she did another course before she went into midwifery. Some of that is counted towards this course. That means that the degree is shorter than it otherwise would be, and costs less. But that’s a good example of what we can do more of here.

    In terms of helping people with the cost of higher education, the best example I can really point to is the cut to HECS that I’ll introduce into the Parliament in the next few weeks. The first bill that we’ll introduce into the Parliament will cut the student debt for 3 million Australians by 20 per cent. This will cut $16 billion dollars off the debt of ordinary Aussies. For the average Australian, it will cut their debt by more than five and a half grand. And that’s a big deal that will make a big difference.

    JOURNALIST: Do you want to move into child care now?

    CLARE: I’ll just make some comments off the top. Any Australian who heard the news from Victoria yesterday would be sickened by what they heard. And for every parent that is directly affected by this in Victoria, they would be frightened and they’d be angry. They would be bloody angry. And I know that they’re angry because one of those parents is a friend of mine, and her two little girls are directly affected by this. And I won’t tell you what she told me last night because you can’t repeat it on television. But she’s right to be mad. I’m mad. I think anyone who works in the early education system, and there’s hundreds of thousands of fantastic people who do, would be angry today as well. And my friend is mad because of all of the stress and the trauma and the crap that she and her girls are going to have to go through in the weeks ahead.

    This is serious, and it requires serious action. I was informed about this by the Victorian Government a little over a week ago. It’s one of the reasons why I put this on the top of the agenda when Education Ministers met last week. Let me be clear, when Education Ministers met to discuss child safety last week, we didn’t discuss this case, but we discussed what are the next steps that we need to take as a nation to make sure that our kids are safe in early education and care.

    There are things that we’ve already done. We’ve banned the use of personal mobile phones and devices in child care centres, and we did that for a reason. We’ve also changed the rules around mandatory reporting from seven days to 24 hours where there are complaints about sexual or physical abuse. I’ve got to tell you, we did that for a reason.

    And there are other things that are also underway. I mentioned yesterday and again this morning the legislation that I’ll bring to the Parliament which is about making sure that if services aren’t up to scratch, that they aren’t meeting the safety and the quality standards that we expect as a country, that we have the power as a Government to cut their funding off. And that’s important, too, because there’s nothing more important than the safety of our kids in early education and care.

    And there’s more to do. That’s what the meeting of Education Ministers on Friday was all about. We’ve seen the awful revelations out of the Four Corners investigation led by Adele Ferguson only a couple of months ago, and the Wheeler Report that was released last Thursday. Ministers had the opportunity at that meeting to be briefed by Chris, to be briefed by Mr Wheeler, and to go through his recommendations. But we were also briefed by Gabrielle Sinclair, who’s the head of ACECQA, about the actions she recommends we take in the light of the Four Corners investigation. And now Ministers are working together on a package of further reforms that are needed to make sure that our early education and care centres are as safe as they need to be.

    JOURNALIST: Minister, on that legislation you’re planning to introduce, how serious would a breach have to be for a centre to have their funding cut? What sort of threshold are we talking about?

    CLARE: All of that will be set out in the legislation that we’re working on right now. I mentioned to David on RN this morning that I’ve directed my Department to get that legislation drafted as quick as possible. It will deal with a number of things. As we announced back in March when we announced our intention to legislate in this area, it’s about that, it’s about cutting off funding to centres where there’s egregious behaviour by a centre. It’s also about stopping them from getting permission to expand and open other centres. But not just that; it’s also about stopping a provider or an employee who works in a centre who’s been found to be a bad actor from moving out of the child care sector into another part of the care economy, for example, in the NDIS. And we saw examples of that in the Four Corners investigation.

    JOURNALIST: Do you think there should be a tougher background checking process for those who have a working with children check?

    CLARE: I said this morning that it’s taken too long to do the work necessary to make sure that our working with children check system is up to scratch. And I’ve spoken a number of times with the Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland, the new Attorney-General, and I think I can safely speak on her behalf that she agrees and is determined to take the action necessary here to make sure that our working with children checks across the nation are up to scratch. That will be something that will be discussed by Attorneys-General when they meet next month. The Attorney-General is doing a press conference at the moment, and she’ll have more to say on that.

    The only other point I would make on working with children checks is that they’re not the only thing that we need to fix or reform. They’re not a silver bullet. There are too many examples where a perpetrator is eventually caught and arrested and sentenced. They’re somebody that got a working with children check because they had no prior criminal record. And so it’s only one of the things that we need to focus on here if we’re serious about making sure that we keep our kids

    JOURNALIST: You mentioned you wanted those – that legislation through as fast as possible. Can we expect to see these changes made this year?

    CLARE: Yes.

    JOURNALIST: Do you – the National Children’s Commissioner says the sector’s regulators need to be stronger, need more teeth to act. Has the government been slow to respond to these calls?

    CLARE: You can never be fast enough here. And the honest answer is the work here will never be done. There will always be bad people that try and break through the system and the safety. And so the work here will never be done. But what the Commissioner is talking about there are one of the things that Ministers are focused on and looking at right now.

    JOURNALIST: So will the Government make nationally harmonised working with children checks a priority? So those were recommended in 2015. How complicated will they be to enact, and why hasn’t it been done yet?

    CLARE: Similar answer to the one I gave just a moment ago. And the Attorney-General will be able to speak to that in more detail. But this is one of the things that Attorneys are looking at when they meet next month. They’re looking at what you described as harmonisation or mutual recognition, the sharing of information across borders, but also potentially near real-time updates to working with children checks, where criminal record checks or criminal records change. There’s a big piece of work that’s going on nationally with all the states and territories here. But as you rightly point out, the work can’t happen soon enough.

    JOURNALIST: Would you support the introduction of mandatory CCTV in child care centres?

    CLARE: CCTV itself was the subject of a recommendation by Chris Wheeler in his report that was handed down on Thursday. And that recommendation was about installing CCTV in centres where there has been previous breaches, where there is concern by the regulator about safety and quality in those centres. The New South Wales Government has given in-principle support for that recommendation. The Victorian Government I think, will have more to say about that today. And this is one of the things that Ministers are looking at across the board as we develop nationwide reforms. That’s different, though, to the question you asked about making it mandatory. The advice from experts at the moment is targeted based on centres which have demonstrated that they’re not up to scratch.

    JOURNALIST: The Victorian Greens have been calling for a royal commission into the sector. Do you – would you support that?

    CLARE: We’ve had a royal commission. We’ve got the recommendations. After Australia’s worst paedophile was arrested and convicted in Queensland just over two years ago, I commissioned a review into child safety. We’ve got those recommendations as well. Now we’ve got the Wheeler Report. We’ll get more evidence and more information out of what the Victorian Government is announcing today. We know what we need to do. It’s how we do it and how we pull all of that together and get the whole country acting as one.

    Okay, thanks very much, everybody.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    Helen Camacaro/Getty

    Coles is recalling two of its homebrand peanut butter products, over concerns they have been contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxic chemical linked to liver cancer.

    The supermarket chain has issued the recall notice for Coles Smooth Peanut Butter 1kg and Coles Crunchy Peanut Butter 1kg, with the best before date of February 5 2027. They were sold in supermarkets and online nationally between May 1 and June 30 this year.

    Aflatoxin can cause injury or illness if eaten, according to Australia’s food safety authority.

    But what is aflatoxin? How does it get into food? And what is the risk if you eat it?

    What is aflatoxin? Where does it occur?

    Aflatoxins are a toxic chemical (a mycotoxin) produced by fungi. The mould-like fungi that produce aflatoxins belong to a large group called Aspergillus.

    These fungi are found in all environments, for example in soils, compost, building surfaces and on crops and other plants, and can cause infections or poisoning in humans and animals.

    Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which produce aflatoxins, thrive mainly in agricultural crops but also in soils, rotting food and compost. The fungi emerge as spores and form networks of microscopic filaments that can grow on products such as grains and nuts.

    As these fungi grow they release a range of chemicals, including aflatoxins, that can lead to contamination of produce before and after harvest, or after processing.

    Aflatoxins are some of the most poisonous types of mycotoxin.

    Different kinds of aflatoxins usually affect contaminated food (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1), crops (G2) and milk (M1).

    Which foods are most risky?

    Crops produced and stored in warm, humid or moist tropical locations are most at risk, as toxin-producing moulds thrive in these conditions.

    High-risk foods include peanuts, corn and tree nuts (such as brazil, walnut and pistachio nuts). The toxin-producing fungi can also grow on wheat, rice, sorghum and spice crops such as turmeric, chilli, ginger and coriander.

    If animals graze on contaminated crops, their milk and meat can also become contaminated.

    Internationally, the Joint Food and Agriculture Administration and World Health Organization is responsible for setting guidelines and monitoring standards for mycotoxins via its expert committee on food additives.

    In Australia, aflatoxin food contamination is not common. In the past decade, there have only been a handful of recalls.

    Why are aflatoxins dangerous?

    Aflatoxins can damage your liver and cause cancer.

    Eating a lot of contaminated foods over a short period of time can lead to aflatoxicosis, acute poisoning that immediately damages the liver. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and convulsions, and may be life-threating.

    Over a long period, smaller amounts of contaminated foods can lead to liver cancer, birth defects, kidney disease and immune system dysfunction.

    There is no specific treatment for alfatoxins. Management after acute or long-term exposure focuses on addressing symptoms and monitoring liver health.

    How can I stay safe?

    There is not much individuals can do to control the presence of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins in foods, as contamination occurs during agriculture and processing.

    You should store nuts and nut products in a way that stops mould growing. Use well-sealed containers kept in dry and cool conditions.

    Freezing and cooking may kill the fungi, but the toxin can survive extreme temperatures.

    Unfortunately, it is difficult to see the fungi with the naked eye. However you should avoid visibly mouldy foods and throw away nuts and grains that are shrivelled or discoloured.

    What should I do if I’ve bought or eaten these products?

    Coles has advised customers to return the products to stores and contact its hotline for more information (1800 061 562).

    If you’re concerned you may have eaten contaminated peanut butter, speak to a health professional.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-aflatoxin-the-toxic-chemical-behind-coles-peanut-butter-recall-260194

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Parents are feeling anxious about men in childcare centres. Stronger rules would make everyone feel safer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martyn Mills-Bayne, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, University of South Australia

    Getty Images

    Horrific allegations of child sexual abuse in childcare centres across Melbourne have put the role of men in early childhood education back in the spotlight.

    Coming after other major media reports of child mistreatment in care, many parents are feeling very anxious about the safety of their children.

    Some may be deeply suspicious of men working so closely with children. That caution is totally justified.

    But there are many innocent, well-intentioned and caring men working in centres across the country. They’re playing a vital role in a sector already plagued by well-documented staff shortages.

    Driving them out of the workforce would be a mistake for the sector, for parents and for children.



    Read more:
    Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?

    Hyper-viligant behaviour

    Men are still a rarity in childcare centres nationally.

    The latest workforce data show about 8% of early childhood educators are male, though that statistic could include men who don’t work with children directly.

    We don’t know precisely how many early childhood educators are male, but best estimates are somewhere between 2–4% of the total workforce.

    Given there are so few of them, male educators often report being hyper-vigilant about how they do their jobs.

    I was once an early childhood teacher myself. Now in my academic research, I’ve spent almost 20 years mentoring men in the sector, including close to 100 male students coming through initial teacher education programs.

    They are extremely aware of protecting children and themselves. They talk about trying to make sure they’re never alone with children and use distancing strategies to keep themselves safe and in full view of colleagues and parents.

    If they’re changing nappies, they do so in open spaces, where others can see them. If a child is hurt or needs support, they often think twice about the most appropriate way to provide it.

    The men I hear from feel they are surveilled and monitored more closely than their female colleagues. Male educators must use a heightened degree of caution in their day-to-day caring work due to broad (largely unspoken) suspicions of sexual misconduct. This is an inherent part of being a male early childhood educator.

    There’s been no research done to determine whether men are watched more closely than women, but regardless, most don’t begrudge it. They fear ever harming a child, and would rather the extra supervision, perceived or real, to make everyone feel safer.

    Leaving the sector

    But early childhood education has an issue with worker attrition.

    This is especially concerning as pre-school for three-year-olds is rolled out in South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, increasing the demand for staff and pressure on services to meet staff ratios and keep children safe.

    Against this backdrop, it’s crucial we stem the tide of workers leaving the sector, including men.

    Unfortunately, men are often the first to leave, especially after cases of sexual abuse at other centres.

    In New Zealand, Peter Ellis was jailed in the 1990s for child sexual abuse in a creche, though his conviction was overturned posthumously in 2022.



    Read more:
    What are working with children checks? Why aren’t they keeping kids safe at daycare?

    The high profile case had long lasting negative impacts. Less than 1% of the childcare workforce in the country are men – one of the lowest participation rates in the world.

    Parental and societal concerns around the risk of abuse have a profound impact on retaining and attracting more male educators in early childhood education.

    This is also true at the student level. Typically, I see very few men enrol to study early childhood education (about four in a cohort of 150), but only about half that graduate. Many of these potential early childhood teachers drop their studies or move into primary teaching programs after they experience a sense of distrust during their professional placements in childcare.

    Keeping children safer

    Children who are abused experience lifelong trauma. Keeping them safe at all times should be the number one priority of educators and society at large.

    The Melbourne case has left many parents rightly cautious and feeling uncertain about leaving their children in the care of men. We may well see less interest from centres in employing men, as has happened after similar cases in the past.

    This would build on existing suspicions parents have of male educators.

    There’s no easy answer to this. But there are some things that may make early education safer.

    The first is to strengthen working with children screening checks, something the Victorian government has already flagged it will do.

    Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has also announced a statewide register of childcare workers to introduce “an extra layer of checks and balances”.

    Another is to ensure no educator, regardless of gender, is ever alone with a child. Though this may be challenging to achieve within tight staffing levels, it’s needed to prevent future abuse.

    The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted the need to make sure the physical environment minimises opportunity for abuse to occur. This includes glass walls around toilet and nappy change areas and no blind spots in centres.

    And finally, for parents to be scared and angry about this is to be human. But it’s also important to remember many men are doing the right thing, and male educators in the sector are also angry and concerned about this.

    Better processes and regulations would help restore confidence in parents that their children are safe in a man’s care. But it would also help male educators, who can do their work safe in the knowledge they’ve passed a robust set of requirements to get there.

    The Victorian government has set up a dedicated website and advice line for parents whose children may have been involved in the alleged offences.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call 1800 Respect on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 131 114, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts (counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse) on 1800 272 831.

    Martyn Mills-Bayne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Parents are feeling anxious about men in childcare centres. Stronger rules would make everyone feel safer – https://theconversation.com/parents-are-feeling-anxious-about-men-in-childcare-centres-stronger-rules-would-make-everyone-feel-safer-260282

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Giant LED screens assembled using unique modular technology have been installed in the NSU flow auditorium building

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    In the building of the NSU flow auditoriums, which is related to the objects of the second stage of the new NSU campus, built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, real giants among LED screens have appeared. These huge screens measuring 7.4 by 4.64 m are assembled using modular technology. NSU will become the only university in the Novosibirsk region, where such equipment is used for educational purposes.

    There are five such screens in the new building: four in the flow classrooms and one in the conference hall. They not only complement the educational process, but also improve it, taking the image quality to a fundamentally new level. LED screens will replace the traditional lamp projectors that are installed in the flow classrooms of the current NSU educational building.

    Marina Shashkova, Head of the Academic Policy Department at NSU, notes:

    — Based on the infrastructure of the new campus, we create comfortable conditions for students to study and work on projects. Providing them with modern equipment is an important element for fulfilling this task.

    LED screens are not only high-quality images, but also reliable and durable, as their service life is 100 thousand hours. Each of these screens is 638 modules combined into a single whole. They are easy to maintain, and if necessary, only the damaged module can be replaced without affecting the entire structure. This reduces repair costs and equipment downtime. Delivery, installation and warranty support were carried out by the Novosibirsk integrator company IVERT.

    Thus, the new building of the NSU campus becomes not just a place for obtaining knowledge, but also a platform for modern technological solutions and innovations. LED screens are just one example of how technologies can improve the educational process. Like living canvases, they bring a fresh stream to lectures and presentations, making them brighter and more memorable.

    The total area of the NSU flow auditorium building is 16 thousand square meters, permission to put the facility into operation was received in December 2024, and work is currently underway to equip it with furniture and technical equipment. Classes in the new building will begin in September 2025.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – Appointments to Board of Reserve Bank of New Zealand

    Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

    1 July 2025 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua welcomes the appointment of Grant Spencer and the reappointment of Byron Pepper to its governing Board.

    Mr Spencer will serve for a five-year term, from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. Mr Pepper will serve for a five-year term from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030.

    Mr Spencer and Mr Pepper were appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance following their participation in a public appointment process run by Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury.

    Grant Spencer brings extensive expertise in central banking, financial stability, and monetary policy. He held several senior roles at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, including Deputy Governor, Head of Financial Stability (2007–2017), and Acting Governor (2017–2018). His international experience includes active participation in OECD and EMEAP forums, as well as contributions to the development of New Zealand’s capital markets.

    In addition to his professional experience, Mr Spencer is an Adjunct Professor at Victoria University of Wellington, with academic interests in financial regulation and macroeconomics. He holds advanced qualifications in economics and econometrics.

    “Mr Spencer’s appointment will enhance the Board’s expertise in prudential regulation, macro-prudential policy, and financial market operations, offering complementary strengths to existing board members, particularly in the context of New Zealand’s central banking landscape,” RBNZ Board Chair Professor Neil Quigley says.

    Byron Pepper continues to bring strong governance and financial expertise to the Board. An independent investment banking advisor and director, Mr Pepper has more than 25 years’ experience advising corporate and government clients, particularly in the financial services sector across New Zealand, Australia, and internationally.

    He is the former director of Ando Insurance Group Limited and currently serves as a director or trustee of several New Zealand-based entities. Mr Pepper is also the founder of Vorigo Advisory, following a 22-year career at Goldman Sachs in its global investment banking business.

    “We’re pleased to reappoint Mr Pepper to the Board,” says Professor Quigley. “His financial and governance experience continues to add valuable insight to the RBNZ’s decision-making.”

    The Reserve Bank welcomes the contributions of both Mr Spencer and Mr Pepper to its governing Board and looks forward to their support in delivering on Te Pūtea Matua’s strategic objectives.

    More information

    Our Board members – Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=886fb7c291&e=f3c68946f8

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Oil, Watercolor and Gallic: Participants of the Art in the Metro Project Talk Creativity and Inspiration

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Moscow metro is not only a popular means of public transport, but also a cultural venue for talented Muscovites. The project has been underway in the capital for nine years now “Music in the Metro”, and recently another project for creative people – “Art in the Metro”— celebrated its first anniversary. It united more than 250 artists working in different genres and techniques, who can create paintings at 10 sites at metro stations, as well as take part in off-site events and even try their hand at creating a new design for the Troika card. The second season of the project is currently underway, and the recruitment of artists continues.

    A mos.ru correspondent spoke with the participants of the “Art in the Metro” project and found out how they are inspired by the architecture of the stations and passengers rushing about their business.

    Pandas on Michurinsky Prospekt

    Artist Yulia Ershova painted a passenger reading enthusiastically in a train car, sculptures of Romulus and Remus at the Rimskaya station, and flying seagulls on the ceiling of Mayakovskaya on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line. Another of her paintings depicts three pandas chewing bamboo at the Michurinsky Prospekt station on the Big Circle Line (BCL).

    “This is my favorite station. It is decorated in an oriental style: it has red columns and lamps with Chinese ornaments. I thought, what can you imagine in such an environment? Why not put pandas there, who came to

    Moscow Zoo from China? Now this painting can be seen at the exhibition “Red” in the gallery of the creative association “Artists of Chertanovo”, – says Yulia Ershova.

    She learned about “Art in the Metro” from her artist friends who got into the project during the first recruitment, successfully passed the in-person round and created about 30 works in a year. Yulia Ershova prefers to work in oil, but when she needs to make a quick sketch, she takes up watercolor.

    “The artist’s mission is to draw people’s attention to beauty that they may not notice in the rhythm of a big city. I remember a passenger on the Aminyevskaya BKL saw my work on an easel and at first could not understand where such beauty came from. And then she recognized the station ceiling. She often rides here, but did not notice how unusual it is, and now she looked up for the first time,” says Yulia Ershova.

    This season she continues to participate in the project. “The metro is interesting to draw, and I am glad that I have been given such a unique opportunity to create in this atmosphere,” the mos.ru interlocutor emphasizes.

    “Dostoevskaya” with salt and ink

    Another participant of the last season, Ekaterina Bulgakova, was inspired by the Dostoevskaya metro station of the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line. The artist was struck by its marble slabs. She managed to convey their texture using a special technique.

    “To depict a marble pattern, I first began to combine acrylic paints, watercolors and the author’s technique “gallitika”. It uses ink and salt, which gives beautiful textured streaks. Now I plan to further develop this method of drawing,” says Ekaterina Bulgakova.

    During her year of participation in the project, she created about 20 works. The artist was especially inspired by the BKL stations. In her paintings, she depicted the art object “Moscow Rings”, located at the entrance to “Nizhegorodskaya”, and the interiors of “Khoroshevskaya”.

    “I also dedicated one of my works to passengers. I depicted a stream of people hurrying at the Kitay-Gorod station, wrote down their possible thoughts, and added an old map of the area. It turned out to be a collage. It is impossible to imagine the metro without passengers. People often even came up to watch me draw and asked questions. Someone admitted that they were 20 years old and it was boring to study in their chosen specialty. And someone wanted to learn to draw at 60. I supported them and said that it is not too late to start at any age,” the interviewee notes.

    The artist did not initially plan to engage in creative work either. She received a higher education in economics, then completed an internship with teachers from the Russian State University of Art and Industry named after S.G. Stroganov, graduated from the School of Design of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and began to paint. This year, she is preparing to capture the capital’s metro on canvas again.

    “The metro is developing at a rapid pace, but the new stations are not inferior to the old ones in terms of design. They are incredible. I am grateful to the project organizers for the fact that we can draw here,” shares Ekaterina Bulgakova.

    “Art in the Metro”: the project’s artists worked in a tram depot for the first timeParticipants of the Art in the Metro project depicted stations of the Big Circle LineParticipants of the Art in the Metro project created works of art on digital tablets for the first time

    Walk through the tunnel and trains from different eras

    Project participant Ekaterina Gavrilova also considers the metro an invaluable source of ideas for paintings. The artist is fascinated by the architecture of the last century, so she is especially inspired by the very first stations and their design.

    “The main goal of the Art in the Metro project is to draw people’s attention to what surrounds them every day. For example, you can take a closer look at the doors of the Oktyabrskaya metro station. Every detail in their patterns is thought out, forming a single composition,” says Ekaterina Gavrilova.

    The interviewee of mos.ru has been drawing since childhood and was inspired by the works of Isaac Levitan, so she entered the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of Ilya Glazunov and successfully graduated from it. Ekaterina Gavrilova has been participating in the project since its inception. In the metro, she has created more than 20 works in a realistic style with elements of minimalism. Most of all, she liked to draw at the Komsomolskaya, Park Kultury and Taganskaya stations of the Circle Line, as well as at Kievskaya on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line.

    “Thanks to the project, we didn’t just go down to the metro to draw, but went to interesting and unusual events. One night, we visited the tunnel of the Shelepikha station of the Big Circle Line (the Delovoy Tsentr – Shelepikha – Khoroshevskaya section of the Big Circle Line has been temporarily closed since June 22. – Note from mos.ru). We had a couple of hours after the contact rail was disconnected. Under the supervision of the shift supervisor, we walked through the tunnel. In addition, I attended an event at the Izmailovo depot. There, I created a painting called “Two Epochs”, where trains from the last century and our time stand side by side,” recalls artist Ekaterina Gavrilova.

    In her work, she uses not only oil, but also watercolour markers, tempera and gouache. She likes to experiment. For example, the artist depicted the Maryina Roshcha BKL station digitally – on a tablet, since she considers the space itself futuristic. And while working at Kievskaya, Ekaterina Gavrilova noticed two city women enthusiastically talking to each other. This scene formed the basis for the work “Morning News”.

    “The lobby of the Kyiv station is an atrium space framed by Corinthian capitals in a semicircle. The architects’ concept is a place for a temporary break from the road and meetings. The interior is pompous: columns, mosaics, gold. I think the space itself suggested the plot to me. The most wonderful thing in such walls is to engage in creativity. And passengers feel it. That is why the projects “Art in the Metro” and “Music in the Metro” have so many viewers,” the mos.ru interlocutor notes.

    Engage passengers in creativity

    Nikolay Bazunov also took part in the first season of the project. He found inspiration in metro trains.

    “I like the design of rolling stock from the 1940s to 1970s, which is attractive in its simplicity – smooth lines, round headlights. Thanks to my participation in the “Art in the Metro” project, I visited the Severnoye and Izmailovo depots, where I drew historical trains. I even managed to sit in the driver’s cabin of a retro train that runs on the Sokolnicheskaya line,” the artist says.

    Nikolay Bazunov associates the metro with the Great Patriotic War and memories of his relatives. During the bombing, his grandmother and mother hid at the Mayakovskaya station. The artist found a black-and-white photograph taken in 1941 and painted a picture for the anniversary of the Great Victory, where he depicted Muscovites hiding in the metro.

    “There is an interesting incident connected with this work. I was painting it at the Park Kultury station and stepped away for five minutes. I came back and there was a girl standing next to the painting and trying to make the image lighter with my brush. She explained that she found the work gloomy. And I smiled,” recalls Nikolai Bazunov.

    The artist prefers to work with oil on canvas. He compares his work to a musician’s performance. The palette is a turntable with discs, like a DJ’s, the brush is a conductor’s baton. While working, Nikolai Bazunov stands with his back to the passengers so that they can see his painting and express their opinion.

    “I have been participating in the Art in the Metro project since its inception, and have painted about 10 works. This season, I have joined it again not only as a participant, but also as a jury member. I help select artists. It is important to me that a person finds himself in the project, that he finds it interesting, that he can enjoy creativity and inspire others with his example,” emphasizes Nikolai Bazunov.

    This year he plans to paint a series of pictures based on a series of science fiction novels about the metro.

    The recruitment of artists for the second season of the project “Art in the Metro” is ongoing. To become a participant, you need to apply towebsite. The selection of finalists is carried out by an expert commission with the participation of representatives of the capital Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure and associations “Exhibition halls of Moscow”.

    Three new venues for the Art in the Metro project have appeared on the Big Circle LineParticipants of the Art in the Metro project created paintings at the Kitay-Gorod stationPortrait of Dostoevsky and a sketch of a stranger: what works were created by participants of the project “Art in the Metro”Artists of the Art in the Metro project will develop a New Year’s design for thematic Troika cards

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156113073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Territory of reasonable decisions: how Muscovites are helped to improve their financial literacy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The popularity of educational projects on financial literacy is growing in the capital. Master classes, games, quizzes, film lectures and other interactive activities help city residents of all ages understand financial issues. The events are held by the capital’s Department of Finance together with the financial literacy center and partners.

    “We talk to Muscovites about finances where it is convenient for them and in a way that interests them: in schools and universities, libraries, festivals and parks. In 2024 alone, over 560 events of various formats were held in the capital. And this year there will be even more. It is important that Muscovites receive not only new knowledge, but also practical skills: they learn to handle money wisely and make thoughtful financial decisions,” she noted.

    Elena Zyabbarova, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Finance.

    The meetings go beyond the usual spaces and are already becoming part of the urban environment. Thus, this summer, financial literacy days were held at the Northern and Southern river terminals – these are new city platforms for such conversations.

    Another major event is Festival of financial literacy and entrepreneurial culture in Moscow. It has been held since 2017 by the capital’s departments of finance, education and science, as well as the Bank of Russia, and has become a traditional city educational event for city residents of all ages who want to improve their level of financial literacy and learn the basics of entrepreneurship. Last year, the festival lasted a whole week and covered more than 200 sites, including the Moscow Center for Education Quality, schools, colleges, universities, Moscow Longevity Centers, My Work and My Career employment centers, libraries and the Digital Business Space. More than 500 thousand people took part in online and offline events. This coming autumn, the festival will return with a rich program.

    Classes to improve financial literacy are integrated into major events and festivals, including Biblionight, Night at the Museum, and Red Square. Most often, city residents are interested in how to avoid being scammed, invest, and plan their personal budget.

    Modern formats make such events more lively and exciting. In 2024, a financial stand-up and a VR simulator appeared, with the help of which you can practice your personal finance management skills.

    Financial Literacy in Libraries

    For more than two years now, thematic meetings have been held for residents of the capital near their homes. As part of the project “ABCs of Financial Literacy”, which covers all age groups, lectures, business games, film lectures and other events are organized in Moscow libraries.

    City residents discuss familiar life situations with experts, including how to plan a family budget, what to consider when applying for a loan, and how not to become a victim of fraudsters. Event announcements can be found on social networks and city library websites.

    Name for the project Muscovites themselves chose. More than 170 thousand people took part in the voting on the Active Citizen platform.

    Financial Literacy in Film

    One of the most original formats is film lectures in Moscow cinemas. This is an unusual way to involve city residents in managing their personal finances, even if they have not been seriously interested in this before.

    Together with experts, viewers watch famous Soviet and Russian films, including “Courier”, “Moneychangers”, “Russian Money”, “Domovoy”, “Family Budget”. And then they analyze the behavior of the characters from the point of view of financial literacy: what went wrong, and could it have been done differently?

    Soviet films raise topics that remain relevant today, they are simply presented through the prism of modern realities. For example, the film “Beware of the Car” raises questions about car insurance.

    The project is being implemented with the support of the Moskino cinema chain and Department of Culture of Moscow.

    Financial Literacy at Work

    The rhythm of the metropolis does not always leave time for self-education, so a project for financial education of employees of work collectives has appeared in Moscow. Organizations can invite experts to conduct lectures and master classes directly at workplaces – offline or online. All events are free, and the topic can be chosen depending on the request of employees.

    The focus is most often on cybersecurity, personal budget management, consumer protection, investment basics, taxation and lending. Listeners can choose from interactive lectures, master classes, financial quizzes and case studies.

    You can determine the topic, format and time of classes, as well as sign up for the waiting list by link.

    Financial Literacy for Children and Youth

    The upbringing of a financially literate person begins at an early age. Thematic classes and events with elements of financial literacy are organized by Department of Education and Science of the City of MoscowIn addition, children can take part in Olympiads and quizzes, quizzes and quests, meet with representatives of large Russian companies and attend lessons taught by representatives of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring).

    The capital’s Department of Finance is implementing several projects on financial literacy for children and young people. Kindergartens regularly host events for preschoolers, schools host open lessons on financial and budget literacy, and children’s city camps host interactive classes during the holidays. Starting this year, they can be visited not only in the summer, but also in the spring and fall. Primary school students will learn about the origin of funds, rules for financial security and rational purchases, and will also create a model of their bank card and take part in a quiz.

    Experts can also be invited to colleges and universities. Heads of educational institutions choose what will really interest students, including quizzes, educational lectures or cartoons on financial topics. Questions related to budget planning, the history of money, financial security and lending remain popular with young people. You can send an application to link.

    Separate tracks for children’s audiences were also provided at citywide events. While adults listen to lectures on smart family budget planning, children can play the tactile game “Guess What?”, analyze the financial behavior of popular cartoon characters, or take part in the quiz “Secrets of Financial Security.”

    Financial Literacy for the Older Generation

    Older city residents actively participate in educational events with experts, which take place in Moscow longevity centers, libraries and other venues, as well as at major festivals. Muscovites of the “silver” age learn how to make purchases on the Internet, protect personal data and avoid spontaneous spending.

    Experts also talk about aspects of inheritance law in Russia, forms of wills and the specifics of drafting them. It is important that listeners can get answers to their questions on the spot and analyze their personal financial situations.

    In addition, the Moscow Longevity project offers regular classes on financial and legal literacy. The course programs are designed to take into account the interests of the older audience. You can find out more at the Moscow Longevity Centers and on the portal Mos.ru.

    Financial Literacy for People with Disabilities

    Special attention is paid to financial education of citizens with disabilities. Muscovites with visual impairments will be able to attend lectures at the Russian State Library for the Blind and listen to educational programs recorded by the Department of Finance on Internet radio. People with hearing impairments have the opportunity to access educational videos with sign language interpretation. This allows us to cover all segments of the population and create a truly inclusive educational environment.

    Tax deductions and banking products: Moscow launches financial literacy project for the visually impairedMoscow projects to improve financial literacy are recognized as the best in Russia

    Financial literacy in new formats

    Technology is an important component of educational formats. In 2024, an updated version of the financial checkup was presented – an online test that helps assess your knowledge. More than 4.3 thousand people took it. This can be done at any time by linkBy answering a few questions, everyone will find out their level of financial literacy and receive personal recommendations and links to useful materials for further self-education.

    The VR simulator is no less popular. Participants get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a virtual space, where they try themselves in the role of a tax consultant or bank employee and make important decisions on loans and tax deductions. You can practice budget management skills at the events of the Department of Finance.

    Economically active Muscovites have a high level of financial literacy

    Financial Literacy Online

    Those who prefer to study remotely can also easily find the necessary information. Useful materials, event announcements and links are published on the portal “Open Budget of the City of Moscow” and in the same name telegram channel.

    Budget literacy

    Budget literacy projects are also being developed in Moscow. One example is the “Budget for Citizens” competition. The participants are mainly schoolchildren and students. They make guidebooks, draw comics, brochures and posters, develop educational websites, create educational videos and cartoons, and come up with business, board and computer games.

    The organizers analyze the competition entries and try to take into account useful suggestions. The most interesting ideas are implemented in educational projects. Department of FinanceThe works of the winners of the capital competition are also highly valued at the federal level.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156131073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Summer of a young volunteer: how to spend your holidays usefully

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The resource center invites young city residents to spend their holidays usefully and with interesting activities “Mosvolonter”. Summer is the perfect time to try volunteering and gain invaluable experience. Children and teenagers can participate in city events, learn about volunteering with their parents, attend master classes in“Good Places”.

    “Volunteering helps children develop and acquire important social skills, and cultivate leadership qualities. They learn to interact in a team, be proactive and responsible. Volunteering gives children a unique opportunity to discover new and interesting areas of activity, choose a future profession, create their first good projects and find like-minded people,” says Alexander Levit, director of the Mosvolonter resource center.

    Volunteering can be introduced from an early age. Caring for the world around you and wanting to help others will naturally become part of your child’s life.

    Where to start as a volunteer

    Anyone can become a volunteer in the capital. To do this, you need to register on the website Mosvolonter.ru, create a personal account and choose an event to your liking. You can help in volunteer projects independently from the age of 14. Younger children participate with their parents. Volunteers under 18 will need written consent from official representatives.online learning platform At the Mosvolonter resource center you can learn the basics of volunteer work, get acquainted with all its areas and the history of the city.

    Parents can help a young city dweller choose a direction for volunteering. A mother or father, like no one else, can inspire a child to participate in volunteer activities by their own example. This will become a good family tradition or one of the options for joint leisure. For example, you can collect waste paper, plastic and bottle caps with your children and hand them over to a special box in one of the volunteer centers “Good Place”.

    During the holidays, families often take part in clean-up days, creative workshops, sports events, restore books in libraries, walk dogs in shelters, create toys, leashes and other things for them. Together, you can join the initiatives of charitable organizations. This will allow children to feel that they themselves can change the world for the better, give joy and warmth to those who need it. The children will spend their holidays brightly and interestingly – they will learn new skills, meet other volunteers and find friends.

    The Mosvolonter Resource Center has developed educational materials for children cartoons about volunteering. In them, the characters show that everyone has the power to help not only the people around them, but also the entire city. Young viewers will learn that good deeds can be done even on a walk with friends and classmates.

    For children, Mosvolonter has compiled list of good deeds for the holidays. These are simple and exciting tasks. The fairy tale characters tell you how to complete them.

    The children will learn how to make a bird feeder, why it is necessary to collect plastic caps, how to support the elderly, and where to find those who are ready to fix their favorite books.

    Young volunteers can also do their first good deed at the children’s volunteer center “Good Place” in the KidZania Career Park. There, children will learn how to help people and nature, and try themselves out as zoo volunteers.

    Where to apply your talents?

    The website of the resource center “Mosvolonter” not only introduces areas of volunteer activity, but also allows you to choose event to their liking. Children explore the possibilities of professional application of their abilities in the future, learn about the activities of capital organizations, choose an interesting area of assistance and inspire friends to participate together.

    For example, on July 5, a workshop on Family, Love and Fidelity Day will be held at Dobroe Mesto. SZAO.paintings on ceramics. Participants will learn the secrets of the Russian folk craft “Gzhel” and create unusual plates painted with acrylic paints together with their children. Parents will receive useful tips on how to have fun and educational time with their child at home. Experts will tell about unusual creative techniques and new ideas for joint leisure. The event is free, pre-registration is required.

    In addition, you can join the volunteer corps of humanitarian aid collection headquarters “Moscow helps”, and also to bring essential goods to residents of new and border regions. As part of the project “Summer in Moscow” “Houses of Kindness” have been opened throughout the city, where they accept gifts for participants in the special military operation, children living in new territories, and also goods for animals.

    This year, young volunteers are indispensable helpers inInternational Volunteer Corps 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. The brightest summer event was the patriotic action “Memory Line” on the Krymskaya embankment, where many took part together with their parents.

    Start from the school desk

    Many volunteer teams in schools do not go on vacation. Thanks to teachers, children continue to participate in volunteer events and do good deeds for the residents of their district and region. Young Muscovites can learn about the volunteer team and summer activities from the teacher-organizer or educational advisor at their school.

    Volunteering is also useful for those who are already thinking about their future studies at a university. In the summer, you can start accumulating volunteer hours to receive additional points when entering a university. Each university or institute has the right to independently set the number of points (from one to 10). Participation in volunteer activities to receive additional points when entering must be confirmed. This will help to do the main document of the volunteer – personal e-book of a volunteer.

    Schools and other organizations that develop volunteerism are constantly improving their competencies and have access to the most modern educational materials and manuals. Helps in their selection special serviceIt presents the “ABCs of a Volunteer”, a collection of good deeds, the “Moscow Guide” publication, the board games “Volunteers in the City” and “Five Keys”, “A Guide to a Moscow Volunteer”, as well as a practical course for managers, manuals for trainers and organizers of volunteer associations.

    Organizing volunteer activities and involving residents in city events are in line with the objectives of the national project “Youth and Children” and the federal project “We are together”.

    You can find out more about volunteering on the resource center website “Mosvolonter”, as well as on the social network page “VKontakte” and in telegram channel.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156152073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: First steps in a career: more than 70 thousand ninth-graders received career guidance this academic year

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Moscow helps schoolchildren better understand their interests, abilities, strengths and consciously choose a specialty to build a career. For this purpose, the center “Professions of the Future” a comprehensive career guidance program for ninth-graders is in operation. More than 70 thousand children have completed it this academic year.

    “The ninth grade is a very important stage in the life of every schoolchild, when he or she first independently determines their career path. At the Professions of the Future center, as part of the comprehensive career guidance program, teenagers can get a quality start for their development and a real idea of the situation on the labor market. Last academic year, the center welcomed more than 70 thousand schoolchildren, and the number of participants in the comprehensive career guidance program since its launch has exceeded 130 thousand. As Sergei Sobyanin noted in

    development strategies for the social protection system of Moscow until 2030, the capital will continue to scale up the comprehensive career guidance program. Every teenager will be able to make an informed choice of their future profession,” said Andrey Tarasov, director of the Moscow employment service and head of the Professions of the Future center.

    The first stage of the program introduces in-demand professions. Schoolchildren are immersed in the world of professions with the help of an interactive 5D cinema, which has no analogues in Russia, and a VR simulator, allowing them to try on the professions of a welder, turner, barista, baker, waiter, electric train driver and other professions.

    Then, ninth-graders undergo career guidance testing and receive individual consultations from representatives of Moscow colleges and career guidance specialists. Over the past academic year, schoolchildren’s interest in industrial specialties has grown by 1.5 times compared to the previous period, and in construction professions – by two times.

    Professional trials occupy a special place in the comprehensive career guidance program. Schoolchildren visit modern workshops and laboratories of 48 Moscow colleges, where they can try their hand at different areas. This academic year, ninth-graders have passed professional trials in colleges more than 57 thousand times. In addition, over 20 thousand children have visited excursions to more than 250 of the largest organizations and enterprises of the capital. Schoolchildren got acquainted with potential employers and production processes in various fields.

    In addition, the Professions of the Future center developed a special career guidance program for parents of teenagers. During the school year, experts held PROSubbota meetings every month, where they talked about promising professions and gave practical recommendations on choosing a career path. At such events, parents and children could communicate with representatives of colleges and leading employers in Moscow, ask questions and learn about the requirements of the modern labor market.

    The Moscow City Employment Service is the largest state personnel operator that helps residents of the capital find work. Its structure includes employment offices, many of which are located in the My Documents government service centers. The flagship centers are open at the following addresses: Kuusinen Street, Building 2, Building 1, and Shabolovka Street, Building 48. The specialized My Career employment center is located on Sergiya Radonezhskogo Street (Building 1, Building 1).

    At the Professions of the Future center (38 Shchepkina Street, Building 1), you can master one of 75 in-demand specialties in various sectors of the economy in a maximum of three and a half months. Career mentors will help you find a job after completing your training. The center’s partners include more than three thousand employers. In addition, a comprehensive career guidance program for ninth-grade students is being implemented here.

    The admissions campaign in Moscow colleges began on June 26. Applicants can apply online at mos.ru portal simultaneously for five specialties in one educational institution or distribute the choice between several colleges. Detailed information about the professions and specialties taught in the capital’s colleges is posted onwebsite, in the telegram channel“Colleges of Moscow” and the community of the same name on the social network “VKontakte”.

    The admissions campaign has begun at the Moscow Government UniversityGraduates will be able to choose a university and specialty with the help of “MES”Moscow Fashion Week experts give advice to future fashion university studentsMoscow State Pedagogical Univ. will host a summer festival for applicants, students and graduates

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156143073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rozhdestvensky and Strastnoy Boulevards invite you to art master classes

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Decorating and painting products, making cards with floral decor, watercolor painting and 3D appliques – on Rozhdestvensky and Strastnoy Boulevards as part of the project “Summer in Moscow” unique creative workshops operate. All those who wish are taught the main modern artistic techniques there. The program is suitable for all ages, and participation in it is free.

    Masks with decor and smalt mosaic on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard

    Rozhdestvensky Boulevard This summer, it became one of the most vibrant cultural venues in the capital. There is a creative workshop here, where classes are held in a variety of decorative and fine arts. Everyone will be able to not only learn more about artistic techniques, but also create a full-fledged art piece with their own hands – a painted mask, a painted canvas, as well as a mosaic made of smalt or graffiti.

    Master classes on Thursday, July 3, will be devoted to decorating and painting cardboard products. From 13:00 to 14:00, participants will decorate masks in the form of a rabbit or ice cream, using gouache, felt-tip pens and colored pencils. The final touch will be decorative elements – pompoms, confetti, dried flowers and glitter. This work will suit even the youngest participants, who will make a unique souvenir with their own hands.

    On Friday, July 4th, at the same time, a master class “Paintings by Famous Artists in Acrylic” will be held. Participants will be able to choose one of several reproductions of works by classic artists to create their own version of a masterpiece on canvas. They will paint on tabletop easels under the guidance of a professional artist. All materials will be provided by the organizers, and the finished painting can be taken home.

    The program will continue on Saturday, July 5, at 16:00 with a lesson dedicated to Russian folk painting. Participants will create compositions in the style of “Gorodets” or “Northern Dvina” on wooden boards. The teacher will tell about the history of the crafts, their symbolism and traditional colors. As a result, each guest will receive not only new knowledge, but also their own unique work.

    On Sunday, July 6, from 15:00 to 16:00 and on Monday, July 7, from 13:00 to 14:00, a mosaic studio will be open on the boulevard. Guests will create a panel from smalt using the direct set technique. First, participants will come up with and draw a sketch of the future work, and then select and fix the mosaic elements on the base. Such classes not only develop artistic thinking, but also introduce one of the oldest interior design techniques.

    Those wishing to try their hand at street art are invited to graffiti master classes, which will be held on Friday, July 11, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM and Saturday, July 12, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The classes will include two stages. First, participants will learn about the history and aesthetics of graffiti, and create sketches. Then, under the supervision of a professional, they will try to implement their idea on a specially prepared wall. All participants will be provided with protective masks and gloves.

    Geometric paintings and 3D appliques on Strastnoy Boulevard

    Passionate Boulevard has also turned into a cozy art space. There is an art workshop here, where anyone can try their hand at decorative and applied art – learn to draw and create panels in different styles.

    A rich program awaits guests. Thus, on July 3, 8, 9 and 10 from 15:00 to 15:45, a master class “Gems” will be held. Participants will create a three-dimensional picture using the 3D applique technique. They will have to use bright materials, as well as develop fine motor skills and compositional thinking.

    On July 4 and 11 from 15:00 to 15:45 there will be a class “Summer Day”Under the guidance of mentors, visitors will work on a landscape using the dot mosaic technique.

    On July 5 from 14:00 to 14:45 it will be the turn of the master class “Bright colors”Participants will paint pictures in a geometric style – with clear shapes and rich colors.

    On July 12 from 17:00 to 17:45 there will be a lesson called “Blooming Garden”. Guests will make an interior panel with summer motifs using the pebble mosaic technique. They will work with natural materials.

    All materials will be provided by the organizers; participation in the classes is free.

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156107073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: A look at Belconnen school upgrades

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Hawker Primary School’s newly built ramp winds through the school’s garden.

    In brief:

    • There is a lot of work happening at public schools in Belconnen.
    • This includes building a brand-new school, school upgrades and an oval refresh project.
    • This story gives an overview of this work.

    There’s a lot happening at public schools in the Belconnen region.

    From facilities upgrades to a brand-new school, we look at some of the work that’s:

    • been recently completed
    • currently taking place
    • planned.

    This work will ensure every child has access to great, accessible, sustainable facilities and infrastructure that support high-quality education in the ACT.

    Progress on Strathnairn School

    Construction is well underway on what will be the ACT’s 93rd public school.

    The new Strathnairn School will be co-located with an early childhood education and care (ECEC) service.

    It will cater for:

    • 780 students from preschool to year 6
    • 130 ECEC places.

    The school’s foundation principal, Nicole Nicholson, and other executive staff have been announced.

    When will the school open?

    Strathnairn School will open in stages.

    • It will open for students in preschool to year 2 at the start of 2026.
    • It is expected students from all year levels will be able to attend in 2027.

    This will offer families in the Ginninderry region high-quality public education close to home.

    Who can enrol?

    The planned School Priority Enrolment Area (PEA) for the new school includes:

    • Strathnairn
    • Macnamara
    • Ginninderry Stage 3
    • a portion of new development in Holt, west of the golf course bounded by Fullston Way and Lionel Rose Street.

    Enrol your child at Strathnairn School

    Find out more about the school on the Built for CBR website

    The Strathnairn School site in May 2025

    Have your say on a refreshed Fraser oval

    The dryland oval beside Fraser Primary school is getting a refresh. This will make it more useful for students as a learning and play space.

    The community can use it too. Outside school hours, sporting groups and locals can head there for exercise, sports and recreation.

    Canberrans are now invited to share ideas on how best to refresh this popular space. Children and young people are encouraged to get involved.

    How to share your views

    Visit the YourSay Conversations website to take a survey and/or mark your ideas on an online map.

    You can do this until Wednesday, 13 August.

    The ACT Government has sought early ideas from staff and students at Fraser Primary School. Traditional Owners have also shared feedback on what is important to them in this new space.

    Your feedback will help shape a concept design for the refreshed oval. This will be shared through the YourSay platform.

    You will then have further opportunity to give feedback before the designs are finalised.

    Have your say now via the YourSay Conversations website.

    Fraser oval will be refreshed for both student and community use.

    Hawker Primary School upgrades

    Hawker Primary School students and staff are benefitting from recent upgrades.

    The school has welcomed new accessible car parking bays. There is also now a ramp leading to its entrance.

    The front office has had a makeover with:

    • a new two-door entrance
    • new furniture
    • LED lighting
    • upgrades to the sick bay and nearby toilet.

    The school now has a new printer facility room. Upgrades to the boardroom and principal’s office are also complete.

    This work has been completed as part of the ACT Government’s Asset Renewal Program.

    The Hawker Primary School front office has had a makeover.

    Upgrades ahead for Melba Copland Secondary School

    The 2025–26 ACT Budget includes support for the master planning, design and construction of priority upgrades at Melba Copland Secondary School.

    These will include an upgrade to the foyer at the College campus, and a plan for future works.

    Read more like this:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What are working with children checks? Why aren’t they keeping kids safe at daycare?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosemary Sheehan, Professor of Social Work, Monash University

    Catherine Falls Commercial/ Getty Images

    Disturbing allegations have emerged about a Melbourne childcare worker, who has been charged with more than 70 offences, including sexual assault and producing child abuse material.

    Health authorities have urged about 1,200 children to get screening for potential infection.

    The man who has been charged, Joshua Dale Brown, had a valid working with children check.

    What is a working with children check? And how can they be reformed to keep children safe in the wake of yet more claims of abuse in childcare centres?



    Read more:
    Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?

    Working with children checks

    Working with children checks are done on a state-by-state basis, but every jurisdiction approaches it in much the same way.

    In Victoria, it involves a simple application and proof of identity. There is no cost if it is for a voluntary position (for example, coaching your child’s soccer team) and a small fee if you are doing it as paid work (for example, as an early childhood educator or school teacher).

    It will then look at:

    • your criminal record in all Australian states and territories, including any charges, regardless of the outcome

    • your professional conduct as determined by groups such as the state’s institute of teaching

    • whether you’re required to report under sex offender legislation.

    But does it work?

    Regulation of the working with children check system is poor. Once you get your card, it lasts five years. There are no interim measures to check whether an offence has emerged in the meantime. So people can be flying under the radar.

    There is also a high threshold for issues to come to the surface. It might be possible for someone to have complaints made against them, that don’t reach the level of charges laid. These would not necessarily show up in a police check.

    On Wednesday, federal Education Minister Jason Clare said governments were working to improve information sharing between states “when there’s changes to people’s criminal history”.

    He also suggested there should be a national register of early childhood educators: “there’s a register for teachers; there’s not a register for educators in centres”.

    In 2015, the royal commission into child abuse did a specific report on working with children checks. It cautioned against an over-reliance on the checks. The report noted they can “provide a false sense of comfort to parents and communities”, who may believe people who have undergone the checks do not pose any risk to children.



    Read more:
    There’s a new ban on vaping in childcare centres, but what else do we need to keep kids safe?

    Employment history is important

    We need to have more checks in place beyond the police system.

    As the child abuse royal commission also noted in 2015, working with children checks are an “important tool” but only one component of making organisations safe for children.

    Employers must exercise due diligence in hiring staff, checking with previous employers, asking about staff performance, and ensuring proper staff supervision.

    According to the Victorian government, Brown worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne between January 2017 and May 2025. Some of this was casual work.

    This type of employment history – where someone has cycled through many employers – may be a red flag.

    If someone has such a fragmented employment history, it is difficult to check they can perform properly and appropriately in a role. It also goes against childcare wellbeing standards, which prioritise stability and continuity of care.

    How many staff are around?

    Supervision of staff is also important to keep children safe.

    There are set ratios for educators and children in childcare, depending on the ages of the children.

    But this may vary, depending on where children are in a centre. For example, does a child need particular help with toileting or have they had an accident or need first aid?

    Staff also need certain levels of qualifications to work in childcare centres. But there can be waivers if an individual is “actively working towards qualification” – so they may not have completed a formal childcare training certificate yet.

    We also need to make sure there is compulsory ongoing training for staff so they stay on top of best practice in terms of safety as well as education and care.

    The bigger question

    On Wednesday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen announced an urgent review into child safety.

    There are also growing calls for a national inquiry into childcare, including from National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds.

    She told the ABC, “child safety and wellbeing is not a priority in this country”.

    Any inquiry would need to look at the systemic factors that shape the provision of childcare as well as what checks and balances need to be in place.

    Brown worked at centres run by two major private childcare chains: Affinity Education and G8 Education. Both say they followed the required security protocols.

    About 70% of daycare centres in Australia are run by for-profit services, which on average employ fewer qualified staff and are rated lower by the national quality system. We need to closely examine why an essential social service to vulnerable people can be provided for private profit.

    The Victorian government has set up a dedicated website and advice line for parents whose children may have been involved in the alleged offences.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call 1800 Respect on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 131 114, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts (counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse) on 1800 272 831.

    Rosemary Sheehan receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is chair of Pathways Response Victoria, an organisation which receives complaints of abuse by officers of the Catholic Church.

    – ref. What are working with children checks? Why aren’t they keeping kids safe at daycare? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-working-with-children-checks-why-arent-they-keeping-kids-safe-at-daycare-260209

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Top honours for CFA led research team

    Source:

    A CFA research scientist and her team have won top honors at the inaugural Natural Hazards Research awards for their work in predictive fire mapping.

    The research award was presented to Dr Chloe Begg (CFA) and her team which is made up of personnel from three Australian universities and representatives from emergency management organisations from across the nation. 

    The project, funded by Natural Hazards Research Australia, is being led by CFA and the Victorian Department of Education and explores how predictive fire spread maps can assist the public in making decisions in emergency situations like bushfires.  

    The project was born after the 2019/2020 bushfire season when NSW and the ACT released “Red Maps” to the public but due to the number and scale of fires, there was a need identified to show the current and potential impact of them.  

    Dr Begg said fire spread predictions had already been used in Victoria, NSW, and the ACT but there is interest from other jurisdictions to use them in the future.  

    “The project provides an opportunity to use research and collaboration between fire agencies to ensure that the future use of these products is well considered and evidence-based,” she said.  

    Dr Chloe Begg said the team has conducted multiple studies with community members across Australia to understand what information Australian’s are looking for when using maps during an emergency.  

    “Predictive fire spread maps are different to existing warnings, such as those on platforms like VicEmergency,” she said.  

    “We are exploring how fire spread predictions can exist within the current warnings landscape to provide even more information on what is likely to happen to give people more time and context to make decisions about their safety.” 

    The research is already being used to inform fire agency practice.  

    “At the end of last year, Emergency Management Victoria asked us to provide guidance based on the research to support the creation of predictive fire spread maps,” Dr Begg said. 

    “This guidance was used to support the creation of maps that were published ahead of severe weather conditions forecasted for Boxing Day. ”  

    The next phase of community research focuses on testing a range of different designs to understand how best to present the maps with information that community members are looking for.  

    The team will continue to work together to ensure the research findings are useful and usable for all Australian fire agencies. The project is due to be completed by the end of 2026. 

    • An example of the mapping developed
    • An example of the mapping developed
    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The fourth Summer School of the NSU Humanitarian Institute opened at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Yesterday, the fourth Summer School started at Novosibirsk State University Humanitarian Institute of NSU. This event is for schoolchildren of grades 8-10. The goal of the school is to provide the children with the opportunity to get acquainted with the humanitarian areas that exist at the university and to help them in the future to choose a future specialty. This year, 157 schoolchildren from different regions of Russia – Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Irkutsk regions, Altai Krai, as well as from the European part of our country – came to the school.

    The rector of NSU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk took part in the grand opening of the school. He told a little about the history of the university and emphasized that the humanities have always played a major role in the development of the university:

    — Our university is classical, and we are proud of it. At NSU, physicists and lyricists coexist and complement each other. And, of course, the humanitarian and social components play a major role at the university. Currently, more than 30% of students studying at NSU have chosen social and humanitarian fields. Of course, we hope that you will also come to our university in two years. I am sure that, having graduated from our Humanitarian Institute, you will become people we will be proud of in the future. I congratulate you on the opening of the school and wish you fruitful work in the coming week.

    At the orientation session after the opening ceremony, the children were told about the School program, organizational issues and rules, and were introduced to the heads of the areas. Each of the six areas – oriental studies, journalism, history and archeology, computer and applied linguistics, linguistics (foreign languages), linguistics and literary studies – has its own separate training program. It includes expert lectures with current NSU teachers, practical and theoretical classes, as well as excursions. On the last day, July 7, the participants will have an intellectual competition, where they will apply the knowledge they have gained during the week. And the children from each area will be able to demonstrate their abilities and present their own projects.

    — Every year the number of participants increases, the geography expands. We keep the main program grid of the summer school from year to year. First of all, these are expert lectures for all participants regardless of the direction. On the first day, we also organize excursions, when the participants get acquainted with the university, with each other, with the heads of the directions. In the following days, various lectures and workshops are held in each of the directions. During the school, the participants prepare their own projects in which they present what they did during the event, what they learned, what they have learned. On the last day, we have an intellectual competition, and the summer school is actually preparation for this final event, — said Yulia Klimanova, executive secretary of the summer school of the Humanities Institute of NSU.

    During the intellectual competition, participants are divided into teams, which are formed from children of different directions. They participate in a quiz, during which they answer questions on the topic of expert presentations. High results in the intellectual competition allow you to get additional points for participation in the summer school.

    Ekaterina Kotlyarova, a 10th grade student, participant in the “Linguistics and Literary Studies” program, Kemerovo, shared why she decided to participate in the school:

    — It seems to me that literature is quite an interesting subject and science in general. And I would like to promote this science so that people pay more attention to it, because now the number of readers interested in literature is decreasing. I learned about the summer school from my friend who went here last year. She really liked it. I looked at the school schedule, the days are busy, I really want to attend lectures, listen to the professors. I am sure that it will be very interesting.

    Based on the results of the summer school, the children who have achieved the highest results are awarded diplomas for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, and each schoolchild also receives a participant certificate. The winners’ diplomas can be taken into account as individual achievements when applying for training programs at the NSU Humanities Institute; the results can be taken into account two years before admission.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –