Government of Yukon and Yukon Medical Association entering negotiations on next Memorandum of Understanding jlutz March 17, 2025 – 11:45 am
The Government of Yukon and the Yukon Medical Association (YMA) will soon begin negotiations for a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reaffirming their commitment to collaboration and strengthening the sustainability of the Yukon’s health care system.
The negotiations will focus on key priorities, including improving access to quality health care services across the territory, representational rights for physicians and any necessary legislative changes and ensuring fair and sustainable compensation. These discussions will also support broader system sustainability efforts, such as recruiting and retaining physicians, making it easier for Yukoners to find a family doctor and strengthening team-based care so people can see the right health care provider when they need it.
These negotiations will also help align future agreements with the shift towards a territorial health authority, called Shäw Kwä’ą / Health and Wellness Yukon / Santé et mieux-être Yukon. This includes reducing administrative burdens for both physicians and government, ensuring health care information is accurate and reliable across the system and ensuring initiatives support the recommendations outlined in the Putting People First report.
The Yukon Medical Association and the Government of Yukon have agreed the current MOU will remain in effect beyond March 31, 2025, until a new agreement is negotiated and ratified. The current MOU has contributed to improving equity in health care services and enhancing physician supports in the territory.
The Government of Yukon is looking forward to beginning negotiations with the Yukon Medical Association. We are pleased to have a negotiating mandate that provides an opportunity to strengthen our partnership and advance key priorities, including representational rights and necessary legislative changes, to ensure a strong, accessible and sustainable health care system for all Yukoners.
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee
The Yukon Medical Association looks forward to collaborating with the Government of Yukon to establish a new Memorandum of Understanding. By working together, we can prioritize improving access and attachment to family doctors, ensure sustainability of medical services and achieve equity across payment models. The YMA is confident that supporting representational rights will advance these priorities and improve medical care for Yukoners during the transformation of our health care system.
President of the Yukon Medical Association Dr. Derek Bryant
Quick facts
The Yukon Medical Association represents physicians across the territory, advocating for professional standards and the delivery of quality health care.
The current three-year Memorandum of Understanding, in effect from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2025, includes initiatives such as the Attachment and Attraction Program, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Learning Program and commitments to collaborative maternity and early years care.
The upcoming negotiations will focus on issues such as sustainable health care service delivery, representational rights and necessary legislative changes, and fee structures.
Media contact
Laura Seeley Cabinet Communications 867-332-7627 laura.seeley@yukon.ca
Nigel Allan Communications, Health and Social Services 867-332-9576 nigel.allan@yukon.ca
News release #:
25-117
Related information:
Yukon Medical Association Shäw Kwä’ą / Health and Wellness Yukon / Santé et mieux-être Yukon
ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that TriNet is planning to create 750 new jobs at a new corporate center in Dunwoody over the next five years, representing an estimated $15.4 million in investment in DeKalb County.
“As the No. 1 state for business, one of the key drivers of our success is our metro Atlanta area that continues to attract a strong ecosystem of job creators like TriNet,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “TriNet’s services for small businesses will further that network while creating meaningful jobs and investment for the Dunwoody and DeKalb County community.”
TriNet provides comprehensive HR solutions, technology, expertise, and access to world-class benefits that enable small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to attract and develop top-tier talent.
“We look forward to opening a new TriNet office in metro Atlanta and becoming a part of this vibrant and growing business community,” saidMike Simonds, TriNet President and CEO. “We are excited to partner with Atlanta’s strong universities and thriving small business ecosystem as we expand our local team and establish a hub where TriNet colleagues from across the country can come together for training, development, and collaboration to better serve our customers.”
“At TriNet, our people are the heart of everything we do, and we are thrilled to expand our team here in metro Atlanta,” said Catherine Wragg, TriNet Chief People Officer. “This new office will help us attract top talent, foster our strong culture of collaboration and making an impact, and further invest in the professional growth of our colleagues. We are committed to creating a workplace where our colleagues can thrive and look forward to making a positive impact in this community.”
TriNet’s new approximately 150,000-square-foot space will be located in Dunwoody. The company will immediately begin hiring for technology, HR consulting, client management, and sales roles, with plans to leverage its increased presence to grow its regional Atlanta and Southeast customer base. To learn more about TriNet, including where interested individuals can apply for jobs, visitwww.trinet.com/about-us/careers.
“Dunwoody provides the ideal setting for TriNet, offering unparalleled access to the region’s talented workforce and a vibrant, mixed-use environment surrounded by top-tier restaurants, shops, and entertainment,” said Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch. “We are thrilled to welcome TriNet, whose investment will bring hundreds of new jobs to our community. This is another example of a growing company choosing Dunwoody.”
“TriNet’s investment in DeKalb County is a testament to the strength of our workforce, our infrastructure, and our commitment to fostering a thriving business environment,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. “The creation of 750 new jobs will bring invaluable opportunities to our residents while reinforcing DeKalb as a premier destination for corporate growth and innovation. We proudly welcome TriNet to our community and look forward to the positive impact this expansion will have on our local economy and workforce.”
“TriNet’s investment in DeKalb County will create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen our economy,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “With direct access to a pipeline of emerging talent from metro Atlanta’s renowned universities, TriNet is uniquely positioned to connect businesses with the next generation of HR and business professionals.”
Assistant Director of Statewide Projects John Soper represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this project in partnership with the City of Dunwoody, Decide DeKalb, Metro Atlanta Chamber, University System of Georgia, and Georgia Power.
“TriNet’s decision to locate in Georgia reflects the confidence companies have in the state as a hub for innovation, talent, and long-term success,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Strong partnerships between industry, communities, and higher education drive economic growth. We’re excited about the opportunities this investment will bring and congratulate Dunwoody and DeKalb County on this milestone. Welcome to Georgia, TriNet!”
About TriNet
TriNet provides small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with HR solutions and offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation, compliance, and payroll services, all enabled by industry-leading technology. TriNet’s suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, benefits, employee engagement, payroll, and time and attendance. Rooted in more than 30 years of supporting entrepreneurs and adapting to the ever-changing modern workplace, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most – growing their business and enabling their people. For more information, visit TriNet.com.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Laffer Tengler Investments, Inc., a boutique investment management firm for high-net worth individuals, institutional clients and platform advisors is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Werner as Portfolio Manager and Strategy Team member of the Dividend Growth Strategy team. Werner brings with him over two decades of investment experience at asset and wealth management firms.
“Our dividend growth strategy is best in an important and unique strategy; we welcome Mark’s experience and market expertise,” says Nancy Tengler, CEO and CIO of Laffer Tengler Investments. “Adding Mark to our team will help expand our investment strategy offerings as well as add to the firms’ equity research efforts. His background offers the team additional expertise in portfolio management to benefit our valued clients.”
“Laffer Tengler’s proven model was immediately appealing,” says Werner. “I am excited to join the Laffer Tengler team to provide the firm’s clients with diversified and tailored investment strategies.”
Werner’s background includes building and developing asset allocation strategies, conducting in-depth fundamental equity research across global markets, and managing portfolios for both institutional and private clients. Throughout his career, he has held investment and portfolio management roles at firms such as Fred Alger Management, Merrill Lynch, Ashfield Capital Partners, and AXA Rosenberg Investment Management.
Werner holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Arizona State University, a Master of Science in Financial Analysis and Investment Management from St. Mary’s College and is a CFA charter holder.
About Laffer Tengler Investments, Inc.
Laffer Tengler Investments, Inc., headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with national distribution and an office in Scottsdale, Arizona, is an asset management firm providing investment solutions to Institutional, Platform and high-net worth clients. The company is an investment advisor registered with the SEC, and it offers advisory services. Laffer Tengler Investments, Inc. is an affiliate of ButcherJoseph. Nancy Tengler, CEO and CIO, has been managing large cap value strategies for over 35 years. The investment team has an average of 20 years of experience in the investment management business.
MAPLE GROVE, Minn., March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 2 to March 5, 2025, as part of the annual America’s Credit Unions Governmental Affairs Conference, the credit union industry’s largest advocacy event.
During the conference, TopLine executives and officials, along with over 6,000 other credit union professionals, board members and Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) staff members, discussed several top credit union issues with key legislative staff members. The group met with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith as well as members of the U.S. House and their staff. Meetings focused on expanding credit union’s opportunities to serve more Minnesotans, emphasizing the importance of preserving our not-for-profit financial cooperative tax status, fighting back on efforts to disrupt the interchange system, and maintaining an independent credit union regulator – all are very important to the health of the credit union industry.
TopLine spent valuable face time meeting with lawmakers and sharing members’ stories on how TopLine provides safe and affordable financial services to help members with all of their financial needs, from buying cars and homes, saving for retirement and investing in small businesses. These conversations emphasized the importance of preserving the tax status of credit unions, which allows credit unions to continue to do what they do best: focus on serving members and communities instead of chasing profits. Credit unions advocates shared with lawmakers that any limitation or curtailment of the tax status would have a dramatic impact on the $950 million in direct financial benefits Minnesota credit unions provide their members and over $4 billion in economic output in the state.
“The Governmental Affairs Conference united credit union champions from across the nation to discuss key policies, engage with legislators on Capitol Hill, and reinforce to lawmakers and regulators why credit unions are America’s best financial partner—prioritizing people over profits, strengthening communities, and enhancing financial well-being for all,” said Mick Olson, President and Chief Executive Officer at TopLine Financial Credit Union. “TopLine representatives had meaningful discussions with our state lawmakers, emphasizing the importance of preserving our not-for-profit financial cooperative tax status. This fundamental aspect of our structure enables us to build a stronger, healthier financial future for the consumers we serve.”
America’s Credit Unions is the premier national trade association serving America’s credit unions. The not-for-profit trade group is governed by volunteer directors who are elected by their credit union peers. To learn more, visit www.americascreditunions.org.
TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota’s 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul’s Como Park — as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com or www.ahcu.coop. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union’s foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.
CONTACT: Vicki Roscoe Erickson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer TopLine Financial Credit Union verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Arthur Khomotso Mahuma, Economist and Researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg
Poultry is one of the cheapest protein sources for the growing population of the east and southern Africa region. That makes soybeans critical to food security in the region, as they are an important input in chicken feed.
Soybean pricing and production dynamics have been challenging for Zambia and Malawi, threatening poultry production in the region.
Poultry feed makes up 60%-70% of the total cost of poultry production. Soybean prices directly affect the affordability of poultry and the ability of producers to be competitive. Small-scale independent poultry producers in particular have a hard time because they buy feed from the open market and are too small to determine prices. Large producers source feed from their own operations and determine soybean prices.
Figure 1: From soybeans to poultry
Zambia and Malawi are the key soybean producers in east and southern Africa. Both countries were hit hard in 2024 by climate change related weather and by the behaviour of players in the soybean market, including processors and traders.
Zambia’s soybean production fell by 74% because of poor rains and also because of farmers being squeezed. Large buyers had negotiated very low prices in previous years, so farmers planted less.
Malawi’s production also fell (20%), but much less than Zambia’s. Yet the surge in soybean prices in Malawi by 48% between May 2024 and November 2024 was out of proportion with the drop in production, and even surpassed Zambian prices (Figure 2). Malawian prices were the highest in the region, even though it produced enough to export.
We are economists at the African Market Observatory, which monitors prices of staple foods and conducts research on market dynamics. We analyse market concentration and barriers to entry, within and across countries in east and southern Africa, and we do in-depth field work.
Our work shows that competition issues, such as the ability of large buyers to influence prices and high margins, are at the heart of the surge in prices and low production in Malawi and Zambia. The climate-related weather effects are an additional factor.
Figure 2: Soybean prices in Zambia, Malawi and South Africa (benchmark) (3-month moving averages)
Market outcomes
In Zambia, dominant buyers of soybean offered farmers very low prices during the 2023 season – well below US$400/t and the South African benchmark (Figure 2). This meant that farmers planted less than half the 2023 crop in the 2024 season.
Crops were also affected by poor rainfall. Malawi’s 2024 production fell by 20% because of the worst drought in 100 years. The drop in production was lower than expected, demonstrating that farmers can adapt to weather changes. Prices still rose, however, driven by the highly concentrated soybean trading and processing market.
Cheapest source of proteins
Poultry is one of the cheapest sources of protein and has one of the lowest environmental impacts. It is essential that the value chain works well from feed to chicken rearing and becomes more resilient to extreme weather events.
The experience of 2024 shows what can go wrong.
Poultry demand in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow more than fourfold by 2050. Producers will need affordable feed.
Among them are many small-scale independent producers who rely on competitive markets for their inputs. Yet we found that with the escalating soybean and feed prices in Malawi from late 2021, and higher prices for day-old chicks, small independent producers had negative margins, meaning they made a loss in the second half of 2021. High feed prices undermine the competitiveness of Malawi’s poultry industry.
Aside from South Africa (which relies on genetically modified soybean), Zambia and Malawi have been the largest producers in the region. These countries have been exporting around half of their production (including soycake) to neighbouring countries with larger populations such as Tanzania and Kenya.
Zambia’s production plummet
Between 2020 and 2023, Zambia’s soybean production grew from 297,000 tonnes to 650,000 tonnes (Figure 3). In 2024, its production collapsed by 74% to 170,000 tonnes. This sharp decline was primarily due to farmers opting to plant less soybean because of the low prices offered from processors in 2023 (Figure 2). Farmers bought 50% less soybean seed for the 2024 season than the 2023 season.
In Zambia, soybeans are produced by many small farmers, so they compete to sell their crop to a few main processors in a concentrated market. As a result, these processors have greater power to influence the terms of trade, such as price. This was especially evident in 2023 when processors offered farmers lower prices (Figure 2).
Poor rainfall linked to the 2023/24 El Niño phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which is the warming of the central to eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, causing drought in southern Africa while inducing heavy rainfalls and floods in eastern Africa, did have an impact across southern Africa, including Malawi and Zambia. While Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania recorded above average rainfall, their soybean output is low.
Resilience to climate change impacts requires deepening and diversifying agriculture production across countries and regional trade to meet demand.
Soybean prices in Malawi remain high but Zambia’s prices stabilise
Malawi’s prices increased rapidly to over US$700/tonne in June 2024, surpassing Zambia’s, and continued to rise to almost $900/tonne at the end of the year, far above other countries in the region. The reason couldn’t be reduced production from poor rainfall, because production still exceeded local demand. This happened even as the Malawi government put export restrictions on soybeans (but not soymeal). The price surge raises competition concerns in Malawi, where trading and processing is highly concentrated. In theory, highly concentrated markets are characterised by high prices, due to a lack of price competition.
By comparison, Zambia’s prices moderated because of imports. In addition, the low soybean prices offered to farmers in 2023 also meant that processors had crushed surplus soybeans, thereby building up soymeal stock. This reduced the demand for soybeans, as did power cuts in Zambia, which limited crushers’ operations.
Urgent next steps
Soybean developments over 2024 show the need to consider how competition issues within and across borders can undermine the resilience of regional food markets and hinder the ability of small producers to compete. Zambia is currently conducting a commercial poultry market inquiry. But a regional approach in monitoring markets and tackling anti-competitive conduct is necessary to support poultry production.
Arthur Khomotso Mahuma works for the African Market Observatory (AMO), an initiative of the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED) at the University of Johannesburg. He is also a Competition Expert for the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate which has provided funding for CCRED’s for research on African Food Markets.
Namhla Landani works for the African Market Observatory (AMO), an initiative of the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development at the University of Johannesburg. The AMO receives funding from the Shamba Centre for Food and Climate for research on African Food Markets.
Children with disabilities face significant challenges in South Africa. Firstly there are delayed diagnoses which can lead to complications. The high cost of healthcare and little financial support for their families can limit their access to healthcare services altogether.
There is also little access to rehabilitation services. Inadequate facilities and a shortage of trained personnel are just some of the obstacles.
I started thinking about ways to get over these obstacles when I noticed that people with disabilities weren’t well represented in my sport.
As a competitive surfer and instructor, I had always celebrated the ocean’s ability to inspire confidence and resilience.
Every day, the beach was alive with activity – surfers, families and ocean lovers. Yet among them, I rarely saw people with disabilities in the water.
I began to notice that the beachfront itself, the infrastructure, the culture, and even my own surf school, weren’t actively creating space for inclusivity.
This would eventually become the cornerstone of the Roxy Davis Foundation, established in 2019, and later my doctoral research focusing on ocean-based therapy for children with disabilities.
I found surf therapy enhanced the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of these children.
New therapy
Surf therapy teaches people with disabilities to surf to promote psychological, physical and psychosocial well-being.
The first peer reviewed publication on surf therapy appeared in 2010 and focused on Aboriginal children in Australia. It was about mitigating the inter-generational trauma suffered as a result of the government-sanctioned removal of Aboriginal children from their families, a policy that only ended in the 1970s.
In 2020 a review of a 10-year period included 29 studies into war veterans and young adult cancer survivors, among others.
One such study focused on children with autism spectrum disorder. The study took place in the north-west of Ireland. Children said they felt happier and free, while their parents said they were more relaxed and confident.
A South African study with children with autism spectrum disorder explored the feasibility and unique benefits of an existing surf therapy programme and reported largely positive results.
My own research involved an adapted surf therapy programme for children with a range of disabilities.
Five children aged between 12 and 16 were enrolled. Altogether there were 35 participants including parents, counsellors, volunteers, physiotherapists and surf instructors.
Four of the five children were from under-resourced communities in South Africa’s Western Cape province and all had either a physical, sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.
None of the children had taken part in ocean sports before.
Getting into the water
For six weeks the children took part in a three-hour surf therapy session on a Friday afternoon.
The first goal was to get the kids in the water. We used mobility mats, surfboards with handles and amphibious beach wheelchairs to help.
Each child was taught now to surf according to their pace of learning and ability.
There was also a “surfers’ circle” with a discussion topic for each session.
After six weeks we conducted follow-up interviews to see what changes the children had experienced, and if these had any influence on their lives outside surfing.
We also asked parents and counsellors to identify the most significant changes in the children.
‘I felt free and confident’
Final interviews were completed one year later.
Charlie, aged 12, with cerebral palsy: “If my brothers want to go surfing I don’t have to stay behind and just watch them, I can go surf with them. It is so cool to surf with my dad and my brothers.”
Charlie’s teacher: “His self-awareness level and how he sees himself in the world has really improved.”
Tala, aged 15, with cerebal palsy: “Once I started surfing, I felt free and confident. Even in other spaces, when I’m not surfing, like, ‘Yeah I can surf, I can do something like surfing that I didn’t know that I could do before.’ ”
Tala’s school psychologist: “She went into this feeling very insecure, nervous and anxious. She said she will always remember who she was and how she felt before she went to the programme and how she came out of it … to be able to use that feeling and apply it to a different situation, that’s huge for her.”
Princess, aged 15, with spina bifida: was determined to “wean” herself off using nappies after gaining confidence through surf therapy.
Princess’s guardian described her experience as similar to “winning a gold medal … She was more confident in herself than ever. She is off that nappy completely now.”
Thabo, aged 14, a leg amputee: “Before session one, I was feeling nervous and excited, but as soon as I got in the sea, the nerves disappeared. You look and realise you can actually do that. I feel like I belong in the ocean.”
After the final session he said: “I can relax, I can be in control of my urges and my temper. I’m now not always thinking about what people think about me. I can be myself in many ways.”
Rowan, aged 15, a quadruple amputee: “Before I started surfing, I was thinking I can’t do it until I tried it and just being there was like beyond being able to speak in my wildest dreams. I couldn’t believe I could surf in the ocean riding some waves.
“On my first session, I was like ‘If I can do it, I can do it for the rest of my life’.”
In his second interview he said: “My goal is to become a national champion and to become a Paralympic champion.”
One year after the surf therapy programme he entered a provincial parasurfing competition, which he won. He was then selected to participate in the South African Para Surfing Championships in 2022, where he came second. Later that year he was selected to represent South Africa at the World Para Surfing Championships in California. Nineteen months after starting surfing, in December, on his 16th birthday, he competed in the World Championships and was placed 17th.
Surf therapy demonstrates what’s possible when we focus on ability rather than limitation.
Roxy Davis is affiliated with the Roxy Davis Foundation.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Assefa Leake Gebru, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Strategic Studies , Mekelle University
For over 20 years, Ethiopia was led by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, a coalition of four ethnic-based political parties representing Tigray, Amhara, Oromo, and Southern nations, nationalities and peoples. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front was the most influential party within the coalition. However, in 2018, when the Prosperity Party came into power, the front lost its important role in government.
On 4 November 2020, the federal government launched an attack on Tigray, terming it a military offensive against political aggression from the Tigrayan front. This sparked a war that lasted two years, and caused severe damage to people and resources. The African Union’s lead mediator in the crisis, Olusegun Obasanjo, estimated about 600,000 civilians were killed. This makes it one of the most destructive conflicts of the 21st century.
On 2 November 2022, the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed a peace deal in South Africa, the Pretoria agreement. More than two years later, however, Tigray still faces immense political and humanitarian challenges. Assefa Leake Gebru, who has studied post-war Tigray, explains what’s happening.
What’s the current situation in Tigray?
The 2022-2022 war and its lingering effects have thrown the Tigray region into chaos. People are grappling to get basics like food, water and medicine. The regional economy was devastated by the war. There have been no rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts so far. Humanitarian aid is limited. Imagine if your local grocery store ran out of everything and couldn’t restock – that’s the situation I have witnessed and studied in Tigray, which is affecting millions of residents.
Additionally, the leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front are now fighting among themselves for power. The division is mainly between two factions: one led by former regional president Debretsion Gebremichael and the other by Getachew Reda, who heads the interim administration.
In January 2025, leaders of Tigray’s military forces supported calls from the Debretsion faction for new regional leadership. The interim administration opposed this, calling it a soft coup. The federal government considers the political faction led by Debretsion illegitimate. The military leaders’ decision also sparked public protests, with Tigrayans calling for a separation between the military and politics.
This internal division has weakened the interim administration, which was installed as part of the Pretoria agreement in March 2023.
Given this situation, the interim administration remains fragile amid serious humanitarian concerns and security threats facing the region. The interim government and dysfunctional law enforcement institutions aren’t strong enough to fix things.
Economically, jobs remain scarce. A 2024 survey found a youth unemployment rate of 81%. This situation has been created by economic collapse, asset plunder during the war and the absence of a functioning government.
Socially, people are stressed and hurting, like a community still reeling from a major fallout. It’s a pile-up of problems that are making life incredibly tough.
What, exactly, is the Pretoria agreement?
The Pretoria agreement is an important peace deal between Tigray’s political leaders and the federal government. It was signed in Pretoria, South Africa, on 2 November 2022. The African Union facilitated the peace talks hosted by South Africa.
The goal of the agreement? End the violence that began in 2020, keep people safe by calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, allow aid like food trucks to roll in, disarm Tigray fighters and set up an interim government to restore order.
It also aimed to re-establish the Ethiopian government’s control over federal installations in Tigray.
What has been implemented and what hasn’t?
There has been some positive progress. The Pretoria agreement established the interim government. Some everyday services are back, like banks reopening and planes flying again. A few Tigray fighters have put down their weapons.
But here’s where it gets messy. Soldiers from Eritrea – which supported the Ethiopian army in the Tigray war – and militias from another Ethiopian region, Amhara, are still hanging around Tigray, raising security threats. They’re preventing internally displaced persons from going back home.
The plan to fully disarm Tigrayan fighters hasn’t been completed either. This threatens regional stability, undermines peace efforts and increases the risk of renewed violence.
What are the implications of not fully executing the Pretoria agreement?
First, the region’s humanitarian crisis could worsen. An estimated one million displaced people are grappling with high levels of food insecurity, and thousands of schools remain closed. A weak interim government and the continued occupation of parts of Tigray by armed groups has hindered the restoration of services and stifled economic progress.
Second, the division within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front makes it hard to lead the region under an interim administration. A lack of consensus on power-sharing has hindered effective governance, undermining the intended transitional authority.
Third, a weak interim government can’t keep civilians safe, which was a pillar of the Pretoria agreement. Economically, the lack of jobs and skyrocketing prices are hitting Tigrayans hard. Socially, everyone’s on edge.
Finally, there’s a risk of igniting further conflict in the region along the political fault lines between Debretsion and Getachew. There is a high chance of this situation being manipulated by Eritrean forces, who weren’t involved in the negotiations that led to the Pretoria agreement. The fractures in the interim government provide an opportunity for neighbouring Eritrea to support one faction against the other, which could escalate into war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has been one of Eritrea’s bitterest enemies. The antagonism between the two led to the 1998-2000 war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
If these tensions keep up, Tigray will remain stuck in an awful cycle. The African Union and international community must address these issues to prevent a spiral into further chaos.
Assefa Leake Gebru 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.
Remember those lessons where you learned to use the formal “usted” with strangers and “tú” with friends? Well, the signs on Philadelphia’s streets show that Spanish speakers actually use pronouns differently.
In Spanish, unlike modern English, speakers must choose between different ways of saying “you” when addressing someone. Some Spanish dialects use up to four different forms – “tú,” “usted,” “vos” and the Colombian “sumercé” – but the Spanish speakers writing signs in Philadelphia have settled on just two: “tú” and “usted.”
But here’s where it gets interesting: In Philadelphia, the choice between these forms doesn’t follow the traditional rules we all thought we knew.
What the signs tell us
After analyzing 250 signs across three neighborhoods with a significant number of Spanish speakers – the Golden Block, in North Philadelphia; Olney, in North Philadelphia; and South Philadelpha’s Italian Market corridor – and online spaces such as social media from different Hispanic organizations in the city, I found some surprising patterns in how these forms are used.
Bilingual signs written in both Spanish and English tend to use the verb form associated with formal “usted” – imagine a store window announcing, “Please wear a mask / Por favor, utilice una mascarilla.” But signs written only in Spanish often use the informal “tú,” even when addressing strangers. This challenges the common assumption that we should always use formal language with people we don’t know.
My study suggests the purpose of the message matters more than formality. When signs make requests, they typically use “usted.” But when they’re trying to persuade or invite people to do something, “tú” is more common. A sign saying, “Please wait to be seated” typically uses “usted,” while one saying “Join us for our grand opening!” uses “tú.”
A city’s changing voice
Philadelphia’s Spanish-speaking history stretches back to the late 1800s, with waves of migration bringing distinct varieties of the Spanish language to the city.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the absence of “vos” in these signs, despite Philadelphia’s significant Salvadoran population who traditionally use this form. This suggests newer communities are adapting their language in signs to match the more established Spanish-speaking groups in the city.
Why this matters
These findings tell us something important about language in immigrant communities.
Rather than creating an entirely new dialect, Philadelphia’s Spanish speakers are finding common ground in how they communicate. It’s a reminder that language rules are often more flexible than we think, shaped by real-world use rather than textbook guidelines.
The next time you’re walking through Philadelphia’s Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, pay attention to the signs around you. They’re not just giving directions or advertising services – they’re showing us how language evolves when different communities come together in a new home.
Daniel Guarin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The Polytechnic University was included in the first group of universities to receive grants from the Priority 2030 program.
Following the meeting of the expert council of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, 119 universities out of 142 that submitted their updated development programs will receive grants from the Priority-2030 program for a total of 30.5 billion rubles. The largest funding of 1 billion rubles will be received by each first group universities, which included Polytechnic University.
Since 2025, the Priority 2030 university support program has been relaunched with a focus on achieving technological leadership in Russia by combining the efforts of the state, business, and universities to create joint projects. The updated Priority 2030 program includes 10 performance targets, including a new indicator — the integrated technological leadership index (ITL). ITL is calculated based on the volume of extra-budgetary R&D and scientific and technical services, commercialization of intellectual property, and the work of small innovative enterprises.
Each university included a section on “Strategic Technology Leadership” in its comprehensive development program, identifying three strategic technology projects.
The main emphasis in the Polytechnic University Development Program is on the systemic development of a qualified partnership model in all basic processes of the university. The SPbPU team will solve the task of ensuring technological leadership by focusing on three key scientific and technological areas (KST):
KNTN-1 “System Digital Engineering” – development of technologies and products superior to foreign analogues, based on digital twin technology andCML-Bench® Digital Platform; KNTN-2 “New Materials, Technologies, Production” – creation of science-intensive production for repair and manufacture of products for various purposes; KNTN-3 “Artificial Intelligence for Solving Cross-Industry Problems” – development of digital platform solutions for analyzing multimodal data.
“I congratulate the entire Polytechnic staff onsuccessful defense of our Development Program and inclusion in the first group of leading universities. This is the result of our coordinated work on the successful implementation of the projects of the Priority 2030 program, the programs of the World-Class Scientific Center, the NTI Competence Center and the Advanced Engineering School, then on the development of the SPbPU Development Strategy, which has undergone a comprehensive examination, including obtaining an expert opinion from the Russian Academy of Sciences, – commented the rector of SPbPU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy. – The approved Development Strategy forms the basis of the Development Program of our university until 2030 and in the long term until 2036. Formed teams with competencies and experience in solving breakthrough scientific and technological problems, created scientific and scientific-technological groundwork and established effective qualified partnership with industry both in solving frontier engineering problems and in training engineering personnel for high-tech industry will help us achieve all the indicators of the updated Priority-2030 program and make a breakthrough in the scientific and technological sphere aimed at ensuring technological leadership.”
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.
PALO ALTO, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pivotal, the market leader in light electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced the appointment of Marjorie Dickman to its board of directors. A global government affairs and geopolitical expert, Ms. Dickman is consistently recognized among the nation’s top public policy executives and top women in technology. For decades, she has led corporate strategies that navigate complex regulatory landscapes in the U.S. and abroad – creating opportunities, managing risk and growing market share.
“We are thrilled to welcome Marjorie to Pivotal’s Board of Directors. Her wisdom of U.S. and global government affairs and her deep business acumen in the emerging tech and transportation sectors are invaluable to our growth,” said Ken Karklin, Chief Executive Officer, Pivotal. “This is an exciting time for Pivotal. Our aircraft offer a new way to experience flight, and our aero architecture is ready for public safety and defense use cases.”
“I am excited to join the board and delighted that my extensive experience in tech and transportation innovation aligns with Pivotal’s mission,” said Marjorie Dickman. “I am especially pleased that my regulatory expertise in navigating global market access and competition can be an asset for Pivotal’s growth in the eVTOL market.”
About Marjorie Dickman Ms. Dickman is a highly seasoned government affairs expert and attorney, based in Washington, D.C.
She built her career leading government engagement and communication strategies for multinational technology companies – with a focus on rapidly evolving sectors like AI, automated and connected vehicles, cybersecurity, data privacy, Internet of Things (transport, energy, manufacturing), and secure communications for defense and first responders. Her track record of success building trusted government relationships, influencing public policy, and navigating regulatory and legal frameworks has earned numerous accolades. Examples include “Tech Titan” Policy Influencer, Global HERoes Role Model, and Most Powerful Women in Tech.
As BlackBerry’s first Chief Government Affairs and Public Policy Officer and direct report to the CEO/Executive Chairman, Ms. Dickman opened the company’s Washington, D.C. office in 2020. She built BlackBerry’s Global Government Affairs and Public Policy organization from the ground up, including the company’s Government Relations and Technical Standards teams operating in the U.S., Canada, EMEA, the UK, LATAM, and APJ.
Prior to BlackBerry, Ms. Dickman led a highly successful 16-year career at Intel Corporation – most recently launching and leading global government affairs for two of Intel’s most ‘disruptive’ businesses: Automated Driving and the Internet of Things – where she managed teams across the U.S., EMEA, China and Japan. Prior to Intel, she practiced law at a prominent Washington firm, specializing in telecom regulation and M&A.
Ms. Dickman has been appointed to the Boards of the Eno Center for Transportation, Consumer Technology Association (CES), U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Engagement Center and Cybersecurity Leadership Council, No. Virginia Technology Council, and George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing. She is an honors graduate of Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.) and Duke University (A.B., Public Policy).
About Pivotal Pivotal designs, develops, and manufactures light eVTOL aircraft. An industry pioneer, Pivotal is renowned for the BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to be commercially available and delivered to customers in the United States. In October 2023, Pivotal introduced its next generation production aircraft, the Helix, and in January 2024 began sales of the Helix. The company’s distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable technology platform have been under continuous improvement for well over a decade, and today, Pivotal has the most mature technology in the light eVTOL category. Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal vehicles are designed for a wide range of consumer, public safety, and defense applications. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For videos and more information, visit https://pivotal.aero.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
In accordance with the initiative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, a mother and child room has been opened at the State University of Management. This step is part of a federal program, within the framework of which about a thousand such important rooms should be created in Russian universities by 2030.
The mother and child room at the State University of Management is designed to create comfortable conditions for students and university employees raising children. All conditions for comfortable time spending by mothers with children are met here: a cozy interior, necessary furniture, as well as the possibility of holding events aimed at early career guidance for children.
“Caring for children and families of students is an important aspect of the formation of the future economy of our country. Supporting young parents and creating favorable conditions for raising children contribute to the development of human capital,” said Vladimir Stroyev, Rector of the State University of Management.
In 2024, about 40 mother and child rooms were opened in the country, and this process will continue.
At the State University of Management, the mother and child room is located in the right wing of the 1st floor of the Main Academic Building. Absolutely anyone can take the key at the security post at the entrance. Working hours: according to the GUU schedule.
The State University of Management actively supports initiatives aimed at creating a family and ensuring a harmonious combination of study and motherhood, which contributes not only to improving the living conditions of students, but also to improving the quality of the educational environment.
SUM continues to strive to develop an inclusive and supportive atmosphere for all participants in the educational process, which is an important step towards improving higher education in Russia.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/18/2025
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.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Alexander Kolpakov
Representatives of the North-West Office of the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) met with students to tell them about their activities and employment opportunities for young professionals.
“The demand for specialists capable of ensuring reliable, uninterrupted operation of energy facilities and safety of technological processes is growing. State inspectors who carry out control and supervisory activities play a key role in this. Practice shows that some of those who receive higher education today will not work in their chosen specialty and in the industry as a whole. Today’s meeting is educational in nature for future specialists in the energy sector who can link their professional activities with the field closest to their specialty,” said Alexander Kolpakov, Deputy Head of the Department for State Energy Supervision of Consumer Electrical Installations of the North-West Department of the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (in the sphere of state energy supervision).
He explained that the North-West Department of Rostekhnadzor carries out state control and supervision in industrial safety, safety of hydraulic structures, electric power industry, construction in St. Petersburg, Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Novgorod, Pskov regions and the Republic of Karelia. In the sphere of state energy supervision, inspectors conduct inspections of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs for their compliance with reliability and safety requirements, regulatory legal acts within their competence. They are among the first to go to the largest and most significant facilities in order to subsequently issue a permit for the commissioning of electrical installations. Among such facilities are the most technologically advanced stadium in the country, Gazprom Arena, the new multifunctional sports complex SKA Arena, the northernmost skyscraper in the world, Lakhta Center, and the metro.
“Everything is developing rapidly today: new technologies are being introduced, modern materials are being used, unique facilities are being built, and it is very interesting to work in our field. Public service differs from civil work due to requirements and restrictions. The main requirements are: Russian citizenship, reaching the age of eighteen, and proficiency in the state language. You can become a specialist expert, senior or chief inspector, department head or deputy only if you have a higher education. Support specialists only need to have a secondary vocational education. There are no requirements for experience: inspectors can be recruited directly from their studies, and students can undergo industrial training,” concluded Alexander Kolpakov. The conversation about work, including at large, well-known facilities, interested the students not only in terms of employment, but also in terms of organizing energy supply to them.
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.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
March 17 NSU Advanced Engineering School “Cognitive Engineering” held an interregional conference “Engineering education in school: real cases and best practices”. The event was attended by more than 40 teachers of additional education from the Novosibirsk, Omsk and Irkutsk regions.
The opening of the conference was addressed by the Director of the Advanced Engineering School of NSU, Sergei Golovin:
— It is no secret that filling engineering activities with projects involving the real sector of the economy is what our state and region encourage, so that children, having entered universities and studied, become engineers who will create technological independence for Russia. The goal of today’s conference is to discuss how to properly build an engineering methodology in schools, how to involve local industry in projects, and decompose enterprise tasks for school projects. Today, NSU PISH presents the final of the additional professional education program for teachers and mentors who have already prepared their real cases, which they will implement in their territory.
Leading experts in the field of additional secondary vocational education presented reports on best practices and modern approaches to the implementation of school engineering projects and the interaction of educational institutions with industrial partners. The main goal of the conference was to exchange knowledge and skills in the field of involving schoolchildren in engineering activities, as well as discuss strategies that contribute to the successful implementation of school projects and the establishment of strong partnerships with industrial companies.
Among the leading speakers are Svetlana Yakovleva, Head of the Department of Educational Policy in the Sphere of General Education of the Ministry of Education of the Novosibirsk Region. The conference also featured Natalia Gornostaeva, Head of the Altair Regional Center, Maya Gichgeldieva, Director of the Education Foundation, and co-founder of the Garage Tesla project Sergey Salnikov.
The representative of the Ministry presented general information on the development of engineering activities in the Novosibirsk Region. At present, there are 81 general education organizations in the region, where there are engineering classes. There are also 119 institutions of additional education in the Novosibirsk Region, where children can engage in technical creativity. Among them are children’s technology parks.
Within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, 382 centers of education in natural sciences and technology were implemented, which covered more than 2,600 children. In 2024, on the basis of ten organizations of additional education, engineering and technical circles were created for joint educational and industrial activities of children and adults.
Concluding her speech, Svetlana Yakovleva emphasized:
— Technical education is certainly a priority in the education system of the Novosibirsk Region. I am confident that the support measures implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Region will improve the quality of training of graduates and engineering personnel for the industry of the Novosibirsk Region.
An important part of the conference was the presentations by graduates of the program “Methodological and technical support for additional education programs for children in engineering, technology and natural sciences” from the Advanced Engineering School of NSU – these are teachers of additional education from the Novosibirsk and Omsk regions.
The program graduates presented roadmaps for the comprehensive implementation of additional education programs in technical areas: microelectronics and unmanned systems. The teachers presented projects for the implementation of programs that will stimulate schoolchildren’s interest in engineering, and also shared plans for interaction with high-tech enterprises to set engineering tasks and adapt them for schoolchildren.
Following the conference, proposals were formulated for further coordination of actions between representatives of additional education on the issue of developing engineering in the school environment.
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.
Bessie Margolin was not born to privilege; she was left at the Jewish Orphans Home of New Orleans at four. She was fortunate to have a foundational education at the Newman School. She was admitted to Tulane Law School, the only woman in her class, and graduated with a liberal arts degree and a law degree, with honors, in 1930. The strong recommendations that she had from Tulane got her admitted to Yale Law School, where she worked as a research assistant and earned the Sterling Fellowship, the first woman to be awarded that honor. She graduated from Yale with a J.S.D. in May 1933. She immediately began working as a researcher for the Inter-American Commission of Women, mainly writing and conducting her research at the Library of Congress during that summer. (Trestman, 38.)
Her first permanent post-degree position was at the new agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), at a time when women formed only 2% of the legal profession. (Trestman, 41.) While at the TVA, where again she was the first female lawyer, she worked on several key cases, including a few that challenged the TVA’s existence, such as Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley KF26 .L3 1963eUnited States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Equal Pay Act of 1963.
Earl Warren papers, box 832, Remarks, Dinner Marking Retirement of Bessie Margolin, Washington Hilton Hotel, January 28, 1972.
JK671.C52 Civil Service Journal.
KF3306 2016The Employment Law Sourcebook / Eleanor L. Grossman, J.D., and Robert B. McKinney, J.D., of the staff of the National Legal Research Group, Inc., editors.
MIAMI, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Captivision Inc. (“Captivision” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CAPT), a pioneering manufacturer and global LED solution provider, today announced the appointment of Richard “Ric” Clark to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Clark will serve as Chair of the Company’s Compensation Committee and also join the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, bringing decades of executive leadership and corporate governance expertise to the Company.
Mr. Clark has nearly four decades of real estate, M&A and capital markets experience. He is founder of Burnside Investments, a private investment company, co-founder of WatermanClark, a real estate investment partnership, and a board member of public and private companies in industries including retail, sports and entertainment. Previously, he spent three decades at Brookfield Corp. and its predecessors, serving in various leadership roles, including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Property Group, Brookfield Property Partners and Brookfield Office Properties. Under his leadership, Brookfield’s real estate group grew its assets under management from $5 billion to more than $200 billion and expanded globally across the property spectrum.
“We are delighted to welcome Ric to Captivision’s Board of Directors,” said Gary Garrabrant, Chairman and CEO of Captivision. “Ric brings an unparalleled experience building and leading one of the world’s largest and most respected real estate companies. His accomplishments as an entrepreneur are equally distinguished as well as his relationships with decision makers globally.”
Mr. Clark holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
About Captivision
Captivision is a pioneering manufacturer of media glass, combining IT building material and architectural glass. The product has a boundless array of applications including entertainment media, information media, cultural and artistic content as well as marketing use cases. Captivision can transform any glass façade into a transparent media screen with real time live stream capability. Captivision is fast becoming a solution provider across the LED product spectrum.
Captivision’s media glass and solutions have been implemented in hundreds of locations globally across sports stadiums, entertainment venues, casinos and hotels, convention centers, office and retail properties and airports. Learn more at http://www.captivision.com/.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to expectations for future financial performance, business strategies, or expectations for the Company’s respective businesses. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that it will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts, and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as “believe”, “can”, “continue”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “will” or the negative of such terms, and similar expressions, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (1) the ability to raise financing in the future and to comply with restrictive covenants related to indebtedness; (2) the ability to realize the benefits expected from the business combination and the Company’s strategic direction; (3) the significant market adoption, demand and opportunities in the construction and digital out of home media industries for the Company’s products; (4) the ability to maintain the listing of the Company’s ordinary shares and warrants on Nasdaq; (5) the ability of the Company to remain competitive in the fourth generation architectural media glass industry in the face of future technological innovations; (6) the ability of the Company to execute its international expansion strategy; (7) the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property rights; (8) the profitability of the Company’s larger projects, which are subject to protracted sales cycles; (9) whether the raw materials, components, finished goods, and services used by the Company to manufacture its products will continue to be available and will not be subject to significant price increases; (10) the IT, vertical real estate, and large format wallscape modified regulatory restrictions or building codes; (11) the ability of the Company’s manufacturing facilities to meet their projected manufacturing costs and production capacity; (12) the future financial performance of the Company; (13) the emergence of new technologies and the response of the Company’s customer base to those technologies; (14) the ability of the Company to retain or recruit, or to effect changes required in, its officers, key employees, or directors; (15) the ability of the Company to comply with laws and regulations applicable to its business; and (16) other risks and uncertainties set forth under the section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F entitled “Risk Factors.”
These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and the Company’s management team’s current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company and its directors, officers, and affiliates. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company management team’s views as of any subsequent date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update, add or to otherwise correct any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, inaccuracies that become apparent after the date hereof or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
DALLAS, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Nasdaq will convene top leaders across the Texas economy to celebrate the legacy of Ross Perot Jr. and to discuss strategies for the state’s continued economic prosperity. The event will showcase Perot’s role in driving Texas’ economic success and emphasize the vibrant innovation ecosystem that has been developed under Governor Greg Abbott’s tenure.
“Ross Perot Jr. has been a steadfast advocate for the entrepreneurship and investment that have reshaped the Texas economy. From leading trailblazing developments such as the expansive AllianceTexas project to being a co-founder of Perot Systems, Ross has been a bedrock of the Texas business community and a major contributor to the state’s phenomenal success,” said Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO of Nasdaq. “His dedication to fostering growth through investments in innovative companies and his decades of philanthropic work embody the values Nasdaq is proud to recognize through this award. We thank Ross for his remarkable contributions and Governor Abbott for his tireless leadership in building an economic ecosystem that has become a global epicenter for growth and innovation.”
The convening will also feature a keynote speech by Governor Abbott, who will underscore the historic achievement of the “Texas Miracle,” the state’s tremendous economic growth over the past 20 years. Texas’ success is deeply rooted in its culture of risk-taking, hard work, and entrepreneurial spirit—evolving from a legacy of resource-driven wealth into a diversified, business-friendly economy. With forward-thinking investments in infrastructure and education, and a strong, growing population, Texas continues to lead nationally in job creation, business expansion, and economic dynamism.
“Visionaries like Ross Perot Jr. prove that Texas is the blueprint for American success,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “I’ve known Ross for many years and am proud to call him a great friend. He is a true Texas pioneer whose work in real estate, oil and gas, aviation, and economic development created hundreds of good-paying jobs for hardworking Texans. Entrepreneurs like Ross know that they live in a state where they can cast a vision and achieve it. By continuing to work together, Texas will remain the beacon of economic opportunity and prosperity for generations.”
To celebrate the economic miracle that has positioned Texas as a national and global powerhouse, Nasdaq will present Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Hillwood and the Perot Company, the inaugural Nasdaq Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes Mr. Perot’s unparalleled contributions to the Texas economy and his lasting impact on innovation, technology, economic prosperity, and community development.
In 1989, Mr. Perot spearheaded the development of Fort Worth Alliance Airport, the nation’s first industrial airport, through a groundbreaking public-private partnership. This project became the cornerstone of AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use community in North Texas. Today, AllianceTexas serves as a global leader in logistics and innovation, anchored by the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, an integrated ecosystem for surface and air mobility technology to scale and commercialize. Since its inception, AllianceTexas has generated more than $120 billion in regional economic impact.
Mr. Perot also co-founded Perot Systems Corporation in 1998 with his late father, where he served in various leadership roles, including CEO, Chairman of the Board, and member of its Board of Directors. The company revolutionized the use of information technology in industries like healthcare and was acquired by Dell Inc. in 2009. Following the acquisition, Mr. Perot served on Dell’s Board of Directors until 2013. Through Perot Jain, his venture capital firm, Mr. Perot continues to invest in innovative companies that redefine industries and drive technological progress.
As an aviation enthusiast and a former fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Perot chaired the U.S. Air Force Memorial Foundation, leading a 14-year effort to construct the United States Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.C. In addition to his business and philanthropic achievements, Mr. Perot holds several key leadership roles. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Hoover Institution. He also holds Board Member Emeritus positions with Vanderbilt University and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
About Nasdaq Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.
About Ross Perot, Jr. and Hillwood Ross Perot Jr. is Chairman of The Perot Companies, overseeing family interests in real estate, oil and gas, and financial investments, and of Hillwood, a global real estate firm he founded in 1988. He developed Fort Worth Alliance Airport, the nation’s first industrial airport, anchoring a 27,000-acre mixed-use community generating over $120 billion in economic impact. Perot co-founded and served on the boards of Perot Systems and Dell. Currently, he is Vice Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of the Hoover Institution and the American Enterprise Institute.
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
The Olympiad is organized by Rosfinmonitoring jointly with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Education of Russia, as well as universities of the International Network Institute in the field of AML/CFT, including the Higher School of Economics. This year, HSE experts took methodological part in developing the tasks of the invitational round. Schoolchildren and students who registered for the selection round before March 30 are allowed to participate.
International Financial Security Olympiad — is an intellectual competition that is held annually on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Its main objectives include popularizing financial security as a norm of life, minimizing the risks of involving young people in illegal activities and forming a new type of thinking: from the financial security of an individual to the financial security of the state and the commonwealth of states. Over the four years of its existence, the Olympiad has already united over 6 million people from 36 countries!
The Olympiad is held for students in grades 8–10 in the unified profile “financial security” based on such school subjects as mathematics, computer science and social studies, and for students (1–3 years of bachelor’s degree, 1–4 years of specialist degree and 1st year of master’s degree) — in separate areas of training:
jurisprudence;
Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technology, Computer Science and Computer Engineering, Applied Computer Science, Information Security, Business Computer Science;
economics, finance and credit, economic security;
international relations, foreign regional studies.
The International Financial Security Olympiad is held in several stages. The first of them is an invitational one, which allows you to get acquainted with the format of the tasks, study additional materials and prepare for the new cycle. The second stage is a qualifying one. It is organized in the form of two rounds – from March 31 to April 4 and from April 9 to 15 – in an online format using the Sodruzhestvo platform. You can start completing the tasks only after registration, which must be completed before March 30.
The third important stage is the qualification stage, which is scheduled for the period from August 1 to September 3.
The final will take place from September 28 to October 3 at the Siberian Federal University (Russia, Krasnoyarsk).
Winners and prize winners of the Olympiad will receive advantages when entering a university and offers for practical training and internships with the possibility of further employment from Rosfinmonitoring, the Bank of Russia, PAO Promsvyazbank, MUMCFM, leading financial organizations and partners. Schoolchildren who show high results will be able to enroll in a bachelor’s/specialist’s degree at the Higher School of Economics without entrance examinations or get 100 points for the entrance examination. The benefits apply to the programs of the National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow.Information security“, “Computer security” And “Jurisprudence: Digital Lawyer“, as well as to the relevant programs in Nizhny Novgorod And Perm.
“We invite students not only to test themselves by participating in the Olympiad, but also to delve into the issues of financial security in more detail! For this purpose, in 2025 we are launching a minor”Financial Security and Computer Investigations”. You will be able to obtain the necessary knowledge base and form a framework of important legal, financial and digital competencies, and upon completion – an official document confirming the additional qualification received. Thanks to this, new career opportunities in this field will open up for you,” comments Alexander Chepovsky, Director of Strategic Work with Applicants.
The micro-qualification obtained by the minor is “specialist (expert) in the field of financial and information security”. It will allow you to be a sought-after employee in the corporate sector, government agencies, budgetary organizations and non-profit organizations.
Minor Selection Campaign will take place in the near future: March 20 and 21 – the first wave, March 25 – the second.
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.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Energy Secretary visits China to launch climate dialogue
Ed Miliband resumes formal energy and climate talks with China
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband met his Chinese counterparts in Beijing this week to re-start formal energy and climate discussions and demonstrate global climate leadership.
On Saturday (15 March) the Secretary of State met Chinese Minister Huang at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. They discussed strengthening cooperation on climate issues such as nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) looking ahead to COP30.
He then travelled to Tsinghua University where he spoke to students about UK action and global cooperation on climate change as part of the university’s climate lecture series.
On Sunday (16 March), the Energy Secretary visited Carbon Capture and Storage (CCUS) and hydrogen power projects in Energy Valley, an area which drives the development of clean energy technologies in the country.
He then met with British business representatives based in Beijing, to hear about the opportunities and challenges for business and how the UK can support in increasing UK clean energy exports to drive growth and create jobs.
On Monday (17 March), the Secretary of State visited China’s National Energy Administration to engage in a formal UK-China Energy Dialogue. Along with Administrator Wang, he led discussions focused on clean energy technologies, pathways to the energy transition including phasing out coal, energy security and international energy governance.
At the end of the meeting, Ed Miliband signed the Clean Energy Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Administrator Wang, which agrees to enhance cooperation on renewables, grid modernisation and clean technologies, while protecting the UK’s national security.
The visit concluded with a visit to the Great Hall of the People, where the Energy Secretary met Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to agree to continue cooperation on energy and climate. The Secretary of State also took the opportunity to raise the UK government’s concerns on issues including Russia, forced labour and Jimmy Lai.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
We can only keep future generations safe from climate change if all major emitters act. It is simply an act of negligence to today’s and future generations not to engage China on how it can play its part in taking action on climate.
That is why I met Chinese ministers for frank conversations about how both countries can fulfil the aims of the Paris Climate Agreement, to which both countries are signed up.
Our Plan for Change and clean energy superpower mission is about energy security, lower bills, good jobs and growth for the British people. It is with this mission that we can also influence climate action on a global stage, fight for our way of life and keep our planet safe for our children and grandchildren.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 16–18, 2025, the State University of Management will host the International Scientific and Practical Conference “State and Municipal Administration in the Context of the Implementation of National Development Goals of Russia.”
We invite representatives of government bodies, the scientific community, business, the media and all interested parties to participate.
The conference program includes plenary sessions, thematic sections and competition events. Among the key areas: strategy of population saving, digital transformation of public administration, development of urban infrastructure, competitive economy and technological leadership, historical experience and modern challenges of public authority, the future of local self-government in Russia.
The conference includes the following:
Work of seven thematic sections with participation of leading experts; XI All-Russian competition “History of local self-government”; Final of the competition of student projects “Managers: new generation”; Open competition for schoolchildren “If I were the head of the city (district)”; Meetings of sections of young scientists.
Participants will be able to publish the results of their research in the conference proceedings (RSCI) or the thematic issue of the journal “Vestnik RUDN: Public and Municipal Administration” (VAK, K2).
For publication, it is necessary to comply with the requirements for the design and originality of the text.
Participation is free. Mandatory registration is available until April 14, 2025.
A detailed program, publication conditions and contact information of the organizing committee are available on the official website of the conference: https://конфериягуу.рф/
Contacts for inquiries: Mikhail Borisovich Polyakov: 7(929) 613-29-29, mb_polyakov@guu.ru.
Join the dialogue on Russia’s development strategies in the context of global challenges!
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/18/2025
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.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
The award ceremony will take place at the Open Day at the Information Technology Center of the State University of Management on March 23, 2025. It will start at 12:00.
The All-Russian scientific and practical tournament “Hi-Tech Breakthrough” started in the fall and was held in three stages. Its results were summed up last week. 180 participants from Russia, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Mali, Afghanistan, Iran, the Philippines, Sudan, Israel, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Congo, Turkmenistan, India, Vietnam and other countries demonstrated their talents in marketing.
Based on the results of the final, foreign citizens who showed the best results were recommended for admission to the Master’s program “High-Tech Marketing” of the Institute of Marketing within the quota approved by the Government. This year it was 60 places.
The finalists of the Tournament among Russians will also receive a pleasant bonus – additional points await them when they enter the “High-Tech Marketing” program.
Congratulations to the winners, we wish them successful admission to the Master’s program and a great career in marketing! And we are waiting for everyone who wants to try their hand at the Tournament of the next season, which starts on November 1.
Subscribe to the tg channel “Our State University” Announcement date: 03/18/2025
Дне открытых дверей в Центре информационных технологий ГУУ 23 марта 2025 года. Начало в 12.00….” data-yashareImage=”https://guu.ru/wp-content/uploads/Хай-тек-прорыв-2024-1.jpg” data-yashareLink=”https://guu.ru/%d0%b3%d1%83%d1%83-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%b3%d0%bb%d0%b0%d1%88%d0%b0%d0%b5%d1%82-%d0%bf%d0%be%d0%b1%d0%b5%d0%b4%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b5%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%b9-%d0%b8-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%b8%d0%b7%d1%91%d1%80%d0%be/”>
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.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Craig Jackson, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology, Birmingham City University
US astronauts Sunni Williams and Barry Wilmore have been stranded in low earth orbit onboard the International Space Station for nine months. They are now finally due to return to Earth. Their planned return from their one week mission was abandoned due to concerns with the return vehicle, the Boeing Starliner-1, and this resulted in them being in space for 290 days.
Wilmore and Williams do not hold the record for the longest stay in orbit, which belongs to cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 continuous days on the Soviet Mir space station. Nine other US astronauts have spent more than 200 days each in orbit during a single spaceflight – but Wilmore and Williams do hold the record for the longest unplanned spaceflight among US astronauts. Could the unplanned nature of their extended trip produce effects not seen in other planned long-term spaceflights?
The risks and hazards of space flight are well understood by Nasa and referred to as “RIDGE” – short for Radiation, Isolation and confinement, Distance from Earth, Gravity effects and hostile Environments. Aerospace medicine takes such issues seriously.
Some physical effects include blood clots and pooling, reductions in bone density, poor digestion, lower nutrient absorption, musculoskeletal atrophy (muscle and bone loss), and poorer cardiovascular function due to reduced blood pumping in zero gravity. Other impacts include changes to the eyeballs due to the pooling of fluids, pooled cerebrospinal fluid around the skull area, and a semi-permanent feeling of congestion.
The reduced sense of smell may be a blessing, as many space capsules develop an unpleasant smell. Physical effects from fluids can be improved, but not entirely negated, by cuff compression (a fabric sleeve that compresses an area of the body) to relieve pain and swelling. Musculoskeletal atrophy can be reduced with the help of an aerobic treadmill and resistive exercises to help maintain the muscles and cardiovascular function.
Exposure to radiation is a serious concern, and longer exposures can increase the likelihood of astronauts developing some cancers later in life. The health of Wilmore and Williams will be monitored for many years to come.
While stranded, Wilmore and Williams will have been providing vital data to help measure the impacts of prolonged stays – every bladder and bowel movement they had will have been weighed and checked for any signs of illness and to monitor changes brought about by their unplanned extension.
On their return to Earth, they will require gentle physiotherapy to regain muscle function and strength, and for cardiovascular rehabilitation, paced carefully due to the physical fatigue and limitations they will suffer for a few weeks. Dizzy spells, reduced muscle function, and visual disturbances will be common and even walking will take some practice. Their skin will be “baby soft” after nine months of not having their clothes rub against their bodies.
Of more interest may be the psychological challenges they face, from their concerns over the “near miss” by not returning to Earth in the vehicle they arrived in because Nasa decided it was too risky, through to having to live in confined quarters with others for so long, with a lack of privacy, and enforced companionship.
Behaviour in others that was initially a minor annoyance can quickly become serious sources of stress and irritation during enforced confinement. Astronauts are selected and screened based on temperament, personality, aptitude and their ability to cope when things go wrong. A problem solving mentality and a will to live, coupled with an ability to follow commands and maintain order in the most difficult of circumstances are what makes astronauts better than most of us.
They are trained to cope under any situation, such as crash-landings in deserts, or technical failures on board the spacecraft. But despite excellent training, human fallibility and failings will emerge given time.
Astronaut training also instils the importance of resilience, despite the most trying circumstances, and they will have been trained to keep their fears and anxieties hidden for the benefit of the mission. It might only be after their return that Wilmore and Williams may express their relief. Depression and anxiety can be common after returning to Earth according to others who have been there, with Buzz Aldrin admitting it happened to him and others in his 1973 autobiography Return to Earth.
Keeping busy will have helped keep worries away. Nasa
They may have experienced feelings of abandonment and questioned why they could not be rescued sooner, or may have developed an understandable lack of trust in technology, and a lack of faith in their fellow mission crew members. They will no doubt have missed important dates with their families, experienced homesickness and possibly even questioned if they could last until rescued.
Video-link contact with family will have kept them going but will have also been painful and difficult at the same time. Knowing that their families are worried about them, yet equally unable to do anything about it must have been particularly difficult. Although keeping themselves busy as a distraction will have helped, there would have been downtime when their worries must have been almost overwhelming.
Sleep disturbances and the inability to get regular sleep to allow their brains to rest will have led to cumulative fatigue – both physical and mental. Some astronauts struggle to ever get used to sleeping in space – resulting in lack of performance in the sufferer.
Being stranded on the ISS and unable to get back home while being able to see home fly by with every rotation of the Earth presents a unique form of frustration. One positive effect reported by many astronauts is the “overview effect” where a sense of peace and oneness with the planet is experienced when viewing the Earth from a whole new perspective. The overview effect seems to have a permanent impact, staying with astronauts for the rest of their lives.
A complication in understanding any psychological effects of spaceflight is that many astronauts hope to continue their careers and have more missions, and therefore may not be honest about any negatives they experienced. With Nasa planning missions to Mars at some point in the future, the unique experiences of Wilmore and Williams will be useful to behavioural scientists planning such future missions and trying to understand the best psychological characteristics for selecting astronauts for long term spaceflights.
Craig Jackson 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.
Historians and neuro-scientists show there are well-established psychological patterns that explain how personal fear fosters anger that leads to a need for action to eliminate the fear.
This dynamic has been evident in much of my 40 years of experience and research on public protests, including my doctorate on public order policing and subsequent ongoing analysis.
Google Trends offers a scientifically valid rating of global search engine topics rated on a weighted scale of 100. In the U.S. on March 10, 2025, for example, the search topic “I am so angry all the time” hit the top of the 100 index, the highest in more than 20 years.
In the powerful 1976 movie Network, actor Peter Finch — playing a volcanic TV newscaster — goes berserk, rises from his desk and yells, “I’m a human being, goddamn it! My life has value … I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!” In response, thousands go to their windows and scream his rallying cry.
A clip of the famous scene in Network when Peter Finch proclaims ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’
In perhaps a similar vein, leaders at the Pentagon, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy recently instructed federal workers not to reply to a weekend email from the Office of Personnel Management with the subject line: “What did you do last week?”
The fear-anger-action dynamic is now unfolding in America.
“If I could say one thing to Elon Musk, it’s ‘Please put a dose of compassion in this. These are real people. These are real lives …. It’s a false narrative to say we have to cut, and you have to be cruel to do it, as well. We can do both.”
The response from Musk and Trump to the outrage follows a proven pattern of action and anti-action my colleagues and I have termed the “4-D defense” of deny, divert, delay and destroy. We discovered this pattern through many years of research on public activism for both industry and government agencies, and it was the focus of my PhD dissertation.
We analyzed the content of thousands of traditional news stories, public opinion surveys and the socio-demographics of fearful groups that were angry they were being impacted by actions that were unfair, unlawful, dangerous and arbitrary.
We found that the defensive 4-D reaction works like this:
First deny there’s a problem.
When proven true, then divert the cause to someone else.
When proven you’re the cause, agree to remedies but delay the process as long as possible through promises and endless consultations.
When this is unacceptable, then destroy those protesting by besmirching their credibility and reputations with erroneous and confusing counter-facts and entangled lawsuits.
Trump prefers the ‘destroy’ part
Trump is quick to jump to the “destroy” part of 4-D defense through threats that have included bullying and crushing tariffs.
Another example of this Trump tendency was a recent heated Truth Social post in which he vowed to “imprison or deport students who participate in certain protests” against his attacks on education.
Musk responded on his social media site, X, that reactions by frightened and angry employees to arbitrary firings was “EXTREMELY troubling that some parts of government think this is TOO MUCH!! What is wrong with them?”
Musk appears to be embracing the 1911 “scientific management” style of Frederick Taylor, an American inventor and engineer who is known as the father of scientific management. He argued that the “greatest evil” in the workplace was lazy employees who were simply “replaceable cogs on a wheel.”
When Musk asks “what is wrong with them?” in reference to the fear, anger and demands for protective action from hundreds of thousands of federal employees, he should perhaps watch Network.
It seems they’re “mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.”
Eli Sopow 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.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Members of the Committee on Fuel Poverty reappointed
Caroline Flint (chair), Gordon McGregor, Belinda Littleton and Anthony Pygram have been reappointed to the Committee on Fuel Poverty (CFP).
Caroline Flint has been reappointed to the Committee on Fuel Poverty (CFP) in the role of Chair. This reappointment took effect from 31 January 2025 and will last for 3 years.
Belinda Littleton, Anthony Pygram and Gordon McGregor have also been reappointed to the Committee. Gordon McGregor’s reappointment takes effect from 17 May 2025 for 2 years. Belinda and Anthony’s reappointments each take effect from 3 May 2025 for 3 years.
The Committee on Fuel Poverty advises on the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing fuel poverty and encourages greater co-ordination across the organisations working to reduce fuel poverty.
Biographies
Caroline Flint
Caroline has a wealth of experience in politics as a Labour MP for Don Valley, from 1997-2019. She was the first woman MP for Don Valley and a Minister in 5 government departments, developing legislation and leading major policy initiatives, before serving in Her Majesty’s Opposition Shadow Cabinet from 2010 to 2015. During her significant political career, she led the Smoke Free England legislation, led Opposition strategy on energy market reform and climate change, has contributed to multiple All-Party Parliamentary Groups and committees, including the Commons Public Accounts Committee and Intelligence and Security Committee.
Caroline was appointed chair of Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust in 2021 and has been re-appointed for a second term. She was a member of the UK Commission on COVID Commemoration which reported to the government on how our collective experience of the pandemic should be remembered. Caroline is an Advisory Board member for the thinktank Reform, works with Dods delivering training on how government and Parliament works and is a broadcaster and commentator on news and current affairs. She won Celebrity Mastermind in 2021 with her specialist subject the movie ‘Alien’ raising money for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA). She lives in Doncaster.
Belinda Littleton
Belinda Littleton works for National Grid and is currently Head of Asset Engineering Assurance, Electricity Transmission. She is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Belinda’s work at National Grid has included:
leading a team of specialists to deliver appropriate system upgrades that provide value to the consumer during the clean energy transition
focusing on enabling a net zero future that doesn’t leave anyone behind
setting out National Grid’s strategic perspective on the decarbonisation of transport
Previously working as an economist at Ofgem, Belinda looked at the impact of the smart meter rollout on vulnerable customers.
Belinda has also previously worked at PwC. During this time she worked with the former Department of Energy and Climate Change to develop their Household Energy Efficiency Strategy considering the carbon reduction contribution that could be made by households.
Belinda is passionate about designing inclusivity into future policy that delivers against net zero commitments within the UK.
Anthony Pygram
Anthony Pygram is a regulatory expert. He was the Director of Conduct and Enforcement at Ofgem (where, amongst other things, he oversaw the development of Ofgem’s Consumer Vulnerability Strategy). He was subsequently a specialist adviser to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee for its Ofgem and net zero inquiry, and more recently a Senior Manager at the Payment Systems Regulator.
Anthony is Lay Vice President and a member of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, a Lay Member of the Regulatory Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, and the independent Chair of the Code Change Committee for the non-household water market.
Gordon McGregor
Gordon has worked for over 3 decades in the energy and utilities sector. He has a depth of experience working in retail, distribution, generation and corporate management. Most recently, he has helped lead a number of highly innovative companies that have a strong focus on energy efficiency, renewables and clean technology.
Gordon was a founding member of the Electricity Association Taskforce on Fuel Poverty, working on how energy regulation and industry structures could improve energy efficiency and affordability. Throughout his career, he has helped design energy efficiency programmes, developed affordable payment approaches, created social action initiatives and has helped design tariffs that help priority and vulnerable customers. He has also been involved in market design and managed the implementation of regulations to support new renewable targets. As a director of a vertically integrated utility, he helped lead the transition from a largely fossil fuel based portfolio towards a lower carbon alternative.
Gordon is Chief Sustainability and Digital Officer for Sweco UK & Ireland, a leading European engineering and architecture consultancy. Gordon also sits on the Natural Environmental Research Council and is a member of the UKRI Advisory Board for Building a Green Future.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)
Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivers a keynote address at the United Nations University under the theme “South Africa’s G20 Presidency: Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability – a Conversation with Japan.”
When Marlena Edmonson, a social worker and elementary school counselor from Indiana, considered running for political office, she thought she needed to be an expert in economics or political science if she wanted to throw her hat into the ring.
Joshua Levin ’25 (MSW), a student at the UConn School of Social Work, had toyed with the idea of running for office, but felt like he needed more information on how to actually run an effective campaign.
Also a student at UConn, Quinn Meehan ’26 (MSW) is passionate about making things like political social work, campaigning, and being involved in politics more accessible for those living with disabilities.
And Kashmir Flood, a Master of Social Work student at the Columbia University School of Social Work, sees herself incorporating political work and social work practice together in some way – whether by running for office herself or supporting candidates in the future.
For many of the 130 social workers and students who traveled to Hartford on the first weekend in March and spent two days in a chilly, windowless conference room at the Downtown Marriott hotel in Hartford, the idea of launching, running, or participating in a campaign for political office had seemed like a daunting task.
How do you get started?
Why are the rules so complicated?
And, if I run for office, will I really have to call people on the phone to ask them for money?
But travel they did, from 20 different states and the District of Columbia – some coming from as far as California, New Mexico, Iowa, and Arkansas – to take part in the 29th iteration of the Campaign School for Social Workers, presented by the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work and to learn, step-by-step, the ins and outs of running a political campaign at any level of government.
Founded in 1995 by the late former UConn School of Social Work dean, Nancy A. Humphreys, her namesake institute works to increase the political participation and power of social workers and the communities they serve.
Since 1996, the Campaign School has trained thousands of social workers, students, and faculty from both the U.S. and abroad on what it’s like to get involved in politics as volunteers, staff, advocates, and candidates; to navigate systemic barriers; and to uphold the social work profession’s values and code of ethics while participating in the political process.
Charles Lewis, founder and director of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy in Washington D.C.; Kimberly Hardy, second vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party and president of the Society for Spirituality and Social Work; Connecticut State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey; and Tanya Rhodes Smith, outgoing director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at UConn, speak at a panel during Humphreys Institute Campaign School, held on March 7 and 8, 2025. (Thomas Rettig/UConn Photo)
Despite the typical public perception of what social workers do, notes the Humphreys Institute’s outgoing director Tanya Rhodes Smith, social work was founded as a political profession and has always been committed to not only working with individuals, but also to working on solutions to the complex issues impacting the communities that they serve.
And a big part of that is, and always has been, the profession’s active and visible role in the political process.
“Democracy reflects the priorities of those who show up,” Rhodes Smith told the participants on the first day of this year’s Campaign School, “and hint: it’s a small group of people. So, it matters who votes, who holds office, who works on campaigns, and who donates money.”
The skills that make someone a great social worker, Rhodes Smith explained, also make someone a great candidate, and learning how to take part in politics and campaigning is as much about developing leadership skills as it is figuring out financing rules and putting out yard signs.
She also warned that Day One of campaign school would be “like drinking out of a firehose.”
“But we’re going to teach you to live your life as a candidate, so that you will be ready when you decide or are asked to run or serve by others,” Rhodes Smith said.
Have a Plan. Write it Down.
“Close your eyes,” ordered Kate Coyne-McCoy, the person who’s been holding that proverbial firehose at nearly every Campaign School.
“Imagine you’re back in grade school, and you take the bus to your friend Susie’s house, and you go in, and you call your mother, and you say, ‘Mom, I’m at Susie’s and I just invited myself to dinner.’ If you’re like my mother, there’s an audible gasp. You don’t invite yourself to dinner,” Coyne-McCoy continued.
“Now, open your eyes. It’s 2025. You’re not just going to invite yourself to dinner. When you get there, you’re going to ask for money.”
Coyne-McCoy is a social worker who has trained more than 9,000 individuals to run for elected office, is a former Congressional candidate herself, and served as the chief trainer for the Harvard Square to the Oval Office program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School.
And fundraising, she told the participants, is the barrier to most candidacies – the thing you don’t want to do more than anything.
“You cannot get elected to anything if you don’t have the money to communicate with the people you need to,” Coyne-McCoy said. “I know that 90 percent of you are sitting here saying, ‘Nope.’ You can – you all can. But are you willing to do it?”
Though this year marked Coyne-McCoy’s final Campaign School training, she didn’t try to ease the water pressure from her firehose of information. Day One was a nonstop onslaught starting with becoming a candidate, ending with volunteer recruitment, and covering everything in between.
The depth and breadth of the material was surprising to some of the attendees.
“I was afraid it would be more local, and not enough of the others,” said Edmonson, who is interested in running for federal office. “But I feel like I got what I needed.”
You cannot get elected to anything if you don’t have the money to communicate with the people you need to. I know that 90 percent of you are sitting here saying, ‘Nope.’ You can – you all can. But are you willing to do it? — Kate Coyne-McCoy
“I didn’t think it was to be this amount of information at this level of expertise,” Meehan said. “I didn’t think it was going to be complete experts in the field, from so many different organizations, and so, that was really what impressed me.”
Early on in the day, Coyne-McCoy – who spent all of Day One on her feet, roaming around the room while barreling through her training materials and engaging the participants as they peppered her with questions and hypothetical scenarios – explained that it doesn’t matter what office someone is running for: They need to a have a campaign plan and write it down.
That plan needs to include details on their campaign team, their fundraising and budget, messaging, research, and their timeline.
Over the rest of the day, she’d periodically quiz the participants on these essentials.
“What’s the most important part about campaign planning?” she’d call out.
As the day went on, the chorus of voices that responded grew stronger and louder as they’d answer back.
“Have a plan. Write it down.”
The day also included a messaging component where the participants worked to craft their own personal story, a 90-second pitch that explained why they were running and why someone should vote for them – something not just valuable on a campaign, but also in their lives and as social workers.
“Telling your story is about you,” Coyne-McCoy explained. “It’s the thing you should do when you walk into a job interview. It’s what you would do when you walk into a legislator’s office.”
A few participants shared their stories, including a young woman who beat addiction and wants to see those who lack access to health care find the services they need.
And a teacher who saw the lack of resources her students experienced and saw how it made them feel – as though they didn’t matter.
And a social worker and teenage mother who wants her peers to join her in consistently upholding the values and ethics of the social work profession.
That code of ethics – a set of standards set forth by the National Association of Social Workers – was a consistent theme of this year’s Campaign School, Rhodes Smith said, because whether seeking to serve in local, state, or federal office, the code can be applied to help social workers navigate all types of challenges, including conflicts with values that might occur in politics.
“Politics and campaigns exist in a partisan context, but the code rises above party,” she said, “and it’s our superpower and guide through every sticky situation or ethical dilemma.”
‘Any one of you could do it’
The firehose of Day One gave way to a quieter, more thoughtful approach on Day Two, where discussions started a day dedicated to processing everything learned the day before and figuring out how participants might apply it in their own lives.
In-depth discussions with social workers serving in various elected offices were encouraging but realistic about what it means to both run for and hold office.
“We need to demystify how to run for office,” said Justin Roias, a city councilor in Providence. “It feels complicated, and that feels intentional. There’s a lot of things hidden that you need to learn yourself. But once you do, you’ll get there.”
“When I think about local politics, I think about cultivating future leaders,” said Kai Belton, a state representative from Middletown. “And then, I’m looking in this room full of social workers, and I’m like, oh my god, this is amazing. I can’t tell you how many of my colleagues up at the legislature say, ‘Kai, we need more social workers up here.’
UConn Social Work Student Jacob Pierce – with Tanya Rhodes Smith, outgoing director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work – at the Humphreys Institute Campaign School on March 7, 2025. (Thomas Rettig/UConn Photo)
“There are so many people who want to see you win, and you will have the support that you need. I think that this looks intimidating, but it’s really not, and I think that any one of you could do it.”
Discussions with community organizers and panelists looking to navigate power imbalances and improve representation in politics stressed the importance of perseverance.
“Embrace the long game,” encouraged Katrina Huff-Larmond, a city councilor in Randolf, Massachusetts. “We have to understand that what we are fighting for is not going to happen tomorrow. And there’s so much work we need to do in the community, it’s going to take time. We can’t give up.”
The day concluded as participants revisited their personal stories – with some choosing to share and present them while standing at the podium before their peers – and with a challenge from Rhodes Smith: To share what their next step would be when they left campaign school.
Edmonson plans to get in touch with a local official to talk about her potential future campaign.
Meehan wants to work with a co-organizer to help mobilize people with disabilities and help them register to vote, especially people living in institutions.
Others plan to attend local board or city council meetings, volunteer, get involved.
For Flood, the weekend helped her find the connection and encouragement that she needed.
“I knew it would make me want to think about ways that I could find myself in social work and politics,” Flood said, “but it just really solidified for me that, ok, this is really what I want to do. And I didn’t think I could have any more fire in my belly than I do now. So, I’m so happy and really excited.”
And Levin, who said he plans refer back to his notes from the weekend for a while to come, said anyone considering committing the time to go to Campaign School should, “Do it.”
“It’s so easy to convince ourselves to not do something,” Levin said. “There’s always going to be 1,000 reasons to not do something, but that one reason is definitely more important.”
Fourteen minutes ago, the nonprofit advocacy group Children’s Cancer Cause posted on the social media app X that members were on Capitol Hill asking Congress for funding to fight #childhoodcancer.
Three days ago, a special education teacher from Texas posted about a young girl, Caitlyn, who twice survived #childhoodcancer, along with a difficult bone marrow transplant. She included a link to the girl’s GoFundMe account.
Seventeen hours ago, the chairman and CEO of a cancer response team sought prayers for Kellan, who’s in a battle with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and by virtue of his courage is heralded a “#childhoodcancer warrior.”
These are just three posts from a search of the hashtag on X (formerly Twitter) in late February, a snapshot of the thousands – many, many thousands – shared on the app over the years. A new study from UConn researchers looked at 1,000 posts from October to December 2022 to understand who’s leading the conversation about childhood cancer and what they’re saying.
“We found the largest number of tweets on childhood cancer were not from health care professionals, like oncologists. They were not from nonprofit organizations, like American Cancer Society. They were from individuals – parents, caregivers, and family members. These were the people actually doing the most in terms of raising awareness,” says Sherry Pagoto, allied health sciences professor and director of the UConn Center for mHealth & Social Media.
Pagoto and human development and family sciences professor Keith Bellizzi, along with four students from the high school, undergrad, and graduate levels, recently published, “A Content Analysis of #Childhoodcancer Chatter on X,” in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
They found that “educational” tweets and ones that discussed “science” accounted for a combined 28.1% of posts about childhood cancer. Next came “fundraising” with 21.2% of tweets – Twitter did not become X until mid-2023, after the study. “Advocacy” was most prominent in 20.2% of tweets, and “motivational” posts comprised 17.5%.
“Cancer disrupts lives, bringing uncertainty and hardship to individuals and their families,” Bellizzi says. “These findings highlight how different stakeholders may reclaim a sense of control in a situation that often feels uncontrollable. By turning to social media, they are not just sharing stories, they are actively shaping the conversation, raising funds, spreading awareness, and building a supportive community.”
The study says a total of 3,217 tweets were captured from that three-month period in late 2022 by searching on the hashtag, so researchers pared down the total and randomly selected 1,000 to review. They came from 454 unique accounts.
We can study all these different sources of data, but social media gives us a unique form of data by showing us how patients, caregivers, and health care professionals talk about health in their natural environment. — Professor Sherry Pagoto
Among those accounts, researchers found that family members of children with cancer accounted for most of the content on childhood cancer, making up 41.5% of the tweets that were reviewed. Nonprofit organizations were next at 38.6%, followed by health professionals at 8.7%, academic and/or medical centers at 4.2%, and for-profit companies at 3.5%.
“We can study human behavior in a lot of ways,” Pagoto says. “We can do surveys. We can do focus groups. We can take blood samples. We can study all these different sources of data, but social media gives us a unique form of data by showing us how patients, caregivers, and health care professionals talk about health in their natural environment.”
Cameron Cordaway ’23 (CLAS), who majored in physiology and neurobiology and worked on the study her last year at UConn, says she wasn’t surprised to find individuals sharing their stories, sometimes in great detail, on social media.
After all, sharing experiences with others in a digital way is second nature for her generation, she says.
“When I got into dental school, the first thing I did was text my whole family and post it on social media,” Cordaway says of her acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where she’ll begin studies this fall. “For my generation, our whole lives are on social media. It’s second nature when something happens in your life to tell people on your phone in some way.”
She continues, “Something as heavy as a cancer diagnosis, while it might not be the first thing you would post in public, people definitely would use social media to communicate, inform, and educate about it. It’s also a good way to let people know, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on with me. This is why I haven’t reached out or why I haven’t been as present.’”
Pagoto says she and Bellizzi conceived the project after noticing that a father chronicling his young son’s cancer journey on Twitter had become a trending topic on the site.
“It really enraptured Twitter users for months, as people watched from afar as this father shared his family’s journey through his child’s cancer treatment,” Pagoto says, explaining that got her thinking about how social media was being used among those thinking about, dealing with, and focused on childhood cancer.
(Amanda Alamsyah / Adobe Stock)
She and Bellizzi turned to digital natives like Cordaway, Cindy Pan ’24 MPH, clinical psychology grad student Jessica Foy, and Andie Napolitano ’28 (CAHNR) who was a high school junior when she worked on the project.
Napolitano, who was a student at Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge, says the school offers a science research program that allows young teens in their sophomore year to start working with university-based researchers.
That year she worked with a professor from the University of New Haven, she says. The last two years of high school, though, were spent with Pagoto and Bellizzi.
She says she liked the idea of a research project dealing with social media and wanted to use the experience to test drive UConn as a potential for her undergraduate work. A bonus was that like the other students, she could be part of the project from start to finish.
Pagoto notes that many research studies take many years to complete, thus students see only a small piece during the year or two they’re on board.
Since tweets are in the public domain and searching Twitter back then was easy, data collection was almost effortless, and the four students could quickly get to work analyzing the tweets.
That’s the fun stuff, they say.
“I have an interest in social media research because people spend so much time on it and so many think it’s a bad thing and that only misinformation spreads online,” Napolitano says.
Doing a project that looks at its benefits especially appealed to her.
Pagato says that in addition to X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok also get heavy use from people using the platforms to talk about their other physical issues and even mental health problems.
“There are influencers with Tourette syndrome, depression, cancer, and any condition you can imagine, and, yes, while there is misinformation on social media, there’s also community on social media and these influencers are sharing their experiences and garnering support,” she explains.
“It’s a little like, ‘Here’s my experience. I have this diagnosis, and this is what my life is like,’” she continues. “Health influencers on social media destigmatize many disorders that have been hiding in the shadows, particularly mental health disorders.”
Those with similar diagnoses, she says, can learn from others about what to expect, how to cope with side effects, how to find clinical trials, and what questions to ask.
“Patients have a lot to say about their experience. They’re the ones who must live with the disease. Their voices matter. I wonder if that’s what draws them to social media – to be heard. Oftentimes, we’ll hear in studies that patients don’t feel heard by their doctors. They may not even feel heard by their family members,” Pagoto says.
Napolitano agrees.
“In today’s mainstream media environment, for a lot of reasons, stories don’t get heard. Social media is a way for people to make themselves be heard,” she says.
And that includes the mother of a son treated for neuroblastoma in 1999 who posted four hours ago in a conversation about bringing a newborn into a crowded airport that she had to protect her young son from viral exposures the first eight years of his life: “This is what having a child w/ #childhoodcancer or a #survivor with vulnerable health is like.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
New non-executive directors join Defra board
Sachin Jogia and Indro Mukerjee appointed to the departmental board
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has today (18 March 2025) announced the appointment of two new non-executive board members – Sachin Jogia and Indro Mukerjee.
Non-executive board members are senior figures from outside government, appointed to provide challenge to government departments. All non-executive board member appointments are made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
Sachin and Indro begin their appointments today, with their terms lasting for three years.
The Defra board provides strategic, corporate leadership to the department and has particular responsibility for monitoring performance and delivery.
Biographies
Sachin Jogia
Sachin Jogia has a technology and product leadership background across global organisations, most recently as Group Director of Technology Strategy and Transformation at Sky.
Previously, he was Chief Technology Officer at Ofcom, overseeing innovation across the areas they regulate including online safety, broadcasting and telecoms. Before that, he spent nine years at Amazon in the UK and USA, most recently as General Manager for Alexa Smart Home International.
Sachin was the founding Chairman of the British Heart Foundation’s Technology Advisory Group and has championed initiatives supporting disadvantaged communities, including Amazon Future Engineer. He is a Trustee and non-executive director at City Year UK, a founding member of the Corporate Advisory Board at Save The Children UK and has mentored Imperial College students and senior leaders with BeTheBusiness.
Indro Mukerjee
Indro was CEO of Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, for three and half years until September 2024.
He is a highly experienced business leader, with CEO experience across technology and industrial businesses from multinationals to startups and private equity-backed ventures.
With a global career spanning Asia, the US, and Europe, Indro has led innovation, fast growth, spinouts, M&A, and business transformation across many different business situations. He has been strongly committed to supporting skills development, including co-founding and chairing the UK Electronics Skills Foundation.
He has an engineering degree from Oxford University, a graduate of the Wharton Advanced Management Program, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
The newly formed Coventry Job Fest is here to connect local talent with leading employers.
Taking jobs directly out into the community, the Job Shop are working with a wide range of local and national employers to create exciting opportunities for local residents.
Job Fest will get underway by visiting three different wards, across three days and will ensure that residents have direct access to employment, training, and volunteering opportunities.
Wards include St Michael’s, Foleshill and Longford. These wards currently have the highest youth unemployment figures, so Job Fest is here to make a difference and change that.
All those that attend will benefit from fast-tracked applications and interviews, on the day recruitment, CV and interview workshops, and the chance to engage with employers through innovative activities, including VR experiences.
Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at Coventry City Council said: “The fantastic team that work at the Job Shop have already made such a positive impact on Coventry residents over the years, so to now take all that hard work out into the community in the form of Job Fest is going to be amazing for our local people. It will be exciting to watch Job Fest grow and create opportunities.”
There will be some major employers on hand at the three separate events. These include Severn Trent, E.ON, Costco and the NHS to name a few. There will also be some training providers who include Coventry College and the Job Shop’s Adult Education Service.
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council said: “Our Job Shop does a brilliant job and this move for Job Fest to take jobs and opportunities out to communities is really good news.
“The Job Shop already works with employers, large and small, and these events will have a wide range of employers, all with real jobs available on the day. Taking them out into the community means it will be really easy for people to pop in and I hope to see lots of people there.”
Current registered Job Shop customers can book onto the events beforehand by speaking to their Employment Coach, however Job Fest is open for anyone to just turn up to on the day.
The sessions will take place on the following days at the venues listed:
St Michael’s: Monday 28 April – 10am – 2pm: St Peters Church, Charles Street, Hillfields, Coventry, CV1 5NP and Victoria Street Square, Hillfields, CV1 5LZ
As well as the new initiative, ongoing guidance and support continues to be available at the city centre-based Job Shop and outreach locations across Coventry, tailored to individual needs.
The London Assembly agreed a motion in December 2018, calling for “the Mayor to declare a Climate Emergency, supported by specific emergency plans with the actions needed to make London carbon neutral by 2030 …”.1
The following month, the Mayor declared a climate emergency for London and has brought forward the target for London to be net zero from 2050 to 2030.2
The Greater London Authority (GLA) states that:
“A climate budget is a governance system that mainstreams climate considerations into decision making via the budget allocation process and highlights a city’s short-term actions to deliver the long-term climate targets (in line with the city’s climate action plan or Net Zero Pathway).”3
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will meet to examine the impact of the Mayor’s Climate Budget and Green Finance Fund, and the impact this has had on achieving London’s net zero 2030 target.
Guests include:
Panel 1—Climate Budgeting
Heidi Sørensen,Head of the Agency for Climate, City of Oslo
Professor Carly McLachlan,the Director of The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester University
Mark Johnson,Public sector lead, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Panel 2—Climate Budgeting and Green Finance Fund at the GLA
Fay Hammond, Chief Finance Officer, GLA
Pete Daw, Head of Climate Change, GLA
Megan Life, Assistant Director of Environment and Energy, GLA
Sam Longman, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Environment, Transport for London
Kenroy Quellennec-Reid, Head of Impact Investment and Analysis, London Treasury, GLA
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 19 March from 10am, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Almost three thousand units of new modern equipment will appear in 51 schools that will open this year after modernization under the city program “My school”. Digital microscopes, mini-farms, 3D printers and much more will be supplied to educational institutions. This was reported by the capital’s Department of Education and Science.
“The large-scale modernization program “My School” is ongoing in Moscow. This year, another 51 renovated buildings will open, where more than 35 thousand children will study. At the same time, not only the infrastructure and appearance of the buildings will change, but also their content. The schools will have modern equipment: 11 types of new educational equipment will be delivered, including laser engravers, CNC machines and digital microscopes,” the press service of the capital reported.
The capital’s schools, which will be updated by the beginning of the next school year, will have digital and stereoscopic microscopes that will allow studying microorganisms and cells. The learning process will become more visual, and children will develop an interest in biology and chemistry from an early age. Several such devices are already in School No. 1190, which opened after modernization in 2024. Using them, children conduct experiments, get acquainted with living organisms, and can even document their discoveries with photos and videos.
The updated buildings will also feature kits for assembling quadcopters and robots. In this way, children will master the basics of electronics, mechanics and programming. For example, they are already used by students of School No. 281, which was modernized last year. During lessons and additional classes, children learn the basics of programming, prototyping and 3D modeling, as well as develop logical thinking and learn to solve technical problems. Schoolchildren not only assemble robots, but also program them.
The guys who are interested in engineering will use laser cutting and engraving machines, as well as 3D printers and scanners. With their help, schoolchildren will create three-dimensional models and work with various materials, such as wood, plastic, fabric and fiberglass. This will help develop spatial thinking and creativity, and will also introduce young Muscovites to modern technologies that are used in industry and design.
“After modernization, our school got a laser engraver and a CNC milling machine. Thanks to them, kids learn to create products from wood, plastic and steel in technology classes. Children’s imagination is limitless, and such equipment is best suited for implementing the most original ideas. My students create plywood boxes, other three-dimensional objects, souvenirs and crafts,” said Maria Kuznetsova, a technology teacher at School No. 281.
To make biology lessons even more interesting, mini-greenhouses will be installed in classrooms, allowing flowers to be grown both traditionally and without soil. Students will be able to observe plant growth, analyze the influence of various factors on their development, and conduct their own research. With the help of digital geography laboratories, children will study the atmosphere, soil, water environment, and climate processes. For example, they will be able to measure humidity levels, air temperature, and other parameters.
The implementation of the largest modernization project in the history of the capital, “My School”, began in 2024. As part of the Moscow Mayor’s program, school spaces are being updated: they are becoming more modern and functional. Work has already been completed in four buildings. These are schools No. 1514 on Akademika Chelomeya Street (building 6a), No. 1190 on Pyatnitskoye Shosse (building 25, building 3), No. 281 on Kominterna Street (building 4, building 1) and No. 37 on Michurinsky Prospekt (building 42). The city plans to update up to 100 educational buildings annually.
Providing schools with modern high-tech equipment helps to optimize the educational process and meets the objectives of the project “All the best for children” of the national project “Youth and Children”.
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
