Thanks to a generous $10,000 boost from the Howick Local Board, seven schools and early childcare centres in the area, are now thriving as active Garden To Table schools.
Garden To Table is a school-based food and gardening programme and as a registered charity, they support schools and kura across Aotearoa, New Zealand, to take the learning out of the classroom and into the māra kai (garden) and the kīhini (kitchen).
Across East Auckland, being a Garden To Table school gives students the opportunity to dig into hands-on activities, unleash their creativity, and grow lifelong skills – all while learning how cutting food waste can help them cultivate healthier, locally sourced food.
Pakuranga Faith Baptist Kindergarten. L: tamariki harvesting vegetables from their garden to make kai. R: trolley made from rescued ‘waste’ materials, this is used for their Garden to Table ‘Harvest Table’ and equipment.
Board chair Damian Light explains, “We’re proud to support this programme which delivers on a number of our strategic priorities, including promoting healthy living and sustainable lifestyles, reducing waste to landfill, and allowing people to connect with nature.”
Funding was allocated for essential kitchen utensils and equipment, Garden To Table curriculum staff training and introductory sessions for programme champions, kitchen and garden specialists, as well as child-friendly aprons crafted by Sustainable Papakura volunteers.
Howick Primary School: During a Garden to Table session, making pizza scrolls with lots of herbs from their garden.
Ormiston Primary School teacher and programme champion Jenny Moon shares, “Our Garden To Table program has been a hit with the students. We’ve purchased kitchen equipment and composting bins. It’s wonderful to see them engage in planting, caring for the plants, and harvesting ingredients!”
Students participating in Garden to Table Programmes:
Name of School / ECE
Number of students participating in Garden to Table
Cockle Bay Primary School
112
Howick Primary
311
New Shoots Pakuranga
40
Ormiston Primary School
50
Mission Heights Primary School
380
Pakuranga Heights Primary School
84
Baptist Kindergarten Pakuranga
15
Total Students Participating
992
Cockle Bay School: flourishing edible garden.
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The University of Connecticut held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new School of Nursing Building on Wednesday, Oct. 30 amidst a crowd of students, benefactors, and University and state officials.
Construction on the building will begin in November and is scheduled to be completed for the fall of 2026. It will be located on Bolton Road near the South Campus dormitories and strategically adjacent to existing clinical, academic, and research spaces.
A $50 million gift from Elisabeth DeLuca ’69 (NUR) will support the construction of facility for the UConn School of Nursing along with generous state support.
Inspired by her mother’s guidance, DeLuca pursued a degree in nursing and graduated from UConn. Her training and work experience as a nurse instilled in her a lifelong appreciation for both the professionalism and compassion that nurses provide. As her husband’s business grew over the next several years, she joined him in running what would ultimately become a global restaurant chain. Today, she serves as President of the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation and the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, which are focused on access to education and health.
“Nurses are a special breed, and if you ever have a chance to meet UConn nursing students, they are amazing and they get an education that will serve them well in life, not only in their profession, but in all aspects of life, and that’s what happened to me at UConn,” said DeLuca at the ceremony.
Elisabeth DeLuca ’69 (NUR) speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new School of Nursing building on Oct. 30, 2024. (UConn Photo)
“I have a passion for letting nurses be more prepared for when they enter the work force. We are working with curriculum ideas and other innovations to make them more ready to be practicing on patients and to face the real work of clinical practice,” she said. “I also think we have a responsibility to work with employers in the state to make the nursing profession be more respected and acknowledged, and have nurses be part of the collaboration with decision making in health care.”
DeLuca’s gift is the largest in the history of the University for any purpose. $20 million of DeLuca’s gift will go directly to construction costs of the School of Nursing Building, while $5 million will fund equipment for the building, and the remainder of the gift will be used for student scholarships and programmatic support.
The balance of the construction costs will be funded through UConn 2000 and State of Connecticut bonding.
“I was reminded how important nurses were during the worst days of COVID – when no one was going to work, except for the nurses – everyday. They have heart, tenderness and save lives,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “After COVID, when things were settling down a little bit, I realized the long hours our nurses were still working.
“I found out there were thousands of people applying to be nursing students at UConn and we weren’t able to place many of them. And Liz, that’s why you are here – because you are a nurse, and you know what it means. You are giving nursing students the tools to think about how they can perform their job in a patient-centric way. We desperately needed this in Connecticut, and thank you for stepping up and doing the right thing.”
“UConn nurses have always been leaders and innovators who drive meaningful and important change in health care,” said UConn President Radenka Marick. “This facility will position them as national leaders in their discipline, at a time when skilled and educated nurses are needed more than ever.
Victoria Vaughan Dickson, dean of nursing, speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new School of Nursing building on Oct. 30, 2024. (UConn Photo)
“Thanks to the transformative generosity of this gift, we will be able to provide scholarships and programmatic support for a dynamic nursing education that includes patient-centered practice, interdisciplinary research, and technological innovation.”
The new building will be about 90,000 square feet and include the following program elements: instructional spaces, including a lecture hall and classrooms; simulation labsuite; human behavioral research lab; wet lab; student academic center; offices and support spaces.
“Thousands of prospective nurses apply every year to join the School of Nursing, and in August we welcomed our largest ever incoming class. But as our School has developed and our national reputation has continued to grow, we once again find ourselves in need of a new home,” said Dean of the School of Nursing Victoria Vaughan Dickson. “Not surprisingly, it was a UConn nurse who came to the rescue. The tremendous generosity of alumna Elisabeth DeLuca is enabling us not only to move into the first-ever purpose-built home for the School of Nursing, but to greatly expand our programmatic offerings and scholarship assistance.”
“My mom passed away when I was 14 from a long battle with cancer. I didn’t remember the medication or the treatments that she was getting, but the one thing I remember is the nurses who took care of her,” said Samuel Geisler ’25 (NUR), the vice president of the nursing senior class, who is from Newington and a member of the men’s track and field team. “When I saw nursing was a major offered at UConn, everything made sense. Nursing at UConn has done more for me as a person than I could ever imagine. The School of Nursing has not only given me the knowledge and critical thinking skills to become the best nurse I can possibly be, but it’s also given me the gift of compassion, ferocity and selflessness.”
Headline: $16 Million in Federal Funding Fuels Tennessee’s Recovery a Month After Helene
$16 Million in Federal Funding Fuels Tennessee’s Recovery a Month After Helene
A month after the major presidential disaster declaration for the Sept. 26-30 flooding from Tropical Storm Helene, Tennessee families and communities are recovering with $16.4 million in funding from FEMA as well as support from the state, other federal agencies, and voluntary and community organizations.Helene’s rains devastated Eastern Tennessee, leaving mountains of debris strewn across a vast area, knocking out power and communications to thousands, and cutting off drinking water. Residents were left without cell coverage, internet connections and access to essential necessities. It may be years before these remote and rural communities resemble the charm they had before.The disaster declaration was approved on Oct. 2, authorizing funding from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program to the counties most heavily impacted by the storms: Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties. Survivors have until Monday, Dec. 2, to apply for FEMA assistance.State, federal and voluntary organizations have collaborated to drive the recovery. As of Oct. 30, $16.4 million in FEMA funds has been approved for Tennessee’s homeowners, renters and businesses. And FEMA authorized a Direct Temporary Housing mission for survivors who had major or significant structural damage to their primary homes. The American Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Tennessee Department of Education have completed their mission after serving 140,903 meals to survivors.In the early days after the storms, with communications down across a swath of rural communities, FEMA brought in a mobile unit that continues to provide high-speed internet by connecting to satellites.Debris removal remains a major priority. The state and federal partners joined with local communities to clear more than 24,000 cubic yards of debris, a visible and vital step in recovery operations. Special attention is focused on Douglas Reservoir, located only a few miles from the Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg area and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A mile-long curtain was installed to save the dam from damage by 1 million cubic yards of debris that rushed into the lake during the storms. Vegetation, construction and demolition equipment, and hazardous materials continue to line the shores even as the reservoir returns to pre-disaster water levels. Perhaps FEMA’s biggest challenge during the response operation has been the campaign to counter misinformation and harmful rhetoric about FEMA’s assistance programs, which was having a negative impact on Tennesseans desperately in need of help. The agency built a Helene Rumor Response webpage where survivors could find the facts themselves, and it continues to push messaging, in English and Spanish, about the many types of available assistance tailored to each survivor’s unique situation. FEMA accomplishes this by directing traffic to the state’s tn.gov/TEMA and fema.gov/Helene/Tennessee disaster pages as well as FEMA’s social media sites on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.But the work of recovery has only just begun. Here are a few highlights:$16.4 million in funding from the Individuals and Households Program to provide financial help to those who are unable to meet their disaster-related needs through insurance or other means. As part of that total, more than $8 million represents Housing Assistance to help homeowners repair or replace residential property damage that is not covered by insurance.$8.3 million in Other Needs Assistance covers necessary disaster-related expenses such as medical bills; money to clean, repair or replace household items; to repair or replace vehicles damaged by the disaster and other non-housing needs.The Direct Temporary Housing Assistance program will help homeowners and renters whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged.More than $1.07 million for 186 claims was paid to National Flood Insurance policyholders. The program also extended the grace period for paying policy premiums to Tuesday, Nov. 26.FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists visited 6,277 homes, 288 businesses and 237 community facilities. They also referred 1,140 survivors to community resources.More than $53,000 was paid in Disaster Unemployment Assistance to Tennesseans who have been unable to work because of the disaster. FEMA funds the unemployment program, which is managed by the state.Some 1,311 survivors have visited FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Centers to apply for federal assistance, to get help uploading documents to their account or get answers to questions including decisions about eligibility for FEMA assistance. A Mobile Disaster Recovery Center is scheduled to open Nov. 1 in Johnson County.Specialists at the state’s three Multi-Agency Resource Centers in Carter, Cocke and Washington counties also help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional local, state, federal and voluntary agency resources.Disaster assistance is also available to help communities respond to and recover from Helene’s deadly wrath. FEMA Public Assistance was approved for state and local governments and some private non-profits. These funds help communities cover the costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and restoring public infrastructure.Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program and FEMA’s largest grant program. FEMA typically covers 75% of funding and the state covers 25%. For Helene damage in Tennessee, President Biden authorized 100% federal funding for emergency work generated by the disaster. This means FEMA will cover all eligible costs incurred during any 45-day period of the state’s choosing during the first 120 days from the start of the disaster, or Sept. 26. This allows communities to maximize cost savings by selecting the 45 days when the greatest costs occurred.Under Public Assistance, the federal share of funding is reimbursed through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to disburse to local agencies, local governments and certain private non-profits including houses of worship. kwei.nwaogu Wed, 10/30/2024 – 20:38
As New Zealand agonises over its hospitals – where they are, how they should be staffed and how they should be funded – a key element in the debate is being missed: the need for single rooms in all public hospitals.
It’s currently normal for patients to stay in shared rooms with up to five other people. In some hospitals this includes accommodating men and women in the same room, despite serious safety and ethical concerns.
But it shouldn’t be this way. For a number of reasons, including infection control, privacy and cost, new hospitals and renovations need to be based on single occupancy rooms.
Our new research brings together both the clinical and ethical arguments for single rooms for all patients as the most basic standard of care.
Infection control
Many may view shared rooms as a cost saving. But one of the key arguments for individual rooms in hospitals is the cost and harm of infections and bacterial resistance.
Single rooms reduce risks by eliminating exposure to shared infection sources such as touched surfaces, unfiltered air, toilets and water systems.
In New Zealand, single rooms are prioritised for patients known to be infectious. But the key word here is known. This policy fails to recognise that a large proportion of transmissible infections are unknown at the time of ward placement.
However, even when infection is known, our hospitals cannot meet basic guidelines due to the lack of single rooms. Only 30% of Wellington and Hutt hospital rooms are single occupancy, for example.
Without single occupancy as the standard in hospitals, infection control will remain compromised.
Delirium and dementia
Individual rooms are also required for older adults. New Zealand’s population is ageing; as a result, patients with delirium and dementia needing hospitalisation will increase.
Delirium affects about 25% of patients in hospital and is associated with a longer stay, more complications and an increased risk for death.
Delirium prevention and management requires a low-stimulus environment, undisrupted sleep, and control of light and noise which cannot be achieved in shared hospital rooms.
Research has shown a reduction in delirium with single rooms.
The behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia also pose significant challenges in hospital. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, sleep disturbance, depression, inappropriate sexual behaviour and aggression.
Dementia prevalence will more than double by 2050. And yet New Zealand hospitals are ill-prepared to accommodate this rise in demand.
The right to security, privacy and dignity
Shared rooms in hospitals clearly undermine clinical care, but they also violate human and patient rights.
One of the most fundamental human rights is “security of person”. Nobody should have to share rooms with patients who are agitated, aggressive or sexually inappropriate due to delirium or dementia.
Unfortunately, patients frequently share with those who are unable to manage their own behaviour. While the risks to women have been highlighted, no patient should be endangered or frightened by another patient’s behaviour.
Hospital patients often need assistance with dressing, showering and toileting. Many admissions involve vomiting, diarrhoea or incontinence. And design that relies on curtains to maintain privacy renders this right farcical.
Research and complaints clearly show patients do not believe their privacy is adequately protected in shared spaces.
Some may argue for multi-bed rooms on the basis that some patients prefer company. However patient surveys on privacy and confidentiality are overwhelmingly in favour of single occupancy.
Factoring in cost
While there is an increase in up-front costs when building single rooms due to the larger hospital footprint, research has found there is no convincing economic evidence in favour of multi-bed rooms.
The potential savings for future pandemics – in mortality, patient transfers and disease transmission – should not be underestimated. Improved management of delirium and dementia, will also decrease length of stay and cost.
The argument for single occupancy hospital rooms on clinical, ethical and legal grounds is collectively unequivocal.
New Zealand needs to follow international best practice and introduce single occupancy rooms as a basic standard for new hospital builds and upgrades.
Not doing so would ignore the lessons learnt in the COVID-19 pandemic, fail to account for the needs of an ageing population and continue to render New Zealand’s code of patient rights a fairy tale.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Headline: FEMA Continues Work with the Disability Community on Helene and Milton Response, FEMA’s Disability Director Visits Affected Areas to Meet with Survivors, Community Groups and Governmental Officials
FEMA Continues Work with the Disability Community on Helene and Milton Response, FEMA’s Disability Director Visits Affected Areas to Meet with Survivors, Community Groups and Governmental Officials
WASHINGTON — Since Hurricane Helene made landfall, FEMA has been working with governmental and voluntary disability support organizations to ensure survivors with disabilities have the tools they need to recover from the storm. Building relationships with these organizations pre-disaster has been crucial to getting support to survivors as quickly as possible. FEMA’s Disability Integration Advisors continue their work advocating for people with disabilities and connecting them with available resources to help speed their recovery.Sherman Gillums, Jr., FEMA’s Director of the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination personally traveled to hurricane-impacted areas to support these advisors, survey recovery efforts and meet with state officials and local disability organizations. “It was important to me to talk to organizations and officials in person to show our unwavering commitment to people with disabilities,” said Director Gillums. “The relationships we’ve built with these organizations prior to the disaster allowed us to pinpoint the areas where people with disabilities needed help. My visit with Able South Carolina and independent living centers in Ashville highlighted ways we could assist with their recovery efforts. I deeply appreciated their insight and openness about their experiences which allowed us to work together on solutions to challenges.” The percentage of people applying for FEMA disaster assistance and identifying as having a disability is consistent with the demographic information we have for the hurricane affected areas. “This is really important,” said Director Gillums. “It is a good indication that we are reaching people with disabilities and getting them the tools they need to apply for assistance more quickly year after year. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t more work needed to get people with disabilities on the road to recovery, but it is an encouraging first step.As disability advisors, Director Gillums and his staff work to integrate accessibility into all stages of recovery. This includes everything from helping survivors access medical necessities to getting them access to assistive devices like screen readers so they can apply for assistance. Most importantly though, the advisors support emergency management specialists throughout the recovery process, by helping them integrate accessibility and disability inclusiveness into their work. “This storm caused massive disruption to infrastructure that many of us take for granted,” Director Gillums commented after his travel in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina. “As a disability advisor, and a member of the disability community myself, I see how these challenges are compounded for people with disabilities. Getting access to electricity can be a matter of independence and even survival. During my deployment, I witnessed firsthand how communities were eager to be a part of the effort to ensure people with disabilities get what they need to sustain some semblance of independence. FEMA is working with these partners to make sure all survivors, including those with disabilities, are able to access the essential resources they need to be safe, informed and in charge of their lives.”FEMA encourages Helene and Milton survivors to apply online as this remains the best way to apply for disaster assistance. Here are the ways to apply for federal assistance: Applying online at disasterassistance.govUsing the FEMA AppCalling 800-621-3362, Staffed daily from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. local timeVisiting a Disaster Recovery Center to talk with FEMA and state agency officials and apply for assistance
Richmond, VA — Federal Coordinating Officer Timothy S. Pheil discussing the disability integration strategy for the Hurricane Helene response with FEMA Disability Coordinator Sherman Gillums Jr. along with state access and functional needs staff in the situation room at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center.
View Original’ data-align=”center” data-asset-link=”1″ data-entity-type=”emerald” data-image-style=”large” data-asset-type=”imageasset” data-asset-id=”56473″ src=”https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/externals/cf9d4bec75102ebbb97b6fc199bfe0d0.jpg?itok=9VB86i5n” alt=”Caption: Columbia, S.C. (Oct. 14, 2024) – FEMA’s Director of Disability Integration and Coordination, Sherman Gillums, Jr., visits the Association for Better Living and Education to show support for their ongoing efforts in supporting the disabled community. Director Gillums met with Dori Tempio, Sr., Director of Community Education, and Mandy Halloran, Director of Public Health.” class=”image-style-large”>
Columbia, S.C. (Oct. 14, 2024) – FEMA’s Director of Disability Integration and Coordination, Sherman Gillums, Jr., visits the Association for Better Living and Education to show support for their ongoing efforts in supporting the disabled community. Director Gillums met with Dori Tempio, Sr., Director of Community Education, and Mandy Halloran, Director of Public Health.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)
Headline: Moolenaar Statement on Chinese National Illegally Voting in Michigan
Today, the Michigan Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, and the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office announced charges against a Chinese national for election fraud in Michigan. The Chinese national is a student at the University of Michigan, and illegally registered to vote and cast a ballot on Sunday, October 27 in Ann Arbor.
“Secretary Jocelyn Benson has hurt the public’s trust in Michigan elections as her department failed to prevent this illegal vote from being cast and will count it in the results next week. The University of Michigan should expel this student for violating our laws and our state’s leaders need to take serious action against the Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to influence our state. Secretary Benson must tell us how she will prevent similar election fraud in the next week, and how she will secure our elections against CCP interference. Governor Whitmer must cancel the state’s $715 million giveaway of taxpayer money to CCP-affiliated Gotion and end its plans to build near Camp Grayling. Finally, U-M President Santa Ono needs to shut down his university’s institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which collaborates with China’s military. Until these actions happen, our state’s security, elections, universities, and auto supply chains will remain vulnerable to CCP influence,” said Congressman John Moolenaar.
According to reporting from the Detroit News, the illegally cast ballot is expected to be counted in the 2024 election results, “because there is no way for election officials to retrieve it once it’s been put through a tabulator.”
Moolenaar has previously called on the University of Michigan to end its joint research institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University after five Chinese nationals studying through the program were charged by the FBI with spying on Camp Grayling.
The Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, has spoken out on the crucial role employers and institutions hold to end the normalisation of harmful behaviour and improve women’s safety, amid an influx of allegations of workplace sexual harassment and of dangerous hazing at private colleges.
Following a 2018 investigation into Sydney University’s St Paul’s College, led by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, disturbing allegations have emerged this week claiming ‘humiliation-type behaviours’ among a group of male students. Separately, hospitality giant Merivale has faced claims of sexual harassment, exploitation and drug use at its high-profile Sydney venues.
Dr Cody credited last year’s introduction of a positive duty on Australian workplaces as a critical step forward towards eliminating harmful behaviours, but she believes far more work needs to be done to ensure widespread compliance.
“The recent allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination in Australia’s hospitality industry are deeply troubling and highlight how important it is that Australian workplaces implement the positive duty in a way that works for them,” Dr Cody said.
“Senior leaders play a vital role in creating a culture of respect, accountability, and inclusion. When leaders visibly uphold these values, they set an example that resonates throughout their organisations.
“These recent reports serve as a powerful reminder to employers across industries that workplace safety and respect must be actively championed from the top down.”
“It is also essential we have men and women in leadership and people from a range of race and cultural backgrounds so that new, respectful work and study cultures can be created.
“We all have a role in this effort to create a safer, more respectful Australia where everyone can live free from violence and discrimination, with respect and dignity.”
Distinguished Member of Operations Staff Is Busy Making the World a Better Place
Suzy DiMont is a force to be reckoned with.
Suzy DiMont. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
Since she was hired at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 2014, the Energy and Sustainability manager has evolved from an intern to a program manager and integral member of the Women’s Network Employee Resource Group (ERG). On the Intelligent Campus team, she is involved with all things sustainability, including the annual commuter survey, Site Sustainability Plan, and climate resilience planning and was also a key contributor to the NREL Smart Labs initiative, which NREL uses to meet sustainability goals.
DiMont is actively engaged in her community and is always looking for ways to give back. Annually, she participates in the Bike MS NREL team ride to raise funds for multiple sclerosis (MS) research. As a member of the Women’s Network, she regularly mentors NREL peers and helps enable pathways for the professional advancement of women.
Earlier this year, DiMont was named a Distinguished Member of Operations Staff for her “dedication to advancing NREL’s mission and making meaningful strides toward a sustainable and clean energy future.” As a member of the Intelligent Campus Program, she is the primary point of contact with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Golden Field Office and manages NREL’s electric vehicle supply equipment rollout and cost recovery program and NREL’s energy and water utility billing.
When asked if she ever gets time to rest amid numerous projects, leadership roles, and community engagement activities, DiMont responded, “I do rest, I do rest. Well, I have a toddler now, so I don’t rest.”
Then, always finding a way to make others shine, DiMont said, “It’s not just me doing it. I couldn’t do it by myself. I work with a lot of really great people all over the lab.”
During her decade at the laboratory, DiMont has collaborated with diverse groups across NREL and is constantly getting involved with new projects related to sustainability. Although this line of work may seem custom fit, her path from student to educator to engineer to Sustainability manager was far from linear.
Suzy DiMont, husband Neil, and Kosol Kiatreungwattana on their first Bike MS Ride. Photo by Suzy DiMont, NREL
A Lifelong Love for Learning
As a child, DiMont did not long to settle into a perfect career. Instead, her innate curiosity sparked a desire to learn and participate in as many activities as possible.
“I don’t know if I ever really had a dream that I wanted to work,” DiMont said. “I always had a dream that I wanted to learn. I really liked school, I liked all topics, I liked everything. Math, reading, art, history, science—I wanted to do all of it.”
DiMont’s desire to be a well-rounded learner drew her to a liberal arts education at Hamilton College in New York.
At Hamilton, she explored a variety of majors—psychology, art, French, and archeology—before landing on anthropology and mathematics.
Her first job after college was teaching math at the Solebury Boarding School in Pennsylvania. The role was intimidating because, although DiMont was a lifelong learner, she had no practice developing formal lesson plans for grade schoolers. She learned how to write tests that were appropriately challenging for students and experienced the joys of being a dorm mom for the girls on campus. DiMont also realized teaching was not her calling.
After leaving Solebury, DiMont joined AmeriCorps, an independent U.S. government agency focused on service and volunteerism, and began working for the “I Have a Dream” Foundation. DiMont worked with students at under-resourced schools on dropout prevention and helped the students, known as “dreamers,” realize their aspirations and connected them with support.
One of DiMont’s former dreamers, Anakary Valenzuela, is now a business support administrative associate for NREL’s Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences (MTES) directorate. She remembers meeting DiMont as a sophomore at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado.
Valenzuela had been a dreamer since second grade and was all too familiar with the influx of AmeriCorps members who served for a year then moved onto the next opportunity. DiMont was different. She stayed with the program for three years—long enough to see the cohort of students graduate high school—and she took a genuine interest in the lives of students she mentored.
When Anakary Valenzuela was a student, the “I Have a Dream” Foundation hosted an event to celebrate high school graduation. Photo from Casie Zalud Photography
“She was the best AmeriCorp we ever had,” Valenzuela said. “I would go to her for advice. She would mentor me. [She was] my counselor, my friend. She would always stay extra hours to talk to us if it had to do with homework or college prep or advising us on what type of college we should go to or major [we should declare]. And then she would drive us home.”
Their friendship extended well beyond Valenzuela’s high school graduation as DiMont informally mentored Valenzuela throughout college and encouraged her to apply at NREL. After Valenzuela was hired, DiMont encouraged her to get involved with the Women’s Network and Hispanic and Latinx Alliance and invited her to ERG meetings and dinners to make friends and build her network.
“She inspires me to do more. I feel like I am part of her family,” Valenzuela said. “I can always count on her, she’s always been there. I don’t know how she does everything, but I’m so grateful that we crossed paths in this lifetime.”
From Educator to Engineer
During her three years with AmeriCorps, DiMont realized she could pursue her dual loves for mathematics and community engagement with a career in engineering. Working with low-income students exposed disparities in the lack of access to civil infrastructure. She saw engineering as a way to make infrastructure and transportation equitable for all.
DiMont enrolled in the Engineering and Developing Communities graduate program at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder. DiMont got involved in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, known as the RASEI program, now a joint program between NREL and CU Boulder.
The university was DiMont’s introduction to NREL, via one of the laboratory’s vocal supporters: former NREL research technician Marc Landry.
“What an incredible human,” DiMont said. “He would not stop talking about NREL and what a wonderful place it was … an unbelievable mind.”
During one of the first events DiMont attended as an intern in 2014, Xcel Energy awarded NREL the Self-Direct Achievement Award. Photo from Suzy DiMont, NREL
During graduate school, DiMont pondered a career in international development work. She and her then boyfriend, now husband, traveled to Bolivia with a South Dakota Engineers Without Borders program to participate in a water development project. Although the work was important, she felt it was better to stay in Boulder.
“To do international development work well, you have to be part of that community, and you have to invest in that community and spend time there and be there,” DiMont said. “You can’t just swoop in with technology. It’s not kind; it’s not effective.”
After hearing Landry sing NREL’s praises for so many years, DiMont decided to apply for a sustainability internship at NREL.
‘Sustainability Is a Marathon, not a Sprint’
As DiMont evolved from an intern into her current role, much of her work folded into the Intelligent Campus program, which leverages NREL campuses to advance research and achieve operational excellence by deploying cutting-edge control and analytics technology. Or in DiMont’s words, her job “sits at the intersection of research and making things happen.”
She focuses on creating programs and strategies to implement changes regarding energy efficiency, the kind of energy NREL uses, and getting to net zero. However, DiMont acknowledged that “sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint.” For NREL to achieve its sustainability goals, the right folks—including researchers, subject matter experts, communicators, and technicians—need to come together and stay excited about work ahead.
“A lot of what we do won’t have an impact for a while. That’s why it’s important to keep a generational lens,” DiMont said. “It’s not always easy, but having a great team makes it possible. They can commiserate with you, they support you, they back you up.”
The NREL Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Team was recognized for a DOE Sustainability Award in 2016. Right to left: Ali Mohagheghi, Kenneth Proc, Kevin Donovan, Ellen Fortier, Laura Justice, Nancy Stovall, Laurie Snyder, Suzy DiMont and Susan Chadwick. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
Making the World a Better Place for All
When it comes to making the world a better place, for DiMont, that starts with making NREL a better place. As an early member of the Women’s Network, Suzy advocates for diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The Women’s Network is one of NREL’s 11 ERGs and provides a platform for promoting women in leadership and the workforce.
“I think the Women’s Network is so important, because there is still, especially in research in STEM, so much discrimination against women, people of color, women with intersectional identities, folks that are marginalized in some way,” DiMont said.
For many, the biggest hurdle is staying in a career field if you see few people who look like you or share your experiences.
“It’s a huge loss, because these are the fields where we need a diversity of thought, people that don’t see the world the same way, that think about problems differently, people that lead differently,” DiMont said. “You need that diversity in a field where you’re looking for innovation and new things. To reach everyone on the planet, you must have that diversity to be successful.”
During her tenure at NREL, DiMont has witnessed major changes in the ways NREL promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion and credits much of this change to NREL’s women in leadership, such as Bobi Garrett, NREL’s former chief operating officer, and Julie Baker, deputy laboratory director for Laboratory Operations.
Suzy DiMont and her child Sebastian. Photo from Suzy DiMont, NREL
“It’s incredible to be around these powerful women,” DiMont said. “It’s very inspiring.”
As a mother, DiMont wants to make the world a better place for her child. Living in a world impacted by climate change causes many to feel anxious and depressed about the future. For DiMont, knowing that humans caused climate change means humans are also part of the solution. She hopes to impart this optimism onto the next generation.
“I want my child to live in a world where he sees engineers and expects them to be women,” DiMont said. “I want him to feel like he has agency and can be part of these solutions.”
It is a lot of work and the job is not easy, but for DiMont, making the world better for the next generation is what it is all about.
“When do I rest?” DiMont asked. “I’ve got this time to do what I can do with it. I put in my energy when I can, then I unplug. I unplug and put my energy in other places. It’s just about being present for the things you are doing in that moment.”
Learn more about NREL’s commitments to sustainability and resilience.
LOS ANGELES, CA, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — M&G ENT USA, the U.S. branch of M&G ENT Co., Ltd., a specialized manufacturer of smart education and ICT equipment for business use, will officially enter the North American market, starting with the 2024 photo booth business presentation to be held at The One event hall in LA on Tuesday, November 5, at 5 PM.
M&G ENT Co., Ltd. manufactures and supplies projectors and electronic whiteboards to major Korean video equipment companies and educational institutions. To enter the North American market, the company established branches on the East Coast (Boston) and West Coast (LA) of the U.S., a first for the industry, during the second half of last year.
M&G ENT’s Momentura is a brand that is derived from the Latin word meaning “moment.” the Momentura photo booth is equipped with a high-performance DSLR and a dedicated photo printer, producing high-quality photos in a short time compared to photo booths currently available in the North American market. It has the ability to move the camera vertically to accommodate diverse user audiences, as well as the ability to freely apply filters and stickers to the images taken. The photo booth also is equipped with AR features such as caricatures, as well as regular frame cuts, ID photo features, and the function to print images saved on your phone. Moreover, it incorporates Korean-style designs based on K-culture that resonate with younger generations. Momentura also provides a customizable service for the exterior and frames to fit various installation settings, which has been gaining traction amongst users.
Notably, at the ISTE Live 2024 International Education Exhibition held in Denver, Colorado, in June, M&G ENT unveiled a modular photo booth, specialized for rental services. The particular model is convenient for transportation and storage and ideal for use at events hosted by schools and public institutions. This received enthusiastic responses from education institution representatives.
Sungju An, CEO of M&G ENT, announced that through the Los Angeles business presentation, they plan to recruit dealers and agents across the U.S., while showcasing the actual products. They aim to provide differentiated services such as sales, delivery, and after-sales support through local branches and distribution networks. By introducing various products into the market, they hope to create new business opportunities that offer a win-win situation for both partners, and expand the photo booth business to the global market.
The 2024 photo booth business presentation schedule is as follows:
Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue: The One Event Hall 5F, 3680 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Lam Chun-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):Question: Regarding dental care professionals (DenCPs), will the Government inform this Council:(1) of the following information on the Department of Health (DH)’s recruitment exercise for dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental technicians and dental surgery assistants in each of the past five years: the (i) target number of recruits, (ii) number of applicants, (iii) number of persons invited to attend interviews/trade tests, (iv) number of persons who passed the interviews/trade tests, (v) number of appointment letters issued and (vi) number of persons who reported for duty;(2) as the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care under the Health Bureau has pointed out in the Interim Report submitted to the Panel on Health Services of this Council in March this year that merely relying on the dentist workforce to meet the needs for enhancing dental care services is insufficient, and suggested that DenCPs play a more significant role in dental care services, whether the authorities have plans to expand the staff establishments of dental hygienists and dental therapists so as to enhance public services; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;(3) as DH currently provides annual tuition fee sponsorship of $70,000 to students pursuing studies as dental hygienists and dental therapists on the condition that they work in dental clinics under DH or specified non-governmental organisations for one year after graduation, how the authorities plan to attract those graduates to stay and serve in the public healthcare system upon the expiry of the one-year period;(4) as there are views pointing out that the introduction of a statutory registration system for DenCPs (including dental hygienists and dental therapists) with their scope of practice defined under the Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 (the Bill) has fundamentally altered the work nature, duties and work complexity of the dental hygienist and dental therapist grades in the Government, whether the authorities will commence a grade structure review for the aforesaid grades to comprehensively examine their entry requirements, qualification requirements for various ranks and remuneration packages; if so, of the timetable and roadmap; if not, the reasons for that;(5) as the authorities indicated during the Second Reading debate on the Bill that they expected the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK) to set up a registration system for DenCPs within three years upon the passage of the Bill, of the timetable and roadmap for the relevant work (including compiling a DenCPs register and drawing up a code of practice); whether they have plans to include dental technicians and dental surgery assistants in the registration system in phases, so as to enhance the protection for users of dental services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;(6) whether the authorities will consider discussing with DCHK to further relax the scope of practice of dental hygienists to allow them to administer anaesthetic injections for periodontal disease and root canal treatments, as well as other non-invasive treatments, and to include relevant contents such as the procedure for administering anaesthetic injections in the training curriculum of dental hygienists; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;(7) whether the authorities have plans to further expand the participation of DenCPs in the primary healthcare system, including allowing them in the provision of oral healthcare at District Health Centre Expresses and District Health Centres, as well as dental health education and disease prevention services; if so, of the details; if not, whether the authorities will formulate the relevant plans expeditiously; and(8) whether it has considered including DenCPs as healthcare service providers under the Elderly Healthcare Voucher Scheme to encourage the elderly to receive dental care services on a regular basis; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?Reply:President, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government established the Working Group on Oral Health and Dental Care (Working Group) in December 2022 to review the policy objectives, implementation strategies, service scopes and delivery models, etc, of oral health and dental care, with a view to safeguarding the oral health of members of the public. The Working Group mentioned in its interim report released in December 2023 that the Government should work in line with the strategies set out in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint and aim at preventing oral diseases and enhancing the oral health of the community on the premise of improving oral health of all citizens. The report also mentioned that it is insufficient to merely rely on the dentist workforce to meet the needs for enhancing dental care services, and that ancillary dental workers, including dental hygienists and dental therapists, could play a more significant role in dental care services. The HKSAR Government has completed the amendment of the Dentists Registration Ordinance (Chapter 156) (DRO) to modernise the regulatory framework for dentists and ancillary dental workers (including dental hygienists and dental therapists), and increase the manpower resources for dental care profession by gradually increasing training places for dental hygienists and dental therapists. The measures above will contribute to the implementation of the recommendations of the Working Group, allowing ancillary dental workers to play a more significant role in providing more preventive primary dental care services to complement the direction of the Primary Healthcare Blueprint which attaches importance to prevention, early identification and timely intervention. The consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Lam Chun-sing is as follows:Registration system and scope of work of dental care professionals The amended DRO introduced a statutory registration system for two classes of ancillary dental workers (including dental hygienists and dental therapists) and retitled ancillary dental workers as dental care professionals (DenCPs), so as to ensure their service quality through a more formalised regulatory regime and establish their professional status. At present, dental hygienists can work in public or private sectors, and may perform preventive dental care (e.g. education, consultation, risk assessment, oral examination, fluoride application and scaling) in accordance with the directions of a dentist who is available in the premises at all times when such work is being carried out. Dental therapists work exclusively under the Department of Health (DH) to provide the School Dental Care Service. Dental therapists may perform preventive dental care and basic curative dental care (e.g. filling, extraction) in accordance with the directions of a dentist who is available in the premises at all times when such work is being carried out. The amended DRO suitably adjusted the scope of practice of dental hygienists and dental therapists based on a risk-based approach, taking into account the consultation outcome with the sectors and relevant stakeholders. It would enable them, upon training, to perform some lower-risk preventive dental care (e.g. oral examination, education, teeth cleaning and polishing, fluoride application) without the presence of a dentist, and perform scaling in accordance with the directions of a dentist who is present in the same premises. Dental therapists may also perform basic curative dental care (e.g. filling, extraction) in accordance with the directions of a dentist who is present in the same premises. The statutory registration system for DenCPs would be put in place within three years, and by then the revised scope of work of DenCPs will come into effect. All DenCPs (including dental therapists) will be allowed to provide services outside the DH (including institutions in the public or private sector). During the transitional period, the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK) will develop clear guidelines on the collaborative relationship between dentists and DenCPs and establish the Continuing Professional Development arrangements for DenCPs. At the current stage, the DCHK is focusing on the preparatory work for establishing the registration system as soon as possible and will liaise with the sectors to explore the feasibility of implementing DenCP registration earlier in 2026. When the new registration system is in place, the DCHK will monitor both its implementation and the adaptation of DenCPs to the expanded scope of work to ensure the safety of patients. As things currently stand, the Government has no plan to further expand the scope of work of dental hygienists to perform higher-risk procedures such as injection of local anaesthetics. The Government will maintain dialogue with the dental professions and revisit the scope of practice of DenCPs from time to time, with a view to meeting local dental care service needs. In view of the actual needs in the community, the Government will examine the necessity for including other classes of DenCPs under the registration system on a risk-based approach. The Government will maintain communication with the dental professions to canvass their views.The role of DenCPs in primary healthcare system Taking reference to the suggestion of the Working Group, the Government would promote primary dental services appropriate for different age groups and make use of the existing primary healthcare service system. For example, when the manpower supply for dental hygienists has increased, they can provide preventive primary dental services suitable for different age groups at District Health Centres or District Health Centre Expresses, including risk assessment, offering advice on oral care and personal lifestyle, and assisting the citizens in managing their own oral health, so as to put prevention, early identification and timely intervention of dental diseases into action. Furthermore, the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) currently allows eligible elderly persons to choose from private primary healthcare services provided by 14 categories of healthcare professions, including dentists. Following the upcoming establishment of registration system for DenCPs, the preventive primary dental service would be strengthened. Eligible elderly persons can use Elderly Health Care Vouchers to pay for the relevant service charges through dental clinics in future. The Government will review the relevant operational details of the EHVS in a timely manner.Manpower of DenCPs As at September 2024, there are a total of 614 registered dental hygienists, whereas 226 dental therapists are employed by the DH. To increase the manpower resources for dental care profession, the Government has gradually increased training places for dental hygienists and dental therapists to nearly double from 95 in the 2023/24 academic year to 185 in the 2024/25 academic year. When the statutory registration system is in place, dental therapists will be allowed to work in private institutions which will broaden their employment opportunities. Establishing a career ladder for DenCPs will, in the long run, attract more individuals to join the industry. To attract more young people to join the industry, the DH has been offering full tuition fee sponsorship since 2023/24 academic year to students studying the programmes for dental hygienists and dental therapists. Dental hygienists and dental therapists who have received the sponsorship are required to work in dental clinics of the DH or other specified non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for at least one year after graduation. The above measures could help provide sufficient manpower in support of dental care services provided by the Government, private institutions and NGOs in future. Regarding the establishment issue of DenCP grades in the DH, according to the prevailing policy guidelines, the Government may consider conducting a Grade Structure Review (GSR) as necessary in case of fundamental changes in the job nature, level of responsibilities and job complexity of a particular grade, or if there are proven and persistent recruitment and retention difficulties in the grade. For Dental Hygienist grade in the DH, when the relevant provisions of the amended DRO come into effect, given the minimum academic qualification requirement for registration as dental hygienist with the DCHK, the job entry requirements of the Dental Hygienist grade including the Qualification Group of the academic qualification will be changed. The DH is gathering relevant data and information of the Dental Hygienist grade (including their job nature, duties and responsibilities, and recruitment situation) for consideration of conducting a GSR for the grade. The Government will also assess the need for GSR for Dental Therapist grade in accordance with the relevant policy guidelines in due course. In the past five years, the information of recruitment of dental ancillary grades of the DH is at Annex.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China has recently optimized scholarships and bursary granting systems to senior high school and college students with an aim of providing financial aid to youth pursuing higher education.
The initiative jointly launched by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will double the number of undergraduate students receiving the State-level scholarships, while financial aid will also be significantly increased, starting this year.
As per the policy, 120,000 undergraduate students from universities and junior colleges can receive the scholarship, and each will be awarded 10,000 yuan ($1,400) annually. Previously, the quota of students was 60,000, and they could receive no more than 8,000 yuan a year.
The State-level scholarship provides major assistance for higher education students, rewarding them for achieving outstanding academic performance, diligence and good moral qualities.
The new policy will also double the number of such scholarships to postgraduate students from 45,000 to 90,000 from this year, among whom 70,000 will be master’s degree candidates and 20,000 doctoral students.
Meanwhile, China will also channel more funds to assist students with financial difficulties. They will receive 3,700 yuan of State-level financial aid on average from this semester, with some receiving as much as 5,000 yuan. Previously, the financial aid offered was 3,300 yuan per year.
Beginning in the spring semester next year, aid will also be extended to students from regular senior high schools facing financial difficulties. On average, they will receive 2,300 yuan, while the neediest can receive up to 3,500 yuan per year in accordance with local practices. Previously, senior high students received 2,000 yuan in such aid annually.
The nation will expand the coverage of its financial aid to more vocational high school students and raise the amount from 2,000 yuan per year to 2,300 yuan starting next spring. Vocational high school students who are in their third year and having financial difficulties are included in the new policy.
Guo Tingting, vice-minister of finance, said at a recent news conference that China has established an all-around financial support system for students to give them security and make it easier for them to access higher education.
According to the finance ministry, the nation channeled 93.2 billion yuan in scholarships and aid to students last year, with over 31 million higher education students benefiting.
On the evening of Oct. 28, the global finals and awarding ceremony for the 17th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students and the 4th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Show for Foreign Primary School Students took place in Tianjin. The event was attended by officials from the Tianjin Municipal Government, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the MOE, along with the Kenyan Ambassador to China and representatives from the UAE’s Chinese Language Teaching “100 Schools Project.”
The global finals of the 17th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. [Photo courtesy of Chinese Bridge]
The finals opened with a visually stunning show titled “Jin·Cai Hua Zhang,” featuring outstanding primary and secondary school students from around the world, who gathered to communicate in Chinese and share their understanding of Chinese culture. After a series of rigorous selections during the overseas preliminary rounds, Chitpasong Souvanhxay from Laos, Irina Mei Li from Madagascar, Kuchinskaia Anastasiia from Russia, Rothschild Shiraz Palestrant from the U.S. and Blaom Oliver Garion from New Zealand emerged as continental champions to advance to the global finals.
Chitpasong Souvanhxay from Laos wins the global champion of the 17th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. [Photo courtesy of Chinese Bridge]
During the finals, the five contestants competed in five rounds: “History of the Spring and Autumn Period,” “Books of the Qin and Han Dynasties,” “The Lasting Appeal of the Tang and Song Dynasties,” “Window to Modernity,” and “The Final Showdown.” Chitpasong Souvanhxay from Laos showcased exceptional skills and won the global championship. Guests at the event presented awards to the participants who received individual awards in the 4th Chinese Bridge–Chinese Show for Foreign Primary School Students, as well as to those who won individual awards and the first, second, and third prizes in the 17th Chinese Bridge–Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students, along with the continental champions and the global champion.
In the finals, contestants including Kiri Meier Werner from the U.S., Solo Uniacke from the U.K., Frida Quetzalli Garcia Lins from Mexico, Tessa Mir from Georgia and her mother shared personal stories about their experiences with the Chinese Bridge competition and the growth and benefits they gained from participating in the competition.
This year, 181 primary and secondary school contestants from 102 countries gathered in Beijing and Tianjin for a grand celebration of Chinese language learning and cultural exchange. Over a period of 15 days filled with competitions and cultural activities, contestants explored iconic landmarks in China, including the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. They also experienced intangible cultural heritage such as Clay Figurine Zhang, Yangliuqing New Year paintings, shadow puppetry and traditional opera, allowing them to appreciate the development and heritage of Chinese culture and history. Additionally, contestants toured Tianjin, visiting attractions like the Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel, Haihe River, the historic Wudadao area (Five Great Avenues), Jingwu Town, the National Maritime Museum, and Tianjin Port, witnessing the city’s inclusiveness and application of intelligent technologies.
At the award ceremony, primary and secondary school contestants from around the world, together with previous champions, sang the “Chinese Bridge” theme song. Through the medium of Chinese, they connected cultures, fostered lasting friendships, and strengthened global understanding of China.
Quadient secures €25 million Schuldschein facility from EBRD to finance R&D programs in Czech Republic
Paris, October 30, 2024
Quadient S.A. (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, today announces that it has secured a new €25 million Schuldschein facility from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to finance R&D programs in Czech Republic.
The Schuldschein loan from the EBRD is for a total nominal amount of €25 million with maturities spread equally between 5 and 7 years. The new credit facility aims at financing R&D programs at Quadient’s state of the art R&D center in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
Quadient’s R&D center in Czech Republic is the Company’s hub for its Digital automation platform development. It currently hosts around 400 employees, including software developers, testers, IT consultants, trainers and UX designers. The R&D team is responsible for driving continuous improvements to Quadient software offerings and developing innovative Digital solutions, by leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, complex frameworks, and programming languages. A strong focus is placed on fostering continuous learning and collaboration by partnering with local schools and universities to train future engineers and developers. Notably, Quadient regularly collaborates with the University of Hradec Králové, offering classes, organizing IT events, and hosting BarCamps on new technologies.
In addition to the headquarters in Hradec Králové, Quadient also has offices established in Olomouc and Ostrava in the Czech Republic. This strong presence in the Královéhradecký region is well recognized locally as Quadient Czech Republic has been named Employer of the Year for several consecutive years and recently achieved 4th place nationally.
Laurent du Passage, Chief Financial Officer of Quadient, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with the EBRD to strengthen our R&D activities in Czech Republic. Our R&D center in Hradec Králové is central to Quadient’s Digital strategy and plays a key role in the local community. We are excited to be able to further enhance our development capabilities while maintaining our leadership in the field of innovation and Artificial Intelligence, continuing to offer best in class solutions to our customers.”
In the full-year 2023, Quadient dedicated a total of €63.2 million to R&D spending across its three automation platforms, representing 5.9% of its Group revenue.
About Quadient®
Quadient is a global automation platform provider powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing.
The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 36 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 73 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, well governed, green, inclusive, resilient and integrated.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ2: Development of private museums LCQ2: Development of private museums ************************************
Following is a question by the Hon Ma Fung-kwok and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, in the Legislative Council today (October 30): Question: In the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the country has expressed unequivocal support for developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. It is learnt that while private museums are recognised as facilitating the preservation of arts and culture and are booming in many places across the globe, the development of private museums in Hong Kong has all along been constrained by the lack of suitable venues, high maintenance costs, as well as the lack of government support, accreditation, promotion and publicity, etc, some private museums have even ceased operations as a result. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it knows the number of private museums and their operating conditions in the past three years, including the ratio of fee-charging to free admission, attendances, the ratio of those on the promotion list of the Government or the relevant organisations, as well as the number of private museums facing operating difficulties; whether any applications to operate a private museum have been rejected; (2) among the existing private museums, of the number of those which have received support (including one-off or regular funding) from the Government or the relevant organisations; whether any requests for support by a museum have been rejected by the Government, and of the purpose for which support was requested; and (3) whether it has plans to introduce an accreditation scheme for private museums or extend the scope of application of the Museums Regulation to cover private museums and to centralise the promotion of local museums, so as to enrich the contents of Hong Kong’s tourism in arts and culture, and facilitate the development of Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange? Reply: President, Museums are an important part of cultural inheritance and dissemination. The Government has been committed to supporting the development of cultural software in Hong Kong through public museums. Currently, 15 museums and two art spaces are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) in accordance with the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Chapter 132), each with different focuses and themes, covering the three major areas of art, history and science, bringing different cultural experiences to citizens and tourists. The LCSD continues to invest a lot of resources in improving the facilities and enriching the content of its museums. The renovation of the Hong Kong Museum of Art in recent years is an important example. The current-term Government is committed to fostering cultural development with a view to developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, and has announced that the number of museums under the LCSD will be further increased to continue to enrich Hong Kong’s cultural landscape and bring new impetus to cultural development to meet the general public’s demand for museums. From the cultural policy perspective, in addition to operating and developing public museums, the Government also welcomes the establishment of private museums by individuals or organisations to complement with public museums, which is conducive to the diversified development of the cultural ecology of Hong Kong. The LCSD museums have detailed plans from planning, construction to operation to achieve the Government’s public policy mission, while private museums have higher development autonomy, fewer restrictions, and can also be operated in a more commercial manner. Therefore, when the Government considers supporting private museums and formulating related policies, it must take into account the overall resource allocation and evaluate relative priorities of projects to avoid unnecessary pressure on public funds. Having regard to the uniqueness on the history, theme, scale, operating mode, and financial situation of individual museums, the Government currently does not have plans to formulate a set of standard mechanisms to support the operation of private museums, however, if resources permit, we will consider providing different forms of support to the operation of individual private museums, based on the Government’s policy objectives, expectations of society, and the actual situation of individual museums. In consultation with relevant bureaux/departments, my reply to the question raised by the Hon Ma Fung-kwok is as follows: (1) and (2) The Government does not maintain data on the number and operating conditions of private museums. As far as we know, there are dozens of private museums in Hong Kong, covering different themes such as culture, arts, history, folklore and education. Currently, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum (HKMM) is the only private museum subvented by the Government. It rents Central Pier No. 8 at nominal rent and receives Government subvention to support its operation. The HKMM recorded approximately 66 100, 52 800 and 106 200 visitors respectively in the last three financial years (i.e. April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024), among which free visitors account for about 30 per cent, mainly school tour groups. In addition to subvention, the Government welcomes organisations interested in operating museums to apply for subsidy for cultural, arts projects or activities, such as the Springboard Grants and the Project Grants under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme managed by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the Project Grant and Matching Fund Scheme from Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) and the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust, to support the museum’s operations or to organise events. For example, the HKADC provided funding to a private museum’s training programme in 2023. Non-government organisations and social enterprises, if interested in operating a private museum on vacant government land, can submit an application for “Use of Vacant Government Land for Community, Institutional or Non-Profit Making Purposes on Short Term Basis”. The Government will consider whether to grant the short term tenancy at nominal rent in accordance with policy objectives and established assessment criteria. In 2024, the CSTB provided policy support at nominal rent for two short-term tenancy applications for the use of private museums. These two applications are currently being considered together with other applications by relevant departments. Private museums may also consider participating in the global network of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) by referring to and adhering to the professional and ethical standards established by the ICOM, thereby improving the quality of their museums to attract more visitors and gain more chances of mutual support and collaboration with other museums. The ICOM, established in 1946, is an international organisation of museums and museum professionals committed to the conservation, continuation and communication to society of the world’s natural and cultural heritage. The major museums under the LCSD are members of the ICOM. Non-governmental cultural and museum organisations including the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, the HKMM, the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong and MILL6 Foundation are also members of the Council. (3) As mentioned above, the Government encourages the diversified development of Hong Kong’s cultural ecology and currently has no plans to launch a private museum certification system or regulate the operation of private museums through legislation. Nonetheless, the LCSD museums have been collaborating with other local museums from time to time, and promoting these museums through different platforms and channels. One of the most obvious examples is the Muse Fest HK organised by the LCSD every year since 2015, inviting different local museums and cultural institutions to become partners, allowing citizens and tourists to visit different museums in the city and experience Hong Kong’s rich and unique culture, history and artistic diversity. In addition, the LCSD museums and private museums also from time to time lend collections to each other or collaborate in organising various activities, including exhibitions, lectures and seminars. In addition, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has been promoting unique museums, including public and private museums and related activities to tourists through its website (discoverhongkong.com), social platforms and tourist information centres, etc, such as M+, Hong Kong Palace Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences and Hong Kong News-Expo. The HKTB also introduces Hong Kong’s museums through social media. For example, it has collaborated with the Mainland social media Xiaohongshu to launch the Hong Kong Citywalk Guide, which introduces five unique Citywalk routes for roaming around Hong Kong, including the Museum Walk route.
Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 15:11
Workers walking by a solar power plant in Kazakhstan
Article | 30 October 2024 Read time: 6 mins
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IF-CAP is the first leveraged guarantee mechanism for climate finance to ever be adopted by a multilateral development bank.
Various simulations have shown that for every $1 that is guaranteed, up to $4.5 of new climate finance will be generated under IF-CAP’s mechanism.
IF-CAP will strengthen ADB’s developing member countries’ capacity to develop their low-carbon and climate-resilient strategies and build a larger pipeline of potential investments.
What is IF-CAP?
The Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific, or IF-CAP, is a multi-donor financing partnership facility with the goal of scaling-up finance for accelerated action against climate change in Asia and the Pacific. IF-CAP partners will provide guarantees for parts of ADB’s sovereign loan portfolios to enable ADB to free up capital to increase lending for climate investments. Supplementary grants will facilitate project preparation, capacity building, and knowledge solutions.
Why is IF-CAP being formed?
The battle against climate change will be won or lost in Asia and the Pacific. And our region is uniquely vulnerable to the impacts. More than 40% of climate-related disasters occurred in Asia and the Pacific since the start of the century, affecting nearly 3.6 billion people. ADB estimates that $1.7 trillion per year will need to be invested in infrastructure in developing Asia between 2016-2030 to meet both climate and development goals. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) says the year 2030 is a significant crossroad after which it will become considerably harder to meet climate targets.
As Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank, the Asian Development Bank is spearheading significant climate change financing and expertise across the region. IF-CAP is the first leveraged guarantee mechanism for climate finance to ever be adopted by a multilateral development bank. It is inspired by the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), which aims to use innovative financing to unlock new education funding in low-and middle-income countries.
What will IF-CAP do?
IF-CAP will allow ADB to significantly increase climate finance for investments that are aligned with the Paris Agreement and other key ADB policies, including the forthcoming Climate Change Action Plan.
With a model of “$1 in, $4.5 out”, IF-CAP’s current guarantee size of $2.5 billion will create over $11 billion in climate finance for much-needed climate projects across Asia and the Pacific. Alongside lending facilitated by IF-CAP, ADB will provide up to $1 billion in concessional ordinary capital resources lending (COL) from its own resources, in support of projects enabled by IF-CAP’s guarantee structure. In total, resources aligned with IF-CAP amount to over $12 billion.
IF-CAP enabled projects will address both climate change mitigation, which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change adaptation, which focuses on building resilience to the worsening effects of climate change. These investments could cover a wide range of sectors, such as transportation, energy, urban, and agriculture and natural resources, as well as social sectors such as health and education, for projects with high climate impacts.
What will IF-CAP not do?
IF-CAP will not support new or existing fossil fuel-based electricity generation facilities or dedicated transmission, or any new or existing natural gas-related projects. Climate finance enabled by IF-CAP will not be used towards early retirement or repurposing of fossil fuel fired power plants.
Developing Asia’s share of global greenhouse gas emissions nearly doubled,from 22% in 1990 to 44% in 2019 and is expected to remain at this level until mid-century under current policies.
Asia and the Pacific can only realize its climate goals if it pursues a transition away from coal-based energy in the near term.
How does the leverage mechanism work?
The program is based on the use of financial guarantees from our partners. By guaranteeing a portfolio of ADB sovereign loans on a first-loss basis, they will help shoulder some of the loss in case of a default by one of our borrowers included in our portfolio.
This is a groundbreaking arrangement because IF-CAP’s portfolio guarantee enables ADB to optimize the usage of our balance sheet, supported by the strength of our triple-A credit ratings and preferred creditor status. This allows ADB to reduce the capital held for credit risk and release more capital for climate loans. Every dollar of guarantee into IF-CAP will result in the capacity to provide more climate finance for eligible projects. Simulations show that for every $1 that is guaranteed, $4.5 of climate finance could be generated. That is a fundamental shift from the traditional “one dollar in, one dollar out” facilities at MDBs, because of IF-CAP’s leverage effect.
Who are the partners supporting IF-CAP?
IF-CAP’s founding partners are Denmark, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2023, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet established a trust fund under the IF-CAP Financing Partnership Facility.
What sovereign portfolios will their guarantees cover?
IF-CAP will cover a dynamic and diversified reference portfolio consisting of ADB’s exposures to a board spectrum of developing member countries, which have been identified to achieve the desired leverage based on the risk appetite of the partners.
Which countries are eligible for IF-CAP financing?
All ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs) are eligible. Individual financing partners may exercise discretion for certain projects based on their policies and priorities.
Will IF-CAP differ from ADB’s regular climate financing?
Functionally, there will be no difference. IF-CAP’s role will be to enable ADB to approve climate financing more quickly and at a higher volume.
What are the benefits of IF-CAP?
For DMCs, IF-CAP can help them advance operations with high climate ambition that are currently not in their pipeline, increase climate finance components of existing pipeline projects, and enable greater visibility and demonstration effects for projects including those with innovative components or high climate impact.
For IF-CAP partners, it can enable them to make a greater impact through a leveraged guarantee mechanism not offered by other financing partnership facilities, providing them with an effective and efficient way to fight climate change in support of their national commitments.
For ADB, IF-CAP is an innovative method to optimize our balance sheet, unlock capital resources, and increase our lending capacity by over $11 billion so we can make more resources available for critical climate projects in Asia and the Pacific.
Will IF-CAP contribute to ADB’s ambition of $100 billion climate financing for 2019-2030?
IF-CAP will be one of the flagship instruments to enable ADB to reach its climate finance target beyond $100 billion and support our target for climate finance to reach 50% of the total committed financing volume by 2030.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​Following is a question by the Hon Benson Luk and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):
Question:
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the CPC Central Committee) adopted the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, in which support for Hong Kong’s position to become an international hub for high-calibre talents was stated. Moreover, last year’s Policy Address proposed to build Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education by increasing the admission quota of non-local students to Government-funded post-secondary institutions. According to a recent report published by an organisation, it was envisaged that by 2028, the shortfall in hostel places for students of local post-secondary institutions would further increase to some 120 000. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has projected and compiled statistics on the respective (i) numbers, (ii) proportions and (iii) hostel application proportions of local and non-local students in post-secondary institutions in the coming five years; given that the Government has, starting from the current academic year, increased the admission quota of non-local students to Government-funded post-secondary institutions to 40 per cent, of the current nationality distribution of the non-local students;
(2) whether it knows (i) the respective proportions of local and non-local students in post-secondary institutions who were successfully allocated with hostel places upon application and (ii) their terms of hostel residence in the past 10 years; whether various post-secondary institutions have set a limit on the term of hostel residence; if a limit has been set, of the details (set out in a table), and whether the Government has plans to extend the term of hostel residence for students;
(3) given that the Government established in 2018 the Hostel Development Fund with some $10.3 billion to provide six University Grants Committee-funded universities with an additional 13 473 hostel places, whether it has compiled statistics on the current number of hostel places provided by universities across the territory; of the Government’s projected growth in the supply of university hostel places in the coming five years, and the shortfall in hostel places when set against students’ demand for accommodation; whether it will consider injecting funds into the Fund again in the future; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether it will study allocating idle lands in the vicinity to the post-secondary institutions concerned for the construction of academic buildings or hostels, or consider relaxing the plot ratio of land adjacent to universities in rural areas to allow for greater flexibility in university expansion; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) given that as indicated in the paper submitted by the Government to the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to the Development of the Northern Metropolis of this Council in April this year, 19 post-secondary institutions had participated in the engagement activity of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT) and submitted proposals, whether the Government has estimated the number of post-secondary institutions that can be accommodated by the NMUT, and whether sites have been reserved for hostel purposes; if so, of the expected number of hostel places to be provided; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The 2023 Policy Address stated building Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub and a cradle of future talents. The 2024 Policy Address also announced further measures to nurture future talents and to create the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. At the same time, the Government will set up the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents to be chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. The Committee will co-ordinate and promote the integrated development of education, science and technology and talent, so as to enhance convergence and coherence and formulate policies to promote the synergistic development of nurturing talents, gathering talents and science and technology, as well as to facilitating international high-calibre talents to stay in Hong Kong. Developing Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub is also one of the three major strategies. My reply to the various parts of the Hon Benson Luk’s question is as follows:
(1) The enrolment ceiling of non-local students in University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded taught programmes has been doubled from a level equivalent to 20 per cent of local student places in the 2023/24 academic year (AY) to 40 per cent with effect from the 2024/25 AY. There are no restrictions on research postgraduate programmes. It is important to note that all non-local students pursuing UGC-funded taught programmes do not receive public funding, and the number of such non-local students is accounted for separately from local student places. This ensures that the study opportunities for local students will not be affected.
In the 2023/24 AY, the total number of local students pursuing full-time locally-accredited publicly-funded and self-financing programmes was about 158 300, whereas there were about 64 200 non-local students. As far as UGC-funded taught programmes (i.e. undergraduate, sub-degree and taught post-graduate programmes) are concerned, the actual number of non-local students was about 14 900 while that of local students was about 76 400; the proportion of non-local students was about 19 per cent. The non-local students come from over 100 places of origin. In the 2023/24 AY, the numbers of students by study levels and by places of origin are tabulated below:
Note: If research postgraduate students are financed by the UGC-funded universities using both UGC and external funds, they will be counted towards different sources on a pro-rata basis. Figures may not add up to the corresponding totals due to rounding.
As for student hostels, the relative proportion of applications from local students and non-local students of the UGC-funded universities at the beginning of the 2023/24 AY is 55 per cent and 45 per cent respectively. Looking ahead, we envisage that universities will continue to take into account their capacity in promoting the advantages of our higher education sector around the world using the “Study in Hong Kong” brand, with a view to gradually admitting more non-local students to study in Hong Kong. Self-financing programmes will also flourish. As our post-secondary education sector in Hong Kong continues to enhance quality and expand capacity, the corresponding demand for student hostels will increase. We are delighted to explore flexible and innovative ways with the institutions and different stakeholders to increase the supply of student hostels.
(2) Based on the data provided by the UGC-funded universities, the success rate of local students and non-local students in hostel applications in the past ten AYs (2014/15 to 2023/24 AY) is at Annex. We do not maintain information on the terms of residence of local students and non-local students.
The specific arrangements for hostel allocation are formulated by the UGC-funded universities and there is generally no upper limit set for the terms of residence. The universities are encouraged to reflect the priorities of different groups of students for hostel accommodation in the allocation mechanism, having regard to the practical needs and educational benefits, while maintaining suitable flexibility to ensure that resources of student hostels are utilised properly.
(3) and (4) Under the Hostel Development Fund (HDF), the UGC-funded universities are provided with a capital grant covering up to 75 per cent of the construction costs for 15 student hostel projects to provide a total of about 13 500 additional hostel places, with a target for gradual completion by 2027. Based on the data provided by the UGC-funded universities, the total number of hostel places (including publicly-funded, privately-funded and temporary hostel places) available for allocation in September 2023 was around 37 600. Taking into account the future supply from the projects under HDF, the number of hostel places will gradually increase to around 50 000 in the coming few years, to cater for the needs of students, including those arising from the additional intake.
Under the prevailing mechanism, the universities may apply to the Government for granting additional sites for campus expansion if they have strong justifications and specific proposals, which will then be considered by the bureaux and departments concerned from relevant perspectives such as policy, resources, practical circumstances, planning and land administration, etc. The universities could also as necessary apply for a relaxation of development parameters for the proposed sites, including building height restrictions and plot ratios, etc, which will be processed in accordance with the statutory procedures and established arrangements by the Town Planning Board and relevant departments.
To improve hostel facilities, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Government would launch a pilot scheme to streamline the processing of applications in relation to planning, lands and building plans, so as to encourage the market to convert hotels and other commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-funded basis, increasing the supply of student hostels. The Government will also make available suitable sites for the private sector to build new hostels, having regard to market demand. The Development Projects Facilitation Office under the Development Bureau will provide one-stop advisory and facilitation services for these projects.
(5) The Government has earmarked over 80 hectares of land in the Northern Metropolis for the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT), and will encourage local post-secondary institutions to introduce more branded programmes, research collaboration and exchange projects with renowned Mainland and overseas institutions in a flexible and innovative manner. We will retain flexibility in the planning process to facilitate the development of student hostels.
Relevant Government departments are still discussing the site planning of the NMUT at this stage. We plan to publish the Northern Metropolis University Town Development Conceptual Framework in the first half of 2026.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
2024 Edition of “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” published 2024 Edition of “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” published ***************************************************************************
The 2024 Edition of the “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” was published by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (October 30). The Digest is available for downloading at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010003&scode=460). The Digest is a comprehensive and convenient collection of official statistics. It contains some 300 statistical tables on a wide range of topics, including: – Population- Labour- External trade- National income and Balance of Payments- Prices- Business performance- Innovation and technology- Energy- Housing and property- Government accounts, finance and insurance- Transport, communications and tourism- Education- Health- Social welfare- Law and order- Culture, entertainment and recreation- Environment, climate and geography This Digest aims to provide key annual statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic developments of Hong Kong. Most of the data series presented reflect the latest situation covering a time span of the last decade, enabling readers to understand the trends of development in recent years. Descriptions of the scope of the statistical data and definitions of the terms used in this Digest are provided in the “Concepts and methods” in each chapter. Enquiries about the “Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics” can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5073; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 16:00
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, foundational technology domains are converging to create new opportunities. In addition to their breakthrough potential, the simultaneous development of quantum, robotics, AI and more are accelerating mutual advancements.
What are the driving forces behind this convergence and how can organizations position themselves strategically within it for future growth?
This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 in Dubai on 17 Oct, 2024. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/events/annual-meeting-of-the-global-future-councils-2024/sessions/the-nexus-of-innovation/
Speakers:
Chantal Shen, Chief Scientist, Synthetic Biology, BGI Research
Hoda Al Khzaimi, Director, Centre for Cybersecurity, New York University Abu Dhabi
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Muscovites can get a profession in the field of programming and information security for free, as well as master design and marketing on free courses at the Technograd innovation and educational complex, subordinate to the capital’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development. Training will begin in November.
During the classes you can learn programming languages C
In the same language with the IT sphere
Python is considered an ideal language for starting a career in programming. It will suit students who are attracted by web development and data analysis, machine learning, simplicity of code and a variety of ready-made solutions. Course “Python for Web Development. Flask and Web Application Development” will start on November 1st.
Students will be introduced to the Flask software platform, style templates and writing code to create a request form, databases and much more. Students will learn the basics of web development using Python and the Flask framework, learn how to manage database storage and build user authentication on websites.
Classes under the program will begin on November 3 “Functional Programming in Python. Basic Level”. The teacher will tell about the structure of the language, teach how to write and read program code, solve algorithmic problems and create flow charts. As a result, students will be able to analyze other people’s programs and work with data arrays.
On the same day, November 3, classes on the course will begin. “Functional programming in C. Learning a universal programming language will be useful for students who want to create games, desktop applications for Windows, web services, neural networks or graphics for metaverses. This language is used by banks, digital agencies, communication providers and large IT companies. Choosing this direction of study will help beginners find a job in a short time. During the classes, students will master the language structures, learn to use branches and cycles, work with the selection operator and data arrays.
Well “JavaScript. Basic Level” will start on November 6. Webinars will help expand knowledge in the field of web technologies for designers and marketers, as well as those who are already mastering programming in a comprehensive manner. JavaScript does not require complex concepts and technical details from beginners. The visual part of most websites on the Internet is written in it. Therefore, programmers who have studied this language are always in demand. The course program includes training in the principles of object-oriented programming, working with control structures and data structures, as well as familiarity with the logic of program execution.
Future mobile developers for iOS and macOS, as well as gamedev and ackend developers will find this useful Webinars on the basic level of programming in Swift. Starting November 16, the teacher will introduce students to the basics of the language, the Xcode development environment, data collection, and user interface elements. During the training, students will create the To-Do List and Exchange Rates applications and test them in the iPhone Simulator.
Russian companies are always in demand for specialists who can find and eliminate vulnerabilities in the system and minimize the consequences of cyber attacks. From November 1, it will be possible to study the specifics of the profession and solve real problems on the course “Computer networks and information security”. Students will learn about the structure, topology, infrastructure and security of networks, protocols and network services. Particular attention will be paid to threat analysis and vulnerability detection, cryptography and advanced security methods.
Creativity and self-realization
Marketing and design are traditionally popular areas among young professionals. These areas offer creative freedom, the opportunity for self-realization and a dynamic career. Given digitalization and the development of new media formats, social networks and online trade, the demand for employees in these areas remains high.
In November, Technograd offers 11 specialized programs, where you can master the graphic editors Figma and Photoshop, the website builder Tilda, the 3D engine Blender, animation and video in After Effects. And also learn how to set up targeted advertising, engage in promotion in social networks and create selling photo and video content.
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 accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On October 29, 2024, a meeting of the Academic Council of the State University of Management was held. Those gathered discussed the results of the 2024 admissions campaign and preparations for organizing admissions in 2025.
The meeting began traditionally with a formal part. Irina Merkulova and Nikolay Malyshkin received associate professor certificates, Sergey Lenshin was awarded a diploma of the national Father’s Recognition award in the nomination “Scientific Works and Research in the Field of Demography and Culture”. Of course, they did not forget to congratulate the birthday boys of the month, after which the council members began the official part.
The first issue on the agenda was the nomination of GUU teachers for the academic title of associate professor. Council Secretary Marina Zhukova reported on the documents submitted by the candidates and the decisions made following their consideration. Those gathered made their choice by secret ballot.
Acting Vice-Rector Nikolai Mikhailov made a proposal to petition for the nomination of SUM employees for departmental awards of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, which was unanimously supported.
Head of the International Cooperation Department Inessa Bogatyreva informed those gathered about the development of the university’s international activities and the organization of training foreign students at our university.
“The most popular areas of study among foreign citizens are management and economics. Significantly fewer applicants enter law, state and municipal administration, personnel management, advertising and public relations, business informatics and hotel business,” noted Inessa Yuryevna.
Head of the Department for Organizing Admissions of Applicants Vadim Dikikh presented a report on the results of the admissions campaign for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs in 2024.
“This year, we used new tools for accepting applicants on a targeted basis, new practices for working with applicants. As in the previous year, the vast majority of applications were submitted digitally. Among the interesting facts, I would like to note the reluctance of applicants to answer phone calls, preferring to communicate exclusively via messengers, which is also worth considering in future work,” the speaker emphasized.
Continuing the topic, Vadim Dikikh presented for approval regulatory and legal acts on the organization of admission in 2025 for bachelor’s and master’s degree educational programs and training of scientific personnel in postgraduate studies.
The meeting also discussed structural changes at the State University of Management, approved new continuing education programs, and agreed on student nominations for the E. T. Gaidar scholarship and tuition discounts.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/30/2024
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: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
3 mins ago
EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science is focused on accelerating health outcomes for the community, with lecturers conducting meaningful local research.
Accelerating health outcomes in the community is a focus for EIT’s School of Health and Sport Science, with lecturers conducting meaningful local research.
Dr Helen Ryan-Stewart, EIT’s Executive Dean, Education, Humanities and Health Science and until recently the acting Head of the School of Health and Sport Science, says like many tertiary institutions, research is important to EIT. Research helps lecturers stay up-to-date on the latest developments in their field, ensuring they provide students with the most current and relevant knowledge. It can also provide an important community link to address local challenges.
Helen’s role as the Head of School has been taken by Dr Andrew Garrett, who comes to EIT with a research pedigree, having been Sport, Health and Exercise Science Programme Director and Graduate Research Director at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom.
Andrew’s main area of research expertise is the markers of fatigue in temperature regulation during exercise in the time of climate change and he was an Associate Member of the Hull York Medical School (HYMS). His PhD work was funded by the Australian Military based at the University of Otago in New Zealand (Induction and decay of heat acclimation) and in collaboration with the Otago Medical School. His current research interest focuses on practical methods for the prevention of heat injury in older populations.
Helen says that research will continue to be an important part of the School. At present the School has a combined research committee with the School of Nursing, which has resulted in health being a focus for research.
“The research we do has a health science focus and anything that we were going to do would be aimed at accelerating health outcomes in our community.”
A significant project which is having an impact on the Hawke’s Bay community is research that is addressing the epidemic of youth vaping among intermediate and high school students.
The project has been led by Associate Professor Anita Jagroop-Dearing and was funded by Health Research Foundation Hawke’s Bay and EIT. It also received a funding boost from Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand. The initial project was entitled Actions to Vaporise Rangatahi Vaping in Te Matau-a-Māui. Recently the project was extended outside the region following interest from a Bay of Plenty High School.
A project in the early stages of development, is being conducted by researcher and lecturer Dr Patrick Lander. It looks at green spaces in urban areas and how people use those for well-being and health.
Helen says that while the School has a strategy around health research, there are also researchers who focus on sport and exercise. Working in this field is Mike Schofield, a lecturer in strength and conditioning, who is the coach of New Zealand shot-putter Maddison-Lee Wesche, who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games earlier this year.
Mike’s area of research is biomechanics and it is about evolving a technical model from a theoretical basis. His research is aimed at allowing top-level athletes to reach their full potential.
Another lecturer who is an active researcher is Associate Professor Carl Paton, who is involved in a number of research projects with students. These projects are focused on high performance cycling.
Helen says it is important that academic staff are research active.
“Degrees in institutions such as ours should be taught by staff active in relevant applied research. Sport, exercise and health is focused on application to the real world. So we have to enable our academic staff to do research that’s relevant to the field, the discipline that they’re teaching. That keeps them current, and gives students real-world examples of how they could apply their knowledge.”
“And that’s really important from my perspective.”
By taxing the super wealthy we can fund our shift to a fairer, greener and better economy.
More in Finance
The Labour government must tax the super-rich and polluters to fund our green transition and tackle the climate and nature emergencies, say the Scottish Greens.
Speaking ahead of today’s UK Budget statement, the party’s Co-leader, Lorna Slater, has urged the Chancellor to apply a wealth tax on the wealthiest 1% of households in the UK – those with assets worth £3.4 million and above.
“The world is burning around us. We urgently need to see climate leadership from Downing Street.
“There is more than enough money to support our transition to a greener future and create thousands of high quality, well paid green jobs, but so much of it is being hoarded by a tiny number of extremely wealthy people who don’t need it.
“The solution is staring us right in the face. By asking the richest people and corporations to pay their fair share we can transform our economy and protect future generations.
“Making the change is essential for our climate, but it is also crucial for our economy. The UK has a huge opportunity, but it has been squandered by 14 years of a Tory government that actively undermined our climate efforts while giving handouts and tax breaks to its super-wealthy friends and donors.
“Labour must show the level of ambition that is needed by making a generation-defining investment in clean, green renewable energy and nature restoration and ending the climate vandalism of the Tories.”
Ms Slater added:
“The pain that households and families have suffered over the last 14 years was not inevitable. The cuts and austerity were a political choice, and one that Labour has doubled down on by cutting Winter Fuel Payments and refusing to lift the cruel two child cap. Labour can put an end to the cuts and support vital services like our NHS and schools.”
The tax, supported by the Scottish Greens, would start at a marginal rate of 1%, rising to 5% for those with £5.7 million or more (the richest 0.5%), and 10% for those with £18.2 million (the richest 0.15%).
ODS, on behalf of Oxford City Council, has successfully completed the removal of chewing gum litter from key city centre streets, thanks to grant funding from the Chewing Gum Task Force.
The cleanup operation, which began in the summer, focused on heavily trafficked areas including George Street, New Inn Hall Street, Carfax, Queens Street, parts of St Ebbes, High Street, and St Aldates down to Christchurch Meadows.
Alongside removing the gum, the team deep-cleaned pavements and steam-cleaned street furniture. Educational materials have also been distributed to encourage proper gum disposal and help maintain the cleanliness of the city’s historic streets.
ODS’ street cleaning team worked early mornings to ensure minimal disruption and adapted their schedule to work around extreme weather conditions and major events, such as St Giles’ Fair and the Oxford Half Marathon.
The gum removal process is time and labour intensive. In the worst affected areas, it took as long as 30 minutes to clean just 1.5msq, this was then followed by a mechanical sweeper to eliminate any stains left by the gum.
In line with the Council and ODS’s commitment to sustainability, no chemicals were used during the cleanup, and ODS completed the work using a repurposed 1973 electric milk float, called Earnie.
This year’s cleanup was made possible by a £26,500 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by Keep Britain Tidy. The funding supports both the immediate cleanup and long-term behaviour change to reduce future gum littering.
Comment
“I’m pleased to see our city centre streets gum-free thanks to the hard work of ODS – a big thank you to them.
“The team’s hard work over the past few months, starting early and adapting around large events and extreme weather conditions, doesn’t go unnoticed.
“I hope the clean streets and new disposal guidance will inspire people to keep the streets tidy by properly disposing of their gum in the future.”
Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and an Inclusive Economy
“We’re thrilled to be working on behalf of Oxford City Council which received the Chewing Gum Task Force grant from Keep Britain Tidy for a second consecutive year. The funding helps improve the appearance of our historic streets and supports the city’s sustainability goals, using our repurposed electric milk float. Chewing gum litter affects the beauty and accessibility of Oxford, and last year’s cleanup showed promising results. We’re committed to working with the Council to make a lasting impact and keep our city clean for everyone.”
Adrian Moss, City Centre and Streetscenes Service Manager, ODS
Source: The White House
One year ago, President Biden issued a landmark Executive Order to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). The Executive Order directed sweeping actions to manage AI’s safety and security risks, protect Americans’ privacy, advance equity and civil rights, stand up for consumers and workers, promote innovation and competition, advance American leadership around the world, and more.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that Federal agencies have completed on schedule each action that the Executive Order tasked for this past year—more than one hundred in all. Below are some of the Administration’s most significant accomplishments on managing AI’s risks and seizing its promise in the year since President Biden signed his Executive Order.
Managing Risks to Safety and Security:The Executive Order directed the boldest actions ever taken to protect Americans from a broad range of AI’s safety and security risks, including risks related to dangerous biological materials, software vulnerabilities, and foreign actors’ efforts to develop AI for harmful purposes. Over the last year, to protect safety and security, agencies have:
Used Defense Production Act authorities to require developers of the most powerful AI systems to report vital information, including results of safety and security testing, to the U.S. government. These companies have notified the Department of Commerce about the results of their red-team safety tests, their plans to train powerful models, and large computing clusters they possess capable of such training. Last month, the Department of Commerce proposed a rule to require the reporting of this information on a quarterly basis.
Led the way on AI safety testing and evaluations to advance the science of AI safety. The U.S. AI Safety Institute (US AISI) at the Department of Commerce has begun pre-deployment testing of major new AI models through recently signed agreements with two leading AI developers. The Department of Energy (DOE) developed and expanded its AI testbeds and evaluation tools, which it has already used to test models’ risk to nuclear security.
Developed guidance and tools for managing AI risk. The US AISI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce published frameworks for managing risks related to generative AI and dual-use foundation models, and earlier this month, AISI released a Request for Information on the responsible development and use of AI models for chemical and biological sciences. The Department of Defense (DoD) released its Responsible AI toolkit to align AI projects with the Department’s Ethical Principles.
Issued a first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on AI. The NSM directs concrete steps by Federal agencies to ensure the United States leads the world’s development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; to enable agencies to harness cutting-edge AI for national security objectives, including by protecting human rights and democratic values; and to advance international consensus and governance on AI. This essential document serves as a formal charter for the AI Safety Institute, designating it as the center of the whole-of-government approach to advanced AI model testing, and will guide rapid and responsible AI adoption by the DoD and Intelligence Community. The NSM also directs the creation of a Framework to Advance AI Governance and Risk Management in National Security, which provides agile guidance to implement the NSM in accordance with democratic values, including mechanisms for risk management, evaluations, accountability, and transparency.
Finalized a framework for nucleic acid synthesis screening to help prevent the misuse of AI for engineering dangerous biological materials. The framework, developed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), encourages nucleic acid synthesis providers to identify gene sequences that could be used to pose national security risks, and to implement customer screening to mitigate the risks of misuse. Federal agencies will require that funding recipients obtain synthetic nucleic acids from vendors that adhere to the framework, starting in 2025. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has developed an initial framework with principles for evaluating the effectiveness of screening mechanisms going forward.
Launched a new Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure. The Task Force provides streamlined coordination on policies to advance datacenter development operations in line with economic, national security, and environmental goals.
Identified measures—including approaches for labeling content and improving transparency—to reduce the risks posed by AI-generated content. The Department of Commerce submitted to the White House a final report on science-backed standards and techniques for addressing these risks, while NIST has launched a challenge to develop methods for detecting AI-generated content. President Biden has emphasized that the public has a right to know when content is AI-generated, and agencies are working to use these tools to help Americans to know that communications they receive from their government are authentic.
Combatted AI-generated image-based sexual abuse. Image-based sexual abuse—both non-consensual intimate images of adults and child sexual abuse material—is one of the fastest growing harmful uses of AI to date and disproportionately targets women, children, and LGBTQI+ people. This year, following the Vice President’s leadership in underscoring the urgent need to address deepfake image-based sexual abuse and a White House Call to Action to reduce these risks, leading AI developers and data providers made voluntary commitments to curb the creation of AI-generated image-based sexual abuse material. Additionally, the Department of Justice (DOJ) funded the first-ever helpline to provide 24/7 support and specialized services for victims of the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, including deepfakes. The Department of Education also clarified that school responsibilities under Title IX may extend to conduct that takes place online, including AI-generated abuse.
Established the AI Safety and Security Board (AISSB) to advise the Secretary of Homeland Security on the safe and secure use of AI in critical infrastructure. The AISSB has met thrice this year to develop a set of recommendations for entities that develop, deploy, and promote accountability for AI systems that assist in delivering essential services to millions of Americans. The work of the AISSB complements DHS’s first-ever AI safety and security guidelines for critical infrastructure owners and operators, which were informed by agencies’ assessments of AI risks across all critical infrastructure sectors. To help protect critical infrastructure further, the Department of Treasury released a report on managing security risks of AI use in the financial sector, and the Department of Energy released an assessment of potential risks to the power grid, as well as ways in which AI could potentially strengthen grid resilience and our ability to respond to threats.
Piloted AI for protecting vital government software systems. The Department of Defense and DHS conducted AI pilots to address vulnerabilities in government networks used, respectively, for national security purposes and for civilian governmental organizations.
Standing up for Workers, Consumers, Privacy, and Civil RightsAI is changing the products and services Americans buy, affecting jobs and workplaces, and introducing or exacerbating risks to privacy, equity, and civil rights. President Biden’s Executive Order stands up for Americans in each of these domains, and over the last year, agencies have:
Developed bedrock principles and practices, along with guidance, to help protect and empower workers as AI is built for and used in the workplace. The Department of Labor (DOL) released AI Principles and Best Practices for employers and developers to build and use AI in ways that center the wellbeing of workers and improve the quality of jobs. DOL also published two guidance documents to assist federal contractors and employers in complying with worker protection laws as they deploy AI in the workplace. In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released resources for job seekers and workers to understand how AI use could violate employment discrimination laws.
Protected patients’ rights and safety, while encouraging innovation, as AI is developed and deployed for healthcare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established an AI Safety Program to track harmful incidents involving AI’s use in healthcare settings and to evaluate mitigations for those harms. HHS has also developed objectives, goals, and high-level principles for the use of AI or AI-enabled tools in drug development processes and AI-enabled devices. Additionally, HHS finalized a rule that established first-of-its-kind transparency requirements for AI and other predictive algorithms that are part of certified health information technology. HHS also finalized a civil rights regulation, implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, that requires covered health care entities to take steps to identify and mitigate discrimination when they use AI and other forms of decision support tools for care.
Published guidance and resources for the safe, secure, and trustworthy design and use of AI in education. In July, the Department of Education released guidance calling up on educational technology developers to design AI in ways that protect rights, improve transparency, and center teaching and learning. This month, the Department of Education released a toolkit to support schools and educational leaders in responsibly adopting valuable AI use cases.
Issued guidance on AI’s nondiscriminatory use in the housing sector, which affirms that existing prohibitions against discrimination apply to AI’s use for tenant screening and housing advertisements, while explaining how to comply with these obligations. Additionally, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau approved a rule requiring that algorithms and AI used for home valuations are fair, nondiscriminatory, and free of conflicts of interest.
Set guardrails on the responsible and equitable use of AI and algorithmic systems in administering public benefits programs. The Department of Agriculture’s guidance provides a framework for how State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments should manage risks for uses of AI and automated systems in critical benefits programs such as SNAP, while HHS released a plan with guidelines on similar topics for benefits programs it oversees.
Affirmed commitments to prevent and address unlawful discrimination and other harms resulting from AI. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division convenes federal agency civil rights offices and senior government officials to foster AI and civil rights coordination. Five new agencies also joined a 2023 pledge to uphold America’s commitment to fairness, equality, and justice as new technologies like AI become more common in daily life.
Advanced privacy protections to safeguard Americans from privacy risks that AI creates or exacerbates. In particular, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and DOE established a research network dedicated to advancing the development, deployment, and scaling of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), while NSF launched the $23 million initiative Privacy-preserving Data Sharing in Practice program to apply, mature, and scale PETs for specific use cases and establish testbeds to accelerate their adoption. Simultaneously, DOE launched a $68 million effort on AI for Science research, which includes efforts at multiple DOE National Laboratories and other institutions to advance PETs for scientific AI. The Department of Commerce also developed guidelines on evaluating differential privacy guarantees. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a Request for Information (RFI) on issues related to federal agency collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, and disposition of commercially available information containing personally identifiable information. OMB also released an RFI on how federal agencies’ privacy impact assessments may be more effective at mitigating privacy risks, including those that are further exacerbated by AI and other advances in technology and data capabilities.
Harnessing AI for GoodOver the last year, agencies have worked to seize AI’s enormous promise, including by collaborating with the private sector, promoting development and use of valuable AI use cases, and deepening the U.S. lead in AI innovation. To harness AI for good, agencies have:
Launched the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot and awarded over 150 research teams access to computational and other AI resources. The NAIRR pilot—a national infrastructure led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with DOE and other governmental and nongovernmental partners—makes available resources to support the nation’s AI research and education community. Supported research teams span 34 states and tackle projects covering deepfake detection, AI safety, next-generation medical diagnoses, environmental protection, and materials engineering.
Promoted AI education and training across the United States. DOE is leveraging its network of national laboratories to train 500 new researchers by 2025 to meet demand for AI talent, while NSF has invested millions of dollars in programs to train future AI leaders and innovators. These programs include the EducateAI initiative, which helps fund educators creating high-quality, inclusive AI educational opportunities at the K-12 through undergraduate levels that support experiential learning in fields such as AI and build capacity in AI research at minority-serving institutions.
Expanded the ability of top AI scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to come to the United States, including by clarifying O-1 and H-1B visa rules and working to streamline visa processing.
Released a report on the potential benefits, risks, and implications of dual-use foundation models for which the model weights are widely available, including related policy recommendations. The Department of Commerce’s report draws on extensive outreach to experts and stakeholders, including hundreds of public comments submitted on this topic.
Announced a competition for up to $100 million to support the application of AI-enabled autonomous experimentation to accelerate research into—and delivery of—targeted, industry-relevant, sustainable semiconductor materials and processes.
Established two new National AI Research Institutes for building AI tools to advance progress across economic sectors, science, and engineering. The NSF-led AI Research Institutes launched in September will develop AI tools for astronomical sciences, with broader applications across scientific disciplines. Earlier this year, NSF also funded 10 inaugural Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines), seven of which include a focus on advancing AI.
Announced millions of dollars in further investments to advance responsible AI development and use throughout our society. These include $13 million invested by DOE in the VoltAIc initiative for using AI to streamline permitting and accelerate clean energy deployment, as well as $68M from DOE to fund AI for scientific research to accelerate scientific programming and develop energy efficient AI models and hardware. DOE has also launched the Frontiers in AI for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) initiative roadmap and request for information to harness AI for scientific discovery, national security, energy and electric grid resilience, and other national challenges, building on AI tools, models, and partnerships. NSF, in partnership with philanthropy, announced an inaugural investment of more than $18 million to 44 multidisciplinary, multi-sector teams across the U.S. to advance the responsible design, development, and deployment of technologies including AI, ensuring ethical, legal, community, and societal considerations are embedded in the lifecycle of technology’s creation.
Issued a first-ever report analyzing AI’s near-term potential to support the growth of America’s clean energy economy. DOE’s National Laboratories also issued a long-term grand challenges report identifying opportunities in AI for energy over the next decade.
Released a vision for how AI can help us achieve our nation’s greatest aspirations. AI Aspirations sets forth goals to create a future of better health and opportunity for all, mitigate climate change and boost resilience, build robust infrastructure and manufacturing, ensure the government works for every American, and more. In furtherance of these goals, HHS launched CATALYST, a research and development program focused on the potential use of AI to better predict drug safety and efficacy before clinical trials start. In complement, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology also authored a report outlining AI’s potential to revolutionize and accelerate scientific discovery.
Published guidance addressing vital questions at the intersection of AI and intellectual property. To advance innovation the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has released guidance documents addressing the patentability of AI-assisted inventions, on the subject matter eligibility of patent claims involving inventions related to AI technology, and on the use of AI tools in proceedings before USPTO.
Bringing AI and AI Talent into GovernmentAI can help government deliver better results for the American people, though its use by Federal agencies can also pose risks, such as discrimination and unsafe decisions. Bringing AI and AI-enabling professionals into government, moreover, is vital for managing these risks and opportunities and advancing other critical AI missions. Over the last year, agencies have:
Issued the first-ever government-wide policy to strengthen governance, mitigate risks, and advance innovation in federal use of AI. OMB’s historic policy, M-24-10, requires agencies to implement concrete safeguards when using AI in a way that could impact Americans’ rights or safety. These safeguards include a series of mandatory risk management practices to reliably assess, test, and monitor AI’s impacts on the public and provide greater transparency into how the government uses AI. OMB’s policy also directs agencies to designate Chief AI Officers to coordinate the use of AI across their agency, while expanding and upskilling their AI workforce and removing barriers to adopting AI for all manner of purposes—from addressing climate change to advancing public health and safety.
Released a government-wide policy to advance responsible acquisition of AI by Federal agencies. M-24-18, published this month by OMB, helps ensure that when Federal agencies acquire AI, they have the information and tools necessary to manage risks, promote a competitive marketplace, and collaborate on strategic planning. This work directs the Federal government—the largest buyer in the U.S. economy—to advance AI innovation and risk management through responsibly exercising its purchasing power.
Hired over 250 AI practitioners into the Federal government through the AI Talent Surge. Tech talent programs ramped up hiring for AI talent, with the Presidential Innovation Fellows bringing on their first-ever AI cohort, DHS establishing their AI Corps with over 30 members onboarded to date, and the U.S. Digital Corps providing pathways for early-career technologists to join Federal service. AI talent has been instrumental in delivering on critical AI priorities, from using AI to deliver top-tier government services, to protecting the public’s rights and safety in the use of AI.
Established the Chief AI Officers Council to harmonize best practices and sharing of resources across the interagency to implement OMB’s guidance and coordinate the development and use of AI in agencies’ programs and operations.
Introduced expanded reporting instructions for the federal AI use case inventory to include identifying use cases that impact rights or safety and how the agency is addressing the relevant risks in line with OMB’s policies.
Bolstered the public interest technology ecosystem. Building on the AI Talent Surge, the White House announced funding across government, academia, and civil society to support education and career pathways that will help ensure government has access to diverse, mission-oriented technology talent.
Activated new hiring authorities to bring AI and AI-enabling talent into agencies. As part of the AI Talent Surge, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) granted new hiring authorities, including direct hire authorities and excepted service authorities, for agencies to rapidly bring on top-tier AI and AI-enabling talent, and released guidance on skills-based hiring and pay and leave flexibilities to best position agencies to hire and retain AI and AI-enabling talent. Additionally, OPM collaborated with partners to run three National Tech to Gov career fairs to connect the public with AI and tech jobs in government, surfacing roles from over 64 Federal, state, and local government employers to over 3,000 job seekers.
Advancing U.S. Leadership AbroadPresident Biden’s Executive Order directed work to lead global efforts to capture AI’s promise, mitigate AI’s risks, and ensure AI’s responsible governance. To advance these goals, the Administration has:
Sponsored and passed a landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution. The unanimously adopted resolution, with more than 100 co-sponsors (including the People’s Republic of China), lays out a common vision for countries around the world to promote the safe and secure use of AI to address global challenges.
Engaged foreign leaders on strengthening international rules and norms for AI, including at the 2023 UK AI Safety Summit and the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, where Vice President Harris represented the United States. In the United Kingdom, Vice President Harris unveiled a series of U.S. initiatives to advance the safe and responsible use of AI, including the establishment of AISI at the Department of Commerce.
Announced a global network of AI Safety Institutes and other government-backed scientific offices to advance AI safety at a technical level. This network, which will formally launch in November at the inaugural network convening in San Francisco, will accelerate critical information exchange and drive toward common or compatible safety evaluations and policies.
Expanded global support for the U.S.-led Political Declaration on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy. Fifty-six nations now endorse the political declaration, which outlines a set of norms for the responsible development, deployment, and use of military AI capabilities. DoD has expanded the scope of its international AI Partnership for Defense to align global Responsible AI practices with the Political Declaration’s norms.
Developed comprehensive plans for U.S. engagement on global AI standards and AI-related critical infrastructure topics. NIST and DHS, respectively, will report on priority actions taken per these plans in 90 days.
Signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law. This first multilateral treaty on AI represents a powerful affirmation of the relevance of existing human rights obligations to AI activities and establishes a strong baseline in international law for responsible government use of AI. The United States’ signature reflects its commitment to ensuring that AI technologies are designed, developed, used, and governed in ways that promote respect for human rights and democratic values.
Led the development of a Joint Statement on Responsible Government Practices for AI Technologies. The Joint Statement, to which the 41 countries of the Freedom Online Coalition committed, calls on governments to develop, use, and procure AI responsibly, including by respecting international obligations and commitments, assessing impacts of AI systems, conducting ongoing monitoring, ensuring adequate human training and assessment, communicating and responding to the public, and providing effective access to remedy.
Launched the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse. The 15-country Global Partnership has advanced international policies to address online safety, and spurred new programs to prevent and respond to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including through AI.
The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development published resources to advance global AI research and use of AI for economic development. The AI in Global Development Playbook incorporates principles and practices from NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework to guide AI’s responsible development and deployment across international contexts, while the Global AI Research Agenda outlines priorities for advancing AI’s safe, responsible, and sustainable global development and adoption.
The table below summarizes many of the activities that federal agencies have completed in response to the Executive Order.
Source: The White House
Today, President Biden will ceremonially sign Executive Order (EO) 14124, establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), alongside nearly two dozen champions for these institutions and Latino communities. President Biden and Vice President Harris will also announce nearly $19 million in transformational investments for five HSIs in Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Puerto Rico to build research infrastructure. These efforts build on the Administration’s historic investment of over $16 billion in more than 500 HSIs across 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that educate more than 4.7 million students annually.
Over the past three years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken historic actions to expand opportunity for Latino families and communities, including: creating more than 15 million jobs – with 5 million created for Latinos, helping Latino entrepreneurs start new businesses at the fastest rate in over 10 years, addressing our broken immigration system, and working to ensure equitable educational opportunity for students.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to advance educational opportunities for students at HSIs and giving them a fair shot at achieving the American dream.
Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HSIs
With student enrollment that is at least one-quarter Latino, HSIs are engines of economic mobility, propelling high numbers of students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students into good jobs and brighter futures. Today, President Biden will ceremonially sign EO 14124 to strengthen the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing opportunity for HSIs and the students they serve.
The EO creates a new Initiative and first-ever President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs to:
Increase awareness of opportunities for HSIs to equally participate in Federal programs and enhance the capacity of HSIs to meet the educational needs of their students.
Identify best practices for HSIs to scale effective strategies, programs, and initiatives to support the educational success and economic mobility of their students.
Improve the ability of HSIs to align program offerings with the economic needs of the Nation and their local economies, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and teaching.
Coordinate efforts to help HSIs become or remain fiscally secure institutions.
Foster cross-sector collaboration among HSIs and philanthropic, public, and private sector organizations.
Strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HSIs to build accessible and equal pathways into Federal career opportunities for HSI students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Provide tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for students.
Investing Additional $19 Million in Research Infrastructure at HSIs
To remain the most competitive economy in the world, the Nation’s most inclusive institutions of higher education must continue to lead in research and development. Yet too many HSIs report having unmet infrastructure needs that hold back their ability to engage in research that will propel forward these institutions, their students, and the nation as a whole.
To help address these needs, the Biden-Harris Administration established the Department of Education’s Research and Development Infrastructure Program (RDI) for the colleges and universities that play a central role in educating students from diverse backgrounds. The program provides funds to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)—including HSIs— to implement transformational investments in research infrastructure, including research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced nearly $19 million in new grants to five HSIs to build their research and physical infrastructure including—
Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida received $1.1 million.
National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois received $3 million.
Sam Houston State University in Houston, Texas received $5 million.
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas received $4.7 million.
University of Puerto Rico on the Rio Piedras Campus received $5 million.
The $19 million in grants to HSIs was a part of $49 million in RDI grants to 13 HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs.
Building on Historic Investments in HSIs
Today’s announcements build on President Biden and Vice President Harris’ historic investments of over $16 billion in direct funding to HSIs, including through COVID relief funds and the Department of Education’s federal grant program funds.
The chart below provides a state-by-state breakdown of funding to date.
State
Total Funds Received by HSIs in the State
AR
$11,356,918
AZ
$739,602,657
CA
$6,389,050,269
CO
$290,670,467
CT
$81,522,902
DC
$10,396,350
FL
$1,524,890,025
GA
$96,526,460
ID
$12,477,969
IL
$664,298,648
IN
$20,049,711
KS
$20,869,761
MA
$110,295,475
MD
$68,836,836
MN
$12,999,876
NC
$10,750,057
NE
$1,211,270
NJ
$582,987,076
NM
$399,198,109
NV
$336,899,054
NY
$327,800,182
OH
$875,529
OK
$9,372,922
OR
$58,864,009
PA
$66,357,824
PR
$1,135,872,342
RI
$48,066,707
TN
$7,383,933
TX
$3,433,719,411
VA
$14,730,892
WA
$124,035,244
WI
$23,119,648
Grand Total
$16,635,088,533
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ13: Promoting students’ physical and mental health LCQ13: Promoting students’ physical and mental health *****************************************************
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (October 30): Question: Last year, the Ministry of Education issued the Special Action Plan for Comprehensively Strengthening and Improving the Mental Health Education for Students in the New Era (2023-2025), pointing out that promoting the physical and mental health and all-round development of students is an important issue. However, there are views pointing out that a number of student suicide cases were reported in Hong Kong at the beginning of the school year in September this year, highlighting the critical situation of students’ mental health and the need for the Government to strengthen the co-operation among schools, families and the community in order to establish a more comprehensive support system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it will review afresh the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism implemented in December last year in order to strengthen the assistance to schools in early identifying students with higher suicidal risk and providing them with appropriate support expeditiously; (2) whether it will formulate quantifiable guidelines (e.g. setting maximum daily homework load) based on the four elements (i.e. Rest, Relaxation, Relationship and Resilience) and the objectives for promoting mental health covered in the Education Bureau’s 4Rs Mental Health Charter to enable schools to take practical actions to reduce student stress; (3) whether it will further implement small class teaching and improve the teacher-student ratios so as to increase the level of student participation and the opportunities for teacher-student interaction, so that teachers can better understand the individual needs and challenges of each student, thereby enhancing the care and counselling for individual students; (4) whether it will improve the resources for life-wide learning so that schools can be more flexible in applying them to help students achieve the aims of whole-person development; (5) whether it will strengthen the comprehensive implementation of positive education and the establishment of a caring school culture, so as to enhance the sense of well-being in schools; and (6) as some studies have pointed out that the emotional stress of teachers and parents positively correlates with the depression level of students, whether the authorities will introduce various activities and measures (e.g. streamlining the administrative work of schools) at the level of teachers and parents to relieve their emotional stress, so as to prevent their negative emotions from affecting students? Reply: President, The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to physical and psychological well-being and whole-person development of students, and has been assisting schools in adopting the Whole School Approach at three levels, namely Universal, Selective and Indicated, to promote students’ mental health. Our reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows: (1) The Government has implemented the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in all secondary schools in Hong Kong since December 2023 through cross-departmental collaboration among the EDB, the Social Welfare Department and the Health Bureau, working with the schools’ multidisciplinary teams, the off-campus support network and medical services for early identification and support of students with high risk. The 2024 Policy Address has announced to extend the Mechanism to the end of 2025 and that enhancement would be made to strengthen collaboration. The Government will continue to review the operation of the Mechanism. (2) The EDB implements the 4Rs Mental Health Charter in 2024 to foster the mental health of students, staff and parents in a more holistic manner. It is pleased to see that over 500 schools have joined the Charter. In the relevant circular memorandum, the EDB has set out the action pledges that participating schools have to achieve in relation to the four elements for promoting mental health (i.e. rest, relaxation, relationship and resilience). Schools are also required to implement various measures and organise activities for the promotion of students’ mental health starting from this school year to help students develop healthy living habits and positive interpersonal relationships, provide them with more opportunities to relax and reduce stress, and enhance their sense of well-being and resilience. In particular, schools should formulate an appropriate school-based assignment policy and co-ordinate the workload across different subjects to strike a balance between the quality and quantity of assignments. (3) It is an established government policy to implement small class teaching (SCT) in public sector primary schools. SCT is a teaching strategy that provides teachers with an environment conducive to greater flexibility in adopting different teaching strategies for diversified educational activities and promoting teacher-student and student-student interactions. Currently, over 90 per cent of public sector primary schools in Hong Kong have implemented SCT, achieving the target set in the 2022 Policy Address one year ahead of schedule. The EDB has also arranged nine schools to start implementing SCT in the 2025/26 school year. By then, the percentage of public sector primary schools implementing SCT will increase to nearly 95 per cent. The EDB will continue to prudently assess the circumstances of individual districts/school nets and maintain communication with schools to pragmatically and flexibly advance SCT in public sector primary schools as soon as possible. The current standard class size of 25 for primary schools implementing SCT is smaller when compared to the average class size in some advanced places. For secondary schools, the current allocation class size of public sector secondary schools ranges from 31 to 34, while the actual average class size is just 27.1, which is comparable to those in other developed countries. With the implementation of various measures, the overall teacher-to-student ratios in public sector primary and secondary schools have been improving from 1:14.4 and 1:14.5 respectively in the 2012/13 school year to 1:11.9 and 1:11.1 respectively in the 2023/24 school year, which are better than those in most other regions, providing teachers with greater flexibility to nurture students’ whole-person development. (4) The EDB has been proactively encouraging schools to promote students’ life-wide learning in and outside the classroom. Starting from the 2019/20 school year, the EDB has been providing a recurrent Life-wide Learning Grant (the Grant) to all public sector schools and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme each year, with the aim of supporting schools in organising more out-of-classroom experiential learning activities and procuring the necessary equipment, so as to enrich the learning experiences of students. In view of the latest education development and students’ needs, the EDB issued a circular in September this year to update the ambit and guidelines on the use of the Grant, related examples, etc, which includes encouraging schools to make good use of the Grant to organise activities relating to the promotion of students’ mental health, or procure related services, materials and learning and teaching resources. (5) The EDB has all along been encouraging schools to promote positive education and help students face challenges positively. In terms of curriculum, the EDB strives to nurture students with a positive and optimistic attitude towards life through values education. The Values Education Curriculum Framework (Pilot Version) released in 2021 has included “strengthening life education” as one of its emphases, with continuous support given to schools to foster students’ positivity and a positive and optimistic attitude towards life through learning as well as life-wide learning activities within and beyond the classroom. In addition, diversified student activities have been organised to help create a caring and harmonious campus atmosphere. Examples of such include the launch of the “Active Students, Active People” Campaign” to support schools in promoting physical activities; the organisation of Understanding Adolescent Project in primary schools, the Enhanced Smart Teen Project in secondary schools in collaboration with disciplinary forces and uniform groups, and the Pupil Ambassador Scheme on Positive Living to enhance students’ resilience through adventure-based, team-building and problem-solving training; and the “WE” Positive Dynamic Scheme and the “Gratitude, Forgiveness & Happiness Project” to help students build a positive self-image. Besides, the EDB has been organising the “Caring School Award Scheme” annually to recognise schools that are dedicated to implementing caring school measures, and encourage them to establish a caring school culture. (6) In parallel, the EDB also concern about the mental health of teachers and parents. In this regard, the EDB has set up the Teachers’ Helpline to provide telephone counselling and follow-up services to help teachers cope with stress at work or emotional problems. There are also courses on stress management and promotion of physical and psychological well-being for teachers organised under the Teachers’ Helpline initiative. Over the past few years, the Quality Education Fund has subsidised various projects relating to teachers’ physical and psychological well-being, such as the Mindshift Educational Networking Programme launched by the University of Hong Kong to help teachers learn how to relieve stress. In the 2023/24 school year, the EDB organised a total of 48 workshops and courses for teachers, covering topics such as mental health, expressive arts, mindfulness and physical health. The EDB will continue to organise such workshops and courses for teachers. The EDB has implemented various new initiatives in recent years to allocate additional manpower and resources to support teachers’ work continuously. Examples of the related measures include increasing the teacher-to-class ratio for public sector schools by 0.1 across-the-board starting from the 2017/18 school year to enhance their teaching manpower; providing additional regular teaching posts for schools; providing cash grants for schools to hire additional teaching and non-teaching staff; and implementing the “One Executive Officer for Each School” policy starting from the 2019/20 school year so as to reduce the administrative work of teachers, thereby creating more room for them. For parents, the EDB has been implementing the territory-wide Positive Parent Campaign since 2020 to foster parents’ positive thinking and attitudes. The focus of the Positive Parent Campaign this year is to encourage parents and children to develop a healthy lifestyle together, and help parents take good care of the physical and psychological well-being of themselves and their children. In addition, the EDB has introduced the Curriculum Frameworks on Parent Education for kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools respectively, providing reference for schools and other organisations in designing parent education programmes or activities, and one of the four core strands of the Curriculum Frameworks is “Promotion of Parents’ Physical and Psychological Well-being”. Starting from the 2022/23 school year, the EDB has been organising parent education courses and talks for parents of kindergarten and primary school students based on the Curriculum Frameworks. The themes include how to help children cope with stress, and exercising empathy to help children understand, express and regulate their emotions. Meanwhile, the EDB has all along been making use of the one-stop parent education website “Smart Parent Net” to provide information on positive parenting, emotional management of parents, etc. In the 2024/25 school year, the EDB will organise more thematic parent education programmes, and promote positive parent education and enhance parents’ awareness of children’s mental health through diversified modes such as district-based film gala presentations.
Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2024Issued at HKT 17:35
Weight-loss injectables don’t address the many core reasons for why weight gain and unemployment occur in the first place.oleschwander/ Shutterstock
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and health secretary Wes Streeting have recently discussed plans to trial weight-loss injections for around 250,000 people with obesity who are unemployed in a bid to get them back into work, ease pressure on the NHS and boost the economy.
Obesity is estimated to cost UK society around £35 billion annually. This is due to lower productivity and higher NHS treatment costs.
Around 26% of the English adult population (approximately 15 million) are considered obese. However, it’s not known what proportion of unemployed people are obese.
While weight-loss injections have proven to be very effective in helping people who are obese to lose weight and lower their risk of certain chronic diseases, there are many reasons why these drugs alone won’t help tackle obesity and unemployment rates in the UK.
1. Lack of capacity
The majority of UK people who are obese are likely to meet the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s eligibility criteria for weight-loss injections.
But prescribing these drugs is just one part of the equation. Eligible patients will require support from specialist services who provide guidance in making the appropriate lifestyle changes (such as to their diet) to successfully lose weight while on these drugs. This is crucial, as all of the weight-loss injection trials to date have involved a behaviour change component. This may potentially be key to the successful weight losses observed in these studies.
However, current demand for weight-loss services is already outstripping capacity. Nearly half of eligible patients in England are unable to get an appointment with a specialist team. Weight-loss injections can only be prescribed through such services currently. If the government is to roll out the proposed programme, they will need to rethink the way weight-loss services are delivered so all eligible patients can access support.
2. Won’t work for everyone
Weight-loss jabs don’t necessarily work for everyone. One study found that 9-15% of participants who took the drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro) did not lose clinically significant amounts of weight.
Weight-loss jabs may also cause intolerable side-effects for some. Trials have shown between 4-8% of participants couldn’t tolerate the side-effects, causing them to drop out of the study. Constipation, diarrhoea and nausea are some of the most commonly reported.
People with certain health conditions may be unable to use weight-loss injections – such as those with inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis. In such cases, weight-loss jabs may worsen symptoms or interact with the prescription drugs used to manage these conditions, increasing risk of harm.
Additionally, some people may not want to take an injection – whether that’s simply due to personal preference or even fear of needles.
3. Obesity is a complex issue
There are many complex factors that contribute to weight gain – such as opportunities for physical activity, access to healthy foods and levels of deprivation in a community. Prescribing weight-loss jabs to help people lose weight may not be effective long-term if the rest of these factors are not also addressed.
A more effective way of seeing significant, sustainable reductions in obesity levels across a population is by using a “whole systems approach”. This would address to the multiple environmental, social and economic factors that contribute to obesity.
Where whole systems approaches have been embedded in healthcare design and delivery, they have led to improvements in services and patient outcomes – including obesity-related metrics (such as patients making healthier food choices and being more active).
However, one limitation to whole systems approaches is challenges in measuring impact. This can reduce political will to implement these approaches.
4. Obesity stigma
Obesity stigma in the workplace is a huge barrier to satisfactory employment and leads to poor wellbeing and burnout.
Obesity stigma in the workplace perpetuates harmful weight-based stereotypes that overweight and obese people are lazy, unsuccessful, unintelligent and lack willpower. As a result, people with obesity are more likely to be in insecure and lower-paid jobs than those who may be considered of a healthy weight.
It’s also well-evidenced that regular exposure to stigmatising, isolating and degrading prejudices has long-term consequences on physical and mental health – and may lead to problems such as binge eating and depression.This can lead to a loss of productivity, absenteeism and loneliness.
Prescribing weight-loss jabs to help a person lose weight doesn’t address the core reasons for why they may have been absent from work or unemployed in the first place. Nor does it help to address the mental health struggles they may still harbour as a result of discrimination they might have experienced.
Current prescribing restrictions also limit some injections to a maximum of 24 months (although further trials are ongoing). This means that even if a person has successfully lost weight, they may regain that weight again when they stop using the drug. This could mean any health problems they experienced prior to losing weight (and which may have prevented them from being in employment) could reemerge.
There are better ways of getting people back into work than prescribing weight-loss jabs. Flexible working approaches, for instance, may make it easier for someone who is unemployed due to caring responsibilities or health problems to transition back into employment. Supportive policies and workplace wellbeing programmes may be a more cost-effective way of helping people to overcome barriers, improve their health and transition back into work.
Lucie Nield has received funding from The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for evaluation of children’s weight management services.
Lucie Nield sits on the Board of Trustees for Darnall Wellbeing (a local community service organisation).
An Official Statistics in Development publication for Scotland.
Scotland’s onshore GDP contracted by 0.3% in August 2024, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. This follows revised growth of 0.5% in July 2024.
In the three months to August, GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.1% compared to the previous three month period. This indicates an decrease in growth relative to the growth of 0.4% (revised from 0.6%) in 2024 Quarter 2 (April to June).
In August, the largest contribution to headline GDP was made by the Information & Communications sector which contracted by 3.2%, contributing -0.2 percentage points to the overall contraction. The largest positive contribution was made by the Education sector which grew by 1.4%, contributing 0.1 percentage points towards GDP.
All results are seasonally adjusted and presented in real terms (adjusted to remove inflation). GDP growth relates to Scotland’s onshore economy, which means it does not include the output of offshore oil and gas extraction.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the output of the economy in Scotland and are designated as official statistics in development. This means that they are still in development but have been released to enable their use at an early stage. All results are provisional and subject to relatively high levels of uncertainty.
Rainbow Meadow in Shire Brook Valley is now home to a host of new four-legged friends as we see the arrival of Highland cows and Dexter cows.
The cows have been brought to the meadow to graze which will help manage the field naturally , creating open spaces for wildflowers to grow and preventing brambles from taking over the meadow.
As well as grazing, through moving and walking around the field this will create and maintain the open spaces. Sheffield City Council has welcomed the cows to maintain the land in a great condition, in between woodland and open grassland.
Locals are welcome and encouraged to come down and view the cows from the gate but should not climb the gate as there is a risk of injury from livestock. Dogs are not permitted to be in the field.
The introduction of the cows forms part of Sheffield City Council’s Species Survival Fund which aims to protect, enhance and widen areas of heathland, and it will help to manage and create areas of meadow, benefitting species of flora such as orchids and invertebrates such as dragonflies.
The Council’s Species Survival Fund was awarded more than £1million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as being supported by funding from partners and other organisations, totalling almost £400,000.
These include National Grid, The Environment Agency, South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Yorkshire Water, Friends of Richmond Park and the South Yorkshire Badger Group.
The mix of habitats are particularly important conserve in the area for invertebrate, fungi, birds and wildflowers – the diversity of which will fall if the site is allowed to become dominated by trees.
Areas the project will cover:
Shire Brook Valley Nature Reserve
Beighton Marsh
Woodhouse Washlands
Wickfield Heath & Plantation
Richmond Park
Silkstone Ravine (part of Birley Spa)
The project will improve sites covering a total area of 449.5 acres. The project will involve conservation management, woodland works to open sightlines, creation of leaky dams and new areas of wet woodland, removing 1/3 of the silt and Typha from a former mill pond, creating ditches and hedgerows, and removal of invasive species.
Species the fund will support include mice, bats, reptiles, amphibians (including toads and newts), birds such as swifts, house martins, skylarks, barn owls and kingfishers.
Patrick Gray, Grazing Co-ordinator at Wild Sheffield, said:
“We now have 18 cows on Rainbow Meadow including 17 Dexter Cows and one Highland Cow.
“The lack of grazing over the past few years has led to the meadow being overrun with brambles and scrub. The objective of the grazing is to maintain the site as a woodland pasture, which consists of a mix of veteran trees, young trees, and open grassland.
“This is a pilot scheme, and in the future plan to have grazing at Sally Clark Meadow across the lane, and at Linley Bank.”
The current plan of winter grazing is to remove the build-up of vegetation on the pasture so that ideal conditions are created for spring when all the interesting and colourful wildflowers begin to germinate.
Wild Sheffield, in partnership with Sheffield City Council, would like to set up a volunteer scheme for members of the public to assist in keeping an eye on the cows, reporting any sick or injured or escaped animals.
If you want to find out more about how you can get involved, please email Patrick Gray from Wild Sheffield for more details p.gray@wildsheffield.com.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The fifth anniversary forum of leaders “Youth Initiative” was held in the estate of the first director of the Polytechnic Institute Prince Andrei Gagarin. Its mission is to strengthen the community of socially active students who create significant projects and develop volunteerism and charity. Volunteer students of the Dobro.Center SPbPU and the campaign gathered at the site of the historical estate
“Youth Initiative” has always been a special event for active Polytechnic students. The number of student leaders (organizers, heads of volunteer and public activities at the university, authors of grant projects and winners of all-Russian and international competitions), successful Polytechnic graduates who began their journey with this forum, is already in the tens. It is not without reason that “accordionists” consider Kholomki a place of power. Three intense days in a wonderful atmosphere of history, inspiration and creative opportunities are incredibly motivating for both experienced guys (mentors) and first-year students. Moreover, both undergraduate and graduate students, including even foreign students, – said Tatyana Nam, Director of the Dobro.Center “Harmony”.
The architecture of the forum program consists of educational, practical and cultural-creative parts. The first director of the Polytechnic Institute, Prince Andrei Gagarin, said that the institute was created not only to teach, but also to form a comprehensively developed personality.
The first day began with an interactive program on the bus. On the way to Kholomki, the students not only met, learned interesting facts and useful information, but also made travel collages as a keepsake. Upon arrival at the estate, the participants went on an excursion with immersion in the history of the Polytechnic University, and also solemnly laid flowers at the memorial to Prince Andrei Gagarin.
At the Youth Initiative forum, participants learned about the possibilities
We worked on the script for the literary salon with great interest, enthusiasm and dedication in order to convey not only creativity but also the atmosphere of the era. The performance turned out to be fascinating, many viewers later shared that the performance impressed them to the point of goosebumps, which means we succeeded! I am very glad that the actors and viewers enjoyed it and I hope that together with the talented guys from the PolyNova author’s club of the Polytechnic’s Dobro.Harmony Center, we will be able to make a full-length performance based on this artistic sketch, – shared a 2nd year student, head of the cultural and creative direction
The Polytechnicians’ vigorous morning on the second day of the forum began with health-improving wushu in the fresh air. They plunged into a volunteer quest consisting of five stations with particular zeal. Creating T-shirts with an individual design of the campaign
Getting to know volunteerism is impossible without overcoming stereotypes and debunking myths. The Dobro.Center “Harmony” team introduced the participants to the SPbPU volunteer ecosystem and proved that if everyone helps to the best of their ability, the possibilities for good will become limitless. Then the participants learned about serendipity (the ability to draw deep conclusions from random observations) and learned why luck is not just a coincidence, but attentiveness and the ability to use opportunities. They mastered time management skills and even became real detectives by attending a master class on fingerprinting. There, everyone learned how to take prints and create a fingerprint card.
After a short break, the participants were treated to a mini-course on first aid and psychological training, which helped them better understand and express their experiences through creativity and imaginative thinking. As part of the campaign
The Youth Initiative Forum is warmth, happiness and the most eventful weekend of autumn. Together with the Harmony team, we were able to organize useful trainings, intensive courses and interesting master classes. In three days, we managed to show the real life of a volunteer. We managed to charge the guys with kindness and set them up for positivity. I am very pleased to be part of such a large-scale event, it is a great experience and inspiration, – shared a second-year student, an activist of the headquarters
At the end of the evening, the participants got acquainted with the brightest and largest events of the SPbPU Dobro.Center, and also took part in the evening reflection, where everyone could speak about their emotions and impressions, thank each other for communication and the joint experience of participating in the volunteer forum.
Thanks to the team of organizers for your work, thanks to all the participants! Without their openness, sincerity, readiness to trust new people, the trip would not have been so heartfelt! Thanks to Tatyana Anatolyevna Nam for her care for everyone, for showing us how cool it is to do what you love. Thanks to all the lecturers who spoke about their experience with love and professionalism. It was a trip after which I returned home filled with only bright feelings, motivated, with very pleasant impressions and memories! Well, and the most important thing is the people! We are all so different, but I am sure that after the off-site forum we became a little closer, – shared her impressions the head of the school of GI elders Ksenia Kopylova.
The next day, the polytechnicians gathered for the ceremonial closing of the forum. All participants, volunteers and organizers were awarded certificates and letters of gratitude. And so, the road back to St. Petersburg, all charged and happy, but with a little sadness in their eyes because of the imminent farewell.
Mikhail Lomonosov once said: “A nation that does not know its past has no future.” In my opinion, this phrase perfectly describes the purpose of our trip to the estate of the first director of the Polytechnic University, Andrei Gagarin. The forum was filled with educational lectures, the speakers spoke in a very interesting and accessible way about how to subjugate creativity, how to prevent emotional burnout, and much more. I would like to separately highlight the high-quality work of the entire Dobro.Center team. It is evident how they try to make every minute spent at the forum happier. After the “Youth Initiative”, absolutely every participant wanted to join the ranks of the best volunteer headquarters to help all those in need. In general, it was a great cultural and educational forum, where the participants rested their souls and developed their personal skills! – Kirill Grishin, a first-year student of the Institute of Economics and Technology, shared his impressions.
The Youth Initiative Forum is held by the Dobro.Harmony Center of SPbPU with the support of the Polytechnic University Endowment Fund, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov, Director of the Humanitarian Institute Natalia Chicherina, and the educational and historical reserve “Prince A.G. Gagarin’s Estate “Kholomki”.
Photographer: Sofya Ryabinina
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