NewzIntel.com

Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to govt pledge of £21.7bn for carbon capture projects

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on a government pledge of £21.7bn for carbon capture projects. 

    Prof Stuart Haszeldine, Professor of Carbon Capture and Storage at the University of Edinburgh, said:   

    “This is fourth time lucky for CCS in the UK. After 3 false starts on projects with single sources to capture CO2, a change of philosophy has produced multiple industrial CO2 capture projects, mutually supporting pipelines feeding into secure geological stores. This ambitious and complex pathway is starting to convert the world’s first nation to industrialise coal use into the world’s first nation to decarbonise industry.

    “The UK’s long CCS design journey started in 2005 with an unexpected offer from BP – not accepted by Government, leading to a competition to retrofit coal power electricity not awarded in 2011, then last minute cancellation in 2016 of funding for gas powered capture, and from 2018 a pivot to industrial projects mutually supporting shared pipelines and stores.

    “CCS has operated successfully and safely in the Norwegian North Sea since 2006. But the debate between Perfect or Pragmatic on CCS still exercises those commentators and campaigners who prefer to completely escape from fossil fuels. However, hundreds of CO2 injections into geological storage worldwide have been competed with no leakage. But providing energy from adequate supplies of renewable electricity, and electrolysis to make green hydrogen, will not be installed for several decades. CCS provides achievable steps to rapidly decrease emissions at industrial scale, starting a transition into a lower carbon future. This is a revolutionary leap in energy systems.

    “Perception of price remains the biggest blockage to routine installation of CCS. But the cost of government subsidy for the first projects will be spread between across the national energy system – equivalent to a fraction of penny each kilowatt hour.  At full decarbonisation, CCS will cost around 15 pence per litre of petrol – much less than annual market price variations, and affordable.

    “Anticipating successful CCS operating projects, the UK government now needs to plan future CCS projects to operate without government grant support. Existing policies are mis-directed to pay for permissions to emit. What is needed for the future is a payment reward for storage of CO2. That can be achieved by an extended obligation on oil company suppliers of fossil carbon to capture and store CO2 emissions arising from their products. That principle was legally established for development of new oilfields in the UK Supreme Court ‘Finch’ case in June 2024.”

    Declared interests

    Stuart Haszeldine is not funded by hydrocarbon companies or CCS developers supported by government

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Adult Community Learning launches autumn programme 4 October 2024 Adult Community Learning launches autumn programme

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    The Isle of Wight Council’s Adult Community Learning team is excited to announce the launch of its autumn programme, offering a diverse range of workshops and courses.

    Whether you’re interested in improving your functional skills in English and maths, exploring ICT, or engaging in arts, crafts, health, and wellbeing activities, there is something for everyone.

    There are also FREE online short courses available.

    There’s lots of information about the courses available on the Learning Centre webpage.

    Alternatively, you can speak to a member of staff by calling 01983 817280 or visiting The Learning Centre at Westridge, Ryde.

    If you’re looking to develop your skills further, perhaps to retrain or return to work, you can book a careers appointment with Claire Rixon, our information, advice, and guidance professional.

    Claire can assist with CV writing, covering letters, and application forms, and provide support with career changes, redundancy, education, and training. To book an appointment, call 01983 817280.

    Drop-in sessions are also available at Westridge, Ryde centre every Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm during term time. No booking is necessary; just pop in during these times.

    For those needing help with online learning or computer access, the ICT drop-in dates for this term are:

    • 18 October
    • 15 November
    • 29 November
    • 13 December

    If you need advice with job applications, the drop-in dates are:

    • 11 October
    • 8 November
    • 22 November
    • 6 December

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Elective home education and children missing education data collection: grant determination

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Letter giving local authorities notice of a grant to help with costs of data returns.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Grant determination letter for the elective home education and children missing education local authority data collection, 2024 to 2025

    PDF, 140 KB, 2 pages

    Details

    Local authorities in England have a mandatory duty to return data on elective home education and children missing education to the Secretary of State for Education.

    The Department for Education (DfE) is providing a grant to help with the costs of complying with that duty.

    This letter sets out the amount, payment and grounds for determination.

    DfE will also email it to elective home education and children missing education contacts in each local authority on the launch date.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 October 2024

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: There’s a renewed push to scrap junior rates of pay for young adults. Do we need to rethink what’s fair?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerry Brown, Professor of Employment and Industry, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University

    NT_Studio/Shutterstock

    Should young people be paid less than their older counterparts, even if they’re working the same job? Whether you think it’s fair or not, it’s been standard practice in many industries for a long time.

    The argument is that young people are not fully “work-ready” and require more intensive employer support to develop the right skills for their job.

    But change could be on the horizon. Major unions and some politicians are pushing for reform – arguing “youth wages” should be scrapped entirely for adults.

    Why? They say the need to be fairly paid for equal work effort, as well as economic considerations such as the high cost of living and ongoing housing crisis, mean paying young adults less based on their age is out of step with modern Australia.

    So is there a problem with our current system, and if so, how might we go about fixing it?

    What are youth wages?

    In Australia, a youth wage or junior pay rate is paid as an increasing percentage of an award’s corresponding full adult wage until an employee reaches the age of 21.

    This isn’t the case in every industry – some awards require all adults to be paid the same minimum rates.

    But for those not covered by a specific award, as well as those working in industries including those covered by the General Retail Industry Award, Fast Food Industry Award and Pharmacy Industry Award, employees younger than 21 are not paid the full rate.

    Why pay less?

    Conventionally, junior rates have been thought of as a “training wage”. Younger people are typically less experienced, so as they gain more skills on the job over time, they are paid a higher hourly rate.

    But there are a few key problems with this approach, which may not be relevant given many employers’ expectations for their workers to start “job-ready” and a lack of consistency in the training they provide.

    Training up and developing skills is an important part of building any career. But it isn’t always provided by their employers.

    Many young adults undergo training prior to starting work and at their own expense.
    Best smile studio/Shutterstock

    Many young workers train themselves in job-related technical education and short courses, often at their own expense and prior to starting work.

    Employers reap the benefit of this pre-employment training and so a “wage discount” for younger workers may be irrelevant in this instance.

    None of this is to say employers aren’t offering something important when they take on young employees.

    Younger workers coming into employment relatively early have access to more than just a paid job, but also become part of a team, with responsibilities and job requirements that support “bigger-picture” life skills.

    Those who employ them may be contributing to their broader social and cultural engagement, something that could be considered part of a more inclusive training package. Whether that justifies a significant wage discount is less clear.



    Read more:
    Why real wages in Australia have fallen while they’ve risen in most other OECD countries

    Calls for a rethink

    There are growing calls for a rethink on the way we compensate young people for their efforts.

    An application by the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association – the union for retail, fast food and warehousing workers – seeks to remove junior rates for adult employees on three key awards. This action will be heard by the Fair Work Commission next year.

    Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said the peak union body will lobby the government to legislate such changes if this application fails. The Greens have added their support.

    That doesn’t have to mean abolishing youth wages altogether. But 21 years of age is a high threshold, especially given we get the right to major adult responsibilities such as voting and driving by 18.

    A transition strategy could consider gradually lowering this threshold, or increasing the wage percentages over time.

    Lessons from New Zealand

    We wouldn’t be the first to make such a bold change if we did.

    Our geographically and culturally close neighbour, New Zealand, has already removed the “youth wage” – replacing it with a “first job” rate and a training wage set at 80% of the full award rate in 2008.

    A common argument against abolishing youth wages – and increasing the minimum wage in general – is that it will stop businesses hiring young people and thus increase unemployment.

    But a 2021 study that examined the effects of New Zealand’s experience with increasing minimum wages – including this change – found little discernible difference in employment outcomes for young workers.

    The authors did note, however, that New Zealand’s economic downturn post-2008 had a marked effect on the employment of young workers more generally.

    New Zealand has already taken major steps in reforming junior pay rates.
    Stephan Roeger/Shutterstock

    What’s fair?

    It’s easy to see how we arrived at the case for paying younger adults less. But younger workers should not bear the burden of intergenerational inequity by “losing out” on wages in the early part of their working life.

    The debate we see now echoes the discussions about equal pay for equal work value run in the 1960s and ‘70s in relation to women’s unequal pay.

    We were warned that paying women the same as men would cause huge economic dislocation. Such a catastrophe simply did not come to pass.

    Kerry Brown is a member of the National Tertiary Education Union.

    – ref. There’s a renewed push to scrap junior rates of pay for young adults. Do we need to rethink what’s fair? – https://theconversation.com/theres-a-renewed-push-to-scrap-junior-rates-of-pay-for-young-adults-do-we-need-to-rethink-whats-fair-240548

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: InnoCarnival 2024 to run from October 26 to November 3 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    InnoCarnival 2024 to run from October 26 to November 3 (with photos)
    InnoCarnival 2024 to run from October 26 to November 3 (with photos)
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         Organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), the InnoCarnival 2024 (IC 2024) will be held from October 26 to November 3 at the Hong Kong Science Park with the theme of “Let’s Sail with Innovation and Technology”. The event is receiving support from over 75 programme partners, including local universities, research and development centres, government departments and other organisations. Through an array of interesting activities, it aims to promote innovation and technology (I&T) culture. IC 2024 is also one of the Special 75 events and Highlight Events of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.           Speaking at the media preview for IC 2024 today (October 4), the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Ivan Lee, said that the Commission has been committed to driving the I&T development of Hong Kong and raising the awareness of I&T culture in the community. He believed that the Carnival was an annual flagship event which could foster popularity of science culture, nurture the young generation’s interest in I&T, and attract more I&T talent in the long run.            The media preview exhibited the research and development (R&D) projects of several participating teams. Project team representatives presented their inspirational ideas, R&D processes, features and functions, and project applications. These projects include the “Flexible Exoskeleton for Load Transportation”, developed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong which provides personalised assistance to the wearer when moving heavy objects to reduce back strain and muscle activity, minimising the risk of lower back pain while maximising comfort and safety; as well as the “Dye Removal from Denim Textile Wastewater by a Combinative Adsorption and Regeneration System” developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), which is an environmental-friendly and cost-effective indigo dye treatment method using alumina-based adsorbents as efficient dye-adsorbent materials to remove indigo dye from textile wastewater.           In addition, representatives of Carmel Divine Grace Foundation Secondary School, introduced their anti-phone scam invention for seniors, “ElderDefender”. Equipped with speech recognition technology, the device would make use of artificial intelligence and big data technology to scan phone message to reduce phone scams by issuing a visual alert. This invention earned awards in the Hong Kong Student Science Competition organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, as well as the Second City I&T Grand Challenge organised by the ITC together with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.           Exhibition booths will be set up at the Hong Kong Science Park to showcase local I&T achievements, some of them with interactive games. Moreover, a diverse line-up of about 150 workshops and webinars across various subjects including artificial intelligence and energy conservation will be available during the carnival.            Prototypes of some of the winning I&T solutions of the Second City I&T Grand Challenge will also be displayed for trial in the IC 2024. To promote an I&T culture and enhance the application of I&T in the community, the second City I&T Grand Challenge was launched in March this year under the theme of “Hong Kong’s Got I&T”. It invited submissions from different sectors of the community to develop I&T solutions focusing on two subjects, namely “I&T for Nature (Yama)” (improving the operation and management of country parks and campsites, and enhancing hikers’ experiences in nature) and “I&T for Community (Community Wellness)” (enhancing support for carers). After rounds of assessment and pitching, over 50 awards under the four categories, which were the Primary School Group, the Secondary School Group, the University/Tertiary Institute Group and the Open Group, were presented at the Grand Pitch in August this year.           All IC 2024 activities are free of charge. Some of the activities require preregistration. Details are available at the thematic webpage (innocarnival.hk). Members of the public are most welcome to join.

     
    Ends/Friday, October 4, 2024Issued at HKT 17:35

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: ASEAN convenes 45th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters and Related Meetings

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    The 45th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters (ASOD) and Its Related Meetings, which included six ASOD + Dialogue Partner(s) Consultations, namely with Australia, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and Plus Three, were held via videoconference on 3-4 October 2024. The Meetings were attended by the ASOD Leaders of all ASEAN Member States, Dialogue Partners and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community. Timor-Leste attended as Observer. The Meetings were preceded by meetings of the five ASOD Working Groups (WG), namely on Preventive Education, Treatment and Rehabilitation, Law Enforcement, Research and Alternative Development, that were held on 2 October 2024. The series of meetings discussed, among others, the latest drug situation, emerging trends, best practices and potential cooperation against illicit drugs in the region.

    The post ASEAN convenes 45th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters and Related Meetings appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE, principal officials get flu jab

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee today led Principal Officials to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) and called on the public to get vaccinated early for better protection before the winter flu season.

    Mr Lee and some of the officials also received the COVID-19 booster jab at the same time.

    The Chief Executive said it is the best time to receive the SIV for effective protection in the coming year against the influenza strains predicted by the World Health Organization in preparation for the impending winter and summer influenza seasons.

    He noted that through the concerted efforts of various stakeholders in the community under the Government’s leadership, 1.87 million doses were administered under various government vaccination programmes in the 2023-24 season – a record high 20% increase from the 2022-23 season.

    “I hope the vaccination rate in this season can reach even greater heights so as to build a more robust protection barrier in society to safeguard citizens’ health.”

    Mr Lee added that high-risk priority groups should also receive an additional COVID-19 booster six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection, whichever is later, to enhance protection and reduce the risks of serious complications and death.

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau, who had earlier received the SIV and COVID-19 vaccination, was also present to show his support.

    Prof Lo said: “Various SIV programmes commenced on September 26 to provide free or subsidised SIV for eligible people. I urge members of the public to act now and receive the SIV in October.”

    Special arrangements were made under the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach Programme this year, wherein kindergartens and childcare centres can choose both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines and live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) (ie nasal vaccines) for the same or different outreach vaccination activities.

    Additionally, a pilot scheme was rolled out in which LAIV will be provided for the first time to primary and secondary schools that had indicated earlier this year their preference for arranging LAIV for their students.

    To offer greater convenience for receiving the SIV this year, the Government specifically designated additional vaccination venues for citizens’ selection.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Nikita Blagoy: “Exchange education is a colossal development and skills”

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Nikita Blagoy, a postgraduate student at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, and an assistant at the Higher School of Engineering and Economics, received a scholarship from the President of the Russian Federation for students and postgraduates studying abroad. In early September, Nikita went to China. Before leaving, he told us about his academic path at the Polytechnic University, and how his ideas about life and science changed. And after a while, he contacted us to share his first impressions of his internship at the Dalian University of Technology.

    Interview with a graduate student Read in our traditional section “Person”.

    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.

    http://www.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/polytech-media/nikita-blagoy-exchange-training-is-colossal-development-and-skills/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 13 Polytechnicians Among the World’s Most Cited Scientists

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Elsevier has published updated lists of the most cited scientists in the world over the past year and throughout my entire scientific career.

    Stanford University (USA) annually collects and analyzes information from the international scientometric database Scopus about the most authoritative scientists. When compiling the ratings, both qualitative and quantitative citation metrics are taken into account. The obtained information is posted on the Elsevier website. According to the company, the scientists presented in the lists make up 2% of the most influential scientific specialists. Among them are 13 SPbPU scientists.

    Nine of the university’s researchers were included in both rankings at once: the most cited authors at the end of 2023 and for their entire research career. The greatest successes were achieved by:

    Nikolay Vatin is the director of the Scientific and Technological Complex “Digital Engineering in Civil Engineering”, chief researcher at the Laboratory of Protected and Modular Structures, Professor at the Higher School of Advanced Digital Technologies NIS “Digital Engineering”, Doctor of Technical Sciences;
    Vladimir Mostepanenko is the chief researcher at the Scientific Laboratory “Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems on a Chip” at the NIS “Digital Engineering”, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences;
    Vadim Davydov is a leading engineer at the Center for New Materials of the Research and Modeling of Materials Research Center of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences;
    Galina Klimchitskaya is the chief researcher at the Scientific Laboratory “Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems on a Crystal” at the NIS “Digital Engineering”, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences;
    Anatoly Popovich – Director of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, Professor of the Research Center “Structural and Functional Materials” of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory “Synthesis of New Materials and Structures” of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering”, Doctor of Technical Sciences;
    Lev Utkin is a professor at the Higher School of Artificial Intelligence Technologies at the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity; Leading Researcher at the Research Laboratory “Supercomputer Technologies and Machine Learning” NIS “Digital Engineering”, Doctor of Technical Sciences;
    Anton-Jiri Krivtsov – Director of the Higher School of Theoretical Mechanics and Mathematical Physics of the Institute of Physics and Mechanics, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences;
    Mikhail Shur is a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Computational Hydro-Aeroacoustics and Turbulence at the Scientific and Technical Complex “Mathematical Modeling and Intelligent Control Systems” of the NIS “Digital Engineering”, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
    Andrey Travin is a senior researcher at the laboratory “Computational hydroaeroacoustics and turbulence” of the Scientific and Technical Complex “Mathematical modeling and intelligent control systems” of the NIS “Digital Engineering”, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

    In addition, two Polytechnic University researchers are included in the list of the most cited researchers for the past year. The 2023 ranking includes Mikhail Strelets, head of the Computational Hydroaeroacoustics and Turbulence Laboratory at the Mathematical Modeling and Intelligent Control Systems Scientific and Technical Complex at the Digital Engineering Institute, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and Sergey Barykin, professor at the Higher School of Service and Trade at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, Doctor of Economic Sciences.

    Also, two SPbPU scientists are included in the annual list of the most cited authors by indicators for the entire career path. These are Sergey Shevkunov, a leading researcher at the Center for Technological Projects, Doctor of Technical Sciences, and Sergey Roshchupkin, a professor at the Higher School of Fundamental Physical Research of the Physics and Mechanics Institute, Doctor of Technical Sciences.

    We are proud that Polytechnics have entered the ranking of the most cited scientists in the world. This is a clear confirmation of the high level of scientific research conducted at our university and the significance of contributions to global science. Being included in such rankings is not only a sign of recognition of individual merits, but also the result of the hard work of the entire scientific team, which strives for innovation and high research standards. I am sure that many discoveries and achievements await us ahead, which will inspire students and young scientists to new achievements, – commented Vice-Rector for Research Yuri Fomin.

    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.

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/achivments/13-polytechnicians-among-the-most-cited-scientists-in-the-world/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DEPwD successfully concludes the Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 Campaign: A significant step towards improved facilities for Persons with Disabilities

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 04 OCT 2024 1:43PM by PIB Delhi

    The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and its affiliated National Institutes successfully concluded the Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2024 campaign. Various events, including Divya Kala Shakti, ADIP camps, Sign Language Day, and the Indian Board of Rehabilitation Education, were organized by the department under the Swachhata Pakhwada. During these events, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment (SJE), Dr. Virendra Kumar, administered the Swachhata Pledge.

    At the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) in Dehradun, Union Minister of State (SJE), Shri B.L. Verma graced the SHS programme as the chief guest. He participated in the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ tree plantation drive and inaugurated the newly constructed ‘Accessible Library’ for visually impaired students, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to facilitate easy learning.

    Similarly, at the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), the concluding event of the cleanliness campaign saw officials and staff reaffirm their commitment to maintaining hygiene and promoting cleanliness in their community.

    Additionally, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Divyang Sports Training Center in Gwalior marked its foundation day with a sanitation awareness rally. The rally saw participation from 150 wheelchair athletes, national managers, referees, coaches, social workers, and Gwalior Municipal Corporation’s sanitation ambassadors, raising widespread awareness about the importance of cleanliness.

    The fortnight-long campaign placed special emphasis on upgrading facilities for Divyang employees and staff, including the construction and inauguration of accessible toilets. A special medical camp was also held to ensure the well-being of sanitation workers.

    The SHS campaign aims not only to ensure cleanliness and hygiene facilities for persons with disabilities but also to promote awareness about sanitation throughout society. The department remains committed to this cause and will continue to run such campaigns in the future.

    *****

    VM

    (Release ID: 2061934) Visitor Counter : 45

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From September 30 to October 4, 2024, a series of popular science events for mathematics teachers of basic schools of the Russian Academy of Sciences took place in Novosibirsk

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Over the course of a week, unique popular science events for mathematics teachers of the RAS basic schools (hereinafter referred to as the School) were held in Novosibirsk at the S.L. Sobolev Institute of Mathematics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Novosibirsk State University. The project was launched in 2022 and is aimed at popularizing science, discussing significant discoveries, exchanging experiences among specialists, developing a scientific worldview among young people and adolescents, increasing the prestige of science, and expanding the scientific horizons of schoolchildren.

    This year, 29 teachers from 14 regions of Russia took part in the School: Arkhangelsk, Voronezh, Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk regions, as well as from Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Primorsky Krai and the Udmurt Republic.

    Summing up the results of the school, Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Irina Manuilova noted:

    — Such schools that unite professionals from different regions are extremely useful, so I would like to see as many of them as possible in different parts of Russia. Their goals are in line with the strategy of the Decade of Science and Technology in the Russian Federation, announced by the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the new national projects “Youth and Children” and “Personnel”. I would like to note that recently our region hosted a satellite event of the Technoprom forum, the Big Mathematical Workshop, where student and school teams are involved in solving specific mathematical problems. It is very important that the policy of forming specialized classes and taking a serious attitude towards mathematical education is gaining momentum today. People who come to such training programs are people, thinking people, who are passionate about the cause. Therefore, your thoughts and your experience are extremely important in order to make the right decisions at the level of the Government of the country. I am sure that you have received a good professional background and will continue to work with each other and cooperate. I think that mathematics will take the place it rightfully deserves in school education.

    Dean Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, NSU Igor Marchuk spoke in more detail about the training of mathematicians at the university and noted that NSU offers the main profiles of mathematical education.

    — The faculty has created a whole space for applicants, they can choose any of the profiles — someone wants to be a researcher, someone wants to do engineering, and someone — programming. At the same time, there is a principle of openness, when, having passed certain exams, a student can transfer to another profile during their studies.

    On the basis of the S.L. Sobolev Institute of Mathematics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and NSU, a Mathematical center in Akademgorodok, which supports many events, including events with schoolchildren. For example, this is the winter school of the young mathematician “Lobachevsky”, the Workshop of Creative Mathematics. Also, active cooperation with the educational center “Sirius” is now beginning.

    The School program included practical classes and master classes, where issues of organizing research activities for schoolchildren, solving Olympiad problems in mathematics, and conducting in-class and extracurricular activities for students were discussed. This year, in addition to the traditional participant, Gymnasium No. 6 “Gornostay”, one of the Basic Schools of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the School was also joined by SUNC NSUTherefore, the sessions were held in both educational centers.

    The participants of the School visited the leading institutes of the country and educational institutions located in the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok: Sobolev Institute of Mathematics SB RAS, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics SB RAS, Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy SB RAS, SUNC NSU, Educational Center – Gymnasium No. 6 “Gornostay”.

    Popular science lectures were given by leading scientists, including Pavel Vladimirovich Logachev, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Andrey Mikhailovich Raigorodsky, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of Mathematics, Director of the Phystech School of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science of MIPT; Alexey Vladimirovich Savvateev, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor of MIPT, Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of Mathematical Economics of the Department of Theoretical Economics and Mathematical Research of the Central Economics and Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Also, teachers and associate professors of the NSU Specialized Scientific Center and the Gornostay Educational Center took part in the event as experts.

    For reference: a series of events for mathematics teachers of the RAS basic schools is being held in the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok as part of the implementation of the RAS Basic Schools project, in which 108 general education organizations from 32 regions of the Russian Federation are participating.

    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.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/education/from-September-30-to-October-4-2024-a series-of-popular-scientific-events took place in-Novosibirsk-

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coming up next week at the London Assembly W/C 7 October

    Source: Mayor of London

    PUBLIC MEETINGS

    Wednesday 9 October

    Policing protests in London

    Police and Crime Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    Policing protests and large-scale events in the capital is putting increased strain on the Metropolitan Police Service, with the Met describing protests since October 2023 as the “greatest period of sustained pressure since the Olympics in 2012.”

    The Police and Crime Committee will hold the first meeting of its investigation into public order policing in London.

    Panel 1: 10:00am – 11:30am

    • Matt Parr, former Inspector, HMICFRS
    • Lord Walney, former Government Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption
    • Kirsty Brimelow KC, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers

    Panel 2: 11:35am – 1:00pm

    • Jodie Beck, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty
    • Professor Geoff Pearson, Professor of Law at the University of Manchester and Academic Director of the N8 Policing Research Partnership
    • Tom Southerden, Programme Director, Law & Human Rights, Amnesty International
    • David Spencer, Head of Crime and Justice, Policy Exchange

    MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251727/ [email protected]

    Wednesday 9 October

    ‘Social value’ in planning and regeneration

    Planning and Regeneration Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 2pm

    The London Plan does not define ‘social value’, but it is referred to in various policies and supporting texts.

    In the first meeting of its investigation into how social value is considered in planning decisions for markets and arches, the Planning and Regeneration Committee will question experts, local authorities and industry representatives about what it means, how it’s measured, and how it can make a difference to Londoners.

    The guests are:

    Panel 1: 2.00pm – 3.15pm

    • Maria Adebowale-Schwarte, Commissioner for the London Sustainable Development Commission
    • Tony Burton, Founder of Civic Voice and Chair of Community Review Panels in Old Oak & Park Royal and Dacorum
    • Dr Myfanwy Taylor, Lecturer in Urban Economics and Planning, University College London
    • Guy Battle, Chief Executive Officer at Social Value Portal
    • Stephanie Edwards, Co-Founding Director Urban Symbiotics

    Panel 2: 3.30pm – 4.45pm

    • Krissie Nicolson, CEO London Trades Guild
    • Nicholas Kasic, manager of Portobello Road Market and convener of the London Street Trading Benchmarking Group 
    • Sarah Goldzweig, Research and Project Officer at Latin Elephant
    • Stephen Biggs, Corporate Director, Community Wealth Building, London Borough of Islington 
    • Bryce Tudball, Head of Spatial Planning, London Borough of Haringey

    MEDIA CONTACT: Josh Hunt on 07763 252310 / [email protected]

    Thursday 10 October

    Mayor’s Question Time

    The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will face questions from London Assembly Members.

    Topics include:

    • Aligning the Budget with Manifesto Commitments
    • Night-Time Economy
    • Net zero targets and advertising on the TfL network
    • Cleaning Up London’s Waterways

    MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 / [email protected]

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Basic Education top brass visit Gauteng

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Friday, October 4, 2024

    Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule will today visit Gauteng as part of the ongoing National Listening and Learning Tour.

    This tour aims to directly engage with provincial education stakeholders, school leadership and the broader community to address challenges in the province’s education sector. 

    “This provincial visit will focus on critical issues such as the annual influx of learners to the province, school safety, literacy and numeracy levels, teacher training, as well as budget constraints…

    “The purpose of these engagements is to identify areas for improvement, share best practices, and collaboratively develop solutions to the unique challenges within the province’s educational landscape,” the Department of Basic Education said in a statement.

    Gwarube and Mhaule will address the media following their engagements with provincial education stakeholders, providing updates on the outcomes of the visit and plans to strengthen the education system in Gauteng.

    WATCH | National Listening & Learning Tour has arrived in Gauteng

     

    The media briefing will be held at Olympia Park School in Springs, Ekurhuleni. 

    The National Listening and Learning Tour commenced in the Eastern Cape on 2 September, with a visit to Limpopo on 16 September. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Two new School Streets launched in Leeds to support children travelling safely and sustainably on the school run

    Source: City of Leeds

    More than 200 pupils in Leeds have become the latest local youngsters to benefit from a scheme that makes journeys to and from school safer, healthier and more enjoyable. 

    School Streets create a safer and more pleasant environment for children and families by restricting motorised traffic and turning the space outside school gates into a pedestrian and cyclist-only zone during pick-up and drop-off times. 

    A total of 15 schools in Leeds have previously signed up to the scheme, which aims to ease traffic congestion and tackle poor air quality while also improving safety.  

    Now two more – Ireland Wood Primary and St Bartholomew’s Primary – have followed suit. 

    And last week, a celebration event was held at Ireland Wood Primary School to mark the introduction of its new School Street on Raynel Gardens. 

    Leeds City Council’s new safe and sustainable travel mascot, Arlo the Owl, named by pupils from the school, guided pupils from the Park and Stride location at High Farm car park, across the new School Street, showcasing the benefits of a vehicle-free environment.  

    Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: 

    “I’m thrilled to see two more schools joining the School Streets programme in Leeds this year, as it continues to make a significant difference in promoting road safety and sustainability in local communities. With just over 30%  of primary school children in Leeds still driven to school, the school run contributes to congestion, pollution, and increased road safety risks around schools. 

    “School Streets are a key part of our commitment to Vision Zero, the council’s ambition to eliminate serious and fatal road injuries by 2040. By creating safer, vehicle-free spaces, we’re making the journey to school healthier for children and their families. This initiative aligns with our vision of making Leeds a city where you don’t need a car.” 

    Ian Blackburn, Headteacher at Ireland Wood Primary School, said: 

    “We are really pleased to have a School Street so our pupils can travel safely and actively to and from school. 

    “Reducing traffic around school during peak times will help to improve road safety and encourage more families to choose active modes of travel like walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting. This initiative supports us to promote healthy lifestyles and foster independence for our pupils.”  

    Last year, 28,955 school children across Leeds participated in 596 sessions that the council’s road safety trainers delivered to promote safe and sustainable travel.  

    Safe behaviours and people are at the heart of the Vision Zero Strategy and is one of five key themes. The other themes are safe roads, safe speeds, post collision care and safe vehicles. To achieve Vision Zero everyone needs to play their part and travel safely. A pledge to play a part in eliminating road deaths can be signed here.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Join author talks and more for Green Libraries Week

    Source: City of Leicester

    A FASCINATING talk on travel, an insight into the mind of a local crime writer and the tale of an amusing encounter with a Time Lord are among the events on offer next week for Green Libraries Week.

    From 7-13 October, Green Libraries Week will put Leicester’s libraries in the spotlight, featuring everything from poetry and author talks to energy advice and craft activities – and it’s all free.

    On Wednesday at St Barnabas Library, crime author Champak Chauhan will talk about his work, his background in Leicester and how he came up with the character of DI Rohan Sharma, a relatively new and inexperienced homicide detective charged with finding a psychopathic killer.

    Join award-winning travel writer Ash Bhardwaj (pictured) for a talk at the Central Library on Thursday (10 Oct), when he’ll be giving a fascinating insight into his motivations for travel, how to do it better, and how it can help us to live a more fulfilling life. Ash’s journeys have included a recent 8,500km overland expedition from the top of Norway to Romania; retracing the footsteps of a Second World War special mission by British forces in the Albanian Alps, and accompanying renowned explorer Levison Wood for 700 miles of his Walking The Nile expedition in Uganda and Sudan.

    Also on Thursday, Lizzie Lamb and Adrienne Vaughan from the Romantic Novelists’ Association will be detailing their writing adventures at Knighton Library. “A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Typewriter” will include tales of amusing encounters with a starry cast of writers, actors, singers, royals, and even a Time Lord!

    As well as author talks and readings, there are lots of events taking place to highlight the diverse range of activities that take place at libraries, with a focus on climate and sustainability.

    Find out about conservation and volunteering with Leicester Environmental Volunteers at Hamilton Library on Tuesday 8 October; or join one of the energy advice drop-in sessions taking place at Leicester’s Central Library on Monday 7, Thursday 10 and Friday 11 October, from 11am-1pm.

    Leicester Adult Education will be offering free taster sessions and learning activities at city libraries throughout the week, and craft and wellbeing activities will also be on offer.

    Everything is free, but spaces may be limited, so booking is advised. To book, call or drop in to your local library.

    Assistant city mayor for neighbourhood services Cllr Vi Dempster said: “Libraries Week is an opportunity for people to discover all that their local library has to offer. Activities are taking on a ‘green’ theme, which gives us a great chance to show people how easy it can be to live more sustainably. I hope people will really enjoy getting involved with Green Libraries Week.”

    More information and a full list of everything that’s on offer throughout the week is available at leicester.gov.uk/librariesweek

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “I dream that all universities in Russia would have the same conditions for scientists as HSE”

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Anastasia Sherubneva studies spatial economics and is writing a dissertation on the crises of 2020 and 2022. In an interview with the Young Scientists of HSE project, she spoke about the influence of agglomeration effects on enterprises, the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok, and a meeting with Nobel laureate Paul Krugman in Portugal.

    How I got started in science

    Since childhood, I liked creativity. I always came up with something new, tried to find non-standard solutions to problems. In the 10th grade, I took a six-month course in economics, and I liked that real processes are described by clear mathematical models.

    After school, I entered NSU to major in business informatics, where they study, on the one hand, economics, and on the other, programming. My favorite course in the first year of study was microeconomics. Our seminars on it were taught by Elizaveta Andreyevna Gaivoronskaya. She was then about the same age as I am now, and was passionate about science. She explained things in an interesting way, and I inherited her desire to do economic research.

    From my first year, I started thinking about how I could apply what we were taught in lectures and seminars, what I would do after graduating. I started planning a scientific career.

    NSU is located in Akademgorodok, where several dozen research institutes are located. In my third year, I was invited to work in the Department of Territorial Systems of the Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I began to study regional economics under the supervision of Evgeniya Anatolyevna Kolomak. At the same time, my programming skills helped me work with real data. The institute had a great team, the seniors always supported the juniors. There was a Council of Young Scientists, we came up with activities, organized conferences, and could just go for a walk together.

    After working there for two years, I entered the Higher School of Economics and got into a single track “master’s degree – postgraduate study”. My academic supervisor was Olga Anatolyevna DemidovaShe works in spatial econometrics, and our research interests coincided.

    When I was in my second year of master’s degree, Olga Anatolyevna created the Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Spatial-Econometric Modeling of Socioeconomic Processes in Russia. I ended up in this laboratory. Now I am a postgraduate student, working under the supervision of Olga Anatolyevna on my PhD dissertation. Here, too, a wonderful scientific team has formed, and I am very glad that I went into science.

    What I am researching

    My area of research is spatial economics. Globally, this section of economics studies how the economic position of an entity depends on its geographical location.

    In my dissertation, I study the impact of macroeconomic shocks on the performance of Russian enterprises using the 2020 and 2022 crises as examples. I examine whether the impact of these shocks differed across enterprises located in different locations, both in different regions and within one, for example, in the capital and on the periphery.

    And while many researchers conduct interregional comparisons, few study spatial differences at the intraregional level. This is the main novelty of my research.

    I am currently finishing my research on the 2020 crisis and will be working on the 2022 crisis in graduate school.

    What business data do I use?

    I work with micro data, and I have the ability to build models at the enterprise level. I am currently using data from the SPARK database: financial statements of enterprises, their geographic location, individual characteristics.

    What I wanted to know

    I asked the question this way: how did the influence of various factors, in particular geographic location, on the efficiency of enterprises change during the crises of 2020 and 2022?

    Existing studies have shown that the differentiation of the COVID-19 crisis was mainly not regional, but sectoral. The sectors that suffered were those related to offline interaction: tourism, transport, hotels, and catering. This primarily concerned the regions where they are more represented. Another important factor was the state of medicine. In poor regions, quarantine measures were stricter because the medical system could not cope, and the economy began to decline. And regions where digitalization is developed, everyone has smartphones, experience using deliveries, good healthcare, survived the crisis easier.

    However, within a region, the effects of crises can also vary, and this is precisely the aspect I am exploring.

    My conclusions

    I studied how the financial performance of enterprises depends on similar performance of neighboring enterprises. Let’s say there is an enterprise, its neighbor has gone bad, the company closes or goes into the red. What happens to it? It is assumed that nearby enterprises interact with each other. I came to the conclusion that before the 2020 crisis, the financial condition of the enterprise had a positive impact on neighboring ones and during the crisis too, but this impact became weaker. The explanation here is obvious: offline interaction decreased during the pandemic, and this was confirmed by microdata using mathematical methods.

    Another interesting result describes the influence of agglomeration effects on the performance of enterprises depending on their location – in the city center, where there are many other enterprises and a high population density, or on the outskirts, where there is nothing.

    In general, agglomeration effects are beneficial for enterprises in Russia. But if we approach large agglomerations such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, the influence of agglomeration effects becomes negative. This is true both during and outside of a crisis. Big city effects (traffic jams, inflated prices, etc.) hinder the work of enterprises. These results indicate that large Russian agglomerations are heavily overloaded.

    What I am proud of

    In July, I published my independent article in the American journal Regional Science Policy

    I recently attended a conference of the European Regional Science Association in Portugal and gave a talk there. I mentioned that I used the HSE supercomputer in my research. And the discussant in my section said that it was great that I was able to use the supercomputer for such purposes and get new results.

    What is the HSE supercomputer?

    A supercomputer is a system of clusters between which computational processes can be distributed. It has a huge operational memory, which is measured in terabytes, and if calculations are parallelized between cores, it is possible to make cumbersome calculations.

    Using the HSE supercomputer allowed me to work with data from enterprises all over Russia, my sample included 300 thousand enterprises. I used a geographically weighted regression model, and for this you need to calculate pairwise distances between all enterprises, which requires enormous computing power.

    What I dream about

    I want to conduct a study on how enterprises in different industries influence each other geographically. For example, if a cinema and a cafe are located nearby, then most likely they will influence each other positively. But if it is a chemical plant and an eco-farm, it is clear that the mutual influence will be negative. This study requires certain data that is not yet available.

    For me, science is a way to learn something globally new and share it with others, to understand how this result relates to the results of other studies.

    I dream that all universities and research institutes in Russia would have the same comfortable conditions for scientists as HSE. If we talk about young scientists, there is a single track “Master’s degree – postgraduate study” with a large stipend. Postgraduate students are not forced, as happens in other organizations, to look for part-time jobs and can focus on writing a dissertation. HSE offers bonuses for publications, and there is an additional incentive to publish in high-level journals. Here, scientists receive a decent salary and are motivated to work for the benefit of science.

    If I hadn’t become a scientist

    I would become a human rights activist because justice has always been the highest value for me. Even at school I was interested in law, in any unclear situation I read the laws and in the 11th grade I became a prize winner of the regional stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad.

    Which scientist would I like to meet?

    If we talk about living scientists, it is Paul Krugman, the 2008 Nobel laureate in economics. He also studies regional economics, we are in the same field. I like his concept of new economic geography – it is a pool of theoretical models that explains the emergence of agglomerations from an economic point of view. This year at the congress in Portugal I met him, I even have a photo with Paul.

    If we talk about those who are no longer alive, it would be Marie Sklodowska-Curie. A great scientist, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, the first person to have two Nobel Prizes, and the only one to have these prizes in different sciences.

    I admire her for being so enthusiastic about her work, for overcoming obstacles all her life for the sake of science. The University of Warsaw in her native Poland did not accept women at the time, so she went to study in Paris. She was not accepted as a teacher or in a laboratory simply because she was a woman. Her colleagues did not recognize her achievements, even when she received her first Nobel Prize. At the same time, she worked with radioactive substances that were dangerous to health, and was one of the inventors of the X-ray machine, which saved many lives. I would like to ask her where she found the strength for this daily struggle.

    I often think about her now, when they are trying to return women to the kitchen again and deputies are talking about how women do not need an education, but rather need to give birth to five children.

    What my typical day looks like

    Basically, different combinations of work tasks. A significant part of my work consists of doing calculations, programming, writing articles, texts. In addition, I recently became a teacher, conducting seminars in English on the course “Mathematics for Economists” in my own master’s program, which I completed this year.

    Do I get burnout?

    I have not encountered burnout yet. My total scientific and pedagogical experience is about four years. And it is probably too early to talk about burnout, especially since I love my job. It is clear that there are more productive days, less productive days, but I try not to allow burnout. I arrange rest days when I do not think about work, walk in the fresh air, listen to music, read books, watch movies. I also like to ride a bike and swim.

    What am I interested in besides science?

    I like making memes. It helps me cope with life stress, because turning something into a joke is a kind of psychotherapy. The Institute of Economics has a group of the Council of Young Scientists on VKontakte. When I was a 4th-year undergraduate, I became one of the admins of this group, ran a section and published memes about our work and the institute.

    Now I have a Telegram channel “Nastya Sherubneva in …”, but I have become less likely to make memes. It is more dedicated to trips to conferences. I started it when I went to the European Regional Science Association (ERSA) conference in Spain a year ago. It was my first trip abroad, not counting Belarus, I was happy and wanted to document every second. At first, the channel was planned only for friends, but I thought that someone else might be interested, so I made it open access. Every time I go to a new place, I rename it.

    What was the last thing I read and watched?

    From books – “1984” by George Orwell. And from films – “Don’t Worry, Darling” by Olivia Wilde. A married couple lives in a small closed town, they have an ideal life, they are rich, they love each other. But at some point the wife notices that something is wrong, people are disappearing, and as a result she finds out that their whole life is a simulation. She got there thanks to her husband, who himself wanted to get rid of unbearable experiences and save her. The film raises the question of whether such a simulation is a way out, whether it is possible to pretend that everything is wonderful, to invent an imaginary world. And even more so to be a victim of someone else’s decision. I believe that a person should decide for himself, I am against lies and restrictions for the good.

    Advice to young scientists

    Start writing your own articles as early as possible. You don’t need to become a teaching assistant or do technical work, because later it will be hard to start writing articles, working with texts, and creating literature reviews. You also need to try to decide on a scientific direction as early as possible, to understand what undeveloped problems exist in this area. A good scientific supervisor who is interested in the student and sees the trajectory of his development can help you do this.

    Favorite place in Moscow

    Museum-Reserve “Tsaritsyno”. This place has a great history, but I also like it because it is a park-estate. Akademgorodok, where I used to live, is in the forest, and in Moscow I miss forest walks. But in Tsaritsyno it is green and you can walk.

    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.

    http://vvv.hse.ru/jung-scientists/sherubneva

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Biz2Credit to Host “Small Business, Inflation, and the Economy in 2024” Online Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 8, with U.S. Representatives Nick LaLota (R-NY) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Biz2Credit will host U.S. Representatives Nick LaLota (R, NY-01) and Sylvia Garcia (D, TX-29) to discuss the state of the small business economy in 2024 and the actions that Congress is taking to support business owners. The virtual forum will take place on Tuesday, October 8, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) and will explore topics including:

    • Challenges for small business owners in 2024 and looking into 2025.
    • Initiatives the Federal government is considering next that may provide further economic support to American small businesses.
    • How a President Harris or President Trump will address small business issues.
    • Preparing for what’s coming next with Biz2Credit’s review of business financing options as 2024 closes and amid the recent interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
    • Biz2Credit’s research and insights on primary data from small business owners.

    This online forum will give business owners a chance to hear from Rep. LaLota, a member of the House Committee on Small Business, and Rep. Garcia, who has helped provide crucial aid to Texas small businesses. They will discuss the small business environment in their districts, provide insights on how the Federal government and private industry are collaborating to help entrepreneurs, and respond to questions from constituents and business owners. To register for this event, click here.

    “We are thrilled to have Rep. LaLota and Rep. Garcia join our online Town Hall and discuss their positions on small business, the current economic environments in their home districts, and how Washington can best support entrepreneurial growth,” said Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit and one of the nation’s leading experts in small business finance.

    U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (R, NY-01) was sworn into office in January 2023. Inspired by his family’s history of service, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and reached the rank of Lieutenant. Later, he earned his MBA at Hofstra University’s Zarb School of Business and his J.D. from Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law. As a member of the Amityville Board of Trustees, he focused on reducing taxes and improving services. Today, in Congress, he advocates for lower taxes, energy independence, and the protection of constitutional freedoms. As a member of the House Committee on Small Business, he serves as chair of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure and is a member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.

    “I’m excited to join the Biz2Credit Small Business Town Hall to tackle the challenges and opportunities our small businesses face,” said Rep. LaLota. “As a proud member of the House Small Business Committee, I know just how crucial these businesses are to our economy. I’ll keep pushing for policies that strengthen small businesses as the backbone of America!”

    U.S. Representative Sylvia R. Garcia (D, TX-29) was sworn into Congress in January 2019 and thereby became the first Latina to represent Texas in her district. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a degree in social work and political science, and later graduated from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Rep. Garcia has served as a social worker and a legal aid lawyer and later as Presiding Judge of the Houston Municipal System, Houston City Controller, and Harris County Commissioner. After serving in the Texas State Senate, she was elected to represent Texas’s 29th Congressional District 29 and became the first Hispanic member of the Houston Congressional Delegation and one of the first two Latinas to represent Texas in the Congress. She has long been an advocate for working families and economic development.

    “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and the start of so many American Dreams. Women and minority entrepreneurs, especially in the Latino community, have been driving our recovery with strength and resilience,” said Rep. Garcia, who serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee. “It’s our job in Congress to ensure they have the tools and resources to keep thriving. I’m excited to join Rep. LaLota and Biz2Credit to talk about how we can make that happen.”

    About Biz2Credit
    Founded in 2007, Biz2Credit has helped thousands of companies access more than $10 billion in small business financing. The company is expanding its industry-leading Biz2X® technology in custom digital platform solutions for banks and other financial institutions, investors, and service providers. Visit http://www.biz2credit.com, Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).

    Media Contact: John Mooney, (908) 720-6057, john@overthemoonpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release – Nine Inmates Earn Certificates, Degree Graduation Ceremony Honors First Inmate to Earn AA While in Custody

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release – Nine Inmates Earn Certificates, Degree Graduation Ceremony Honors First Inmate to Earn AA While in Custody

    Posted on Oct 3, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION

    KA ‘OIHANA HOʻOMALU KALAIMA A HOʻOPONOPONO OLA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    TOMMY JOHNSON

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 3, 2024

    Nine Inmates Earn Certificates, Degree Graduation Ceremony Honors First Inmate to Earn AA While in Custody

    HONOLULU — The Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) in partnership with Windward Community College (WCC) hosted a graduation ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, for nine women who earned a Certificate of Competence in WCC’s Mental Health Technician Program.

    One of the nine women also earned her Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, the first woman at the correctional facility to receive an AA degree while in custody.

    Honored guests attending the ceremony in the WCCC Maunawili Cottage courtyard included: Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) Director Tommy Johnson; Dr. Michael K. Champion, senior advisor for Mental Health and the Justice System, Office of the Governor; State Rep. Lisa Marten (D – Waimānalo, Keolu Hills, Lanikai, portion of Kailua) State Rep. Linda Ichiyama, member of the House Committee on Corrections, Military and Veterans; Honolulu Councilmember Esther Kia‘aina who represents District 3 (Windward O‘ahu); and WCC Chancellor Ardis Eschenberg.

    During the event, Director Johnson addressed the graduates and said, “We all make mistakes in life but the content of our character is better defined by what we do after that. To move forward, to put those things behind us. To show people we’re not that person that they think we are, that we can change.”

    “We’re so proud of you. No matter what, never give up,” he added. 

    “This should be the beginning of your educational journey, not the end, and likewise, your achievements represent the start of opening doors to new and exciting paths forward to change the trajectory of your lives and those of your loved ones that supported you through your period of incarceration and positive changes forward,” Director Johnson said.

    Inmates’ Sarah Liaszenik,Tamila Alcoran, Mickie Kolo, Necia Hao, Ashley Nihipali, Juanita Grammer, Randikeli Banagan, Charisse Lawelawe and Ewalani Cluney earned a Certificate of Competence in the Mental Health Technician Program. Seven of the nine inmates attended Wednesday’s graduation ceremony.

    Individuals in the program earned nine college credits that encompass two required courses: Survey of Psychology and Conflict Resolution and Mediation and one elective psychology course. 

    In addition to earning a Certificate of Competence in the Mental Health Technician Program, Kolo, 52, received her Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, the first woman to receive her AA degree awhile in custody at WCCC.

    “It was hard work and a long journey for me. It took a lot of discipline and a lot of focus and a lot of perseverance,” Kolo said after the ceremony. Earning an AA degree and certificate helped Kolo gain a positive outlook where she aims to continue her education and work as a case manager when she reenters the community.

    The nine graduates are participants of the WCC Pu‘uhonua Program which provides incarcerated individuals the opportunity to earn college credits through coursework and classes taught by WCC staff.

    WCCC Warden Ione “Noni” Guillonta said, “I’m very proud of them, all nine of them.” The AA and Mental Health Technician programs, Guillonta added, are examples of the efforts by WCC, WCCC and DCR’s Corrections Program Services – Education Services’ staff to better prepare inmates to transition back into the community when released from custody.

    WCC Chancellor Ardis Eschenberg said she is thankful for the partnership with DCR to help change the lives of female inmates. At the ceremony, Eschenberg addressed graduates: “Your palapala (degree) is your gateway to your next dream. It is a testament to your knowledge, your skills, your abilities and hard work. I wish each of you big dreams.”

    For graduation photos and videos, please go to: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vxuBB1qfr_zupq0kWTaZ4_l8JpUqL96L.

    # # #

    Media Contact:

    Rosemarie Bernardo

    Public Information Officer

    Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

    Office: 808-587-1358

    Cell: 808-683-5507

    Email: [email protected]

    Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Two Board Members reappointed to The National Lottery Community Fund board

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Secretary of State has reappointed John Mothersole as the England Committee Chair and Kate Still as the Scotland Committee Chair for a second term of two years commencing on 14 May 2024.

    John Mothersole

    John Mothersole has held senior local government posts in UK cities including London, most recently as Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council. Since standing down from that post in December 2019 after 11 years, John has taken on a series of non-executive roles which now include Chair of The Sheffield College, trustee of a community care charity and advisory roles with companies involved in regeneration and environment. He was also an assessor for the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry, a role that concluded with the publication of the final report in September 2024. Prior to being selected as Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund England Committee John was a member of that committee.

    John has been heavily involved in the policy agenda for UK cities through the Core Cities network, the Northern Powerhouse initiative and with Government in securing city and city region devolution deals and participating in trade missions.His early career was in the arts, primarily in London and the North-East, and he sees a highlight of that part of his career being the reopening of the Roundhouse in London which enabled its subsequent redevelopment.

    Kate Still

    Kate is currently conducting the Independent Review of Community Learning and

    Development across Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. She was a Board

    member of ERSA for many years, Chair of Employment Support Scotland and a Fellow of

    the Institute of Employability. Kate started her career as a teacher after completing an MA

    (Hons) in Politics at Glasgow University.

    She has over 25 years of relevant experience in delivery of education, apprenticeships, skills, employability and community enterprise and regeneration programmes across multiple sectors, including 15+ years in the Charity sector. Kate has a passionate desire to make a difference coupled with the drive to achieve impact on issues of poverty, equality and diversity and social justice. Kate has held strategic leadership roles at EU and UK levels including Management of EU aid programmes to Central and Eastern Europe. A former Board Member of Strathclyde European Partnership, she completed her MPhil in European Policy research at Strathclyde University in 2011.Kate has held Director roles previously with the Prince’s Trust, Rathbone and Wise Group.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    These positions are remunerated at £24,000 per annum. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. John Mothersole and Kate Still have not declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Inside the Oasis Restore secure school

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    YJB Chief Executive, Steph Roberts-Bibby reflects on her visit to the UK’s first secure school and its unique focus on education, healthcare and wellbeing.

    The secure school’s education centre.

    Back in May, I joined Minister Argar and the Youth Custody Service to visit the UK’s first secure school and explore its revolutionary approach to youth justice. As we toured the site, what stood out to me was an unmistakeable feeling of care.   

    The Oasis Restore secure school has now opened its doors and has started to welcome its first children.  

    What does the secure school offer?  

    The school, which was a former secure training centre, felt worlds away from my experiences as a prison officer at Feltham young offender’s institution (YOI) in 1997 and other adult prisons throughout my career, with more similarities to university accommodation than custody. The environment felt compassionate and child-orientated, nurturing children to change, grow and learn.  

    Security was built into the infrastructure without feeling oppressive, but still appropriately secure – there were no bars on the windows, no keys or locks, only wristband-operated fobs. It was these subtle differences that made me leave Oasis Restore feeling hopeful. 

    The bedrooms were calming and quiet with private ensuite bathrooms and built-in computer screens for doing homework and watching TV. The attention to detail throughout was evident. There was artwork on the walls, and soft blankets and sofas in the shared living spaces. These are incredibly important to help children learn to cohabit and foster a sense of community and responsibility. 

    Oasis Restore provides family rooms with kitchens so that children can cook and eat with their families when they visit. Our guide Dr Sadie pointed out that this can be very culturally important when living away from home, not least for successful rehabilitation but also for rebuilding existing family relationships. Siblings often visit with families, and evidence shows that intergenerational and sibling offending is common, so having a space promoting learning, togetherness and care is key to prevent further offending among families. 

    A shared living area in one of the flats at the secure school.

    The site boasts brand-new state-of-the-art facilities, including 3D printers in the design technology classroom, a hair and beauty salon and even music recording booths. While other sites do provide similar facilities, never had I seen them at this standard before. These facilities provide a wide range of educational opportunities, including core academic subjects and vocational training in areas like barbering, drama and catering, that children might otherwise have never been exposed to.  

    Therapeutic sensory rooms are also woven throughout the site. These supportive spaces have soft beanbags and padded walls to support children to regulate their emotions during the day and take time out when needed. 

    Looking to the future 

    As the tour was finishing, I stopped to speak to a restorative practitioner who was showing some of the creative activities on offer for children. She explained that she would be supporting children through every part of their day at Oasis Restore, be that walking with them to the education centre in the morning, or just being there to chat.  

    When I asked her what part of the new school she was most looking forward to, she said, “I’m just excited for the children to come now.” It’s clear that what makes this approach to youth custody different isn’t just the holistic model or the modern facilities; it’s the people.  

    Strong relationships between staff and children are at the heart of the Oasis model, to truly understand a child’s journey. Oasis Restore’s team are highly trained and committed to providing responsive, psychologically informed and developmentally appropriate models of support and education for children in their care. Relational practice is also crucial, with staff committed to loving children like their own, and this shone through from the practitioners I spoke with at the school.  

    The Oasis secure school is a prime example of how custody for children can and should be done: care-focused, needs-led and with children at the heart. This model inspires hope for the future about how we can best support children to go on to live crime-free lives and make our communities safer places with fewer victims. 

    What is a ‘secure school’?  

    The first-of-its-kind secure school in Rochester houses children who are on remand or sentenced to custody. But what exactly is a secure school? 

    Oasis Restore places education and healthcare at the heart of its approach to support children and steer them away from reoffending. This unique model was recommended by Charlie Taylor, the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, who has long advocated for a different approach to children in custody. In 2016, prior to becoming Chair of the Youth Justice Board from 2017-2020, he conducted an independent review of the youth justice system 

    The Oasis Restore philosophy 

    At the Youth Justice Board, we have long advocated for a rethink of how children are cared for in custody. This is because our evidence tells us that to be effective, secure settings must be small and replicate a safe family home environment with a sense of community and trust. They should also have excellent healthcare and education provisions. 

    The Oasis Restore model mirrors this, and I was pleased to see that these values shine through when visiting the school. Oasis Restore is guided by the understanding that children are different from adults. Its philosophy ensures that each child’s voice is heard and valued, and opportunities are created for them to contribute within a school community.  

    In the words of the school: “Oasis Restore is a secure school enabling young people to live their best lives, through education, wellbeing, and hope.” 

    The secure school gives children the opportunity to make positive choices about their futures upon release from custody. By equipping them with essential skills and education, the school not only benefits children but hopes to reduce crime rates and make our communities safer places to live with fewer victims.  

    Who is the Oasis Restore secure school for? 

    Although the number of children in custody is the lowest on record since records began (an average of 440 children were in custody between 2022-23), we know that the children who remain in the secure estate are vulnerable and often have complex needs.  

    2021 Census data showed that more than three-quarters (79.8%) of people who went on to receive a custodial sentence had been identified with special educational needs (SEN) at some point during their schooling 

    Lower education levels are also likely. The same dataset also found that young adults who receive custodial sentences have lower levels of educational attainment, with only 37% achieving the expected level of English and maths by the end of key stage 2 compared with 53% of peers with non-custodial sentences.  

    In a 2022 joint inspection of education, training and employment services from HM Inspectorate of Probation, almost 65% of children had been excluded from school from at some point 

    Justice-involved children have also experienced higher levels of trauma throughout childhood and themselves are victims. This makes it crucial for the school to be care-focused, needs-led, and Child First. In one study of 80 children, over 75% had experienced family violence or child abuse  

    The secure school will care for children aged between 12-18-years-old who are on remand or sentenced to custody. It will be home to up to 49 children at any one time, both girls and boys. Every child will be enrolled in formal education or training and encouraged into further study or employment on release. This innovative new model of care will promote rehabilitation and contribute to positive outcomes for children, leading to fewer victims and safer communities. 

    The Discovery-i education centre at the secure school.

    What makes Oasis Restore different? 

    The Oasis Restore secure school is unique in its approach and Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis Charitable Trust, said to visitors at the opening event: “From the day children arrive, the focus is on preparing them for the day they leave.”  

    The school has been co-designed with children working with youth justice services and will be registered as both an academy and a secure children’s home. It will be inspected by Ofsted and held to the same standards as other schools across England.  

    While the current secure estate is not fit for purpose, the secure school offers a Child First redesign. It’s an innovative, holistic approach to custody for children within a secure setting. This is what distinguishes the secure school from existing youth custody provisions and sends a message to children that they are valued; something many may not have experienced growing up.  

    I spoke to a colleague from NHS England during the visit, a key partner in the development of the school, and heard about just some of the wellbeing services on offer, including advice on dieting, smoking, body image, as well as wider mental health and physical health support.  

    Education at the school is based on the reflective practice model, with a therapeutic approach to learning. It is recognised that many of the children who will live at the secure school are likely to be disengaged from education and so staff are specially trained to focus on one-to-one support and children’s individual needs, which their curriculum will be tailored around.  

    A place of hope 

    The secure school is a place where children can feel safe and be supported by well-trained staff who are committed to developing positive purpose. We at the YJB support and advocate this approach in line with the evidence base. I echo the words of Ed Cornmell, Executive Director of the Youth Custody Service, when he says the school represents a “revolutionary change for the youth justice system.” 

    Find out more about the Oasis Restore secure school

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Beneficient Appoints Patrick J. Donegan to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Oct. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beneficient (NASDAQ: BENF) (“Ben” or the “Company”), a technology-enabled financial services holding company, today announced the appointment of Patrick J. Donegan as an independent member of the Company’s Board of Directors as of September 30, 2024. In addition to being an independent director, he was appointed to serve on the Audit, Products and Related Party Transactions, Credit and Enterprise Risk committees of the Board.

    Mr. Donegan brings almost thirty years of compliance, legal, banking and capital markets experience to Ben, having held various senior compliance positions, including as Chief Compliance Officer, for bank holding companies and broker dealers and as Assistant General Counsel for a securities company. Over the course of his career, Mr. Donegan has attained eleven FINRA licenses and two certifications from the American Bankers Association, including the Certified Regulatory Compliance Mangers designation, and currently holds a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist certification.

    “Our Board worked to identify a new, independent director who would bring unique skills and senior experience to support Ben’s commitment to operate using industry best practices,” said Beneficient’s CEO and Chairman Brad Heppner. “I am pleased to welcome Patrick to Ben’s Board. Patrick’s extensive legal and regulatory compliance experience – specifically within the FinTech industry – will provide valuable leadership and governance insights to the Board.”

    Mr. Donegan received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from St. John’s University and a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. Mr. Donegan currently serves as a Senior Adviser at Premier Consulting Partners, Inc., a consulting firm focused on operational risk evaluation and compliance, and previously served as the Global Chief Compliance Officer of OKX Group from August 2023 to January 2024. From 2015 to 2023, Mr. Donegan held various leadership positions at Signature Bank, including Chief Compliance Officer, Senior Vice President and Sanctions Compliance Officer. Mr. Donegan’s professional career has also included positions with a number of prominent investment banks, including Cantor Fitzgerald, RBC, Guggenheim, BNP Paribas and Nat West, and compliance roles at Mitsubishi UFJ and Hudson City Bancorp. Through his legal experience and compliance officer roles, Mr. Donegan has developed expertise in identifying risks and establishing policies and procedure to effectively manage those risks. Mr. Donegan’s understanding of banking and capital markets rules and the related regulatory processes will benefit the Company’s efforts to maintain industry best practices across the organization.

    About Beneficient

    Beneficient (Nasdaq: BENF) – Ben, for short – is on a mission to democratize the global alternative asset investment market by providing traditionally underserved investors − mid-to-high net worth individuals, small-to-midsized institutions and General Partners seeking exit options, anchor commitments and valued-added services for their funds − with solutions that could help them unlock the value in their alternative assets. Ben’s AltQuote™ tool provides customers with a range of potential exit options within minutes, while customers can log on to the AltAccess® portal to explore opportunities and receive proposals in a secure online environment.

    Its subsidiary, Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, L.L.C., received its charter under the State of Kansas’ Technology-Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institution (TEFFI) Act and is subject to regulatory oversight by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner.

    For more information, visit http://www.trustben.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

    Investors

    investors@beneficient.com

    Contacts

    Matt Kreps: 214-597-8200, mkreps@darrowir.com
    Michael Wetherington: 214-284-1199, mwetherington@darrowir.com
    Investor Relations: investors@beneficient.com

    Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements reflect our views with respect to future events as of the date of this document and are based on our management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections, assumptions, beliefs and information. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control, and could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this document. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risk factors that are described under the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this document and in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft supports projects to study and preserve biodiversity

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On October 4, the whole world celebrates Animal Protection Day, which was established in 1931 with the aim of drawing attention to the problems of preserving the inhabitants of our planet.

    Rosneft pays special attention to environmental issues and biodiversity conservation. Environmental care is an integral part of the Company’s corporate culture and social responsibility. The protection and preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity is one of Rosneft’s main environmental goals until 2035.

    The Company is implementing the largest Arctic region study program since Soviet times. Over 50 expeditions have been conducted over 12 years, during which the country’s leading scientists have studied key species-bioindicators of Arctic ecosystem stability: polar bear, Atlantic walrus, wild reindeer and ivory gull. This has allowed them to collect a unique array of information about the Arctic animal world. The data obtained is used to create a series of ecological atlases by Rosneft and Innopraktika.

    In 2024, as part of the national project “Ecology”, the Company launched a new research program called “Tamura”. In the period up to 2027, it is planned to study reindeer, polar bear, valuable bird species, and fish in the mouth of the Yenisei River on the Taimyr Peninsula. In total, ten expeditions will be conducted over four years. This season, scientists have already carried out field work to study birds on the Brekhov Islands, as well as large islands of the Yenisei Gulf. The total length of the air routes of the bird study expedition conducted in the Krasnoyarsk Territory exceeded 4,000 km.

    In addition, with the support of Rosneft, a research expedition to study wild reindeer was organized within the Tamura program. The total length of the expedition’s boat routes to study wild reindeer exceeded 2,800 km, and the area of aerial observations was 360 thousand km2. Rosneft has been studying wild reindeer since 2014. During this time, large-scale ground and aerial surveys of animals were conducted in Evenkia and Taimyr. Using satellite tags installed on the reindeer, scientists tracked their full annual migration cycle for the first time, and also identified seasonal behavior patterns.

    The Company pays special attention to the study and conservation of the polar bear. Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, together with the Company’s specialists, conducted a full-scale census of the polar bear population distribution during the ice-free period on the northwestern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula and the islands of the Kara Sea as part of the Tamura program. The total length of the polar bear study expedition’s air routes exceeded 2,500 km, and the scientists encountered 50 Arctic predators in total. For the first time in Russian practice, ear radio tags were placed not only on females, but also on males.

    Rosneft, together with the non-governmental development institute Innopraktika and the Center for Full Genome Sequencing, are implementing a unique project to create a genomic database of living organisms in the Russian Arctic. This information is needed for long-term planning of the region’s sustainable development and the preservation of its fragile ecosystems. Among the priority projects is the assembly of the polar bear’s full genome.

    Since 2013, Rosneft has been the guardian of all polar bears living in Russian zoos. Currently, the Company patronizes 34 polar bears in 16 zoos in the country, providing them with care, feeding, veterinary support, and updating their enclosures. With the support of the Company, special toys have been developed to increase the physical activity of the animals. In addition, Rosneft is implementing a program to rescue and rehabilitate young polar bears left in the wild without the care of their mothers.

    Rosneft also supports programs to preserve the Amur tiger population – interacting with specially protected natural areas in the predator’s habitat, rehabilitation and reintroduction centers for animals. With the Company’s participation, equipment and transport for scientific purposes are purchased, and social infrastructure for scientists is being built.

    In 2024, scientists from the Siberian Federal University, with the support of Rosneft, analyzed the state of the wolf population in the Evenki District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The result of the research was a set of recommendations from specialists on improving the regulation of the number of predators to maintain the balance of ecosystems. In total, the researchers conducted 67 field trips to various areas and reserves of Yenisei Siberia. Specialists developed a method for calculating the number of predators, according to which the wolf population in Evenkia numbers 2,600 individuals.

    The study and protection of the whale and dolphin population is one of the areas of the Company’s environmental program. As part of environmental monitoring when supporting Rosneft projects, observations are made from ships of all mammals found in the vast expanses of the seas, including whales and dolphins. One of the main species that receives close attention is the gray whale of the Okhotsk Sea population. The program for monitoring the Okhotsk Sea population of gray whales on the northeastern shelf of Sakhalin Island has been conducted for 27 years. As part of the program, the population size is annually counted, animal behavior is observed, their food supply is studied, photo-identification studies and acoustic monitoring are carried out.

    In addition, in 2020, Rosneft, together with the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, implemented a large-scale project to study and monitor Black Sea dolphins. Based on the results of 3 years of observations, modern up-to-date data were obtained on the number and preferred habitats of Black Sea dolphins, and the characteristics of their seasonal distribution. Recommendations were prepared for the study and conservation of Black Sea cetaceans.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft October 4, 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.

    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.

    http://vvv.rosneft.ru/press/nevs/item/220882/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Third State University Moot Court Competition held in Mostar

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Third State University Moot Court Competition held in Mostar

    The Faculty of Law of the University of Mostar organized jointly with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH (HJPC BiH), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) the Third State University Moot Court Competition in Mostar. (OSCE) Photo details

    Mostar, 4 October 2024 – From 2 to 4 October the Faculty of Law of the University of Mostar organized jointly with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH (HJPC BiH), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) the Third State University Moot Court Competition in Mostar. 16 law students and their professors from the law faculties in Zenica, Tuzla, Bihać and Mostar attending the competition were able to present their best skills and knowledge in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
    The competition was divided in several phases: in May 2024, a case study on the rights of vulnerable groups and trafficking in human beings was developed by the Mission and distributed to the teams to prepare written submissions in July 2024. The final round in October focused on the teams’ oratory skills in presenting their arguments.
    The written submissions of each team of four students and a mentor were evaluated and presented before the panel of judges composed of members of the justice community in BiH: the Court of BiH, the Ombudsman Institution, the Constitutional Court of BiH, other courts, prosecutor’s offices, and the Bar.
    This competition was designed to highlight the talent of young legal professionals vis-a-vis important rule of law and human rights issues advocated by the Mission. It was an excellent opportunity to build students’ legal analytical skills, increase their capacity to develop briefs, and provide a forum to practice oral argumentation before prominent legal professionals in BiH. In addition, the teams have enhanced their practical knowledge of applying the European Convention on Human Rights in accordance with rules and procedures that apply before the European Court of Human Rights.
    Representing the students, Ms. Magdalena Zelenika, deputy president of the Student Union of the Faculty of Law, University of Mostar underlined the importance of the competition in simulating trial before the ECtHR for education and professional development. “It allowed us to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, and at the same time we got the opportunity to co-operate with the best legal experts in the country. These experiences have further motivated us to continue working on ourselves and prepare for the challenges of the legal profession that await us”, she added.
    Ms. Sanela Gorušanović Butigan, Deputy President of the HJPC BiH pointed out that for the third year in a row the HJPC BiH supports the implementation of this competition, which is important for the professional development of students and the improvement of legal education.
    “Our commitment to improving education through the practical application of theoretical knowledge was confirmed by the adoption of the Guidelines on long-term cooperation between judicial institutions and law faculties. These Guidelines, adopted in February 2023, resulted in the active engagement of the majority of judicial institutions, including the HJPC BiH, which shows the commitment of the judiciary to contribute to the quality education of future legal experts,” said Deputy President Gorušanović Butigan.
    “We see the topics that you have researched in the past few weeks as extremely relevant for the BiH context – rule of law and fundamental freedoms are high on the agenda of the Mission and they are an important part of BiH’s path towards the EU”, stated Mr. Jiri Rous, Head of the Mission’s Field Office in Mostar. “This competition proves to be a valuable opportunity for the young people from different parts of the country to meet, learn together and network”, he noted.
    The Mission commends the hard work of the participating teams in the past several months, congratulates to the winners and stands ready to support the activity in the future.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Putin and Sobyanin opened an innovative practical platform in Rudnev

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the Day of Secondary Vocational Education, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and Russian Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov opened the Rudnevo practical training site for Moscow colleges.

    “We have started building a large area related to education. This is secondary vocational education. This building where we are is an intercollegiate center for training specialists on high-tech equipment. Next, a laboratory complex is being built. Next, a building for the Stankin University is being built, where there will be a student training center, their laboratories and production areas. Next, a building for the production of Rostec machine tools will be built. So this is a large machine-building complex that will be a center of competence for our country,” the Moscow Mayor said.

    The Rudnevo site is the first innovative educational space for practical training of qualified personnel taking into account the needs of the Moscow economy, which is the largest production and scientific-engineering center of Russia. More than 4.5 thousand enterprises operate here and over 750 thousand people work.

    Educational platform “Rudnevo”

    The college training platform was created taking into account the new concept of secondary vocational education (SVE) development. The capital’s industrial enterprises took part in the development of the project. Advanced training programs, workshops equipped with the most modern equipment, close cooperation with future employers ensure high quality training of sought-after specialists.

    The educational platform is located in the industrial park “Rudnevo”, which is part of the special economic zone “Technopolis Moscow”. College students will study on the same territory with industrial partners – future employers.

    “The site’s capacity allows for training more than three thousand people per year. Practical classes are conducted by the most competent and experienced master teachers and employees of partner employers. Students from 15 Moscow colleges will be the first to undergo practical training here. A Center for Professional Competencies has also been created on the site. Its tasks include updating educational programs and forecasting the emergence of new competencies,” he wrote in his

    telegram channel Sergei Sobyanin.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    The building with a total area of 9.1 thousand square meters houses a high-tech complex, which includes 21 workshops and laboratories. It is as close as possible to the conditions of real production. Here, students will be able to practice professional skills in production conditions in such areas and specialties as:

    — mechanical engineering (assembly mechanic, turner, milling machine operator, operator of CNC machines, general machine operator, welder (manual and partially mechanized welding – surfacing), adjuster of machines and equipment in mechanical processing, specialist in the quality control department);

    — electronics (installer of electronic equipment and devices, assembler of electronic equipment and devices, adjuster of electronic equipment and devices, SMD line operator);

    — automation of production (specialist in servicing mechatronic and robotic systems, fitter of control and measuring instruments and automation, specialist in additive technologies);

    — aviation industry, including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) (aircraft electrical equipment fitter, aircraft equipment assembler, aircraft composite parts assembler, unmanned aircraft system operator up to 30 kilograms).

    Thanks to cooperation with residents of the Rudnevo Industrial Park, all conditions for training have been created on the site. Workshops and laboratories are equipped with equipment that is installed in production facilities, and the training programs take into account the needs of future employers.

    The training and production complex of the site includes three blocks.

    The industrial block consists of a section where CNC machines are installed, laboratories for metrology, standardization and certification, precision digital measurements, mechanical engineering design, as well as testing grounds for turning, milling machines, and metalworking and welding work.

    The UAS production site includes areas for programming, installation of aviation and electronic equipment, final assembly of UAS, modeling and manufacturing of molds, composite materials, unit and modular assembly, as well as laboratories for aerodynamics, aeromechanics and UAS data analysis.

    The multi-profile unit consists of metalworking and electrical installation workshops, laboratories for technical systems control, materials science and composite materials, pneumatic and hydraulic systems.

    The uniqueness of the workshops is that they allow for a full-fledged production process to be organized. At the UAS site, students will be able to manufacture drone bodies, solder electronic boards, program, assemble, pilot, and decipher flight data, and in the mechanical engineering zone, they will be able to do metalwork and evaluate the quality of finished products.

    Large industrial enterprises take part in the practical training of students. Among them are the Moscow machine-building plants Avangard and Skorost, the production complex Salut, the National Helicopter Manufacturing Center named after M.L. Mil and N.I. Kamov, the Moscow Design and Production Complex Universal named after A.I. Privalov, the companies Gaskar Group, Kronstadt, Aeromax, Nyukon Energy, CARS, Vemina Aviaprestige, Monolith, Aeropribor-Voskhod.

    Preparing students at the educational site “Rudnevo”

    The capacity of the Rudnevo educational site allows it to train more than three thousand students per year.

    In the 2024/2025 academic year, practical training will be provided to students from 15 secondary specialized educational institutions. These include Polytechnic College No. 8 named after I.F. Pavlov, Polytechnic College named after N.N. Godovikov, Moscow State Educational Complex, College of Communications No. 54 named after P.M. Vostrukhin, College of Automation and Information Technology No. 20, Educational Complex “Yugo-Zapad”, Moscow Industrial College, College of Architecture, Design and Reengineering No. 26, College of Hospitality Industry and Management No. 23, Police College, Moscow College of Business Technologies, College of Modern Technologies named after M.F. Panov, College of Entrepreneurship No. 11, First Moscow Educational Complex and Technological College No. 24.

    Depending on the specialty, students will be able to complete a single professional module in one of the courses or work on site for the entire period of study. In addition, they will have the opportunity to find employment at a partner enterprise. In this case, you can complete your studies according to an individual schedule.

    Practical classes will be conducted by competent and experienced master teachers, as well as representatives of partner employers. In total, 42 masters of industrial training from Moscow colleges and 40 current employees of industrial enterprises of the capital will be able to teach at the site.

    A center of professional competencies has been created on the basis of the site. Here they will be engaged in updating educational programs taking into account the prospective development of science and production technologies, forecasting the emergence of new competencies based on the transformation of production and including them in training programs, as well as methodological support for industrial training masters and improving their pedagogical and professional skills. Cooperation with the country’s leading engineering universities, such as the Moscow State Technological University (MSTU) “Stankin” and the Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman, will help solve these problems.

    In addition, an entrance control of students’ readiness to master programs at the Rudnevo educational platform is provided. For this purpose, the center of professional competencies will interact with partner colleges, providing them with methodological and consulting support.

    Each student has an individual work place on the site. The logistics of the classrooms are well thought out: for example, there are areas for project and group work. Modern public spaces will make extracurricular time comfortable.

    In the coworking space, students can work on projects, discuss ideas, and analyze situations they have considered in class. The assembly hall is designed for conferences and business events.

    The college has a 147-seat canteen where students on a budget are provided with free hot meals. On the third floor there is a cafe whose products are produced and sold by students of Moscow food colleges.

    In addition to the practical training platform for colleges, the Moscow Government, together with MSTU Stankin, is implementing a project within the framework of which the first competence center for the machine tool industry in the country is being created in Rudnev.

    The 19.5 thousand square meter building will house a tool and equipment testing center, an expert analysis center, a design bureau, pilot production, a reverse engineering center, and a numerical control center.

    The center will be able to train and practice about a thousand students per year. The site also organizes pilot and small-scale production of specialized products.

    On the industrial policy of the city of Moscow

    Modern Moscow is the largest industrial and scientific-engineering center of Russia. There are more than 4.5 thousand industrial enterprises in the capital, employing more than 750 thousand people.

    Every year, 150 new technology companies open in Moscow and dozens of investment projects are implemented, providing the city with additional jobs. By 2030, the number of industrial production facilities will increase to 5.5 thousand, and their employees – to 850 thousand. The total area of industrial infrastructure will grow from 14 million square meters to 21 million.

    The manufacturing industry is the driving force behind Moscow’s economic development.

    “I will say about industry that in general it is actively developing. Over the past five years, I reported, the manufacturing industry has doubled,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    By the end of 2024, private and public investment will amount to 310 billion rubles. According to forecasts, by 2030 they will grow by 620 billion rubles – to 930 billion rubles.

    One of the effective measures to support the city is the localization of industrial enterprises in the special economic zone “Technopolis Moscow”. This is the center for the development of the capital’s advanced high-tech industry, which includes six sites with a total area of more than 280 hectares. More than 1.5 million square meters of industrial and public-business areas have been built here. The plan is to increase this figure to 3.8 million square meters by 2030.

    Today, there are more than 220 enterprises operating in Technopolis Moscow, 112 of which have resident status and receive tax preferences. Residents are exempt from paying property, land and transport taxes for 10 years, and the income tax rate for them is only two percent instead of 20.

    During the operation of the special economic zone, companies invested about 330 billion rubles in the development of their high-tech production facilities and created 22 thousand jobs. The volume of investments from the Moscow budget amounted to almost 135 billion rubles.

    Innovative developments of enterprises can be applied in various fields – from microelectronics to medicine and space. Among them are optical multiplexers, portable ultrasound machines, mobile ventilator complexes, multifunctional amphibious robots designed for reconnaissance and liquidation of consequences of accidents at various flooded objects, nuclear power plants and mines.

    Another tool for developing Moscow industry is clustering. By 2030, more than 13 inter-industry clusters will operate in Moscow – this is over seven million square meters of production space and 100 thousand jobs.

    Thus, one of the largest pharmaceutical clusters in the country, which includes 13 companies, is successfully operating at the Alabushevo site of the Technopolis Moscow special economic zone. A photonics and microelectronics cluster has also opened there, with 61 companies participating. Total investments in this site amounted to 137.9 billion rubles, of which 7.9 billion rubles were invested by the Moscow Government. Total investments will grow to 353 billion rubles by 2030.

    Two years ago, the Moscow cluster of electric vehicle manufacturing began its work. It included 64 companies, most of which receive benefits from the city. In particular, they are exempt from paying property, land and transport taxes.

    One of the important projects is the construction of the first gigafactory in Russia for the production of batteries. The city has signed an offset contract for the supply of batteries for public electric transport. The total purchase amount will be 172 billion rubles over six years. The enterprise will produce 50 thousand batteries per year, which will cover about 40 percent of the needs of the Russian market. The opening of the production will create 900 new jobs. The total investment in the project is 52 billion rubles, of which 25 billion rubles were allocated by the Moscow Government, and 27 billion are private funds.

    On behalf of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, a new industrial park was opened in Rudnevo in 2023. Federal Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Today it unites 11 leading developers and manufacturers of unmanned aircraft systems. The enterprises have created more than 2.8 thousand jobs. Investments in the industrial park “Rudnevo” amounted to 97 billion rubles, of which 20 billion rubles are private funds, and 77 billion rubles were invested by the Government of Moscow. By 2030, a total of 490 billion rubles will be invested.

    Work is currently underway to form food and construction clusters in TiNAO.

    The food cluster will build over 800 thousand square meters of industrial space and create 11.4 thousand jobs. Private investments will reach almost 90 billion rubles.

    The opening of the construction cluster will create 30 thousand jobs. More than 1.6 million square meters of industrial real estate will be built within its boundaries. Private investments will amount to almost 145 billion rubles.

    In the capital it is being created shipyard for the production of electric ships. Its capacity will occupy 23 thousand square meters. Commissioning is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. The enterprise will provide more than 500 new high-tech jobs. Investments from the Moscow Government amount to more than 4.6 billion rubles.

    In addition, two new large industrial clusters will appear in TiNAO – automobile manufacturing and eco-industrial. In total, almost 23 thousand highly qualified jobs will be created there.

    Sobyanin named innovative clusters that will be created in New Moscow

    A cluster of innovative technologies in the field of construction is being created on the basis of OOO “Innovative Technology Plant – Monarch”. Last year, the first stage was put into operation – this is an experimental plant with an area of 26.6 thousand square meters. The volume of investments amounted to 3.4 billion rubles. Today, 500 people work here.

    A glass cluster is also being built in TiNAO. 120 hectares will be allocated for it for facilities with a total area of 840 thousand square meters. 9.6 thousand jobs will appear here. Investments will exceed 105 billion rubles. The implementation of the project will allow to cover the need for special glass, including medical glass.

    The elevator construction industry is quite promising for investment. The departure of foreign companies from the domestic market opens up new opportunities for capital enterprises to occupy vacant niches. Thus, on the basis of the Karacharovsky Mechanical Plant, a cluster of elevator construction and vertical transport of Moscow is being formed, which will accelerate the development and localization of vertical transport production in Russia.

    The National Space Center is being built on the territory of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. This is a large-scale project implemented jointly with Roscosmos. According to preliminary estimates, about 27 thousand jobs will be created on the site.

    Moscow has historically had a strong scientific base. Today, in the R sphere

    There are 735 higher education institutions (excluding branches) in Russia. At the same time, every fifth university is located in Moscow, which confirms the presence of significant human resources potential in the capital and the high level of training of students for work in high-tech enterprises.

    Today in Moscow, specialists in engineering and technical fields are trained at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, the Stankin Moscow State Technological University, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, the MISiS University of Science and Technology and other leading universities.

    In order to increase the number of qualified personnel annually graduating for the industrial sector, the Moscow Government is modernizing the system of secondary vocational education and implementing accelerated training of engineering personnel.

    Industrial Park “Rudnevo”

    “Rudnevo” is an industrial park within the SEZ “Technopolis Moscow”, built in the east of the city in record time to accommodate critically important production. This is an example of a modern high-tech industrial park, where it is convenient to work, study, create production and educational clusters.

    Construction work in Rudnev began at the end of 2020. During the construction of production buildings, domestic materials were used (for a number of items, import substitution was 100%) and modern technologies, which made it possible to reduce construction time by 35-50 percent, and the cost of work by 10-15 percent.

    Currently, 21 production buildings with a total area of 377 thousand square meters have been erected, including a pilot production facility and a design bureau. Additional production buildings are in the active stage of construction, as well as a social infrastructure building, which will house laboratories, office space, a training center and other social facilities for company employees.

    In the future, 21 thousand highly qualified jobs will be created at the enterprises in Rudnev, primarily for residents of the rapidly developing Moscow districts of Kosino-Ukhtomsky, Vykhino-Zhulebino and Nekrasovka, as well as the urban district of Lyubertsy in the Moscow region.

    Thanks to the SEZ regime, companies – residents of Rudnev receive significant tax benefits. In particular, they are exempt from property, transport and land taxes. The income tax rate for them is only two percent. Residents have a free customs zone regime and land lease benefits.

    In addition to the Federal Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, the Rudnevo Industrial Park also houses a production building for the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern and an industrial complex for PJSC Yakovlev, which currently produces wing kits for the MS-21 medium-range aircraft.

    In addition, enterprises producing ATMs, electrical capacitors, absorbent linen, equipment for industrial waste sorting, and others have set up their production facilities in Rudnev.

    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.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11847050/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin spoke about the development of secondary vocational education in Moscow

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Today, 275 thousand students study in Moscow colleges, and by 2030 their number will double to 420 thousand. This was announced by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin during the opening of the practical training site for Moscow colleges “Rudnevo”. The event was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov.

    “We plan to double the number of students studying in colleges and graduates in five years. Thus, the number of students in colleges and higher education institutions will be comparable. Which, in general, is necessary for the economy today. What do we plan to do? We have two thousand real laboratories, workshops. We plan to update them by 100 percent by 2027. To make both laboratories and workshops modern,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    In addition, according to the Mayor of Moscow, it is planned to build 400 thousand square meters of campuses, renovate existing sites and create shared-use centers.

    Today, there are 178 colleges operating in Moscow. Most specialists are trained for the IT sector, industry, creative industry and construction. Thanks to the high quality of training, graduates of the capital’s colleges quickly find work, Sergei Sobyanin said in on your telegram channel.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    Secondary vocational education is actively developing throughout the country. More than 65 percent of all workers are specialists with secondary vocational education, noted Sergey Kravtsov.

    “It is important that the programs in colleges have become as practice-oriented as possible. About 80 percent of the educational process is practice. We updated the standards together with the industries. New 400 standards, directly with the enterprises for the requirements that the enterprises need. We do not forget about general education: Russian, mathematics, history, new history textbooks for colleges from this year and education. Each college has an education advisor,” said Sergey Kravtsov.

    Colleges prepare specialists that industries need. Some of the students begin their professional activities while still studying. According to Sergey Kravtsov, today more than 90 thousand college students are employed in the military-industrial complex.

    “The measures that are being implemented increase the prestige of blue-collar jobs. Last year, 1.25 million applications were submitted to colleges. Three people per place on average, in some specialties – nine people per place. 62.5 percent of ninth-graders choose colleges. In particular, career guidance helps, which we have been conducting in schools since last year from the sixth grade, when children come to colleges and to production facilities,” said Sergey Kravtsov.

    Labor market in Moscow

    The capital’s labor market is one of the largest and most diversified in the world. More than 8.6 million people are employed in the city’s economic sectors. Moscow has a constant need for qualified personnel, as well as a minimal level of unemployment.

    75 percent of employers are interested in specialists with secondary vocational education. Demand for college graduates is observed in such industries as industry, transport, logistics, construction, trade and information technology (IT).

    “Today, 75 percent of secondary vocational education personnel are required. At the same time, we train 63 percent of specialists with higher education in Moscow, and only 18 percent of secondary vocational education specialists. And another 19 percent of short programs are workers,” added Sergei Sobyanin.

    At the same time, the professional training system is primarily focused on specialists with higher education. There is an imbalance between the needs of the market and the capabilities of the professional education system. The demand for mid-level specialists with decent salaries is a stable trend in the capital’s labor market.

    The city pays special attention to the development of the secondary vocational education system. Currently, there are 178 colleges in the capital, including 71 private, 44 federal and 63 colleges under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Government. More than 270 thousand students study there, including almost 130 thousand people receive education in city colleges.

    20.6 thousand students study in city colleges in IT fields. 20.1 thousand people receive education in the industrial sector, 14.7 thousand Muscovites in creative industries and construction, 14.2 thousand and 13.4 thousand students in transport and healthcare, respectively. 12.9 thousand city residents study specialties related to hospitality, nine thousand students in education and social spheres, and 6.5 thousand people in security and law. 3.2 thousand Muscovites receive education in finance and trade, 1.5 thousand in culture and art, and 0.4 thousand students in sports.

    Last year, 93 percent of city college graduates found jobs.

    In 2023, an additional program of career guidance and career testing for ninth-graders was introduced. Thanks to this, graduates were able to get acquainted with modern professions taught in Moscow colleges. The program aroused great interest among teenagers and their parents. More than 60 thousand schoolchildren took free career testing, and over 70 percent of its participants decided to enroll in secondary vocational education institutions.

    Professional auditions, excursions to employers and interactive quests: Moscow ninth-graders completed a comprehensive career guidance program

    In 2024, the Moscow Government doubled the number of Moscow schoolchildren who graduated from city colleges nine classes. In total, 16 thousand additional budget places were created in popular areas. These include medicine, security, finance, information technology, hospitality, creative industries, industry, construction and transport.

    As a result, about 45 thousand students entered city colleges. Of these, about 36 thousand ninth-grade graduates study on a budget basis.

    The increase in budget places satisfies the demand of young people to obtain promising and in-demand specialties, allowing them to begin professional activities as early as 18–19 years of age.

    It is planned that by 2030 the number of students in Moscow (city, federal and private) colleges will grow to 420 thousand. Admission will increase by 53 percent: more than 150 thousand students will enroll in colleges annually – primarily ninth-grade graduates from the capital and other regions. Secondary vocational education programs will be taught to 11th-grade graduates and adults who want to obtain a popular and promising specialty.

    Modernization of the secondary vocational education system

    Increasing the number of college students is an important component of the modernization of the secondary vocational education system carried out by the Moscow Government. It is based on two basic principles:

    — relevance and demand — educational programs are developed with the participation of employers and professional associations;

    — practical orientation — students are immersed in a professional environment from the first year, and practical classes make up at least 70 percent of the total training time and are conducted under the guidance of experienced mentors.

    Sergei Sobyanin: At least 70% of classes in Moscow colleges will be practical

    As part of the modernization of the secondary vocational education system, the infrastructure and content of educational programs are being updated. This work includes several aspects.

    Constant interaction with enterprises and work at their request. For this purpose, colleges cooperate with many organizations. Today, among the partners of the capital’s institutions of secondary vocational education are more than three thousand employers. Among them are the state corporation Rostec, the State Unitary Enterprise Moscow Metro, JSC Sheremetyevo Security, PJSC MOEK, JSC Concern VKO Almaz-Antey, OOO Glavstroy, PJSC MGTS, PJSC Rostelecom, GUP Mosgortrans, PJSC Sberbank of Russia, PJSC Gazprom, the association of Russian automobile dealers, OOO Inzhenerstroy, OOO Spetsgrad, JSC Moscow Automobile Plant Moskvich, JSC NPP Toriy, the holding company United Confectioners and other companies.

    For the second year, a unique practice has been implemented — conducting a qualification exam in the conditions of a real production process. Its successful completion provides an opportunity to receive a rank and a job offer at the same time. In addition, employers participate in the development of the content and criteria for assessing the final demonstration exam and are part of the examination committee.

    Updating educational programs. The content of educational programs is formed on the basis of a competency profile compiled jointly with the professional community and industry representatives. In total, city colleges provide training in 170 specialties.

    By September 1, 2024, 60 percent of the programs currently being studied by 43 thousand college students have been updated. By the 2026/2027 academic year, all educational programs will be brought up to the new standard. In addition, a system for adapting programs to new technologies and changing labor market needs will be created. The main objective is to train a student who is ready to start full-time work immediately after graduation.

    “One of the most important problems is the quality of teachers. Since we have a large production potential, we are solving this problem. Reducing the training time to three years, today – four years. We are simply compressing some programs so that the guys can enter real life faster,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    The duration of training is reduced by increasing its intensity. This academic year, the number of four-year programs has been reduced by 70 percent. Starting from the 2025/2026 academic year, all preparatory programs will be designed for two years for those who have completed 11th grade and three years for ninth-graders.

    Multidisciplinary and increasing the level of qualification. Students have the opportunity to master not one, but even two or three professions during their studies. This increases the competitiveness of young specialists in the labor market.

    For example, in the specialty “mechanical engineering technology”, a graduate receives the basic qualification of “technician-technologist”, as well as the opportunity to work in the professions of “general profile machine operator”, “setter of machines and manipulators with program control”, “controller of machine and metalwork works”.

    The city is forming a mandatory level of training quality for each profession. The minimum standard of qualification level will be the third category, and for some specialties – the fourth.

    Previously, college graduates received no higher than a second degree. They were not allowed to work in complex types of production. The guys had to be trained further. As a result, the wages of young specialists were low.

    Digitalization of education using the services of “MES College”. Since September 2024, teachers and students of 47 city colleges have had access to the electronic services of the “Moscow Electronic School” to prepare for classes (“MESH”). This improved the quality of education and made the educational process more accessible and convenient for all participants.

    Currently, the “MES” is being finalized to meet the specifics and objectives of professional education. It will be completed by 2026. Specialized forms of control and certification will be introduced, a student portfolio, an electronic grade book, personal student and teacher accounts, as well as an electronic library of materials for teachers will be created.

    The MES library will feature a set of materials designed for modern formats and teaching technologies: electronic lesson plans with video assignments and tests, interactive applications, virtual laboratories, electronic teaching aids, and digital textbooks.

    Improving the material and technical base of secondary vocational education. A practical training site for Moscow colleges operates in the Rudnevo industrial park. In 2024–2025, it is planned to open two more similar sites — Pechatniki and Yug. Their educational capacity will allow them to train 20,000 students annually, as well as adults who want to get a new specialty.

    A large-scale process of equipping colleges with new modern equipment has begun. Thus, by the end of 2024, it is planned to update and create about 650 educational laboratories and workshops. In 2025, 1,450 workshops will be updated, and in 2026-2027 – another 300 workshops.

    In total, it is planned to re-equip about 2050 laboratories and workshops. This will allow practical and laboratory work to be carried out at a modern technological level using equipment installed at the capital’s enterprises.

    It is planned to build seven innovative educational campuses with a total area of almost 400 thousand square meters to accommodate more than 60 thousand students. Among them are colleges in the fields of creative industry, information technology, healthcare, hospitality, industry, transport, construction and others. The buildings are designed for modern educational technologies taking into account the best world practices. There will be ergonomic premises with a comfortable educational environment and the effect of complete immersion in the profession.

    The new campuses will feature professional workshops, as well as internal and external full-cycle production sites for students to practice their complex skills in conditions close to reality. The educational space will include coworking spaces and transformable rooms for group and project work.

    In addition, the plans include a major overhaul of the Moscow Technological College and the Moscow College of Management, Hotel Business and Information Technology “Tsaritsyno”. These are three buildings with a total area of 50 thousand square meters.

    By 2031, it is planned to completely renew the infrastructure of city colleges.

    Expansion of the career guidance program for schoolchildren. In the 2024/2025 academic year, the program will cover eighth-graders in addition to ninth-graders. It is expected that about 100 thousand Moscow schoolchildren will be able to take part in it.

    One of the new areas will be student-to-school mentoring. Senior students will visit schools and talk about college education, share their success stories, and help kids make the right choice.

    The pool of employers — project partners — will expand. In the new academic year, schoolchildren will visit companies operating in all sectors of the city’s economy. They will get acquainted with high-tech equipment and talk to specialists.

    In particular, excursions to the territories of industrial enterprises of the special economic zone “Technopolis Moscow”, professional tests and master classes with the best employees of resident companies are planned.

    Particular attention will be paid to working with parents. Saturday meetings are planned at career guidance centers with labor market experts and college representatives.

    You can find out more about the in-demand professions and specialties taught in the capital’s colleges on the portal “School. Moscow”, in the section “Atlas of Professions” and podcast “The Key to the Profession”. Useful content about secondary vocational education is also published in the telegram channel “Moscow education” and the group of the same name on the social network “VKontakte”.

    Raising the prestige of secondary vocational education. In 2024, the Moscow Government established grants for capital colleges for achieving high results in teaching students.

    In total, it is planned to award 20 grants: three first-degree grants of 40 million rubles, seven second-degree grants of 25 million rubles, and 10 third-degree grants of 15 million rubles.

    When determining grant recipients, students’ results in passing qualification and demonstration exams, victories in professional skills championships, as well as graduate employment results and other achievements will be taken into account.

    The grant funds are planned to be used for additional material incentives for teachers and masters of industrial training who have achieved high results in their work. This will become an additional incentive for improving the quality of secondary vocational education in Moscow.

    The first colleges to receive grants will be determined based on the results of the 2024/2025 academic year. In the future, incentive funds are planned to be awarded to the best secondary vocational education institutions annually.

    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.

    https://vvv.mos.ru/major/themes/11848050/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn’s Dr. Andrew Arnold Awarded Highest Honor of The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The William F. Neuman Award, the oldest and most prestigious honor conferred by the ASBMR, recognizes Dr. Andrew Arnold for his outstanding and major scientific contributions in the area of bone and mineral research and for contributions to associates and trainees in teaching, research, and administration.

    Dr. Andrew Arnold accepting the highest honor of ASBMR from its President Laura Calvi, MD.

    Arnold accepted the Society’s highest honor during its late September ASBMR 2024 Annual Meeting in Toronto.

    Arnold is a pioneer in studying endocrine tumors and hyperparathyroidism. Arnold’s achievements include discovery of cyclin D1, the first known parathyroid oncogene and fundamental cell cycle regulator.

    The award is named for William F. Neuman, Ph.D., a world-renowned scientist in the field of mineral metabolism. Neuman’s seminal work on bone-seeking isotopes as part of the Manhattan Project was followed by major works in the chemistry of mineral and matrix, the function of bone cells, the metabolism of parathyroid hormone, and the concept of bone membrane.

    Arnold shared, “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the ASBMR. Receiving the William F. Neuman Award is uniquely meaningful, coming from my academic home society and the organization most familiar with the contributions of our group.”

    Arnold currently serves UConn’s medical school as the Murray-Heilig Chair in Molecular Medicine, professor of Medicine and Genetics & Genome Sciences, and chief of the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism. He is also director of the Center for Molecular Oncology, chief academic officer for the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, and also directs the Office of Physician-Scientist Career Development.

    He attended Brown University and Harvard Medical School, trained in internal medicine at University of Chicago followed by fellowships in molecular oncology at NIH and endocrinology at Massachusetts General Hospital. On the faculty of Harvard Medical School and MGH he led the Laboratory of Endocrine Oncology, then moved to UConn School of Medicine.

    In addition to the William F. Neuman Award, Arnold’s honors include the ASBMR’s Fuller Albright Award and Louis Avioli Founders Award, the Gerald Aurbach Award of the Endocrine Society, the International Medal of the Society for Endocrinology, and the Outstanding Investigator Award of the American Federation for Medical Research.

    “Space prevents me from individually acknowledging most of the wonderful friends, colleagues, collaborators who have profoundly impacted the achievements recognized here, been tremendously supportive, and have made working in our field so enjoyable,” said Arnold. “Certainly among them are Henry Kronenberg, Sundeep Khosla, John Eisman, John Bilezikian, John Potts, Fred Kaplan, Raj Thakker; plus, in memory, Stan Korsmeyer, Larry Raisz and Arthur Broadus. Hank Kronenberg’s role is outsized – my appreciation for his mentorship, scientific insights, and decades-long friendship knows no bounds – I cannot thank him enough. Past and present members of my laboratory group and collaborating investigators, especially Jessica Costa, absolutely share in this recognition, and special thanks and love to my family.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lieutenant Governor Primavera Celebrates Walk/Roll to School Day at Celebrity Crossing Guard Event

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera joined more than 40 local community leaders and figures as an honorary crossing guard at Dora Moore Elementary school in Denver. The event  celebrates National Walk/Roll to School Day, and highlights the important job of crossing guards in keeping our students and communities safe.

    “I am thrilled to get to join so many leaders from across Denver to help educate children on the importance of street safety. Thank you to all our crossing guards for being role models to Colorado’s children, and helping to keep our communities safe. It is no easy task, and rain or shine our crossing guards are up for the job,” said Lt. Governor Primavera.

    National Walk/Roll to School Day brings to light the importance of road safety and road etiquette in order to keep school zones safe. Lt. Governor Primavera, spent the morning helping students of all ages and abilities cross the street safely, promoting accessibility and encouraging students to get outside and enjoy a walk through the community.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins’ Bipartisan SIREN Reauthorization Act Signed into Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, announced that her bipartisan Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Reauthorization Act, which she co-authored with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), has been signed into law. The legislation will extend funding for five additional years for SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencies nationwide. This funding from the the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supports rural EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment, including naloxone to address the opioid overdose epidemic.

    “It is vital that Americans who live in rural parts of Maine and across the country have access to lifesaving emergency medical services, which is why I have long advocated for funding to support access to quality rural health care,” said Senator Collins. “I thank my colleagues for supporting this critical bipartisan legislation that will help to alleviate staffing shortages, upgrade training and equipment, and ultimately boost response times when seconds count. This program will continue to make a real difference for recruiting and retaining EMS personnel in Maine’s rural communities.”

    The bipartisan SIREN Act was initially signed into law in 2018 as part of the Farm Bill. Since then, Senators Collins and Durbin have led the appropriations effort to grow the program from $5 million annually to $11.5 million this year, resulting in a total of $40 million in grants nationwide to 42 states. The SIREN Act has resulted in new funds to rural EMS/fire agencies in Maine, most recently for the Brooks Ambulance Service, MaineHealth, the Northern Oxford Regional Ambulance Service, and the United Ambulance Service.

    A decline in primary care and hospital service availability, workforce shortages exacerbated by the pandemic, great distances between health care facilities, and low insurance reimbursement for transport and emergency treatment have all strained rural EMS agencies. At the same time, EMS agencies today are tasked with ever-greater responsibilities— preparing for natural and manmade disasters and bioterror threats, supporting the chronic and emergency care needs of an aging population, and responding on the front lines of the opioid epidemic.  These first responders are often the only health care providers in their area and face difficulty in personnel recruitment and retention, and securing expensive equipment.

    The SIREN Reauthorization Act is endorsed by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, International Association of Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Rural Health Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, and National Fire Protection Association.

    The complete text of the legislation can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins’ Two Bills to Combat Alzheimer’s Signed into Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, announced that two bipartisan bills she authored—the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA)—have been signed into law. These bills will cement and build on the important progress that has been made to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease.

    “We have made tremendous progress in recent years to boost funding for Alzheimer’s research, which holds great promise to end this disease that has had a devastating effect on millions of Americans and their families,” said Senator Collins, a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. “These two bills will maintain our momentum and make sure that we do not take our foot off the pedal just as our investments in basic research are beginning to translate into potential new treatments. We must not let Alzheimer’s to be one of the defining diseases of our children’s generation as it has ours.”

    “The bipartisan NAPA Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act being signed into law today represents a major step forward in the fight against this devastating disease,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and AIM president. “On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association, thank you to Sen. Collins for your continued, outstanding leadership in advancing these critical bills through the legislative process and getting them signed into law today. Together they will build on the progress made in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia for years to come.”

    “With the bipartisan NAPA Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act being signed into law, our nation has renewed its commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia,” said Drew Wyman, executive director, Alzheimer’s Association Maine Chapter. “Thank you to Sen. Collins for your leadership in introducing and advancing these pivotal bills, and for your longstanding dedication to the Alzheimer’s community in Maine and across the nation.”

    “These two bills are incredibly important to the work we are doing to end the scourge of Alzheimer’s,” said George Vradenburg, chair and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “By reinforcing our national commitment to fighting this crisis and requiring accountability for every federal dollar spent, these bills help ensure that our country will keep its foot on the gas to stop this disease. We look forward to working with Health and Human Services on establishing new national goals for 2035 and engaging the business community in those conversations so we can address the enormous economic impact of Alzheimer’s. We’re also grateful for the leadership of Senators Collins, Markey, Warner, and Capito and for every member of the Senate who joined them in getting these bills across the finish line.”

    More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s costs our nation an astonishing $360 billion per year, including $231 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. If we continue along this trajectory, Alzheimer’s is projected to claim the minds of 13.8 million seniors by 2060 and nearly surpass $1 trillion in annual costs by 2050. In 2022, family caregivers provided 18 billion hours of unpaid care for loved ones with dementia.

    In 2011, Senator Susan Collins authored the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) with then-Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN).  NAPA convened a panel of experts, who created a coordinated strategic national plan to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. The law was set to expire and needed to be reauthorized to ensure that research investments remain coordinated, and their impact maximized.

    The NAPA Reauthorization Act will:

    • Reauthorize NAPA through 2035 and modernize the legislation to reflect strides that have been made to understand the disease, such as including a new focus on promoting healthy aging and reducing risk factors.
    • Update language in recognition of the need to include underserved populations, including individuals with Down syndrome, who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s as they age.

    This bill is endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Down Syndrome Congress, and LuMind IDSC Foundation.

    The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act will:

    • Continue through 2035 a requirement that the Director of the National Institutes of Health submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals.
      • Only two other areas of biomedical research – cancer and HIV/AIDS – have been the subject of special budget development aimed at speeding discovery.

    Senator Collins authored the NAPA Reauthorization Act with Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA). Both bills are cosponsored by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

    The NAPA Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act are endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

    The complete text of the NAPA Reauthorization Act can be read here.

    The complete text of the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Adams Celebrates Congressional Award Recipients

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

    CHARLOTTE – Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) celebrated three recipients of the Congressional Award at her district office yesterday. The Congressional Award, established in 1979, recognizes high achievement in four categories, including physical fitness, community service, personal development, and expedition/exploration. 

    The three recipients of the award, high school students from Rep. Adams’ district, completed 100 hours of community service, 50 hours of personal development, 50 hours of physical fitness, and a 2-day exploration trip within a 7-month period. They are: 

    · Robert Lyda, Gold Award 

    · Ally Kryzalka, Gold Award 

    · Grace Maddox, Silver and Bronze Award 

    “It is an honor to celebrate students like Robert, Ally, and Grace, who demonstrate exceptional leadership and civic-mindedness and who show us all that the future is bright,” said Rep. Adams. “I look forward to what they accomplish for themselves, their families, their community, and our country.” 

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    Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –