NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Gowns flying, whānau crying—it must be Te Herenga Waka graduation week

    Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

    With over 2,600 graduates, two parades, and eight ceremonies, this May graduation will fill Wellington’s streets with cloaked and capped graduates.

    Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s graduates will honour the community that saw them through and the connections they have made, as they cross the stage.

    Among those crossing the stage this graduation will be Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, our first Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika), who is being awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Literature, after leaving her position at the start of this year.

    The inaugural recipients of our Master of Criminology, as well as an early graduate of the Bachelor of Global Studies, will also be graduating in the May ceremonies.

    Parades on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May will see graduates walk from the Government Buildings to Queens Wharf Square, before our ceremonies are held at Michael Fowler Centre.

    “This is a time to recognise academic achievement, but also to acknowledge the perseverance and resilience it has taken our graduates to achieve their goals.

    “We are in a time of global change, but our graduates have developed values and relationships that will sustain them throughout their lives,” says Chancellor Alan Judge, who will preside over graduation for the first time in his new role.

    “To our graduates—our future leaders and innovators, I look forward to walking alongside as you lead us into the future with creativity, empathy, and determination,” says Mr Judge.

    The University will award PhDs to 50 graduates at the May ceremony. These graduates have added significantly to research in their fields, across the sciences, social sciences, arts, and beyond.

    Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith says this cohort of graduates deserve every moment of praise for their incredible accomplishments.

    “Our graduates are wonderful ambassadors for the remarkable work taking place at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. The impact of our university on society is significant, and we are proud to see our graduates take their skills, connections, and commitment to community into the public, creative, and commercial sectors that underpin our society.

    “I look forward to witnessing the contributions they will make as they join our global network of 150,000 alumni. Congratulations to all our graduates — we celebrate your achievements and look forward to your future successes.”

    About Graduation

    Graduation ceremonies 

    Monday 12 May 

    Pasifika Celebration, 5.30 pm, The Hub


    Tuesday 13 May 

    Ceremony 1 – 9.30 am, Michael Fowler Centre

     

    Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

     

    Ceremony 2 – 3 pm, Michael Fowler Centre

     

    Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

    Faculty of Education

     

    Parade 1 – 1 pm, Old Government Buildings – Queen’s Wharf Square

    Students from Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, Education, Architecture and Design Innovation, and Health

     

    Wednesday 14 May 

    Ceremony 3 – 9.30 am, Michael Fowler Centre

     

    Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation

    Faculty of Health

     

    Ceremony 4 – 3 pm, Michael Fowler Centre

     

    Faculty of Engineering 

    Faculty of Science

     

     

    Thursday 15 May 

    Ceremony 5 – 9.30 am, Michael Fowler Centre

     

    Wellington School of Business and Government

     

    Ceremony 6 – 3 pm, Michael Fowler Centre

     

    Faculty of Law 

    Wellington School of Business and Government

     

    Parade 2 – 1 pm, Old Government Buildings – Queen’s Wharf Square

    Students from Faculties of Law, Science, Engineering, and the Wellington School of Business and Government

     


    Friday 16 May—Te Hui Whakapūmau

    Ceremony 1 – 9.30 am, Te Herenga Waka Marae

     

    Wellington Faculty of Education

    Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

     

    Ceremony 2 – 2 pm, Te Herenga Waka Marae

     

    All other faculties 

     

     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Genes, environment or a special bond? Why some twins talk and think in unison

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey Craig, Professor in Medical Sciences, Deakin University

    An interview with Paula and Bridgette Powers – identical twins who witnessed their mother’s carjacking – recently went viral. The way they spoke and gestured in unison has captivated global audiences.

    Bridgette and Paula Powers have gained global attention for the way they speak.

    Genetically, identical twins are clones. They result from the splitting of an early embryo, meaning they share the same genes.

    In contrast, fraternal twins are the result of two eggs being fertilised by two different sperm. On average they share 50% of their genes – the same as any siblings who share both their biological mother and father.

    So, when identical twins talk and gesture in unison (known as synchrony), is it down to genes? The answer can be complicated.

    Genes aren’t the only influence on looks, language and like-minded thinking. Let’s break down the factors that might lead some twins to speak – and apparently think – in unison.

    A close bond in a shared environment

    Almost all twins, even “identical” ones, show some differences in physical, mental and emotional traits. They also regard themselves as distinct individuals and typically don’t like being referred to as “the twins”.

    Yet we know most people naturally mimic the way those close to them speak and move, even without realising it. This phenomenon is called automatic mimicry and may be part of healthy social development, helping people synchronise behaviours and share emotions.

    For identical twins who grow up in the same home, school and community, the effect of a shared environment and close bond may be particularly intense.

    Twins may become each other’s main social companion.
    Lana G/Shutterstock

    Paula and Bridgette Powers, for example, have shared an environment: not only the same parents, home and upbringing, but also the same job, running a bird rescue charity.

    Twins may know each other so well they can intuitively sense what the other twin is about to say — and may feel like their brains are in sync. The Powers sisters have explained:

    our brains must think alike at the same time.

    In contrast, twins who grow up apart share many personality traits, but without years of shared interaction they are less likely to develop synchronised speech or mirrored behaviours. However, they do display many of the same unusual habits and idiosyncrasies.

    What about genetics?

    Studying identical and fraternal twins separated at birth can help us unravel how much of our behaviours – intelligence, personality and temperament – are influenced by genes and environment.

    Even when identical twins grow up apart, they tend to closely resemble one another – not only physically, but in their personality, interests and behaviours. Fraternal twins, in general, are much less alike. This tells us genes matter.

    One of us (Nancy) was a researcher with the Minnesota Study of Twins Raised Apart, which lasted from 1979 to 1999 and looked at more than 100 sets of twins (and triplets) separated at birth and raised apart. Twins were separated for various reasons, such as the stigma of single motherhood, inadequate family resources and maternal death.

    The study comprehensively examined factors affecting a wide range of psychological, physical and medical traits. Researchers wanted to understand the impact of differences in their life histories on both identical and fraternal twins, reared apart and how they affected the current similarities and differences between them.

    A striking finding was identical twins raised apart are as similar in personality as identical twins raised together. For example, the Minnesota researchers found little difference in traits such as wellbeing and aggression, whether identical twins were raised together or apart.

    This shows genes play an important role in shaping our personality. Genes also affect the way we process speech and language.

    Sharing identical genes may mean identical twins also respond to situations in similar ways. This is because their brains lead them to behave in comparable ways. This genetic closeness, which underlies their behavioural resemblance, explains why they may independently say or do the same thing, without any need for a mystical explanation.

    The Minnesota study also found when identical twins were reunited they formed closer relationships with each other than reunited fraternal twins did. This suggests perceptions of similarity in behaviour might draw people together and help keep them connected.

    We now know genes and environment each account for half the person-to-person differences in personality. However, the life events we individually experience remain the most important factor shaping how our unique traits are expressed and who we ultimately become.

    What about a secret ‘twin language’?

    Parents of identical twins may be left baffled as their children, even as toddlers, seem to communicate through babbles and gestures that no one else can understand.

    Parents may observe young twins communicating without words.

    Each twin pair has their own way of communicating. Twins’ private speech, also called idioglossia, cryptophasia or a “secret language”, refers to verbal and nonverbal exchanges most other people don’t understand. This is different to synchronised speech.

    Private speech is displayed by about 40% of twins. However, estimates vary wildly – ranging from as low as 2% to as high as 47%. That’s mainly because researchers define and measure it differently.

    Private speech usually fades as children age, at about three years of age. But some twins continue to use it into early childhood.

    Why are we so fascinated by twins?

    Twins continue to fascinate us. That is clear in the wealth of media attention they receive, their popularity in scientific studies, and their presence in myths and legends across all continents.

    Perhaps it is because when we see identical twins who look and act so much alike, it challenges our belief that we are all unique.

    But even identical twins are not exact replicas of one another. Genetic changes, events in the womb, and/or life experiences can conspire to create differences between them.

    Nevertheless, most identical twins are more alike and socially closer than any other pair of people on the planet.

    Bridgette and Paula Powers appear in an episode of Australian Story airing on Monday on ABCTV and ABC iview.

    Jeffrey Craig has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. He is the Patron of the Australian Multiple Birth Organisation, and a Member of the International Society of Twin Studies.

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

    – ref. Genes, environment or a special bond? Why some twins talk and think in unison – https://theconversation.com/genes-environment-or-a-special-bond-why-some-twins-talk-and-think-in-unison-256099

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grief, strength and resistance: The Black Woman of Gippsland is a powerful reckoning with colonial myths

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Williams, Research Centre Manager, The Australian Centre, The University of Melbourne

    Pia Johnson/Melbourne Theatre Company

    A woman is tossed ashore, bedraggled and alone. She is believed to be a survivor of a shipwreck, possibly from the Britannia or the Britomart, both lost in the Bass Strait that year.

    In 1846, the colony of Melbourne was gripped by panic as rumours spread that a white woman had been shipwrecked off the coast of Gippsland and was being held by a group of First Nations people at Port Albert.

    It was Angus McMillan, a Scottish pastoralist and perpetrator of several massacres of Gunaikurnai people, who first claimed to have seen a white woman at a First Nations camp near the area. Her alleged captivity captured the colonial imagination, with newspapers speculating wildly about the fate of a “virtuous” white woman lost in the Gippsland bushland.

    The legend of the “white woman of Gippsland” became one of the most enduring myths of colonial Australia. Though never verified, it was used to justify violent “rescue missions” and brutal massacres across Gunaikurnai Country.

    Nearly two centuries later, Andrea James’ The Black Woman of Gippsland reclaims this history.

    Restaging myth

    Written and directed by the Yorta Yorta and Gunaikurnai playwright, a descendant of the Thorpe and Pepper clans, The Black Woman of Gippsland restages the myth as a contemporary mystery centred on truth, memory and survival.

    Based on real events and set on James’ grandmother’s Country, it continues a powerful tradition of First Nations storytelling on stage.

    This play continues a powerful tradition of First Nations storytelling on stage.
    Pia Johnson/Melbourne Theatre Company

    James’ play flips the colonial script. It shifts attention away from the imagined white captive and toward the real lives, losses and resistance of the Gunaikurnai people.

    Through a bold act of theatrical truth-telling, the audience is drawn into a story that refuses silence and resists erasure.

    Set in the present, the myth’s long shadow stretches into the life of Gunaikurnai PhD student Jacinta, played by the staunch Chenoa Deemal. Jacinta’s research into the so-called white woman legend draws her into a tangled web of historical violence and intergenerational trauma.

    Ursula Yovich is deadly as Aunty Rochelle.
    Pia Johnson/Melbourne Theatre Company

    Ursula Yovich is deadly as Aunty Rochelle, the no-nonsense family protector whose warmth and authority ground the story. Zach Blampied brings levity to Jacinta’s teenage cousin, Kyle, through his likeable, easygoing presence. Ian Bliss delivers a chilling portrayal of a small-town sergeant shaped by denial and quiet menace.

    Through these contemporary perspectives, The Black Woman of Gippsland exposes the myths Australia continues to uphold and the truths it still refuses to hear.

    Resisting realism

    Blending projected imagery and stylised design, the production resists realism in favour of memory, spirit and sensation.

    The set (Romanie Harper) and lighting (Verity Hampson) gives a dreamlike, immersive atmosphere. James Henry’s sound design and vocals by Yovich add emotional and cultural depth.

    The production resists realism in favour of memory, spirit and sensation.
    Pia Johnson/Melbourne Theatre Company

    Most strikingly, colonial records have been transformed into song and passed on to the Gunaikurnai community, with the guidance of Elder Wayne Thorpe and choreography by Brent Watkins.

    This is theatre that breathes beyond the stage, reconnecting culture and story across generations.

    Grief, strength and resistance

    Though grounded in a specific place, The Black Woman of Gippsland speaks to a broader national truth. Colonial myths have shaped Australia’s identity, often justifying violence in the name of “civilisation”.

    Stories like the white woman of Gippsland were not harmless fictions – they underpinned massacres, fear campaigns and some of the first Black deaths in custody.

    As a Ngemba woman from another part of this continent, I recognise the grief, strength and resistance woven through this story. This is not my Country, but the violence this myth enabled is something all our communities feel.

    James has created a moving and necessary work that centres stories long denied.
    Pia Johnson/Melbourne Theatre Company

    The Black Woman of Gippsland speaks powerfully to cultural survival, intergenerational knowledge and the urgent need for reckoning, even when it is deeply uncomfortable.

    The Black Woman of Gippsland is not easy viewing, nor is it meant to be. It asks us to sit with the silences in this nation’s history and challenges us to listen not just with empathy, but with accountability.

    The truth is complex, and Australia has a long history of turning away when First Nations voices speak too clearly.

    Still, with generosity, rage and care, James has created a moving and necessary work that centres stories long denied. The question audiences must ask is how long awareness can stand in place of action – and whether we are willing to move beyond it.

    The Black Woman of Gippsland is at the Melbourne Theatre Company as part of the YIRRAMBOI Festival until May 31.

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

    – ref. Grief, strength and resistance: The Black Woman of Gippsland is a powerful reckoning with colonial myths – https://theconversation.com/grief-strength-and-resistance-the-black-woman-of-gippsland-is-a-powerful-reckoning-with-colonial-myths-254609

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ASEAN Secretary-General joins Luncheon Hosted by Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, attended a luncheon hosted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland. In his brief remarks, Dr. Kao underscored the importance of academic cooperation and exchanged views on potential collaboration to foster regional innovation and strengthen ASEAN–New Zealand educational ties, in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN–New Zealand dialogue relations.

    The post ASEAN Secretary-General joins Luncheon Hosted by Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Kustoff Announces Congressional Art Competition Winner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) hosted the 2025 Congressional Art Competition reception at the West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Gibson County. At the reception, Congressman Kustoff announced the winner, Maggie Wright from the University School of Jackson. 

    “Congratulations to Maggie Wright from the University School of Jackson for winning the Eighth Congressional District’s 2025 Congressional Art Competition,” said Congressman Kustoff. “Each year, I am impressed by West Tennessee’s talented student artists. I look forward to seeing Maggie’s piece, ‘Tennessee Scenes’, hang in the United States Capitol for the next year.”

    The Congressional Art Competition takes place each year and is open to all high school students in the Eighth Congressional District. Click here for more information.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: BPMSoft and GUU agreed on the development of IT education

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The company “BPMSoft” (part of the IT holding LANSOFT), the developer of the domestic low-code platform BPMSoft, and the State University of Management (SUM) signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of IT education.

    The partnership is aimed at developing competencies in the field of process management among students of the Institute of Industrial Management. Joint work will be carried out within the framework of the discipline “Fundamentals of Process Management” of the Department of Theory and Organization of Management, as well as in the implementation of student projects under the auspices of the project office of the State University of Management. In the future, it is planned to deepen cooperation – this is about including the courses “Business Process Engineering” and “Business Process Modeling” in the educational tracks for senior students.

    The university’s lecturers have already begun to master the functionality of the BPMSoft platform. The training is conducted according to a program developed specifically for academic partners.

    Yulia Golyakina, head of the BPMSoft Education initiative: “Today’s students are tomorrow’s architects of the digital economy. We want them to enter the market with relevant knowledge and the ability to apply modern tools in real projects. Cooperation with the State University of Management is an important step in the formation of strong practice-oriented IT education in the country.”

    Dmitry Bryukhanov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the State University of Management: “We see great potential in integrating modern platforms into the educational process. Working with BPMSoft will allow students not only to study the theory of process management, but also to apply it in practice – in the language of business, technology and project work.”

    The partnership with the State University of Management became part of a large-scale academic initiative called “BPMSoft Education”. Over the past year and a half, more than two dozen leading universities in the country have joined the project. Its goal is to train a new wave of IT specialists with practical skills in working with domestic digital solutions that are in demand in public administration and business.

    About GUU

    The State University of Management is the first educational institution that has been specializing in management education in the USSR and Russia for over 100 years. More than 12 thousand students study at the SUM in 16 bachelor’s degree programs, 13 master’s degree programs, including economics, management, business informatics, state and municipal management, transport process technology, personnel management, statistics and others, as well as postgraduate students in 14 scientific specialties. The SUM implements a unique project-based education program, starting from the 1st year and focused on practical classes throughout the year. Every year, about 4 thousand specialists and business managers undergo retraining and improve their qualifications at the SUM.

    Over the years of its existence, the university has trained about 200 thousand highly qualified managers for various sectors of the economy. Among the graduates of the State University of Management are members of the Government of the Russian Federation, deputy ministers, governors, mayors of cities, heads of municipal structures and businesses.

    About BPMSoft

    “BPMSoft” (part of the IT holding LANSOFT) is the developer of its own low-code platform BPMSoft for automation and management of business processes in a single digital environment. BPMSoft contains tools for flexible configuration and customization, ready-made business applications for managing CRM, SRM, HRM, ITSM, connectors and extensions for effective adaptation to any IT infrastructure. The BPMSoft partner network includes 100 companies engaged in the implementation of the platform and the development of their own products based on it. BPMSoft’s clients include 500 major customers: banks and insurance, fuel and energy complex and industry, retail and FMCG, IT and development, and others.

    BPMSoft is included in the register of Russian software (registry entry No. 17372), belongs to the field of artificial intelligence, has FSTEC certification for 4 UD, and is also included in the list of 520 IT solutions that can be used at critical information infrastructure facilities from January 1, 2025, in accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 166 dated March 30, 2022.

    About LANSOFT

    IT holding LANSOFT unites leading platform solutions in the corporate software segment into a single product portfolio: TURBO, LDM, BPMSoft, Goodt. The products complement each other and cover key business needs: from budgeting, enterprise management, working with clients and suppliers to talent management and creating advanced analytical reports. All solutions of the brand are included in the register of Russian software.

    LANSOFT has an extensive network of over 170 authorized partners for sales and implementation of products. The LANSOFT team consists of over 1,400 employees.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 12.05.2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Satellites continuously working to ensure India’s security: ISRO Chairman

    Source: Government of India (4)

    ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan on Sunday said that 10 satellites are continuously working round-the-clock for strategic purposes to ensure the safety and security of the country’s citizens.

    Addressing the 5th Convocation Ceremony of the Central Agricultural University (CAU), the ISRO Chairman said, “If we want to ensure the safety of our country, we have to serve through our satellites. We have to monitor our 7,000 km-long seashore. Without satellite and drone technology, we can’t achieve many things.”

    He added that through many satellites, ISRO has been serving the common people in agriculture, tele-education, telemedicine, television broadcasting, weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, food security, and strategic sectors.

    Noting that satellites are playing a critical role in disaster management and mitigation, Narayanan said, “Earlier, during disasters, thousands of people lost their lives, but today this is not the case.”

    He further said that India holds the number one position globally in nine areas within the space sector.

    “The Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered evidence of water molecules on the Moon’s surface. India was the first country to achieve this. At least 433 satellites for 34 countries have been launched from India and placed into orbit,” he said.

    Significantly, he said India has built satellites for G-20 countries to monitor climate change and other critical sectors. Narayanan added that India and the US would jointly build the world’s most expensive and advanced earth-imaging satellite, which will be launched from India.

    Narayanan pointed out that until 1975, India had no satellite technology and was nearly 70 years behind advanced nations in space development.

    Emphasizing the need for advanced satellite technology for the betterment of citizens, Narayanan—who also serves as Secretary of the Department of Space—predicted that before India celebrates 100 years of independence, it will become a leader in every field and a major contributor to global progress.

    He recalled that during the 1950s and 1960s, India produced only 54 million tons of food and relied on imports.

    “Now, India produces over 250 million tons of food and exports to many countries. The country has a vast consumer market and a strong manufacturing sector. In electricity generation and milk production, we are among the world leaders,” he said.

    He added that India ranks in the top five globally for the production of several key commodities such as rice, wheat, maize, horticultural crops, pulses, oilseeds, and cash crops.

    “With developments across sectors, average life expectancy has increased from 32 years to 72 years in recent decades. Child and maternal mortality rates have also declined sharply,” he pointed out.

    Narayanan announced that around 100 science students from each of the eight northeastern states would get an opportunity to visit the ISRO Centre in Bengaluru to foster curiosity and awareness about space science and technology.

    He said ISRO and its satellites are playing a vital role in the development of the northeastern states and are supporting the implementation of various regional projects.

    The ISRO chairman urged students to contribute to society after earning their degrees.

    “There is no substitute for hard work and smart work. Total commitment and strong personal values are essential. Self-confidence and self-motivation are crucial. With noble leadership qualities, students must strive to be good human beings,” Narayanan stated.

    The Central Agricultural University (CAU), based in Imphal, Manipur, has campuses in eight northeastern states.

    Sunday’s convocation ceremony was held at the College of Fisheries in Lembucherra, 12 km north of Agartala in Tripura’s West district. The event was presided over by CAU Chancellor, Prof. Pradeep Kumar Joshi.

    IANS

  • Drink black tea, eat berries and apples to age healthy

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Want to age healthily? A higher intake of black tea, berries, citrus fruits, and apples may help, according to global research.

    Researchers from Edith Cowan University (Australia), Queen’s University Belfast (UK), and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (US) found that foods rich in flavonoids could help lower the risk of key components associated with unhealthy ageing, including frailty, impaired physical function, and poor mental health.

    “The goal of medical research is not just to help people live longer but to ensure they stay healthy for as long as possible,” said Dr Nicola Bondonno, Adjunct Lecturer at Edith Cowan University.

    Previous studies have shown that individuals with higher flavonoid intake tend to live longer and are less likely to develop major chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes, or heart disease.

    “Our research shows that people who consume more flavonoids tend to age better,” Bondonno added.

    The study, which analysed data from 62,743 women and 23,687 men over a span of 24 years, found that women with the highest flavonoid intake had a 15 per cent lower risk of frailty, a 12 per cent lower risk of impaired physical function, and a 12 per cent lower risk of poor mental health, compared to those with the lowest intake.

    While fewer associations were observed in men, higher flavonoid intake was still linked to a lower risk of poor mental health.

    “Flavonoids are well known for reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting blood vessel health, and even helping to maintain skeletal muscle mass — all of which are important for preventing frailty and maintaining physical function and mental health as we age,” said Professor Aedin Cassidy from Queen’s University Belfast.

    The study also showed that participants who increased their intake of flavonoid-rich foods by three servings a day had a 6 to 11 per cent lower risk across all three ageing-related outcomes in women, and a 15 per cent lower risk of poor mental health in men.

    “Overall, these findings underscore the potential for simple dietary modifications to improve quality of life and support healthy ageing,” added Professor Eric Rimm from Harvard.

    — IANS

  • UAE university team develops improved non-surgical blood flow monitoring device

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Researchers from United Arab Emirates University have created an enhanced technology for monitoring blood flow without surgery, using piezoelectric pressure sensors. The innovation measures crucial physiological parameters including blood flow velocity and viscosity by utilizing materials that generate electric fields when subjected to mechanical stress.

    The improved version delivers greater accuracy in data interpretation while being more cost-effective than existing alternatives, making it suitable for deployment in both clinical and home environments. The technology provides real-time monitoring capabilities that can help detect potentially dangerous conditions such as blood clots.

    “Our goal is to improve an existing technology to make it more accurate and user-friendly, benefiting both patients and healthcare providers,” said Professor Mahmoud Al Ahmad, who supervised the research team. “It is worth mentioning that this project provided a training opportunity for four undergraduate students in scientific research.”

    The team plans to incorporate artificial intelligence in future iterations to further enhance the system’s capabilities and expand its applications. This development aligns with the UAE’s strategic vision to advance medical technology and reduce dependence on imported healthcare solutions.

    The innovation strengthens the local medical device manufacturing sector and supports the UAE’s ongoing transition toward a knowledge-based economy. By creating more accessible diagnostic tools, the research contributes to promoting health equity and providing accurate, affordable medical diagnostics globally.

  • Increasing urban vegetation can save over 1.1 mn lives from heat-related deaths: Study

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    As climate change intensifies, leading to a rise in global temperatures and heat-related deaths, a new study highlights the life-saving potential of increasing urban green cover. According to researchers from Monash University, expanding vegetation in cities by 30 per cent could prevent up to 1.16 million deaths globally that are currently attributed to extreme heat.

    Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, the study is based on a 20-year modelling analysis covering more than 11,000 urban areas worldwide, from 2000 to 2019. The researchers found that increasing vegetation by 10, 20, and 30 per cent could lower the global population-weighted mean temperature during the warm season by 0.08°C, 0.14°C, and 0.19°C, respectively.

    This temperature reduction translates into an estimated prevention of 0.86 million, 1.02 million, and 1.16 million deaths, depending on the level of green coverage implemented.

    “This is the first modelling study to assess both the cooling and modifying effects of urban greenness, offering a more holistic view of how green infrastructure can reduce heat-related mortality,” said Professor Yuming Guo, the lead author of the study.

    The research found that urban areas in Southern Asia, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Asia would see the greatest reduction in heat-related deaths with increased vegetation.

    Heat exposure remains a growing public health threat, especially as climate change worsens. Between 2000 and 2019, it was linked to around 500,000 deaths annually — approximately 0.91 per cent of all global deaths. Under the most severe global warming scenarios, future projections estimate heat-related mortality could rise to between 2.5 per cent in Northern Europe and 16.7 per cent in Southeast Asia by the end of the century.

    Urban vegetation helps reduce heat by providing shade, reflecting solar radiation, and facilitating evapotranspiration — a process that releases moisture from the ground and plants, which cools the surrounding air. Beyond lowering temperatures, green spaces may also benefit mental health, social interaction, physical activity, and air quality.

    The study underscores the urgent need for urban planning strategies that prioritize greenery, not just for environmental benefits but for saving lives.

    -IANS

  • Education Ministry approves IIFT to establish off-campus centre at GIFT Cit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, has received approval from the Ministry of Education to establish an off-campus centre at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The new centre will operate in accordance with the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023, as announced by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Tuesday.

    The approval, granted under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, comes after IIFT successfully met the conditions outlined in the Letter of Intent (LoI) issued in January. These conditions included submission of a comprehensive development roadmap to build a multidisciplinary institution with over 1,000 students, appointment of qualified faculty, introduction of detailed academic programmes, plans for a permanent campus, and the establishment of a state-of-the-art library.

    Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, congratulated IIFT on the approval, stating:

    “Heartiest congratulations to @IIFT_Official on getting approval to open its new off-campus centre in @GIFTCity_, India’s global financial hub. This paves the way for training talent in the institute’s flagship programme, MBA (International Business), besides short-term training programmes and research in the area of International Trade.”

    The upcoming centre will be located on the 16th and 17th floors of GIFT Tower 2 and will offer IIFT’s flagship MBA (International Business) programme, along with specialised short-term courses and research opportunities in international trade and related domains.

    Established in 1963 under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, IIFT was declared a deemed-to-be University in 2002. The institute holds an A+ grade from NAAC and is accredited by AACSB, placing it among a select group of globally recognised business schools.

  • Education Ministry approves IIFT to establish off-campus centre at GIFT City

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, has received approval from the Ministry of Education to establish an off-campus centre at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The new centre will operate in accordance with the UGC (Institutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2023, as announced by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Tuesday.

    The approval, granted under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, comes after IIFT successfully met the conditions outlined in the Letter of Intent (LoI) issued in January. These conditions included submission of a comprehensive development roadmap to build a multidisciplinary institution with over 1,000 students, appointment of qualified faculty, introduction of detailed academic programmes, plans for a permanent campus, and the establishment of a state-of-the-art library.

    Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, congratulated IIFT on the approval, stating:

    “Heartiest congratulations to @IIFT_Official on getting approval to open its new off-campus centre in @GIFTCity_, India’s global financial hub. This paves the way for training talent in the institute’s flagship programme, MBA (International Business), besides short-term training programmes and research in the area of International Trade.”

    The upcoming centre will be located on the 16th and 17th floors of GIFT Tower 2 and will offer IIFT’s flagship MBA (International Business) programme, along with specialised short-term courses and research opportunities in international trade and related domains.

    Established in 1963 under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, IIFT was declared a deemed-to-be University in 2002. The institute holds an A+ grade from NAAC and is accredited by AACSB, placing it among a select group of globally recognised business schools.

  • MIL-OSI: Jeito Capital Strengthens Leadership for Next Chapter of Growth: Mehdi Ainouche Promoted to Partner, Julien Elric to Senior Principal

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris, May 12, 2025 – Jeito Capital (“Jeito”), a global leading independent Private Equity fund dedicated to biopharma, is pleased to announce the promotion of Mehdi Ainouche to Partner and Julien Elric to Senior Principal.

    These promotions represent the next phase of Jeito’s growth and reflect the continued strengthening of its team. They also underscore the firm’s commitment to developing talent and supporting career progression from within.

    Mehdi Ainouche, PharmD, joined Jeito as Principal in 2020, shortly after the fund’s inception and was promoted to Senior Principal in 2024. With over a decade of experience in life sciences investment, Mehdi has been instrumental across the full investment cycle—from deal sourcing and due diligence to closing and exit—most notably with EyeBio, which was successfully sold to Merck & Co [NYSE: MRK] for up to $3 billion. He has also shown a strong ability to spot emerging innovations with the potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients with unmet medical needs. He has supported several investments and portfolio companies, particularly in ophthalmology, oncology, cardiometabolic and neuromuscular diseases, as well as fibrosis. and He currently serves on the boards of CDR-Life and Augustine Therapeutics, and is a board observer at NMD Pharma.

    Before joining Jeito, Mehdi was an Associate within the healthcare venture team, of Turenne Capital, a French investment group with over €2Bn under management, where he worked on numerous biotech and medtech investments. He holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Rennes and a Master’s in Business from ESCP Europe. As Partner, he will contribute further to building Jeito portfolio diversification and performance.

    Julien Elric joined Jeito in September 2021, bringing strong experience in deal sourcing, portfolio support, and healthcare investment. From Associate (2021) to Senior Associate in 2023 and Principal in early 2024, he has played a key role within Jeito’s investment team. Julien has contributed to financing efforts, clinical development strategies across the portfolio and was strongly involved in the investment up to exit of HI-Bio™ acquired by Biogen Inc. [Nasdaq: BIIB] for up to $1.8 billion. He currently serves as a board observer at Alentis Therapeutics and XyloCor Therapeutics.

    Before joining Jeito, Julien led the startup incubator iPEPS at the Paris Brain Institute, where he helped establish it as a key hub for life sciences innovation in France. He supported early-stage biotechs and medtechs in their growth and advised major pharmaceutical companies on corporate–startup collaborations. Earlier in his career, he was responsible for business development and industrial partnerships at Institut Curie. Julien holds a PhD in Cell Biology from Institut Pasteur and is a graduate of INSEAD Business School.

    Dr. Rafaèle Tordjman, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Jeito Capital, said:
    “I’m delighted to announce these promotions, which reflect two outstanding career paths and significant contributions to Jeito. Mehdi and Julien’s dedication to unlocking the potential of our portfolio companies perfectly captures the spirit of Jeito and our commitment to accelerating progress for patients. By bringing together leading scientific and industry expertise across Europe and the US, we are entering an exciting new phase of growth. I wish Mehdi and Julien every success and look forward to seeing them thrive in their new roles.”

    About Jeito Capital

    Jeito Capital is a global leading Private Equity fund with a patient benefit driven approach that finances and accelerates the development and growth of ground-breaking medical innovation. Jeito empowers and supports managers through its expert, integrated, multi-talented team and through the investment of significant capital to ensure the growth of companies, building market leaders in their respective therapeutic areas with accelerated patients’ access globally, especially in Europe and the United States. Jeito has built a diversified portfolio of clinical biopharmas with cutting-edge innovations addressing high unmet needs. Jeito Capital is based in Paris with a presence in Europe and the United States.

    For more information, please visit www.jeito.life or follow us on LinkedIn.

    Contacts:

    Jeito Capital                                        
    Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder & CEO
    Jessica Fadel, EA
    Tel: +33 6 33 44 25 47

    Maior                                                ICR Healthcare
    Stéphanie Elbaz                                Mary-Jane Elliott / Davide Salvi / Kris Lam
    Tel: +33 6 46 05 08 07                      Jeito@icrhealthcare.com
    Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Liberal Party reclaims Goldstein – how Tim Wilson turned back the Teal tidal wave

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hayman, PhD Candidate and Casual Academic in Politics, La Trobe University

    Tim Wilson’s victory over independent MP Zoe Daniel to reclaim his Melbourne seat of Goldstein has grabbed post-election headlines.

    He is the only Liberal to achieve such a feat since six Teals stormed inner-city blue-ribbon seats at the 2022 election. Wilson’s return to parliament has triggered talk of a possible tilt for the Liberal Party leadership.

    How remarkable was his victory in Goldstein? Could his successful campaign be a template for other Liberals hoping to seize back territory from the Teals?

    Coalition fightback

    Other coalition candidates also triumphed over high-profile independents.

    The Liberal Party has retained Bradfield, with Gisele Kapterian edging out Teal candidate Nicolette Boele.

    Frontbencher Dan Tehan held off a strong challenge from Alex Dyson in Wannon. Likewise, backbencher Pat Conaghan, who was challenged by Caz Heise in Cowper.

    Meanwhile in Kooyong, Amelia Hamer fell just short of Teal MP Monique Ryan.

    Growing support

    Despite the setbacks in some seats, the community independents movement is stronger than ever in 2025.

    Curtin’s Kate Chaney was widely tipped to lose her seat, but she was returned with a small two-party preferred swing.

    Other crossbenchers are back in Clark, Indi, Mackellar, Mayo, Warringah and Wentworth.

    Independent Dai Le who is not aligned with the Teals, was returned in Fowler. So, too, Andrew Gee in Calare.

    Independents received strong support from a number of quarters.

    Climate 200 funded 35 candidates, up from 22 three years ago. The Regional Voices Fund supported 13 non-metropolitan independents. The volunteer armies knocking on doors were larger than ever before.

    Voters responded. On the latest count, Labor’s primary vote was less than 35%, while support for the Liberal Party declined to around 32%. Minor parties and independents picked up 33% of the vote, with the Teals doing particularly well, according to ABC election analyst Antony Green:

    All these Teals won from second place last time. This time they are winning from first place.

    Wilson’s success in Goldstein bucked these national trends. So how did he do it?

    Learning the lessons from 2022

    At the last electon, Wilson ran using the same messaging as the national campaign – national security and the economy.

    Wilson repeatedly referred to Daniel as a Climate 200 “fake independent” and reframed the local focus of independents as “parochial”. His campaign was negative and unsuccessful.

    Wilson’s 2025 campaign had a distinct shift in tone. It is clear that he learned many lessons from his Teal rival.

    This time around, he embraced social media with a focus on community and “listening”. Despite a reputation for being combative, his posts showed a positive, hyper-local campaign that did not mention his rival at all.

    When he tapped into national themes, he focused on low inflation, affordable homes and community safety.

    Tim Wilson campaign advertisement for the seat of Goldstein.

    Like the Teals, he also managed to muster an army of volunteers. These grassroots efforts began almost a year before the election, kicked off with forums to hear from the community. Door knocking and high visibility across the electorate made a difference.

    The Jewish vote

    Goldstein is home to a significant concentration of Jewish voters and securing their vote was vital.

    The Israel-Gaza conflict, and the firebombing attack on the orthodox Adass Israel synagogue in nearby Ripponlea, brought the issue of antisemitism to the fore in the lead up to the campaign.

    For Wilson, this was the only issue on which he went negative. Daniel’s campaign described his line of attack as “brutal, hostile and abusive”.

    But it paid off with Wilson recording swings of up to 7.56% across Caulfield and Elsternwick, where the Jewish population is largest. This enabled him to recover much of the ground lost in 2022.

    Teal campaign more negative

    Daniel’s task as an independent MP was to convince voters she delivered for her community. But this was difficult to showcase, given the crowded nature of the crossbench in the 47th parliament.

    Daniel still had a strong grassroots movement behind her. But her messages about Dutton, emphasising his hard man, “Trumpian” character, brought a more negative tone to her campaign.

    Daniel recorded large swings of up to 10% in suburbs such as Moorabbin and Bentleigh, which have a lower socio-economic base than the other parts of the electorate and have traditionally voted Labor.

    But the “Golden Mile” that stretches along the bay from Brighton to Black Rock swung heavily toward Wilson. In wealthier suburbs, such as Hampton, he secured swings of up to 10% in the two-party preferred count.

    With such narrow margins, these shifts were enough to change the outcome.

    Building momentum

    Wilson won in part by adopting the campaign strategies used by the Teals. We should expect to see more candidates – including from the major parties – using these tools in future elections.

    Despite Daniel’s defeat, support for community candidates grew in 2025. But to overcome institutional barriers and the vagaries of preferences, independents will need to continue to build on their momentum.

    In 2028, the new election donations laws will also be in effect, which will limit the war chests raised by community independents.

    Campaigning skills and strategy will prove more important than ever.

    Phoebe Hayman receives funding from the Department of Education via a Research Training Scholarship.

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

    – ref. Liberal Party reclaims Goldstein – how Tim Wilson turned back the Teal tidal wave – https://theconversation.com/liberal-party-reclaims-goldstein-how-tim-wilson-turned-back-the-teal-tidal-wave-256201

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers a public lecture at the University of Auckland

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered a public lecture on “ASEAN-New Zealand Partnership: Five Decades of Relations, Cooperation and Partnership,” at the University of Auckland,  on 12 May 2025. SG Dr. Kao underscored the enduring partnership between ASEAN and New Zealand over five decades across the three ASEAN Community Pillars and the ASEAN Connectivity. He also emphasised the important role of New Zealand as one of ASEAN’s enduring partners in contributing to ASEAN’s efforts in its community-building process. SG Dr. Kao also shared that this year marks an important history for ASEAN as it would soon be adopting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which is a 20-year vision, and its four Strategic Plans. This year ASEAN and New Zealand also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their Dialogue Relations.
     
    Download SG Dr. Kao full keynote remarks here.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers a public lecture at the University of Auckland appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: S. Shakthidharan’s ambitious play The Wrong Gods is a profound critique of progress and modernity

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niro Kandasamy, Lecturer in History, University of Sydney

    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    S. Shakthidharan is one of Australian theatre’s most prominent writers and directors. His Counting and Cracking (2019) and The Jungle and the Sea (2022) received critical acclaim and toured internationally.

    These plays focused on armed conflict and displacement in Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka. Shakthidharan’s new play shifts settings across the Palk Strait to the contemporary struggles of a remote Indian village fending off the ravages of modernity.

    The Wrong Gods, directed by Shakthidharan with Hannah Goodwin, is an ambitious play with an all-female and brown cast. It traces the triumphs and tribulations of single mother Nirmala (Nadie Kammallaweera), fighting to protect her family and valley from the “new” world built on the promise of progress.

    In an era of multiple crises, the play draws attention to global Indigenous connections to the natural world – in striking contrast to the extractive and capitalist logics of most modern development.

    The ‘old’ and the ‘new’

    Nirmala is worried as her daughter, Isha (Radhika Mudaliyar), is loosing interest and confidence in Indigenous practices. Nirmala is determined to ensure Isha not only remembers what to do in the valley but understands why.

    Isha is a curious girl with a soaring imagination. Her dreams appear wild: she wants to finish school and become a scientist. A few school lessons in the city open Isha to a new world, to “new gods”, unlike the gods she’s used to of the river and her natural surroundings.

    Nirmala insists her daughter remain in the valley; Isha seeks to venture out and discover a different world.
    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    When Lakshmi (Vaishnavi Suryaprakash) arrives uninvited, Nirmala and Isha are cautious and weary. But Lakshmi has big plans for the valley. She introduces Nirmala to new farming methods and crop varieties. To sweeten the deal, Lakshmi offers to pay for Isha’s university education.

    Nirmala and Isha are both initially doubtful about Lakshmi’s intentions. To mark their differences, Isha points out to Lakshmi she is an upper caste woman from the city whose entire world view is different to hers.

    This is the only reference to caste in the play, and its introduction here feels tokenistic. The reference points to longstanding social inequalities in which lower caste groups have been denied greater access to employment, education and cultural capital, but Shakthidharan passes over it too quickly. This aspect of the plot warranted further attention.

    Nirmala accepts Lakshmi’s offer. Isha is overwhelmed with joy at the thought of pursuing an education. Armed with enthusiasm and a thirst for “new” knowledge, she immediately departs for the city.

    Personal and political battles

    The Wrong Gods speaks to the harms of “saviours” whose actions are masked under the guise of progress and empowerment.

    Nirmala and her village are viewed by Lakshmi as backward, vulnerable and in need of protection. Lakshmi is cast in a paternalist role: she sees her intervention not only as justified economically, but as the morally correct thing to do.

    Lakshmi’s words – however promising and life changing they sound – reproduce elite and exclusionary ideas that ignore ways of living that have survived thousands of years.

    The Wrong Gods speaks to the harms of ‘saviours’ whose actions are masked under the guise of progress and empowerment.
    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    After several years, Isha returns to the valley as the scientist for the organisation her mother has been mobilising against. With Lakshmi by her side, Isha tells her mother the dam project will flood the valley and displace the farmers. Nirmala is devastated and furious.

    After a few tense moments that see Nirmala and Isha locked in an aruval (machete variety) battle, they realise Lakshmi had known about this outcome from the beginning. This realisation is far too late.

    Nirmala decides to stay in the valley and fight – even if it means dying. She tells her daughter to return to the city to inform people about their plight and prevent the further depletion of native lands and waterways.

    ‘Development’ for whom?

    The Wrong Gods is a critique of progress and modernity, and Shakthidharan carefully strikes the right balance between the personal, structural and political.

    As Nirmala’s protest actions grow stronger, she must face the reality her daughter is trying to negotiate the needs of two worlds. The interactions between characters and their competing views moves seamlessly across the unfolding scenes, while the audience gets a clearer sense of the entanglements of the challenges playing out in Nirmala and Isha’s lives.

    Costumes by Keerthi Subramanyam, who also designed the set, contribute to the play’s critique of progress. Nirmala wears a saree and carries a small purse for food. While Lakshmi wears a churidar set during her first meeting when she is trying to woo favour, she wears a suit on her second visit. Like Lakshmi, Isha returns to the valley wearing a power suit, evoking a sense of authority and upward economic mobility.

    Costumes by Keerthi Subramanyam contribute to the play’s critique of progress.
    Brett Boardman/Belvoir

    The Wrong Gods grapples with the more-than-human worlds at stake amid multiple crises. Through his play, Shakthidharan suggests we should begin addressing the growing needs of our planet by overcoming structural challenges. Doing so may prevent us from reaching solutions which do not displace people or deplete natural resources. Brilliant acting by the cast makes clear the profound emotions of bearing witness to an environmental destruction that is entirely preventable.

    We must prioritise and embed local knowledges to address some of the biggest challenges facing us today. Failure to do so will only worsen both man-made and natural crises – and there will be no gods, right or wrong, to save us.

    The Wrong Gods is at Belvior Theatre, Sydney, until May 31, then Melbourne Theatre Company from June 6 to July 12.

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

    – ref. S. Shakthidharan’s ambitious play The Wrong Gods is a profound critique of progress and modernity – https://theconversation.com/s-shakthidharans-ambitious-play-the-wrong-gods-is-a-profound-critique-of-progress-and-modernity-255512

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Indian scientists develop groundbreaking metal-free catalyst for hydrogen fuel production

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a significant advancement toward sustainable energy solutions, Indian researchers have developed a novel, cost-effective, metal-free catalyst that can efficiently produce hydrogen (H₂) fuel by harvesting mechanical energy. This innovation represents a major breakthrough in green hydrogen technology and offers a promising path toward cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels.

    The research, led by Professor Tapas K. Maji of the Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, introduces a donor-acceptor based covalent organic framework (COF) that acts as a highly efficient piezocatalyst for water splitting—a method that separates hydrogen from water molecules.

    Unlike traditional catalysts that rely heavily on metal-based ferroelectric materials, the new COF system is entirely organic and metal-free. It is composed of tris(4-aminophenyl)amine (TAPA) as the donor molecule and pyromellitic dianhydride (PDA) as the acceptor. These materials form imide linkages that give rise to a unique structural phenomenon known as ferrielectric (FiE) ordering.

    “This breakthrough challenges the traditional reliance on heavy or transition metal-based catalysts, offering a new direction in the development of scalable, sustainable hydrogen production systems,” said Prof. Maji.

    What sets this material apart is its sponge-like porous architecture that facilitates efficient water diffusion and access to charge carriers. The FiE ordering in the COF creates intense local electric fields at the pore surfaces, enabling high-density charge accumulation and, in turn, high yields of hydrogen fuel.

    Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare, a collaborator from JNCASR, contributed theoretical insights showing that the COF’s electronic structure features coupled energy bands and dipolar ordering. This causes lattice instability, enabling dynamic interaction with mechanical pressure. When stimulated mechanically, the material generates electron-hole pairs, catalyzing the water-splitting reaction with exceptional efficiency.

    The study, published in Advanced Functional Materials, involved a multidisciplinary team, including researchers Ms. Adrija Ghosh, Ms. Surabhi Menon, Dr. Sandip Biswas, and Dr. Anupam Dey from JNCASR. Additional contributions came from Dr. Supriya Sahoo and Prof. Ramamoorthy Boomishankar from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, and Prof. Jan K. Zaręba from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland.

    This innovative catalyst not only reduces dependency on expensive and environmentally harmful metals but also offers a viable method to harness ambient mechanical energy—such as vibrations or pressure—for clean energy generation. The development aligns with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, aimed at promoting large-scale green hydrogen production and positioning the country as a global leader in this emerging sector.

    With global urgency to transition to renewable energy sources, the success of this metal-free piezocatalyst marks a critical step in enabling efficient, clean, and sustainable hydrogen fuel technology.

  • Tobacco, Cannabis use may raise heart disease deaths by 50% in five years: studies

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Tobacco and cannabis consumption could significantly raise heart disease-related deaths in the coming years, with recent studies predicting a 50 per cent surge in mortality over the next five years.

    Presented at the ongoing Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2025 annual scientific sessions in Washington, DC, the twin studies revealed alarming links between substance use and cardiovascular complications.

    One study projected that tobacco use alone could increase coronary heart disease deaths by 40 per cent. In contrast, individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (CUD) were found to be 50 per cent more likely to suffer from cardiogenic shock, acute myocardial infarction, and arrhythmias.

    “Despite major public health campaigns to raise awareness about the harms of tobacco and cannabis, usage remains widespread, and we continue to witness its impact on cardiovascular health,” said James B. Hermiller, President of SCAI.

    Ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, occurs when reduced blood flow due to narrowed or blocked coronary arteries weakens the heart.

    Researchers from Wayne State University in the U.S. analysed data from 1999 to 2020, focusing on tobacco-related ischemic heart disease mortality among individuals aged 25 and older. The analysis projected a 43.7 per cent rise in tobacco-related deaths by 2030. While mortality rates among females showed a decline, deaths among males registered a sharp increase.

    “Tobacco-related ischemic heart disease is not merely a problem of the past; it continues to be a leading cause of death. Targeted interventions are essential, especially as vulnerable groups remain disproportionately affected,” said Roopeessh Vempati, lead researcher from Wayne State University.

    In a separate study, researchers from Sinai Hospital in the U.S. examined data from over 1.3 million patients admitted with heart failure. Findings indicated that patients with both heart failure and CUD were significantly more prone to severe cardiovascular events. The risk of cardiogenic shock was 27 per cent higher, acute myocardial infarction 50 per cent higher, and arrhythmias 48 per cent higher in this group.

    Interestingly, the study noted that patients with CUD had a slightly lower risk of mortality compared to those without the disorder. However, researchers cautioned that the overall cardiovascular risks remained considerably elevated.

    “Even if the chance of death is slightly lower, the risk of developing severe cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks or irregular heartbeat is substantially greater. It is essential for physicians and public health professionals to educate individuals on these risks early, even before heart failure sets in,” said Dr. Syed Ishaq, Internal Medicine resident at Sinai Hospital.

    – IANS

  • Trump says he will strip Harvard’s tax-exempt status

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump said on Friday he planned to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, setting up another potential legal fight with the Ivy League school amid his wider crackdown on elite universities and the U.S. education system.

    “We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump said in a post on his social media platform, without specifying when he might take action.

    Representatives for the Internal Revenue Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s post and whether it wasrevoking the university’s tax-exempt status.

    Harvard, in a statement, said the move would be unlawful and unprecedented.

    “There is no legal basis to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status,” the Boston-area school said. “The unlawful use of this instrument more broadly would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America.”

    It would also cut money available for student scholarships, medical research and technological advancements that drive economic growth, Harvard added.

    Since taking office in January, Trump has targeted major U.S. universities by freezing federal funding, launching investigations, revoking student visas and making other demands. He has said higher education has been gripped by antisemitic, anti-American, Marxist and radical left ideologies.

    Under federal law, the president cannot request that the IRS, which determines whether an organization can have or maintain tax-exempt status, investigate organizations.

    Most universities are exempt from federal income tax under the U.S. tax code because they are deemed to be operated exclusively for public educational purposes.

    Trump’s administration has escalated its fight against Harvard in recent weeks, probing its nearly $9 billion in federal funding, seeking details on its foreign ties and threatening its ability to enroll foreign students. The administration has also demanded a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion practices, a crackdown on some pro-Palestinian groups and a mask ban.

    On Wednesday, Trump suggested he would withhold grants.

    Harvard has pushed back, suing the administration over the halted U.S. research funding and other demands, and joining more than 200 university and college presidents in protesting Trump’s higher education policies.

    Trump said he was considering an end to Harvard’s tax-exempt status in a separate social media post on April 15, when annual U.S. tax returns are due, but did not say how he would do it.

    White House spokesperson Harrison Fields last month said any forthcoming IRS actions were independent of the president and that any tax status investigations were initiated before Trump’s post.

    (Reuters)

  • JNUSU elections: ABVP shatters decade-long drought with joint secretary post

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has secured one of the top posts in the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), marking a comeback after a decade, according to results of the students’ union elections declared on Monday.

    ABVP’s Vaibhav Meena won the post of Joint Secretary with 1,518 votes. Nitish Kumar of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) was elected President, securing 1,702 votes, while Manisha and Munteha Fatima, both from the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), clinched the Vice-President and General Secretary posts, respectively. Manisha garnered 1,150 votes, while Munteha Fatima won with 1,520 votes, further strengthening DSF’s presence in the central panel.

    Although the ABVP fell short of winning the President, Vice-President, and General Secretary posts, the narrow margins of defeat underscored a palpable shift in campus dynamics.

    Describing the outcome as an “unprecedented performance,” Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, said in a post on X: “Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) conquered: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) candidate Vaibhav Meena has been elected as Joint Secretary. And it doesn’t stop there. ABVP has delivered an unprecedented performance in the JNUSU elections, winning 23 out of 42 councillor seats across 16 schools and special centres — the highest number of seats won by any student organization.”

    Nitish Kumar of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) emerged as President, garnering 1,702 votes, while Manisha and Munteha Fatima, both from the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), claimed the posts of Vice-President and General Secretary, respectively. Manisha secured 1,150 votes, while Munteha Fatima’s victory further solidified DSF’s presence in the central panel, with 1,520 votes.

    Shikha Swaraj, Nittu Goutham, Kunal Rai, and Vaibhav Meena represented the ABVP in the key positions of President, Vice-President, General Secretary, and Joint Secretary, respectively, as part of their ambitious campaign to challenge the status quo and alter campus politics.

    The contest was marked by intense competition among strategic alliances: the All India Students’ Association (AISA) allied with the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), while the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) joined forces with the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA), the All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and the Progressive Students’ Association.

    The ABVP contested the election independently.

    This year’s turnout of 68.3 per cent, though slightly lower than the record-breaking 73 per cent participation in the 2024 elections, still reflected strong voter engagement.

  • Forests Are Our Lungs, Forests Regulate Climate, Buffer Disasters, and Support the Marginalised, Says VP

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (3)

    Climate Change Is a Global Menace and Cliff-Hanging Crisis, Warns VP
    We Are Trustees of Nature, Not Consumers, Urges VP
    Our Vedic Culture Preached Sustainability for Thousands of Years: VP
    No Institution Can Function in Silo Today, Says VP
    VP Interacts With Students Of The College of Forestry in Sirsi

    The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said,“Forests are extremely important. Forests are our lungs. If a country’s forests are in good shape, its people will enjoy good health—because forests are the lungs. Agriculture is our lifeline. But we need forests as they regulate climate, they buffer disasters, and they support livelihoods—especially for the poor and marginalized.”

    Interacting with faculty members and students of the College of Forestry, Sirsi, during a special programme on the “Role of Forestry in Nation Building”, today, Shri Dhnakhar emphasised that,“We must pledge to protect our forests and contribute in every way possible, because climate change is a global challenge—a global menace. The situation is alarmingly cliff hanging, and we have no other planet to live on apart from Mother Earth,” he warned.

    Highlighting India’s civilisational wisdom, the Vice-President said, “This land is a confluence of spirituality and sustainability. Sustainability is not just vital for the economy—it is vital for healthy living. Our Vedic culture has preached sustainability for thousands of years. And today, there is no alternative to sustainable development. We cannot engage in reckless exploitation of natural resources. We must restrict ourselves to what is minimally required. We all need to be aware of this.”

    Calling for deeper ecological consciousness, he remarked, “We must develop a sense of self-realisation—that Mother Earth, this environment, the forests, the ecosystems, the flora and fauna—we are their trustees, not consumers. We are duty-bound to pass this on to future generations.”

    “Environment is that aspect of life which touches every living being on Earth. When the environment is challenged, the challenge is not just to humanity—it affects everything that exists on this planet. Today, we face a critical test: to protect and preserve the environment, and to find ways to overcome the grave crisis that is unfolding,” he observed.

    Stressing the role of education in building a sustainable future, the Vice-President said, “Today, no institution can function as a standalone entity. There was a time when medical education, engineering education, management education, environmental education, and forest education all existed in silos. But now, everything has become interdisciplinary. And therefore, we must adopt an inclusive approach to learning.”

    Encouraging young minds, Shri Dhankhar said, “Be inquisitive—have yearning and desire for new knowledge. The academic pursuit you are engaged in holds immense possibilities—far beyond imagination. In our cultural heritage, wherever you look, you will find a treasure trove. The more you study, the more you will be able to serve creation. The very subject you are pursuing today holds the key to remedies and production. You can truly become an effective crucible of research, especially when it comes to forest produce.”

    Applauding the natural setting of the institution, the Vice-President noted, “Sirsi, nestled in the lap of the majestic Western Ghats—is one of the richest biodiversity regions not just in Bharat, but in the entire world. Such an environment transforms the very concept of a classroom. Here, the classroom doesn’t end at four walls; it extends beyond them. This is an open classroom, breathing and brimming with life. The College of Forestry is, fortunately and uniquely, surrounded by nature—in its most pristine form. The view here is truly extraordinary; the atmosphere fills one with joy and celebration.”

    Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj S. Horatti, Speaker of Legislative Council, Govt. of Karnataka, Shri Mankal S. Vaidya, District-in-Charge Minister (Uttara Kannada), Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Member of Parliament, Dr. P.L.Patil, Vice Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

  • Inclusivity And Freedom Of Expression Are Our Rich Legacy – Vice-President

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (3)

    Gradient Of Expression And Inclusivity Is Comparably The Highest In Bharat –says VP
    We Must Move From Food Security To Farmer Prosperity – Says VP
    Farmer Must Transform From Producer To Entrepreneur –urges VP
    Citizens Must Be Extremely Mindful That Freedom Of Expression And InclusivityTurn Out To Be National Assets – VP
    Innovation And Research Must Be Farmer-Centric – VP
    Vice-President Addressesthe Gathering At Tamil Nadu Agricultural University In Coimbatore

    The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said,“Bharat is the world’s oldest civilisation, a peace-loving nation where inclusivity and freedom of expression and thought are our legacy.”

    Addressing the gathering at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on the theme “Fostering Agri-Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Viksit Bharat”, the Vice-Presidentobserved that if one traverses history for thousands of years, one would find that in our civilisation, inclusivity and freedom of expression thrived, blossomed, and were respected. In present times, he said, the quotient and gradient of expression and inclusivity are comparably the highest in the world, “Look around, there is no other country like Bharat which can demonstrate inclusivity and freedom of expression,” he said, adding that as citizens of this great nation—the largest democracy, the oldest democracy, the most vibrant democracy—we need to be extremely watchful, mindful and cognisant that freedom of expression and inclusivity must turn out to be our national assets.


    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1916407879021584676

    Turning to the agriculture sector, the Vice-President underscored that “we must move from food security to farmer prosperity.” The farmer, he said, has to be prosperous, and this evolution must originate from institutions like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

    He further elaborated that farmers must step out of the farmland and involve themselves in marketing their produce. “Farmers should not just be a producer and forget about it. That would mean they will painstakingly, tirelessly raise a produce and will sell it at a time when it is right for the market, without holding it. It doesn’t give much financially,” he noted. He called for empowering the farmers by generating awareness and by informing them that the government cooperative system is very robust.

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1916416299543961794

    “For the first time, we have the Cooperation Minister. Cooperatives find place in our Constitution. Therefore, what we need is farmer traders. We need farmer entrepreneurs. Change that mindset, so that a farmer transforms himself from producer to a value adder, starting some industry which is based on least produce,” he said.

    The Vice-President also emphasized that the farm produce market is gigantic, and when value is added to the farm produce, industry will thrive.

    Shri Dhankhar underlined that it is the duty of every citizen to bear this in mind, particularly at a time when the nation is witnessing unstoppable exponential economic rise, extraordinary growth in infrastructure, technological penetration reaching to the last mile, and the international repute of the nation and its leader, the Prime Minister, is at the highest ever, “We as citizens, therefore, have a great role to contribute to sustain this rise of the nation,” he asserted.

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1916413469814858028

    Emphasizing citizen participation, the Vice-President said that this is the right time for every citizen to fully become aware and also take advantage of the ecosystem of hope and possibility. He urged everyone to take a firm resolve that nation first will be our motto, our unflinching commitment to nation and ever guiding star. “No interest can be higher than that of the Nation,” he stressed.

    Highlighting the role of research and technology in agriculture, he stressed that the gap between lab and land must not merely be bridged—it must be a seamless connect. “Lab and land must be together and for this, over 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendras must be vibrant centres of interaction with farmers, to educate the farmers,” he said. He also called for connecting Krishi Vigyan Kendras and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which in itself has over 150 institutions focusing on every aspect of Agronomy.


    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1916414888076886171

    Applauding the government’s initiatives, the Vice-President noted that innovative schemes like PM Kisan Nidhi Samman are not freebies but are measures of doing justice to a sector that is our life-line. “This is a direct transfer to the farmer,” he emphasized.

    In this context, Shri Dkhankhar said “in our country there is a massive subsidy for fertilisers. Institutions like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he said, must think that if the subsidy currently given to the fertiliser sector for the benefit of the farmer goes directly to the farmer, every farmer would be getting around 35,000 rupees every year.”

    On the larger national vision, the Vice-President asserted, “attainment of Viksit Bharat has to be navigated carefully by institutions like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. He called it a privilege to be at the University which, he said, has made seminal contributions to India’s food security.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1916409605329949029

    He recalled, “India has traversed from food scarcity to food being in plenty, and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has effected agrarian development and served the broader cause of rural transformation.”

    Paying rich tributes, the Vice-President noted, “one of the towering giants of the agro-sector, one of the proudest sons of Bharat, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, was an alumnus of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University”. He pointed out that Dr. Swaminathan had the rare distinction of being the recipient of all four civilian awards, including the highest one—the Bharat Ratna.

    Calling for impact-oriented innovation and research, he said that innovation and research initiatives must be evaluated as to what impact they have on the farmer. “Are they having ground impact? Therefore, research has to be applied. Research must be based on need. Research must serve a cause which you identify,” he advised. He added that research must be supported not only by government at the Centre and the State but also by industry, trade, business, and commerce.

    In his concluding remarks, the Vice-President observed that India—our Bharat—has always been a land of agriculture. Its heart pulsates in villages. It is the lifeline of employment and economy, and the spinal strength of the nation in every sense of the term.


    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1916409648074072527

    Recalling the ancient wisdom of the Tamil land, he remembered that in this sacred land, the role of the farmer was taken to a high level by the great poet-saint Thiruvalluvar. Citing him, the Vice-President said, “Farmers are the cornerstone of humanity and agriculture as the foremost craft.”He lauded Thiruvalluvar’s wisdom, calling it timeless, and remarked that “the farmer is the provider of our food. The farmer is the architect of our destiny.”

    Shri R.N. Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, ⁠Smt. N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, Minister for Human Resources Management, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, ⁠Shri V. Dakshinamoorthy, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Dr. M. Raveendran, Director of Research, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, ⁠Dr. R. Thamizh Vendan, Registrar and Acting Vice Chancellor Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

     

  • Governor Ravi Is Vindicating His Oath, Acting In Line With His Constitutional Ordainment: Vice-President At The Conference Of Vice Chancellors of State, Central and Private Universities of Tamil Nadu

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (3)

    Urge Everyone In Governance To Believe In The Institution Of Vice-Chancellor: VP
    Vice-Chancellors Must Act As Stewards Of India’s Academic Landscape, Urges VP
    Bharat Is The World’s Most Peace-Loving Nation, Says Vice-President
    Terrorism Is A Global Menace, Needs To Be Addressed In Unison, Says VP
    National Education Policy Is Not A Government Policy; It Is A Policy For The Nation, says VP
    Tamil Nadu Is A Land Of Vibrant Learning Centers, Says VP
    VP Addresses the Inaugural Session of the Conference of Vice-Chancellors of State, Central and Private Universities of Tamil Nadu in Udhagamandalam

    The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today lauded the Governor of Tamil Nadu at Vice-Chancellors conference saying, “The Hon’ble Governor is doing this conference because it is his constitutional ordainment. He has taken oath under the Indian Constitution under Article 159. His oath, as that of the Hon’ble President, is very significant. The oath he has taken as Governor is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law. By his oath, he is further enjoined to devote to the service and well-being of people of Tamil Nadu. By organizing such events, which are extremely relevant to the field of education, Governor Ravi is vindicating his oath. I must commend him for this very thoughtful initiative taken by him in 2022 to have conference of Vice-Chancellors. The present one is one in such series.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1915696803955040490

    Addressing the gathering as Chief Guest at the Inaugural Session of the Conference of Vice-Chancellors of State, Central and Private Universities of Tamil Nadu in Udhagamandalam today, Shri Dhankhar said, “At the heart of India’s great institutions in the past, we had visionary leaders, what we call modern Vice-Chancellors. The Vice-Chancellors of today are enormously talented. They are no less visionaries. They are giving everything which they can. They might face a big task, difficult terrain or air pockets, but I believe in their power to transform. They are worthy academicians who have capacity to bring about result. They represent and epitomize the ‘Kulapatis’ we had once. I urge everyone in governance at the Center and at the state level to believe in the institution of Vice Chancellor and ensure they have played the joints and can perform undeterred by ordinary situations.”

    He further underscored the importance of changing academic landscape saying, “Today, not only Bharat but the entire world is faced with formidable challenges, rapid technological disruption. It is far more severe than industrial revolutions we had. A paradigm shift is taking place every moment. It is difficult to keep pace. The global order, on this count, is becoming increasingly complex. Every facet of life is being affected and it is therefore, in the lap of universities ably led on the front foot by Vice-Chancellors, to act as the stewards of India’s academic landscape. More the challenges, more the formidability of challenges, we must rise as impregnable, not only to overcome them, but to deliver results for the nation and the world. One challenge which the vice-chancellors must be facing is faculty. Faculty availability, faculty retention, and sometimes faculty addition. I would appeal to all of you to engage in sharing with one another. Use technology, don’t be an island in yourselves. It is not a time to be standalone because this challenge has to be fixed. We have no time.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1915714473232372174

    Shri Dhankhar expressed deep sorrow over the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, saying, “Today I join the Nation in expressing profound grief and outrage at the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed innocent lives. It is a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace to be addressed by humanity in unison. Bharat is the world’s most peace-loving nation and our civilisational ethos reflects Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.”

    He further added, “Our visionary leadership in the shape of the Prime Minister who is in his third term is our greatest assurance that the nation’s rise cannot be handicapped by any situation internal or external. But we all have to bear in mind that national interest is supreme. This was echoed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar while imparting his final address to the Constituent Assembly. We therefore have to take a resolve to always keep nation first, national interests cannot be intertwined with partisan interest, it has to be uppermost. This cannot be subservient to any interest political, personal or for a group.”
    Touching upon the transformative National Education Policy, the Vice-President said, “After three decades, taking into consideration inputs from the widest spectrum of stakeholders, there was the evolution of the National Education Policy. This policy aligns with our civilization ethos. It encourages multidisciplinary learning. It gives priority to Indian languages. It envisions education as the development of the person, not just employability.”

    He further stated, “The most significant aspect of the National Education Policy is that it allows students to learn in their mother tongue. It has got us out of the colonial regime. Even medicine and engineering in local languages, which could not be entertained at one point of time, even in dreams, It is getting shape on the ground.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1915719166088118685

    Calling upon institutions to study and adopt the policy in full spirit, he urged, “I beseech you all and the faculty and directors wherever they are to please do a thorough study of National Education Policy to realise its real intent and purpose so that we reap the harvest of it. From this platform, I wish to indicate National Education Policy is a government policy. It is a policy for the nation. And therefore I appeal, it is time for us all to adopt it, understand it, execute it, and to reap the fruits.”

    He further emphasized that the future of Indian higher education lies in moving beyond traditional silos, “We are well past the era of standalone institutions. It can’t be just IIMs, IITs etc. Standalone era for institutions is already behind us. There is now need of convergence for various verticals to give institutions cutting edge. Multi-disciplinary approach across academic pursuits is the only answer. Share your faculty talent virtually, technologically and otherwise also. That will have twofold purpose. While giving it, you will be receiving also. The winds of innovation and change must have free passage in educational institutions. Evolve a mechanism. There must be tolerance for varying ideas. Intolerance to a thought defines democracy the wrong way. The nectar of university is that a solo voice that has an opinion different than that of the majority is heard with deference by engaging in dialogue and discourse, not by being judgmental.”

    Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s historical role in India’s academic evolution, the Vice-President said, “Tamil Nadu is a land of vibrant learning centers, those learning centers must be our North Star now. Tamil Nadu has been home to such widely accoladed learning centers like Kanchipuram and Ennayiram. Ennayiram attracted thousands of students from all over Bharat. I see in these conferences emergence of crucibles of ideation that will rekindle the spirit of Kanchipuram and bring back glory of Ennayiram. We must take pride that it was in Tamil Nadu, Madras University was established in 1857. Modern education was exemplified in this land.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1915698430917185680

    He concluded with a stirring reflection on India’s rich linguistic heritage, especially Tamil’s historic recognition, saying, “Our languages, their richness and depth are our pride and legacy. This aspect amplifies the fullness and uniqueness of our culture. Go to any country, and you will not find what we have here. Our treasure is unfathomable. Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bangla, and other languages are a goldmine of literature and knowledge. These have national and global footprints. Educational institutions have to nurture with deep focus this treasure.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1915720076696711496

    He further said that “What a pride for Tamil Nadu and the entire country. The Tamil had the distinction of being the first language to be accorded the prestige of being a classical language. This well-deserved recognition was imparted in 2004, which means things started changing in regimes. Today, there are 11 languages that are classical languages and Classical languages are those that have rich culture, knowledge, literature, depth. Let me just indicate the 11 languages because I had the occasion, as Chairman, Rajya Sabha, to declare to the Rajya Sabha that Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali were recently given the status of classical languages, but earlier we had, as I said Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia. Go all over the world, we are matchless. We have to realise our power, our potential. We should not be carried away by insignificant aspects.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1915675941663084559

    Shri R.N. Ravi, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri R. Kirlosh Kumar, Principal Secretary to Governor of Tamil Nadu, Dr. N. Chandrasekar, Vice Chancellor, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu

  • Constitutional Offices Are Not Ornamental; Every Citizen Is Supreme In A Democracy, Stresses Vice-President

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (3)

    There Is No Visualisation in the Constitution of Any Authority above Parliament, Asserts VP
    Is Our Discourse Controlled by Moneybags, Muscle Power, And Foreign Interests? You Must Discern, Urges Vice-President
    The Constitution Is For the People; Elected Representatives Are Its Repository, Affirms VP
    Soul of Democracy Resides In Each Citizen, Says Vice-President
    If You Hesitate To Speak The Right Thing At The Right Time, To The Right Group You’ll Not Only Weaken Yourself, But Also Deeply Wound Positive Forces, says VP
    Vice-President presides over ‘Kartavyam’, an event commemorating 75 years of the Indian Constitution at the University of Delhi

    The Hon’ble Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said, “For any democracy, every citizen has a pivotal role. I find it inconceivably intriguing that some have recently reflected that constitutional offices can be ceremonial or ornamental. Nothing can be far distanced from a wrong understanding of the role of everyone in this country, constitutional functionary or a citizen. According to me, a citizen is supreme because a nation and democracy are built by citizens. Every one of them has a role. The soul of democracy resides and pulsates in every citizen. Democracy will blossom. Its values will get heightened. When citizen is alert, citizen contributes and what a citizen contributes, there is no substitution of that.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1914595796030193925

    Addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest over ‘Kartavyam’, an event commemorating 75 years of the Indian Constitution at the University of Delhi today, the Vice-President and ex-officio Chancellor of the University of Delhi, stated, “There is no visualisation in the constitution of any authority above parliament. Parliament is supreme and that being the situation. Let me tell you, it is as supreme as every individual in the country. Part of ‘We the People’ is an atom in democracy and that atom has atomic power. That atomic power is reflected during elections and that is why we are a democratic nation.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1914596920871309323

    He also added that, “The Constitution is encapsulated—its essence, it’s worth, its nectar—in the Preamble of the Constitution. And what does it say? ‘We, the People of India’, the supreme power is with them. No one is above the people of India. And we, the People of India, under the Constitution, have chosen to reflect their aspirations, their desires, and their will through their public representatives. And they hold the representatives accountable—severely accountable, on occasions—through elections. A Prime Minister who imposed ‘Emergency’ was held accountable in 1977. And therefore, let there be no doubt about it: the Constitution is for the people, and its repository of safeguarding is that of the elected representatives. They are the ultimate masters as to what the Constitution’s content will be.”

    Reflecting on the duty of citizens in democracy, the Vice-President said, “Democracy is not only for the government to govern. It is participatory democracy, just not laws, but also culture and ethos. Citizenship demands action, not merely status….Democracy is shaped not by governments, democracy is shaped by individuals. Because individuals bear the responsibility to uphold our symbols, preserve our heritage, defend sovereignty, foster brotherhood….. Government has a role that it [individual] does not become a handicap. Government has a role that it must have affirmative policies but government is like giving me a good stadium, a good football ground. Goals have to be scored by individuals.”

    Underlining the significance of quality of discourse in any healthy democracy, the Vice-President said, “If you want to know the health of democracy, like the health of an individual, if you want to analyse how healthy is our democracy, then you will have to find out discourse quality, the kind of discourse we have. Is our discourse moderated? Is our discourse manipulated? Is our discourse controlled by moneybags, by muscle power, by foreign interests, by people working against the interests of this nation? You will have to discern.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1914598428551610399

    Underlining the significance of freedom of expression, he stated, “We have to understand—democracy thrives through expression and dialogue. Abhivyakti aur samvaad—these are the core mantras of democracy. These are the basic mantras. If your right of expression is throttled or regulated, as was done during the Emergency, democracy nosedives. But if you have the right of expression, and that expression reflects arrogance and ego—where you believe your expression is ultimate, where you refuse to entertain any different point of view, refuse to even look at the other side—that too is not true expression as per our civilization. Because every expression demands respect for dialogue, and respect for the other point of view. You must always be prepared to be challenged. And to challenge is not a physical act—it is a challenge of ideas, a difference in thought: “I disagree with you.” That does not mean “I am disagreeable.” There must always be space for such exchange. Therefore, expression and dialogue are complementary—they together define democracy. If we delve into our civilizational heritage, this was referred to in Vedic times as ‘Anantavad’—the idea of infinite perspectives. There was a tradition of vaad-vivaad—debate and discourse—And this tradition was free of ego. Vaad-vivaad dissolves ego and arrogance. Because if I believe that only I am right and no one else can be right—that arrogance tarnishes not only the individual but also institutions. That is why, for a healthy democracy, expression and dialogue are essential.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1914606039707554013

    “If you hesitate to speak the right thing, at the right time, to the right group and the right person, you will not only weaken yourself but also deeply hurt those positive forces. Therefore, expression and dialogue are of utmost importance. Nations are not built by industrialists, nations are built by individuals. The power of the individual, as I said an atom. The power is atomic, you have that power. You only have to realise it”, he further added.

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1914595306420777013

    Emphasising the role of youth in nation-building, Shri Dhankhar added, “The quality of discourse defines our democracy and in this, I have no doubt, our youth must elevate beyond partisanship to thoughtful deliberation. Our youth cannot afford this critical juncture when Bharat is rising, the rise is unstoppable. We are destined to be a global power. We will be a developed nation. You cannot be tied down to partisan interests; you have to believe only in national interests.”

    Shri Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi, Prof. Balaram Pani, Dean Colleges, University of Delhi, Shri Prakash Singh, Director, South Delhi Campus, University of Delhi and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

  • MIL-Evening Report: Antarctica has a huge, completely hidden mountain range. New data reveals its birth over 500 million years ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Halpin, Associate Professor of Geology, University of Tasmania

    The Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are hidden by deep ice. Merkushev Vasiliy/Shutterstock

    Have you ever imagined what Antarctica looks like beneath its thick blanket of ice? Hidden below are rugged mountains, valleys, hills and plains.

    Some peaks, like the towering Transantarctic Mountains, rise above the ice. But others, like the mysterious and ancient Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in the middle of East Antarctica, are completely buried.

    The Gamburtsev Mountains are similar in scale and shape to the European Alps. But we can’t see them because the high alpine peaks and deep glacial valleys are entombed beneath kilometres of ice.

    How did they come to be? Typically, a mountain range will rise in places where two tectonic plates clash with each other. But East Antarctica has been tectonically stable for millions of years.

    Our new study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, reveals how this hidden mountain chain emerged more than 500 million years ago when the supercontinent Gondwana formed from colliding tectonic plates.

    Our findings offer fresh insight into how mountains and continents evolve over geological time. They also help explain why Antarctica’s interior has remained remarkably stable for hundreds of millions of years.

    A radar image showing the Gamburtsev mountain range under layers of ice.
    Creyts et al., Geophysical Research Letters (2014), CC BY-SA

    A buried secret

    The Gamburtsev Mountains are buried beneath the highest point of the East Antarctica ice sheet. They were first discovered by a Soviet expedition using seismic techniques in 1958.

    Because the mountain range is completely covered in ice, it’s one of the least understood tectonic features on Earth. For scientists, it’s deeply puzzling. How could such a massive mountain range form and still be preserved in the heart of an ancient, stable continent?

    Most major mountain chains mark the sites of tectonic collisions. For example, the Himalayas are still rising today as the Indian and Eurasian plates continue to converge, a process that began about 50 million years ago.

    Plate tectonic models suggest the crust now forming East Antarctica came from at least two large continents more than 700 million years ago. These continents used to be separated by a vast ocean basin.

    A map of the topography (a) and surface elevation (b) of Antarctica, measured in metres above sea level; (c) shows ice thickness in metres.
    Pritchard et al., Scientific Data (2025), CC BY

    The collision of these landmasses was key to the birth of Gondwana, a supercontinent that included what is now Africa, South America, Australia, India and Antarctica.

    Our new study supports the idea that the Gamburtsev Mountains first formed during this ancient collision. The colossal clash of continents triggered the flow of hot, partly molten rock deep beneath the mountains.

    As the crust thickened and heated during mountain building, it eventually became unstable and began to collapse under its own weight.

    Deep beneath the surface, hot rocks began to flow sideways, like toothpaste squeezed from a tube, in a process known as gravitational spreading. This caused the mountains to partially collapse, while still preserving a thick crustal “root”, which extends into Earth’s mantle beneath.

    Mountain building causes deep crustal rocks to deform, fold and partially melt.
    Jacqueline Halpin

    Crystal time capsules

    To piece together the timing of this dramatic rise and fall, we analysed tiny zircon grains found in sandstones deposited by rivers flowing from the ancient mountains more than 250 million years ago. These sandstones were recovered from the Prince Charles Mountains, which poke out of the ice hundreds of kilometres away.

    Zircons are often called “time capsules” because they contain minuscule amounts of uranium in their crystal structure, which decays at a known rate and allows scientists to determine their age with great precision.

    These zircon grains preserve a record of the mountain-building timeline: the Gamburtsev Mountains began to rise around 650 million years ago, reached Himalayan heights by 580 million years ago, and experienced deep crustal melting and flow that ended around 500 million years ago.

    Most mountain ranges formed by continental collisions are eventually worn down by erosion or reshaped by later tectonic events. Because they’ve been preserved by a deep layer of ice, the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are one of the best-preserved ancient mountain belts on Earth.

    While it’s currently very challenging and expensive to drill through the thick ice to sample the mountains directly, our model offers new predictions to guide future exploration.

    Geologists Jacqueline Halpin and Jack Mulder stand on the Denman Glacier during recent fieldwork.
    Jacqueline Halpin

    For instance, recent fieldwork near the Denman Glacier on East Antarctica’s coast uncovered rocks that may be related to these ancient mountains. Further analysis of these rock samples will help reconstruct the hidden architecture of East Antarctica.

    Antarctica remains a continent full of geological surprises, and the secrets buried beneath its ice are only beginning to be revealed.

    Jacqueline Halpin receives funding from the Australian Research Council through the ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) Special Research Initiative.

    Nathan R. Daczko receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Antarctica has a huge, completely hidden mountain range. New data reveals its birth over 500 million years ago – https://theconversation.com/antarctica-has-a-huge-completely-hidden-mountain-range-new-data-reveals-its-birth-over-500-million-years-ago-256231

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pamela Rabe shines in this hypnotic revival of Samuel Beckett’s classic play Happy Days

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney

    Brett Boardman/Sydney Theatre Company

    Samuel Beckett is justly regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century – and unquestionably one of the most demanding. Few of his works illustrate this more clearly than Happy Days, first performed in 1961, and currently playing at the Sydney Theatre Company.

    The premise of this visually arresting two-act play – notable as Beckett’s first play to feature a central female character – is simple and simultaneously astonishing.

    A middle-aged woman, Winnie, is buried in a low mound of scorched earth in a barren, sun-blasted landscape. She is buried up to her waist in the first act, and up to her neck in the second.

    Her near-silent and largely unseen husband, Willie, isn’t buried himself but appears to lack the means (and possibly the desire) to dig her out. No explanation is ever given for Winnie’s predicament.

    Each day starts and ends with the piercing ring of a bell. These are Winnie’s only markers of time. She fills the interminable hours with relentless chatter: an increasingly hopeless attempt to hold despair at bay, while clinging desperately to a sense of routine.

    She rations out her dwindling resources and ritually inspects her few remaining possessions: a toothbrush, a lipstick, a mirror, a parasol, a magnifying glass, a comb and, more disturbingly, a small revolver.

    Tackling a psychologically complex character

    Beckett’s authorised biographer, James Knowlson, points out that when Happy Days premiered, its “starkness and boldness” surprised and bewildered audiences more accustomed to naturalistic forms of theatre.

    Critics were initially divided on the play. But with its existential exploration of universal themes such as isolation, time and endurance, it has since become regarded as not only one of the most significant works in Beckett’s oeuvre, but one of the greatest achievements in theatre history.

    Indeed, the esteem in which Happy Days is now held can be seen in comparisons made between Winnie and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

    This parallel isn’t nearly as far-fetched as it might seem at first. For one thing, Winnie directly quotes from Shakespeare’s famous tragedy early in the first act.

    Pamela Rabe was initially hesitant to take on the role of Winnie when approached by former artistic director Kip Williams.
    Brett Boardman//Sydney Theatre Company

    Also, much like Hamlet, she is a character of great psychological complexity, prone to lengthy reflections on the nature of existence, the passage of time and mortality. Her monologues, like Hamlet’s, are freighted with irony, melancholy and flashes of mordant humour.

    That such a link can be made speaks not only to the strength of Beckett’s writing, but also to the extraordinary challenge – and opportunity – presented by the role of Winnie, for any actor brave enough to take it on.

    Pamela Rabe delivers a truly mesmeric performance as Winnie in the Sydney Theatre Company’s outstanding rendition of Happy Days. She seems highly aware of the role’s magnitude:

    People talk about it being the kind of female Hamlet. I think, well, Jesus, in Hamlet there’s at least another 12 people on the stage.

    Initially approached by former artistic director Kip Williams, Rabe was hesitant to take on the part. She admits playing Winnie was “definitely not on my bucket list”. However, the challenge ultimately proved irresistible.

    Rabe described the process of getting to grips with Beckett’s “meticulous” dramatic prescriptions and constructing Winnie’s world as

    part maths, part archaeology, part slapstick, and very much a privilege. She’s endearing, mercurial, resourceful, wilful, occasionally a bit silly but always full of life.

    Winnie’s monologues are laced with both melancholy and biting humour.
    Brett Boardman//Sydney Theatre Company

    A contemporary spin with wit and pathos

    The production, conceived and directed by Rabe and renowned lighting designer Nick Schlieper, does justice to Beckett’s original vision, while offering a new spin on this most canonical of plays.

    Consider, for instance, the creative team’s striking decisions when it came to set design and staging. While their choices honour Beckett’s stated demand for “maximum simplicity”, they also depart in key visual respects. Gone are the “scorched earth” and “blazing sun” Beckett called for in his original stage directions.

    Instead, Schlieper offers us something approximating a post-apocalyptic tableau: the stage is framed by a narrow proscenium-like window, behind which Winnie, and occasionally Willie (played excellently by Markus Hamilton) appear. This window is set against a monochromatic and featureless void.

    The ash-coloured mound, which brings to mind Mark Rothko’s desolate final abstract expressionist canvases, is amorphous and otherworldly – a monstrous fusion of congealed lava and nuclear slag. Everything is beautifully rendered and deeply unsettling.

    These eerie abstractions heighten the play’s existential stakes, forcing the audience to reckon with the sheer horror of Winnie’s situation, while showcasing the talents of an actor capable of infusing the bleakest of scenarios with wit and pathos.

    They also ensure the production feels contemporary and resonant – particularly in an age haunted by environmental catastrophe and ecological collapse – without retroactively imposing present day values and concerns onto the past.

    Something tells me Beckett, who consistently eschewed easy and all too often reductive interpretations of his work, would have approved.

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

    – ref. Pamela Rabe shines in this hypnotic revival of Samuel Beckett’s classic play Happy Days – https://theconversation.com/pamela-rabe-shines-in-this-hypnotic-revival-of-samuel-becketts-classic-play-happy-days-254068

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As Donald Trump cuts funding to Antarctica, will the US be forced off the icy continent?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynda Goldsworthy, Research Associate, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania

    Mozgova/Shutterstock

    President Donald Trump has begun eroding the United States presence in Antarctica by announcing deep funding cuts to his nation’s science and logistics on the icy continent.

    The Trump administration has significantly reduced funding for both Antarctica’s largest research and logistics station, McMurdo, and the National Science Foundation which funds US research in Antarctica.

    More cuts are foreshadowed. If carried through, US science and overall presence in Antarctica will be seriously diminished – at a time when China is significantly expanding its presence there.

    Since 1958, the US has been a leader in both Antarctic diplomacy and science. Shrinking its Antarctic presence will diminish US capacity to influence the region’s future.

    Why the US matters in Antarctica

    The US has historically focused its Antarctic influence in three key areas:

    1. Keeping Antarctica free from military conflict

    The US has built considerable Antarctic geopolitical influence since the late 1950s. Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, it initiated (and later hosted) negotiations that led to the development of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.

    It was also key to establishing the fundamental principles of the treaty, such as using the Antarctic region only for peaceful purposes, and prohibiting military activities and nuclear weapons testing.

    2. Governing Antarctica together

    The US was influential in developing the international legal system that governs human activities in the Antarctic region.

    In the 1970s, expanding unregulated fishing in the Southern Ocean led to serious concerns about the effects on krill-eating species – especially the recovery of severely depleted whale populations.

    The US joined other Antarctic Treaty nations to champion the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR), signed in 1980. It prioritises conservation of Southern Ocean ecosystems and all species, over maximum fish harvesting.

    The US also contributed to the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection. Among other measures it prohibits mining and designates Antarctica as “a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”.

    3. Scientific research and collaboration

    The US operates three year‑round Antarctic research stations: Palmer, Amundsen-Scott and McMurdo.

    McMurdo is Antarctica’s largest research station. Amundsen-Scott is located at the South Pole, the geographic centre of Antarctica, and the point at which all Antarctic territorial claims meet. The South Pole station is thus important symbolically and strategically, as well as for science.

    The US has the largest number of Antarctic scientists of any nation in the continent.

    US scientific work has been at the forefront of understanding Antarctica’s role in the global climate system, and how climate change will shape the future of the planet. It has also played a major role in Southern Ocean ecosystem and fisheries research.

    This research has underpinned important policies. For example, US input into models to predict and manage sustainable krill yields has been pivotal in regulating the krill fishery, and ensuring it doesn’t harm penguin, seal and whale populations.

    The US has also been a staunch supporter of a comprehensive network of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean. The Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area proposed by the US and New Zealand is the largest in the world.

    A broad ripple effect

    The US influence in Antarctica extends beyond the list above. For example, the US has a significant Antarctic-based space program. And US citizens make up most Antarctic tourists, and the US plays a significant role in regulating tourism there.

    The full extent of the Trump administration’s cuts is still to play out. But clearly, if they proceed as signalled, the cuts will be a major blow not to just US interests in Antarctica, but those of many other countries.

    The US has the best-resourced logistics network in Antarctica. Its air transport, shipping and scientific field support has traditionally been shared by other countries. New Zealand, for instance, is closely tied with the US in resupply of food and fuel, and uses US air and sea logistics for many operations to the Ross Sea region.

    And joint research programs with the US will be affected by reduced funding in Antarctica directly, and elsewhere.

    For example, reported cuts to the climate programs of NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) may hamper satellite coverage of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean. This would affect Australian scientists collecting data on ocean temperature, sea-ice state and other metrics used in climate research and weather forecasting.

    Worrying times ahead

    China has signalled its intention to be a key geopolitical player in Antarctica and has greatly expanded its Antarctic presence in recent years.

    China has five Antarctic research stations. Its sixth summer station is due for completion in 2027. China also operates two icebreaker ships, helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft in Antarctica and is building new, large krill trawlers.

    Both China and Russia, are increasingly active in their opposition to environmental initiatives such as marine protected areas.

    A smaller US presence creates greater opportunities for others to shape Antarctica’s geopolitics. This includes pressure to erode decades-long protection of the Antarctic environment, a push for more intensive fish and krill harvesting, and potentially reopening debate on mining in the region.

    Lynda Goldsworthy and Tony Press co-authored the chapter Power at the Bottom of the World in the new book Antarctica and the Earth System.

    A smaller US presence creates opportunities for others to shape Antarctica’s geopolitics.
    Oleksandr Matsibura/Shutterstock

    Lynda Goldsworthy, research associate with IMAS, UTAS, undertakes occasional contract work with the Deep Sea Conservation, is a member of AFMA’s SouthMac advisory group ) and of CSIRO National Benefit Advisory Committee.

    Tony Press receives funding from the Australia-Japan Foundation (Department of .Foreign Affairs and Trade)

    – ref. As Donald Trump cuts funding to Antarctica, will the US be forced off the icy continent? – https://theconversation.com/as-donald-trump-cuts-funding-to-antarctica-will-the-us-be-forced-off-the-icy-continent-254786

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The story of an NSU graduate: a path in science and inspiration for future generations

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Gennady Barykinsky, graduate Physics Department of NSU 1977, dedicated his life to science. Working in the field of laser physics, he always wanted to learn new things. Now, in retirement, he is engaged in historical research, studies genealogy and creates films. In an interview, he spoke about his difficult student years, the path to obtaining a diploma, the principles that helped him along the way, and why he believes that life should be filled with meaning.

    — Tell us why you decided to apply to NSU?

    — In my thoughts, I always went back to two episodes of my life that radically influenced my choice. The first episode, oddly enough, was military service in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. Here I was appointed commander of a platoon for controlling a radar guidance station. At that time, I did not understand not only electronics and radio engineering, but also many elementary concepts of physics. The officers literally shoved textbooks on radio engineering at me and demanded that I master all of this. After demobilization, I was constantly tormented by the same thought: “How is this possible? If I was able to master such complex technology in the army, then surely I will not be able to master higher education,” says Gennady.

    The second episode was the purchase of a directory-catalogue of all higher educational institutions in the country. Through selection, Gennady determined that he liked not a narrowly specialized education, but a more universal one – university. He decided that he was not up to Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev were too academic, but the “youth and elegance of Novosibirsk” was just right.

    — I came for the entrance exams. I was placed in the sixth dormitory in one room with three other applicants. In a few days, I heard such words as limit, derivative, integral and many others from these guys for the first time. I finally realized that I had nothing to do at the entrance exams. However, I still went to the first exam in written mathematics for a bad grade. After the exam, going down to the first floor of the university, I saw an announcement inviting applicants who had failed the exam to an interview at the dean’s office of the full-time preparatory department (PD) of NSU, — Gennady recalls.

    The next two semesters of the school year passed in a state of great emotional tension. Gennady actually had to master almost the entire high school curriculum in five exam subjects in 8 months. Therefore, the school day lasted from dawn to dusk. In addition to in-person classes and mandatory homework, Gennady studied at least four hours every day. Therefore, out of 25 exam points, he scored 23, as it turned out, passing points and was still enrolled in the university.

    — What do you remember about studying at NSU?

    — I have never experienced so many emotions in my life as at the beginning of my student years. The first lectures. The first seminars. And in general, many firsts. Somewhere in my soul there is a feeling of pride that all this happened. One of the warmest memories was left by the deputy dean for our course, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences Vasily Vasilyevich Murakhtanov. In my life, I have never met a person who possessed, to a greater extent than Vasily Vasilyevich, a whole set of such qualities in relation to the interlocutor as: intelligence, modesty, tolerance. One day he came up to me and said: “Gennady Mikhailovich, the dean’s office has an offer – you to lead a group of fourth-year physicists on a summer exchange trip to Poland to the University of Krakow, for almost a month.” I agreed. Half a month passes, he approaches again: “Excuse me, but the university administration insists that you head the student construction teams of the university, and instead of a trip to Poland, we will then organize a trip to another, more interesting country for you.” He persuaded me again. Everything happened just like that, I didn’t even regret it, because I managed to go to Cuba, but that’s a completely different story, – Gennady said.

    Gennady calls the path to his diploma work thorny, since he spent a long time choosing a department and tried himself in different scientific institutes: theoretical and applied mechanics, automation and electrometry, thermal physics, chemical kinetics and combustion.

    — This almost led to the fact that I did not have time to submit my fourth-year coursework to the dean’s office. But fate decreed otherwise. My friend Boris Bondarev, an active leader of the student club “Quantum”, advised me to try myself in laser physics. That’s how I ended up in the Laser Physics Department of the Institute of Semiconductor Physics under the supervision of Viktor Vasilyevich Lebedev. I remember him with great warmth — thanks to him, I dedicated my life to laser physics and I do not regret it. My diploma defense was successful — on June 2, 1978, my work was rated “excellent”. Later, its materials were published in the journal “Quantum Electronics”. This experience taught me that persistence and perseverance always bring results, even if the path turns out to be more difficult than expected, — the graduate recalls.

    During his entire period of study, Gennady only once received a bad mark on an exam. It was thermodynamics. Now Gennady is 76 years old, he has been retired for a long time, but he really likes to do research work on studying the history and genealogy of his family. He also creates texts, articles and videos with interest.

    — I am working on the design of my memories and some other topics in films that I have learned to create myself. I never thought that making films is incredibly interesting. A monograph is not excluded! Currently, several films about NSU are in the works: “A Big Film about the NSU SSO in the Period 1976-1979”, “A Film about the First Congress of NSU Graduates, the Creation and Functioning of this Union”, “The Second Part of the Film “NSU in Faces”, “A Film about the Problems of Graduates — Young Scientists”. I want to wish the graduates of 2025 to live by the meaning and essence, and not by the color of the packaging,” Gennady concludes.

    Some of Gennady Barykinsky’s films can be viewed here:

    HTTPS: //vidio.ru/video742583021_456239616

    HTTPS: //vidio.ru/video742583021_456239606

    HTTPS: //vidio.ru/video742583021_456239596

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi’s call for learning from history echoed by int’l community

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signed article recently published in the Russian Gazette newspaper, which called for learning from history, and especially the hard lessons of the Second World War, has resonated with the international community.

    In the article titled “Learning from History to Build Together a Brighter Future,” Xi urged the international community to draw wisdom and strength from the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and work together to build a brighter future for humanity.

    Echoing Xi’s view, experts and officials in multiple countries stated that in today’s world — where unilateralism, hegemony and bullying practices pose severe threats — the international community should stand on the right side of history, uphold fairness and justice, resolutely safeguard the post-war international order, and work together to secure a brighter future for humanity.

    UPHOLD HISTORICAL TRUTH

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the World Anti-Fascist War. On this occasion, Xi’s call for upholding a correct historical perspective on World War II (WWII) carries significant contemporary relevance, said Alexey Rodionov, a professor of Chinese studies at St. Petersburg State University.

    As emphasized in Xi’s signed article, historical memory and truth serve as inspirations that mirror the present and illuminate the future, said Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative.

    Defending history is not only a way to honor the past but also a means of safeguarding fairness and justice in today’s world, he said.

    Katsuo Nishiyama, a Japanese germ warfare scholar and professor emeritus at Shiga University of Medical Science, said any attempts to distort the historical truth of WWII or deny its victorious outcome will not succeed, and the international community will not tolerate attempts to reverse history’s progress.

    To protect historical truth, efforts are still needed to prevent future tragedies, the expert warned.

    French entrepreneur and commentator Arnaud Bertrand said China has become a major country staunchly supporting multilateral institutions and international law. “Xi’s article is a clear window into current Chinese strategic thinking. China is positioning itself as a defender of the post-WWII international order against ‘hegemonic’ forces,” he said.

    RECOGNIZE PIVOTAL CONTRIBUTION

    In his signed article, President Xi stressed that China and the Soviet Union served as the mainstay of resistance against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making pivotal contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

    As the main theater in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War, China played a pivotal role in defeating Japanese militarism and achieving broader victory over fascism, an outcome made possible by the immense sacrifices of the Chinese people, said Boris Cheltsov, scientific secretary of the Victory Museum in Moscow.

    “The Chinese people displayed extraordinary resilience and courage under extremely difficult conditions,” he said.

    In the article, Xi emphasized that Taiwan’s restoration to China was a victorious outcome of WWII and an integral part of the postwar international order.

    Taiwan is part of China, and China’s sovereignty over Taiwan is both legal and a recognized fact, said Mohab Nassar, associate professor of international law at Cairo University.

    DEFEND JUSTICE, NOT HEGEMONISM

    Today, the global deficits in peace, development, security and governance continue to widen unabated, Xi wrote in his article. To address these deficits, Xi proposed building a community with a shared future for mankind and put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative as a way forward to steer the reform of the global governance system toward greater fairness and justice.

    Akkan Suver, president of the Marmara Group Foundation in Türkiye, said the three major global initiatives proposed by Xi are fair, just and truly uphold multilateralism.

    Despite rising unilateralism, China firmly opposes all forms of hegemony and power politics and is committed to maintaining international rules and order, which aligns with the common interests of developing countries, Suver said.

    In the face of various conflicts, the international community needs dialogue and cooperation, not division; global development requires rationality and conscience, not power politics, said Suver.

    President Xi has proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, emphasizing dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win rather than zero-sum outcomes, said Abdullah Al-Dosari, editor in chief of Kuwait’s Al-Arab Electronic Newspaper.

    The Middle East region has long been in turmoil, with peace deficit growing larger and larger, Al-Dosari said, noting that Xi’s proposal has great significance for regional peace and stability. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 12, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 12, 2025.

    Victoria’s planning reforms could help solve the housing crisis. But they are under threat
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute An aerial drone view of northern Melbourne suburbs. Elias Bitar/Shutterstock The federal election campaign was dominated by the housing crisis. But the real power to solve it rests with the states. In Victoria, reforms are underway that

    Footy’s ‘code wars’ are back, but which is actually the No. 1 Australian sport: the NRL or AFL?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney NRL Photos, Matt Turner/AAP, Wikimedia, The Conversation, CC BY Every now and then, so-called “code wars” erupt between the major Australia winter football codes: the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Australian Football League (AFL). This

    A prisoner voting ban shows again how few checks there are on parliamentary power
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Winter, Associate Professor in Political Theory, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith’s recent announcement that the government would reinstate a total ban on prisoners voting was in keeping with the coalition’s overall tough-on-crime approach. The move was called “ridiculous” and

    ‘We’re just doing our best’ – cultural backlash hits Auckland kava business
    By Coco Lance, RNZ Pacific digital journalist A new Auckland-based kava business has found itself at the heart of a cultural debate, with critics raising concerns about appropriation, authenticity, and the future of kava as a deeply rooted Pacific tradition. Vibes Kava, co-founded by Charles Byram and Derek Hillen, operates out of New Leaf Kombucha

    ‘Fighting more frequent now’ – researcher warns of escalating West Papua conflict
    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The escalation of violence in West Papua is on par with some of the most intense times of conflict over the past six decades, a human rights researcher says. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) claims that Indonesia killed at least one civilian and severely injured another

    India-Pakistan ceasefire shouldn’t disguise fact that norms have changed in South Asia, making future de-escalation much harder
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Farah N. Jan, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Pennsylvania A member of the Indian Border Security Force stands guard near the India-Pakistan border. Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images India and Pakistan have seen the scenario play out before: a terror attack in which Indians are

    Homer’s Iliad is a rap battle
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Forstenzer, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Co-Director of the Centre for Engaged Philosophy, University of Sheffield The Anger of Achilles by Jacques-Louis David (1819). Kimbell Art Museum Homer’s Iliad is one of the foundational stories of European civilisation. The Iliad is a long poem – an

    Major brands don’t need to kowtow to Trump: they have the power to bring people together
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Beverland, Professor of Brand Management, University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex Whatever you think of his personality or politics, it’s impossible to deny the success of Donald Trump as a brand. Supporters and detractors across the world are transfixed by his second term as

    Meteorites and marsquakes hint at an underground ocean of liquid water on the Red Planet
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hrvoje Tkalčić, Professor, Head of Geophysics, Director of Warramunga Array, Australian National University UAESA / MBRSC / Hope Mars Mission / EXI / Andrea Luck, CC BY Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view

    Why doesn’t Australia make more medicines? Wouldn’t that fix drug shortages?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Coomber, PhD Candidate, Pharmaceutical Supply Chains, The University of Queensland IM Imagery/Shutterstock About 400 medicines are in short supply in Australia. Of these, about 30 are categorised as critical. These are ones with a life-threatening or serious impact on patients, and with no readily available substitutes.

    Farmers fear dingoes are eating their livestock – but predator poo tells an unexpected story
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Mason, PhD candidate in Conservation Biology, Deakin University Kristian Bell/Shutterstock Killing carnivores to protect livestock, wildlife and people is an emotive and controversial issue that can cause community conflict. Difficult decisions about managing predators must be supported by strong scientific evidence. In Australia, predators such as

    ‘Cutting off communications’ – did Trump really just turn his back on Israel?
    ANALYSIS: By Robert Inlakesh Israel is in a weak position and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremism knows no bounds. The only other way around an eventual regional war is the ousting of the Israeli prime minister. US President Donald Trump has closed his line of communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to various

    View from The Hill: if Jacinta Nampijinpa Price became Liberal deputy it would be a wild ride
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s confirmation she will run for Liberal deputy has put the members of an already shell-shocked party into a new spin. Tuesday’s leadership contest, where the numbers are said to be tight, is a battle for the direction

    Dumped minister Ed Husic labels Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles ‘factional assassin’
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Industry Minister Ed Husic, dumped from the frontbench ahead of Anthony Albanese’s announcement of his new ministry, has made an excoriating attack on Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, describing him as a “factional assassin”. Marles, chief of the Victorian right,

    Philippine advocacy group condemns NZ military pact with Manila, rejects election violence
    Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa Philippines Solidarity national assembly has condemned the National Party-led Coalition government in New Zealand over signing a “deplorable” visiting forces agreement with the Philippine government “Given the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ appalling human rights record and continuing attacks on activists in the Philippines, it is deplorable for the New

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –