Category: Universities

MIL-OSI: Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. Q3 2024 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SEATTLE, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SFBC), the holding company for Sound Community Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $1.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, or $0.45 diluted earnings per share, as compared to net income of $795 thousand, or $0.31 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and $1.2 million, or $0.45 diluted earnings per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend on common stock of $0.19 per share, payable on November 26, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 12, 2024.

Comments from the President and Chief Executive Officer

“For the first time in our history, loans surpassed $900 million, and we continued to grow deposits. These production improvements came as we held operating expenses steady, demonstrating our ability to grow the Bank efficiently,” remarked Laurie Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We also completed a major upgrade to our online banking services and have received positive feedback on this from our clients,” concluded Ms. Stewart.

“Net income increased 45% from the prior quarter primarily due to the improvement in our net interest margin, which was driven by the repricing and origination of new loans at higher market rates. At the same time, funding costs increased at a slower pace, as the majority of our deposits had already been repriced. We also made progress in transitioning time deposits to savings and money market accounts, which typically carry lower rates and provide more flexibility for future repricing,” explained Wes Ochs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Ochs continued, “As always, we remain focused on maintaining strong asset quality. Non-performing loans decreased from the prior quarter-end and we are actively utilizing available remedies to address the remaining problem loans.”

Q3 2024 Financial Performance
Total assets increased $26.1 million or 2.4% to $1.10 billion at September 30, 2024, from $1.07 billion at June 30, 2024, and increased $70.8 million or 6.9% from $1.03 billion at September 30, 2023.				Net interest income increased $425 thousand or 5.7% to $7.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, from $7.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and decreased $295 thousand or 3.6% from $8.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

				Net interest margin (“NIM”), annualized, was 2.98% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to 2.92% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and 3.38% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
Loans held-for-portfolio increased $12.5 million or 1.4% to $901.7 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $889.3 million at June 30, 2024, and increased $26.3 million or 3.0% from $875.4 million at September 30, 2023.
				An $8 thousand provision for credit losses was recorded for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to a $109 thousand and a $75 thousand release of provision for credit losses for the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. At September 30, 2024, the allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans outstanding was 0.95%, compared to 0.96% at both June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023.
Total deposits increased $23.4 million or 2.6% to $930.2 million at September 30, 2024, from $906.8 million at June 30, 2024, and increased $69.3 million or 8.1% from $860.9 million at September 30, 2023. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $4.8 million or 3.8% to $129.7 million at September 30, 2024 compared to $124.9 million at June 30, 2024, and decreased $24.2 million or 15.7% compared to $153.9 million at September 30, 2023.
				Total noninterest income increased $73 thousand or 6.3% to $1.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and increased $154 thousand or 14.2% compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
The loans-to-deposits ratio was 97% at September 30, 2024, compared to 98% at June 30, 2024 and 102% at September 30, 2023.
				Total noninterest expense decreased $58 thousand or 0.7% to $7.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and decreased $31 thousand or 0.4% from compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
Total nonperforming loans decreased $420 thousand or 4.7% to $8.5 million at September 30, 2024, from $8.9 million at June 30, 2024, and increased $6.7 million or 381.8% from $1.8 million at September 30, 2023. Nonperforming loans to total loans was 0.94% and the allowance for credit losses on loans to total nonperforming loans was 101.13% at September 30, 2024.
				The Bank continued to maintain capital levels in excess of regulatory requirements and was categorized as “well-capitalized” at September 30, 2024.

Operating Results

Net interest income increased $425 thousand, or 5.7%, to $7.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $7.4 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and decreased $295 thousand, or 3.6%, from $8.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.The increase from the prior quarter was primarily due to a higher average yield on interest-earning assets, particularly loans receivable, and an increase in the average balances of both loans receivable and interest-earning cash. This was partially offset by a more modest rise in the cost of funds, as higher cost earnings interest-bearing deposits decreased by the end of the third quarter of 2024, limiting the growth in funding costs compared to the prior quarter. The decrease in net interest income compared to the same quarter one year ago was primarily due to higher funding costs, specifically, increased rates on and balances of money market and certificate accounts, partially offset by an increase in the average yield earned on interest-earning assets.

Interest income increased $799 thousand, or 5.7%, to $14.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $14.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and increased $2.2 million, or 17.0%, from $12.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increase from the prior quarter was primarily due to a higher average balance of loans and interest-bearing cash, along with a 14 basis point increase in the average loan yield, reflecting higher rates on newly originated loans and upward adjustments to rates on existing variable rate loans. The increase in interest income compared to the same quarter last year was due primarily to higher average balances of loans and interest-bearing cash, a 41 basis point increase in the average yield on loans, a 20 basis point increase in the average yield on interest-bearing cash, and a seven basis point increase in the average yield on investments, partially offset by a decline in the average balance of investments.

Interest income on loans increased $556 thousand, or 4.5%, to $12.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $12.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and increased $1.4 million, or 11.9%, from $11.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The average balance of total loans was $898.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, up from $891.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and $862.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The average yield on total loans was 5.70% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, up from 5.56% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and 5.29% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increase in the average loan yield during the current quarter, compared to both the prior quarter and the third quarter of 2023, was primarily due to the origination of new loans at higher interest rates. Additionally, variable-rate loans resetting to higher rates contributed to the increase in average yield compared to the third quarter of 2023. The increase in the average balance during the current quarter compared to the prior quarter was primarily due to growth in commercial and multifamily loans, manufactured housing loans and consumer loans, with the growth in consumer loans coming primarily from floating home loans. This was partially offset by a decline in construction and land loans. The average balances for commercial business loans and one-to-four family loans remained relatively flat from the second quarter of 2024. The increase in the average balance of loans during the current quarter compared to the third quarter of 2023 was primarily due to loan growth across all categories, except for one-to-four family loans, construction and land loans, and commercial business loans, with the largest decrease being in construction and land loans.

Interest income on investments was $132 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $133 thousand for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and $139 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Interest income on interest-bearing cash increased $244 thousand to $1.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to $1.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and increased $788 thousand from $1.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. These increases were due to higher average balances of interest-bearing cash, with the increase from the same quarter in the prior year also resulting from a higher average yield.

Interest expense increased $374 thousand, or 5.7%, to $7.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, from $6.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and increased $2.4 million, or 54.2%, from $4.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increase in interest expense during the current quarter from the prior quarter was primarily the result of a $38.8 million increase in the average balance of savings and money market accounts, as well as higher average rates paid on these accounts, partially offset by a $13.9 million decrease in the average balance of certificate accounts. The increase in interest expense during the current quarter from the comparable period a year ago was primarily the result of a $9.8 million increase in the average balance of certificate accounts and a $148.1 million increase in the average balance of savings and money market accounts, as well as higher average rates paid on all interest-bearing deposits. This was partially offset by a $46.3 million decrease in the average balance of demand and NOW accounts and a $2.8 million decrease in the average balance of FHLB advances. The average cost of deposits was 2.74% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, up from 2.67% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and 1.85% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The average cost of FHLB advances was 4.32% for both the quarters ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, and down from 4.38% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

NIM (annualized) was 2.98% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, up from 2.92% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 and down from 3.38% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increase in NIM from the prior quarter was result of an increase in interest income on interest-earning assets, partially offset by an increase in the cost of funding. The decrease in NIM from the quarter one year ago was primarily due to the cost of funding increasing at a faster pace than the yield earned on interest-earning assets, driven by the higher average balance of higher costing money market and certificate accounts.

A provision for credit losses of $8 thousand was recorded for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, consisting of a provision for credit losses on loans of $106 thousand and a release of provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $98 thousand. This compared to a release of provision for credit losses of $109 thousand for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, consisting of a release of provision for credit losses on loans of $88 thousand and a release of provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $21 thousand, and a provision for credit losses of $75 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, consisting of a provision for credit losses on loans of $224 thousand and a release of the provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of$149 thousand. The increase in the provision for credit losses for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024 resulted primarily from growth in the loan portfolio and higher quantitative loss rates, which were influenced by a forecast of higher unemployment, and enhancements to the loss model, including an additional qualitative adjustment related to loan review. These adjustments were partially offset by decline in the balance of the construction loan portfolio, which typically has higher loss rates, and a decrease in the qualitative risk adjustment for construction loans as projects were completed and market conditions improved. Expected loss estimates consider various factors, such as market conditions, borrower -specific information, projected delinquencies, and the impact of economic conditions on borrowers’ ability to repay.

Noninterest income increased $73 thousand, or 6.3%, to $1.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and increased $154 thousand, or 14.2%, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The increase from the prior quarter was primarily related to a $217 thousand upward adjustment in fair value of mortgage servicing rights and a $52 thousand increase in earnings from bank-owned life insurance (“BOLI”), both influenced by fluctuating market interest rates. These gains were partially offset by a $133 thousand decrease in service charges and fee income, which was elevated in the prior quarter due to the recovery of potential future lost fee income due to vendor error. Additionally, there was a $34 thousand decrease in net gain on sale of loans, due to lower sales volume, and a $30 thousand decrease in gain on disposal of assets due to insurance claims on the loss of fully depreciated assets in second quarter of 2024. The increase in noninterest income from the comparable period in 2023 was primarily due to an $98 thousand increase in earnings on BOLI due to market rate fluctuations, and an $179 thousand increase in the fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights due to changes in prepayment speeds, servicing costs, and discount rate. These increases were partially offset by a $72 thousand decrease in service charges and fee income primarily due to a volume incentive paid by Mastercard in 2023, a $36 thousand decrease in net gain on sale of loans for reason similar to those noted above, and a decrease in mortgage servicing income as a result of the portfolio paying down at a faster rate than we are replacing the loans. Additionally, mortgage servicing income decreased by $15 thousand compared to the third quarter of 2023. Loans sold during the quarter ended September 30, 2024, totaled $2.4 million, compared to $4.0 million and $4.4 million of loans sold during the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.

Noninterest expense decreased $58 thousand, or 0.7%, to $7.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and decreased $31 thousand, or 0.4%, from the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The decrease from the quarter ended June 30, 2024 was primarily a result of lower a $189 thousand decrease in salaries and benefits, primarily due to lower incentive compensation accruals. This was partially offset by an $157 thousand increase in data processing expenses, largely due to a vendor reimbursement received in the previous quarter for software implementation costs. Additionally, regulatory assessments declined $31 thousand due to a lower accrual for exam costs. Compared to same quarter in 2023, the decrease in noninterest expense was primarily due to lower operations, data processing, and occupancy expenses, which were partially offset by a $321 thousand increase in salaries and benefits. Operations expenses decreased due to reduction in loan originations costs, office expenses, marketing costs, legal fees, and charitable contributions, partially offset by an operational loss from a fraudulently obtained loan charged off in the third quarter of 2024. Data processing expenses decreased due to one-time costs related to new technology implemented in 2023, while occupancy expenses decreased primarily due fully amortized leasehold improvements. The increase in salaries and benefits compared to the third quarter of 2023 reflected higher incentive compensation, medical expenses, retirement plan costs, and directors’ fees (due to the addition of a new director), partially offset by lower salaries from a restructuring of positions at the end of 2023.

Balance Sheet Review, Capital Management and Credit Quality

Assets at September 30, 2024 totaled $1.10 billion, an increase from $1.07 billion at June 30, 2024 and $1.03 billion at September 30, 2023. The increase in total assets from June 30, 2024 and one year ago was primarily due to an increase in cash and cash equivalents and in loans held-for-portfolio.

Cash and cash equivalents increased $13.8 million, or 10.2%, to $148.9 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $135.1 million at June 30, 2024, and increased $47.0 million, or 46.2%, from $101.9 million at September 30, 2023. The increase from the prior quarter and from one year ago was primarily due to the increase in deposits exceeding the increase in loans held-for-portfolio.

Investment securities increased $28 thousand, or 0.3%, to $10.2 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $10.1 million at June 30, 2024, and increased $17 thousand, or 0.2%, from $10.2 million at September 30, 2023. Held-to-maturity securities totaled $2.1 million at both September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, and totaled $2.2 million at September 30, 2023. Available-for-sale securities totaled $8.0 million at September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023.

Loans held-for-portfolio were $901.7 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $889.3 million at June 30, 2024 and $875.4 million at September 30, 2023. The increase from to June 30, 2024, primarily resulted from growth in one-to-four family home loans, commercial and multifamily loans, as well as manufactured home and floating home loans, partially offset by decreases in construction and land loans and home equity loans. The increase in one-to-four family home loans was primarily due to new originations exceeding prepayments during the quarter, while the increase in commercial and multifamily loans primarily resulted from conversion of construction projects to permanent financing. The increase in manufactured home loans and floating home loans relates to continued strong demand for this type of financing in our market. The decrease in construction and land loans was primarily due to project completions and reduced demand caused by higher interest rates, which limited new financing opportunities. The decrease in home equity loans reflected normal payment fluctuations. Compared to September 30, 2024, the overall increase in loans held-for-portfolio was due to sustained strong loan demand and slower prepayment activity, with increases primarily related to commercial and multifamily loans, home equity loans, manufactured home loans and floating home loans.

Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”), which are comprised of nonaccrual loans (including nonperforming modified loans), other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other repossessed assets, decreased $420 thousand, or 4.7%, to $8.6 million at September 30, 2024, from $9.0 million at June 30, 2024 and increased $6.3 million, or 268.2%, from $2.3 million at September 30, 2023. The decrease in NPAs from June 30, 2024 was primarily due to the payoff of three loans totaling $175 thousand and one loan totaling $421 thousand returning to accrual status, partially offset by the addition of eight loans totaling $260 thousand to nonaccrual. The increase in NPAs from one year ago was primarily due to the placement of an additional $7.7 million of loans on nonaccrual status, which included a $3.7 million matured commercial real estate loan where the borrower is in the process of securing financing from another lender, a $2.4 million floating home loan, and a $985 thousand commercial real estate loan, all of which are well secured, and one manufactured home loan of $115 thousand that was repossessed in the first quarter of 2024. These additions were partially offset by the payoff of seven loans totaling $877 thousand, and normal payment amortization.

NPAs to total assets were 0.78%, 0.84% and 0.23% at September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. The allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans outstanding was 0.95% at September 30, 2024, compared to 0.96% at both June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023. Net loan charge-offs for the third quarter of 2024 totaled $14 thousand, compared to $17 thousand for the second quarter of 2023, and $3 thousand for the third quarter of 2023.

The following table summarizes our NPAs at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):

	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
Nonperforming Loans:
One-to-four family	$	745		$	822		$	835		$	1,108		$	1,137
Home equity loans		338			342			83			84			86
Commercial and multifamily		4,719			5,161			4,747			—			306
Construction and land		25			28			29			—			78
Manufactured homes		230			136			166			228			151
Floating homes		2,377			2,417			3,192			—			—
Commercial business		23			—			—			2,135			—
Other consumer		32			3			1			1			4
Total nonperforming loans		8,489			8,909			9,053			3,556			1,762
OREO and Other Repossessed Assets:
Commercial and multifamily		—			—			575			575			575
Manufactured homes		115			115			115			—			—
Total OREO and repossessed assets		115			115			690			575			575
Total NPAs	$	8,604		$	9,024		$	9,743		$	4,131		$	2,337

Percentage of Nonperforming Loans:
One-to-four family		8.7	%		9.1	%		8.5	%		26.9	%		48.7	%
Home equity loans		3.9			3.8			0.9			2.0			3.7
Commercial and multifamily		54.8			57.2			48.7			—			13.1
Construction and land		0.3			0.3			0.3			—			3.3
Manufactured homes		2.7			1.5			1.7			5.5			6.4
Floating homes		27.6			26.8			32.8			—			—
Commercial business		0.3			—			—			51.7			—
Other consumer		0.4			—			—			—			0.2
Total nonperforming loans		98.7			98.7			92.9			86.1			75.4
Percentage of OREO and Other Repossessed Assets:
Commercial and multifamily		—			—			5.9			13.9			24.6
Manufactured homes		1.3			1.3			1.2			—			—
Total OREO and repossessed assets		1.3			1.3			7.1			13.9			24.6
Total NPAs		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%

The following table summarizes the allowance for credit losses at the dates and for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands, unaudited):

	At or For the Quarter Ended:
	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans
Balance at beginning of period	$	8,493		$	8,598		$	8,760		$	8,438		$	8,217
(Release of) Provision for credit losses during the period		106			(88	)		(106	)		337			224
Net charge-offs during the period		(14	)		(17	)		(56	)		(15	)		(3	)
Balance at end of period	$	8,585		$	8,493		$	8,598		$	8,760		$	8,438
Allowance for Credit Losses on Unfunded Loan Commitments
Balance at beginning of period	$	245		$	266		$	193		$	557		$	706
(Release of) Provision for credit		(98	)		(21	)		73			(364	)		(149	)
Balance at end of period		147			245			266			193			557
Allowance for Credit Losses	$	8,732		$	8,738		$	8,864		$	8,953		$	8,995
Allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans		0.95	%		0.96	%		0.96	%		0.98	%		0.96	%
Allowance for credit losses to total loans		0.97	%		0.98	%		0.99	%		1.00	%		1.03	%
Allowance for credit losses on loans to total nonperforming loans		101.13	%		95.33	%		94.97	%		246.34	%		478.89	%
Allowance for credit losses to total nonperforming loans		102.86	%		98.08	%		97.91	%		251.77	%		510.50	%

Deposits increased $23.4 million, or 2.6%, to $930.2 million at September 30, 2024, from $906.8 million at June 30, 2024 and increased $69.3 million, or 8.1%, from $860.9 million at September 30, 2023. The increase in deposits compared to the prior quarter-end was primarily a result of an increase of $17.0 million related to one new depositor relationship, as well as a $5.3 million increase in related party money market deposits. Compared to a year ago, the increase was primarily a result of an increase in certificate accounts and money market accounts, including $50.2 million of related party deposits, which helped fund organic loan growth. These increases were partially offset by decreases in noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing demand accounts and savings accounts, as interest rate sensitive clients shifted funds from lower-cost deposits, such as noninterest-bearing deposits, into higher rate money market and time deposits. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $4.8 million, or 3.8%, to $129.7 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $124.9 million at June 30, 2024 and decreased $24.2 million, or 15.7%, from $153.9 million at September 30, 2023. Noninterest-bearing deposits represented 14.0%, 13.8% and 17.9% of total deposits at September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.

FHLB advances totaled $40.0 million at each of September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, and September 30, 2023. FHLB advances are primarily used to support organic loan growth and to maintain liquidity ratios in line with our asset/liability objectives. FHLB advances outstanding at September 30, 2024 had maturities ranging from late 2024 through early 2028. Subordinated notes, net totaled $11.7 million at each of September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023.

Stockholders’ equity totaled $102.2 million at September 30, 2024, an increase of $892 thousand, or 0.9%, from $101.3 million at June 30, 2024, and an increase of $2.0 million, or 2.0%, from $100.2 million at September 30, 2023. The increase in stockholders’ equity from June 30, 2024 was primarily the result of $1.2 million of net income earned during the current quarter and a $127 thousand decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, partially offset by the payment of $487 thousand in cash dividends to the Company’s stockholders.

Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company, is the parent company of Sound Community Bank, which is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and has full-service branches in Seattle, Tacoma, Mountlake Terrace, Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Ludlow and University Place. Sound Community Bank is a Fannie Mae Approved Lender and Seller/Servicer with one loan production office located in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. For more information, please visit www.soundcb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

When used in this press release and in documents filed or furnished by Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in the Company’s other press releases or other public or stockholder communications, and in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer, the words or phrases “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “project,” “intends” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events and may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors listed below or because of other factors that we cannot foresee that could cause our actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.

Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, include, but are not limited to: adverse impacts to economic conditions in the Company’s local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company’s business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation or deflation, a recession or slowed economic growth, as well as supply chain disruptions; changes in the interest rate environment, including increases and decreases in the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve) benchmark rate and the duration at which such interest rate levels are maintained, which could adversely affect our revenues and expenses, the values of our assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital and liquidity; the impact of inflation and the current and future monetary policies of the Federal Reserve in response thereto; the effects of any federal government shutdown; the impact of bank failures or adverse developments at other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; fluctuations in interest rates; the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; the Company’s ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in the Company’s market area; secondary market conditions for loans; expectations regarding key growth initiatives and strategic priorities; environmental, social and governance goals and targets; results of examinations of the Company or the Bank by their regulators; increased competition; changes in management’s business strategies; legislative changes; changes in the regulatory and tax environments in which the Company operates; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on our third-party vendors; the effects of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, civil unrest and other external events on our business; and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, which are available at www.soundcb.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The risks inherent in these factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company and could negatively affect the Company’s operating and stock performance.

The Company does not undertake—and specifically disclaims any obligation—to revise any forward-looking statement to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	For the Quarter Ended
	September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
Interest income	$	14,838	$	14,039		$	13,760		$	13,337		$	12,686
Interest expense		6,965		6,591			6,300			5,770			4,518
Net interest income		7,873		7,448			7,460			7,567			8,168
Provision for (release of) credit losses		8		(109	)		(33	)		(27	)		75
Net interest income after provision for (release of) credit losses		7,865		7,557			7,493			7,594			8,093
Noninterest income:
Service charges and fee income		628		761			612			576			700
Earnings on bank-owned life insurance		186		134			177			222			88
Mortgage servicing income		280		279			282			288			295
Fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights		101		(116	)		(65	)		(96	)		(78	)
Net gain on sale of loans		40		74			90			76			76
Other income		—		30			—			—			—
Total noninterest income		1,235		1,162			1,096			1,066			1,081
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and benefits		4,469		4,658			4,543			3,802			4,148
Operations		1,540		1,569			1,457			1,537			1,625
Regulatory assessments		189		220			189			198			183
Occupancy		414		397			444			458			458
Data processing		1,067		910			1,017			1,311			1,296
Net (gain) loss on OREO and repossessed assets		—		(17	)		6			—			—
Total noninterest expense		7,679		7,737			7,656			7,306			7,710
Income before provision for income taxes		1,421		982			933			1,354			1,464
Provision for income taxes		267		187			163			143			295
Net income	$	1,154	$	795		$	770		$	1,211		$	1,169

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	For the Nine Months Ended September 30
		2024			2023
Interest income	$	42,638		$	37,273
Interest expense		19,856			10,990
Net interest income		22,782			26,283
(Release of) provision for credit losses		(134	)		(246	)
Net interest income after (release of) provision for credit losses		22,916			26,529
Noninterest income:
Service charges and fee income		2,001			1,951
Earnings on bank-owned life insurance		498			957
Mortgage servicing income		841			891
Fair value adjustment on mortgage servicing rights		(81	)		(123	)
Net gain on sale of loans		205			264
Other income		30			—
Total noninterest income		3,494			3,940
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and benefits		13,670			13,333
Operations		4,566			4,557
Regulatory assessments		598			490
Occupancy		1,255			1,352
Data processing		2,995			3,077
Net (gain) loss on OREO and repossessed assets		(10	)		13
Total noninterest expense		23,074			22,822
Income before provision for income taxes		3,336			7,647
Provision for income taxes		617			1,419
Net income	$	2,719		$	6,228

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$	148,930		$	135,111		$	137,977		$	49,690		$	101,890
Available-for-sale securities, at fair value		8,032			7,996			8,115			8,287			7,980
Held-to-maturity securities, at amortized cost		2,139			2,147			2,157			2,166			2,174
Loans held-for-sale		65			257			351			603			1,153
Loans held-for-portfolio		901,733			889,274			897,877			894,478			875,434
Allowance for credit losses – loans		(8,585	)		(8,493	)		(8,598	)		(8,760	)		(8,438	)
Total loans held-for-portfolio, net		893,148			880,781			889,279			885,718			866,996
Accrued interest receivable		3,705			3,413			3,617			3,452			3,415
Bank-owned life insurance, net		22,363			22,172			22,037			21,860			21,638
Other real estate owned (“OREO”) and other repossessed assets, net		115			115			690			575			575
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value		4,665			4,540			4,612			4,632			4,681
Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock, at cost		2,405			2,406			2,406			2,396			2,783
Premises and equipment, net		4,807			4,906			6,685			5,240			5,204
Right-of-use assets		3,779			4,020			4,259			4,496			4,732
Other assets		6,777			6,995			4,500			6,106			6,955
TOTAL ASSETS	$	1,100,930		$	1,074,859		$	1,086,685		$	995,221		$	1,030,176
LIABILITIES
Interest-bearing deposits	$	800,480		$	781,854		$	788,217		$	699,813		$	706,954
Noninterest-bearing deposits		129,717			124,915			128,666			126,726			153,921
Total deposits		930,197			906,769			916,883			826,539			860,875
Borrowings		40,000			40,000			40,000			40,000			40,000
Accrued interest payable		908			760			719			817			588
Lease liabilities		4,079			4,328			4,576			4,821			5,065
Other liabilities		9,711			9,105			9,578			9,563			9,794
Advance payments from borrowers for taxes and insurance		2,047			812			2,209			1,110			1,909
Subordinated notes, net		11,749			11,738			11,728			11,717			11,707
TOTAL LIABILITIES		998,691			973,512			985,693			894,567			929,938
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Common stock		25			25			25			25			25
Additional paid-in capital		28,296			28,198			28,110			27,990			28,112
Retained earnings		74,840			74,173			73,907			73,627			73,438
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax		(922	)		(1,049	)		(1,050	)		(988	)		(1,337	)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY		102,239			101,347			100,992			100,654			100,238
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$	1,100,930		$	1,074,859		$	1,086,685		$	995,221		$	1,030,176

KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS
(unaudited)

	For the Quarter Ended
	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
Annualized return on average assets		0.42	%		0.30	%		0.29	%		0.46	%		0.46	%
Annualized return on average equity		4.50	%		3.17	%		3.06	%		4.78	%		4.60	%
Annualized net interest margin⁽¹⁾		2.98	%		2.92	%		2.95	%		3.04	%		3.38	%
Annualized efficiency ratio⁽²⁾		84.31	%		89.86	%		89.48	%		84.63	%		83.36	%
_{(1) Net interest income divided by average interest earning assets.}
_{(2) Noninterest expense divided by total revenue (net interest income and noninterest income).}

PER COMMON SHARE DATA
(unaudited)

	At or For the Quarter Ended
	September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023		September 30, 2023
Basic earnings per share	$	0.45	$	0.31	$	0.30	$	0.47	$	0.45
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.45	$	0.31	$	0.30	$	0.47	$	0.45
Weighted-average basic shares outstanding		2,544,233		2,540,538		2,539,213		2,542,175		2,553,773
Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding		2,569,368		2,559,015		2,556,958		2,560,656		2,571,808
Common shares outstanding at period-end		2,564,095		2,557,284		2,558,546		2,549,427		2,568,054
Book value per share	$	39.87	$	39.63	$	39.47	$	39.48	$	39.03

AVERAGE BALANCE, AVERAGE YIELD EARNED, AND AVERAGE RATE PAID
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

The following tables present, for the periods indicated, the total dollar amount of interest income from average interest-earning assets and the resultant yields, as well as the interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, expressed both in dollars and rates. Income and yields on tax-exempt obligations have not been computed on a tax equivalent basis. All average balances are daily average balances. Nonaccrual loans have been included in the table as loans carrying a zero yield for the period they have been on nonaccrual (dollars in thousands).

	Three Months Ended
	September 30, 2024							June 30, 2024							September 30, 2023
	Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/Rate
Interest-Earning Assets:
Loans receivable	$	898,570		$	12,876	5.70	%	$	891,863		$	12,320	5.56	%	$	862,397		$	11,505	5.29	%
Interest-earning cash		138,240			1,830	5.27	%		120,804			1,586	5.28	%		81,616			1,042	5.07	%
Investments		13,806			132	3.80	%		13,935			133	3.84	%		14,793			139	3.73	%
Total interest-earning assets	$	1,050,616			14,838	5.62	%		1,026,602		$	14,039	5.50	%	$	958,806			12,686	5.25	%
Interest-Bearing Liabilities:
Savings and money market accounts	$	340,281			2,688	3.14	%	$	301,454			2,115	2.82	%	$	192,214			720	1.49	%
Demand and NOW accounts		148,252			151	0.41	%		153,739			148	0.39	%		194,561			173	0.35	%
Certificate accounts		303,632			3,524	4.62	%		317,496			3,731	4.73	%		293,820			2,984	4.03	%
Subordinated notes		11,745			168	5.69	%		11,735			168	5.76	%		11,703			168	5.70	%
Borrowings		40,000			434	4.32	%		40,000			429	4.31	%		42,815			473	4.38	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	843,910			6,965	3.28	%	$	824,424			6,591	3.22	%	$	735,113			4,518	2.44	%
Net interest income/spread				$	7,873	2.34	%				$	7,448	2.28	%				$	8,168	2.81	%
Net interest margin						2.98	%						2.92	%						3.38	%

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		124	%						125	%						130	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	132,762						$	128,878						$	151,298
Total deposits		924,927		$	6,363	2.74	%		901,567		$	5,994	2.67	%		831,893		$	3,877	1.85	%
Total funding ⁽¹⁾		976,672			6,965	2.84	%		953,302			6,591	2.78	%		886,411			4,518	2.02	%
_{(1) Total funding is the sum of average interest-bearing liabilities and average noninterest-bearing deposits. The cost of total funding is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by average total funding.}

	Nine Months Ended
	September 30, 2024							September 30, 2023
	Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/Rate		Average Outstanding Balance			Interest Earned/ Paid		Yield/Rate
Interest-Earning Assets:
Loans receivable	$	895,300		$	37,429	5.58	%	$	865,357		$	34,437	5.32	%
Interest-earning cash		122,194			4,832	5.28	%		70,094			2,447	4.67	%
Investments		12,607			377	3.99	%		13,962			389	3.73	%
Total interest-earning assets	$	1,030,101			42,638	5.53	%	$	949,413			37,273	5.25	%
Interest-Bearing Liabilities:
Savings and money market accounts	$	308,845			6,669	2.88	%	$	173,319			1,197	0.92	%
Demand and NOW accounts		153,897			440	0.38	%		216,753			587	0.36	%
Certificate accounts		312,176			10,950	4.69	%		273,564			7,182	3.51	%
Subordinated notes		11,735			504	5.74	%		11,693			504	5.76	%
Borrowings		40,000			1,293	4.32	%		45,280			1,520	4.49	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	$	826,653			19,856	3.21	%	$	720,609			10,990	2.04	%
Net interest income/spread				$	22,782	2.32	%				$	26,283	3.21	%
Net interest margin						2.95	%						3.70	%

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities		125	%						132	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits	$	131,365						$	161,051
Total deposits		906,283		$	18,059	2.66	%		824,687		$	8,966	1.45	%
Total funding ⁽¹⁾		958,018			19,856	2.77	%		881,660			10,990	1.67	%
_{(1) Total funding is the sum of average interest-bearing liabilities and average noninterest-bearing deposits. The cost of total funding is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by average total funding.}

LOANS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
Real estate loans:
One-to-four family	$	271,702		$	268,488		$	279,213		$	279,448		$	280,556
Home equity		25,199			26,185			24,380			23,073			21,313
Commercial and multifamily		358,587			342,632			324,483			315,280			304,252
Construction and land		85,724			96,962			111,726			126,758			118,619
Total real estate loans		741,212			734,267			739,802			744,559			724,740
Consumer Loans:
Manufactured homes		40,371			38,953			37,583			36,193			34,652
Floating homes		86,155			81,622			84,237			75,108			73,716
Other consumer		18,266			18,422			18,847			19,612			18,710
Total consumer loans		144,792			138,997			140,667			130,913			127,078
Commercial business loans		17,481			17,860			19,075			20,688			25,033
Total loans		903,485			891,124			899,544			896,160			876,851
Less:
Premiums		736			754			808			829			850
Deferred fees, net		(2,488	)		(2,604	)		(2,475	)		(2,511	)		(2,267	)
Allowance for credit losses – loans		(8,585	)		(8,493	)		(8,598	)		(8,760	)		(8,438	)
Total loans held-for-portfolio, net	$	893,148		$	880,781		$	889,279		$	885,718		$	866,996

DEPOSITS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023		September 30, 2023
Noninterest-bearing demand	$	129,717	$	124,915	$	128,666	$	126,726	$	153,921
Interest-bearing demand		148,740		152,829		159,178		168,346		185,441
Savings		61,455		63,368		65,723		69,461		76,729
Money market⁽¹⁾		285,655		253,873		241,976		154,044		143,558
Certificates		304,630		311,784		321,340		307,962		301,226
Total deposits	$	930,197	$	906,769	$	916,883	$	826,539	$	860,875
_{(1) Includes $5.0 million of brokered deposits at December 31, 2023.}

CREDIT QUALITY DATA
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	At or For the Quarter Ended
	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023
Total nonperforming loans	$	8,489		$	8,909		$	9,053		$	3,556		$	1,762
OREO and other repossessed assets		115			115			690			575			575
Total nonperforming assets	$	8,604		$	9,024		$	9,743		$	4,131		$	2,337
Net charge-offs during the quarter	$	(14	)	$	(17	)	$	(56	)	$	(15	)	$	(3	)
Provision for (release of) credit losses during the quarter		8			(109	)		(33	)		(27	)		75
Allowance for credit losses – loans		8,585			8,493			8,598			8,760			8,438
Allowance for credit losses – loans to total loans		0.95	%		0.96	%		0.96	%		0.98	%		0.96	%
Allowance for credit losses – loans to total nonperforming loans		101.13	%		95.33	%		94.97	%		246.34	%		478.89	%
Nonperforming loans to total loans		0.94	%		1.00	%		1.01	%		0.40	%		0.20	%
Nonperforming assets to total assets		0.78	%		0.84	%		0.90	%		0.42	%		0.23	%

OTHER STATISTICS
(Dollars in thousands, unaudited)

	At or For the Quarter Ended
	September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023			September 30, 2023

Total loans to total deposits		97.13	%		98.27	%		98.11	%		108.42	%		101.86	%
Noninterest-bearing deposits to total deposits		13.95	%		13.78	%		14.03	%		15.33	%		17.88	%

Average total assets for the quarter	$	1,095,404		$	1,070,579		$	1,062,036		$	1,033,985		$	1,005,223
Average total equity for the quarter	$	102,059		$	100,961		$	101,292		$	100,612		$	100,927

Contact

Financial:
Wes Ochs
Executive Vice President/CFO
(206) 436-8587

Media:
Laurie Stewart
President/CEO
(206) 436-1495

The MIL Network –

January 25, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Individual action on climate was tarred as greenwashing or virtue signalling. But it still has a place

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhbir Sandhu, Associate Professor in Sustainability, University of South Australia

j.chizhe/Shutterstock

Two decades ago, the fight against climate change was often framed as a personal choice. You might try to reduce your carbon footprint by avoiding flights or change your buying habits to avoid meat or reduce plastic.

But this approach lost popularity, as it shifted responsibility from producer to consumer. The carbon footprint, for instance, was famously popularised by oil company BP. In 2008, well-known American climate activist Bill McKibben pointed out the impotence of individual action without collective action.

Behavioural researchers also began finding a seeming paradox – many of us expressed strong interest in taking individual action on climate, but our actual behaviours barely changed.

Much focus shifted to top-down efforts such as government incentives for clean energy and commitments at a national level to cut emissions.

But there is still a role for individuals – especially around demonstrating what clean alternatives actually look like. For instance, the more solar panels are installed on rooftops in your neighbourhood, the more likely you are to consider it. This neighbourhood effect also affects uptake of electric vehicles and e-bikes. This is especially important if we are to see clean alternatives go mainstream rather than stop at a small fraction of the population.

Of course, individual actions can only go so far. As our research on sustainable consumption has shown, individual actions can be magnified with a backdrop of institutional support.

The neighbourhood effect has influence on solar and electric vehicle uptake.
zstock/Shutterstock

What we say and what we do

Humans are complicated. We often say we want to make greener choices – but in reality, we act differently.

Individual climate action sounds great in theory. If many of us chose electric vehicles or bikes, installed solar panels and built energy efficient houses, our actions in aggregate could contribute to wider emissions goals. Then there are choices such as reducing dairy and meat, installing LED lights and buying produce with less packaging.

Everyday actions can contribute too, such as washing clothes in cold water, avoiding putting aircon too low or heating too high, and wearing extra layers of clothes. Recycling, repairing and reusing offer us still more methods to extend the life of our products, reduce waste and save money.

Yet it turns out the reality of individual action on climate is much more complicated – because we are complicated.

When surveyed, a majority of us say we want green, sustainable products. But when we go to the shops, we often don’t actually buy them. My colleagues and I have dubbed this the “Janus faced” consumer phenomenon – we often say one thing but do another.

Why might that be? One reason is many consumers believe green products – whether electric cars or detergents – will perform worse. Green products are also perceived to be more expensive and inconvenient to use.

Then there’s the question of virtue signalling. This is a phenomenon where consumers purchase highly visible green products primarily to signal they’re a person who cares about the environment without necessarily doing so.

Some of these challenges are being overcome. It’s hard to write off modern electric cars as inferior when they can accelerate faster and run much cheaper than fossil fuel cars. While early adopters of solar might once have been seen as virtue-signallers, the main reason Australian households go solar is to save money on the power bill, according to a CSIRO survey.

Was buying a Toyota Prius about going green – or signalling your virtue?
Stephen Barnes/Shutterstock

One and the many

Individual action can only go so far. For individual action to create sustained impact, it needs supportive policies and institutional backing.

For instance, a 2023 report found many Australian clean energy organisations would like to re-use solar panels for community projects or as a low-cost option for households. This makes sense, given used solar panels are often 80% as good as new ones.

But for consumers to actually act on this, they need institutional scaffolding. If you’re going to buy used solar, you want to make sure they are in good condition. Without a certification process, their willingness will come to nothing.

While many of us say we would consider buying an electric vehicle, the uptake is constrained by things outside our control such as whether there are enough public chargers in cities and rural areas.

You can see the importance of institutional backing clearly in transport. The Melbourne-Sydney flight path is the fifth busiest in the world. That’s because there are no fast green alternatives. If there was high-speed rail as in China or Japan, many of us would choose to avoid the emissions caused by flying. But it doesn’t exist (yet), so our individual choices are curtailed.

Which way forward?

As climate change intensifies, more and more of us say we are willing to act on our beliefs and concerns on an individual level. Even better, more of us are actually doing what we say we will.

Not everywhere, of course. For many Australians, switching from petrol to electric might be easier than giving up meat or a flight to Japan. But some progress is better than none.

This groundswell is encouraging. But our individual efforts can only go so far. To make the most of it, we need institutional scaffolding. Australia has world-beating rooftop solar uptake because state and federal governments used subsidies and incentives to make the emerging technology cheaper. With incentives on offer, millions of us made individual choices to take it up.

We are more than consumers, of course. Our power as individuals isn’t limited to choosing specific products. As citizens, we can push for our governments to provide the essential scaffolding we need to make greener choices.

Sukhbir Sandhu has received research grants from Australian Research Council (Discovery), Green Industries SA, and the European Union.

– ref. Individual action on climate was tarred as greenwashing or virtue signalling. But it still has a place – https://theconversation.com/individual-action-on-climate-was-tarred-as-greenwashing-or-virtue-signalling-but-it-still-has-a-place-239196

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Moderators protect us from the worst of the internet. That comes at huge personal cost

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Wake, Associate Professor, Journalism, RMIT University

Shutterstock

Unless you’re a moderator for a local community group discussing garbage collections or dog park etiquette, you are unlikely to fully understand the sheer volume and scale of abuse directed at people online.

But when social media moderation and community management is part and parcel of your daily work, the toll on people and their loved ones can be enormous. Journalists, often early in their careers, can be on the receiving end of torrents of abuse.

If they come from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, that reluctance to report can be even higher than other colleagues.

There’s growing employer concern about how moderating confronting content can affect people’s wellbeing. Employers also have a duty to keep their staff safe at work, including online.

The ABC wanted to understand what this looked like in practice. Its internal survey data shows just how bad the problem has become for moderators who are employed to keep audience members safe when contributing to online discussions.

What did the ABC find?

In 2022, the ABC asked 111 staff who were engaged in online moderation as part of their jobs to self-report the frequency of exposure to potentially harmful experiences.

First it was important to understand just how long people were spending online moderating content. For those who had to moderate content every day, 63% they did it for less than an hour and a half, and 88% moderated for less than three hours.

The majority of staff surveyed saw potentially harmful content every week.

71% of moderators reported seeing denigration of their work weekly, with 25% seeing this daily.

Read more:
Can human moderators ever really rein in harmful online content? New research says yes

Half reported seeing misogynistic content weekly, while more than half said they saw racist content weekly.

Around a third reported seeing homophobic content every week.

In the case of abusive language, 20% said they encountered it weekly.

It’s a confronting picture on its own, but many see more than one type of this content at a time. This compounds the situation.

It is important to note the survey did not define specifically what was meant by racist, homophobic or misogynistic content, so that was open to interpretation from the moderators.

A global issue

We’ve known for a few years about the mental health problems faced by moderators in other countries.

Some people employed by Facebook to filter out the most toxic material and have gone on to take the company to court.

In one case in the United States, Facebook reached a settlement with more than 10,000 content moderators that included U$52 million (A$77.8 million) for mental health treatment.

In Kenya, 184 moderators contracted by Facebook are suing the company for poor working conditions, including a lack of mental health support. They’re seeking U$1.6 billion (A$2.3 billion) in compensation.

The case is ongoing and so too are other separate cases against Meta in Kenya.

In Australia, moderators during the height of the COVID pandemic reported how confronting it could be to deal with social media users’ misinformation and threats.

A 2023 report by Australian Community Managers, the peak body for online moderators, found 50% of people surveyed said a key challenge of their job was maintaining good mental health.

What’s being done?

Although it is not without its own issues, the ABC is leading the way in protecting its moderators from harm.

It has long worked to protect its staff from trauma exposure with a variety of programs, including a peer support program for journalists. The program was supported by the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma Asia Pacific.

But as the level of abuse directed at staff increased in tone and intensity, the national broadcaster appointed a full-time Social Media Wellbeing Advisor. Nicolle White manages the workplace health and safety risk generated by social media. She’s believed to be the first in the world in such a role.

As part of the survey, the ABC’s moderators were asked about ways they could be better supported.

Turning off comments was unsurprisingly rated as the most helpful technique to promote wellbeing, followed by support from management, peer support, and preparing responses to anticipated audience reactions.

Turning off the comments, however, often leads to complaints from at least some people that their views are being censored. This is despite the fact media publishers are legally liable for comments on their content, following a 2021 High Court decision.

Educating staff about why people comment on news content has been an important part of harm reduction.

Some of the other changes implemented after the survey included encouraging staff not to moderate comments when it related to their own lived experience or identity, unless they feel empowered in doing so.

The peer support program also links staff others with moderation experience.

Managers were urged to ensure that self-care plans were completed by staff to prepare for high-risk moderation days (such as the Voice referendum). These includes documenting positive coping mechanisms, how to implement boundaries at the end of a news shift, debriefing and asking staff to reflect on the value in their work.

Research shows one of the most protective factors for journalists is being reminded that the work is important.

But overwhelmingly, the single most significant piece of advice for all working on moderation is to ensure they have clear guidance on what to do if their wellbeing is affected, and that seeking support is normalised in the workplace.

Lessons for others

While these data are specific to the public broadcaster, it’s certain the experiences of the ABC are reflected across the news industry and other forums where people are responsible for moderating communities.

It’s not just paid employees. Volunteer moderators at youth radio stations or Facebook group admins are among the many people who face online hostility.

What’s clear is that any business or volunteer organisation building a social media audience need to consider the health and safety ramifications for those tasked with maintaining those platforms, and ensure they build in support strategies.

Australia’s eSafety commissioner has developed a range of publicly available resources to help.

The author would like to acknowledge the work of Nicolle White in writing this article and the research it reports.

Alexandra Wake is a member of Dart Asia Pacific, having previously served as a director of its Board. She is currently a joint recipient of an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, Australian Journalism, Trauma and Community.

– ref. Moderators protect us from the worst of the internet. That comes at huge personal cost – https://theconversation.com/moderators-protect-us-from-the-worst-of-the-internet-that-comes-at-huge-personal-cost-241775

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Wang Haoze — female rocket engineer launched into space

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

Not all rocket engineers get to strap in and blast off into space, but Wang Haoze made this thrilling leap on Wednesday.

Wang, who used to design system parameters for rocket engines, is carrying out the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission along with two other crew members, serving as the country’s first female space engineer in the process.

The Shenzhou-19 spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, was launched at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Born in 1990 in Luanping County, north China’s Hebei Province, Wang enrolled at Southeast University to major in thermal energy and power engineering, following her completion of the college entrance examination.

After graduating with a master’s degree, Wang joined the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, and started her career by engaging in rocket engine research.

She later signed up for the selection process to determine the country’s third batch of astronauts — and was finally selected as the only woman in this batch.

After securing selection, Wang and her peers pushed the limits of both body and mind in the course of their training.

During extravehicular activity drills, the astronauts donned spacesuits weighing over 100 kilograms, thereby simulating the challenging maneuvers required to exit a spacecraft. The suits were pressurized at 0.4 atm, and Wang found every movement a struggle. Inside the helmet, her head mobility was restricted and her visibility narrowed, forcing her to rely on a wrist mirror to see beyond this limited range.

Inserting the connector of a hose bundle into two tiny sockets at the waist while in a bulky spacesuit was also no small feat for her. “My hands could barely reach the targets, and I couldn’t see well. With thick gloves, I lost the sense of touch, and after a few tries, my arms couldn’t gain any strength,” Wang recalled.

Determined to improve, she requested additional practice with her instructor, and worked hard to meticulously refine her grip, mirror angle and body positioning. Gradually, she discovered the right technique, transforming the once daunting task into a smooth, fluid motion.

Wang had her own style of self-motivation during training, writing a summary after each major training project as both a record of her experience and a confidence booster.

“Ranging from scorching sunlight to chilling rain, I experienced the extreme temperature fluctuations of the desert, which could vary by tens of degrees Celsius. Yet, I also cherished romantic moments spent lying on umbrella fabric, watching the sparkling galaxy above,” she wrote after a 48-hour survival training exercise in the desert.

In another summary, which focused on her maritime training, Wang noted, “The wind and waves created by the helicopter crashed against my body. Even with my back turned, I could feel the roaring wind pounding the back of my head, while the waves lashed against my ears.”

In 2023, Wang was chosen to join the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight mission, during which the crew is scheduled to undertake intensive tasks.

Wang, the third Chinese woman to participate in a crewed spaceflight mission, is mainly responsible for space experiment projects and the management of materials and space station affairs.

“From rocket engine designer to space engineer, my identity has changed, yet my unwavering commitment to serving my country through space exploration remains the same,” Wang concluded.

MIL OSI China News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: New board members appointed to Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

Published: 31 October 2024

Released by: Minister for Gaming and Racing

The NSW Government has made appointments to the board of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), including a deputy chairperson and two new members.

Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe and Nicholas Nichles have been appointed following a rigorous public expression of interest selection process. Additionally, existing member Chris Honey has been appointed deputy chairperson.

ILGA is a statutory decision-maker responsible for a range of liquor, registered club, and gaming machine regulatory functions including determining licensing and disciplinary matters.

The appointments follow the end of the term of appointment for outgoing deputy chairperson Sarah Dinning, and also fill vacancies that existed on the board.

Mr Honey, who was appointed a member of ILGA earlier in 2024, has been named deputy chairperson until the end of his current appointment term (11 February 2027). Mr Honey has extensive experience in the advisory and restructuring field, including working extensively in highly regulated sectors.

Associate Professor Thorpe and Mr Nichles have both been appointed for four years commencing 6 November 2024.

Associate Prof Thorpe is with the Faculty of Law & Justice at the University of New South Wales and an Acting Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court.

Mr Nichles was previously a Consul General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for Australian Government agency Austrade, based in the US.

The new appointments bring the ILGA board membership to seven.

The new appointments will join chairperson Caroline Lamb, new deputy chairperson Mr Honey and current members Cathie Armour, Jeffrey Loy APM and Dr Suzanne Craig.

For more information about ILGA, visit: https://www.ilga.nsw.gov.au/

Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:

“I would like to thank Sarah Dinning for her contribution to the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, including during her service as deputy chairperson.

“ILGA has an important role to play as the administrative decision-making authority for liquor, registered club and gaming machine licensing decisions in NSW.

“An exhaustive selection process was undertaken for these new appointments in accordance with legislative requirements and including the engagement of an independent probity advisor.

“Chris Honey has brought significant expertise to the board since his appointment and Amelia Thorpe and Nicholas Nichles will bring their substantial experience, expertise and leadership to ILGA.”

ILGA chairperson Caroline Lamb said:

“Mr Honey joined the ILGA board earlier this year and has proven himself to be an invaluable board member with his energy and considerable skills and experience in the advisory and restructuring field.

“The ILGA board also welcomes A/Prof Thorpe and Mr Nichles to the board.

“People appointed to the ILGA board must be of the highest integrity and promote fair, transparent and efficient decision-making.”

MIL OSI News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Fit kids have better mental and physical health. What’s the best way to get them active?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia

Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

The mental health benefits of exercise for adults are well known, easing depression and reducing anxiety.

Now, emerging research highlights its rising importance for children’s wellbeing. Staying active could be key to safeguarding and enhancing young people’s mental health.

Mood-boosting benefits

One in seven adolescents worldwide has a mental illness. As a result, parents and health-care providers are increasingly seeking effective prevention strategies.

Evidence is accumulating to suggest one surprisingly simple approach: physical fitness.

One recent study reveals even small improvements in fitness were linked to improved teen mental health. When adolescents improved their fitness by just 30 seconds on a running test, their risk of developing anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dropped by 7-8%.

This suggests something as straightforward as regular exercise could play a crucial role in protecting young people’s mental wellbeing.

For parents and health professionals looking to support adolescent mental health, encouraging participation in team sports could also be an especially effective strategy.

A study of more than 17,000 teenagers revealed a powerful link between sports and mental health: teens who participated in sports clubs were 60% less likely to experience depression compared to inactive kids.

This suggests team sports offer a unique environment for teens’ mental wellbeing, combining physical activity, social connection and structured routines.

Active kids do better in the classroom

Physical activity can also sharpen kids’ thinking and improve school performance: being active is associated with improvements in concentration, decision-making abilities, attention and academic performance.

Studies have also found positive links between physical activity and performance in maths and reading skills.

Even short ten-minute bouts of activity can have immediate positive effects on classroom performance.

Adding more physical activity to the school day — rather than cutting it for academic subjects — can not only boost students’ academic performance but also enhance their overall health and wellbeing.

Getting kids started with fitness and physical activity delivers myriad benefits.

Starting early: when and how

Age considerations

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, experts generally agree it’s never too early to encourage physical activity.

The World Health Organisation recommends children aged 3-4 should engage in at least 180 minutes of physical activity daily, with at least 60 minutes being moderate to vigorous intensity: activities that cause kids to huff and puff, such as running or playing sports.

For school-age children (five to 17 years), the recommendation is at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, with activities that strengthen muscles and bones at least three times a week.

Getting started

The key to introducing fitness to children is to make it fun and age-appropriate. Here are some strategies:
1. Incorporate play: for younger children, focus on active play rather than structured exercise. Activities such as tag, hide-and-seek, or obstacle courses can be both fun and physically demanding.
2. Explore various activities: expose children to different sports and activities to help them find what they enjoy. This could include team sports, dance, martial arts, or swimming. Consider activities that are culturally relevant or significant to your family, as this can enhance their sense of belonging and interest.
3. Lead by example: children often mimic their parents’ behaviours, observing their actions. By being active yourself, you not only set a positive example but also encourage your children to do the same.
4. Make it a family affair: encourage physical activity by planning active family outings like hikes, bike rides, or trips to the park to foster a love of exercise in a fun and engaging way.
5. Limit screen time: Encourage outdoor play and physical activities as alternatives to sedentary screen time, fostering a healthier lifestyle and promoting wellbeing.
Potential risks and how to mitigate them

While the benefits of fitness for children are clear, it’s important to approach it safely. Some potential risks include:
1. Injuries from overexertion: children eager to push their limits can suffer from overuse injuries, such as sprains or strains. Encourage a variety of physical activities to prevent overuse injuries. Ensure adequate rest during training and competition, and promote proper a warm-up and cool-down.
2. Heat-related illness: children exercising in hot weather are at risk of heat exhaustion, with symptoms including dizziness and nausea. Emphasise hydration before, during and after exercise. Schedule activities during cooler times and provide shaded areas for breaks, teaching kids to recognise signs of overheating.
3. Improper technique and equipment: using incorrect form or inappropriate equipment can result in injuries and impede development. It’s essential to provide proper instruction, ensure equipment is size-appropriate, and supervise children during exercise. Programs should be designed to be safe and inclusive, accommodating children with disabilities, ensuring everyone can participate meaningfully without barriers.
4. Burnout: excessive exercise or pressure to perform can cause physical and mental burnout. This can lead to a loss of interest. To prevent burnout, it is important stick to national and international activity recommendations, ensure adequate rest, and encourage a balance between structured exercise and free play.
A love for movement and activity

The evidence is clear: fit kids are happier, healthier, and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.

By introducing fitness early and in an engaging, age-appropriate manner, we can set children on a path to lifelong physical and mental wellbeing.

Remember, the goal is to foster a love for movement and activity that will serve children well into adulthood.

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

– ref. Fit kids have better mental and physical health. What’s the best way to get them active? – https://theconversation.com/fit-kids-have-better-mental-and-physical-health-whats-the-best-way-to-get-them-active-242102
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s slight lead in Pennsylvania could give him Electoral College win; Biden a drag on Harris

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

The United States presidential election will be held next Tuesday, with results coming in Wednesday AEDT. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 48.6–47.5, a slight gain for Trump since Monday, when Harris led by 48.6–47.4. Harris’ national lead peaked on October 2, when she led by 49.4–45.9.

The US president isn’t elected by the national popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state receives electoral votes equal to its federal House seats (population based) and senators (always two). Almost all states award their electoral votes as winner-takes-all, and it takes 270 electoral votes to win (out of 538 total).

Relative to the national popular vote, the Electoral College is biased to Trump, with Harris needing at least a two-point popular vote win to be the narrow Electoral College favourite in Silver’s model.

In Silver’s averages, Trump has a 0.6-point lead in Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes), up from 0.3 on Monday. Trump has slightly larger leads of one to two points in North Carolina (16), Georgia (16) and Arizona (11). Harris is narrowly ahead by 0.1 point in Nevada (six) and about one point ahead in Michigan (15) and Wisconsin (ten).

If current polls are exactly right, Trump wins the Electoral College by 281–257. Not making Pennsylvania’s popular governor Josh Shapiro her running mate could be Harris’ biggest mistake.

In Silver’s model, Trump has a 54% chance to win the Electoral College, slightly higher than 53% on Monday. There’s a 29% chance that Harris wins the popular vote but loses the Electoral College. The FiveThirtyEight forecast gives Trump a 51% win probability.

Without a major event, there isn’t likely to be much change in the polls before the election, but a polling error where one candidate overperforms their polls could still occur. Silver’s model gives Trump a 22% probability of sweeping the seven swing states and Harris a 12.5% probability.

I wrote about the US election for The Poll Bludger yesterday, and also covered three Canadian provincial elections and Japan’s conservative LDP, which has governed almost continuously since 1955, losing its majority at an election last Sunday.

Biden a drag on Harris and favourability ratings

Joe Biden remains unpopular with a net -16.5 approval in the FiveThirtyEight national aggregate, with 55.8% disapproving and 39.3% approving. As Harris is the incumbent party’s candidate, an unpopular president is a key reason for Trump’s edge.

Biden’s remarks on Tuesday, in which he seemed to call Trump supporters “garbage”, resembled Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” in the 2016 presidential campaign. This won’t help Harris.

Biden is almost 82, Trump is 78 and Harris is 60. Trump’s age should be a factor in this election that favours Harris, but Silver said on October 19 that Democrats spent so much time defending Biden before he withdrew on July 21 that it’s now difficult for them to attack Trump’s age without seeming hypocritical.

Harris’ net favourability in the FiveThirtyEight national aggregate is -1.5, with 47.8% unfavourable and 46.3% favourable. Her net favourability peaked at +1 in late September. Trump’s net favourability is -8.5 with 52.1% unfavourable and 43.6% favourable; his ratings have improved a little in the last two weeks.

While Harris is more likeable than Trump, that’s not reflected in head to head polls. Silver said on October 23 that Trump’s campaign is promoting him as not-nice, but on your side, and as someone who will get things done. They argue Harris’ campaign lacks clear policies.

Harris’ running mate Tim Walz is at +2.6 net favourable, while Trump’s running mate JD Vance is at -6.9 net favourable. In the past few weeks, Vance’s ratings have improved slightly while Walz’s have dropped back.

Congressional elections

I last wrote about the elections for the House of Representatives and Senate that will be held concurrently with the presidential election on October 14. The House has 435 single-member seats that are apportioned to states on a population basis, while there are two senators for each of the 50 states.

The House only has a two-year term, so the last House election was at the 2022 midterm elections, when Republicans won the House by 222–213 over Democrats. The FiveThirtyEight aggregate of polls of the national House race gives Democrats a 46.2–46.1 lead over Republicans, a drop for Democrats from a 47.1–45.9 Democratic lead on October 14.

Senators have six-year terms, with one-third up for election every two years. Democrats and aligned independents currently have a 51–49 Senate majority, but they are defending 23 of the 33 regular seats up, including seats in three states Trump won easily in both 2016 and 2020: West Virginia, Montana and Ohio.

West Virginia is a certain Republican gain after the retirement of former Democratic (now independent) Senator Joe Manchin at this election. Republicans have taken a 5.4-point lead in Montana in the FiveThirtyEight poll aggregate, while Democrats are just 1.6 points ahead in Ohio.

Republicans are being challenged by independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska, and he trails Republican Deb Fischer by 2.3 points. Democrats did not contest to avoid splitting the vote. In Democratic-held Wisconsin, Democrats lead by 2.1 points, while other incumbents are ahead by at least three points.

If Republicans gain West Virginia and Montana, but lose Nebraska to Osborn, and no other seats change hands, Republicans would have a 50–49 lead in the Senate. If Harris wins the presidency, Osborn would be the decisive vote as a Senate tie can be broken by the vice president, who would be Walz. This is the rosiest plausible scenario for Democrats.

The FiveThirtyEight congressional forecasts give Republicans a 53% chance of retaining control of the House, so it’s effectively a toss-up like the presidency. But Republicans have an 89% chance to gain control of the Senate.

Adrian Beaumont 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. Trump’s slight lead in Pennsylvania could give him Electoral College win; Biden a drag on Harris – https://theconversation.com/trumps-slight-lead-in-pennsylvania-could-give-him-electoral-college-win-biden-a-drag-on-harris-242393

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Introducing France to China, word by word

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

The 16th edition of the Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Prize will be held on Nov 30 and Dec 1 in Beijing. The event is part of the cultural activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, Nicolas Pillerel, minister counselor for culture, education and scientific affairs at the French embassy in China, announced during a news conference on Oct 24.

Established in 2009 by the French Embassy in China and French-speaking Chinese intellectuals, including Dong Qiang, author, translator and professor of French literature at Peking University, the Fu Lei prize is awarded for the translation of French books into Chinese, and also promotes the dissemination of these translations.

Supported by intellectuals, including Nobel laureates in literature Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio and Mo Yan, the prize acknowledges the crucial role of translators as conveyors of words, as well as their role in bolstering cultural exchange between France and China.

The prize is given in three categories — “Literature”, “Essay”, and since 2013, the “Young Shoots” category to encourage the next generation of translators.

“We are aware that without the participation and involvement of young people, and without the emergence of outstanding young translators, the translation industry will inevitably face a talent gap,” says Dong.

This year, 47 titles are competing for the Fu Lei prize, with 28 in the “Essay” category and 19 in the “Literature” category. Notably, 42 of the 60 translators were born after 1980.

Yu Zhongxian, chairman of the jury this year, says that the finalists are younger than those in previous years, and a majority are women.

In the “Essay” category, the original versions of some of the translations are lengthy, difficult books on which multiple people worked to complete the translation.

In the “Literature” category, translations cover an impressive array, including not only books from the last century, but also those that reflect the contemporary lifestyles of young people in France.

Yu says that, given the increasing variety of books introduced in recent years, there is a need for younger publishers to discover them, and for younger translators to translate them.

Ten books — five about social sciences and five literary titles — made it to the final list and the winners will be announced in Beijing on Nov 30.

The finalists include Francois Furet and Mona Ozouf’s A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution, Delphine de Vigan’s novel Children Are Kings, which addresses the pitfalls of social networks, Dany Sandron’s Notre-Dame de Paris: History and Archaeology of a Cathedral, and Nastassja Martin’s In the Eye of the Wild, which explores the relationship between humans and nature. These books demonstrate the diversity and vitality of French-to-Chinese translations today.

Since 2013, China has been the largest buyer of French copyrights abroad. Last year, 1,383 contracts were signed between French and Chinese publishers.

“The enduring appeal of French literature and thought is inseparable from the contribution of translators, and we should be grateful for their work. For this reason, we place great importance on supporting translators,” says Pillerel.

He says that translators are usually obscure like shadows, but that at least once a year, there is a need to “cast the spotlight” on them.

In addition, the French embassy in China financially supports the publishing of at least 30 translations, in addition to translation training programs to nurture more young talent.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French diplomatic ties, as well as the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. Pillerel says that the series of activities organized by the French embassy around both themes throughout the year culminates with the prize.

MIL OSI China News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: VK Coworking Zone Opens at NSU

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

The new study and recreation area is located in the university’s academic building (Pirogov, 1) in block 1 on the 1st floor. The opening of the coworking area was attended by the dean Faculty of Information Technology, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Mikhail Mikhailovich Lavrentyev and VK Ambassador Elizaveta Zhitnik.

— This is the first example of an IT company creating a workspace for our faculty. What I want to say is, it is incredibly beautiful! It depends only on you how beautiful and useful this area will remain. Guys, this is yours and it is for your comfort, all conditions have been created here. Friends, this is a window of opportunity! Sitting here on the couch, you will directly feel involved in one of the flagships of the IT business of our country. The faculty does not stop here, we are moving forward and we expect that together with you we will maintain this place in the same wonderful condition, — Mikhail Lavrentyev emphasized, addressing the students.

The Dean promised that this is not the last coworking area at the Faculty of Information Technology.

— VK has created a convenient place for NSU students to study and work. The new coworking space has everything they need. The area is designed so that they can do group and individual work. I am sure that students will be able to spend time here usefully, create new projects and just relax, — noted VK ambassador, third-year student of the NSU Faculty of Information Technology Elizaveta Zhitnik.

VK has been cooperating with the NSU Faculty of Information Technology in various areas for a long time: it acts as a partner of the faculty’s events, offers students the opportunity to take part in free educational projects of VK Education and provides the opportunity to complete internships in in-demand IT and digital specialties.

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Maria Anna Mozart was a musical prodigy overshadowed by her brother. A new documentary tells her story

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Diane Charleson, Senior Lecturer in media School of Arts Australian Catholic University, Australian Catholic University

Alina Gozin’a

Award-winning director Madeleine Hetherton-Miau’s latest offering is an evocative and hard-hitting documentary with a strong message. Mozart’s Sister investigates the life of Maria Anna Mozart, the older sister of the more famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The film portrays a sensitive and well-researched investigation into Maria Anna’s life – illuminating how the draconian attitudes that prevailed during her time condemned her to a lesser life than her brother, even though she was similarly talented.

It also reminds us of the importance of championing women musicians today, as “if we don’t encourage women now, it (discrimination) only repeats”.

Who was Maria Anna Mozart?

Maria Anna was the first-born child of Leopold Mozart. He himself was a musician and composer and had his daughter schooled in music from a very young age.

Maria showed amazing talent – a child prodigy in playing and composing. When Wolfgang was born, he quickly became engrossed in playing and composing music with his sister.

Mozart’s Sister features wonderfully poignant recreations of this childhood bond over music – emphasising the siblings’ playfulness and engagement with music in a noncompetitive way.

Leopold recognised his children’s prodigious talents. He soon had them travelling and playing concerts all over Europe, where they were lauded by the highest aristocracy. Maria Anna and Wolfgang were inseparable during this time and composed many works together.

Maria Anna and Wolfgang composed many works together.
Madeleine Hetherton-Miau

Women musicians in the 18th century

But all of this came to an abrupt end with Maria Anna turned 15. As custom would dictate, it was considered unsuitable and unseemly for a girl of that age to perform in public, likening this form of public performance to that of a prostitute.

The film portrays the unfortunate fate that befell many 18th-century women who wanted to pursue a career in music. Regardless of their aptitude, these women would have no real career prospects. They were even banned from playing musical instruments deemed unseemly, including the violin and cello.

Composing and playing music was largely taken up by the nuns in monasteries. As Mozart’s Sister highlights, even though this was a time of enlightenment, this “enlightenment” was reserved for men – and white men at that. It definitely didn’t flow on to women.

Maria Anna was forced to stay home while Wolfgang continued pursuing music uninterrupted – and the rest is history.

Maria Anna’s musical talents weren’t encouraged the way her younger brother’s were.
Shannon Ruddock

The film ponders what it must have been like for her to be left at home, away from her brother (who was once her constant companion) and unable to play as she used to. Her life is poignantly illustrated through her diary entries, which are mainly filled with references to the weather, as though nothing else was happening for her.

Maria Anna eventually married, but continued to practice music each day. Upon her husband’s death – now a woman of means and a baroness in her 50s – she returned to solo concert performances.

A documentary on two levels

Mozart’s Sister is a documentary that functions on many levels.

On one level, it’s a biopic that portrays Maria Anna’s story through recreations of her childhood in Austria, with a voiceover narration and interviews highlighting her relationship with her brother. Much is shot on location in Austria and framed through the perspective of present-day museum curators and experts.

On another level, the film is a broader statement on the underrepresentation of female composers. I thought the director did an excellent job in portraying this duality through the juxtaposition of Maria Anna’s with the young British composer Alma Deustger. Deustger displayed many of the characteristics we could imagine Maria Anna having.

Like Maria Anna, Deustger is a brilliant modern-day composer with a deep appreciation for for composing and conducting. But unlike Maria, she has been able to pursue her passion and turn it into a career. I was particularly struck by the film’s closing, in which Deustger discusses writing her waltz based on the police sirens of New York.

Mozart’s Sister follows in a recent literary trend of discussions of appropriation – and of the overlooking of talented women in history who have been overshadowed by their more famous male counterparts. Anna Funder’s Wifedom and Hernan Diaz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book Trust are two other examples of this.

It is an interesting and provocative film that will appeal to classical music lovers, as well as those interested more broadly in the issue of female underrepresentation in the arts.

Mozart’s Sister is in cinemas from today.

Diane Charleson 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. Maria Anna Mozart was a musical prodigy overshadowed by her brother. A new documentary tells her story – https://theconversation.com/maria-anna-mozart-was-a-musical-prodigy-overshadowed-by-her-brother-a-new-documentary-tells-her-story-241794

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: FAW-Volkswagen executives share industry trends

Source: China State Council Information Office

Executives from FAW-Volkswagen (FAW-VW) discussed automotive industry trends and engaged with students during a forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Oct. 25.

Participants gather at Tsinghua University in Beijing during FAW-Volkswagen’s industry vision presentation to students, Oct. 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of FAW-VW]

A joint venture between FAW Group and Volkswagen Group, FAW-VW plays a crucial role in the Volkswagen Group’s “In China, For China” strategy. Since its establishment in 1991, FAW-VW has created nearly 500,000 jobs and generated more than 700 billion yuan ($98 billion) in tax revenue, contributing greatly to China’s automobile industry.

Dr. Oliver Gruenberg, vice president of technology at FAW-VW, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainable development and innovation in his speech.

“FAW-VW actively responds to the national ‘dual carbon’ call, implementing full lifecycle carbon reduction through practical actions in green research and development, green supply chain, green production, green logistics, and green product use,” said Gruenberg.

Gruenberg praised China’s rapidly expanding new energy vehicle industry and emphasized the importance of green transformation in driving sustainable growth.

FAW-VW Vice President of Technology Oliver Gruenberg addresses students at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of FAW-VW]

Gruenberg highlighted research and development (R&D) and innovation as crucial elements of the automotive sector’s future. He detailed FAW-Volkswagen’s achievements in localized R&D, intelligent manufacturing and quality assurance, while forecasting AI-enabled autonomous driving as the industry’s next major advancement.

During the forum, FAW-VW executives answered questions from Tsinghua University students on topics ranging from career opportunities to industry developments.

Cheng Wanli, human resources director at FAW-VW, stressed the company’s people-oriented approach and its commitment to attracting and developing top talent.

Cheng Wanli, human resources director at FAW-VW, addresses students during Times forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of FAW-VW]

MIL OSI China News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Aggravated robbery – Palmerston

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Northern Territory Police have arrested a female youth and a male adult in relation to an aggravated robbery that occurred in Palmerston yesterday evening.

Around 6:30pm, police received reports of an adult male and a female youth allegedly threatening bar staff at a licenced premises on University Avenue, demanding alcohol.

A short time later, the two offenders allegedly threatened a man before stealing his golf buggy and travelling to another business on University Avenue, in the golf buggy, where they stole multiple items.

While attempting to flee in the stolen buggy, the offenders collided with a parked vehicle, the male offender fled the scene, and the female offender was apprehended nearby members of the public.

The 38-year-old male offender has since been apprehended by Strike Force Trident.

Both offenders remain in custody and are expected to be charged later today.

Strike Force Trident are continuing investigations into the incidents.

Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444 and quote P24300362.

Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

MIL OSI News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Cats and dogs shaped our world – and art: the NGV gives us the definitive exhibition

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Grishin, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University

Marguerite Mahood, Feline design, 1930s colour linocut, with hand-colouring 36.0 × 22.5 cm (image and block). National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Gift of Andrée Fay Harkness through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2020 © MTH Mahood

After a new relationship with pets was forged during COVID lockdown and the phenomenon of Bluey, we now have the definitive cats and dogs show presented by the National Gallery of Victoria.

Can there be an intelligent show about canines and felines that goes beyond a collection of feelgood images of our favourite pets? This exhibition sets out to achieve this and, at least in part, succeeds.

A central question concerning pets and people is how we position ourselves in relationship to animals. If we adopt a Judeo-Christian position – that of Adam naming and having power over all of the animals on earth – then there is the power relationship of ownership.

Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, The world of the Gonds, 2017. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 125.0 × 91.0 cm.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased NGV Foundation, 2019 © Venkat Shyam, courtesy of Minhazz Majumdar

Alternatively, as understood by many First Nations peoples, many Asian civilisations and popularised by such writers as Joseph Campbell, there are common animal powers that mystically unite humankind with nature.

The dogs and cats that share our lives are also our distant (perhaps not that distant) ancestors. They understand us so intimately because they are part of us and we are part of them.

Most pet owners already know this. We did not need Rupert Sheldrake to tell us that dogs know when their owners are coming home, but, by him telling us, this confirms in our minds we are not simply crazy.

Nomenclature also matters – “owners”. As pointed out in the excellent book that accompanies this exhibition, dogs may have masters, while cats have only servants.

Do we really own our dogs and cats or simply provide for their physical needs while they support us in countless ways?

Companions over time

When it comes to dogs and cats represented in art, the weirdness exposed in this exhibition lies in the social and ideological values held in various human societies.

The Christian tradition saw cats as sinister – Satan’s little helpers and the essential attribute of witches – while dogs are noble and above all else designate fidelity. The dog is a symbol of faith, protection and companionship. The Bible is silent on cats, with a single possible passing reference in the Old Testament, while dogs are mentioned over 40 times.

Albrecht Dürer, Adam and Eve, 1504. Engraving 25.0 × 19.3 cm (image and sheet)
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Felton Bequest, 1956

Albrecht Dürer’s magnificent engraving Adam and Eve (1504) sums up much of the traditional Christian attitude to cats. The cat at Eve’s foot represents the choleric humour – cruelty and pride – and its tail entwines Eve’s feet echoing that of the serpent who gives her the forbidden fruit that leads to their expulsion from Paradise and the advent of death.

In the etchings of Rembrandt and the aquatints of Goya, the demonic cat joins witches and other powers of darkness.

Francisco Goya y Lucientes, Where is mother going? (Donde vá mamá?), 1797–98. Etching, aquatint and drypoint printed in sepia ink 18.2 × 11.9 cm (image) 20.6 × 16.2 cm (plate) 23.9 × 16.4 cm (sheet trimmed within platemark at left edge).
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Felton Bequest, 1976

A mysterious kind of folk

The cat in many cultures is also associated with seduction, debauchery and eroticism. The NGV exhibition is particularly rich in examples of this category.

This includes Jan Steen’s tavern interior (1661–65), Henri Toulouse-Lautrec’s May Belfort (1895) and the great painting by Balthus, Nude with cat (1949).

Balthus, French, 1908-2001, worked in Italy 1961–77. Nude with cat, 1949. Oil on canvas 65.1 x 80.5 cm.
National Gallery of Victoria Felton Bequest 1952 (2949 – 4)

While the cat may be omnipresent, its actual participation in the events surrounding it frequently remain ambiguous.

As the great observer of human behaviour, Sir Walter Scott, once commented: “Cats are a mysterious kind of folk”.

Man’s best friend

Dogs, in keeping with their reputation as man’s best friend, are superficially more knowable to people because dogs already know what to expect.

Rembrandt, in Christ at Emmaus: the smaller plate (1634) has the faithful dog standing at Christ’s feet ready to protect the Saviour.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Christ at Emmaus: the smaller plate, 1634. Etching and touches of drypoint 9.7 × 7.2 cm (image) 10.3 × 7.3 cm (sheet, trimmed to platemark).
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Felton Bequest, 1958

In Dürer’s Saint Eustace (ca.1501), the dogs are not only noble witnesses to the conversion of the Roman general to Christianity, but the five dogs are shown from different angles and positions to celebrate the beauty of the canine.

This is one of the great dog studies of Western civilisation.

Albrecht Dürer, Saint Eustace, 1501. Engraving 35.9 × 26.1 cm (image) 36.0 × 26.2 cm (sheet; inlaid onto cream wove sheet 39.6 × 29.9 cm).
Etching: five dogs, a horse and a man.

The exhibition features Aboriginal dog dreaming barks and wooden sculptures of dingos. In the coastal community of Aurukun in Far North Queensland, the dingo, or ku’, are ancestral beings that carry a special significance for the artists and their community.

The dogs are unique with their specific characters but also tap into an ancestral history.

Installation view of Cats & Dogs on display at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from November 1 2024 to July 20 2025.
Photo: Tom Ross

Throughout human history, dogs were also status symbols and an expression of their owner’s personality from William Hogarth’s pug, called Trump, to David Hockney’s dachshunds, Stanley and Boodgie.

Many a maiden in 19th and 20th century Europe would establish their reputation through their highly groomed and ridiculously attired poodle or lapdog as richly testified to in this exhibition.

Dogs also carried their owner’s personality. Pierre Bonnard’s dogs and Grace Cossington Smith’s cats tell us as much about their owners as they do about the personality of the animal.

Grace Cossington Smith, Quaker girl, 1915. Oil on canvas 67.0 × 51.6 cm.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Presented by the National Gallery Society of Victoria, 1967 © Estate of Grace Cossington Smith

Humour and reverence

About 250 furry creatures from the collection of the NGV have been brought together for this exhibition by curators Laurie Benson and Imogen Mallia-Valjan. You meet farm dogs and Felix the Cat with cats and dogs kept separate on different sides of the rooms.

Thomas Gainsborough, Richard St George Mansergh – St George, c. 1776–80. Oil on canvas 230.2 × 156.1 cm.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Felton Bequest, 1922

Although this exhibition is raining cats and dogs, they are presented with respect, sometimes with humour and occasionally with reverence.

In the past we thought about how we shaped the world of our canine and feline companions – now we increasingly are starting to understand how they have shaped and enriched our world.

This wonderful exhibition explores part of this journey of realisation.

Disclaimer: Sasha Grishin all of his life has shared his home with dingos and dogs.

Cats & Dogs is at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia until July 20 2025.

Sasha Grishin 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. Cats and dogs shaped our world – and art: the NGV gives us the definitive exhibition – https://theconversation.com/cats-and-dogs-shaped-our-world-and-art-the-ngv-gives-us-the-definitive-exhibition-241365

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025

MIL-OSI: Societe Generale: Managerial changes within the Group

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SOCIETE GENERALE: MANAGERIAL CHANGES WITHIN THE GROUP

Press release
Paris, 31 October 2024

Societe Generale announces managerial changes within the Group.

Within General Management:

Following a proposal by Slawomir Krupa, Chief Executive Officer, the Societe Generale Board of Directors, under the chairmanship of Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, approved on 30 October 2024 the reduction of the number of General Management executive officers to two: Slawomir Krupa, Chief Executive Officer, and Pierre Palmieri, Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Philippe Aymerich, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his role on 31 October 2024.

As part of this change, Slawomir Krupa will assume direct supervision of Retail Banking activities in France (SG Network and BoursoBank), Private Banking, and Insurance.

Within Retail Banking and Private Banking:

Bertrand Cozzarolo and Thierry Le Marre are appointed Co-Heads of the SG Retail Banking network in France, effective 1 November 2024. They have been serving Societe Generale and its clients since 2004 and 1998, respectively. Their extensive experience in retail banking activities in France and abroad, as well as their direct contribution to the development of SG Retail Banking, will be essential assets in implementing our ambitious commercial roadmap to deliver sustainable performance.

They replace Marie-Christine Ducholet, who will pursue projects outside the Group, effective 31 October 2024.

Mathieu Vedrenne is appointed Head of Private Banking activities, effective 1 November 2024, replacing Bertrand Cozzarolo. At the service of the Group and its clients since 2001, he is currently Deputy Head of Private Banking, with particular responsibility for Private Banking in France, where he has successfully led its many years of sustainable growth.

Within Financial Management:

Leopoldo Alvear is appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Group, effective 7 January 2025. He will also become a member of the Group Executive Committee. With over 27 years of banking experience, including 12 years as head of financial departments at banking institutions (successively at Bankia and currently at Banco Sabadell), Leopoldo Alvear has demonstrated outstanding professional and leadership qualities.

He will succeed Claire Dumas, who will ensure a seamless transition of the Chief Financial Officer duties until the end of January 2025, before pursuing professional opportunities outside the Group.

The role of the Chief Financial Officer remains a direct report to Slawomir Krupa.

Slawomir Krupa, Chief Executive Officer, comments: “Over the past 18 months, we have initiated numerous transformation, development and efficiency initiatives to strengthen our Group and increase the sustainability of our performance. We are already realizing the tangible benefits in our results. The trajectory of our improvement is clear, and our determination is unwavering.
I would like to warmly thank Philippe and Marie-Christine for their commitment throughout the many years they have served our Group, and I wish them every success in their new projects.
I am proud to promote our internal talents, Bertrand, Thierry and Mathieu, to continue building the new model of our SG Network in France while also developing our Private Banking activities, and strengthening commercial dynamics, synergies, and financial performance of our retail banking activities in France.
I would also like to thank Claire for all the work she has done for Societe Generale over the past two decades, which she will continue during the transition period until the end of January.
I am delighted to welcome Leopoldo to our team starting 7 January. His experience as a chief financial officer of other banking institutions, as well as his professional and personal qualities, will be valuable assets in ensuring the flawless execution of our strategic plan.
Our ambition remains the same: to build a stronger and more profitable bank and create more long-term value for all our stakeholders.”

Press contact:
Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com

Biographies

	Bertrand Cozzarolo began his career in 2000 in the General Inspection teams of the Ministry of Finance before joining Societe Generale in 2004 as a financial analyst. He subsequently held several management positions within retail banking subsidiaries in Egypt and Bulgaria before returning to France in 2011 as Executive Management Chief of Staff. In 2015, he joined Retail Banking in France, where he held various key positions in commercial management and customer relations before being appointed as the Commercial and Marketing Director in 2021. In December 2022, he was appointed as the Head of Societe Generale Private Banking. He is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies and a former student of the National School of Administration.
	Thierry Le Marre began his career in 1990 as a consultant at Coopers & Lybrand before joining the Societe Generale Group in 1998 in the Organization department. In 2002, he became the Chief of Staff of the Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Directors. From 2007 to 2014, he held various management positions in international consumer credit activities. In 2014, he joined retail banking in France, where he successively led two regional delegations. In January 2021, he was appointed co-responsible for the “Clients and network organization” project within the merger project between Credit du Nord and Societe Generale. He has been the Regional Director of SG Societe Generale Ile-de-France Sud since 2023. He is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
	Mathieu Vedrenne began his career as a consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 1998 before joining the General Inspection of Societe Generale in 2001, and then the Strategy Department in 2005. In 2008, he was appointed as Executive Management Chief of Staff. He joined Private Banking in 2011, where he held several positions in Switzerland and France and contributed to the commercial development of the activities. He has been Head of Societe Generale Private Banking France since 2019 and Deputy Head of Private Banking since 2023. He is a graduate of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL).
	Leopoldo Alvear has over 27 years of experience in financial services. Since 2021, he has been the General Manager and Chief Financial Officer of Banco Sabadell. Previously, he spent 11 years at Bankia, where he successively held the positions of first Head of Financial Management & Rating, and then, since 2012 Group CFO. He began his career at PWC in Corporate Finance before joining Caja Madrid as head of Equity Capital Markets. He is a graduate of the Complutense University of Madrid.

Societe Generale

Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with more than 126,000 employees serving about 25 million clients in 65 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective – to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.

The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance, with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank.
Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG.
Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities.

Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the document’s legitimacy directly on the web page.

For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.

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Societe-Generale-Managerial-changes-within-the-Group

The MIL Network –

January 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Australia: Statement from Professor Duncan Bentley, Vice-Chancellor and President, Federation University

Source: Federation University

“I ask the Federal Government to note the Victorian Government’s calls to allow Federation University Australia to continue our plans to recover from COVID-19 and grow our educational offerings to aspiring learners across regional and outer metropolitan Victoria.

A social media post from the Minister for Skills and TAFE, the Hon Gayle Tierney MP, about her letter with the Treasurer, the Hon Tim Pallas MP, to the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, and, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Tony Burke, on how recent international student visa migration decisions and policies are impacting Federation University and our role in the Victorian economy.

I thank the Allan Victorian Government’s support for Federation and acknowledgement that its campuses across regional Victoria – which includes Ballarat, Gippsland and Horsham – and their call for the Federal Government to recognise the damage these decisions could cause.

These decisions create significant risks to the educational opportunities for regional Victoria and the state’s broader economy, and impact how Victoria’s Skills Plan can be achieved to support vital industries in Gippsland and other regions within the state.

The Victorian Government’s commitment to the important role international education plays in the Victorian economy and community, and especially in the regions, must be applauded.

I am equally committed to ensuring Federation’s aspiring and current students are able to study in the communities they live in. The majority of these students are female, part-time learners with caring responsibilities, or are young people seeking higher education locally.

This is why, despite these challenges, our University is committed to continuing to roll out our Australia’s first fully Co-operative Education Model and growing our domestic program offerings to meet the critical skill shortages across regional Victoria.

Decisions trying to address student migration issues in other parts of Australia should not inadvertently impact regional Victoria. This is especially the case after Federation has invested significantly in developing a more robust and targeted international student program that meets the needs of regional Victoria.

I am hopeful that our ongoing engagement with the Federal Government to take imminent action to address student visa settings and restore certainty in international student markets into 2026 will be successful.

Without this, the impacts on regional communities and industries could be profound. There is a real risk that Federation’s proposed international student level could become meaningless in terms of promoting Federation’s recovery or role in Australia’s international education sector.

I note that these issues have been acknowledged at senior levels of the Federal Government and local Members of Parliament on all sides, in particular the Member for Ballarat, the Hon Catherine King MP, and the Member for Bruce, Mr Julian Hill MP. I thank them for their strong interest in Federation’s situation and to continuing positive engagement on these issues in the coming weeks.

Because of these decisions, the proposed international education legislation must provide certainty for regional universities, who hold just 10,000 of the 240,000 places under the National Planning Level, so universities like Federation can grow their programs and support their local communities’ workforce and skills needs.

These proposed laws should not risk pushing regional universities further into deficit, create uncertainty for regional students, or make regional investment less attractive.

Federation has seen strong demand for its domestic programs and our University should not have to choose which courses to prioritise while regional leaders are calling for more growth in skills and course offerings for local domestic students.”

MIL OSI News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU remembers victims of political repressions

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Participants of the event dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression. Left – Irina Lapina

On the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression, first-year students of the Faculty of Forensic Science and Law in Construction and Transport of SPbGASU held an event dedicated to this sad date.

“Political repression is terrible. When a person is declared an “enemy of the people,” tortured, sent to camps. When the children of “enemies of the people” are placed in special shelters. Almost every family has experienced the roller of these repressions. Particularly terrible events took place in the 1930s,” Irina Lapina, head of the Department of History and Philosophy, addressed the audience.

Yana Bak, Polina Tumanova and Valeria Kolodiy spoke about what political repression is and why it is important to remember it. The students gave a presentation to their classmates, prepared by their group. The audience learned about the chronology of political repression in the USSR and other countries, as well as what a deep mark they left on history and culture.

According to the students, studying cases of political repression helps to understand the mechanisms of suppression of dissent and the importance of protecting human rights. Understanding the consequences of repressive actions can help prevent them in the future. Remembering repression, people can express support for those who suffered from it and contribute to the restoration of justice.

“This was our initiative. We wanted to study this topic in more depth and tell others about what we learned,” said Jana Bak.

“This is a date that should be remembered. In addition, participation in such events develops political culture,” believes Polina Tumanova.

The Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression is celebrated on October 30. It was established by the Resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of October 18, 1991 “On the establishment of the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression” in connection with the adoption of the law “On the rehabilitation of victims of political repression”. The date was chosen in memory of the hunger strike of prisoners of the Mordovian and Perm camps, which began on October 30, 1974 in protest against political repression in the USSR.

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic hosted the first symposium of the Association of Indonesian Students in Russia

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

The first symposium of the Indonesian Students Association “PERMIRA” was held at the Polytechnic University. A bright and significant event in the humanitarian and scientific cooperation between Russia and Indonesia. The participants of the event discussed current topics related to the interaction of the two countries in the field of culture, science and technology.

The theme of the symposium was “Youth Intercultural Entrepreneurship: Integrating Public Diplomacy to Strengthen Cooperation in a Multipolar World.” The welcoming speech was given by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in St. Petersburg and President of the Association of Industrial Enterprises of St. Petersburg Valery Radchenko and the Head of the Department for Relations with International Organizations of the Committee on External Relations Igor Bondarchuk.

In light of modern challenges, the importance of developing relations between our countries cannot be overestimated, Igor Bondarchuk noted. Young people are the engine of change and progress.

He also emphasized the role of youth cooperation in shaping future connections and partnerships.

The topics we discuss are extremely relevant for both countries, especially given the challenges we face. It is important that we continue to develop our relations between Russia and Indonesia,” said Berlian Helmi, Deputy Head of the Indonesian Diplomatic Mission to Russia and Belarus.

This symposium demonstrates the potential for cooperation between Polytechnic University and universities and partners from Indonesia. Youth intercultural entrepreneurship is an interesting area for joint work. In his welcoming speech, the head of the International Cooperation Department Vladimir Khizhnyak expressed SPbPU’s readiness to develop cooperation in various fields. In particular, the intention to place online courses of the Polytechnic University in English on Indonesian educational platforms was discussed. Vladimir Dmitrievich also invited Indonesian students to take part in the Summer School, which offers more than 40 different programs in English. An important step in strengthening cooperation will be the invitation of leading professors from Indonesian universities to read courses (online and in person).

The symposium became a platform for dialogue on joint projects and the implementation of ideas that will deepen the country’s interaction in the field of science and technology. In addition, the participants discussed the prospects for cooperation with Indonesian universities and the possibility of Indonesian students participating in the Polytechnic’s educational programs.

The symposium featured several fruitful sessions, each focusing on relevant topics for young entrepreneurs. The first session covered the state of the market both nationally and internationally. Participants discussed the opportunities and challenges facing young entrepreneurs, as well as ways to enhance opportunities for international students to build successful businesses.

Speakers shared best practices of university-company collaboration that serves as an incubator for successful young entrepreneurship. The session on navigating the complexities of export-import provided participants with an opportunity to learn about the regulatory framework, typical import-export products, and current challenges of trade diplomacy between Russia and Indonesia. They discussed strategies for increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of local goods in the international arena. The accelerator and startup incubator program was the topic of one of the discussions, where young entrepreneurs could consider the challenges and opportunities they face in the process of creating and developing their projects.

Particular attention was paid to the interactive session, where alumni of all generations met. Indonesians who studied in Russian universities shared their stories. They talked about the difficulties, advantages of knowledge obtained in Russia, and the influence of the PERMIRA association on strengthening Russian-Indonesian relations.

The organisers also organised an exhibition of Russian and Indonesian crafts and art, where participants were introduced to the works of Indonesian artisans – from exquisite textiles to artwork reflecting the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Next year, Russia and Indonesia will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This event will become another reason for the further development of stable and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Photo archive

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic at the conference “Additive technologies: barriers and overcoming”

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

The first all-Russian conference “Additive technologies: barriers and overcoming” was held in Moscow as part of the international engine-building forum. The event was organized by the Additive Technologies Center with the support of the Rostec State Corporation and the United Engine Corporation. Polytechnic was represented at the conference by employees of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport.

Representatives of Rostec, Rosatom, Roscosmos, UAC, UEC and others took part in the conference. The business program was divided into several thematic blocks: production, materials, equipment and software. The organizers held a round table with the participation of members of territorially distributed centers of additive manufacturing specialization of UEC and industry experts.

The delegation from the Polytechnic University included the following representatives of IMMiT: Director of the Institute Anatoly Popovich, Director of the Center for Continuing and Professional Education Maria Trenina and Director of the Scientific and Educational Center “Mechanical Engineering Technologies” Pavel Novikov. The conference participants discussed current issues and prospects for the development of additive technologies. At the plenary session, Anatoly Popovich made a report on the topic “Additive Technologies. Experience and Development Prospects”. He noted the high level of the event and spoke about the achievements of SPbPU in the field of additive technologies, emphasizing the importance of developing ceramics and 3D printing for use in aircraft engine building and space.

At the conference, a cooperation agreement was signed between JSC Center for Additive Technologies and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. On behalf of JSC Center for Additive Technologies, the document was signed by General Director Alexey Mazalov. The agreement provides for the joint development of educational programs, advanced training of teachers and staff, and joint research work.

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Happy birthday to Grigory Gurov!

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

On October 31, the State University of Management and the most active youth of Russia congratulate the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), associate professor of the Department of Public and Municipal Management of the State University of Management Grigory Gurov on his birthday!

Grigory Aleksandrovich began working in the field of youth policy when he was still a student at the North Caucasus Humanitarian and Technical Institute. And since graduating in 2006, he has not changed his chosen career direction, working and devoting himself to various specialized organizations in his native Stavropol Krai. In 2017, he moved to Moscow and held leadership positions in Rosmolodezh for four years. Later, for about a year and a half, he was Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. In December 2022, he headed the Russian Movement of Children and Youth “Movement of the First”, and in September of this year he became the head of Rosmolodezh.

We wish the birthday boy further career success, even more implemented projects of all-Russian scale and state awards for his work. Knowing the simplicity and humanity of Grigory Gurov, there is a feeling that his main priorities are that all the youth of the country are happy, have maximum opportunities for self-realization and grow up as law-abiding citizens. At the same time, he himself will only need comfortable jeans and sneakers to attend many events aimed at his wards. This is why we especially love, respect and appreciate him!

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/31/2024

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “Science is international and aimed at the benefit of all mankind”

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

Sharing research results

This year, our International Center for Decision Analysis and Choice at the National Research University Higher School of Economics celebrates its 15th anniversary. This HSE division carries out work that is at the forefront of scientific research in various fields, and we also interact a lot with various universities around the world. And almost every year we hold schools such as the autumn school “Advances in Decision Analysis”. Its goal is for scientists to learn what is being done in science around the world. Science is not Russian or American, English, science is international, it is aimed at the benefit of all humanity. We must constantly exchange research results. And within the framework of the school, we receive the very latest scientific work of the highest level. This is of great importance for our students and teachers. Lagging behind is dangerous, and our school exists to prevent it.

Comfortable format

The online format is convenient for our school. During Covid, we mastered this technology because people could not travel. In the current political situation, there are also restrictions, but the respect for our school is very high, so many foreign colleagues agreed to give presentations online. As part of the autumn school, we made several broadcasts on the Internet, which were joined by participants from various universities in Russia and around the world.

List of speakers

The first speaker was Professor Arunava Sen, one of India’s leading scientists who works at the Indian Statistical Institute. Some schools in India have an excess supply of teachers, while others have a shortage, and the speaker explained how to effectively reassign teachers, taking into account their wishes and the needs of the schools. Then Ahmed Alkan from Sabanci University, Turkey, one of the largest specialists in the field of generalized matchings, spoke – also completely new work related to representing these matchings in the form of lattices. The next speaker, Mario Guarracino from the University of Cassino, Italy, gave an amazing overview of neural network analysis methods and how neural networks operate. Eric Maskin, an employee of our center and a Nobel laureate, also spoke; I was delighted by his work on classical voting models. But he made very significant progress here. Alexey Myachin, also our employee, gave a report on completely new models in pattern analysis. This is a direction that has been developing for us for 20 years. Very high-quality new results have been obtained. The next talk is by Michel Grabisch from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris, who spoke about the possibility of generating linear orders. Then Vladimir Makarenkov, head of the bioinformatics department at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, spoke about bioinformatics and practical applications. One of the world’s leading experts in the field of data analysis, Boris Mirkin, also spoke, who spoke about new models of K-means algorithms for data analysis. Colleagues from Sberbank Dzhangir Dzhangirov and Andrey Vashevnik spoke about large linguistic models and new visions for risk assessments.

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: WSTDF 2024: Highlighting AI innovation, global governance

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

The 2024 World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF) hosted a thematic session in Beijing on Oct. 23 focused on “AI Governance Innovation: Building an International Trust Foundation for Cultivating the Ecology of Science and Technology Governance”. The session brought together global experts and scholars, representatives of international organizations, and industry leaders to explore the innovative breakthroughs of artificial intelligence (AI), its applications across various industries, and the necessary frameworks for managing associated risks.

Attendees take part in the “AI Governance Innovation: Building an International Trust Foundation for Cultivating the Ecology of Science and Technology Governance” thematic session at WSTDF 2024, Beijing, Oct. 23, 2024. [Photo courtesy of WSTDF]
AI as a catalyst for sci-tech advancement
Wan Gang, chairman of WSTDF 2024 and president of the China Association for Science and Technology, emphasized the critical role of AI in advancing scientific research. “We hope to establish a new paradigm for cutting-edge scientific research that is fundamentally supported by artificial intelligence, accelerating the development of new industries and building new engines for growth,” Wan stated. He further called for joint efforts to promote the alignment and coordination of laws, regulations and standards, and establishing evaluation, education, warning and control mechanisms for AI applications to enhance the credibility, reliability and controllability of AI.
At the conference, experts and industry leaders engaged in in-depth discussions on AI’s technological breakthroughs and its industrial applications. Qiao Hong, president of the World Robot Cooperation Organization and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted that AI has become a driving force of the technological revolution, finding extensive applications in intelligent manufacturing, smart cities, health care and financial services. She presented the “2024 Outlook for the Top 10 Frontier Technology Trends in AI,” covering advancements in general AI technologies, large-scale pre-trained models, embodied intelligence and generative AI, showcasing the boundless potential and possibilities of AI.
Qiao said, “These cutting-edge technologies hold immense potential. The advancements will not only make daily life more convenient and efficient, but also spur innovation and drive progress across a wide range of industries.”
As a cutting-edge field within AI, embodied intelligence is transitioning from concept to reality, drawing significant attention at the conference. Chang Lin, founder and CEO of Leju Robotics, noted that embodied intelligence and humanoid robots have shifted from niche concepts to mainstream relevance. “The rapid development of AI, especially large models, has greatly enhanced the adaptability of humanoid robots, significantly improving their general capabilities,” said Chang. “This progress paves the way for robots to take on flexible, intelligent tasks in household settings, potentially transforming everyday life.”
Han Fengtao, founder and CEO of Spirit AI, emphasized that while embodied intelligence is not a new term, recent technological breakthroughs have brought it into the mainstream. In the robotics industry, for example, “the core advancement has reduced the need for human intervention at every stage,” Han explained. With technologies like text-to-image and text-to-action generation, robots are now capable of performing tasks with greater autonomy, he said.
Ethical challenges and the need for responsible AI governance
As artificial intelligence rapidly advances, ethical concerns and social challenges have emerged.
Zhang Ping, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, pointed out that while breakthroughs in generative AI bring convenience, they also pose security and ethical challenges. “Issues like identity fraud through AI-generated content, and inappropriate messaging are rising,” he said.
Zhang shared research progress from a Beijing AI safety governance lab, which focuses on building a theoretical framework for general AI to ensure safe, controllable development. The lab is also pioneering super-alignment technologies to better align AI outputs with human values and decisions. Additionally, they are enhancing interpretability and automating assessments to confirm that general AI aligns with societal good.
Huang Tiejun, a professor at Peking University, echoed these concerns, warning of the risks in commercial AI applications. He urged companies to prioritize human welfare, even when faced with lucrative business opportunities, emphasizing that global regulation is essential to prevent AI-dominant corporations from monopolizing benefits, concentrating wealth and worsening social inequality.
Chang Lin stressed the importance of adopting a responsible approach to AI, highlighting the need for companies to continuously address and resolve emerging risks. Meanwhile, founder and CEO of Accelerated Evolution, Cheng Hao, added that ensuring AI safety is a complex matter, which involves physical and algorithmic domains. He explained that robot malfunctions or algorithmic errors could harm humans, underscoring the need for safety mechanisms that allow systems to stop in hazardous situations.
Global cooperation to shape AI for humanity
Experts at the session emphasized the critical need for international collaboration and effective global governance to address associated risks and challenges.
Huang Tiejun, also director of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, highlighted that AI’s immense power must be managed on a global scale to prevent its misuse by a few companies. “International cooperation on AI governance is essential,” he stated. “This is a shared challenge for humanity, and we must use technical safeguards to ensure AI’s benefits aren’t abused.”
Huang said that scientists worldwide share more consensus than division regarding AI’s development. He noted that scientific collaboration is often more open than political cooperation. “Platforms like the WSTDF play a vital role in advancing the AI industry. Despite current global complexities, in-person exchanges ease tensions and increase collaborative opportunities,” he added.
Framing it within the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, Huang emphasized that AI development must advance the common welfare of all. “Guiding AI to benefit humanity is the direction we must follow.”
Chang Lin noted that, despite geopolitical challenges, grassroots international exchanges remain robust and active. “We must overcome obstacles and keep advancing global partnerships,” Chang said.
Gong Ke, former president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, highlighted the importance of supporting developing regions, noting that many international conflicts stem from unequal development. He stressed the role of advanced technology in helping developing nations achieve sustainable growth. “Enhanced productivity can be a driving force for peace,” Gong said.

MIL OSI China News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Report: Beijing leads China’s modernization efforts

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Beijing has led China’s modernization efforts for four consecutive years, according to the “2024 Chinese Modernization Index Report” released Wednesday by the School of Statistics of Renmin University of China.
The report evaluates the progress of Chinese modernization across five key areas: economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology.
The assessment framework comprises 24 indicators, including innovation, economic security, political participation, government efficiency, law-based governance, cultural engagement, social security, and pollution control.
The report highlights steady progress in China’s modernization journey over the past four years, with the most notable improvement seen in ecological conservation, demonstrating China’s commitment to green development. Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang province topped the rankings in this respect, each scoring over 80.
Beijing is also ranked first in social modernization, driven by expanded coverage in areas like education, eldercare, and healthcare.
The report recommends further economic development, strengthening government performance, promoting green development principles, and increasing people’s cultural participation.

MIL OSI China News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: VI Russian Sociogender Forum: GUU at the Center of International Dialogue on Social Security of the Family

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

The State University of Management, together with the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, co-organized the VI Russian Sociogender Forum with international participation “Social, demographic and spiritual security of the family institution in the context of the formation of a new social world order.”

As part of the Forum, on October 25, 2024, a meeting of the scientific section “Trust as a socio-gender basis for the formation of a family, stable development of family relations and successful solution of strategic tasks of the demographic policy of Russian society and the state” was held at the Institute of Public Administration and Law of the State University of Management.

In the reports that covered modern challenges and trends in this area, of particular interest were cases and studies of the problems of gender socialization of women, trust and mistrust between the sexes, socio-psychological mechanisms and strategies for successfully resolving family conflicts, including divorces, the share of which in 2022 increased to 68%, while 70 years ago this figure was 4%. In Russia, according to the results of 2023, the total fertility rate, reflecting the average number of children born to one woman during the reproductive period (from 15 to 50 years), turned out to be “terribly low” and amounted to 1.41.

The moderator of the section “Trust as a socio-gender basis for the formation of a family, stable development of family relations and successful solution of strategic tasks of the demographic policy of Russian society and the state” was the head of the relevant scientific school, professor of the department of sociology, psychology and history of our university Viktor Krivopuskov.

The scientific discussion was also attended by professors of sociology T.E. Petrova, I.V. Mkrtumova, V.V. Krivopuskov, professors of psychological sciences N.A. Tsvetkova, N.A., O.A. Ovsyanik, M.V. Iontseva, I.E. Sokolovskaya, candidate of historical sciences K.A. Aramyan, candidate of psychological sciences L.Yu. Shuraeva, candidate of economic sciences, head of the Center for Mediation and Social and Legal Assistance, branch of the State Budgetary Institution “Resource Center for Guardianship and Trusteeship “Assistance” of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the City of Moscow O.E. Gracheva, as well as graduate students, master’s students and bachelors of the university.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/31/2024

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU became one of the organizers of the week “Design without Borders” in Yerevan

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – At the Faculty of Design of NUACA

The international week “Design without Borders” was held in Yerevan on October 21-26 at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA). The event was held jointly with the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and the Saint Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design and was intended to unite specialists and students in the field of design.

In his welcoming speech at the opening of the week, Dean of the Faculty of Design at NUASA Artashes Melikyan noted that he was glad to welcome everyone to the university and expressed hope for successful cooperation.

NUASA Vice-Rector for International Relations Vardges Yedoyan also gave a welcoming speech. He noted that an interesting working week was ahead: lectures, discussions, excursions, and wished all participants success.

The delegation of SPbGASU included representatives of the Faculty of Architecture: Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design Elena Voitsekhovskaya, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Design Zoya Aksenova, Associate Professor of the Department of Architectural Environment Design Pavel Loshakov, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Drawing Konstantin Tarasov, Associate Professor of the Department of Landscape Architecture Ksenia Yakovleva and students Anna Kotova, Laura Nanieva, Ekaterina Kondratovich, Bogdan Lobanov and Daniil Sinyakov.

The week included lectures and workshops on current design trends, technological innovations, the effects of artificial intelligence, creating experiences, and more. 20 leading industry experts presented their experience and shared their knowledge, and students had the opportunity to improve their skills in practice. In addition, the program included study visits to historical and cultural sites and museums in Armenia.

Representatives of SPbGASU spoke about current trends and achievements in the academic and extracurricular work of the architectural faculty. The reports aroused genuine interest, became a reason for questions from colleagues and led to serious discussions.

The participants confirmed the high level of SPbGASU and, in a broader sense, the prestige of St. Petersburg as a world cultural center.

Our participants got acquainted with the organization of the educational process at the NUASA Design Faculty, the content, methodology and material base of training, saw samples of coursework and graduation works in various areas of training, visited classrooms, fine art studios, model and geodetic workshops, discussed key topics today, in particular, the use of artificial intelligence methods in design and training. The parties considered the prospects for further cooperation: summer schools, conferences, internships, scientific work and the possibility of joint publications.

Students of the Faculty of Architecture of SPbGASU performed well as speakers: NUASA teachers noted their high motivation, cultural level and professional outlook.

Ksenia Yakovleva shared her impressions of the trip: “The exchange of professional experience in educational, work and cultural aspects was useful for students and teaching staff. Many topics related to trends in education were discussed at the round tables. In addition, the topics of preserving cultural heritage, opportunities and the degree of involvement of architects in the improvement of the urban environment were touched upon.

Our students actively participated in master classes and gave presentations, where they confidently demonstrated not only their projects, but also demonstrated motivational and professional qualities, once again confirming the high level of training at SPbGASU.

Official and informal meetings, acquaintance with culture and history, excellent organization made this trip rich and unforgettable. The contacts established during the working trip to Yerevan will be used for further exchange of experience and expansion of international relations.”

Third-year student of the Department of Landscape Architecture Bogdan Lobanov noted: “Thanks to this trip, I realized how important it is to communicate and be part of a large student architectural community. I would like to maintain and deepen such connections.”

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Islands Business publisher Samantha Magick – storyteller, risk-taker and community champion

By Teagan Laszlo, Queensland University of Technology

For Samantha Magick, journalism isn’t just a job. It is a lifelong commitment to storytelling, advocacy, and empowering voices often overlooked in the Pacific.

As the managing editor and publisher at Islands Business, the Pacific Islands’ longest surviving news and business monthly magazine, Magick’s commitment to quality reporting and journalistic integrity has established her as a leading figure in the region’s news industry.

Magick’s passion for journalism began at a young age.

“I wanted to be a journalist when I was like 12,” Magick recalls. “When I left school, that’s all I wanted to study.”

She remembers her family’s disapproval when she would write stories as a child, as they thought she was “sharing secrets”. Despite that early condemnation, Magick’s thriving journalism career has taken her across continents and exposed her to diverse media landscapes.

After completing a Bachelor of Communications with a major in journalism at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Australia, Magick began her career at Communications Fiji Limited (CFL), a prominent Fijian commercial network.

She progressed over 11 years from a cadet to CFL’s news director.

Guidance of first boss
Magick attributes some of her early success to the guidance of her first boss and CFL’s founder, William Parkinson. She considers herself fortunate to have had a supportive mentor who led by example and dared to take risks early in life, such as founding a radio station in his 20s.

After leaving CFL, Magick’s career took her across the globe, including regional Pacific non-government organisations, news publications in Hawai’i and Indonesia, and even international legal organisations in Italy.

Magick, who is of both Fijian and Australian heritage, returned to Suva in 2018, where she began her current role as Islands Business’s managing editor.

“I’ve chosen to make my life in Fiji because I feel more myself here,” Magick says, reflecting on her deep connection to the island nation.

Magick’s vision for Islands Business focuses on delving into the deeper, underlying narratives often overshadowed by breaking news cycles and free, readily available news content.

“We need to be able to demonstrate the value of investigation, big picture reporting rather than the day-to-day stuff,” Magick says.

Magick prides herself on creating a diverse and inclusive newsroom that reflects the communities it serves.

Need for diverse newsroom
“You have to have a diverse newsroom,” she emphasises, recognising the importance of amplifying marginalised voices. “For example, there is a conscious effort to make sure our magazine is not full of photos of men shaking hands with other men.”

Magick also believes journalists have a responsibility to advocate for change, as demonstrated by Islands Business’s dedication to tackling pressing issues from climate change to media freedom.

“Why would I give a climate change denier space?” Magick questions when discussing the need to balance objectivity and advocacy. “Because it’s kind of going to sell magazines? Because it’s going to create a bit of a stir online? That’s not something we believe in.”

Despite her success, Magick’s career has not been without challenges. Magick worked through Fiji’s former draconian media restriction laws under the Media Industry Development Act 2010, while also navigating the shift to digital media.

Islands Business managing editor Samantha Magick (right) with Fiji Times reporter Rakesh Kumar and chief editor Fred Wesley (centre) celebrating the repeal of the draconian Fiji media law last year . . . ““Why would I give a climate change denier space?” Image: Lydia Lewis/RNZ Pacific

Magick emphasises the need to constantly upskill and re-evaluate strategies to ensure she and Islands Business can effectively navigate the constantly evolving media landscape.

From learning to capitalise on social media analytics to locating reputable information sources when many of them feared to speak to the journalists due to the risk of legal retribution, Magick believes flexibility and perseverance are crucial to staying ahead in media.

In her early career, Magick also faced sexism and misogyny in the media industry. “When I think back about the way I was treated as a young journalist, I feel sick,” Magick says as she reflects on how she and her female colleagues would warn each other against interviewing certain sources alone.

Supporting aspiring journalists
The challenges Magick has faced undoubtably contribute to her dedication to supporting aspiring journalists, as evident through Kite Pareti’s journey. Starting as a freelance writer with no newswriting experience in March 2022, Pareti has since progressed to one of two full-time reporters at Islands Business.

Pareti expresses gratitude for the opportunities she’s had while working at Islands Business, and for the mentorship of Magick, whom she describes as “family”.

“Samantha took a chance on me when I had zero knowledge on news writing,” Pareti says. “So I’m grateful to God for her life and for allowing me to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Magick reciprocates this sentiment. “Recently, I am inspired by some of our younger reporters in the field, and their ability to embrace and leverage technology — they’re teaching me.”

Magick anticipates an exciting period ahead for Islands Business, as she aims to attract a younger, professionally driven, and regionally focused audience to their platforms.

When asked about her aspirations for journalism in the region, Magick says she hopes to see a future where Pacific voices remain at the centre, “telling their own stories in all their diversities”.

Teagan Laszlo was a student journalist from the Queensland University of Technology who travelled to Fiji with the support of the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme. This article is published in a partnership of QUT with Asia Pacific Report, Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN) and The University of the South Pacific.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SED attends China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education in Beijing (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

SED attends China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education in Beijing (with photo)
SED attends China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education in Beijing (with photo)
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The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (October 31) attended the 25th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education (CACIE) in Beijing to share Hong Kong’s experiences in promoting internationalisation and diversification of higher education, and promote the “Study in Hong Kong” Brand. CACIE is a high-level and comprehensive platform for global educators to engage in dialogue and practical co-operation. Under the theme “Education for All, the Unknown and the Future”, this year’s Conference aims to forge a consensus on global education development and reform. Thousands of people from different countries and regions attended. In her keynote speech at the plenary session of CACIE on Hong Kong’s efforts in promoting internationalisation and diversification in the higher education sector, Dr Choi said that Hong Kong has five universities funded by the University Grants Committee which are ranked among the world’s top 100. Coupled with a sound education infrastructure, outstanding research talent and strong research capabilities, Hong Kong’s reputable brand name of quality education is widely recognised and acknowledged both locally and globally. “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” announced the establishment of the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents to take forward the work of invigorating the country through science and education, and accelerate the building of an innovative talent pool. At the same time, the Government launched a number of key initiatives, including supporting capacity expansion and quality enhancement of local institutions; stepping up overseas publicity to attract more non-local students to study in Hong Kong; strengthening collaboration with universities from all over the world to broaden students’ international horizons; promoting synergistic development of higher education in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to complement each other’s strengths; and nurturing cross-disciplinary talent, and pressing ahead with the development of universities of applied sciences to create multiple pathways for young people. She said that the Government has been actively supporting the establishment of alliances between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to gather high-quality teaching and research resources, and to achieve mutual benefits through deepening co-operation among member institutions in areas such as scientific innovation and talent exchanges, thereby enhancing the level and standard of regional co-operation, and developments on different fronts. During the Conference, Dr Choi exchanged views on the latest trends and developments in global education with other guests, including Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress Mr Ding Zhongli; the Governor of Victoria, Australia, Professor Margaret Gardner; Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of Uzbekistan Mr Otabek Mahkamov; the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of International Education in the United States, Dr Allan Goodman; and the Ambassador of France to China, Mr Bertrand Lortholary. In addition, Dr Choi met representatives of Hong Kong post-secondary education institutions participating in the Expo to learn about the promotional efforts of publicly funded and self-financing institutions in expanding their international network and recruiting students from around the world to study in Hong Kong.??? Dr Choi will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Ends/Thursday, October 31, 2024Issued at HKT 17:43

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: furore over Anthony Albanese’s Qantas perks chips away at public trust in politicians

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

A major takeout from the inquiry into the national response to COVID is that a lack of trust would likely mean a less cooperative public during a future pandemic.

Trust spiked early in the crisis, as fear ran high and people turned to known institutions and authority figures. Later, trust declined and frustrations rose, with people reacting against harsh measures.

Criticism has grown in retrospect. In a 2024 survey, 54% said the government’s handling at the time was appropriate. This had been 80% at the pandemic’s peak. By 2024, 29% said the government had overreacted; they were more likely to rate its performance poorly than were people earlier.

The review, by an independent panel, stressed the importance of better communication and coordination in planning for future crises. But a few wrinkles should also be considered.

If we had another pandemic in five years, people would indeed be more resistant to restrictions. But if the next similar crisis was, say, 50 years on, the then-public’s attitude would be anyone’s guess. Trust might surge and subside in a similar pattern.

The change in views is unsurprising. Looking back, memories of the threat fade somewhat – because overall Australia did well – while those of the restraints (some of them notable overreach) loom larger.

The pandemic’s lift in public trust was a blip – driven by extraordinary circumstances – in a long-term decline. This decline is a serious intractable problem in our democracy, as in many other countries.

You’d have to be super optimistic to expect a revival in trust in the foreseeable future. But if it continues to fall away, the foundations of our political institutions and our society will become shakier.

In the United States, Donald Trump made a huge assault on people’s trust in the electoral system after he lost the 2020 presidential election. There’d be fears he would do the same if he loses next week.

Thankfully, in Australia trust around election management remains absolutely solid. But there’s mounting concern about the corrosive effect of misinformation and disinformation in the political debate and, equally, distrust of proposals to curb these.

The polarisation in our media is a much paler version of what we see in the US, but is still wearing away at trust.

Distrust and cynicism are closely related, and can be fuelled by relatively small things.

Australians have always been disrespectful of the political class. To a degree this can be positive, if it is healthy scepticism. But if it descends into a belief politicians are more likely to serve themselves than serve the public good, that pulls democracy downwards.

Independent Helen Haines wrote this week: “in a world of aggressive lobbying, of jobs for mates, and acceptance of pork-barrelling, it is no surprise that in Australia there is diminishing trust in politics and governments”.

The furore over Anthony Albanese obtaining Qantas upgrades, arising from Joe Aston’s just-published The Chairman’s Lounge, might be seen as small beer, as “scandals” go.

But it raises suspicions, justified or not, in voters’ minds about decision-making. If big corporations are so cosy with politicians, are the politicians more likely to lend them sympathetic ears?

After all, the pursuit of access and influence is behind much of the money that’s donated to politics. The same applies to privileges extended.

Integrity is vital to trust. It didn’t pass the integrity test for Albanese to have accepted upgrades from Qantas, especially for personal travel, when he was transport minister in the former Labor government, overseeing regulation of the airline.

After dodging for days – he said it took a long time to check his records – Albanese finally denied ever contacting then Qantas chief Alan Joyce (or other executives) to request upgrades. But, it will be asked, did a mates network mean he didn’t need to?

Albanese is highly sensitive over the Qantas story, insisting to colleagues and others it is just a media beatup.

The affair has chipped away at public trust not just in the prime minister but, to an extent, more generally, as scrutiny stretched to travel largesse received by opposition figures, including Peter Dutton asking to use Gina Rinehart’s plane.

Research for the COVID inquiry showed a distrustful public wants more transparency from their politicians.

It’s a paradox that we’ve seen an expansion of mechanisms for transparency, yet there’s the perception, and often the reality, of things being deeply opaque.

In the upgrades affair, Albanese has made much of the fact he declared everything on his parliamentary register of interests. Yet that doesn’t get us to the core of the relationship between a senior politician and key people in an airline.

It’s the same with the gambling industry. What has been going on behind the scenes to delay the government’s decision on gambling reform, expected months ago? We can find from the record the donations the gambling industry gave, but not the influence exerted privately.

The increasing professionalisation of politics may have worked against trust. It distances voters from the politicians, and provides more tools for manipulating public opinion.

This may be one reason why “community candidates”, with their grassroots campaigning, have appealed. But the apparent shyness of Simon Holmes à Court, whose Climate 200 fund donates to some of these candidates, about finding himself on the Australian Financial Review’s “covert power” list only turned more attention to the backstory of money and politics.

Concern about integrity and trust was a driver of the Albanese government’s establishment, with much fanfare, of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Now a scathing report released this week threatens to undermine public trust in that body.

It followed the NACC’s decision not to investigate six people referred to it by the royal commission into Robodebt.

Robodebt had delivered a massive blow to people’s trust in government and the public service, and it was vital full accountability was pursued.

The NACC head, Paul Brereton, delegated the decision-making on whether to open an investigation to another commissioner, because he’d had a professional relationship with one of the people referred.

But, in a damning report, the Inspector of the NACC found Brereton had not adequately excused himself.

“I found that the NACC Commissioner’s involvement in the decision-making was comprehensive, before, during and after the 19 October 2023 meeting at which the substantive decision was made not to investigate the referrals,” the Inspector concluded.

Brereton’s response has been to say mistakes happen, the important thing is to correct them, and this will be done – through the appointment of an “eminent person” to review whether the referrals should be investigated.

Both government and opposition are declaring faith in Brereton. But crossbench senator David Pocock argues Brereton should go. Anthony Whealy, former judge and chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, told the ABC that while Brereton hadn’t committed a sackable offence, in his shoes he would step down, to protect the NACC’s reputation.

Is that the price of maintaining trust in this institution that was supposed to help restore trust?

Michelle Grattan 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. Grattan on Friday: furore over Anthony Albanese’s Qantas perks chips away at public trust in politicians – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-furore-over-anthony-albaneses-qantas-perks-chips-away-at-public-trust-in-politicians-242589

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft Day was held at Ufa State Petroleum Technological University

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

Rosneft Day was held at the Company’s key partner university in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa State Petroleum Technological University (USPTU). 34 subsidiaries, including 10 enterprises of Bashneft, Rosneft’s largest asset in the region, took part in the job fair and presentations.

During the Rosneft Day, vacancies for students and graduates of universities and colleges were presented. Today, the most popular vacancies among blue-collar jobs are: oil and gas production operator, chemical analysis laboratory assistant, process unit operator, instrument operator, repairman, process unit repairman, process pump operator, commodity operator, general machine operator, electrician for repair and maintenance of electrical equipment, electric and gas welder.

Oil refiners from Bashneft-Novoil held a quiz for students on the topic of “Oil refining and more”, the winners won tickets to the cinema. Orenburgneft held a game of “oil monopoly”. Guests of the fair could also attend a lecture on “Hydraulic fracturing – a discipline at the intersection of sciences” from RN-GRP. The master class “Career roasting” and a meeting with foreign students were held by RN-Service employees. All participants of the events received memorable souvenirs.

Rosneft, as part of the corporate continuous education program “school – college/university – enterprise”, is implementing projects to attract talented youth and form an external personnel reserve. In the Republic of Bashkortostan, the program has been implemented for several years. This year, 49 schoolchildren entered the 10th “Rosneft-classes”. In addition, in Ufa, in pilot mode, 25 9th-grade students were enrolled in the “Rosneft-class”. The Ufa Fuel and Energy College (UTEK) acted as a partner of the pilot.

There are six Bashneft corporate groups in Ufa State Petroleum Technical University and Ufa Energy Company in various training areas, including: oil and gas geology and geophysics, solid fuel, oil and gas processing technology, design and operation of oil and gas processing equipment, etc. In specialized groups, students combine work in production with training according to an individual schedule. Training in specialized subjects is carried out with the involvement of expert teachers from among Bashneft employees. Students also participate in career guidance and corporate events of the Company.

In partnership with Bashneft enterprises, the following basic departments were created at USPTU: “Technologies of Petrochemical Processes”, “Welding of Oil and Gas Structures”, “Bashneft Processing”, and “Bashneft – Environmental Engineering”.

The scientific institute “RN-BashNIPIneft” supervises 7 basic and graduating departments at USPTU. This year, the institute opened two new basic departments at the university: “Lean Technologies and Innovations in the Oil and Gas Complex” and “Oil and Gas Field Equipment for Well Operation and Repair”. Also in 2024, a new master’s program MPE Petroleum Engineering in the direction of “Oil and Gas Engineering” was opened for foreign students at the Department of “Field Pipeline Systems” of USPTU. RN-BashNIPIneft specialists teach master’s students the design, development and production of oil and gas fields on land and offshore, work in Rosneft software products, introduce innovative well drilling technologies, etc. The first students of the program were 10 applicants from Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroon.

Ufaorgsintez annually holds the Unified Oil Refinery Cup in Oil Refining Olympiad and the Petrochemistry, Chemical Technology and Automation Olympiad for senior students at the University. In addition to certificates and gifts, winners and prize winners receive additional points that are taken into account when applying for a master’s degree at USPTU, and are also invited to interviews at Bashneft enterprises for possible employment.

Reference:

Ufa State Petroleum Technological University is one of the leading technical universities in Russia. With the support of the Company, a unique scientific and educational center “NK Rosneft – Ufa State Petroleum Technological University” was created there.

Since 2001, Rosneft and USPTU have been partners in the field of training qualified personnel, scientific and innovative activities, as well as the implementation of international educational projects of the Company with Tsinghua University (PRC) and Qatar University.

Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft October 31, 2024

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Congratulations to Nikita Avralev on his appointment!

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

On October 31, 2024, a graduate of the Academic Reserve program, implemented by the State University of Management by order of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, was appointed acting rector of the Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University named after N.A. Dobrolyubov.

Dear Nikita Vladimirovich! On behalf of the State University of Management, we congratulate you on your new appointment! Remember, GUU is always ready for interaction and cooperation, and its doors are open to all graduates. We wish you to successfully cope with new work tasks and worthily represent your university.

Nikita Avralev graduated from Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod in 2003 with a degree in Political Science. In 2021, he completed his Master’s degree in State and Municipal Administration. He holds the academic title of Associate Professor and the academic degree of Candidate of Political Sciences. He is the author of over 40 scientific papers.

For more than 10 years, he worked at Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, including in leadership positions. From 2020 to 2023, he held the post of Vice-Rector for Strategic and Innovative Development of SKFU. Since April 2023 – Vice-Rector for Strategic Development of Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod.

Awarded with a Letter of Gratitude from the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia for his significant contribution to the development of education and conscientious work.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/31/2024

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: HSE FASHION DAYS: a series of lectures on fashion in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

HSE FASHION DAYS is an educational initiative of the HSE School of Art and Design, launched in winter 2024. This project includes a series of events dedicated to fashion, one of the most vibrant and dynamically developing creative areas that invariably attracts young people.

In the last cycleHSE FASHION DAYS was attended by such experts as Igor Andreev, Nino Shamatava, Masha Fedorova, Leonid Alekseev, Anzor Kankulov, Katya Sycheva and Aleksey Bazhenov.

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 –

January 25, 2025

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