NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with 4CA AM Murray Jones

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    MURRAY JONES [HOST]: Well, having lived in the regions for quite a few years, thankfully I had the opportunity to go to university, studied law actually, many, many years ago. But I remember hearing a statistic in recent times; of the people you may walk past, if you’re walking down Circular Quay in Sydney, one in two of the people that you pass, at least one in two, have a university degree or at least some form of tertiary education. You go further out, further out to the regions, the numbers get down to just one in five with a university degree or some form of tertiary education. It may even be even lower in some areas. So, particularly in the regional areas, getting further education facilities and opportunities, life changing for Australians. My special guest this morning, Assistant Minister for Education, also Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. He’s got quite the portfolio. Senator Anthony Chisholm joins me from Innisfail. Good morning, Anthony. How are you today?

    ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Good, Murray, good to be with you again. And, yeah, a really telling introduction there as well about the challenges that many people in regional Australia face.

    JONES: Yes, certainly when it comes to education. Look, you know, when we talk about, you know, obviously with the Queensland election, a lot of issues of crime, a lot of issues with respect to dysfunction that have come up, the better education, the better you are involved in society and doing things regardless of your age, you’re more likely to be staying off the street, not committing crime, and of course, negotiating this world when it comes to misinformation, disinformation, you know, a good education makes such a difference. So, the reason why you’re here and the reason why we’re talking to you, pretty exciting stuff, actually. Cassowary Coast Innisfail, the Cassowary Coast University Centre, has just been opened. The Innisfail facility, part of twelve new regional university study hubs that have been rolled out, Anthony.

    CHISHOLM: Yeah, really exciting and real pleasure for me to be here today to help open the hub. It’s already got 30 students who are studying here and for me that’s 30 people who might not have taken on a higher education degree if they didn’t have access to the support that these regional university study hubs provide. So, full credit to the Cassowary Coast Council for having the vision. They’ve got a partner in Vocational Partnerships Group who are working with them to make this hub a reality and I’m expecting that it will achieve outstanding results. And those young people growing up in Innisfail who aspire to a higher education degree, what this hub means is that they don’t have to leave town to achieve it. They can stay in their local community, they can have their support network around them of family and friends. And the exciting thing is that the next nurse or teacher that we desperately need in this part of the world can stay and study locally, which is fantastic.

    JONES: Now, it’s not a satellite university as such, I believe it’s not necessarily aligned with any particular university, but at the same time, it’s kind of aligned with all of them I understand.

    CHISHOLM: Yeah, that’s correct. So, this is led by council and obviously they’ve got the partnership with the Vocational Partnerships Group as well. But the beauty of these hubs is they’ve been established around the country and there’s more than 40 operating around regional Australia at the moment, is you can walk into them, you can meet students and they’ll be studying at universities all across the country. And what they get from the hub is that support, that mentoring, that help in navigating, and a high percentage of these people studying are first in family. As you know, Murray, universities can quite often be daunting places when you first turn up or you first engage.

    JONES: Sure.

    CHISHOLM: So, having those people there to support, provide that network to ensure they can navigate and achieve their best results is really important. And that’s what these regional university study hubs are providing around the country. And it’s exciting that that’ll now be an opportunity for students from around the Innisfail area.

    JONES: And look, I understand the statistics, more than 20 per cent of the Innisfail population identifying as First Nations people. So, I guess a great opportunity also for First Nations people to get involved in this particular hub.

    CHISHOLM: That’s right. And one of the things that these hubs have been really successful at is getting out and attending the local high schools and talking to those younger students to give them that hope and ambition that they can actually study at university. It doesn’t mean you’ve got to move away from home. And I think it just opens those eyes and gives people a real incentive to know that they can do – they can study, they can achieve, but they can do it locally. And that, I think particularly with the cost of living at the moment and the challenge that it would be for someone moving away from home, I think having that opportunity to do that locally is tremendous.

    JONES: Yeah, it certainly is. And look, you know, we’ve heard it many times over the years, some of the biggest issues certainly for Australians when it comes to elections, the things that they consider – education opportunities and obviously health, climate change, but particularly education, so important there. And look, you know, from a personal perspective, when it comes to identifying misinformation, disinformation and having an objective view on the world, I think education is just so important. And I’m sure I’ve mentioned to you before, my other half, she’s actually a schoolteacher as well. Can we touch on something? Even though you’re the Federal Assistant Minister for Education, there’s been a lot of talk about school lunches as part of the packages that have been put forward by various political parties. So, there’s been a bit of discussion there. Just in general terms, what do you think, particularly for primary school, for schools to actually be providing school lunches for students?

    CHISHOLM: Yeah, it’s interesting, Murray, and I – as you’re aware, I’m Assistant Minister for Education, so I get to regularly engage with the schooling system around the country. My brother is actually a groundsman at a state school closer to Brisbane as well –

    JONES: Okay.

    CHISHOLM: – so I regularly get updates from him about what he’s up to. But the thing that I’ve noticed is that so many schools around the country are already doing this type of thing, whether it be breakfast programs, whether it be lunch for children. And I think it’s just reflective of the times that we’re in around people doing it tough. Parents are really busy, and there often are schools that are fitting the bridge. So, I can understand why the state thinks that this is a good program to implement across the country and make it more universal and accessible so that all schools have the opportunity to do it. But I think it would be fair to say, and I’m sure you’d get this if you talk to other primary schools, that there’s already something similar being offered across breakfast and lunch for most schools. So, extending that and operating it universally and making sure it’s accessible to everyone, I think is a good announcement by the state government.

    JONES: And, you know, I often do hear it from my partner, you know, just basic things of having food for lunch, even having food the night before, having a clean uniform, all the textbooks, all the facilities and bits and pieces. Maybe not textbook these days, but I guess having those education facilities, you know, having them sorted out for kids is just so important so they can take that step and actually be very much involved in education. So, I’m sure when it comes to those lunches, that’s something we’ll be hearing about a lot more. Great to talk to you about this particular one. It’s the Cassowary Coast University Centre in Innisfail. Nice for you to be spending some time in the region and thank you so much for your time this morning, Anthony Chisholm. Cheers.

    CHISHOLM: Thanks, Murray. Good to be with you again.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: University of Tasmania ‘The Shed’ opening

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respects to elders past and present. 

    I also acknowledge: 

    • Tasmanian Minister for Education, Jo Palmer
    • Launceston Mayor, Councillor Matthew Garwood
    • Vice Chancellor Professor Rufus Black
    • My good friend, Senator Helen Polley

    It is wonderful to be here today to open The Shed. I’ve got to say it is the most impressive shed I’ve ever seen. 

    I was here not too long ago when it was still being built.

    It really is fantastic to see it come to life and from next year offering degrees in everything from science, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, medicine and physiotherapy. 

    When I think about the best universities in Australia, I don’t look at rankings. 

    I look at what they do.

    And when I do that, I see universities like you.

    Universities that are the real deal when it comes to fairness and opening the doors of opportunity. 

    When it comes to helping more people from poor families and the regions to get a crack.

    Things that are important to me.

    Last year, 16 per cent of university students were from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

    Here at University of Tasmania it was 25 per cent.

    That sort of university doesn’t just change the lives of the students you teach. 

    It ricochets through generations. 

    It transforms communities. 

    That’s the power of education. 

    That’s why the deal that Jo and I, and the Prime Minister and Premier Rockliff, signed a few weeks ago is so important. 

    Properly funding our schools and tying it to reforms to help young Tasmanians catch up, keep up and boosting the number of children finishing high school.

    Building that bridge to get here. 

    But it’s not just about the number of people who go to university or the number who finish school or go to early education and care.

    It’s even more basic than that. 

    It’s the number of years you are likely to live. 

    Last time I was here, Rufus and I talked exactly about that.

    In Newstead – 2.5 km down the road – the average life expectancy is 85.

    In Grindelwald – 18 km north of here – it is 74.

    11 years less. 

    The average person in Grindelwald lives 11 years less than the average person in Newstead.

    About 25 minutes apart on a good day. 

    And it’s the same if you look in the Hobart region. 

    In Bridgewater, the life expectancy is 67 and in Sandy Bay it’s 86. That’s 19 years less.

    In fact, for every kilometre you travel north away from Sandy Bay, you lose a year of life expectancy. 

    That’s what inequity really looks like in its most awful form. 

    Education can’t change everything. 

    But it is the most powerful change-maker in this country.

    It’s why the reforms I am driving in higher education are about giving more people a crack at university. 

    About breaking down the barrier that stops a lot of people from the outer suburbs and regions getting a look in. 

    It’s why places like this are so important. 

    This is more than just a building, it’s a beacon.

    It shows you know, like I do, that education is the most powerful cause for good in this country. 

    UTAS describes itself as “an agent for change”.

    That’s what education is. 

    It’s the greatest tool we have to build a country where your chances in life don’t depend on who your parents are, where you live or the colour of your skin. 

    A country that the Prime Minister describes as a place where no one is held back and no one is left behind. 

    We can be that country.

    And our education system can make it real. 

    But that means serious reform. 

    The sort we are doing now. 

    And more.

    And it will be better because of what you have built right here in Northern Tasmania. 

    It’s an honour to be here and share this moment with you today.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sex dolls and ‘Diddy’ costumes: the latest AFL drama shows Australian sport still can’t eradicate misogyny

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Humanities and Social Sciences, Monash University

    Disturbing details emerged this week about AFL men’s football team GWS’ end-of-year event, themed “controversial couples”.

    The AFL handed down a range of sanctions to the players involved, including fines and suspensions.

    While those defending the players have suggested their actions were lighthearted and in the spirit of the season-end celebration, research has established a connection between rape jokes and sexual assault.

    The AFL has a tarnished history when it comes to players perpetrating violence against women.

    Despite pledging support for ending gender-based violence in Australia, this incident proves problematic cultural problems persist within AFL clubs.

    What happened?

    Following an anonymous tip-off to GWS management, it was revealed a number of players engaged in sexist, racist and degrading acts during an end-of-season event.

    Player Josh Fahey dressed up as former NRL player Jarryd Hayne and “simulated inappropriate acts on a sex doll.”

    Hayne was sentenced to four years and nine months prison for raping a woman on the night of the 2018 NRL grand final but was released earlier this year after his convictions were overturned.

    Players Connor Idun and Lachie Whitfield performed a skit involving slavery, while another pair simulated the September 11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers.

    It has also been reported a sketch involving Sean “Diddy” Combs — an American rapper currently jailed on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation — was performed.

    Scholars and activists are working tirelessly to change public perceptions around violence against women. Jokes and skits themed around violence and sexual assault are harmful because they trivialise the immense harm gendered violence causes women and children.

    The AFL’s woman problem

    There are many historic examples of AFL players and athletes of other codes acting violently and disrespectfully towards women.

    Numerous current and former players, who have faced criminal charges for assaults and sexual violence towards women, have been allowed to continue playing or retain their status as celebrated players.

    Current AFL player Jordan De Goey has faced sexual assault allegations, and was briefly stood down by his club in 2021 after being charged with assault in the United States.

    He pleaded guilty to harassment and in 2022, Collingwood extended De Goey’s contract for five years.

    Recently, one of the AFL’s greatest former players, Wayne Carey, was set to be inducted as a legend in the New South Wales Football Hall of Fame, despite having a number of charges for assaulting women. However, the AFL did eventually block the move after public outcry.

    The AFL, and parts of the media, often distinguish players’ violence against women from their achievements on the field. This allows men to continue playing or repair their public image.

    It also sends a message that misogyny and violence against women are tolerated as long as the perpetrator’s talent provides value to the sport.

    The impact of athletes

    In the case of the GWS players, the AFL’s sanctions indicate the code’s willingness to take a stance on breaches of conduct.

    However, that the players believed their costumes and skits were acceptable in the first place indicates deep-seated issues in attitudes towards women.

    In each of the costume examples, sexual and racial violence formed key elements of the “joke”, indicating the AFL’s education and training on equity and diversity is not working.

    The general public tends to have high expectations of athletes’ behaviour due to their position as role models.

    It is often suggested that boys and young men require positive role models and that AFL players fit the bill, although research is not clear on whether the gender of supportive adults is relevant.

    At the moment, there is significant concern within the community about the influence of dangerous misogynist influencers on boys’ attitudes and behaviour towards women.

    Research suggests that while some young men have the skills to be critical about the messages they receive about violence and sexism, they still experience pressure to live up to restrictive rules on what it means to be a “real man.”

    Many Australians highly value AFL players’ skills and abilities on the field. This admiration and respect can also extend to their off-field lives.

    But it doesn’t mean AFL players are beyond reproach.

    More needs to be done

    The impacts of men’s violence on their victims are horrific and myriad.

    This year, the AFL partnered with Our Watch – a national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women and their children – to provide training to players and clubs and help them understand:

    • the link between gender inequality and violence against women
    • the role of sport in promoting gender equality
    • and what players can do to be active allies including taking action when they see or hear disrespect.

    While this is promising, this education must result in changed behaviour, attitudes and accountability.

    The Australian government has recently labelled violence against women a “national emergency”. Major sporting codes need to take a leading role in addressing it.

    It’s time for the AFL to honestly confront their problems with misogyny and violence against women.

    Stephanie Wescott receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)

    – ref. Sex dolls and ‘Diddy’ costumes: the latest AFL drama shows Australian sport still can’t eradicate misogyny – https://theconversation.com/sex-dolls-and-diddy-costumes-the-latest-afl-drama-shows-australian-sport-still-cant-eradicate-misogyny-241562

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death is a defining moment, but it will not end the war

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research scholar, Middle East studies, Australian National University

    The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds behind the group’s horrific October 7 2023 attack on southern Israel, is no doubt a consequential moment in Israel’s year-long war against Hamas.

    But is it a turning point?

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sinwar’s killing – long a major objective of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – would signal the “beginning of the end” of the war. But he made clear the war is not over.

    In fact, Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and member of the war cabinet, said the IDF would continue to operate in Gaza “for years to come”.

    So, what exactly will be the impact of Sinwar’s death?

    Does this change anything?

    Sinwar’s death does change at least one aspect of the war. He was an iconic figure, for better or worse, for Palestinians. He was seen as someone who was taking the fight to Israel.

    With Sinwar still alive and Hamas hitting back at Israel’s war in Gaza, the group was actually increasing in popularity.

    Opinion polling in late May showed support for Hamas among Palestinians in the Occupied Territories had reached 40%, a six-point increase from three months earlier. Support for the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, was about half that.

    Sinwar’s demise changes the face of Hamas. It could be a major turning point if Hamas is unable to replace him with a leader as strong as he was.

    One of the names being discussed is Khaled Mashal, the former head of Hamas’ political office who still remains influential in the organisation.

    This moment offers an opportunity for a new Hamas leader to seek a ceasefire with Israel and an end to the horrific conditions in which Gazans are living. But there’s still the question of whether Sinwar’s death achieves Israel’s war objectives.

    What would constitute a victory for Netanyahu?

    The main issue is that Netanyahu’s war aims have not yet been achieved:

    • the elimination of Hamas as a fighting force and a danger to Israel

    • the freeing of the roughly 100 Israeli hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, as many as half of whom may now be dead

    • the re-establishment of deterrence with Hezbollah in Lebanon to allow the 60,000 Israelis who have been evacuated from northern Israel to return home.

    Although the killing of Sinwar is a major step towards restricting Hamas’ ability to maintain its war against the IDF in Gaza, Israeli soldiers still face some very significant problems there.

    Over the past year, Hamas has morphed from an organised fighting force into guerrilla mode, which makes its fighters much more difficult to eliminate completely.

    The classic methodology for dealing with a guerrilla force is “clear, hold and build”. This means you clear an area of the enemy, put troops in to hold the area, and then build an environment in which the enemy can’t re-establish itself.

    Israel can certainly do the “clearing” and “holding”, but has not been able to build an environment in which Hamas can no longer operate.

    Israeli journalists who have been embedded with Israeli forces have made the point that Hamas operatives are returning to areas that were previously cleared by the IDF, in part due to the group’s extensive tunnel network.

    Other complications for Netanyahu

    Another issue for Netanyahu is that right-wing members of his cabinet have threatened to resign from his governing coalition if he agrees to a ceasefire before Hamas is destroyed as a fighting force. They believe Hamas could use a ceasefire to regroup and re-establish itself as a serious threat to Israel.

    At the same time, Netanyahu is also facing increasing pressure over the fate of the hostages. If there isn’t a ceasefire and negotiations to release them, their families and supporters will continue the large demonstrations they have been staging in Israel in recent months. They are desperate to get back any hostages who may still be alive and the remains of those who have died.

    Netanyahu is also still weighing Israel’s promised retaliation against Iran for its missile attack against the Jewish state in early October.

    If Israel does launch a major strike, what does Iran do in response? Iran’s problem is that it had always relied on a strong Hezbollah in Lebanon to be able to respond to Israel militarily on its behalf. And now it seems to have lost that as Hezbollah has been significantly weakened in recent weeks.

    The US sees a potential off-ramp

    Another aspect, of course, is where the United States stands on this. The US has made clear it sees Sinwar’s death as being an off-ramp for Israel in Gaza – it can claim a major strategic victory and essentially agree to a ceasefire.

    In recent weeks, the US has also given Israel an ultimatum, saying if there isn’t an improvement in the amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza by the end of November, it will cut off some military aid to Israel.

    The Democrats want the war to end as soon as possible, because while it’s on the front pages of US newspapers, it divides the party and could encourage some voters not to come out and vote in the presidential election.

    So it’s very important for the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, that there be a ceasefire as soon as possible. She said as much in her remarks today:

    Hamas is decimated and its leadership is eliminated. This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza.

    The problem, however, is that Netanyahu has shown in the past he is prepared to go against US wishes whenever it suits him. And a ceasefire does not suit his purposes at this point.

    Given Republican nominee Donald Trump’s steadfast support for Netanyahu, the Israeli leader would also be more than happy to see him return to the White House.

    What’s most likely to happen

    Taking all of these factors into account, Netanyahu is likely to prioritise keeping his government together.

    As such, he will be more guided by its very right-wing members – Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – than by the US or the families of the hostages.

    AFter Sinwar’s death, Smotrich said the IDF “must increase intense military pressure in the Strip”, while Ben Gvir called on Israel to “continue with all our strength until absolute victory”.

    So at this stage, it seems likely the war will continue until Netanyahu can say Hamas has been destroyed as a fighting force. That is what his cabinet is demanding to achieve the government’s war aims.

    Ian Parmeter 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. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death is a defining moment, but it will not end the war – https://theconversation.com/hamas-leader-yahya-sinwars-death-is-a-defining-moment-but-it-will-not-end-the-war-241666

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Could a recent ruling change the game for scam victims? Here’s why the banks will be watching closely

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne

    Meteoritka/Shutterstock

    In Australia, it’s scam victims who foot the bill for the overwhelming majority of the money lost to scams each year.

    A 2023 review by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) found banks detected and stopped only a small proportion of scams. The total amount banks paid in compensation paled in comparison to total losses.

    So, it was a strong statement this week when it was revealed the Australian Financial Conduct Authority (AFCA) had ordered a bank – HSBC – to compensate a customer who lost more than $47,000 through a sophisticated bank impersonation or “spoofing” scam.

    This decision was significant. An AFCA determination is binding on the relevant bank or other financial institution, which has no direct right of appeal. It could have implications for the way similar cases are treated in future.

    The ruling comes amid a broader push for sector-wide reforms to give banks more responsibility for detecting, deterring and responding to scams, as opposed to simply telling customers to be “more careful”.

    Here’s what you should know about this landmark ruling, and what it might mean for consumers.



    Read more:
    Australia’s new scam prevention draft is welcome – but it needs to be broader in scope

    A highly sophisticated ‘spoofing’ scam

    You might be familiar with “push payment” scams that trick the victim into paying money to a dummy account. These include the “mum I’ve lost my phone” scam and some romance scams.

    The recent case concerned an equally noxious “bank impersonation” or “spoofing” scam. The complainant – referred to as “Mr T” – was tricked into giving the scammer access to his HSBC account, from which an unauthorised payment was made.

    The victim was duped into providing passcodes to access his online banking account.
    tsingha25/Shutterstock

    The scammer sent Mr T a text message, purportedly asking him to investigate an attempted Amazon transaction.

    In an effort to respond to the (fake) unauthorised Amazon purchase, Mr T revealed security passcodes to the scammer, enabling them to transfer $47,178.54 from his account and disappear with it.

    The fact Mr T was dealing with scammers was far from obvious – scammers had information about him one might reasonably expect only a bank would know, such as his bank username.

    On top of this, the scam text message appeared in a thread of other legitimate text messages that had previously been sent by the real HSBC.

    AFCA’s ruling

    HSBC argued to AFCA that having to pay compensation should be ruled out under the ePayments Code, a voluntary code of practice administered by ASIC.

    Under this code, a bank is not required to compensate a customer for an unauthorised payment if that customer has disclosed their passcode. The bank argued the complainant had voluntarily disclosed these codes to the scammer, meaning the bank didn’t need to pay.

    AFCA disagreed. It noted the very way the scam had worked was by creating a sense of urgency and crisis. AFCA considered that the complainant had been manipulated into disclosing the passcodes and had not acted voluntarily.

    AFCA awarded compensation covering the vast majority of the disputed transaction amount, lost interest charged to a home loan account, and $5,000 towards Mr T’s legal costs.

    It also ordered the bank to pay compensation of $1,000 for poor customer service in dealing with the matter, including communication delays.

    Other cases may be more complex

    In this case, the determination was relatively straightforward. It found Mr T had not voluntarily disclosed his account information, so was not excluded from being compensated under the ePayments Code.

    However, many payment scams fall outside the ePayments Code because they involve the customer directly sending money to the scammer (as opposed to the scammer accessing the customer’s account). That means there is no code to direct compensation.

    Still, AFCA’s jurisdiction is broader than merely applying a code. In considering compensation for scam losses, AFCA must consider what is “fair in all the circumstances”. This means taking into account:

    • legal principles
    • applicable industry codes
    • good industry practice
    • previous AFCA decisions.

    Relevant factors might well include whether the bank was proactive in responding to known scams, as well as the challenges for individual customers in identifying scams.

    Broader reforms are on the way

    At the heart of this determination by AFCA is a recognition that, increasingly, detecting sophisticated scams can be next to impossible for customers, which can mean they don’t act voluntarily in making payments to scammers.

    Similar reasoning has informed a range of recent reform initiatives that put more responsibility for detecting and responding to scams on the banks, rather than their customers.

    In 2023, Australia’s banking sector committed to a new “Scam-Safe Accord”. This is a commitment to implement new measures to protect customers, including a confirmation of payee service, delays for new payments, and biometric identity checks for new accounts.

    Tech platforms – including social media giants – would have to take more proactive steps against scams under proposed new legislation.
    Primakov/Shutterstock

    Changes on the horizon could be more ambitious and significant.

    The proposed Scams Prevention Framework legislation would require Australian banks, telcos and digital platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent, detect, report, disrupt and respond to scams.

    It would also include a compulsory external dispute resolution process, like AFCA’s, for consumers seeking compensation for when any of these institutions fail to comply.

    Addressing scams is not just an Australian issue. In the United Kingdom, newly introduced rules make paying and receiving banks responsible for compensating customers, for scam losses up to £85,000 (A$165,136), unless the customer is grossly negligent.

    Jeannie Marie Paterson has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council and conducted research for ASIC and AFCA. She is currently working on a project on AFCA determinations with Dr Nicola Howell and Evgenia Bourova. The scams research has been assisted by Andrew Lim.

    Nicola Howell has previously conducted funded research for ASIC and is currently working on a project on AFCA determinations with Professor Jeannie Paterson and Evgenia Bourova. Nicola is affiliated with the Consumers’ Federation of Australia, as a member of the CFA Executive.

    – ref. Could a recent ruling change the game for scam victims? Here’s why the banks will be watching closely – https://theconversation.com/could-a-recent-ruling-change-the-game-for-scam-victims-heres-why-the-banks-will-be-watching-closely-241558

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: EDB announces subsidy amounts for Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme in 2024/25 academic year

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    EDB announces subsidy amounts for Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme in 2024/25 academic year
    EDB announces subsidy amounts for Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme in 2024/25 academic year
    ******************************************************************************************

         The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (October 18) the subsidy amounts of the means-tested subsidy and the non-means-tested subsidy for the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme (MUSSS).     The subsidy will be disbursed based on the distance between the locations of the institutions and Hong Kong, which will be grouped into three categories. Details of the subsidy rates under the different categories, which are identical to that of last year, are set out in the Annex.     A spokesman for the EDB said that the MUSSS will benefit Hong Kong students pursuing undergraduate studies in 197 designated Mainland institutions, including the 138 institutions participating in the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions for the 2024/25 academic year.     The application period for the MUSSS 2024/25 has closed. The EDB is currently processing the applications with a view to notifying individual applicants of the application results by the first quarter of 2025.                The MUSSS aims to provide appropriate support for Hong Kong students who pursue undergraduate studies on the Mainland and ensure that no students will be deprived of post-secondary education due to financial reasons. The MUSSS comprises means-tested subsidy and non-means-tested subsidy. The subsidy is granted on a yearly basis, and the subsidised period is the normal duration of the undergraduate programme pursued by the student concerned in the designated Mainland institution. Eligible applicants may only receive either a means-tested subsidy or a non-means-tested subsidy in the same academic year.

     
    Ends/Friday, October 18, 2024Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 400 Students of Samsung Innovation Campus Certified in Future-Tech Skills at Gautam Buddha University

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung India’s flagship CSR programme, Samsung Innovation Campus, concluded the Artificial Intelligence (AI) course for 400 students of Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, reiterating the brand’s commitment to being a strong partner of the country and working alongside the Government in its mission of skilling the country’s youth and powering #DigitalIndia.
     
    The students were certified at a felicitation ceremony attended by Prof. R.K. Sinha, Vice Chancellor, Gautam Buddha University, alongside officials from Samsung and the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI).
     
    At the conclusion of the entire programme for the year, the toppers from each domain will be awarded a cash prize of INR 1 lakh and will get a chance to visit Samsung’s facilities in Delhi/NCR. During these visits, they will have the opportunity to engage with Samsung’s leadership team. Not just that, the national course toppers will receive exciting Samsung products.
     
    “Educating the nation’s youth in future-tech skills such as AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding is part of a larger plan at Samsung to contribute to the nation’s growth story and drive the Digital India initiative. The second season of Samsung Innovation Campus, Samsung’s flagship CSR programme, has taken a step further in that direction by imparting valuable knowledge and training to youngsters across the country to boost their employability,” said SP Chun, Corporate Vice President, Samsung Southwest Asia.        
     
    Samsung Innovation Campus offers in-depth training across four key technology areas—AI, IoT, Big Data, and Coding & Programming. Students gain hands-on experience through capstone projects and soft skills training aimed at boosting their employability. The AI course participants undergo 270 hours of theory training followed by 80 hours of project work, while those enrolled in IoT and Big Data courses receive 160 hours of theory training and complete 80 hours of project work. Participants in the Coding & Programming course complete 80 hours of training and take part in a hackathon. Samsung will train 3,500 students across India as part of this programme.
     
    The programme covers eight educational institutions across four states. In the northern region, training centres are established in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, besides two in Delhi NCR. In the southern region, which includes Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, training centres are located in Chennai and Sriperumbudur, in addition to two in Bengaluru.
     
    During the programme, participants will continue to receive instructor-led blended classroom and online training through approved training and education partners of ESSCI across the country. Youth enrolled for the programme will undergo classroom and online training and complete their hands-on capstone project work in their selected technology areas in AI, IoT, Big Data and Coding & Programming.
     
    They will also be imparted soft skills training to enhance their employability. The participants are being mobilized through ESSCI’s training and education partners across India. The approach includes a combination of offline and online learning, immersive hackathons and capstone projects, as well as expert mentorship provided by Samsung employees.
     
    In 2023, Samsung Innovation Campus successfully trained 3000 students in future-tech courses. Samsung’s involvement in this initiative underscores its commitment to nation building through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in India. It complements Samsung’s other CSR endeavours, including Samsung Solve for Tomorrow. Through these initiatives, Samsung aims to empower future leaders of India by providing them with the necessary education and skills to drive meaningful change.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU is the leader in the BRICS ranking among Russian universities located in the regions

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The Association of Rating Compilers (ACR) has published Pilot ranking of universities in the BRICS countries. The final list included 600 educational institutions from ten Commonwealth countries: Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and South Africa. Russia became the second country in the ranking by the number of participants – 161 universities. Novosibirsk State is in 19th place in the overall ranking, occupying the highest positions among Russian universities located in the regions.

    In general, the BRICS rating methodology repeats the methodology of the “Three University Missions” rating, but takes into account the national characteristics of the countries that are part of the association. The university’s activities are also characterized in three areas: education, science, and relations with society. The difference is that the weights of some indicators have been changed and one new indicator has been added: “the number of joint scientific publications with BRICS partners.”

    — NSU’s high positions in the BRICS university rankings are explained by several factors. First of all, this is the quality of education and scientific activity. A positive impact was exerted by the increase in the significance of such an indicator as “the number of victories of university students in international student Olympiads” (data on Olympiads were taken into account from 2019 to 2023). And also the addition of such a criterion as the number of scientific works in partnership with colleagues from BRICS countries to the new ranking. NSU is traditionally strong in international scientific ties, especially with the states that are part of this association. We currently have 126 partner universities in 24 countries of the world, more than 300 publications with foreign co-authors are published annually, — noted NSU Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk.

    A total of 24 Russian universities made it into the top hundred of the ranking. The highest positions were taken by Moscow State University (2nd place), St. Petersburg State University (5th place), Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (6th place), HSE (10th place) and MEPhI (15th place). Next come universities located in the regions, among which the leader is Novosibirsk State University (19th place), followed by Tomsk State University (36th place) and Ural Federal University (38th place).

    The strongest point of Russian universities is the quality of education; 39 educational institutions in Russia were included in the top 100 universities according to this group of criteria, with 10 of them being in the top twenty.

    Rating information:

    The idea of the ranking was proposed in 2023 by representatives of South Africa, and in the same year it was enshrined in the declaration following the meeting of the BRICS education ministers. The BRICS principles on which the ranking was formed werevoicedat the congress of the Russian Union of Rectors in July 2024, and then they were discussed and supported by the working groups of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Education and the Ministry of Education and Science. Principlespublishedon the website of the rating “Three University Missions”.

    Full list of universities, included in the rating.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/education/ngu-leader-in-brix-rating-among-russian-universities-located-in-regions-/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia announces changes to its Group Leadership Team

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Stock Exchange Release
    18 October 2024 at 08:00 EEST

    Nokia announces changes to its Group Leadership Team

    • Nokia has decided to divide its Corporate Affairs function into two separate functions: Geopolitics and Government Relations; and Communications.
    • Finland’s former Ambassador to the U.S. Mikko Hautala will join Nokia as Chief Geopolitical and Government Relations Officer, and he will become a member of the Group Leadership Team.
    • Louise Fisk has been promoted to Chief Communications Officer and will become a member of the Group Leadership Team.
    • Melissa Schoeb, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, has decided to leave the company and will step down from the Group Leadership Team.
    • Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies business group, has decided to leave the company and will step down from the Group Leadership Team.

    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced changes to its Group Leadership Team. Its Corporate Affairs function, which is responsible for protecting and enhancing Nokia’s reputation, will be divided into two parts: Geopolitics and Government Relations; and Communications. Former Finland ambassador to the U.S. Mikko Hautala has been appointed Chief Geopolitical and Government Relations Officer and member of the Group Leadership Team, effective November 1, 2024. Louise Fisk has been promoted to Chief Communications Officer, and member of the Group Leadership Team, effective immediately. Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Melissa Schoeb, has decided to leave the company, effective December 31, 2024, and step down from the Group Leadership Team immediately.

    In addition, President of Nokia Technologies, Jenni Lukander, has decided to leave the company, effective December 31, 2024, and will step down from the Group Leadership Team immediately. Patrik Hammaren, who is currently Chief Licensing Officer, Wireless Technologies, will assume an interim role leading Nokia Technologies and will be a member of the Group Leadership Team as the search commences for Lukander’s successor.

    “Jenni has been a valued member of the Group Leadership Team and played a crucial role in securing the long-term stability of our Technologies business, building a solid foundation for the future. The business group will now move into the next phase of its growth journey. I’m grateful for Jenni’s contribution to Nokia over the past 17 years and for her support during the upcoming transition. I wish her all the best for the next chapter of her career,” said Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia.

    As the impact geopolitics has on Nokia’s business continues to grow, the company has taken the decision to establish the new role of Chief Geopolitical and Government Relations Officer. Mikko Hautala has been appointed to this role and will be based in Espoo, Finland, reporting to Pekka Lundmark.

    Hautala is a highly respected diplomat with over two decades of government experience in prominent roles across the world. He served as Finland’s ambassador to the United States between 2020 and 2024. Prior to that, he was the Ambassador of Finland to Russia between 2016 and 2020, and has held a range of government roles, including foreign policy advisor to Finland’s former President Sauli Niinistö.

    “Mikko’s vast experience, excellent networks and deep understanding of international diplomacy will be hugely valuable to Nokia as geopolitical factors and government policies increasingly shape our operating environment. I’m excited to welcome Mikko to the Nokia team and believe his unique strategic perspective will help strengthen our positioning in our key markets,” said Lundmark.

    “I am extremely delighted to join Nokia’s leadership team at the moment when geopolitical and strategic considerations matter more than ever. Navigating the right path under these conditions is demanding, but offers great potential for sustainable business growth,” said Hautala.

    As Nokia continues to strengthen its position and expand into new markets, the company has promoted Louise Fisk to Chief Communications Officer. She will continue to be based in London, U.K. and report to Pekka Lundmark. Fisk’s previous role at Nokia was VP, Corporate Affairs Programs & Corporate Communications. Before joining Nokia, she worked in a number of senior leadership roles, including BAE Systems Applied Intelligence and Logica.

    “I’m pleased to welcome Louise to our leadership team where she will further strengthen our strategic communications and brand positioning. Louise has already proven her ability to protect and enhance Nokia’s reputation and I look forward to her further developing our strategic positioning. I would also like to thank Melissa for her contribution, not least for delivering our brand refresh in 2023 to reposition Nokia as who we are today: a B2B technology innovation leader. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors,” said Lundmark.

    In the new setup, Nokia’s Sustainability team, previously part of the Corporate Affairs function, will report to Chief Legal Officer, Esa Niinimäki, with immediate effect.

    About Mikko Hautala:

    Born: 1972

    Nationality: Finnish

    Education:

    • Master of Social Sciences (Political history), University of Helsinki
    • Master of Philosophy (Slavic languages), University of Helsinki

    Experience:

    • 2020–2024        Ambassador, Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland, Washington DC 2016–2020        Ambassador, Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland, Moscow
    • 2012–2016        Foreign Policy Adviser to the President, Office of the President of the Republic of Finland, Helsinki
    • 2011–2012        Minister, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland, Moscow
    • 2007–2011        Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Helsinki
    • 2002–2007        First Secretary, Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU, Brussels
    • 2001–2002        Attaché, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Helsinki 1999–2001        Attaché, Embassy of Finland, Kyiv
    • 1998–1999        Visa Officer, Embassy of Finland, Kyiv
    • 1998        Market Analyst, Kazakhstan, Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, Helsinki
    • 1997        Trainee, Embassy of Finland, Kyiv

    Additional positions:

    • Board Member Support for Finnish Society (SYT) foundation.
    • Chairman John Morton Center for North American Studies Board. University of Turku.

    About Louise Fisk:

    Born: 1976

    Nationality: British

    Education:

    • Advanced executive leadership development, DUKE University.
    • Advanced global leadership, INSEAD business school
    • Post graduate diploma in PR & Journalism, University of Wales, College of Cardiff
    • BA Hons in Communication, University of Wales, College of Cardiff

    Experience:

    • 2020-2024 Vice President, Corporate Affairs Programs & Corporate Communications, Nokia.
    • 2015-2019 Global leadership team, Communications and Marketing Director, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.
    • 2012-2015 Head of Global Communications, Investor Relations and Marketing, Innovation Group.
    • 2006-2012 Global PR Director & Deputy Communications Director, Logica.
    • 1999-2006 Partner & Associate Director, LEWIS Communications.

    Additional positions:

    • Trustee of the Williams Syndrome Foundation

    About Nokia

    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia
    Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 40 803 4080
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial experts tell how to best fight fraudsters

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Faculty of Economics, Novosibirsk State University held a “Financial Literacy Day,” during which five representatives of banks and consulting companies shared their experience in combating fraudsters.

    This topic is relevant for students not only because today the victims of telephone scammers are very different people. The faculty trains future economists, so it is important that they are also prepared in the field of fraud prevention, since the price of a mistake by a bank employee, broker or expert of a consulting agency can be very high.

    — I think the event was a success, the lectures were very diverse and informative. I judge by the fact that I myself heard a lot of new things. I think we will continue to hold such events in the future, — noted Deputy Dean of the NSU Faculty of Economics Naimdzhon Ibragimov.

    — The Faculty of Economics, including student clubs, often organize thematic meetings for students. The issue of financial literacy and the topic of fraud are relevant now. Despite the fact that the problem of fraud is not new, the number of deceived people remains significant. And this can be due to different factors, of which I would highlight two: the first is that modern technologies are used not only by honest people, the second is that there are features of the psychology of perception of information that fraudsters know and use. These issues need to be discussed. This can be useful for young people, — said Svetlana Bekareva, head of the Department of Finance and Credit of the Faculty of Economics of NSU.

    In their speeches, the experts touched on various aspects of the financial security problem. Sberbank representatives shared advice on how to protect yourself from fraudsters and told in more detail about the principles on which Sber’s ecosystem is built (which has long included not only the banking infrastructure itself).

    Yulia Krasnova, head of the Novosibirsk branch of the large audit company DRT, described the methods used by fraudsters to increase the attractiveness of their reporting for investors.

    The head of the Siberian regional center Kept Leonid Kozlenko, using specific examples, revealed the mechanisms for combating fraud that modern businesses use.

    — I really liked the concept of this event, so we gladly responded to the invitation. We generally really like communicating with students, so our company has many different joint projects with the NSU Faculty of Economics. Their subject matter is much broader than financial security issues, they relate to both training and smooth introduction to the profession of future graduates, — Leonid Kozlenko emphasized.

    The speech by the director of the SFM company, PhD in economics Andrey Bekarev was devoted to the psychology of fraud. Using examples from the documentary, she showed how one can manipulate a person’s opinion quite strongly, and this influence remains unnoticed by him. And as a result, he perceives other people’s assessments, views as his own and makes decisions on their basis that are beneficial to the manipulator.

    — Modern propaganda and marketing technologies influence us much more than we are used to thinking. And this is often used for nefarious purposes, like the same scammers we have been talking about all day today. I would like to draw attention to this with my lecture. I hope this will help you maintain independent thinking and reduce the risks of becoming a victim of someone else’s manipulation, — Andrey Bekarev addressed his listeners.

    Financial Literacy Day attracted the interest of students from various fields of study. Some of the students have been participating in the events of the Faculty of Economics for several years now, and began to get involved in the topic of finances back in school.

    — Last year I attended the Financier’s Day, which was held by the Financial Club and the Faculty of Economics. I was not yet a student of the Faculty of Economics at that time and I really liked the interesting and useful lectures and, of course, the competitions. Today’s event is smaller in scale than the Financier’s Day, but the idea is about the same. I was the host of the game part in the question-and-answer format. It is interesting that people from different fields took part in them, for example, historians and journalists, — shared Mikhail Muravyov, a first-year student of the Faculty of Economics, the Jurisprudence field.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/education/experts-in-the-finance-tell-how-best-to-deal-with-scammers-/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How extreme weather and costs of housing and insurance trap some households in a vicious cycle

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens O. Zinn, T.R. Ashworth Associate Professor in Sociology, The University of Melbourne

    Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events for Australian households. Floods and bushfires are becoming more likely and severe. As a result, household insurance costs are soaring – tripling in some cases. High-risk areas might even become uninsurable.

    The national housing crisis is pushing low-income households in particular to seek affordable housing in areas at risk of flooding. There they can become trapped in a vicious cycle. Unable to pay soaring insurance premiums in these areas, they also can’t afford housing elsewhere.

    The regulation of housing in Australia traditionally relies on well-informed buyers being responsible for managing the risks. But our new study found home buyers are often not aware of the long-term risks.

    Only after they’ve bought the home do they start thinking about these risks. When faced with unexpected high insurance costs, many opt to take the risk of being underinsured or even uninsured. This leaves them highly vulnerable.

    The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience promotes a shared-responsibility concept. However, we found the main responsibility still lies with households. And they are not equipped to cope with the increasing complexity, impacts and costs of extreme weather events.

    What’s wrong with the current approach?

    The uncertain knowledge about future extreme weather events is challenging the traditional prioritising of individual responsibility. It’s becoming even harder for households to make informed decisions based on past experiences.

    Government efforts to regulate increasing flooding events might not be effective when households do not want to relocate or cannot afford housing elsewhere.

    Governments are also under pressure to jump in to compensate households for the costs of extreme weather damage.

    Our research found a number of issues prevent efficient regulation:

    • stakeholders such as the insurance industry and home lenders face legal hurdles to sharing data and giving financial advice for housing in high-risk areas

    • well-intended measures such as buybacks and planned relocations can fail when they do not relate to people’s experiences and life situation, such as limited financial resources and deep connections to a place and community

    • households’ motivation to insure themselves might decrease if they can expect government to provide compensation as a de facto last insurer.

    Who is responsible for what?

    In Australia, responsibility for managing extreme weather events is roughly divided among three main stakeholders: the three levels of government, businesses and households.

    Within the three levels of government, states and territories bear the main responsibility for managing extreme weather events. They do so through disaster risk management plans and policies, hazard prevention and land-use planning.

    Yet housing is still built in flood-prone regions. It happens where commercial interests conflict with regional planning, and governments are under pressure to deliver housing for growing populations.

    After extreme weather hits, house and contents insurance cover is key for a household to recover. But insurance costs are based on the risk of events such as flooding. As these risks rise, premiums may also increase and become unaffordable. The Climate Council estimates one out of 25 properties will even become uninsurable by 2030.

    When housing is built in at-risk areas, under the current system home buyers are largely responsible for informing themselves about the risks of floods, bushfires and other natural disasters. Our research suggests many are struggling to estimate what insurance is likely to cost them.

    To prepare for these costs before they invest in a home, they must assess their own risk, know the value of their house and contents and calculate the costs of rebuilding after a disaster. They must also take into account increasing costs for builders and materials after an extreme weather event.

    Climate change is making these already complex calculations even more difficult.

    Our study is based on interviews with 26 insurance, legal, financial, policy and urban planning experts. Despite the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience’s concept of shared responsibility, we found most of the burden still falls on households.

    Yet households often lack the knowledge to assess the risks. The data and information are either unavailable, or hard to access and understand.

    These difficulties, coupled with the complex language of insurance contracts, contribute to high numbers of underinsured and uninsured households.

    The Australian government responded in 2022 by setting up a cyclone reinsurance pool. Its aim is to keep premiums for households and businesses affordable.

    There are also government buyback programs or relocation plans to move people out of high-risk regions. As noted above, though, these don’t always suit households when offered away from their communities or full costs aren’t adequately covered.

    Governments must take on more responsibility

    According to the experts we interviewed, households are no longer able to carry the main responsibilities for managing the risks of climate change. Government must take on more responsibility.

    At the local level, councils need to better educate their staff on climate change risks. They should ban housing development in at-risk areas.

    Better information and data sharing among stakeholders such as insurers and governments will also be crucial. Such data and information also need to be made more accessible and easier for households to understand.

    In a climate change world, increasing extreme weather events result in new complexities. Households are not able to assess these new risks and complexities to make well-informed decisions.

    Australia needs stronger sharing of responsibilities between different stakeholders such as insurers, governments and households. This includes changes to laws on information and data sharing between insurers, governments and households, bans on building in high-risk areas, and better advice about the costs of buying in high-risk regions.

    Jens Zinn received funding from the Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg/Institute for Advanced Study, Delmenhorst/Germany (10/2023-05/2024).

    Julia Plass has received funding for the data collection in the study mentioned in the article from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

    – ref. How extreme weather and costs of housing and insurance trap some households in a vicious cycle – https://theconversation.com/how-extreme-weather-and-costs-of-housing-and-insurance-trap-some-households-in-a-vicious-cycle-241572

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minister Shorten doorstop interview at Northcott Dapto Disability Hub

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    E&OE TRANSCRIPT

    SUBJECTS: Northcott Dapto Disability Hub; NDIS reform; Housing; Interest rates; University of Canberra

    BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: It’s great to be at Northcott today in Wollongong. The opening of the new multi-use hub is fantastic news for thousands of people with disability. In particular, the hundreds of clients that Northcott looks after every day.

    JOURNALIST: You mentioned in your speech downstairs that it’s a village of hope, and if you can expand on that, and that sort of means?

    SHORTEN: Buildings reflect a society’s values. If we build a brand new shopping centre, it reflects the value that Australians value shopping. But when a community or a group like Northcott build a marvellous, purpose-built building so that people with disabilities can have more fulfilling lives, I think it reflects very positive values. So this is not just a set of walls and windows, some fabulous rooms and a roof. This is a village of hope where people with disability cannot be invisible, where they can help – have dreams, have hopes, make plans and have social interaction. So the values of this building are based on the finest moral foundations of a fair go for people with disability.

    JOURNALIST: Reflecting I guess on your time as the Minister in charge of the NDIS, you’re obviously outgoing at the moment, there were recommendations about how to improve the service that were handed down last year. As you leave your position, what do you think? Do you think those – , yeah, what state do you think you leave the service in?

    SHORTEN: You’re right. I’m very outgoing. I love the NDIS, I bleed it, I was fortunate enough to be able to help create it more than 15 years ago. Coming back into Government, I realised that whilst it was changing lives for the better, hundreds of thousands of lives, it was off track. Money was getting  spent on the wrong things. There were a minority of service providers who were seeking to enrich themselves rather than look after the people they meant to. Australians are very generous. They, I think, don’t mind spending some taxes on Medicare and on looking after people with profound and severe disability. Participants deserve fulfilling lives. So therefore, what we’ve spent the last nearly three years is get it back on track. Now I want to take it above politics. I want to make it politician proof. Now we’ve got the legal authority to outline what you can spend your money on and what you can’t. Who you can spend your money with, with registered providers. We can now make sure that we’ve got a process for clear eligibility, which we’re working on. And I think also most importantly – so who can be in it, what we can spend the money on and who with. We’re clearing that up. We’re clamping down on the fraud and the cheats and the crooks. They’re not welcome anymore. But also what we’re doing is writing a new chapter of inclusion by building supports outside the NDIS. For people who don’t need the full orchestra of the NDIS, but have special needs, and so that the NDIS is not the only lifeboat in the ocean of services for people with disability.

    JOURNALIST: Just on the changes that have been made, I spoke to a provider earlier this morning saying – who’s here in the Illawarra – saying that a lot of clients are I don’t feel like they have enough information about what can and can’t access now, and that’s actually worsening their mental health as well. Are there plans to kind of improve communications in that sense?

    SHORTEN: Good providers should be telling their people what’s going on. I mean, a provider can simply access a website. It’s all there. I get any changes can bring anxiety. If you’re a person with a disability or a family who has fought hard to get a personal budget, when you hear the words change, that’s not what you hear, you hear, am I going to lose something? I don’t want to go backwards. All we’re doing is providing clarity. It’s very easy to access on the NDIA or the National Disability Insurance website. Our providers, they’re meant to be professional. They’re paid to provide services. So I can understand participants taking longer to work out what’s in and what’s out. But a provider should be acquainting themselves with the road rules. You’re not allowed to drive a truck without knowing basic road rules, and providers should do the same.

    JOURNALIST: You talk about eligibility requirements. We have a local in Kiama who’s the name of Bobby English, who’s been campaigning for years to have her partner, who’s over 65 and developed a disability, have him be included in the Scheme. I guess as you’re leaving the position, do you regret not having this issue resolved? And will this be a priority for your successor, I guess?

    SHORTEN: For the person who needs the support, I hope they’re getting support. But for the proposition that the NDIS, to the NDIS should look after people of all ages of disabilities, that would sink the Scheme. The Parliament made it very clear in 2013, when it was legislated, that the NDIS is for people up to 65 and aged care would look after people over 65. When I started campaigning for the NDIS, aged care was in much better shape than disability. What’s happened in the intervening 15 years, 16 years since I first raised it, is aged care had fallen backwards and for all of the problems with the NDIS, it was more generous. I think the answer to the issue of older Australians who acquire a disability after 65 is better support in the aged care system, which is what it’s designed for. And the Labor  Government has been making pretty significant reforms in aged care to improve the support which would be available.

    JOURNALIST: This is your, most likely your last visit to the Illawarra region is it?

    SHORTEN: I don’t know, nice to say, but you know you have –

    JOURNALIST: Well I was going to ask –

    SHORTEN: I’m going to do more farewell trips than Johnny Farnham, but I’ll be coming back, to the South Coast anyway. I’m actually moving from Melbourne to Canberra, so actually I’ll be closer to the Illawarra than I’ve ever been.

    JOURNALIST: Yes, but last in a ministerial – as an announcement, with an announcement sort of thing?

    SHORTEN: Yeah.

    JOURNALIST: in terms of this region in particular, obviously you’re a Federal Minister, but in this area, what do you hope the legacy of your role will be?

    SHORTEN: I’ve been very fortunate to visit the Illawarra in different roles over my working life as a steel union rep with the Australian Workers Union. I’ve been at the north gate BHP. I’ve seen when things have gone bad. So I know this is a an industrial town. People work hard for their money here. Then I had the chance to work in disability here, and I realised it had a very strong culture of support for people with disability in the area, which I think reflects well on the values of the community here. I got to campaign here as Leader of the Opposition for six years. So I’ve seen how this area is reinventing itself and diversifying. And indeed, you know, to the south of the Illawarra has become a very crowded part of Australia. So I’ve seen this community reinvent itself. It works hard and it cares for the people within it. But what I’m pleased is that there’s 5,600 people in the Wollongong region receiving personal budgets of support because of a severe and profound disability, which but for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, they’d be stranded. Families will have kids on non-standard developmental journeys, little precious babies who are two and three. But for the NDIS, they wouldn’t get the sort of support they’re getting now. There’s ageing carers in their 80s who will be drying the dishes at 10:00pm tonight overlooking the, you know, the back window from the kitchen sink. They’ll have that anxiety, who’s gonna look after their adult child when they no longer can? We’re not fully there at fulfilling that promise. But for people in this region, we’re a lot closer to fulfilling a promise that even when you can’t look after the person you love because they have a profound and severe disability, there’ll be someone there.

    JOURNALIST: Bill. Negative gearing is back in the spotlight today, with analysis showing more than 750,000 renters could become homeowners under your policy that you introduced in 2019. Is it time for the Federal Government to consider changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions?

    SHORTEN: Well, unfortunately, Mr. Morrison won the election, so I didn’t quite introduce my policies but thank you for the compliment. Listen, the Government said that we’re going to focus on supply, that negative gearing is not on the agenda. I think that’s fine. We did take a series of policies to 2019. They were narrowly rejected. I think the Government’s got it right where we’re going to focus on supply. I’d encourage the Liberals and the Greens political party to get out of the way. They’re not – we want to build more houses. They’re delaying that. I mean, I have to say of Mr Dutton’s Opposition. They won’t lead, they won’t follow, and they won’t get out of the way. That’s a problem for renters.

    JOURNALIST: Should the Prime Minister have bought an expensive home so close to the election in the middle of a housing crisis?

    SHORTEN: Oh, it’s so up to him. It’s his business. Good luck to him and Jodie. Again, what I see is people are focusing on one house. I wish the Opposition and the Greens would focus as hard on the tens of thousands of houses that we want to support, and they are just on the Prime Minister’s house.

    JOURNALIST: You did used to call Turnbull, at the time, Mr. Harbourside mansion back in the day, saying he was out of touch. Should Albanese have waited until after the election to buy his own?

    SHORTEN: I think the difference between Malcolm Turnbull and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is chalk and cheese. Mr. Albanese has worked very hard. He comes from or he came from a tough background. I just wish the very best for him and Jodie in their future. But the other thing is I’ve got no doubt that Prime Minister Albanese will lead us to the next election and successfully.

    JOURNALIST: But just in terms of cost of living, do you think the Reserve Bank should hold off on cutting interest rates?

    SHORTEN: That’s a decision for the Reserve Bank. But I do know that 3 million mortgagees are doing it tough. I do know that the economy in large part is doing it tough. You know, it’s great that Labor’s been able to create a million jobs, and that shows you the focus of the Government. But people are doing it hard. It’ll be up to the Reserve Bank when they cut rates, but that can’t come too soon as far as I’m concerned.

    JOURNALIST: Can I ask one more just for our Canberra colleagues? Your new position that you’ll be taking up, will you be launching a review into the governance of UC?

    SHORTEN: Uh, I’ll wait until I get there. What I said about my new job is that until I finish my current job, I won’t be talking about my new job. But the day I start there, then I’m open for – the shop is open for interviews. Thanks.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 1 in 5 Australians admit they don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia

    Do you wash your hands every time you use the toilet? How about before you handle food? Be honest.

    Australia’s Food Safety Information Council has released its latest report card on the country’s hand washing habits. It found 19% of Australians don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet. Close to half (42%) admit they don’t always wash hands before handling food.

    So who’s doing well when it comes to hand hygiene, who’s not – and why does it matter?

    What did the report find?

    The new report surveyed hand washing practices of 1,229 people. Results were consistent with what we’ve learned from similar surveys.

    Once again, women do better than men at washing their hands after using the toilet, although only slightly (80% of men say they do every time, versus 83% of women). Just 55% of men wash their hands before touching food, compared to 62% of women.

    Age also seemed to make a difference. Under 34 years old, 69% of people washed their hands every time they used the toilet. Over age 65, that jumped to 86%.

    Although some of these differences aren’t completely unexpected – such as the gap between men’s and women’s hand washing habits – the reasons remain unclear.

    People over 65 were much more likely than younger people to wash their hands after using the toilet.
    Mélissa Jeanty/Unsplash

    Why don’t people wash their hands?

    Public health messaging often focuses on how to wash hands well. But there’s less research that follows up on how widely people actually adopt these practices. And to understand why – if they are skipping the soap and water – those messages might not be getting through effectively.

    One study that looked at this question in India asked school children about barriers to hand washing. The vast majority (91%) had low “illness threat perception”. In other words, they simply didn’t perceive a risk of getting sick form not washing their hands after going to the toilet.

    Interestingly, the inability to see germs with their own eyes was one of the biggest barriers, cited by 46% of the children. But 72% said they would wash their hands if their friends did.

    It’s tempting to speculate these reasons may also apply to other age groups, but we simply haven’t done enough research to know. People’s reasons for hand washing, or not, likely vary across their lifetime and with their circumstances.

    What are the risks?

    Urine and faeces contain millions of germs, especially faeces, which has more than 100 billion germs per gram.

    When you use the toilet and touch surfaces in the bathroom, you will pick up germs. People who skip the hand washing step on the way out take those germs with them when they leave, depositing them on each surface they touch afterwards.

    You may not get sick yourself, but you’re increasing the spread of bacteria. This can increase the risk of infection and illness for other people, including those with compromised immune systems such as older people and those undergoing common forms of treatment for cancer.

    Hand washing before cooking and eating is also important. The risk here goes both ways. If you have disease-causing germs on your hands (maybe because you didn’t wash them after the toilet) you may transfer them to the food where they can multiply and even produce toxins. People who eat the food may then get sick, often involving vomiting and diarrhoea.

    Washing hands before eating and preparing food can stop germs spreading from the food to hands, and vice versa.
    CDC/Unsplash

    In the other direction, some foods naturally carry germs before cooking – such as salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in raw poultry. If you don’t wash your hands after handling these foods you may transfer them to other surfaces and risk spreading infection.

    How should I wash my hands?

    Follow these three simple tips for hand washing correctly:

    1. wet your hands and rub them together well to build up a good lather with soap for at least 20 seconds and don’t forget to wash between your fingers and under your nails. You might have to use a nail brush

    2. rinse well under running water to remove the bugs from your hands

    3. dry your hands thoroughly on a clean towel for at least 20 seconds. Touching surfaces with moist hands encourages bugs to spread from the surface to your hands.

    What about hand sanitiser?

    If no running water is available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. These rapidly inactivate a wide range of germs, rendering them non-infectious. Hand sanitisers are effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses that can cause many common gastrointesintal and respiratory infections.

    However if your hands are soiled with organic matter – such as blood, faeces, meat, sand or soil – they won’t be effective. In that case you should clean your hands with soap and water.

    The bottom line

    Hand washing is a bit like wearing a seat belt — you do that every time you get in a car, not just on the days you “plan” to be involved in an accident. The bottom line is hand washing is a simple, quick intervention that benefits you and those around you — but only if you do it.

    Christine Carson 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. 1 in 5 Australians admit they don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet – https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-australians-admit-they-dont-wash-their-hands-every-time-they-use-the-toilet-241481

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Knightly romance and medieval flavor: Polytechnic students held the “Lonely Tower Tournament”

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    If there is a tower somewhere, then one day a valiant knight must appear next to it to save the princess imprisoned at the top. This idea was in the air at Polytechnic University, and it almost came true.

    Last Saturday, the autumn park of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University was transformed, immersed in the atmosphere of a medieval knight’s tournament.

    A similar event was held here only once before as part of an all-Russian project – in 2021 In honor of the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky, “Military Fun” was held in the Polytechnic Park. But for the first time, a medieval knight’s tournament was organized by the students themselves – activists of the role-playing club “Engineering Alliance” at the military-historical club “Our Polytechnic”.

    “The idea of holding such an event came to us under the impression of the unforgettable Medieval Days in Vyborg,” said the head of the Engineering Alliance RC, fourth-year student of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology Daniil Porozov. “It was there, among archery, photo sessions in armor and the general atmosphere of knightly aesthetics, that I had a dream to participate in a real knightly tournament, to fight for the favor of beautiful ladies. This desire became the basis for the project, which came to life in the Lonely Tower Tournament.”

    Along with Daniil, the event was inspired by IBSiB student Polina Tenitskaya. And all other participants in the medieval modeling club actively helped — more than thirty people. Photographers transferred knightly aesthetics to posters, artists developed and created unique stickers and badges. Club activists assembled a model of a mantlet — a mobile protective wall — and a trebuchet — a medieval siege weapon — from scratch. This design is not just decoration, but a fully functional weapon that has passed tests for strength and accuracy.

    “Assembling wooden structures such as the mantlet, trebuchet and set pieces was a real challenge, which we all coped with together. And the guys get their costumes and weapons in different ways,” said Daniil Porozov. “Some order from experienced blacksmiths, some buy from older comrades. Some participants sew clothes and bags themselves. And Vladimir Suvorov, for example, made a full set of knightly armor himself!”

    The staff of the Polytech Tower provided invaluable assistance in organizing the event, and the guys from the Historical Dance department of the Our Polytech All-Russian Cultural Institution and the Board Games Guild provided entertainment for the guests, creating an atmosphere of celebration.

    The central event was, naturally, a knight’s tournament on a specially equipped lists. Spectators crowded around, cheered for their own and inspired them to victories. The armor rattled, constrained movement, it was hot in it, but the guys tried to be worthy of their distant ancestors and behave with honor. The tournament judges, as expected, were beautiful ladies: if the fight ended in a draw, the courtesy of the knight and how worthy he showed himself during the duel were assessed.

    Meanwhile, typical “medieval life” was in full swing around. At the sword station, those who wanted to could try their hand at fencing. Nearby, people were practicing archery. Less warlike guests tried to master the craft of chainmail weaving or leather sewing. Artists held master classes in birch bark painting. Those who liked to relax spent their time playing board games, and those who wanted to move around danced in a circle and learned ancient dances. It was pleasing that there were many children among the guests.

    “The Lonely Tower Tournament” is not just entertainment, it is the result of a passion for history, creativity and teamwork, a vivid example of how student initiative can diversify university life, says Daniil Porozov.

    Recently, the Polytechnic website published an interview in the Person section with one of the founders and former head of the medieval direction in the activities of the VIK “Our Polytechnic” Yaroslav Rusanov: “Since childhood I have been attracted to the aesthetics of medieval armor and battles”Yaroslav graduated from the university and works in his specialty, but his hobby continues to live and develop in our university, attracting more and more supporters.

    Photo: Denis Yablochkov

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://www.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/student_life/knightly-romance-and-medieval-color-polytechnic-students-held-a-lonely-tower-tournament/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya’s presidents have a long history of falling out with their deputies – Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment is no surprise

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gabrielle Lynch, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Warwick

    The removal of Kenya’s deputy president Rigathi Gachagua is part of a long history, dating back to independence, of fallouts between the president and his deputy. The difference this time around is the process.

    Historically, presidents have fired their deputies. But the adoption of a new constitution in 2010, saw the introduction of a process for impeachment – for both the president and the deputy – that’s run by the legislature. This is the first time it’s been used.

    On 8 October 2024, members of Kenya’s national assembly voted to impeach Gachagua on grounds that included corruption, insubordination and ethnically divisive politics. The case moved to the senate, which also voted to impeach Gachagua on 17 October.

    Gachagua has made history as Kenya’s first deputy leader to be impeached. While President William Ruto stayed silent on the matter, the process would not have proceeded without his blessing.

    Amid the novelty of the impeachment process, it’s easy to forget that it is the norm for Kenyan presidents to fall out with their deputies. As a political scientist interested in Kenya’s ethnic politics and democratisation, I argue that this is because of how deputies are selected in the first place.

    Deputies are initially selected largely on pragmatic grounds as people who bring something useful to a political alliance. This could be resources, a support base or a reputation for being a good technocrat or administrator.

    They’re not usually people with whom the president has a strong and continuous personal relationship or someone with whom they share a clear political ideology. Neither are they usually someone who has made their way up through a political party.

    This has brought about a long history of tensions and fallout between Kenya’s presidents and their deputies.

    History of fallouts

    Independent Kenya’s first vice president, Oginga Odinga, saw his ministerial portfolio gradually reduced by President Jomo Kenyatta. Kenyatta then replaced Odinga as vice president of the ruling Kenya African National Union (Kanu) in 1966 further undermining his powers. Soon after, Odinga joined the opposition Kenya’s People’s Union.

    His successor, Joseph Murumbi, resigned within months. The official reason given was ill health, but it is widely believed that Murumbi was troubled by corruption and authoritarianism within the Kenyatta regime.

    Kenya’s second president, Daniel arap Moi, elected Mwai Kibaki as his first deputy. Kibaki was dropped after a decade. He went on to form an opposition party as soon as Kenya shifted to multi-party politics in 1992.

    Moi’s second vice president, Josephat Karanja, resigned after a year to avoid a vote of no confidence for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.

    Moi’s third deputy, George Saitoti was sidelined to pave way for Uhuru Kenyatta’s nomination as the party flagbearer in 2002. Moi’s final deputy, Musalia Mudavadi, fell with the rest of the Kanu government in the 2002 elections.

    As Kenya’s third president, Kibaki similarly oversaw a regular change of guard. His first deputy, Michael Wamalwa, died after a few months in office. His second, Moody Awori, lost his seat in the 2007 election.

    Kibaki’s third deputy, Kalonzo Musyoka, joined the president during Kenya’s post-election violence of 2007-08. He left at the end of his term in 2013 to run with Raila Odinga in the 2013, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.

    Kenya’s fourth president, Uhuru Kenyatta, was the only leader to have the same deputy, William Ruto, for his full term as president – from 2013 to 2022. However, relations between Kenyatta and Ruto were hardly rosy. The two fell out after the 2017 elections as Kenyatta teamed up with long-standing opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Ruto beat Odinga, Kenyatta’s favoured candidate in the 2022 elections.

    Lessons to learn

    Because deputies are selected for their practical value, the person who made a good deputy at one point in time can come to be seen as a liability or threat as the political context changes.

    For example, at independence, Oginga Odinga made an excellent ally for Jomo Kenyatta. He had some resources and was a proven mobiliser. He brought a support base. However, within a few years, Odinga became a problem for the president as a more radical faction within the ruling party coalesced around him.

    Similarly, Ruto made an excellent ally for Uhuru Kenyatta when they both faced charges for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. The two fell out once Kenyatta had won his second and final term, and Kenyatta turned to his succession.

    Gachagua was useful to Ruto in 2022. He had personal wealth, was an effective mobiliser and hailed from central Kenya where the election looked to be won or lost. However, once elected, Gachagua’s populist statements and reputation for ethnic bias became more of a liability.

    Second, as contexts change, someone else can soon come to be seen as more useful as second in command.

    For Jomo Kenyatta, Moi had shown his utility and loyalty during the “little general elections” of 1966, which effectively sidelined the Kenya People’s Union and Oginga Odinga.

    Ruto nominated Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s interior cabinet secretary, to replace Gachagua. He is seen as better able to negotiate with the international community, especially during a critical economic period for Kenya as it seeks new International Monetary Fund loans.

    Third, being the country’s vice or deputy president comes with a lot of opportunities to network. These interactions have often led individuals to be seen as a growing threat, or as actively plotting against the president. They may also be seen as a future challenger.

    History has shown that there is no ideal way of dealing with such a potential challenger, leading subsequent presidents to try different approaches.

    Current context

    Ruto and Gachagua have clearly fallen out. Their differences became apparent soon after the 2022 elections. However, they came into sharp relief in the face of anti-tax protests in June 2024. There were subsequent allegations that Gachagua and some of his allies had helped to finance the protests.

    The question, therefore, isn’t why they have fallen out but why Gachagua is being impeached now.

    Ultimately the answer to this can only be known by a few individuals. But perhaps an indication of the answer lies in the emotions the fallout has stirred: a desire to distract the public and show that the government is taking action to deal with Kenya’s ongoing economic crisis. There may also be a desire to undercut Gachagua before he can build national networks.

    Ruto had the numbers in the senate to see the impeachment process through. But this is a dangerous game. Those sidelined have a habit of coming back to haunt their former allies.

    At the moment, most Kenyans are supportive of the impeachment process, but many also feel that Gachagua is being unfairly targeted especially in central Kenya, where a majority oppose the process.

    While a successful impeachment might see Gachagua barred from holding public office, this wouldn’t necessarily mean an end to his career as an effective political mobiliser.

    The next few months – and the narratives that emerge about why Ruto and Gachagua fell out – will be critical in determining both their futures.

    This article has been updated to reflect the 17 October 2024 senate decision to impeach Rigathi Gachagua.*

    – Kenya’s presidents have a long history of falling out with their deputies – Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment is no surprise
    – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-presidents-have-a-long-history-of-falling-out-with-their-deputies-rigathi-gachaguas-impeachment-is-no-surprise-241139

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin reappointed Konstantin Fedorenko to the post of director of the International Children’s Center “Artek”

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Order dated October 17, 2024 No. 2890-r

    Document

    Order dated October 17, 2024 No. 2890-r

    Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order to reappoint Konstantin Fedorenko to the position of director of the International Children’s Center “Artek” for another five years.

    Konstantin Fedorenko has been working at the International Children’s Center “Artek” since November 2018. He held the position of Director of Construction, and in October 2019 he was appointed Director of the Center.

    Konstantin Fedorenko was born in 1976.

    In 2004 he graduated from the Kuban State Technological University, and in 2017 from the Kuban State University.

    From 2007 to 2013, he worked in various administrative positions in the administration of the city of Belorechensk, Krasnodar Territory.

    From 2013 to 2018, he worked in senior positions in the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth Policy of the Krasnodar Territory.

    In July 2018, he was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Development of the Krasnodar Territory.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://government.ru/nevs/53033/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence

    Source: Scotland – City of Dundee

    A BROAD and diverse programme of activities has been revealed in Dundee as the city once again supports one of the world’s biggest campaigns on preventing violence against women and girls.
    The Dundee Violence Against Women Partnership has created a series of events which will run during 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, a global campaign to inspire people to learn, reflect and act to end violence against women.
    This year the centrepiece of the city’s response will be the theme Imagine if Dundee said: “No More”, with the sub-strands stand with us, learn with us and believe us.
    Ann Hamilton who is the Independent Adviser on Violence Against Women to the city’s Protecting People Chief Officers’ group and committees said: “While it would be great not to have to highlight the issue of violence against women and girls each year, one of the key things to help us get there is to make sure that those who have experienced it are believed and endorsed.
    “That’s what 16 Days of Activism is focussed on this year in Dundee, with one of the biggest and most diverse programmes we have put on to date.
    “As well as thought-provoking, energising and entertaining events for the public to enjoy or participate in, there is a detailed series of activities for professionals working in the field to enhance and extend their knowledge in areas like abusive cultural practices and understanding domestic abuse.”
    The 16 Days programme will launch on Monday November 18 at the Hilltown Community Centre with the first of a number of travelling roadshows which will include an information session featuring the bystander approach, a conversation café, creative session (including banner making) and a dance workshop with Urban Moves that will include the option to take part in the finale show on December 10.
    Travelling roadshows will also visit other community venues throughout the 16 Days including Kirkton, Finmill and Douglas community centres and YMCA Broughty Ferry.
    On Monday November 25 WRASAC will be teaming up with the V&A for an evening of information about WRASAC and the difference it makes for survivors in Dundee and Angus. Team members will be sharing feedback and looking at how WRASAC has formed over the last 40 years.
    The Reclaim the Night march takes place on Friday November 29 starting at The Steeple Church at 6.30pm with a rallying cry before returning to the venue for speeches and music.
    On Friday December 6 Women’s Aid will be at Cake and Dice in Commercial Street to share more about their history in a relaxing, safe and welcoming environment. Guests can add to their local timeline spotlighting milestones for women and amplifying the voices of lived experience in Dundee..
    Open to everyone throughout the 16 Days of Activism, The Lady Chapel of St Paul’s Cathedral in High Street will be available as a quiet space for reflection with resources for contemplation and support on hand.
    Activities will conclude on Tuesday December 10 at Abertay University Main Lecture Theatre in Bell Street with Together We Stand: A Creative Call for Change which will see an evening filled with positive messages, hope and strength and will include Urban Moves, Pirrie Performing Arts, Tori Barclay School of Dance and MLU Squad.
    Full details of this year’s programme of events in Dundee for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence can be found at:  https://sway.cloud.microsoft/rhZUto3jPfMcEV1Y?ref=Link

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Future managers of the State University of Management visited the Public Chamber

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    On October 15, 2024, a career-oriented event was held in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation for 30 students of the State University of Management with the participation of Associate Professor of the Department of Public and Municipal Administration Mikhail Polyakov and Assistant Professor of the Department Anna Khaustova.

    An educational tour of the Chamber building was organized for young managers, during which the youth learned about the history of the organization and the events currently taking place on its premises. Students had the opportunity to take part in a round table discussion of issues of interest to them.

    The following spoke at the meeting: Chairman of the Commission on Security and Interaction with the Public Monitoring Commission Mikhail Anichkin, Secretary of the Commission on Public Control and Work with Citizens’ Appeals Fyodor Nikitochkin, Deputy Chairman of the Corps “For Clean Elections” Alexey Peskov.

    Representatives of the Public Chamber spoke about the principles and features of the organization’s work, as well as about the history, internal structure and mechanisms of interaction with government agencies. Fyodor Nitochkin focused on the issues of forming the membership corps of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and the features of the organization’s structure. Alexey Peskov told students about the organization of the election process and monitoring of their conduct, about electoral practice.

    “You live in an academic atmosphere where everyone is equal. Everything depends on you from now on. I wish you stable knowledge, a strong character and clarity of goals!”, Mikhail Anichkin wished in conclusion.

    A quiz was organized for the guests, after which the students were presented with unique samples of the Russian Constitution.

    In the near future, the State University of Management and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation are planning to conclude an agreement that will allow university students to undergo practical training at the main institute of civil society in our country.

    An internship at the Public Chamber will allow you to become familiar with work in your specialty, acquire professional knowledge, including experience in preparing public events, working with documents, and experience in search and research work for the high-quality preparation of your thesis.

    At the end of the meeting, students from the State University of Management were invited to join the Chamber’s volunteer corps to help do good deeds together and promote the development of civil society in our country.

    The event was held within the framework of the work plan of the project initiative support club “School of the Young Manager” of the Department of State and Municipal Equation of the State University of Management.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/18/2024

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Future managers of the State University of Management visited the Public Chamber

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kenya’s presidents have a long history of falling out with their deputies – Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment is no surprise

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gabrielle Lynch, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Warwick

    The removal of Kenya’s deputy president Rigathi Gachagua is part of a long history, dating back to independence, of fallouts between the president and his deputy. The difference this time around is the process.

    Historically, presidents have fired their deputies. But the adoption of a new constitution in 2010, saw the introduction of a process for impeachment – for both the president and the deputy – that’s run by the legislature. This is the first time it’s been used.

    On 8 October 2024, members of Kenya’s national assembly voted to impeach Gachagua on grounds that included corruption, insubordination and ethnically divisive politics. The case moved to the senate, which also voted to impeach Gachagua on 17 October.

    Gachagua has made history as Kenya’s first deputy leader to be impeached. While President William Ruto stayed silent on the matter, the process would not have proceeded without his blessing.

    Amid the novelty of the impeachment process, it’s easy to forget that it is the norm for Kenyan presidents to fall out with their deputies. As a political scientist interested in Kenya’s ethnic politics and democratisation, I argue that this is because of how deputies are selected in the first place.

    Deputies are initially selected largely on pragmatic grounds as people who bring something useful to a political alliance. This could be resources, a support base or a reputation for being a good technocrat or administrator.

    They’re not usually people with whom the president has a strong and continuous personal relationship or someone with whom they share a clear political ideology. Neither are they usually someone who has made their way up through a political party.

    This has brought about a long history of tensions and fallout between Kenya’s presidents and their deputies.

    History of fallouts

    Independent Kenya’s first vice president, Oginga Odinga, saw his ministerial portfolio gradually reduced by President Jomo Kenyatta. Kenyatta then replaced Odinga as vice president of the ruling Kenya African National Union (Kanu) in 1966 further undermining his powers. Soon after, Odinga joined the opposition Kenya’s People’s Union.

    His successor, Joseph Murumbi, resigned within months. The official reason given was ill health, but it is widely believed that Murumbi was troubled by corruption and authoritarianism within the Kenyatta regime.

    Kenya’s second president, Daniel arap Moi, elected Mwai Kibaki as his first deputy. Kibaki was dropped after a decade. He went on to form an opposition party as soon as Kenya shifted to multi-party politics in 1992.

    Moi’s second vice president, Josephat Karanja, resigned after a year to avoid a vote of no confidence for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.

    Moi’s third deputy, George Saitoti was sidelined to pave way for Uhuru Kenyatta’s nomination as the party flagbearer in 2002. Moi’s final deputy, Musalia Mudavadi, fell with the rest of the Kanu government in the 2002 elections.

    As Kenya’s third president, Kibaki similarly oversaw a regular change of guard. His first deputy, Michael Wamalwa, died after a few months in office. His second, Moody Awori, lost his seat in the 2007 election.

    Kibaki’s third deputy, Kalonzo Musyoka, joined the president during Kenya’s post-election violence of 2007-08. He left at the end of his term in 2013 to run with Raila Odinga in the 2013, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections.

    Kenya’s fourth president, Uhuru Kenyatta, was the only leader to have the same deputy, William Ruto, for his full term as president – from 2013 to 2022. However, relations between Kenyatta and Ruto were hardly rosy. The two fell out after the 2017 elections as Kenyatta teamed up with long-standing opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Ruto beat Odinga, Kenyatta’s favoured candidate in the 2022 elections.

    Lessons to learn

    Because deputies are selected for their practical value, the person who made a good deputy at one point in time can come to be seen as a liability or threat as the political context changes.

    For example, at independence, Oginga Odinga made an excellent ally for Jomo Kenyatta. He had some resources and was a proven mobiliser. He brought a support base. However, within a few years, Odinga became a problem for the president as a more radical faction within the ruling party coalesced around him.

    Similarly, Ruto made an excellent ally for Uhuru Kenyatta when they both faced charges for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. The two fell out once Kenyatta had won his second and final term, and Kenyatta turned to his succession.

    Gachagua was useful to Ruto in 2022. He had personal wealth, was an effective mobiliser and hailed from central Kenya where the election looked to be won or lost. However, once elected, Gachagua’s populist statements and reputation for ethnic bias became more of a liability.

    Second, as contexts change, someone else can soon come to be seen as more useful as second in command.

    For Jomo Kenyatta, Moi had shown his utility and loyalty during the “little general elections” of 1966, which effectively sidelined the Kenya People’s Union and Oginga Odinga.

    Ruto nominated Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s interior cabinet secretary, to replace Gachagua. He is seen as better able to negotiate with the international community, especially during a critical economic period for Kenya as it seeks new International Monetary Fund loans.

    Third, being the country’s vice or deputy president comes with a lot of opportunities to network. These interactions have often led individuals to be seen as a growing threat, or as actively plotting against the president. They may also be seen as a future challenger.

    History has shown that there is no ideal way of dealing with such a potential challenger, leading subsequent presidents to try different approaches.

    Current context

    Ruto and Gachagua have clearly fallen out. Their differences became apparent soon after the 2022 elections. However, they came into sharp relief in the face of anti-tax protests in June 2024. There were subsequent allegations that Gachagua and some of his allies had helped to finance the protests.

    The question, therefore, isn’t why they have fallen out but why Gachagua is being impeached now.

    Ultimately the answer to this can only be known by a few individuals. But perhaps an indication of the answer lies in the emotions the fallout has stirred: a desire to distract the public and show that the government is taking action to deal with Kenya’s ongoing economic crisis. There may also be a desire to undercut Gachagua before he can build national networks.

    Ruto had the numbers in the senate to see the impeachment process through. But this is a dangerous game. Those sidelined have a habit of coming back to haunt their former allies.

    At the moment, most Kenyans are supportive of the impeachment process, but many also feel that Gachagua is being unfairly targeted especially in central Kenya, where a majority oppose the process.

    While a successful impeachment might see Gachagua barred from holding public office, this wouldn’t necessarily mean an end to his career as an effective political mobiliser.

    The next few months – and the narratives that emerge about why Ruto and Gachagua fell out – will be critical in determining both their futures.

    This article has been updated to reflect the 17 October 2024 senate decision to impeach Rigathi Gachagua.*

    Gabrielle Lynch 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. Kenya’s presidents have a long history of falling out with their deputies – Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment is no surprise – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-presidents-have-a-long-history-of-falling-out-with-their-deputies-rigathi-gachaguas-impeachment-is-no-surprise-241139

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Student Wins Youth World Combat Sambo Championship

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    A first-year student of the ICEF International Bachelor’s Program in Economics and Finance, Georgy Khvatkin, won gold at the World Youth Championship in Combat Sambo. The competition was held in Larnaca, Republic of Cyprus, and was attended by 575 athletes from 33 countries. Georgy won in the 98 kg weight category. In an express interview with the champion, Master of Sports Georgy Khvatkin, we talk about how the important decision to enter ICEF was made, how long and how many days a week Georgy has been training, what Jackie Chan has to do with it, and how great it is to have a beloved twin sister.

    From the personal archive of Georgy Khvatkin

    – Georgy, congratulations on your gold, we are proud of such a student! How and why did you decide to enter ICEF? What were your guidelines?

    – Entering ICEF was a conscious decision. My parents found out about ICEF first. They both graduated from the Philology Department of Moscow State University, and then my dad got a law degree, and my mom got an economics degree. My mom is very knowledgeable about economics and helped us choose a profession. We studied the information together and considered all the possibilities. An important factor was studying in English and getting a second diploma. We decided that this opened up great prospects. We did not consider other universities. My sister Katya and I (we are twins) prepared for the Unified State Exam and admission over the course of four school years.

    My sister and I graduated from the Moscow Russian-British school “Algorithm”, where we transferred in the seventh grade, with gold medals. And now we both study in the same bachelor’s degree group at the International Institute of Economics and Finance. Katya is my best friend. By the way, she is also successful in sports, she is a candidate for master of sports in synchronized swimming.

    – The school year has started intensively. Which subjects are coming to the forefront in terms of interest?

    – All subjects are interesting to me, all of them “caught” my attention. Largely thanks to the teaching staff. It feels like the teachers are professionals in their field, I value them all very much. I would like to separately mention Yaroslav Aleksandrovich Lyulko, who teaches “Probability Theory and Statistics”. It seems to me that this subject opens up the greatest opportunities for me as a student.

    The first few days were, of course, a bit difficult, considering how much sport there is in my life. It was also difficult because I was faced with topics that were completely new to me, but with the help of teachers and friends I figured it out and found solutions.

    I have the best group (I guess everyone says so?!): cool guys with whom I have many common interests. I already felt that ICEF is one big family, where teachers, classmates, senior students help each other.

    Studying in English turned out to be easier than I thought. I have been studying the language intensively since early childhood, and the introductory intensive course in English at the beginning of September also helped me a lot.

    – Now about your sports career. Why did you start doing sambo and how do your trainings go?

    Initially, I was involved in swimming. My dad played water polo all his life, my sister did synchronized swimming, a pool was always present in our life. And when I got interested in action movies with Jackie Chan at the age of 6-7, I became interested in martial arts. But for some reason I formulated that I wanted to do wrestling, and my dad sent me to the sambo section.

    In everyday life, when there are no competitions, I train 4-5 times a week on weekdays. During the preparation period for competitions, I start to increase the pace two months in advance. Specifically, before the Youth World Combat Sambo Championship in Larnaca, I trained two to three times a day for a month, including independent training in the form of jogging.

    – You train at the famous Sambo-70 club, and where else?

    I train in different clubs. This allows me to quickly acquire different techniques, improve in different directions. My main coach is Honored Coach of Russia Nikolay Anatolyevich Elesin, an absolute authority in the world of MMA and combat sambo. I also train at the “Boxing Progress Center” with Ali Piduriyev, and sometimes I go to wrestling days at the “Club of Professor E.L. Gloriozov”, where I work with coach Denis Igorevich Davydov.

    – Were there moments when you wanted to quit sambo?

    Yes, it happened several times. At some point, a lot of studying piled up, and in sports there were offensive and annoying defeats. I want to note the enormous support of the whole family, which did not let me do this, for which I am incredibly grateful to them all.

    – Do you have any idols in sports?

    I don’t really like the word “idol”. As I understand it, this word means to elevate someone to the level of a deity. There are people I look up to and who I like in sports. First of all, this is the legend of Russian sports Fedor Emelianenko, a four-time world champion in combat sambo. I really like the style of work on the mat of the famous sambo wrestler Denis Goltsov. I follow all his performances, try to adopt some of his techniques.

    – Out of the one and a half months of your student life, you trained two or three times a day, five days a week. How much time was left for studying? How do you manage to combine such different intensive loads?

    Of course, it is very difficult to combine sports and studies. I have to integrate training into my study schedule, so my schedule is always flexible – sometimes I will work out in the morning, sometimes more in the evening. Before tests and quizzes I reduce the number of trainings, and when it comes to studying I sometimes resort to the help of my parents, sister and friends.

    The life of a student and an athlete are similar in many ways, because it is a huge amount of independent work that you have to do. To do this, you simply need to master time management: you need to distribute your time literally by the hour in advance, so that you can do everything, and save energy somewhere, and have time to recover.

    Every week I create a schedule for the entire week to help me productively combine both studying and training.

    Now the loads in sports will decrease. But periods of high intensive load in my life are inevitable. I have to sacrifice my personal life – I manage to meet with friends once a month. This year, due to preparation for the World Championship, I unfortunately missed all the selections for student organizations that I would like to join. I hope I will have time next year.

    And for the sake of sporting honor, the IIEF is always ready to participate in competitions.

    – Have you ever found yourself in situations where circumstances pushed you to use your athletic skills in life?

    There are situations in life when you are provoked or you see that other people are provoked. I am sure that a truly strong person is not the one who knows how to fight and use physical force, but the one who knows how to resolve any issue in a conversation, in a dialogue. I believe that an athlete at such a level has no right to use his professional skills in life.

    – The student champion will hardly be able to rest on his laurels. What are your immediate plans?

    In sports, it is the Moscow Championship, selection for the Russian Championship, if we manage to win, we will go to the World Championship again. I still have 2 years to compete in juniors. It is very serious preparation before competitions in the senior age group, where I will have to compete with seasoned athletes. In terms of studies, it is midterms, exams. I would like to pass everything well and continue studying.

    – Georgy, thank you and further victories in everything!

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://isef.hse.ru/nevs/975622782.html

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Innovative approach of Polytechnic scientists to increase the efficiency of thermal power plants

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    A new approach to increasing the economic and energy efficiency of combined-cycle power units of Russian thermal power plants is being developed by a research group from the Institute of Power Engineering of SPbPU with the support of the strategic academic leadership program “Priority-2030”. Scientists have proven that changing the operating mode of combined-cycle units will increase the marginal income of thermal power plants without significantly changing the heating scheme. According to experts’ calculations, the approach will save several million cubic meters of natural gas per heating period.

    Scientists from the Institute of Power Engineering of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University are developing new tools to improve economic and energy efficiency when converting combined-cycle power units to parameters traditional for the Russian energy sector using domestic gas turbine units. According to scientists, all combined-cycle units at Russian thermal power plants currently use low steam parameters in the utilization circuit. This is largely due to the imposed traditions of Western manufacturers of such devices. Analysis and revision of existing equipment operating parameters is the most important stage of systematic work to ensure import independence of the domestic energy sector.

    With the support of the Priority-2030 strategic academic leadership program, a research group from SPbPU is working on optimization tools for the transition to domestic combined-cycle technologies. At the first stage of the work, scientists created digital models of units with combined-cycle plants for a comprehensive analysis of all factors affecting the operation of the CHPP. Then, specialists conducted a study of the influence of various parameters, including the pressure of steam generated in the waste heat boiler, on the economic efficiency of the CHPP.

    Most Western power units operate in condensation mode, i.e. they produce only electrical energy. For Russia, it is typical to use power units with combined production of both heat and electrical energy. Combined-cycle power units with imported gas turbine units operated in our country have a fairly low pressure of 7.4 MPa at the input. But the strong point of the Russian energy industry is a wide range of steam turbines with initial pressures of 12.74 MPa, which are used in classic steam turbine power units, – noted Irina Anikina, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Nuclear and Thermal Energy of SPbPU.

    Scientists have carried out complex calculations and proposed to increase the initial steam pressure in the utilization circuit of the combined-cycle power plant. Instead of using turbines with reduced operating parameters, scientists proposed to use existing Russian serial-produced steam turbines with minimal modernization, designed for a pressure of 12.74 MPa, during the planned modernization or construction of new combined-cycle power plants. This will significantly increase the availability of combined-cycle power units for the domestic energy sector, as well as the efficiency of the plant. According to scientists’ calculations, this approach will save 2-3 million cubic meters of natural gas in just one heating period.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://www.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/science_and_innovations/innovative-approach-of-Polytechnic-scientists-to-increasing-efficiency-of-CHP/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Simpsonhaugh Architects Embraces Digital Transformation with VDI And AI, Leveraging ControlUp’s DEX Platform for Real-Time Performance Analytics and Remediation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Oct. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ControlUp, at the forefront of Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management, today announced that SimpsonHaugh Architects, a UK-based, award-winning and respected practice, is utilising the ControlUp DEX platform to monitor and optimise its new VDI environment in real-time.

    SimpsonHaugh is making a £1.21 million investment over several years to digitally transform by introducing VDI and AI technology to underpin the future development and operations of the business. Industry leading solutions have been installed including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktop, Citrix NetScaler, VMware vSphere Hypervisor, Dell Servers with vSAN storage, NVIDIA vGPU and ControlUp’s DEX platform which is providing VDI performance analytics and remediation.

    Adopting VDI was driven by a strategic decision to centralise IT on-premise at SimpsonHaugh’s headquarters in Manchester, improve remote-working, support a work-life balance for staff and boost project collaboration by not being constrained by physical workstations.

    The IT team also wanted to avoid the complexity, time and expense of managing systems over three locations given the practice also has offices in London and Birmingham. Furthermore, many workstations – high end PCs each costing up to £6,500 – were becoming end of life, unreliable, consuming a lot of power and needed to be upgraded.

    The new VDI platform supports agile working yet is optimised to run GPU-intensive architectural applications like Revit, Rhino, Enscape and SketchUp – crucial to delivering customer projects on time, in what is an ever-demanding industry.

    “Architecture is a heavy user of graphics-based IT. Building Information Modelling is now adopted pervasively, producing large volumes of data and consuming substantial compute. Clients recognise the technology improvements so the expectations about the visuals and data provided are growing,” says Dave Moyes, partner, information and digital systems, SimpsonHaugh. “Ten years ago, we might have created 500 drawings for a project. Today, it’s at least double. Projects are increasingly complex and time scales are tight. The pressure to be quick and agile while creating quality design proposals which optimise a client’s brief is therefore considerable. It is no exaggeration to say that ICT to support this is indispensable.”

    SimpsonHaugh’s ICT strategy involves keeping technology simple for staff to use. The business is project delivery and ‘time charge’ based. ICT system availability is paramount given downtime has material impact on this.

    UK managed service provider and digital workspace consultancy, ebb3, was selected to support with the roll out and have been instrumental in the design, implementation and management of the VDI environment. ebb3 also provides SimpsonHaugh technical 2nd and 3rd line support.

    “The transition to VDI is being phased. SimpsonHaugh is running a hybrid environment – both virtual desktops and physical desktops – so as to capitalise on its existing investment in expensive workstations,” explains Jav Fiaz, ebb3’s Technical Architect & Senior Platform Engineer. “A key project goal was to keep the compute and data as close as possible to minimise latency which we’ve delivered.”

    Moyes adds, “If virtual desktops aren’t resourced properly – and applications freeze or suffer from latency – staff will blame the “new system”. Guaranteeing the end-user experience is vital. Monitoring in real-time using ControlUp’s DEX platform identifies which applications are hogging resources so that remedies can be considered like adding RAM, GPU or ‘throttling down’ software which is compute intensive.”

    SimpsonHaugh is experiencing significant benefits through the combination of VDI and ControlUp’s DEX platform:

    1. Potentially £1.79 million lost earnings saved. VDI has resulted in a huge reduction in IT downtime equating to approximately 17% of SimpsonHaugh’s 2023 turnover. This is based on 15% gain in hours per week multiplied by 80 architectural staff over the course of a 38-week year using an average hourly rate of £105. Time savings result from less break-fix, fewer hardware and software issues with files and applications opening faster.
    2. Annual overall ICT investment maintained through the VDI implementation – no significant spikes in hardware cost, with VDI giving certainty that systems are guaranteed to work.
    3. Huge productivity gains for staff, with superior work-life balance realised. Architecture is a vocation. SimpsonHaugh’s employees are passionate about what they do. Citrix enables people to work easily from home – just as if they were in the office – while juggling their personal lives more advantageously.
    4. Staff cannot tell if they are working on a physical machine or via VDI – a testament to the quality and ease of use of Citrix and careful management by ebb3.
    5. VDI has improved collaboration with trusted third parties such as specialist consultants by opening up part of the environment when required.
    6. Potentially £35,000 saved not hiring an additional employee to support VDI by leveraging the ControlUp DEX platform.
    7. Problem solving time has drastically reduced using ControlUp information as real-time data about what is happening within the IT environment is provided, thereby pinpointing issues faster. VDI can now be fully optimised to cater for the peaks and troughs of project workflow, without the ‘over spec’ing‘ of IT hardware required which reduces ICT costs.

    Project next steps

    SimpsonHaugh is currently working to expand its VDI environment to cover the whole business. This will take 3-5 years to complete. The strategy is to replace workstations as they approach end of life rather than waste perfectly good IT equipment.

    In addition, SimpsonHaugh is upgrading its corporate network to a 25 Gigabit Ethernet backbone to further support the end-user experience. The practice is also purchasing higher resolution 2k and 4k screens for staff and introducing Nutanix data storage to manage the virtual server environment.

    SimpsonHaugh is also working on other ICT innovation projects such as introducing privately hosted AI using private data across the practice (where powerful networking and compute is paramount) – a key priority given the impact AI is making on the architecture profession.

    Private AI is the only option because of client project confidentiality issues – where strict NDAs are signed – with SimpsonHaugh using three types of AI engine:

    • Word AI. This is an expanding area and involves the automation of tasks such as minutes of meetings, site reports and schedules.
    • Image AI. This is a new area and will involve using AI to create detailed images of early-stage design proposals based on sketches and LLM text inputted into an AI system. This will take into account a range of parameters like site orientation, type of cladding material (brick, render, glass etc), with the AI tools generating options in a SimpsonHaugh ‘style’ to facilitate communication of ideas. The practice is reviewing using ComfyUI and Microsoft Copilot as possible solutions.
    • Generative AI. This branch of AI is well established and used to support work such as the production of parametric designs. The planning of space layouts in a building is an excellent example. Using generative AI, you can stretch a grid in any given direction to change the number and types of spaces within a given architectural form.

    “The project to introduce VDI and our DEX platform has boosted operational performance at SimpsonHaugh and put in place infrastructure to support the practice’s needs in the future,” says Robert Ellis, UK Sales Director at ControlUp. “End-users cannot tell whether they are using a physical workstation or desktop served by VDI – the implementation has been that well managed – and the speed of roll out was fast and disruption minimal because of extensive pre-implementation design and planning work carried out by ebb3.”

    About SimpsonHaugh

    SimpsonHaugh Architects is well known for projects which elegantly shape and revitalise urban areas. The practice has a diverse portfolio including commercial offices, hotels, cultural, education, purpose-built student accommodation, residential and mixed-use neighbourhood developments.

    Key award-winning schemes include: Deansgate Square, One Blackfriars, The Engineering Innovation Centre (University of Central Lancashire), Circus West Village (Battersea Power Station Phase 1) and 4 Angel Square, part of the 20-acre NOMA area in Manchester.

    Founded in 1987, the practice employs 100 staff across studios in Manchester, London and Birmingham – a new office which opened in 2023 demonstrating the ongoing success of the business. For further information, visit https://www.simpsonhaugh.com

    About ebb3

    ebb3 accelerates business transformation through its expertise in enterprise AI and VDI digital workspaces. Offering award-winning end-to-end services for private AI and VDI platforms, ebb3 delivers secure, high-performance infrastructure tailored to the unique needs of enterprise clients. ebb3 is NVIDIA Preferred Partner certified and has VMware’s Master Services Competency. For more information, visit https://www.ebb3.com

    About ControlUp

    ControlUp reimagines Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management with true real-time visibility, enabling 20X faster issue resolution on any desktop, any application, anywhere. ControlUp empowers IT to focus on elevation, not escalation, by equipping them with actionable, true AI-driven insights and proactive remediation tools to drive unbounded productivity for IT teams and employees. Nearly 2,000 customers across the globe trust ControlUp, including more than one-third of the Fortune 100. Learn more at https://www.controlup.com

    For media inquiries:
    ControlUp PR
    media@controlup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 5th Joint BoC – ECB – NY Fed Conference – Session 6

    Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

    Session 6 – Trade, firms and expectations measurement

    Session chair: Maarten Dossche, European Central Bank

    The Causal Effects of Expected Depreciations
    Martha Elena Delgado, Inter American Development Bank
    Juan Herreno, University of California, San Diego
    Marc Hofstetter, Universidad de los Andes and CEDE
    Mathieu Pedemonte*, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

    The Coherence Side of Rationality: Theory and evidence from firm plans
    Pamela Giustinelli* and Stefano Rossi, both Bocconi University

    A Choice-Based Approach to the Measurement of Inflation Expectations
    Olga Goldfayn-Frank*, Deutsche Bundesbank
    Pascal Kieren, Heidelberg University
    Stefan Trautmann, Alfred-Weber-Institute

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfdI2D-qE20

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 5th Joint BoC – ECB – NY Fed Conference – Policy Panel

    Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

    Chair: Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB

    Panellists:

    Yuriy Gorodnichenko, University of California, Berkeley
    Kim Huynh, Bank of Canada
    Wilbert van der Klaauw, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlg3W8c9QoM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 5th Joint BoC – ECB – NY Fed Conference – Session 5

    Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

    Session 5 – Geopolitical shocks, uncertainty and expectations

    Session chair: Oscar Arce, European Central Bank

    Do Election Shocks Affect Economic Expectations?
    Olivier Armantier, Gizem Kosar, Giorgio Topa* and Wilbert van der Klaauw, all Federal Reserve Bank of New York

    The Causal Effects of Inflation Uncertainty on Households’ Beliefs and Actions
    Olivier Coibion, University of Texas at Austin
    Dimitris Georgarakos*, European Central Bank
    Yuriy Gorodnichenko, University of California, Berkeley
    Geoff Kenny, European Central Bank

    Households’ Subjective Expectations: Disagreement, Common Drivers and Reaction to Monetary Policy
    Stefano Pica, Banca d’Italia
    Clodomiro Ferreira*, Banco de España

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tej_bceaiwY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What does China want from the next US president?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham

    During a Taiwan National Day speech on October 10, Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te said that Taipei was determined to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty against “annexation and encroachment”, and emphasised that “China has no right to represent Taiwan”.

    China’s response was swift. Less than a week after Lai’s provocative speech, a record 153 Chinese war planes swarmed and surrounded Taiwan during a Chinese military exercise over 24 hours. Beijing’s intention was simple: issue Taipei a “stern warning” for what China considers a “separatist act”.

    Beijing sees the island as a “sacred and inseparable part of China’s territory” that must return to the fold. The Taiwanese president sees things differently. Currently, the self-governing island has a different political system, and few Taiwanese are in favour of reunification with China.

    Though Washington doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taipei officially, it does have regular communication through back channels and a strong economic relationship. The island is a key US trading partner and is a major supplier of semiconductors which are critical to the production of computers and other technologies. It also sells arms to Taiwan, although this has reduced significantly under Joe Biden.

    China has not ruled out taking Taiwan by force, and if it does, the US might come to the self-ruling island’s defence as indicated by Washington in the past.

    China holds extensive military exercises around the island of Taiwan in October 2024.

    But Xi will be hoping the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election might bring a leader that would have a different attitude to Taiwan as well as helping China resolve its economic storm, which has resulted in a rising number of protests. So, between an outspoken Donald Trump and a seemingly even-tempered Kamala Harris, does Beijing have a favourite? And do either of them offer Xi anything new?

    Taiwan and Xi’s legitimacy

    Aside from Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Xi is the only sitting Chinese head of state without term limits and whose political ideology is enshrined in the Chinese constitution.

    Xi could potentially prove his place in history by resolving China’s economic crisis. However, Beijing’s increasing isolation from the west due to its support of Russia’s Ukraine conquest makes this doubly hard.



    Read more:
    Biden on Taiwan: Did he really commit US forces to stopping any invasion by China? An expert explains why, on balance, probably not

    Like it or not, Xi might have to ramp up whatever agenda Beijing has for Taiwan. If he could make sufficient progress towards unification, he may be hailed as one of the greats of the Chinese Communist Party, which would consolidate his status within the party, and distract from the nation’s economic woes.

    Unlike Harris, who appears to take take alliances and partnerships seriously, Trump questions the benefits of many alliances forged by the US. In fact, the few times that he spoke about Taiwan centres on how the island state has taken America’s semiconductor business, and should pay more to the US for its defence.

    So, would Trump come to Taiwan’s aid if China does invade Taiwan? Given the importance of semiconductors to electronics and AI, he just might. But Trump also has a reputation as a “dealmaker-in-chief”, so he might just cut a deal with Beijing, which erodes Taiwan’s independence. And that is likely to worry Taipei.

    The Russia dilemma

    As Russia’s “partner of no limits”, China has been supplying Russia with technology that fuels Russia’s war machinery against Ukraine. But this has strained Sino-western relations and earned Beijing trade and import restrictions, which hampers China’s economic recovery.

    China could halt its aid to Russia to avoid western scrutiny, but that is not likely. Beijing needs a strong Russia to be a viable ally in its battle against a US-led world order, and to avoid being the focus of the west if Russia falters amid its conquest in Ukraine.

    While Harris backs Kyiv and sees the war as a strategic and moral issue, Trump has criticised US aid to Ukraine. He also believes that Kyiv should provide concessions to Russia to end the war that Putin started in February 2022.

    A future Trump administration might strengthen Russia by withdrawing support for Ukraine and lifting sanctions against Russia. And a more robust Russia is good news for Beijing.

    US economic hostility

    So, at first glance, Trump and Harris’s approaches towards China are different. Trump’s return to the White House could also intensify the trade war that he started in 2018, as tariffs on Chinese goods could go to as high as 60%. This might hasten the economic decoupling between the US and China.

    Harris, on the other hand, wishes to “de-risk” China. This approach seeks to maintain US global interest while engaging with the east Asian economic behemoth. In such a scenario, Beijing might prefer a Harris presidency as it leaves room for negotiation.

    However, Harris has relatively little foreign policy experience, and is expected to pick up where Joe Biden left off. This means the tariffs and technological restrictions that China faced under a Biden administration could stay under her presidency.

    Another factor is Tesla founder Elon Musk, who is an ardent supporter of Trump, and may take a top job within a Trump administration.

    How much influence the tech multi-billionaire actually has over Trump is uncertain. However, it’s worth noting that Musk has substantial business dealings in China, and might seek to lean on Trump if the former president’s policies harms Tesla’s interests.

    With many of these factors unclear at the moment, Beijing will be hoping for a US leader who is more interested in economic wins than protecting Taiwan, and one that Xi can negotiate with to warm up relations between the two countries.

    Chee Meng Tan 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. What does China want from the next US president? – https://theconversation.com/what-does-china-want-from-the-next-us-president-240516

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the Tories may be wasting their time trying to compete with Reform

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex

    The spectre of the Reform party has been haunting the Tories since the general election. There is a general consensus that Reform split the vote on the right of the ideological spectrum, and this significantly contributed to the Tory defeat.

    And now that the more centrist candidate James Cleverly has been eliminated from the leadership contest, the party is heading in a rightward direction. Both of the two finalists, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenock are on the right of the party and appear to think the next election will hinge on winning votes back from Reform.

    But are they right to see Reform as their main threat? The results of the last election are still being analysed but it already looks like our perception of how the rightwing vote played out may be wrong. The perception is that in many constituencies, Reform ate into votes that would have otherwise gone to the Conservatives, costing them parliamentary seats. But that isn’t quite right.

    The chart below shows the relationship between the vote shares for the Conservatives and Reform in Britain in the general election, with each dot representing a constituency. The summary line shows that the correlation between the Reform vote and the Conservative vote is positive (+0.21). This means that the two parties were in effect electoral allies rather than rivals. Their vote shares increased in tandem. To be fair, the correlation is modest, so they were rather weak allies, but who can ask for more than that in this electoral climate?

    It’s interesting to contrast this with the relationship between Labour and Conservative voting in the election. Their correlation was strong and negative (-0.54), indicating that they were clearly rivals. When Labour did well, the Conservatives did badly and vice versa. If Reform was a strong rival to the Conservatives, we would see the same pattern.

    Rivals or allies? Constituency level votes

    The Relationship between Conservative and Reform Vote Shares in 2024.
    P Whiteley, CC BY-ND

    Why does the positive correlation show that Reform was an ally of the Conservatives in the election rather than a rival taking votes that would have gone to the Conservatives? The answer lies in the detail. The two parties did well in the same constituencies but appealed to different demographic groups within those constituencies. If they were campaigning for support in the same group of voters they would be rivals, but for the most part they relied on support from different groups.

    This is illustrated in the chart below which looks at the social characteristics of constituencies using data from the 2021 census. It shows how different groups supported the two parties in the election.

    The chart shows the correlations between the size of a particular group and voting for Reform and the Conservatives in the election. It looks at the 575 parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales, since the Scottish data is not yet available.

    The relationships between constituency characteristics and voting in 2024

    Less in common than you might think.
    P Whiteley, CC BY-NC-ND

    We observe large differences between support for the two parties among the different groups. For example, looking at the percentage of people in constituencies over the age of 64, most of whom were retired, we see a big difference. There is a strong positive correlation between this measure and voting Conservative (0.45), indicating that the Tories did well among older people. The opposite is true for Reform, since the relationship is negative (although relatively weak at -0.17). Reform did not rely on older people’s support in the same way as the Conservatives.

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    A similar point can be made about the percentages who worked in professional and higher management occupations. The Tories did well in this group, whereas Reform did badly. Among constituencies with high levels of unemployment, the reverse was true. A high proportion of unemployed people boosted the Reform vote and undermined the Conservative vote.

    If we look at ethnicity, a high proportion of ethnically white people in constituencies helped Reform, but it weakened support for the Conservatives. This seems surprising at first sight until one remembers that many of them voted for Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Greens. The Tories lost a good proportion of the white vote in the election.

    The census provided information about the numbers of people who had moved into constituencies from abroad in the previous year. Not surprisingly, given their anti-immigration positioning, large numbers of newly arrived migrants helped both parties, with Reform doing better in these areas than the Conservatives. That said, the correlations were modest and so did not play a large part in explaining the overall results.



    Read more:
    When did class stop predicting who people vote for in Britain? Know Your Place podcast

    Finally, the 2021 census asked people about their national identities and in this case there was an interesting difference between respondents who claimed they were exclusively “English” rather than ‘British’ or some other identity. Englishness helped both parties, but it helped the Conservatives more than Reform. It appears that the Tories are more of an English National Party than Reform.

    The next general election is a long way off, but these results mean that if the Labour government fails to deliver growth and curb illegal immigration, it will face a pincer movement from the Conservative and Reform. The Tories will pick up votes in constituencies with a high proportion of prosperous, middle class, retired people and Reform will pick up votes from deprived areas with high levels of young unemployed people.

    Paul Whiteley has received funding from the British Academy and the ESRC.

    – ref. Why the Tories may be wasting their time trying to compete with Reform – https://theconversation.com/why-the-tories-may-be-wasting-their-time-trying-to-compete-with-reform-241106

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How farmers can use solar power without damaging the rest of their operation

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Austin Kay, Researcher in Sustainable Advanced Materials, Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials, Swansea University

    Snapshot freddy/Shutterstock

    As the world races to meet net-zero targets, emissions from all industrial sectors must be reduced more urgently than ever. Agriculture is an important area of focus as it contributes up to 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions – almost as much as the energy sector.

    One approach to decarbonising the agricultural sector is agrivoltaics. It involves integrating solar panels – or photovoltaics (PVs) – into fields of crops, greenhouses and livestock areas, which can help farmers reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to produce food.

    Agrivoltaics can also mitigate one of the main criticisms often made of solar power – that solar farms “waste” vast tracts of agricultural land that could otherwise be used for food production. In reality, solar farms currently occupy only 0.15% of the UK’s total land – not much compared to its 70% agricultural land.

    The simplest example of an agrivoltaic system would be conventional, crystalline silicon PVs (the market-leading type of solar panels), installed in fields alongside livestock. This method of farm diversification has become increasingly popular in recent years for three main reasons.

    First, it enhances biodiversity as the fields are not seeing a regular crop rotation, being monocultured, or being harvested for silage. Second, it increases production as livestock benefit from the shade and the healthier pasture growth.

    Finally, the solar farm has reduced maintenance costs because livestock can keep the grass short. All this is achieved while the solar panels provide locally-generated, clean energy.

    But if they’re not set up properly, agrivoltaics may cause problems. One of the most important challenges is balancing the need for sunlight between crops and solar panels. Crops need light to grow, and if solar panels block too much sunlight, they can negatively impact crop yields.

    This issue varies from place to place. In countries with fewer sunny days like the UK, the panels need to let more sunlight through. But in places like Spain or Italy, some shade can actually help crops by reducing the stress of intense heat during summer months. Finding the right balance is tricky, as it depends on local conditions, the type of crop, and even the needs of pollinators like bees.

    An agrivoltaic canopy installed in France.
    Jacopo Landi/Shutterstock

    The complexity deepens when we consider the type of PV material used. Traditional solar panels aren’t always suitable because they often block the wavelengths (colours) of light needed by plants.

    This is where newer materials, like organic semiconductors and perovskites, are ideal as they can be customised to let crops get the light they need while still generating energy. Unlike traditional inorganic semiconductors, which are essentially crystals of metal and metalloid atoms, organic semiconductors are molecules mainly made of carbon and hydrogen. Perovskites, meanwhile, are like a hybrid of the two.

    But there are thousands of combinations of these materials to choose from, with scientific literature containing a plethora of options. Figuring out which one works best can be a daunting task.

    This is where computational tools can make a big difference. Instead of testing each material in real-world conditions – which would take years and be incredibly expensive – researchers can use simulations to predict their performance. These models can help identify the best materials for specific crops and climates, saving both time and resources.

    The tool

    We have developed an open-source tool that helps compare various PV materials, making it easier to identify the best options for agrivoltaics. Our tool uses geographical data and realistic simulations of how different PV materials perform.

    It considers how light travels through these materials and reflects off them, as well as other important performance measures like voltage and power output. The tool can also take lab-based measurements of PV materials and apply them to real-world scenarios.

    Using this tool, we simulated how much power different PV materials could generate per square metre over the course of a year, across various regions. And we calculated how much light passed through these materials to ensure it was enough for crops to thrive.

    An agrivoltaic installation over raspberry crops in the Netherlands.
    Jacopo Landi/Shutterstock

    By running these simulations for multiple materials, we could identify the most suitable options for specific crops and climates.

    Tools like ours could play a critical role in decarbonising the agricultural sector by guiding the design of agrivoltaic systems. Future research could combine these simulations with economic and environmental impact analyses. This would help us understand how much energy we can expect from a solar panel over its lifetime compared to the resources and costs involved in producing it.

    Ultimately, our tool could help researchers and policymakers in selecting the most efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly ways to decarbonise agriculture and move us closer to achieving global net-zero emissions.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Austin Kay is a Postgraduate Student at Swansea University and receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through program grant EP/T028513/1 Application Targeted and Integrated Photovoltaics.

    – ref. How farmers can use solar power without damaging the rest of their operation – https://theconversation.com/how-farmers-can-use-solar-power-without-damaging-the-rest-of-their-operation-239625

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Attention! Applications for study in Russia within the Russian Government quota have started to be accepted

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    On October 7, 2024, the acceptance of applications for study in Russia in the 2025/2026 academic year within the quota of the Government of the Russian Federation began.

    A foreign citizen wishing to study under a quota must:

    register in the state information system “Education in the Russian Federation for Foreigners” (GIS “ORFI”); fill out the form; attach a photo, scanned copies of your passport and education document (or certificate of the period of study); send the completed form through the GIS “ORFI”, transferring the electronic application to the “for verification” status.

    For questions regarding the selection of candidates in foreign countries, please contact the Rossotrudnichestvo representative offices abroad or the diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://www.spbgasu.ru/nevs-and-events/nevs/attention-the-acceptance-of-applications-for-study-in-Russia-within-the-RF-government-quota has started/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: With the support of Rosneft, scientists studied the musk ox population in Taimyr

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    Scientists from the Siberian Federal University, with the support of RN-Vankor (the operator of Rosneft’s flagship project Vostok Oil), conducted a comprehensive census of musk oxen in the western part of Taimyr. The research is being conducted within the framework of the enterprise’s grant program.

    Preservation of the environment for future generations is an integral part of the corporate culture of Rosneft Oil Company. The Company’s subsidiaries implement comprehensive programs for the conservation and restoration of biological resources, including the use of advanced technological solutions.

    For the survey work, the researchers used air and water transport. The total length of all routes exceeded 12 thousand km, of which more than 2.8 thousand km were water expeditions along the Pyasina River and its tributaries, Lake Pyasino.

    Scientists have obtained up-to-date data on the number, age and sex structure, and distribution of the musk ox population in Western Taimyr. All encounters and tracks of animals were documented using photo and video equipment, GPS recorders, and coordinates were recorded on a cartographic basis. In addition, scientists conducted a survey of the indigenous population, including fishermen and hunters, about the places of encounters with musk oxen.

    On the right bank of the Pyasina River, near the mouth of the Khanchecha River, scientists have noted for the first time a group of musk oxen: an adult male and female, a yearling bull and two yearlings (calves born this year). The data obtained indicate successful reproduction of mammals in the territory of Western Taimyr. In addition, according to scientists, it is possible to speak with a high degree of probability about the gradual dispersal of musk oxen in Western Taimyr.

    In order to resettle the species in this territory, scientists from the Siberian Federal University will develop recommendations and measures for the conservation and further rational use of this biological resource in Taimyr as a whole. Let us recall that the musk ox population in Taimyr was revived by Soviet scientists during a unique project in 1974. By the mid-1990s, the number of musk oxen on the peninsula was about 1 thousand individuals, and in the early 2000s, more than 4 thousand.

    Reference:

    The implementation of environmental and social projects of practical importance for Taimyr and its population is carried out within the framework of the grant program “RN-Vankor”. This year, with the support of oil workers, projects are being implemented to assess the state of the populations of the main commercial fish of the reservoirs of Taimyr using express analysis technologies, and to create a textbook “Reindeer of Taimyr”.

    In 2023, the winners of the grant competition were projects to assess the state of aquatic biological resources of the Yenisei Gulf of the Kara Sea, analyze the number and distribution of anseriformes in Western Taimyr, and assess the state and dynamics of vegetation in the western part of Taimyr based on remote sensing data.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft October 18, 2024

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.rosneft.ru/press/nevs/item/220927/

    MIL OSI Russia News –