NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn and Eversource Host Third Annual Sustainable Clean Energy Summit

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Electric grid decarbonization and emerging technologies in clean energy were the focus at this year’s Sustainable Clean Energy Summit at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The annual summit, hosted by UConn and Eversource, was a featured event of Connecticut’s first ever Sustainability & Resiliency Week. A keynote address by Gene Rodrigues, Assistant Secretary for Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy kicked off the event. Academic and state leaders as well as energy industry experts led panel discussions on various clean energy topics following opening remarks by UConn President Radenka Maric and Eversource Executive Vice President, Customer Experience and Energy Strategy Penni Conner.

    From left, Tilak Subrahmanian, vice president of energy efficiency and electric mobility for Eversource Energy, Interim Associate Vice President of Facilities Operations Stan Nolan, UConn President Radenka Maric, and Penni McLean-Conner, executive vice president of customer experience and energy strategy for Eversource Energy, sign a memorandum of understanding between UConn and Eversource during the Sustainable Clean Energy Summit in the Student Union Theater on Sept. 23, 2024. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

    In addition to the panel discussions, Eversource and UConn celebrated recent federal funding from the Department of Energy for the “Power Up New England” multi-state proposal, allowing Eversource to commit $4 million to establish the Connecticut Institute for Sustainable Energy at UConn Avery Point. The Institute will help to expand the sustainable energy workforce in the state and region through scholarships, real-world engagement on offshore wind projects, and certificate programs relating to offshore wind, with a particular focus on engagement with individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.

    During the summit, Eversource and UConn signed a three-year memorandum of understanding designed to advance the university’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, moving the UConn campus from a focus on LED lighting energy-saving projects to measures that involve studies, building controls, HVAC equipment and other decarbonization or carbon mitigation measures across all UConn campuses and UConn Health.

    “I want to give great recognition to our students,” said Maric. “Without our students saying, ‘Here are our priorities, here are our needs,’ we would probably not have the scholarships from Eversource and all the critical initiatives that we started. Besides being an educational institution, we are an innovation institution. Innovation happens here. Our goal is to create a dedicated sustainability academic unit in the coming years. Creating this unit will be a team effort.”

    “Eversource and UConn have a proven track record of working together towards our shared decarbonization goals while advancing a more sustainable future for the state, and we look forward to building on those efforts to maximize the benefits of a clean energy future for all residents and businesses,” said Conner. “Our partnership is building the workforce of the future and preparing students to tackle the critical clean energy and sustainability challenges facing Connecticut and the Northeast – setting a strong example for the progress that can be made through collaboration.”

    The winners of the Clean Energy and Sustainability Innovation Program (CESIP) Student Challenge Award stand onstage with Bill Quinlan, left, president of transmission & offshore wind projects for Eversource Energy, during the Sustainable Clean Energy Summit in the Student Union Theater on Sept. 23, 2024. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

    Four student-led finalist teams from the Eversource-sponsored Clean Energy and Sustainability Innovation Program (CESIP) presented their innovative research ideas to reduce carbon footprints and prepare for climate extremes at the local, state and regional levels with one finalist team receiving funding and mentorship to bring their idea to life over the next year.

    This year, that finalist team included Zhiqing “Lucy” Li, Steven Matile, and Meshach Ojo. Their project was titled “Potential Micro-Hydropower Retrofits at Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants.” The student team was supported by UConn mentor Diego Cerrai, assistant professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Associate Director and Program Manager, Eversource Energy Center; and Eversource mentor Nick Pellon, Senior Engineer, Transmission Interconnections.

    Eversource will continue their sponsorship of the CESIP to provide more UConn students with the opportunity to develop new ideas to advance a clean energy future.

    The day’s first panel explored innovations for grid decarbonization, climate adaptation, and modernization to manage extreme weather and intermittent renewable energy challenges through a policy lens. The second panel showcased the opportunities and challenges faced by diverse energy sources such as offshore wind, geothermal, nuclear and hydrogen and their integration to the modern electric grid.

    Closing remarks by President Maric and Emmanouil Anagnostou, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Director, Eversource Energy Center, were followed by the Clean Energy Engagement Fair, a career fair-style event for students to meet with Eversource and other employers and learn about UConn curriculum opportunities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A Soldier’s Journey: new first world war memorial in Washington revitalises classic image of the ‘American doughboy’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alice Kelly, Assistant Professor of Literature and History, University of Warwick

    America’s inaugural national memorial marking the first world war was unveiled this month in Washington DC, on the birthday of war commander General John J. Pershing – 106 years after the end of the war. We don’t often get to see a new memorial to a century-old war, especially one that has been deliberately designed in a century-old style.

    Its sculptor, Sabin Howard – who was recently referred to as a “self-appointed bulwark against the scourge of modern art” – rejects the vogue for abstract commemorative art seen in memorials such as Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1982). The centrepiece of the new memorial is Howard’s 58-foot panoramic sculpture, A Soldier’s Journey. Five connected scenes tell the story of an American everyman who enlists as a volunteer, fights in Europe, then returns home.

    The 38 realist figures were painstakingly sculpted from costumed models before being cast in 25 tonnes of weather-resistant bronze. Howard wanted to “tell a story” about the first world war and how it affected Americans, to make the conflict more visible to viewers today and in the future.

    In an episode of Cheers from 1983, when a first world war veteran comes into the bar, Coach asks: “Is that the war with Clark Gable or Gary Cooper?” I’m not sure American knowledge of the war has come much further in the past 40 years.

    In every other participating nation, the centenary of the war was marked by a pageant of commemorative activity – think of the 5 million people who went to see the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London. But in the US, despite having a culture of venerating veterans, the first world war is notoriously a “forgotten” war. It tends to be overshadowed by the civil war on one side, and the second world war on the other.

    Perhaps this blindspot is because the American experience of the first world war was much shorter. For the US, it lasted just 19 months from the declaration of war in April 1917 to the signing of the armistice in November 1918. And the fighting – as the song goes – was “over there” rather than on the home front, as it was in Europe. American losses, although high at 116,516 men (plus several hundred women who lost their lives while serving as nurses), were much lower than those of European nations. Britain, for example, lost 880,000 servicemen – 6% of the adult male population at the time.

    But the role this war played in the development of the “American century” is incomparable. The first world war destabilised the European powers – already in imperial decline – to the extent that the US grew to become the pre-eminent financial and military power after the war.

    The sacred and the dead

    The first world war hasn’t always been forgotten in the US. Indeed, in the 1920s and ’30s, American commemoration of the war was at its most “supercharged”, as scholar Steven Trout has shown. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, was interred in 1921 – a commemorative form borrowed from Europe after the first “unknowns” were interred in London and Paris in November 1920.

    Arlington is now the site for national memory of all wars, woven into the fabric of US political life. The recent controversy over a confrontation between Donald Trump staffers and cemetery officials demonstrates its continuing role in ensuring the sacred place of war dead in American culture.

    Across the nation, Americans have sought to remember their war dead in myriad forms, including memorial halls, parkways, plazas, opera houses, arches, gymnasiums, parks, trees and bell towers. There were so many memorials erected in New York City in the 1920s and ’30s – including parks, sculptures and the planting of memorial trees – that after the second world war, New York City’s commissioner for parks and recreation, Robert Moses, effectively banned new monuments being built, considering them “monstrosities”.

    Many memorials are still peppered across America, hidden in plain sight but instantly recognisable, even if viewers don’t know the context. The Spirit of the American Doughboy, designed by sculptor E.M. Viquesney and copyrighted in 1920, features a “doughboy” (recruit) holding his rifle with fixed bayonet and a grenade in his other hand – deliberately echoing the Statue of Liberty.

    ‘American doughboy’: a memorial to the Americans who served in the first world war, designed by E.M. Viquesney.
    Rosemarie Mosteller/Shutterstock

    Advertised as an affordable tribute that could be bought by towns as their local memorial, there are currently 135 originals and replicas on public display across the US. I find it impossible not to think of those doughboys when I look at the soldiers in Howard’s memorial.

    Commentators may well criticise Howard’s figurative sculpture as old-fashioned, but the debate over appropriate memorial forms and the question of “taste” is not new. In fact, it was a very live debate in the first world war’s immediate aftermath.

    In attempting to correct the historical omission of a national memorial, it seems appropriate that Howard’s figurative sculpture looks like – and recalls – first world war sculpture of the time.

    Will it earn the war its place in American memory that it deserves? I’m not sure. But in giving old form to an old war, it will make it visible to generations of Americans unfamiliar with it – and help the rest of us remember it anew.

    Alice Kelly 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. A Soldier’s Journey: new first world war memorial in Washington revitalises classic image of the ‘American doughboy’ – https://theconversation.com/a-soldiers-journey-new-first-world-war-memorial-in-washington-revitalises-classic-image-of-the-american-doughboy-239757

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK oil and gas workers risk becoming the ‘coal miners of our generation’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Freddie Daley, Research Associate, Centre for Global Political Economy, University of Sussex

    Grangemouth oil refinery is set to close in 2025 with the loss of 400 jobs. orxy / shutterstock

    At the end of September, the UK’s last remaining coal power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, will be retired. The closure of the plant should – and will – be celebrated by environmentalists, as the move away from coal has made Britain’s electricity much cleaner over the past decade. It is on this basis that the UK claims climate leadership.

    In the 1950s, coal provided the overwhelming majority of British energy, and as recently as 2012 it still generated 40%. By 2022, it was less than 2%. In a month’s time, it will be zero.

    Phasing out coal was a brutal and profound process. Organised labour was decimated, entire regions were forced into decline, and communities were left with sustained economic, social and health problems. The towering ghosts of power stations like Ratcliffe-on-Soar will haunt Britain’s ongoing effort to phase out North Sea oil and gas and replace it with clean energy.

    Towering ghosts: Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station.
    The Exposure / shutterstock

    And we are witnessing this haunting in real-time. After the Labour government announced its plans to end new licenses for oil and gas in British waters – necessary to meet the Paris Agreement – workers and trade unions feared history would repeat itself in terms of job losses and blighted communities.

    The general secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, noted that without a more thorough plan, the policy risked creating “the coal miners of our generation”. A recent motion at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) gathering in Brighton called for no ban on oil and gas licensing before a fully funded jobs guarantee is agreed. The motion narrowly passed.

    Workers and unions are demanding a “just transition” from polluting industries into the clean industries of the future. But to achieve this, the UK government must learn from what happened with coal.

    Many places still rely on oil and gas jobs

    Although oil and gas are not as embedded throughout British life as coal once was, there are many settlements and larger areas still dependent on energy jobs. Grangemouth in central Scotland is a good example. In November 2023, the owner, Petroineos, announced plans to close the town’s oil refinery in 2025, bringing a century of production to an end at the cost of 400 jobs.

    Even if the UK government did issue new oil and gas licences, the North Sea faces structural decline. Production peaked around the turn of the century. Since 2014, as many as 200,000 jobs have been lost either offshore or along the supply chain onshore.

    From gas to wind?

    Planning for the end of fossil fuels is therefore an urgent endeavour. The dominant strategy for protecting skilled jobs is to transition workers into the industries set to replace North Sea production: wind energy and other low-carbon technologies.

    However, though Britain has developed a large wind power sector, it remains a major importer of turbines. Domestic manufacturing makes only a small contribution, and developers are not required to use British-made turbines or other parts, despite the jobs this would create.

    This has left Grangemouth workers discontented. When one of us (Ewan Gibbs) and Riyoko Shibe interviewed young refinery workers at Grangemouth earlier this year, many commented that there were relatively few jobs in renewables. When jobs were visible on LinkedIn and comparable job sites, one told us that “you’ll see there’s a big difference in terms and conditions”.

    Wind farms are relatively easy to run once installed, so most jobs are in building them.
    Kevin Shipp / shutterstock

    In its current form, the UK wind industry will find it hard to provide the types of secure ongoing employment that oil and gas historically has. Most jobs are in the construction and maintenance of wind farms, with the latter threatened by automation. Without public investment and a targeted industrial policy, Britain will remain a net importer of wind technology, and the phasing out of North Sea oil and gas will prove costly in job terms.



    Read more:
    Grangemouth job losses are a stark reminder of the cost of a greener industrial future

    More investment needed

    Britain’s lack of state intervention is not the norm. After all, more than half of British wind farms are state-owned, though less than 1% are owned by the UK government. Swedish, Norwegian, French, Irish and German state-owned entities are major players, but the biggest is Denmark’s Ørsted, a former oil company turned renewables giant which is mostly state-owned. In the UK’s most recent offshore wind auction, 70% of the projects were awarded to Ørsted.

    The newly launched Great British Energy could give the state a foothold in the North Sea once more. This publicly owned company plans to focus on domestic manufacturing and will invest in ports and other infrastructures to “unlock strategic bottlenecks”.

    But if such projects are to be meaningfully incorporated into a just transition, they will need to offer continuity and security to oil and gas workers. As one Grangemouth worker put it, referring to his colleagues facing the choice of either remaining unemployed locally or relocating to use their skills:

    They’re moving to the Middle East, they’re moving to the north-east of Scotland. They’re moving offshore, they’re moving to the Shetlands, and therefore it’s not a just transition, in my view, if we’re moving to these jobs.

    Another worker highlighted the risks that Grangemouth could join the coalfields in becoming “stranded” communities:

    We’ve got a community that’s been built round the site, we’ve got skills and we’ve got people that work there, we’ve got the infrastructure there – why should we not have these jobs when the time comes to move to these industries? Why can we not have it at Grangemouth?

    Britain’s push to phase out oil and gas is urgent and necessary, but it cannot follow the same trajectory as Britain’s exit from coal – lessons must be learned. The opportunities presented by the transition away from fossil fuels will only be fully realised if workers are at its centre.

    Freddie Daley receives funding from UKRI for the SUS-POL project at the University of Sussex, which explores fossil fuel phase-outs around the world. Freddie also campaigns on demand reduction with Badvertising.

    Ewan Gibbs received funding from a British Academy Wolfson Fellowship that supported this research (grant number: WF21210099).

    – ref. UK oil and gas workers risk becoming the ‘coal miners of our generation’ – https://theconversation.com/uk-oil-and-gas-workers-risk-becoming-the-coal-miners-of-our-generation-239262

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Keir Starmer’s party conference speech – what he said and what it meant

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ben O’Loughlin, Professor of International Relations, Royal Holloway University of London

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer was under immense pressure to announce some big policies in his 2024 party conference speech. Those who felt the agenda had been captured by stories of scandal and discontent in Number 10 saw a major new offering as a potential way to distract. But Starmer chose a different path – one that he overtly described as the more difficult one.

    This, for him, is not about policies. Starmer is offering Britain a choice about how it thinks about politics. In his speech, he rejected what he called a politics of “easy answers” offered in the “cowardly fantasy” of populists. He asked the British public to ignore the “whims of Westminster” that see a politician stirring uproar to hide their lack of action.

    Looking back at the last government, he said: “Take Rwanda, a policy they knew from the beginning would never work, was never supposed to work. £700 million of your money, frittered away on something that was never a credible option because politically it was an easier answer.”

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    What is required is for politicians to address difficult challenges directly, not duck them, he said, adding: “If this path were popular or easy we would have walked it already.” The public must therefore be prepared to debate difficult challenges. This is a difficult version of politics.

    Will people like it?

    Easy-answers politics is quick and based on the performance of utter certainty. X is wrong, Y will fix it. If government doesn’t do Y, it is betraying the country. A flight to Rwanda will solve global migration patterns caused by climate, conflict and the way the world economy works. We don’t want to even think about climate, conflict and the way the world economy works. This is how Starmer characterised the Conservative government of the last 14 years.

    Take the rough with the smooth

    Starmer is offering a performance of seriousness and trying to create an expectation he will deliver a serious politics. He called this a “renewal” because Britain has done serious politics before, generations ago, and it is in British people’s blood: “We will turn our collar up and face the storm,” he said. British people will all contribute, all participate in that renewal, because “this is a country with fairness in the water”.

    This entails being open to debate with other citizens who we disagree with, in a spirit of collective endeavour, not self-interest. You want security? Prisons may be built near you, he said. You want cheaper electricity? Then we’ll build pylons overground. You want government to have some control in the immigration process? We’ll make it function properly. But you must accept that in that fair and proper process, some people will be granted asylum. Agree to disagree, but, more fundamentally, agree that disagreement is OK, because we are equal citizens.



    Read more:
    Know your place: what happened to class in British politics – a new podcast series from The Conversation Documentaries

    The British public must be persuaded to trust this government and this renewal project because they understand government not as aloof partying liars. Look to my government, Starmer said, to see politicians in service to the country of Britain and the British “working people”. But for government to show it thinks it is in the service of the public, it struck me that it can’t be accepting free tickets to watch Arsenal.

    Do we have a narrative yet?

    Starmer addressed the question of whether he has a story to tell about the country. Since he came to government, it has felt as though he lacks one. He said Britain’s dilemma is “our story is uncertain. Hope is beaten out of us.”

    Yet the world thinks of Britain as a great nation, he said, of scientific genius, the industry of its working people, and pragmatism about the complexity of global relations. He said this shows Britain was capable of writing “our own story and that of the world”. He called for Britain to do this again.

    For this to happen, citizens need to be able to see a connection through time. It begins with the government saying it is serious and trustworthy. Then, at a certain point in time, the public needs to be able to look back and see the actions that government has taken. Finally, at a later time, citizens decide whether they’ve seen the results of those actions in their lives.

    This is how the story of a nation is built. But it is where enormous patience is needed. And while his narrative was more successful than previous attempts, there was a piece missing from the puzzle. Will building prisons or electricity pylons provide conditions that allow companies to create economic growth?

    This is not a fully coherent story based on a clear plan – at least not one that has been made public. It is more a wager Starmer is calling on Britons to make. Bet now, and wait. And that’s a lot to ask.

    Ben O’Loughlin 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. Keir Starmer’s party conference speech – what he said and what it meant – https://theconversation.com/keir-starmers-party-conference-speech-what-he-said-and-what-it-meant-239766

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Hockey in Canada: Can it still bridge divides in an era of political polarization?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joseph Dick, PhD Student in Sport Management, University of Guelph

    Contemporary ice hockey was pioneered in Canada, and the sport has historically been watched and played by Canadians. (Shutterstock)

    Hockey has played a significant role in shaping Canada’s culture and identity over the years. As sport scholar Tony Patoine once put it, “hockey has become more than a simple pasttime: it is a true Canadian tradition, a quasi-religion.”

    This deep attachment to the game is reflected in Bill C-212, which acknowledges hockey as Canada’s official winter sport. Modern ice hockey was, after all, pioneered in Canada, where it has historically been watched, played and been perceived as a unifying force that transcends linguistic and ethnic divides.

    Despite these perceptions, however, we question the strength of such unification potential amidst recent changes to hockey culture. Can hockey continue to unify all of Canada?

    ‘Communitas’

    Hockey’s purported sense of unity closely relates to the concept of “communitas,” coined by anthropologist Victor Turner, which describes the strong bonds of comradery that form between members of a group — and sometimes between members of disparate groups — where rank and status disappear.

    However, not everyone experiences this sense of unity equally. Since social groups establish behaviours required for group membership, those who don’t align with these norms may feel excluded.

    Former Hockey Night in Canada commentator, Don Cherry, was once praised for upholding values characteristic of hockey, including the promotion of violence, hyper masculinity and an overall adherence to “ideas of loyalty, fraternity, and mutual respect.” These values, once normalized within the hockey community, shaped how both players and fans were expected to act.

    But as the game continues to evolve and these values are increasingly considered archaic and out of sync with the broader political culture fostered within Canada, we as Canadian sport and political science researchers, respectively, question if hockey still provides that sense of communitas for all of Canada.

    Hockey in French Canada

    Although Canadians often view hockey as a monolithic, universally adopted sport across Canada, a closer look reveals patterns of non-uniformity. Nowhere are such differences more apparent than in the historical development of the sport in Québec versus the rest of Canada.

    As historian Emmanuel Lapierre wrote, “French Canadians appropriated hockey in their own manner and used it to tell a story about themselves,” a story that is, like the province of Québec itself, unique within the Canadian federation.

    For much of Canadian history, Anglophone hockey players represented the in-group, while Francophone hockey players were often seen as outsiders. In the 1950s, for example, Francophone players in the NHL believed they were treated more harshly when it came to suspensions and fines.

    Québec society, during this time, faced an endemic struggle of oppression against an Anglophone-dominated society controlled by the Catholic Church. Francophone resistance to this was linked to the Richard Riot that occurred during the 1954-55 NHL season.

    Maurice Richard scoring his 500th goal on Oct. 19, 1957. At the time, he was the first and only professional NHL player to achieve such a feat.
    (Wikimedia Commons)

    After Montreal Canadiens’ player Maurice “Rocket” Richard was suspended from the playoffs in March 1955 for punching an official, a massive riot broke out among fans. They raged through downtown Montréal, targeting Anglophone-owned buildings. This riot became a symbol of Francophone resistance to Anglophone dominance, serving as a stepping stone towards the Quiet Revolution and renewed French Canadian nationalism.

    This, in turn, strengthened the sense of unity around hockey in Canada. Francophone hockey players began to be viewed as more equal to, and at the very least not controlled by, Anglophone players. Hockey was used to forge a sense of communitas amongst French Canadians, serving as a transcendent unifier in Canada.

    But that was then, and it occurred within the context of a province historically rich with connections to French Canadian culture, where hockey’s unification potential was, therefore, heightened. Does this similar sense of communitas still exist in the rest of Canada with respect to hockey? Or has the sport’s ability to unite the nation become weakened in an era of unprecedented political polarization?

    Hockey today

    Hockey fandom remains strong in Canada, with about 31 per cent of Canadians still following the sport — the highest of any sport in the country. This is re-enforced by the recent success of the Professional Women’s Hockey League and the near-record Canadian viewership of the most recent Stanley Cup finals.

    However, hockey participation has seen a notable decline, dropping 33 per cent since its peak in 2010 amidst high participation costs. Additionally, Hockey Canada has been accused of fostering a culture of misogyny and sexual assault.



    Read more:
    Hockey Canada scandal highlights toxic masculinity in sports

    In 2023, Hockey Canada’s former CEO acknowledged the need to address racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in hockey culture. “Each topic, or part of culture that we’re trying to get at, that will determine who the audience is as we move forward,” he said.

    As hockey navigates these changes, it must adapt to the growing emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion, alongside the impacts of an increasing immigrant population and the globalization of the game.

    This evolution could mean the demise of “traditional” hockey values, and perhaps that is a good thing: misogynistic, “rock ‘em and sock ’em” mentalities don’t align with the values of a modern liberal democracy like Canada.

    Still, for communitas to transcend division, hockey must also find a way to bring traditional fans along, who may have enjoyed the undertones of violence and masculinized definitions of loyalty, fraternity and respect, without alienating them.

    Where should hockey go now?

    Hockey’s role as a unifying force in Canada is well established. Not only is it still Canada’s official winter sport, but as outlined above, it has also served as a unifier for French and English Canada. Hockey has, moreover, unified Canadians during other key moments, such as Canada’s victory over the USSR in the 1972 Summit Series, which symbolized democracy’s triumph over communism.

    However, hockey’s role as a unifying force has diminished over the years. For many Canadians, hockey is no longer “the best game you can name,” as Stompin’ Tom Connors once sang.

    If hockey is to maintain its historic place as a contributor to Canadian nationalism and communitas, the sport must evolve. While some traditional values — such as teamwork, loyalty and respect — should be preserved, outdated notions like hyper masculinity and aggression no longer align with today’s values.

    As Canada changes, so too must hockey. Canadian hockey culture and policies must better adapt to meet contemporary Canadian values like diversity and inclusivity.

    The question for Canadians isn’t just the future of hockey, but what can unite us in today’s world. Communitas need not be confined to hockey, let alone a sport. Hockey has traditionally filled this unification role, but if it fails to keep up, what will take its place?

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

    – ref. Hockey in Canada: Can it still bridge divides in an era of political polarization? – https://theconversation.com/hockey-in-canada-can-it-still-bridge-divides-in-an-era-of-political-polarization-238277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $11 Million in Federal Funding for Health Care Research in Illinois

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    September 24, 2024
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] –  U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $10,906,668 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) medical research grants for Illinois institutions. The federal funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from lung diseases to mental health research.  
    “Investing in our world-renowned medical research facilities and institutions is a critical part in helping ensure high quality health care for all Illinoisans,” Duckworth said. “I will keep working with Senator Durbin to make sure our health organizations have the federal support they need to continue improving mental health research and advancing medical treatments for patients and families across Illinois.”
    “Federal investments in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us new treatments for the serious conditions that impact so many American families,” said Durbin. “Illinois’ world-class research institutions will make good use of this federal funding to make devastating diseases more treatable.” 
    Recipients of HHS grants include:  
    Chestnut Health Systems, Inc (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs): $759,748
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Research for Mothers and Children): $718,900
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Nursing Research): $827,872
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Research and Training in Complementary and Alternative Medicine): $671,176
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Lung Diseases Research): $2,803,961
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Human Genome Research): $745,930
    Northwestern University (Aging Research): $388,067
    Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (Mental Health Research Grants): $535,696
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Aging Research): $1,536,774
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Cancer Treatment Research): $90,538
     
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE MARKS NAZARETH UNIVERSITY’S 100TH BIRTHDAY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25)

    (Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle delivered remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives in honor of the centennial of Nazareth University, a premier liberal arts university in Rochester, New York. His remarks will appear in the Congressional Record, and the transcript is below.

    “I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of Nazareth University—led by my dear friend President Beth Paul—which was founded in 1924 by members of the Sisters of St. Joseph, a group with which I proudly share a name.

    The five founding Sisters saw the school as an opportunity to ‘respond to the needs of the time’ and provide women with educational opportunities.

    On September 24, 1924, Nazareth’s initial class of 25 began their studies in the ‘glass house’ on Lake Avenue, a date we now recognize as ‘Naz Day.’

    They set out to create success ‘against all odds,’ and by every measure, it has been an outstanding success.

    100 years later, they’ve grown to a 150-acre campus, with nearly 2,500 students in more than 80 academic programs.

    The legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph lives on through Nazareth’s success, and I’m proud to support their continued growth and prosperity.

    Here’s to the next 100 years!”

    Video footage is available and can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Profile: Fuelling Success – Gloria Kwong’s Path to Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Gloria Kwong during a panel at the ATOMEXPO International Forum held from 19-21 June 2017 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo: Rosatom)

    The IAEA profiles employees to provide insight into the variety of career paths that support the Agency’s mission of Atoms for Peace and Development and to inspire and encourage readers, particularly women, to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) or STEM-adjacent fields. Read more profiles of women at the IAEA.   

    Growing up in a conservative, Chinese household in Canada, Gloria Kwong was raised to avoid taking risks and to prioritize her education to help ensure her success.  

    Throughout her professional journey, which has led her from Canada to Austria via France, Kwong has always remained committed to her work in the areas of nuclear waste, decommissioning and environmental remediation. During her career, she has navigated challenges in a male-dominated industry and advises young women to follow their passions and embrace new opportunities, even when they come with challenges or risks. 

    As a young girl, Kwong aspired to become a professional chef, but her parents encouraged her and her four siblings to focus on their academic studies. After high school, Kwong earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Toronto, Canada, and within a few years, she advanced to a managerial role at a leading telecommunications company. However, she realized that her passion was in more technically demanding work, eventually leading her to her current role as Head of the Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation Section at the IAEA.   

    “It may surprise people that my experience working in a managerial position for a telecommunications company impacts my work at the IAEA. Although technical competency is essential, good decision-making, communication, and interpersonal skills are no less important, and this is something that comes in hand every day when I work with my team and colleagues at the Agency. An unconventional professional background does not limit you, but instead provides you with more tools to succeed,” said Kwong. 

    Seeking to broaden her horizons, Kwong transitioned to the nuclear field as a design engineer at the Ontario Power Generation Darlington Power Station (OPG) in Toronto. While working as a Senior Engineer at OPG, Kwong pursued her PhD in materials engineering from Imperial College London. It would be years later before Kwong took another career leap – this time across the Atlantic. After over a decade at OPG, which later became the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, she was offered the position of Radioactive Waste Management Specialist at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) in Paris, France. 

    Kwong’s career at the NEA was marked by her willingness to take on new challenges and leadership roles. For over 11 years, she held various managerial positions, including Acting Head of the Radioactive Waste Management Division and the Nuclear Technology Development & Economics Division. Her leadership skills and technical insight were recognized, leading to other roles as Deputy Head of the Office of Policy and Coordination, Head of the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation, and eventually, Senior Advisor to the Director-General. 

    Like other women working in a male-dominated industry, Kwong made a concerted effort to establish her credibility and earn the respect of her peers. Her career has been filled with professional milestones and unique international experiences, but it has not been without challenges. 

    “A big hurdle for women has always been work-life balance and prioritizing career development , but I see more employers, like the IAEA, addressing these matters through educational scholarships that relieve financial burdens, flexible professional development programmes and new, accommodating HR policies, thereby attracting more women to the nuclear sector,” said Kwong. 

    After over a decade at the NEA, Kwong left Paris and moved to Vienna to join the IAEA as the Head of the Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation Section. She and her colleagues strive to promote nuclear decommissioning and environmental remediation by supporting sustainable nuclear energy development. They encourage countries to integrate circular economy principles into national decommissioning and radioactive waste management policies, and they facilitate knowledge sharing to promote the efficient use of resources and the safe reuse of materials. 

    “I want to contribute to narrowing the energy equity gap to ensure more people can access affordable, sustainable and clean energy. I believe that nuclear power can elevate its contribution to complement other clean energy sources, which is why I believe in the mission and work of the IAEA,” Kwong said.  

    Her piece of advice to young women considering a career in the nuclear field: 

    “Follow your heart in decision making. Explore other opportunities, and don’t be afraid to take some risks.” 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Assistant Leader Neguse Unveils Series of Bills to Improve Wildfire Mitigation, Research, and Management

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

    Founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus announces proposals to support communities impacted by the wildfire crisis. 

    Washington, D.C. — Today, House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse, founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, unveiled a series of impactful reforms aimed at improving wildfire prevention, mitigation, and management in affected communities. The bills are derived from recommendations put forth by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, and consist of the bipartisan Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, the Wildfire Coordination Act, and the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act. The entire legislative package is co-led by Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA). Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) also co-lead the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, and Rep. Marc Molinaro additionally co-leads the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act. 

    “Today, as wildfires continue to ravage communities across America, I’m proud to be joined by a bipartisan coalition of Members in introducing a series of bills that will implement urgent new approaches to addressing this growing challenge. These initiatives are rooted in the non-partisan work of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, and take important steps to mitigate against the impact of wildfires in our communities. This package will ultimately invest in wildfire science and the overall resilience of our communities to reduce the future threat of these disasters.” said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. 

    “We’re in the middle of a wildfire crisis and we can’t afford to wait to tackle this threat,” said Rep. Josh Harder. “This isn’t a partisan political issue – fires and their toxic smoke affect everyone. America’s top firefighters and wildfire experts came together to tell us what they need to tackle the wildfire crisis and the package of bipartisan bills we’re introducing today are in direct response to the needs of our firefighters. They endure hellish conditions to keep us safe and they deserve our full support. Our families and our communities are counting on us to get this done.”

    “As we introduce this bill, firefighters are working around the clock to contain the Airport fire on federal land in the Cleveland National Forest in Trabuco Canyon and surrounding communities. We also saw earlier this week how a fire miles away can negatively impact the air quality in our area,” said Rep. Young Kim, co-lead of the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act. “Reducing barriers to wildfire mitigation can save lives. The Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act aims to bridge any barriers to wildfire mitigation and ensure our first responders can do their jobs as effectively as possible. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan, commonsense effort with Reps. Neguse, Harder, and Molinaro, and I will keep doing all I can to keep our communities safe and support first responders.”

    “As recent wildfires to the North have demonstrated, wildfires pose an ongoing threat to Upstate New York communities and our legislation mitigates these risks by ensuring wildfire prevention and response is effective and efficient. I’m proud to partner with my colleagues on these crucial steps to identifying gaps and improvements in wildfire management and strengthening federal agency interaction to improve wildfire preparedness,” said Rep. Marc Molinaro. 

    As wildfires continue to devastate communities nationwide, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has been tasked with bringing together federal agencies, state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as representatives from the private sector to come up with solutions for best addressing this crisis. Co-chaired by the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency this commission unites a rare diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and expertise, including several members from Colorado

    Last year, the Commision submitted their report to Congress: “ON FIRE: The Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission,” which included strategies to improve aerial firefighting efforts and meet equipment needs through 2030. Based on this report, the bills introduced by Assistant Leader Neguse, include the reforms outlined below: 

    • The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA),  Young Kim (R-CA), and Marc Molinaro (R-NY) will help inform recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation by identifying gaps and opportunities in current federal rules and regulations and supporting increased collaboration across agencies and land boundaries.

    • The Wildfire Coordination Act, co-led by Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), establishes an advisory board composed of members from various federal, State, local, Tribal, and non-federal partners that will be responsible for coordinating federal wildfire research, translating it into practical applications, and developing future research.

    • The Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA) and Marc Molinaro (R-NY)  requires a comprehensive review of the wildfire landscape in the United States every four years, outlining the changes in environments, assessing wildfire management challenges, and evaluating the intersection of wildfires and public health. This federal review will help inform the development of long-term strategies to enhance wildfire preparedness and response and strengthen interagency coordination. 

    Find a one-pager on the wildfire legislative package here. 

    Find endorsements and quotes of support here. 

    Background

    Assistant Leader Neguse has made tackling the wildfire crisis and improving working conditions for federal firefighters a consequential issue for his office since first being elected to Congress in 2018. Earlier this week, Neguse helped to host a Special Order Hour where he called for Congress to enact permanent pay increases for federal wildland firefighters. He also recently partnered with Reps. Josh Harder (D-CA) and Scott Franklin (R-FL) in introducing a landmark piece of legislation to improve fire readiness through the implementation of a first-of-its-kind approach to modernizing how the United States combats the wildfire crisis.

    The Colorado Congressman has also shown continued support for cross-boundary collaborative efforts, including by leading his colleagues in a letter to House Appropriators on the importance of supporting the work being conducted by the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institute to help restore and reimagine fire-adapted forest landscapes. Neguse has also spoken to the work being conducted by Colorado State University’s Colorado Forest Restoration Institute (CFRI). 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: GAO Reports on Botched FAFSA Rollout Reveal New Failures, Harm to Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    The preliminary findings showed that more than 400,000 fewer students, disproportionately those from low- and middle-income families, did not utilize the FAFSA last year due to the Department of Education’s failures, which included an abysmal 25% support call center answer rate, and the application taking on average nearly 700 times longer to complete than the Department had advertised.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responded to the two statements released as part of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) preliminary findings reviewing the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) failure to roll out the updated and simplified 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The first statement of the two focused on the impact this failure had on students and schools, and the second reviewed the technical problems that led to this failure. Last month, the ED announced that the 2025-2026 FAFSA form will again not be available nationwide by the traditional release date of October 1.
    In January of this year, Senator Collins was part of the bicameral group that called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct these investigations into the Department of Education’s failure to implement the 2024-2025 FAFSA program. The final report is estimated for release in 2025. Last week, Senator Collins has joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning the botched implementation by the Department of Education of the 2024-2025 FAFSA and the requirements mandated by the FAFSA Simplification Act.
    “These statements confirm much of what was already assumed, that the failures of the ED and its leadership have led to hundreds of thousands fewer students, many of them from low- and middle-income households, filling out a FAFSA application. The Department’s failures have directly led to many young people foregoing a traditional college education, for no reason other than lack of affordability,” said Senator Collins. “In my time working at Husson University, I learned firsthand the devastating impact a failure of this sort has on Maine students and families—whose decision of whether to send their children to college, especially for aspiring first-generation college students, is directly tied to the costs of doing so. With these reviews, it is clear that the Department must be held accountable for failing the American people in one of their most fundamental duties as a federal education agency. Maine families cannot make significant financial decisions for their children if they do not know what student aid is being made available to them, and the leadership of the Department must answer for these unacceptable mistakes.”
    The negative outcomes of the botched 2024-2025 FAFSA rollout described in the GAO statements include:
    Over 432,000 fewer students utilized the FAFSA, a 3% decrease from the previous year.
    The most significant decrease was amongst households who make between $30,000-$48,000 a year, where FAFSA applications were down 11%.
    The ED has reported and advertised that the new FAFSA form would only take between 15-20 minutes to complete. The actual average completion time for dependent first-time applicants was 5 days. The longer it takes for a student to complete a FAFSA, the less likely students and families are to finish it.
    74% of calls made to the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Call Center went unanswered.
    Additionally, the FSA waited 5 months before increasing call center staffing after the delayed launch.
    For those who submitted a paper FAFSA, FSA did not confirm receipt of forms. Those who submitted paper FAFSAs had to wait between 7 and 8 months before knowing if FSA had even received their application.
    ED mistakenly did not allow an applicant whose parent did not have a social security number to complete a FAFSA until 2 months after the form was launched. Then, ED grossly underestimated the work to verify the identity of parents who are non-citizens, required by law by 63 times. As a result, they suspended the requirement. It also did not allow for the automatic transferring of tax information for non-citizens with Individual Tax Identification Numbers (TIN). ED still has not timeline for fixing this issue.
    34,000 students who submitted paper FAFSAs did not receive confirmation of the receipt of their FAFSA until 7 months after it was submitted.
    ED does not have any comprehensive communication plan that includes steps to provide FAFSA applicants with timely updates on the status of their application and solutions to technical barriers.
    There are over 20 technical issues with the FAFSA processing system as of August 2024.
    The online form submission system was demonstrated to have an extremely high rate of defects. After deploying the system, 7 of the 55 discovered defects were categorized as “critical.”
    In 2020, Senator Collins co-sponsored the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act, which passed Congress, and required the Department of Education to roll out a new simplified FAFSA program by January 1, 2024. Despite having three years to prepare, the application was only made available for borrowers for 30 minutes on December 30, 2023 and then one additional hour on December 31, 2023. The application was then only accessible for sporadic periods until it became fully live on January 6, 2024. After the FAFSA went fully live, it was still plagued with issues, including delivering incorrect applicant data to colleges.
    In April of this year, Senator Collins questioned Secretary of the Department of Education Miguel Cardona on the Department’s failure to implement the FAFSA Simplification Act during an Appropriations hearing. Following the hearing, Senator Collins and a bipartisan, bicameral group of 10 Committee leaders in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Secretary Cardona urging the Department to prioritize the timely rollout of the 2025-2026 FAFSA form. Yet still, In August, the ED again announced that the release of the 2025-2026 FAFSA form will also be delayed, this time, until December 1, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Fears and regrets expressed by Gabriele Mazzini about the Artificial Intelligence Act – E-001729/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001729/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mathilde Androuët (PfE)

    The combined share of artificial intelligence (AI) patents awarded between 2010 and 2022 shows that only 2% originated from the EU and the UK, while 61% came from China, 16% from the United States and 21% from the ‘rest of the world’[1]. In January, the Commission launched measures to ‘support European startups and SMEs in developing trustworthy AI that respects EU values and rules’[2]. Parliament adopted the AI Act in March 2024[3].

    Everyone agrees that the dangers of unethical use of AI need to be recognised, but European countries also need to remain competitive with Chinese and US giants in this crucial area.

    Gabriele Mazzini, the lead author at the Commission of the proposal for an AI Act, has apparently stated that ‘the regulatory bar may have been placed too high’, fearing that legal uncertainty will paralyse European firms, benefiting in particular the US tech giants[4].

    Does the Commission share Mr Mazzini’s fears and regrets?

    Submitted: 17.9.2024

    • [1] The AI index report, Measuring trends in AI – Stanford University – https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/
    • [2] Commission launches AI innovation package to support Artificial Intelligence startups and SMEs – European Commission press release – 24 January 2024.
    • [3] Artificial intelligence: MEPs adopt landmark legislation – European Parliament press release – 13.3.2024.
    • [4] ‘Europe Has US Tech in Its Sights. It Might Miss,’ Lionel Laurent – Bloomberg – 1.8.2024.
    Last updated: 24 September 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ’s government plans to lift a ban on gene tech outside the lab – here’s what people think

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marie McEntee, Senior Lecturer, School of Environment, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    The government’s recently announced plan to end New Zealand’s effective ban on the use of gene technologies outside the laboratory has reignited debate about this historically contested topic.

    While the government aims to pass legislation and introduce a gene tech regulator before 2026, opposition parties want broad conversations with New Zealanders to gauge their opinions.

    As our research shows, such conversations are complex. They must include a diverse range of people because discussions about gene technology bring strong reactions based on people’s values and beliefs.

    We found this to be especially pointed when talking about the use of these technologies in conservation, environmental protection and food.

    But participants valued the opportunity to have open conversations and to discuss potential scenarios when provided with clear and accessible information. Our research gives insights into what safe and responsible environmental genetic innovation means for New Zealanders.

    Genetic innovation isn’t only a technology issue

    Our research was conducted over 18 months before the government’s announcement and supported by the now defunded Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. It was carried out in two streams. The Māori Biodiversity Network Te Tira Whakamātaki engaged with Māori thought leaders, while social scientists engaged with the wider public and interest groups.

    Both streams used processes that enabled participants to deliberate in groups about specific environmental contexts where genetic tools could be applied. We considered a range of technologies, from gene editing to gene silencing, and a range of possible uses.

    The research used potential scenarios to give context to public deliberations.
    Author provided, CC BY-SA

    Many participants saw the potential of gene technologies. However, deliberations did not result in simple yes or no responses, nor was people’s decision-making primarily focused on the technologies. Instead, it was careful, considered, contextual and connected to personal values.

    Public participants were presented with scenarios that included chromosomal changes (reducing wilding pines and eradicating rats) and scenarios using gene silencing that does not alter chromosomal DNA (management of the plant pathogen myrtle rust and the bee parasite varroa mite). But they did not simply favour the latter. Instead, the scenario context was a significant driver in the deliberations.

    The management of the bee parasite varroa is one scenario for which gene technologies could be considered.
    Sebastian Gollnow/dpa via Getty Images

    The use of gene silencing to control the varroa mite raised considerable concerns about human health because of the connection to honey production and food consumption. Genetic engineering for myrtle rust was greeted more favourably due to a dislike of the fungicides used currently.

    When presented with a scenario to make kūmara more resistant to insects, Māori participants strongly opposed any modification. They were cautiously more supportive of gene technologies used on invasive rather than native species, but only with strong regulation.

    Participants in the public stream were generally more supportive of gene technologies to manage plants compared with animals. But people’s decisions were affected by their acceptance of the problem.

    While rats were perceived as a significant ecological threat, this was not always the case for wilding pines. Some people thought of them as an economic opportunity or environmental benefit to offset carbon emissions.

    Gene technologies could be used to control wilding pines, but some see them as an opportunity to offset emissions.
    Flickr/Jon Sullivan, CC BY-SA

    For Māori, whakapapa (genealogy) and tikanga (customs) formed the core of any discussion about genetic technologies. The potential for unforeseen consequences required tikanga-based processes to guide discussions, although this did not necessarily guarantee acceptance of use.

    Māori participants preferred processes rooted in local tikanga that have successfully guided decision making for generations. Such processes needed significant resourcing into education about tools and the inclusion of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in any regulations proposed by the Crown.

    High levels of caution

    Participants in both streams openly discussed inherent risks and unknowns of gene technologies. Public participants saw the technologies’ potential to address the challenges of current environmental management, such as animal welfare concerns around toxins used in predator control.

    However, they sought high levels of regulation and oversight, especially where there are significant unknowns and ethical concerns. In all contexts, people sought more and continuous research, particularly in contained environments, to monitor and evaluate the impacts of genetic technology.

    The further away and more uncertain the technology was, the more regulation mattered. Participants sought considerable controls, regulation and governance throughout the entire cycle of development. Many public participants also wanted Māori representation at all levels of governance.

    Who do people trust?

    Among public participants, there was widespread trust in the methods of science. But when it came to institutions and specific scientists, trust became more nuanced. In communities where trust was low, complex science became contested science.

    A survey undertaken by Te Tira Whakamātaki found Māori trusted scientists the most to provide information about genetic tools, followed closely by iwi leaders or authorities. Elected officials and the media were trusted the least.

    Public participants expressed concern about the influence of commercial interests on science innovation and the governance of technologies. There was widespread concern over who might own and control the technologies.

    People sought more information about gene technologies to come to an informed view. They wanted science organisations engaging in genetic research to be more visible and transparent.

    Scientists and policymakers need to understand that this request for more information is not about educating the community towards a pre-determined outcome. It is about undertaking innovation responsibly. This means allowing the broader community to have a say in decision making and a responsible approach to innovation as technologies are developed.

    Our research demonstrates that discussions about the liberalisation of rules governing genetic technology in New Zealand are complex. However, they need not be marked by conflict, if people’s views and values are genuinely considered.

    The authors received funding for this work from the now defunded Biological Heritage National Science Challenge.

    – ref. NZ’s government plans to lift a ban on gene tech outside the lab – here’s what people think – https://theconversation.com/nzs-government-plans-to-lift-a-ban-on-gene-tech-outside-the-lab-heres-what-people-think-239707

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $11 Million In Federal Funding For Health Care Research In Illinois

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    09.24.24
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $10,906,668 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) medical research grants for Illinois institutions. The federal funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be put toward research programs across the state to support medical advancement in various fields, ranging from lung diseases to mental health research.  
    “Federal investments in medical research pushes our society forward, bringing us new treatments for the serious conditions that impact so many American families,” said Durbin. “Illinois’ world-class research institutions will make good use of this federal funding to make devastating diseases more treatable.” 
    “Investing in our world-renowned medical research facilities and institutions is a critical part in helping ensure high quality health care for all Illinoisans,” Duckworth said. “I will keep working with Senator Durbin to make sure our health organizations have the federal support they need to continue improving mental health research and advancing medical treatments for patients and families across Illinois.”
    Recipients of HHS grants include:  
    Chestnut Health Systems, Inc (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs): $759,748
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Research for Mothers and Children): $718,900
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Nursing Research): $827,872
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Research and Training in Complementary and Alternative Medicine): $671,176
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Lung Diseases Research): $2,803,961
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Human Genome Research): $745,930
    Northwestern University (Aging Research): $388,067
    Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (Mental Health Research Grants): $535,696
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Aging Research): $1,536,774
    Northwestern University at Chicago (Cancer Treatment Research): $90,538
    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research.? His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past nine years.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor appoints Emily Kaltenbach Secretary of Aging and Long-Term Services Department

    Source: US State of New Mexico

    SANTA FE – Today, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her appointment of Emily Kaltenbach as Cabinet Secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD).

    Kaltenbach brings more than two decades of leadership in public policy, health care reform, and advocacy, as well as a strong track-record of advancing services for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and communities across New Mexico. Kaltenbach will join the administration on November 4, 2024.

    Previously, Kaltenbach was senior director of state advocacy for the Drug Policy Alliance, where she led statewide efforts to shift policy focus from punitive measures to health-centered solutions. Her extensive background also includes leadership positions at ALTSD and in the New Mexico Office of Health Care Reform, where she contributed to significant policy reforms benefiting older adults and people of all ages with disabilities.

    “We welcome Emily Kaltenbach back to the Aging and Long-Term Services Department,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “Her depth of experience in public health, aging services, and policy development will enable her to make an immediate impact as the department continues to improve the care and resources provided to New Mexico’s seniors and those with disabilities.”

    “I am honored to return to ALTSD and serve New Mexico’s elders and families,” said Kaltenbach. “I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders statewide to ensure all New Mexicans have access to the care and services they need to live with dignity and independence.”

    Kaltenbach holds a master’s in health care administration from the University of Washington and has served on multiple boards dedicated to public health, cannabis regulation, and community safety. Her leadership in health care reform and social justice issues makes her uniquely positioned to lead ALTSD as it navigates the challenges facing the state’s growing aging population.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Rejects GOP Claim That Abortion Bans Aren’t Dangerous: Idaho’s ‘Deserts of Gynecological Care’ Hurt Women & Doctors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    09.24.24

    Cantwell Rejects GOP Claim That Abortion Bans Aren’t Dangerous: Idaho’s ‘Deserts of Gynecological Care’ Hurt Women & Doctors

    At Senate committee hearing, Cantwell & colleagues hear from a PNW OB/GYN who left Idaho due to draconian laws; The post-Dobbs reality on the ground is undeniable: preventable deaths, women denied care, and growing health care deserts in anti-choice states that strain surrounding regions

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, attended a committee hearing titled “Chaos and Control: How Trump Criminalized Women’s Health Care,” which examined how the overturn of Roe v. Wade — led by Supreme Court justices appointed by former President Donald Trump – is impacting providers and endangering women on the ground.

    At the hearing, some witnesses called by Republicans, including a Texas-based lawyer, claimed that abortion bans do not prevent doctors from administering care to pregnant patients during emergencies that threaten the mother’s life. Her assertions are contradicted by a report released this week showing that a 28-year-old Georgia woman died in 2022 after doctors delayed a life-saving abortion. A state board concluded that her death was preventable. Another Georgia woman died because she was afraid to see a provider due to the abortion ban; the state board said that her death was also preventable. Women in other states have reported suffering extreme pain and anguish after being forced to wait for care. 

    “I am dismayed at my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and even some of the witnesses, because you are saying this is either rhetoric, or hospitals do not understand the law,” Sen. Cantwell said. “I don’t care what the lawyers are saying. This is what is happening on the ground. And the consequences that it is affecting these individuals and threatening their lives.”

    She added that the lack of care in neighboring Idaho is driving a 50% increase in out-of-state abortion patients in Washington state, straining our own health care system.

    “If you have deserts of gynecological care overall, it’s going to cause problems, not just for the women in Idaho, but for our region as well,” Sen. Cantwell said. “We want people to be able to see their physician.”

    Among the panel of witnesses was Dr. Amelia Huntsberger, an OB/GYN and graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Huntsberger practiced in Sandpoint, Idaho, for nearly a decade before relocating her family to Oregon due to fear of prosecution under Idaho’s draconian abortion ban. Since the ban went into effect, 22% of Idaho’s OB/GYNs have left the state.

    “Dr. Huntsberger, what more can we tell people about why one in five OB/GYNs are leaving?” Sen. Cantwell asked. “The lawyers are telling you [that] you don’t have to worry about this, but you took a step to worry about it. Why did you take that step?”

    “It was essential to me to provide the care my patients needed without government interference,” Dr. Huntsberger responded. “The circumstances doctors and patients find themselves in Idaho impacts everyone. Idaho has some of the lowest per capita number of physicians, so already there was a physician shortage, and this is being greatly exacerbated.”

    Strict abortion bans enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade have created confusion around the treatment medical professionals can provide, even when a pregnant patient’s life or health is in danger. Providers fear they could be sued or prosecuted for providing abortion care, or even miscarriage treatment. 

    In July, Sen. Cantwell, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and 14 women Democratic senators released a new report, Two Years Post-Dobbs: The Nationwide Impacts of Abortion Bans. The report, based on interviews and discussions with more than 80 health care providers and advocates on the front lines, detailed how the Dobbs decision is harming women’s health care in states across the U.S.  Among other troubling findings, the report detailed how abortion bans endanger women facing medical emergencies.  For example, the co-chair of the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative said, “We’ve been flying out about a patient a week to Utah or Oregon or Washington, because the fetus is nonviable, or the life of the mother is at risk.”  The report also noted the conclusions of a STAT News analysis of abortions in Texas, which found that the number of women needing abortions in Texas is at least 400 per year for life emergencies and 2,400 per year for physical health risks – but that just 34 legal abortions were recorded in Texas during a six-month period in 2023. New research published this week found that the rate of maternal mortality cases in Texas increased by 56% from 2019 to 2022 – compared to 11% nationwide during that time period. Texas’s abortion ban went into effect in September 2021.

    Sen. Cantwell continues to fight hard to defend reproductive freedom in Washington state and nationwide. A full timeline of her actions since a draft of the Dobbs decision was leaked in spring 2022, making clear the Supreme Court’s intent to overturn the longstanding reproductive care precedent established by Roe v. Wade, is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Rejects GOP Claim That Abortion Bans Aren’t Dangerous: Idaho’s ‘Deserts of Gynecological Care’ Hurt Women & Doctors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    09.24.24

    Cantwell Rejects GOP Claim That Abortion Bans Aren’t Dangerous: Idaho’s ‘Deserts of Gynecological Care’ Hurt Women & Doctors

    At Senate committee hearing, Cantwell & colleagues hear from a PNW OB/GYN who left Idaho due to draconian laws; The post-Dobbs reality on the ground is undeniable: preventable deaths, women denied care, and growing health care deserts in anti-choice states that strain surrounding regions

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance, attended a committee hearing titled “Chaos and Control: How Trump Criminalized Women’s Health Care,” which examined how the overturn of Roe v. Wade — led by Supreme Court justices appointed by former President Donald Trump – is impacting providers and endangering women on the ground.

    At the hearing, some witnesses called by Republicans, including a Texas-based lawyer, claimed that abortion bans do not prevent doctors from administering care to pregnant patients during emergencies that threaten the mother’s life. Her assertions are contradicted by a report released this week showing that a 28-year-old Georgia woman died in 2022 after doctors delayed a life-saving abortion. A state board concluded that her death was preventable. Another Georgia woman died because she was afraid to see a provider due to the abortion ban; the state board said that her death was also preventable. Women in other states have reported suffering extreme pain and anguish after being forced to wait for care. 

    “I am dismayed at my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and even some of the witnesses, because you are saying this is either rhetoric, or hospitals do not understand the law,” Sen. Cantwell said. “I don’t care what the lawyers are saying. This is what is happening on the ground. And the consequences that it is affecting these individuals and threatening their lives.”

    She added that the lack of care in neighboring Idaho is driving a 50% increase in out-of-state abortion patients in Washington state, straining our own health care system.

    “If you have deserts of gynecological care overall, it’s going to cause problems, not just for the women in Idaho, but for our region as well,” Sen. Cantwell said. “We want people to be able to see their physician.”

    Among the panel of witnesses was Dr. Amelia Huntsberger, an OB/GYN and graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Huntsberger practiced in Sandpoint, Idaho, for nearly a decade before relocating her family to Oregon due to fear of prosecution under Idaho’s draconian abortion ban. Since the ban went into effect, 22% of Idaho’s OB/GYNs have left the state.

    “Dr. Huntsberger, what more can we tell people about why one in five OB/GYNs are leaving?” Sen. Cantwell asked. “The lawyers are telling you [that] you don’t have to worry about this, but you took a step to worry about it. Why did you take that step?”

    “It was essential to me to provide the care my patients needed without government interference,” Dr. Huntsberger responded. “The circumstances doctors and patients find themselves in Idaho impacts everyone. Idaho has some of the lowest per capita number of physicians, so already there was a physician shortage, and this is being greatly exacerbated.”

    Strict abortion bans enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade have created confusion around the treatment medical professionals can provide, even when a pregnant patient’s life or health is in danger. Providers fear they could be sued or prosecuted for providing abortion care, or even miscarriage treatment. 

    In July, Sen. Cantwell, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and 14 women Democratic senators released a new report, Two Years Post-Dobbs: The Nationwide Impacts of Abortion Bans. The report, based on interviews and discussions with more than 80 health care providers and advocates on the front lines, detailed how the Dobbs decision is harming women’s health care in states across the U.S.  Among other troubling findings, the report detailed how abortion bans endanger women facing medical emergencies.  For example, the co-chair of the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative said, “We’ve been flying out about a patient a week to Utah or Oregon or Washington, because the fetus is nonviable, or the life of the mother is at risk.”  The report also noted the conclusions of a STAT News analysis of abortions in Texas, which found that the number of women needing abortions in Texas is at least 400 per year for life emergencies and 2,400 per year for physical health risks – but that just 34 legal abortions were recorded in Texas during a six-month period in 2023. New research published this week found that the rate of maternal mortality cases in Texas increased by 56% from 2019 to 2022 – compared to 11% nationwide during that time period. Texas’s abortion ban went into effect in September 2021.

    Sen. Cantwell continues to fight hard to defend reproductive freedom in Washington state and nationwide. A full timeline of her actions since a draft of the Dobbs decision was leaked in spring 2022, making clear the Supreme Court’s intent to overturn the longstanding reproductive care precedent established by Roe v. Wade, is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Warns Left’s Abortion Fearmongering May Prevent Women from Receiving Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    CLICK HERE to view the Q&A on YouTube.

    CLICK HERE to view the Q&A on Rumble.

    WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK), member of the Senate Finance Committee, today called out Democrats’ fearmongering on abortion and warned that it may discourage women from receiving health care.

    Witnesses for the hearing included Kaitlyn Joshua; Michele Goodwin, JD, Linda D. & Timothy J. O’Neill Professor of Constitutional Law and Global Health Policy, Georgetown University School of Law; Amelia Huntsberger, MD, Obstetrician and Gynecologist; Christina Francis, MD, Chief Executive Officer, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and Heather G. Hacker, JD, Partner, Hacker Stephens LLP. 

    Excerpt

    Lankford: I’ve even heard conversations today about ‘misinformation’ or ‘rhetoric’ or ‘intellectual honesty’ and all these things that have come out in the dialog today, and I want to be able to help bring some things together from hearing that testimony from the entire day on this. Ms. Hacker, just to clarify on this, are there any states where women face prosecution for having an abortion?

    Hacker: No.

    Hacker: Are there any states that criminalize miscarriage?

    Hacker: No.

    Lankford: Or the care for any for a miscarriage?

    Hacker: No.

    Lankford: Are there any states that criminalize removing an ectopic pregnancy?

    Hacker: No.

    Lankford: Are there any states that prohibit life saving care for the mother?

    Hacker: No.

    Lankford Are there any states where women have to be actively dying for a doctor to be able to act for her care?

    Hacker: No.

    Lankford: There’s been a lot of rhetoric on this that I’m concerned pushes people away from getting access to health care.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How professional sports leagues that embrace social justice causes could influence politics

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University

    Given that 77 per cent of people in Canada and 57 per cent of people in the United Kingdom watch a sports team regularly — compared to the 60 per cent of people who turn out to vote in Canada and the U.K. — it’s clear sports has an important and persistent influence on people’s lives.

    Sports can serve as a beacon to provide societal leadership or reflect changes in wider society in significant ways. A historic example would be how the integration of sports leagues in North America paralleled the Civil Rights Movement.

    But how can sports influence politics today?

    Similar to supporting a political party, sports fandom aids in the formation of social identity. This happens when people look to form attachments with other individuals who they believe are similar to them in some way to cultivate positive self-esteem.

    Men’s professional sports teams have historically engaged with certain political causes, namely the military and law enforcement, while neglecting others, such as the plight of marginalized members of local communities. Sports engagement with the military has been shown to boost military enrolment and support for government spending on the military in peace times.

    Women’s professional sport, meanwhile, has drawn positive attention through its engagement with marginalized community members. The Women’s National Basketball League, for example, has engaged with the LGBTQ+ community to create safe fan spaces for the league.

    Men’s sports protests

    My preliminary research into these issues has shown that in men’s professional sports, there has often been hostility towards the introduction of newer, more inclusive causes into sporting events. In the National Hockey League, for example, some players refused to participate in Pride Night events on religious grounds.

    Former professional quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s non-violent protest of police brutality in the United States resulted in his exile from the National Football League for the apparent “distraction” it created. A crucial element of the backlash against Kaepernick was allegations by conservatives that he disrespected the military and the American flag.

    Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) kneel during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta.
    (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

    The power of this backlash was surprising given that in the U.S., Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to be avid sports fans, with no meaningful differences in the strength of their fandom. However, Republican sports fans tend to be more vocal about what causes should receive representation in sports.

    Essentially, that means those who say athletes should “stick to sports” or “shut up and dribble” aren’t suggesting they don’t want any politics in sports. What they’re really saying is that they don’t want to see political views they oppose being represented in professional sports.

    The patriotic causes that have routinely been championed by sports leagues and used for nation-building, such as the military, are viewed as apolitical and therefore appropriate in sports settings. Conversely, messages that are critical of a country or focus on historic inequalities have been deemed “inappropriate” and are excluded by sports because of potential fan backlash.

    Can sports influence politics?

    More recently, however, sports leagues and teams have begun to engage with social justice causes, such as LGBTQ+ rights in the U.K., Canada and the U.S..

    These causes also include Indigenous rights and anti-racism messaging.

    As sports organizations adapt to changing social norms and embrace newer social causes, they hold tremendous potential to impact political attitudes. They can showcase the acceptance of marginalized groups in previously hostile spaces, and provide valuable representation.

    Furthermore, sports fandom identity has been shown to hold a strong psychological connection that can create feelings of inclusion which, in turn, can boost self-esteem.

    This is why athletes make easy role models for children, and why watching sports events is a valued leisure activity for many people of all ages. Finally, sports fandom can also teach people how to cope with negative emotions or feelings of disappointment over time through emotional regulation.

    How sports could influence attitudes

    The representative and psychological value of sports fandom suggests sport is an understudied area of political science, one I hope to build on in my future research.

    For example, we do not yet fully understand the impact that sports teams holding Pride Nights has on attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.

    Nor do we know how soccer clubs in England, as local symbols of a migrant workforce, may impact immigrant attitudes.

    Finally, we do not know why certain women’s national soccer teams, like Canada, have been successful in protesting for equal pay while others, like the Spanish team, have failed.

    Sport could have a valuable role to play in unpacking these political questions about protest and identity — and represents an exciting emerging research area in political behaviour.

    Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven 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. How professional sports leagues that embrace social justice causes could influence politics – https://theconversation.com/how-professional-sports-leagues-that-embrace-social-justice-causes-could-influence-politics-239266

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: OSDRI Wins $100,000 Federal Grant to Assist Veterans and Military Spouses with Career Counseling & Transitional Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02)

    VA awards federal grants through first-of-its-kind program to help veterans and their spouses make employment transition from military service

    JOHNSTON, RI — Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo saluted Operation Stand Down Rhode Island’s (OSDRI) for winning a new $100,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through its new Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program.

    This federal funding will help OSDRI target employment-based assistance to support recently separated members of the Armed Forces and their spouses.  The funding may be used for a variety of activities, such as: resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, employment placement services, employment education and training, and referrals to employment.

    “I salute Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for empowering those who serve and their families.  I am excited that OSDRI will be among the first non-profits to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on this new program aimed at expanding job counseling services and enhancing the post-service transition experience for veterans and military spouses.  The men and women of our Armed Forces and their families make tremendous sacrifices to defend our freedom.  It’s important that we help them effectively transition to civilian life,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Milcon-VA, who attended OSDRI’s annual veterans outreach event last week. “OSDRI does a great job offering tailored support to military families to help people achieve their career and life goals.  This new federal grant will help them extend their reach and help more veterans and their spouses make a smooth transition from service to success.” 

    “We have a sacred commitment to honor and support our veterans long after they return home,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “This new funding for Operation Stand Down Rhode Island will provide veterans and their spouses with resources to land well-paying jobs and achieve their career goals.  Well done to the team at Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for all of their work to help veterans adjust to civilian life.”

    “It is our solemn duty to take care of veterans who have bravely answered the call to serve,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “Operation Stand Down Rhode Island has long been a vital resource for veterans and their families, and as a testament to their work, they are among the first organizations in the country to receive this federal funding that will help connect veterans to good-paying jobs and improve the transition to civilian life.”

    “I applaud Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for securing these federal funds to bolster their work as a key partner and a critical lifeline for veterans and military families.” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “As they heroically strive to ease the transition from service to civilian life, their selection by the Department of Veterans Affairs for this first-in-the-nation grant is an endorsement of their proven track record of success in our state.”

    “This award represents crucially needed employment-based resources and tools to support recently separated Rhode Islanders of the Armed Forces and, notably, for the first time, their spouses as well.  OSDRI’s employment and training program is a crucial part of its wraparound services intended to provide veterans a “hand up – not a handout.”  Being able to help unemployed and underemployed members of the veteran household helps secure a promising and self-sustaining future for those who have placed the needs of our nation ahead of their own and their families,” said Erik B. Wallin, Executive Director of Operation Stand Down Rhode Island. 

    Over 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service every year and transition to civilian life.  The Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program is a first-of-its kind grant program that is being extended to support the spouses of veterans. 

    OSDRI is one of 13 organizations to be awarded funding under this program aimed at enhancing career stability and expanding employment resources for veteran and military families, including improving transition assistance support for spouses.  These grants require a 1 to 1 local match.

    In addition to OSDRI, the other inaugural grant recipients that provide transition services to former members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged and their spouses, include:

    • American Corporate Partners
    • Corporate America Supports You
    • Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board
    • Jacksonville State University
    • Jewish Vocational Service
    • Kansas City Scholars Inc.
    • National University
    • Operation Stand Down Tennessee
    • Orange County United Way
    • The Commit Foundation
    • The Houston Launch Pad
    • University Of Massachusetts

    The Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program is made possible thanks to the bipartisan Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act (P.L. 116–315), which was enacted in 2021.

    Separating troops and their spouses who need assistance navigating the transition to civilian life may access Military OneSource services through the U.S. Department of Defense for one year after they leave the service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: OSDRI Wins $100,000 Federal Grant to Assist Veterans and Military Spouses with Career Counseling & Transitional Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02)

    VA awards federal grants through first-of-its-kind program to help veterans and their spouses make employment transition from military service

    JOHNSTON, RI — Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo saluted Operation Stand Down Rhode Island’s (OSDRI) for winning a new $100,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through its new Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program.

    This federal funding will help OSDRI target employment-based assistance to support recently separated members of the Armed Forces and their spouses.  The funding may be used for a variety of activities, such as: resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, employment placement services, employment education and training, and referrals to employment.

    “I salute Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for empowering those who serve and their families.  I am excited that OSDRI will be among the first non-profits to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on this new program aimed at expanding job counseling services and enhancing the post-service transition experience for veterans and military spouses.  The men and women of our Armed Forces and their families make tremendous sacrifices to defend our freedom.  It’s important that we help them effectively transition to civilian life,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Milcon-VA, who attended OSDRI’s annual veterans outreach event last week. “OSDRI does a great job offering tailored support to military families to help people achieve their career and life goals.  This new federal grant will help them extend their reach and help more veterans and their spouses make a smooth transition from service to success.” 

    “We have a sacred commitment to honor and support our veterans long after they return home,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “This new funding for Operation Stand Down Rhode Island will provide veterans and their spouses with resources to land well-paying jobs and achieve their career goals.  Well done to the team at Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for all of their work to help veterans adjust to civilian life.”

    “It is our solemn duty to take care of veterans who have bravely answered the call to serve,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “Operation Stand Down Rhode Island has long been a vital resource for veterans and their families, and as a testament to their work, they are among the first organizations in the country to receive this federal funding that will help connect veterans to good-paying jobs and improve the transition to civilian life.”

    “I applaud Operation Stand Down Rhode Island for securing these federal funds to bolster their work as a key partner and a critical lifeline for veterans and military families.” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “As they heroically strive to ease the transition from service to civilian life, their selection by the Department of Veterans Affairs for this first-in-the-nation grant is an endorsement of their proven track record of success in our state.”

    “This award represents crucially needed employment-based resources and tools to support recently separated Rhode Islanders of the Armed Forces and, notably, for the first time, their spouses as well.  OSDRI’s employment and training program is a crucial part of its wraparound services intended to provide veterans a “hand up – not a handout.”  Being able to help unemployed and underemployed members of the veteran household helps secure a promising and self-sustaining future for those who have placed the needs of our nation ahead of their own and their families,” said Erik B. Wallin, Executive Director of Operation Stand Down Rhode Island. 

    Over 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service every year and transition to civilian life.  The Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program is a first-of-its kind grant program that is being extended to support the spouses of veterans. 

    OSDRI is one of 13 organizations to be awarded funding under this program aimed at enhancing career stability and expanding employment resources for veteran and military families, including improving transition assistance support for spouses.  These grants require a 1 to 1 local match.

    In addition to OSDRI, the other inaugural grant recipients that provide transition services to former members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged and their spouses, include:

    • American Corporate Partners
    • Corporate America Supports You
    • Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board
    • Jacksonville State University
    • Jewish Vocational Service
    • Kansas City Scholars Inc.
    • National University
    • Operation Stand Down Tennessee
    • Orange County United Way
    • The Commit Foundation
    • The Houston Launch Pad
    • University Of Massachusetts

    The Veteran and Spouse Transitional Assistance Grant Program is made possible thanks to the bipartisan Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act (P.L. 116–315), which was enacted in 2021.

    Separating troops and their spouses who need assistance navigating the transition to civilian life may access Military OneSource services through the U.S. Department of Defense for one year after they leave the service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Local News – Lower Hutt Comes Together at Inaugural City Summit

    Source: Hutt City Council

    The inaugural Lower Hutt City Summit has united more than 200 community representatives to shape a shared vision for the future of Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt.
    Those involved come from businesses, government agencies, community groups, sports clubs, non-government organisations and local residents.
    The summit, held at the Lower Hutt Events Centre, started public engagement for Tō Tātou Tāone 2055/Our City 2055, an ambitious strategy setting out 30-year aspirations for our people and place.
    Mayor Campbell Barry says now is the right time to unite the community.
    “Times are tough, and people are feeling the strain. That’s why it’s vital we come together now – not just to tackle our current challenges, but to lay the foundation for a future that our tamariki and mokopuna will thank us for.
    “The summit brought together a wide range of perspectives and experiences from across the city, showing that collaboration is key to overcome the challenges we face. There was a lot of optimism in the room, with clear pride in being from the Hutt.
    “With the collective wisdom, and more importantly, the collective action of our people – we can flip our biggest challenges into our biggest opportunities and create a future to be proud of.”
    Those attending the summit took part in interactive workshops centred around the question “what can we do today that future generations will thank us for?”
    They also heard from speakers Mayor Barry, Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Officer Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika Kara Puketapu-Dentice, WelTec student Huliana Whonu Fanua, and Victoria University Adjunct Professor Girol Karacaoglu.
    Huliana Whonu Fanua spoke to the importance of strengthening the identity and culture of our youth.
    “A thriving city doesn’t just look like economic growth, lots of people or flash new infrastructure. It’s a city where its people feel valued,” she said.
    “I want this for the youth of today. I want their identity to drive them to where they’re meant to be,” she said.
    Their insights, along with contributions from the attendees, laid the foundation for the collective approach that will inform the development of Our City 2055.
    With the launch of engagement for Tō Tātou Tāone 2055 / Our City 2055, Hutt City Council will be continuing to engage with a wide range of people in our community, including Mana Whenua, key stakeholders and Lower Hutt’s diverse communities.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arts – Dr Jacqueline Leckie is awarded the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship for 2024!

    Source: The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc.

    The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) congratulates Dr Jacqueline Leckie on winning the NZSA Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship 2024 to work on her novel with the working title Meg Campbell (1937–2007): Aroha and Resistance.
    This annual award is made possible by the generosity of the Beatson’s. In establishing this fellowship, they have given NZ authors a valuable opportunity to be economically secure while they bring a project to completion.  It’s a commitment and affirmation for New Zealand Aotearoa writers. The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) offers its sincere thanks to the Beatson’s.

    The judging panel of Paddy Richardson and Laurence Fearnley said: ” the judges feel that the winning project by Dr Jacqueline Leckie is one of national significance as it is the first biography of poet Meg Campbell, and will add to the history of NZ women’s literature in an original and engaging manner.
     
    The Judges felt each of the projects of the shortlisted writers listed below were of high literary merit and would be of national significance when completed. They said all of this year’s thirty applications were of a very high standard with exciting and promising projects, proposing a wide variety of subjects relating to topics such as social history, place and belonging and concern with the environment. Genres ranged across novels, short story and poetry collections, non-fiction, memoirs and biography.”

    Dr Jacqueline Leckie is honoured to be the recipient of the 2024 Peter and Dianne Beatson Fellowship. This will enable her to research and write the first book length biography of one of Aotearoa’s most original and memorable poets, Meg Campbell (1937–2007), provisionally titled ‘Meg Campbell (1937–2007): Aroha and Resistance.’ Meg’s story has remained within the shadows of her renowned creative husband, Alistair Te Ariki Campbell.

    Jacqui Leckie is a non-fiction writer and researcher based in Ōtepoti. She is an adjunct research fellow with the Stout Centre for New Zealand Studies at Victoria University of Wellington (and a former J. D. Stout Research Fellow there), and a conjoint associate professor at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Jacqui lectured for several decades in anthropology and history at Otago University, the University of the South Pacific and Kenyatta University. She is a co-editor of the Journal of Pacific History.
     
    Jacqui has published extensively, especially on the Pacific, the Indian diaspora and mental health history. Her most recent book is Old Black Cloud. A Cultural History of Mental Depression in Aotearoa. Other books include Invisible. New Zealand’s History of Excluding Kiwi-Indians; A University for the South Pacific; Colonizing Madness: Asylum and Community in Fiji; Indian Settlers. The Story of a New Zealand South Asian Community; and To Labour with the State.

    The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc)  congratulates winner Dr Jacqueline Leckie, along with the shortlisted writers:- Alison Ballance, Chris Bourke, Majella Cullinane, Lee Murray, Vivienne Plumb, and Kerrin Sharpe.

    In 2023 the fellowship was awarded to Laurence Fearnley to work on a novel based on the sense of sight – the fourth of a series of novels based around the five senses.  In previous years, recipients have included: Whiti Hereaka, Siobhan Harvey, Frankie McMillan, Sue Wooton, Paddy Richardson, Tina Makereti, Tim Jones, Emma Neale, Mandy Hager, Carl Nixon, Glenn Colquhoun, Sue McCauley and Marilyn Duckworth.

    The NZSA Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship is an annual award open to any NZSA member working on a new fiction, non-fiction, poetry or drama project. Find out more about the fellowship.

    Notes:
    The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc is the principal organisation representing writers in Aotearoa. Founded in 1934, it advocates for the right to fair reward and creative rights, administers prizes and awards, works across the literary sector to make Aotearoa New Zealand writers and books more visible, and runs professional development programmes for writers.
    authors.org.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Reportage: Lumad people’s resistance – defending Indigenous communities

    Source: Pacific Media Centre

    Headline: Lumad people’s resistance – defending Indigenous communities – Analysis published with permission of PMC

    Event date and time: 

    Wed, 04/04/2018 – 4:30am – 6:00am

    PACIFIC MEDIA CENTRE SEMINAR 2/2018: INDIGENOUS LUMAD PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO EDUCATION, AUTONOMY AND DIGNITY

    The Indigenous Lumad people’s Our Right to Education, Autonomy and Dignity (READ) Programme in the Philippines is rooted in the vision that every child deserves the basic human right of an education.

    Today the majority of Lumad children in the southern island of Mindanao remain illiterate and have limited access to education.

    Salupongan International is committed to sustaining culture-responsive basic education programmes and schools that help Lumad and Moro students and communities obtain a quality education.

    SI currently supports hundreds of indigenous scholars, teachers and faculty from Salupongan Ta Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Centers (STTICLC), Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. (MISFI) Academy and other community schools throughout Mindanao.  STTICLC and MISFI Academy has provided free, quality culture-responsive education to underserved indigenous, Moro and rural communities throughout Mindanao for over a decade.  

    Two Lumad advocates visiting New Zealand will speak on the issues at the Pacific Media Centre seminar at Auckland University of Technology. Jointly organised by Philippine Solidarity, Asia Pacific Human Rights Coalition (APHRC) and the PMC.

    Contact: Del Abcede

    When: 4 April 2018, 4.30-6pm

    Where: TBC

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Reportage: Micronesian militarism – considering climate change

    Source: Pacific Media Centre

    Headline: Micronesian militarism – considering climate change – Analysis published with permission of PMC

    Event date and time: 

    Wed, 30/05/2018 – 4:30pm – 6:00pm

    PACIFIC MEDIA CENTRE SEMINAR 4/2018:
    MICRONESIAN MILITARISM – CONSIDERING CLIMATE CHANGE
    Pacific Media Centre’s postdoctoral research fellow, Dr Sylvia C Frain, explores the connections between climate change and United States (US) militarism in Micronesia and how both impact the daily life of Micronesians living in Hawai‘i. She is most interested in the everyday experience of Micronesians in relation to climate change and US militarisation from local perspectives. So often media narratives are dominated by outside interests and the US military, which overshadows discussion on climate change. Dr Frain seeks to highlight Micronesian narratives and the role that new media plays in sharing these experiences.

    Dr Frain is traveling to the North Pacific in April/May and will report back after attending the 7th International Environmental Futures Conference, held at the East-West Center, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, as well as speaking with students and faculty at the University of Hawai‘i, participants with the Jobs Corps programme on Māui, and those living in the Marianas Archipelago on the islands of Guam, Saipan, and Tinian.

    Dr Frain will also facilitate a new media workshop open to all community members in the Marianas Archipelago who are interested in using new media platforms to disseminate research. She will assist the participants in converting their research into a format that is shareable across new media platforms (including, but not limited to: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Change.org).

    Who: Dr Sylvia C Frain, research fellow at the Pacific Media Centre

    When: May 30, 2018
    4.30pm-6pm

    Where: Sir Paul Reeves Building
    Auckland University of Technology
    City Campus
    Room WG903A

    Contact: Dr Frain

    Event on Facebook

     

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  • MIL-OSI Reportage: Asia Pacific Journalism projects and internships 2018

    Source: Pacific Media Centre

    Headline: Asia Pacific Journalism projects and internships 2018 – Analysis published with permission of PMC

    Tuesday, February 27, 2018

    The Pacific Media Centre is running several Asia-Pacific projects again this year and along with Asia Pacific Journalism (Semester 2) we have a new special paper to match – International Journalism Project (JOUR810).

    The deadline for applications is Friday, March 2, at 4pm.

    Send applications to: jessie.hsu@aut.ac.nz
    Copy to: david.robie@aut.ac.nz

    This year’s projects on offer:

    Bearing Witness climate change project: Two weeks in Fiji in mid-semester break to experience and cover climate issues. Based at the University of the South Pacific. The PMC pays for return airfares, accommodation and a living koha. Apply and if selected, this counts towards JOUR810 international Journalism Project. More information. Contact: david.robie@aut.ac.nz
    Possibly a Fiji elections project in the Second Semester mid-semester break (watch this space).

    Pacific Media Watch freedom project: 10 hours a week, paid at HRT08 rates, reporting and editing on media freedom, ethics, educational, training and ownership issues for the digital websites Asia Pacific Report and Pacific Media Watch. More information. Contact: david.robie@aut.ac.nz

    NZ Institute for Pacific Research reporting Pacific research project: A part-time internship with the University of Auckland’s Centre for Pacific Studies, but working out of AUT. Organised by the Pacific Media Centre in collaboration with NZIPR. 10 hours a week, paid at HRT08 rates. This assignment involves researching and news gathering and writing profiles about Pacific researchers and their projects. More Information. Contact: david.robie@aut.ac.nz Managed by Research Operations Manager Dr Gerry Cottrell at NZIPR.

    Asia Pacific Report international news website: Internships are available on application. More information. Contact: david.robie@aut.ac.nz

    Postgraduate students are preferred but there may be opportunities for final-year journalism major students.

    Below: Kendall Hutt, one of the 2017 Bearing Witness climate journalists, talks to David Robie about the project. Video: PMC

    Attachment Size
    Asia Pacific Journalism Studies_2018flyer.pdf 561.13 KB
    JOUR810 International Journalism Project – climate change FIJI_2018flyer.pdf 663.61 KB
    PMW project2018_editorjobdesc_sem1-2.pdf 453.23 KB
    PACIFIC RESEARCH JOURNALISM PROJECT 2018 Final.pdf 412.54 KB

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  • MIL-OSI Reportage: WPFD, Indonesia and media ‘open door’ to West Papua

    Source: Pacific Media Centre

    Headline: WPFD, Indonesia and media ‘open door’ to West Papua – Analysis published with permission of PMC

    Event date and time: 

    Thu, 03/05/2018 – 4:03pm – 6:00pm

    PACIFIC MEDIA CENTRE SEMINAR 3/2018:
    WPFD, INDONESIA AND MEDIA ‘OPEN DOOR’ TO WEST PAPUA
    As the world marks World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Pacific Media Centre’s director, Professor David Robie, talks about the challenges of “press freedoms” in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia. David was one of only two New Zealanders among the 1500 global journalists, media policy makers and communication researchers present at the last WPFD conference in Jakarta last May. He was also a keynote speaker at the “Press Freedom in West Papua” seminar in Jakarta organised by the Papuan chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in spite of attempts by local authorities to gag the issue at the conference. David also visited a progressive new research library founded by celebrated Australian author, researcher, activist and Indonesian affairs expert Max Lane in the cultural and educational city of Yogyakarta on this trip. he also spoke to Papuan university students at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) while he was in Yogya.

    He will share his experiences and reflect on media freedom issues in Indonesia amid a disturbing and growing intolerance towards the secular traditions of the republic and the implications for West Papua.

    David’s trip to WPFD was funded by the School of Communication Studies and he has had research papers published in Media Asia and other publications about the issues. David is editor of Pacific Journalism Review and Asia Pacific Report and convenor of Pacific Media Watch freedom project at AUT.

    World Press Freedom Day 2018 in Ghana – ‘Keeping Power in Check’

    An Indonesian oasis of progressive creativity emerges in culture city

    Who: Professor David Robie, director of the Pacific Media Centre

    When: May 3, 2018
    4.30pm-6pm

    Where: Sir Paul Reeves Building
    Auckland University of Technology
    City Campus
    Room WG907

    Contact: Professor Robie

    Event on Facebook
     

    PACIFIC MEDIA CENTRE SEMINAR 3/2018:
    WPFD, INDONESIA AND ‘OPEN DOOR’ TO WEST PAPUA
    As the world marks World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Pacific Media Centre’s director, Professor David Robie, talks about the challenges of “press freedoms” in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia. David was one of only two New Zealanders among the 1500 global journalists, media policy makers and communication researchers present at the last WPFD conference in Jakarta last May

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  • MIL-OSI Reportage: PMC’s Bearing Witness 2018 crew arrive in Fiji

    Source: Pacific Media Centre

    Headline: PMC’s Bearing Witness 2018 crew arrive in Fiji – Analysis published with permission of PMC

    Touchdown Fiji … Last week: Our intrepid Pacific Media Centre Bearing Witness climate media team Blessen Tom (left below) and Hele Ikimotu Christopher prepping in Auckland before departure … Now: On the ground at the University of the South Pacific.

    Full story

    Touchdown Fiji … Last week: Our intrepid Pacific Media Centre Bearing Witness climate media team Blessen Tom (left below) and Hele Ikimotu Christopher prepping in Auckland before departure

    Climate change continues to take its toll on small island nations such as Kiribati and Tuvalu. Image: File – Kiribati in 2009. Jodie Gatfield/AusAID/Wansolwara
    Sunday, April 15, 2018

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: A project by historians from the St. Petersburg Higher School of Economics on scientific and technical clusters has won a grant from the Russian Science Foundation

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    The Russian Science Foundation has summed up the results of a competition for group research led by young scientists. Grant support was received by a project led by Timofey Rakov from Visual History Labs. The study is devoted to scientific and technological clusters in the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods using the example of Zelenograd, Troitsk, Dolgoprudny and Peterhof. The project is designed for three years with a budget of 6 million for each year of grant implementation.

    The aim of the project is to study scientific and technological clusters in the suburbs of Moscow and St. Petersburg in the period from 1960 to 2010. The scientists will pay special attention to four specific cases: Zelenograd, Dolgoprudny, Troitsk and the campus of St. Petersburg State University in Peterhof. The structure of the scientific and technological cluster includes various organizations, such as universities, research institutes, design bureaus, enterprises and local authorities. All of them are connected by economic relations, social ties, organizational contacts, etc.

    “The geography of the project is built taking into account the specifics of the research field of various scientific spaces in the USSR. As a rule, researchers study either science cities and nuclear cities (Obninsk, Dubna, Ozersk), or Siberian academic towns,” said Timofey Rakov, a research fellow at the Laboratory of Visual History. “The objects we selected differ significantly from academic towns and science cities in their trajectory. Troitsk, for example, was initially called an academic town, and then received the status of a full-fledged city, which did not happen with any of the Siberian academic towns. Dolgoprudny and Peterhof are examples of an educational, rather than scientific cluster, where the key role is played by universities rather than scientific institutes, as in science cities. Zelenograd is also an interesting space. It was originally conceived as a satellite city of Moscow, but at the same time it was focused on science and education. Thus, each of the spaces we have chosen differs from those already studied and has its own characteristics, which, in our opinion, can best be described through the clustering framework.”

    The term “clustering” is borrowed from economics, based on the approaches of American economist Michael Porter. According to his theory, the process of cluster formation is a sign of a developed and complex economy. The project considers the selected objects in the long term – from the design stage to the current state. This approach will determine what makes clusters successful, how they are affected by the proximity of capitals and according to what scenarios they develop.

    “Relying on Michael Porter’s approach is a certain challenge for us. He writes about market economies, while in the Soviet Union it was planned. Moreover, Porter believed that one of the reasons for the failure of clusters was the participation of the state in their creation,” says Timofey Rakov. “At the same time, the Soviet state was often the only actor in the formation of clusters. We hope for a broad discussion with interested colleagues about the very idea of clustering, its application to a planned economy and a post-socialist market economy. In addition, we take a long chronological period, which will allow us to look at the formation of clusters in dynamics. Thanks to this, the results of the study can be useful to those responsible for the management and development of the cases we have selected.”

    Over the course of the year, the researchers will interview former and current cluster employees and study their ego-documents. They will also analyze archival and library materials covering the history and modern times of Dolgoprudny, Zelenograd, Peterhof, and Troitsk. Historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and economists from Moscow universities — MVSES, RANEPA, and MIPT — as well as from the European University in St. Petersburg, will join the project.

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

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

    http://vvv.hse.ru/nevs/scene/965970100.html

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: MIL Analysis – The five best articles in Russian language for 03.09.2024

    MIL Analysis : Here are the top five Russian language articles published today. The analysis consists of five articles that are currently being prioritised.

    In today’s analysis, trends such as the economic performance of the Moscow Exchange are noticeable. In addition, the Moscow Metro has unveiled a new mock-up of the White Gyrfalcon train for the high-speed railway, which contributes to future trends and railway development. The new trend of ‘Chrono-work’ is gaining more and more popularity, which shows how the workforce can change. The training and culture of society is stable and improving.

    You can read one of the articles below.

    1. Financial news: ‘Portfolio’ of a student: shares take 66% in the portfolios of young investors

    Moscow Exchange has compiled an investment portfolio of ‘student’ on the stock market – the analysis was carried out among private investors aged 18 to 22 years, making transactions on the stock market of the Moscow Exchange.

    The most popular among young investors are shares. According to Moscow Exchange data, 66 per cent of the student’s ‘portfolio’ is held by shares, 22 per cent by bonds, and 12 per cent by units of investment funds. At the same time, the average market share of shares in investors’ portfolios is at the level of 35%.

    2. Maxim Liksutov: the first carriages of the newest Russian train ‘White Gyrfalcon’ will go to St. Petersburg along the high-speed railway by 2028

    Moscow Metro

    Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin presented a model of the newest Russian train ‘White Gyrfalcon’ for the high-speed railway Moscow – St. Petersburg, the project initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the exhibition ‘Manezh Station: Moscow Transport 2030’. The train will reach speeds of up to 400 kilometres per hour.

    3. ‘Rosneft’ opened a master’s programme for foreign students in Ufa

    The Rosneft Scientific Institute in Ufa has opened a Master’s programme for international students on the basis of the Ufa State Petroleum Technical University (USPTU) in Petroleum Engineering. The first students of the programme were 10 applicants from Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroon.

    4. The ‘Street of the Far East’ exhibition opened on the starting day of the WEF

    ‘We are reopening the ‘Street of the Far East’ together again. It was born 9 years ago as a dream that we could show the vast Far East in one place, all the 11 regions that are quite different. Every year we show new projects at the exhibition: roads, hospitals, social and economic initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of Far Easterners – everything about how our Far East is developing. We tell you what we are dreaming of and what we are achieving. I am confident that with our joint efforts we will achieve all our goals,’ said Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

    5. Introducing chrono-working: A new trend in flexible working that experts say could completely transform the workforce

    Robert Walters

    Experts talk about a new trend that has the potential to change the way the workforce is used to working.
    Almost half of respondents believe that being able to choose their own working hours would have a positive impact on their mental health
    35% of people feel that their organisation’s flexible working hours policy does not meet their specific needs.

    Find out more about MIL’s content and data services by visiting milnz.co.nz.

    Regards MIL!

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Love match and boldness pay off in geese reproductive success – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    Birds of a feather flock together but strong pairing in geese has been shown to produce better breeding results, according to a new study.
    Focusing on a group of captive greylag geese, bird behaviour experts from the University of Vienna and Flinders University have looked into the parental benefits of ‘made in heaven’ matches between well-paired couples.
    “Like in humans, the personality of both parents and their similarity in personality traits can influence their success as parents,” says Lauren Common, a Flinders University PhD candidate now based at the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna in Austria.
    “Successful pair bonds where partners were similar in their boldness, mainly by responding to risky situations in the same way, can have higher hatching success.
    “This bold parenting style can lead to consistency and responsiveness, which can result in successful reproductive output and survival of young and fledgeling success.”
    In the new article published in the journal Animal Behaviour, researchers studied a flock of more than 100 habituated greylag geese over three breeding seasons, and reproductive and fledgling success was measured.
    University of Vienna Professor Sonia Kleindorfer, who founded the BirdLab at the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University, says the coordination of a united male and female couple is crucial during incubation when thermal stability and protection from predators is crucial.
    “In species with biparental care and monogamy, reproductive output and success may be influenced not only by the personality of each individual but also the behavioural compatibility of the pair.
    “This kind of pairing in greylag geese is linked to their well-developed cognitive capacity and social awareness and individuals consistently differ in personality traits such as boldness, aggressiveness, sociability and other behavioural traits.”
    Professor Kleindorfer says “animal personality was once considered a figment of human imagination and, worse, anthropomorphism”.
    “This study adds to a growing body of work showing that animals such as greylag geese have consistent individual differences in behaviour, also called personality,” she says.
    “But more than that, personality traits in animals can be linked to successful love matches and reproductive success. Therefore, these traits may be targets of natural and sexual selection.”
    The article, Effects of assortative mating for personality on reproductive success in Anser anser(2024) by Lauren K Common, Andrew C Katsis, Didone Frigerio and Sonia Kleindorfer has been published in Animal Behaviour DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.08.004.
    Acknowledgements: This project was supported by the University of Vienna and the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre and Cumberland Foundation.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –