May 6, 2021

QS announces USA University Rankings 2021 — The top colleges driving Diversity and Employability.

Photo: Sather Tower, University of California, Berkeley. Image Credit: Daniel Parks.

Photo: A building at UCLA campus. Image Credit: Yoshi Huang.

LONDON, May 6, 2021 — Offering unique insight into diversity drives, research excellence, and employability enhancement, QS Quacquarelli Symonds - recognized internationally for their QS World University Rankings portfolio - released their second annual list of America’s top universities. Harvard University remains the national number-one.

The focus on Diversity provides students with information about which universities are doing most to reduce sectoral gender and racial inequities. The University of California Davis and New York University jointly lead in the Diversity indicator.

• Only six of the top-20 universities also achieve a top-20 score for Diversity & Internationalization.

• Among the Top-100, the highest student ethnic diversity institutions are UC Riverside, UC Irvine, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

• All bar one of the top-10 for Student Ethnicity Mix is a public university, indicating that public universities are meeting their social obligations to increase Diversity.

• Among the Top-100, the institutions with the highest proportion of female staff are liberal arts colleges - Barnard College and Wellesley College, with over 60% female academic staff.

• Some of America’s top research institutions perform less strongly in gender diversity. MIT, scoring third for Research, has only 28% female staff, and Stanford (second for Research) only records 35% of its staff as female.

• QS’s data shows that tech-focused institutions still lag behind their peers in terms of widening female workforce participation. Among the ranking’s top 100, the institutions with the lowest ratio of female to male staff are Caltech, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Institute of Technology, and MIT.

The QS USA University Rankings also prioritizes employability and teaching quality as crucial lenses to assess institutional performance.

Jack Moran, a QS Spokesperson, said: “While the overall QS World University Rankings continue to command record levels of interest, we know that the American higher education sector is wrestling with questions that do not fall within the scope of our global rankings - questions of equity, access, representation, and social justice. The QS USA University Rankings shine some independent light on those institutions that are doing most to foster the important relationship between education and social change.”

Containing more than 350 universities, this year’s QS USA Rankings is the largest yet. New York state leads as the most represented state, with 74 universities. California is the next best-performing with 38.

Public universities continue to perform strongly, with two places in this year’s top five and seven in the top 30. If you’re looking to take advantage of the benefits of studying at a public university, any of these institutions would be worth considering.

QS USA University Rankings 2021

• Top 100

1. Harvard University — Cambridge
2. Stanford University — Stanford
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — Cambridge
4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB) — Berkeley
5. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) — Los Angeles
6. Yale University — New Haven
7. Columbia University — New York City
8. Princeton University — Princeton
9. New York University (NYU) — New York City
10. University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia
11. University of Chicago — Chicago
12. Cornell University — Ithaca
13. Duke University — Durham
14. Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore
15. University of Southern California — Los Angeles
16. Northwestern University — Evanston
17. Carnegie Mellon University — Pittsburgh
18. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor
19. Brown University — Providence
20. Boston University — Boston
21. California Institute of Technology (Caltech) — Pasadena
22. Emory University — Atlanta
23. Rice University — Houston
24. University of Washington — Seattle
25. Washington University in St. Louis — St. Louis
26. Georgetown University — Washington DC.
27. University of California, San Diego (UCSD) — San Diego
28. Vanderbilt University — Nashville
29. The University of Texas at Austin — Austin
30. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Champaign
31. University of Rochester — Rochester
32. Dartmouth College — Hanover
33. University of North — Carolina
34. University of California, Davis — Davis
35. University of Florida — Gainesville
36. Tufts University — Medford
37. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) — Chicago
38. Georgia Institute of Technology — Atlanta
39. Stony Brook University, State University of New York — Stony Brook
40. University of Virginia — Charlottesville
41. Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland
42. Rutgers University-New Brunswick — New Brunswick
43. University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) — Santa Barbara
44. Pennsylvania State University — University Park
45. George Washington University — Ashburn
46. University of California, Irvine — Irvine
47. University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame
48. University of Miami — Miami
49. Northeastern University — Boston
50. The Ohio State University — Columbus
51. University at Buffalo SUNY — Buffalo
52. University of Maryland, College Park — College Park
53. Purdue University — West Lafayette
54. University of Minnesota Twin Cities — Minneapolis
55. Boston College — Newton
56. Michigan State University — East Lansing
57. University of Massachusetts Amherst — Amherst
58. University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison
59. Syracuse University — Syracuse
60. Lehigh University — Bethlehem
61. University of Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh
62. Arizona State University — Phoenix
63. Brandeis University — Waltham
64. Temple University — Philadelphia
65. Texas A&M University — College Station
66. The University of Arizona — Tucson
67. The University of Houston — Houston
68. Binghamton University SUNY — Binghamton
69. Drexel University — Philadelphia
70. North Carolina State University — Raleigh
71. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Troy
72. University of Connecticut — Storrs
73. The University of Georgia — Athens
74. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University — Blacksburg
75. University of New Mexico — Albuquerque
76. Indiana University Bloomington — Bloomington
77. Tulane University — New Orleans
78. University of Colorado Boulder — Boulder
79. Florida State University — Tallahassee
80. University of South Florida — Tampa
81. Illinois Institute of Technology — Chicago
82. University of California, Riverside — Riverside
83. University of California, Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz
84. Howard University — Washington DC.
85. University of Texas Dallas — Richardson
86. Santa Clara University — Santa Clara
87. Wake Forest University — Winston-Salem
88. University of Maryland, Baltimore County — Baltimore
89. University of Utah — Salt Lake City
90. George Mason University — Fairfax
91. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) — Newark
92. University of Massachusetts Boston — Boston
93. University of Kansas — Lawrence
94. University at Albany SUNY — Albany
95. Oregon State University — Corvallis
96. University of Delaware — Newark
97. University of the Pacific — Stockton
98. Rutgers University-Newark — Newark
99. The University of Hawaii at Mānoa — Honolulu
100. San Diego State University — San Diego
101. University of Iowa — Iowa City
102. The University of Oklahoma — Norman

• 101-110

• Baylor University — Waco
• College of William and Mary — Williamsburg
• Stevens Institute of Technology — Hoboken
• University of Central Florida — Orlando
• University of Cincinnati — Cincinnati
• University of Kentucky — Lexington
• The University of Tennessee, Knoxville — Knoxville
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester

• 111-120

• DePaul University — Chicago
• Florida International University — Miami
• Georgia State University — Atlanta
• Portland State University — Portland
• Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) — Rochester
• University of Louisville — Louisville
• University of Nebraska - Lincoln — Lincoln
• University of New Hampshire — Durham
• University of North Texas — Denton
• University of Oregon — Eugene
• University of San Francisco — San Francisco
• University of South Carolina — Columbia

• 121-130

• Fordham University — New York City
• Loyola University Chicago — Chicago
• San Francisco State University — San Francisco
• Seattle University — Seattle
• Southern Methodist University — Dallas
• University of Missouri, Columbia — Columbia
• University of Vermont — Burlington
• Wayne State University — Detroit

• 131-140

• American University — Washington DC.
• Bentley University — Waltham
• Clemson University — Clemson
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• Loyola Marymount University — Los Angeles
• Pepperdine University — Malibu
• The University of Alabama — Tuscaloosa
• University of Denver — Denver
• University of Rhode Island Kingston
• Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond
• West Virginia University — Morgantown

• 141-150

• Clark University — Worcester
• Clarkson University — Potsdam
• Michigan Technological University — Houghton
• Rowan University — Glassboro
• San Jose State University — San Jose
• Saint Louis University
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham
• University of Colorado, Denver — Denver
• University of Nevada - Reno — Reno

• 151-160

• CUNY Baruch College — New York City
• CUNY Hunter College — New York City
• Hofstra University — New York City
• Kansas State University — Manhattan
• Missouri University of Science and Technology — Rolla
• Oklahoma State University — Stillwater
• Suffolk University — Boston
• The University of Missouri, Kansas City — Kansas City
• The University of North Carolina at Charlotte — Charlotte
• Villanova University — Villanova

• 161-170

• Andrews University — Berrien Springs
• Auburn University — Auburn
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis — Indianapolis
• Ohio University — Athens
• Pace University-New York — New York City
• Rutgers University-Camden — Camden
• Simmons University — Boston
• St. John’s University: New York City — New York City
• University of San Diego — San Diego
• Yeshiva University — New York City

• 171-180

• Chapman University — Orange
• Dominican University of California — San Rafael
• Elon University — Elon
• Loyola University Maryland — Baltimore
• Northern Arizona University — Flagstaff
• Nova Southeastern University — Fort Lauderdale
• University of Memphis — Memphis
• The University of North Carolina at Greensboro — Greensboro
• Valparaiso University — Valparaiso
• Washington State University — Pullman

• 181-190

• Georgia Southern University — Statesboro
• James Madison University — Harrisonburg
• Miami University, Oxford
• Rollins College — Winter Park
• Texas Christian University — Fort Worth
• Texas Tech University — Lubbock
• The College of New Jersey — Ewing Township
• University of Dayton — Dayton
• University of Hartford — West Hartford
• University of Idaho — Moscow

• 191-200

• Brigham Young University — Provo
• CUNY Queens College — New York City
• California Lutheran University — Thousand Oaks
• California State University - Fullerton — Fullerton
• Iowa State University — Ames
• Kent State University — Kent
• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology — Socorro
• New York Institute of Technology — New York City
• Stetson University — United States
• The University of Massachusetts Lowell — Lowell
• University of Mississippi — Oxford
• University of Scranton — Scranton
• The University of Texas at San Antonio — San Antonio
• University of Wisconsin Milwaukee — Milwaukee

• 201-250

• Ball State University — Muncie
• Boise State University — Boise
• Butler University — Indianapolis
• CUNY The City College of New York — New York City
• California State Polytechnic University - Pomona — Pomona
• California State University - Los Angeles — Los Angeles
• The Catholic University of America — Washington DC.
• Chaminade University of Honolulu — Honolulu
• CUNY College of Staten Island — Staten Island
• Creighton University — Omaha
• Dominican University — River Forest
• East Carolina University — Greenville
• Fairfield University — Fairfield
• Florida Atlantic University - Boca Raton — Boca Raton
• Hawaii Pacific University — Honolulu
• Immaculata University — Immaculata
• Ithaca College — Ithaca
• La Salle University — Philadelphia
• Louisiana State University — Baton Rouge
• Marquette University — Milwaukee
• Marymount University — Arlington
• Mississippi State University — Starkville
• Montana State University — Bozeman
• North Dakota State University — Fargo
• Northern Illinois University — DeKalb
• Old Dominion University — Norfolk
• Rider University — Lawrenceville
• Roosevelt University
• The State University of New York at Geneseo — Geneseo
• SUNY New Paltz
• Seattle Pacific University — Seattle
• Sonoma State University — Rohnert Park
• SUNY Oswego — Oswego
• Texas State University, — San Marcos
• University of Alaska Anchorage — Anchorage
• University of Alaska Fairbanks — Fairbanks
• University of Bridgeport — Bridgeport
• The University of Maine — Orono
• University of Michigan-Dearborn — Dearborn
• University of Missouri Saint Louis — St. Louis
• The University of Nevada - Las Vegas — Las Vegas
• University of Redlands — Redlands
• University of St Thomas — St Paul
• The University of St. Thomas - Houston — Houston
• University of Toledo — Toledo
• University of Tulsa — Tulsa
• University of Wyoming — Laramie
• Western Illinois University — Macomb
• Western Washington University — Bellingham
• William Paterson University of New Jersey — Wayne

• 251-300

• Adelphi University — Garden City
• Alfred University
• Appalachian State University (ASU) — Boone
• Augsburg University
• Bryant University — Smithfield
• CUNY Lehman College — New York City
• California State University, San Marcos College
• California State University Northridge Los Angeles
• California State University Sacramento
• California State University - Long Beach
• California State University - San Bernardino
• Campbell University
• College of Charleston
• Gonzaga University — Spokane
• Illinois State University Normal
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana
• Manhattan College — New York City
• Morgan State University — Baltimore
• Northeastern Illinois University
• Notre Dame of Maryland University — Baltimore
• Oakland University — Rochester
• Pacific Lutheran University — Tahoma
• Providence College — Providence
• Regis University — Denver
• SUNY Brockport Brockport
• The State University of New York at Fredonia — Fredonia
• SUNY Oneonta — Oneonta
• Saint Mary’s College of California — Moraga
• Saint Peter’s University
• South Dakota State University — Brookings
• St. Edward’s University — Austin
• University of Arkansas Fayetteville — Fayetteville
• University of Evansville — Evansville
• University of Illinois, Springfield (UIS) — Springfield
• University of La Verne — La Verne
• University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
• University of New Haven — New Haven
• University of North Florida — Jacksonville
• University of North Georgia
• University of Portland Portland
• University of South Alabama (USA) — Mobile
• University of South Dakota — Vermillion
• University of Texas Arlington — Arlington
• The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire — Eau Claire
• Western Connecticut State University
• Western Michigan University — Kalamazoo
• Wilkes University

• 301-350

• Buffalo State College (SUNY)
• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis — Obispo
• California State University - Stanislaus
• California State University Dominguez Hills — Carson
• Carthage College
• Central Michigan University — Mount Pleasant
• Chestnut Hill College — Philadelphia
• Christian Brothers University
• Delaware State University
• Duquesne University — Pittsburgh
• Eastern University
• Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University — Tallahassee
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Frostburg State University
• Hamline University — Saint Paul
• Hampton University — Hampton
• Jacksonville University
• John Carroll University — University Heights
• King’s College — Wilkes-Barre
• Lamar University
• Lawrence Technological University — Southfield
• Lynn University
• Madonna University — Livonia
• Manhattanville College — Purchase
• Marist College — Poughkeepsie
• Mercer University — Macon
• Mount St Mary’s College — New York City
• Nazareth College — Rochester
• Niagara University
• Our Lady of the Lake University, — San Antonio
• Radford University
• SUNY Cortland Cortland
• SUNY Plattsburgh
• SUNY Potsdam
• Salisbury University
• Sam Houston State University
• Shenandoah University — Winchester
• Towson University — Towson
• Truman State University — Kirksville
• University of Guam
• University of Michigan-Flint — Flint
• University of Montana Missoula — Missoula
• University of Nebraska - Omaha
• University of North Carolina Wilmington — Wilmington
• University of North Dakota — Grand Forks
• The University of Tampa — Tampa
• University of the Incarnate Word
• Utah State University — Logan
• Waynesburg University — Waynesburg
• Wichita State University — Wichita
• Xavier University of Louisiana — New Orleans

— METHODOLOGY —

QS evaluated the US universities according to the following 17 metrics. They fall into four broad groupings (Employability, Diversity & Internationalisation, Learning Experience, and Research).

• Employability (24.5%)

• This category looks at the employment prospects of students graduating from US higher education institutions through metrics that include the results of the Employer Reputation Survey, Alumni outcomes, and salary post-graduation.

• Employer reputation (10%)

• QS Employer Reputation metric is based on almost 45,000 responses to the QS Employer Survey and asks employers to identify those institutions from which they source the most competent, innovative, effective graduates. The QS Employer Survey is also the world’s largest of its kind.

• Alumni outcomes (10%)

• QS has been recording the educational background of over 30,000 highly influential employers, sector leaders, and award-winning professionals, as well as individuals.

• Salary after ten years (4.5%)

• This indicator looks at the average salary of graduates (who received federal financial aid) ten years after first entering university.

• Diversity & Internationalisation (25%)

• This broad category attempts to understand to what extent a higher education institution is striving towards being as inclusive as possible while promoting an environment that seeks to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality and Goal 10: Reduced Inequality.

• Gender pay gap (2.5%)

• One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to achieve Gender Equality through female equality in the workplace and eradicating unfair practices targeting women.

• Faculty gender diversity (2.5%)

• This indicator is also used against the backdrop of the UN’s SDG to achieve Gender Equality. It aims to capture whether there is equal representation of both male and female employees within the faculty of a higher education institution. Institutions that are moving towards an equivalent model are demonstrating their commitment to progress towards achieving Gender Equality.

• The ratio of undergraduate students receiving Pell grants (5%)

• This indicator focuses on the percentage of enrolled undergraduate students that got a Pell Grant. The Pell Grant program provides grant assistance to eligible undergraduate postsecondary students with demonstrated financial needs to help meet higher education expenses.

• Students’ ethnicity mix (5%)

• The student fabric of a higher education institution is an important indicator that reflects its openness and attention to nurture a diverse, culturally sensitive, and tolerant student cohort. An institution with a diverse student ethnic mix demonstrates that it cultivates inclusiveness and promotes social mobility while offering its students a diverse student learning experience crucial in today’s global world.

• Number of Fulbright recipients per institution (5%)

• This indicator looks at which US institutions are top producers of US Fulbright students over a combined period of 3 years. The Fulbright Programme is the US government’s flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Programme has provided more than 390,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

• The proportion of international students (5%)

• A highly international university acquires and confers several advantages. It demonstrates an ability to attract students from across the world, suggesting that it possesses a solid global brand.

• Learning experience (22%)

• This category aims to reflect the overall learning environment provided by a higher education institution to its students through the level of support it offers all its students regardless of background.

• Average instructional expenditure per FTE (full-time equivalency) student (10%)

• Average teaching spending per FTE (full-time equivalency) student demonstrates how many financial resources a higher education institution spends on average teaching per student. This indicator is used as a proxy to determine how strongly an institution is committed to offering the most effective learning environment possible.

• Retention rate (5%)

• It is a measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. That is the percentage of the first-time bachelor (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall for four-year institutions. For all other institutions, this is the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or completed their program by the current fall.

• Pell grant student graduation rates compared with other students (3.5%)

• This indicator focuses on how well an institution supports students in financial need awarded a Pell grant. The number of grant recipients graduating within 150% of standard time to program completion, compared to the average graduation rate for students that did not receive a Pell grant or Stafford loan.

• Student-faculty ratio (3.5%)

• Students’ teaching quality is typically cited as the highest importance metric when comparing institutions. It isn’t easy to measure, but QS says it has determined that measuring student/faculty ratios is the most effective proxy metric currently available. This indicator assesses the extent to which institutions can provide undergraduate students with meaningful access to faculty members and recognizes that a high number of faculty members per undergraduate student will reduce the teaching burden on each academic.

• Research (28.5%)

• This category demonstrates how the Research of a higher education institution is having an impact. It focuses on the quality of the Research, regardless of the size of an institution. How much open and internationally collaborative its research outputs are, whether within academia or with industry.

• Academic Reputation (13.5%)

• Academic reputation is measured using a global survey. Scholars identify the institutions where they believe the best work is currently taking place within their field of expertise. The survey collates the expert opinions of over 94,000 individuals in the higher education space. It has grown to become the world’s largest survey of academic thought in terms of size and scope and is an unparalleled means of measuring sentiment in the academic community.

• Citations per paper (7%)

• Citations per paper focus on the performance of the documents an institution produces that get indexed in Scopus. It assesses the number of citations per Research Paper published, aiming to explain the impact each institution’s research has within the research community.

• International Research Network (IRN) (5%)

• This indicator assesses the degree of international Diversity in research collaboration for each evaluated institution. The Margalef Index, widely used in environmental sciences, has been adapted to estimate the richness of the selected international research partners for a given institution.

• Partnerships with Employers per Faculty (3%)

• This indicator uses Elsevier’s Scopus database to establish which universities collaborate successfully with global companies to produce citable, transformative research. This year’s ranking accounts for university collaborations with 2,000 top global companies listed by Fortune and Forbes. The figure is adjusted to account for the number of faculty at each university.

Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:48 PM | View the original post

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May 5, 2021

HeiQ launches a high-tech mask featuring ground-breaking copper technology shown to deactivate the COVID-19 virus.

Photos: HeiQ MetalliQ Type IIR surgical mask with an antiviral copper coated surface that deactivates 97.79% SARS-CoV-2. (Images provided by HeiQ).

ZURICH, May 5, 2021 — HeiQ, a global leader in textile and materials innovation, has launched HeiQ MetalliQ, a futuristic-looking, high-tech surgical mask that destroys all viruses and bacteria tested, up to 100% efficacy, the company announced.

HeiQ MetalliQ doesn’t only look metallic. The mask with a patented design contains an ultra-thin pure copper coating applied via a high-tech vapor deposition process, called HeiQ MetalliX, which converts a minute amount of copper into a vapor that deposits evenly to surround each fiber. HeiQ MetalliX is a patent-pending technology created by HeiQ’s innovation partner, Australian materials technology company, Xefco.

According to HeiQ, studies conducted by the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia (Doherty Institute) showed that fabrics treated by the HeiQ MetalliX technology significantly deactivated the infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) in as little as 5 minutes.

The testing protocol simulated the real-life interaction of aerosol droplets contaminating textile products such as face masks. Each sample was exposed to a high loading of SARS-CoV-2 followed by 5, 15, and 30 minutes incubation at room temperature before the amount of remaining infectious SARS-CoV-2 viruses was measured. The fabric samples treated with HeiQ MetalliX indicated a virus reduction of over 97.79% in five minutes, 99.95% in 15 minutes, and around 99.99% in 30 minutes, relative to the inoculum control.

“Our team of experts continues its vital work to minimize the impact of the novel coronavirus,” Dr. Julie McAuley, Senior Research Officer at the Doherty Institute, stated. “Testing the ability of different surface treatments to reduce the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is one way that our research can help provide insights towards helping to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. McAuley added.

Copper is a naturally occurring element present in the earth’s crust, soil, oceans, lakes, and rivers. It is also a trace element that occurs naturally in all humans, plants, and animals. Copper has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties demonstrated by laboratory studies. According to HeiQ, HeiQ MetalliX treated materials release copper ions which deactivate viruses and bacteria.

HeiQ Medica in Spain manufactures HeiQ MetalliQ. Here, HeiQ also conducts R&D activities for medical devices.

“You can pretty much ‘heiq’ everything to add additional functions to an everyday product. This time we up our game once again in antiviral protection, with an upgraded and premium appearance. Spring is calling. As we emerge from lock-down, we want to be extra protected and protect the others. HeiQ MetalliQ provides that extra level of confidence. Further, it gives an edgy look, making it an improved alternative to surgical masks in many ways,” said Carlo Centonze, co-founder and CEO of HeiQ Group.

Founded in 2005 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) and listed on the London Stock Exchange, HeiQ is a leader in textile innovation, creating effective, durable, and high-performance textile technologies. HeiQ says its mission is to improve the lives of billions of people through pioneering textiles and materials innovation. With a total capacity of 35,000 tons per year, HeiQ manufactures its products in the USA, Switzerland, and Australia, supplying its specialty chemical products in over 60 countries worldwide.

Source: HeiQ

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:44 AM | View the original post

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May 4, 2021

International Jazz Day 2021 Concludes with Spectacular All-Star Global Concert Featuring Performances from Cities Across the Globe

• Hosted by Michael Douglas at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Concert Caps Extraordinary 10th Anniversary Celebration Spanning More than 190 Countries.

Photo: A Jazz Day Poster.

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2021 — With more than 190 countries participating, the International Jazz Day 10th Anniversary celebration concluded with a thrilling All-Star Global Concert reaching millions worldwide. Hosted by Michael Douglas and led by Herbie Hancock and musical director John Beasley, the concert brought together renowned artists from over 20 countries. It was made possible by Lead Partner Toyota, with United Airlines serving as Airline Partner.

The 2021 Global Concert featured memorable moments illustrating the unifying power of jazz. From New York, Veronica Swift and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen opened the program with “Sing,” an uplifting tribute to the positive change that music can bring to the world. Other standout performances included pianist and composer Jacob Collier in London, Beninese songstress Angélique Kidjo in Paris, Japanese pianist Junko Onishi in Tokyo, Ivan Lins in Rio De Janeiro, and vocalist/trumpeter Mandisi Dyantyis in Cape Town. Capping the remarkable presentation from Los Angeles was a sensational interpretation of “God Bless The Child” by vocalist Andra Day.

Anchored by Academy Award winner Michael Douglas from UN Headquarters in New York, the 2021 concert showcased jazz as a truly global art form. As United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted, “Ten years ago, we launched the very first International Jazz Day in the United Nations General Assembly Hall at the initiative of UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. With every passing year, this has been a joyous celebration - not only of music but also of freedom, diversity, and human dignity. These are the values the United Nations works to protect and promote around the world.”

UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz presented free educational and outreach programming throughout the day. In one of the most anticipated events, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock engaged in a moving dialogue on the history and legacy of International Jazz Day.

International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities on all seven continents to honor the international art form of jazz. The event is celebrated with thousands of concerts and jazz-related programming worldwide each year on April 30, highlighting its essential role in encouraging dialogue, combating discrimination, and promoting human dignity.

Source: Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:17 AM | View the original post

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May 3, 2021

The Empire State Building to Celebrate 90 Years

• New Historical Tours, Giveaways, and Other Year-Long Anniversary Celebrations Planned

Photo: The Empire State Building as seen from the “Top of The Rock.” Image Credit: Joe Shlabotnik.

Photo: The Empire State Building is illuminated in red to celebrate the landing on Mars of NASA’s Perseverance rover, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in New York City. Photo Credit: (NASA/Emma Howells). [File Photo].

NEW YORK, May 01, 2021 — The World’s Most Famous Building, the Empire State Building (ESB), celebrates its 90th anniversary on May 1, 2021.

“The Empire State Building, the international icon and symbol of dreams, was a record-breaker and trendsetter 90 years ago,” said Anthony E. Malkin, chairman, president, and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. “Today, she is fully modernized for the 21st century, a world leader in energy efficiency retrofits in the built environment, indoor environmental quality, and on building health practices.”

“Since we first opened our doors 90 years ago, the Empire State Building Observatory has been the must-visit for travelers from around the world,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Observatory. “We’ve welcomed everyone from the Queen of England to the Queen of Christmas (Mariah Carey) through our doors, and our most important visitors are our Observatory guests from around the world who today visit our brand new, $165 million recreation of our entire experience. With New York reopened as of July 1, we look forward to visits from our fans near and far who can safely travel to celebrate this important anniversary.”

• Brand-New Offerings for Visitors

To mark 90 years, the Empire State Building will kick off a wealth of new offerings, with more announcements throughout the year-long festivities.

• Birthday Lighting: ESB’s world-famous tower lights will sparkle in white with a special “90” illuminated in the mast throughout the night.

• New Historical Tour: The new 90 in 90 Tour will take guests on a 90-year journey in 90 minutes as they explore the building’s rich history. Treated like a VIP with their own ESB Ambassador at their side, guests quickly become insiders and go behind the scenes at the Empire State Building.

• 90th Anniversary Collectors’ Items: The Empire State Building’s gift shop will offer limited edition 90th Anniversary items available only on-site.

• Birthday Giveaway: With the purchase of a Sunrise, Premium, or All Access ticket to the Observatory, guests will receive a complimentary, celebratory 90th-anniversary tote bag.

• David Yurman Window Display: America’s foremost luxury jewelry brand David Yurman will launch its new “Empire Collection” of women’s jewelry and men’s accessories with a window display in the building’s famed Fifth Avenue lobby.

• Sweeping Views with Starbucks Coffee: For the entire month of May, guests who show their Observatory ticket at the 34th Street Starbucks located inside ESB before or after their visit will receive a $0.90 tall, hot or iced coffee and a Starbucks reusable cup while supplies last.

• A Reimagined Guest Experience

Since its construction, the Empire State Building has taken pride in its status as the World’s Most Famous Building - an international symbol of technology, imagination, and ambition. Recent renovations and a reimagined visitor experience serve as examples for other buildings and attractions across the globe.

• Reimagination of The Observatory Experience: A five-year, $165 million overhaul of the visitor journey to the 86th Floor Observatory was completed in 2019 and introduced a new dedicated guest entrance at 34th Street, an immersive 10,000 square-foot museum, and additional exhibits on the redesigned 80th Floor. A brand-new 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows completes the redo.

• Sustainability Retrofit: Over the last ten years, the Empire State Building underwent a ground-breaking energy and efficiency retrofit as part of the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program that transformed it into one of today’s most efficient historical landmarks. The building is in the top 20 percent of all Class A commercial assets in the nation. As a result of these efforts, ESRT earned the highest possible GRESB 5 Star Rating and Green Star recognition for sustainability performance in real estate and was named a Fitwel Champion for healthy, high-performance buildings. ESB looks forward to a more sustainable future with a recently announced target to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

• Updated Tower Lights: In 2012, the Empire State Building upgraded its world-famous tower lights to display more than 16 million colors. The new lights debuted with the building’s first music-to-light show set to Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” and “Empire State of Mind.” The building recently brought back the classic show during 2020 to bring a moment of joy to all New Yorkers during the pandemic.

• Restoration of an Art Deco Classic: In 2009, the Empire State building fully restored its Fifth Avenue Lobby celestial ceiling mural. The project used aluminum leaf and 23-karat gold, the same materials from 1931, and took more than 20,000 person-hours. Just last year, the building restored its silhouette to the original design that influenced various architectural styles. With the removal of multiple antennas and a new coat of silver waterproof paint, ESB sparkles like new.

“Over the past 90 years, the Empire State Building has been the undisputed landmark of the New York City skyline, with its iconic tower lights that shine as a symbol of hope, strength, and perseverance,” said Mr. Malkin. “We will continue to innovate and push boundaries in technology, sustainability, and tourism to ensure that the Empire State Building remains America’s Favorite Building for the next 90 years as well.”

The Empire State Building, “The World’s Most Famous Building,” is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Empire State Realty Trust, Inc owns it. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air Observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building’s iconic history to its current place in pop culture. Officially opened on May 1, 1931, and now celebrating its 90th anniversary year, the Empire State Building welcomes more than 4 million annual visitors from around the world.

Source: Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:13 AM | View the original post

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May 1, 2021

United Way Worldwide Announces Launch of India COVID-19 Relief Fund

Give. Advocate. Volunteer. LIVE UNITED.

Photo: Brian Gallagher, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide (center) with Student United Way Award Winners (L-R): Alicia Meyer, Campus Adviser of the Year, Montana State University; Krystal Draper, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor; Hoa Bui, President of Student United Way at the University of California Riverside; Caasi Algazi, Founder of Student United Way at the University of California Riverside; and Elizabeth Collins, Student Leader of the Year, Montana State University. United Way Community Leaders Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. May 2, 2012.

Students on more than 60 campuses across the United States are improving their local communities. This powerful force is known as Student United Way, the student voice of the worldwide United Way movement. Image Credit: Neil Parekh. [File Photo]

ALEXANDRIA, VA., May 01, 2021 — United Way Worldwide today announced that it had established a relief fund for United Way India to provide immediate assistance in containing the coronavirus and responding to the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The India COVID-19 Relief Fund will provide immediate help in medical equipment for hospitals, including oxygen supplies, ventilators, beds, Bipap Machines, and more. The Fund will also supply hygiene and food kits for communities to prevent further spread of the virus.

As India experiences the world’s worst outbreak, United Way India will distribute donations from the Fund to support the most acutely impacted in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi NCR, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar.

Just this week, India reported the most significant single-day spike of new COVID-19 cases at 379,000 and more than 200,000 deaths, 3,000 occurring in the past 24 hours alone. These numbers have overwhelmed the healthcare system, particularly in highly populated cities, devastating the most vulnerable population.

“The resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and the devastating impact on India’s healthcare system highlights that the fight against the pandemic is far from over and shows how vulnerable communities are still at risk,” said Neeraj Mehta, Interim President and CEO, United Way Worldwide. “I am heartened by the work of the United Way India network and am confident that we can provide much-needed critical support to alleviate the suffering of marginalized populations.”

Over the past year, the United Way India network of seven local United Ways has supported more than five million people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and provided infrastructure enhancement to more than 100 hospitals. The United Way India network has raised and distributed $60 million in relief funds to more than 60 cities throughout India.

Through the work of 100,000 volunteers, United Way has distributed over 291,951 food kits and served more than 555,886 hot meals. Additionally, the United Way India network has provided 146 hospitals with infrastructure reinforcements, including additional beds, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and medical supplies. It has also distributed 804,154 N-95 & 3-Ply masks and 346,104 personal protection equipment (PPE) kits.

Response efforts are led locally by United Ways in the cities of Baroda, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata.

United Way said it fights for every person’s health, education, and financial stability in every community.”With global reach and local impact, we’re making life better for 48 million people annually. United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit, working in 95% of U.S. communities and 40 countries and territories. That’s why we’re the mission of choice for 2.5 million volunteers, 7.7 million donors, and 45,000 corporate partners. In the wake of COVID-19, we’re helping people stay in their homes, stock their pantries, and protect their lives and livelihoods. And we’re working to build resilient, equitable communities,” United Way elaborated.

Source: United Way Worldwide

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:04 PM | View the original post

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April 30, 2021

World Intellectual Property Day 2021 - "IP and SMEs: Taking Your Ideas to Market"

Geneva, April 29, 2021 — Small and medium-sized enterprises take center stage at this year’s celebration of World Intellectual Property Day. WIPO Director General Daren Tang described them as the “unsung heroes” of the global economy and an engine for growth in a post-pandemic world.

In a video message celebrating World IP Day, which occurs each April 26, Mr. Tang said that SMEs account for 90% of all companies worldwide and 70% of global employment. That’s why World IP Day 2021 is carrying the theme “IP and SMEs: Taking your ideas to market.”

“SMEs are the engines, the unsung heroes of our economy. And yet for many of them, there is still a lack of knowledge about how IP can help them translate their ideas into products, and how IP can be a powerful tool for them not just to survive, but also to compete and grow,” he said.

“SMEs face different challenges in different parts of the world, and how we help them will need to be customized to the needs of your part of the world. But it will be a powerful message for us to send the signal that together we will be supporting them,” said Mr. Tang.

Mr. Tang, who took office as WIPO’s Director-General in October 2020, has made supporting smaller enterprises a priority. In one of his first actions as Director-General, he established the “IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector” as one of the Organization’s eight sectors, with a remit to support SMEs, entrepreneurs, and researchers in commercializing IP and using it for business growth.

“Whatever help we can render to our SMEs will help that we render to the bedrock of your economy and the backbone of the global economy. Ultimately, it will help our world to build back better,” after the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

WIPO is coordinating a global campaign to highlight the importance of intangible assets to SMEs and the value of IP in supporting SMEs to grow. The Organization has published a series of case studies worldwide telling stories of SMEs that are using IP rights to turn ideas into business opportunities and generate value. WIPO has also provided a wealth of practical information on the best ways for SMEs to protect their intangible assets.

In 2000, WIPO’s member states designated April 26 - the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970 - as World Intellectual Property Day to increase general understanding of intellectual property (IP). Since then, World IP Day has offered a unique opportunity each year to join with others worldwide to consider how IP contributes to the flourishing of music and the arts and to driving the technological innovation that helps shape our world.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information, and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 193 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society’s evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it offers free access to unique knowledge banks of IP information.

Source: WIPO, Geneva

|GlobalGiants.Com|

(The Editor is an Alumnus of the World Intellectual Property Organization Academy (WIPO Academy), Geneva, Switzerland.)

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:49 PM | View the original post

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April 29, 2021

Carnegie Corporation of New York Announces 26 Andrew Carnegie Fellows.

• $5.2 million in philanthropic support for significant scholarly research in the social sciences and humanities

New York, NY, April 28, 2021 — To apply scholarly perspectives to some of society’s most important issues, Carnegie Corporation of New York today announced the 2021 class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows. The philanthropic foundation will grant each fellow $200,000 to fund significant research and writing in the social sciences and humanities that address critical and enduring issues confronting our society.

The Corporation launched the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program in 2015 as an initiative conceived by the late Vartan Gregorian, who was president of the foundation since 1997. Gregorian, a former professor of history and past president of Brown University, aimed to advance and elevate the fellows’ work to reinforce the importance of the social sciences and humanities in academia and American life.

The most generous stipend of its kind, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program has funded a total of 216 scholars, journalists, and authors, representing an investment of $43.2 million. It focuses on subjects such as U.S. democracy, the environment, technological and cultural evolution, and international relations. The criteria prioritize the originality and promise of the research, its potential impact on the field, and the scholar’s plans for communicating the findings to a broad audience.

Among this year’s winning research topics:

• Law enforcement: developing tools to analyze policing data, including large volumes of body-worn camera video, to monitor racial bias and suggest evidence-based reforms.

• Pandemic recovery: studying the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable families and women in the workforce to identify policies that will help rebuild a more just society.

• Voting access: analyzing strategies to modernize the U.S. electoral system, including mail voting, same-day registration, and calls for a National Accessible Election law.

• Racial justice: telling the story of mid-19th-century Black New Yorkers who campaigned to desegregate public transit with pioneering civil disobedience strategies.

• Rural opportunity: exploring the history of agricultural property law and the views of American farmers to develop a more inclusive and sustainable land ownership system.

• “Me Too” movement: documenting the cultural history of the campaign and social media’s ability to expose offenders and hold them accountable.

• Immigration: exploring the immigration detention system and its multiple, unseen sites within and outside U.S. borders to understand policies and their impact on migrants.

• Climate-change: developing inclusive approaches to climate policy by gathering indigenous knowledge.

Georgetown’s DeGioia, who has been a member of the jury since the start of the program, replaced the founding chair, Susan Hockfield, professor of neuroscience and president emerita of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, Alondra Nelson, president of the Social Science Research Council, stepped down after three years of service on the fellows’ jury when she joined the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as deputy director for science and society. Today, the jury comprises 14 distinguished scholars and academic and intellectual leaders from some of the USA’s most prominent educational institutions, foundations, and scholarly societies.

Carnegie Corporation selected this year’s class of 26 fellows from 311 nominations. The group comprises 18 women and eight men. The program seeks to include emerging and established scholars from across the country and represents public institutions of higher education and private colleges or universities.

As part of the nomination process, 700 individuals — including heads of independent research institutes, societies, and think tanks; university presidents; directors of major university presses; and editors of leading newspapers and magazines — were invited to recommend up to two individuals. All proposals undergo a preliminary, anonymous evaluation by leading authorities in the relevant fields. The top recommendations are then forwarded to the jury for a final review and selection.

The award is for up to two years, and its expected result is a book or major study.

• Class of 2021

• Elizabeth Oltmans Ananat: Barnard College, Columbia University
• Beth Bailey: University of Kansas
• Richard Bell: University of Maryland, College Park
• Deborah A. Boehm: University of Nevada, Reno
• Kristina Maria Guild Douglass: The Pennsylvania State University
• Tanisha M. Fazal: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Christine Folch: Duke University
• Shana Kushner Gadarian: Syracuse University
• Kali Nicole Gross: Emory University
• Françoise N. Hamlin: Brown University
• Adria L. Imada: University of California, Irvine
• Jeanne-Marie Jackson: Johns Hopkins University
• Dean Knox: University of Pennsylvania
• Daniel Laurison: Swarthmore College
• Sonali Shukla McDermid: New York University
• Léonce Ndikumana: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Jessica A. Shoemaker: University of Nebraska College of Law
• Stefanie Stantcheva: Harvard University
• Susan C. Stokes: University of Chicago
• Neel U. Sukhatme: Georgetown University Law Center
• Kevin J. A. Thomas: The University of Texas at Austin
• Salamishah Tillet: Rutgers University-Newark
• Caroline Tolbert: University of Iowa
• Jessica Wilkerson: West Virginia University
• Gillen D’Arcy Wood: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Gabriel Zucman: University of California, Berkeley

• Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program Jurors

• John J. DeGioia: President, Georgetown University (Chair)
• Joseph E. Aoun: President, Northeastern University
• Jared L. Cohon: President Emeritus and University Professor of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
• Robbert Dijkgraaf: Director and Leon Levy Professor, Institute for Advanced Study
• Jonathan F. Fanton: President Emeritus, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Amy Gutmann: President, University of Pennsylvania
• Rush D. Holt: CEO Emeritus, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Alberto Ibargüen: President and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
• Ira Katznelson: Interim Provost and Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History, Columbia University
• Arthur Levine: President Emeritus, The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
• Earl Lewis: Founding Director, Center for Social Solutions, University of Michigan; Former President, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
• Marcia McNutt: President, National Academy of Sciences
• Louise Richardson: Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford
• Pauline Yu: President Emerita, American Council of Learned Societies

Carnegie Corporation of New York was established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation’s work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered to be of paramount importance: education, international peace, and a strong democracy.

Source: Carnegie Corporation of New York

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:28 AM | View the original post

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April 28, 2021

International Leadership Association Announces Its 2021-2022 Fellows

Photo: Responsive and Responsible Leadership. Brian T. Moynihan, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of America Corporation, USA, speaking during the session: Responsive and Responsible Leadership at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 20, 2017. Image provided by & Copyright © World Economic Forum / Greg Beadle. [File Photo]

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 27, 2021 — The International Leadership Association (ILA) work is made possible by the power of its members’ curiosity, creativity, and desire to make an impact. Each year, it recognizes a select group of expert members who desire to give back to the field of leadership as ILA Fellows.

Fellows engage with ILA’s mission across sectors and disciplines to do worthy work at the intersection of leadership research and practice. They contribute to special initiatives that help drive the ILA’s mission to advance leadership knowledge and practice for a better world.

This year’s Fellows include the new Fellow roles of Executive in Residence and Scholar in Residence

ILA Executive in Residence

• John Heiser is a transformational, global, and relational executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in multimillion-dollar pharmaceutical, technology, and manufacturing organizations.

ILA Scholar in Residence

• Gill Robinson Hickman is Professor Emerita of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, one of the first institutions with a multidisciplinary faculty devoted to the study of leadership.

ILA Fellows

ILA’s 2021-2022 Fellows include thought leaders from around the world. Together they will share their knowledge and expertise, explore today’s challenges in dialogue with other leaders, and apply their practical wisdom to inform and inspire. They are:

• Scott J. Allen, Standard Products—Dr. James S. Reid Chair in Management, John Carroll University
• Keith Grint, Professor Emeritus, Warwick University
• Maureen Metcalf, Founder, CEO, & Board Chair, Innovative Leadership Institute
• Stella Nkomo, Professor of Human Resource Management, University of Pretoria
• Erwin Schwella, Dean, School of Social Innovation, Hugenote Kollege
• Katherine Tyler Scott, Principle, Ki ThoughtBridge

Maureen Metcalf, returning for another term as an ILA Fellow, will continue her partnership with ILA to produce a series of 12+ podcasts on global leadership, part of her weekly Innovating Leadership show. The ILA adds another podcaster to its Fellows group with Scott Allen, the host of Phronesis: Practical Wisdom for Leadership. Scott will work with ILA to produce weekly episodes of Phronesis under the banner of “ILA’s official podcast.” Scott shared his excitement for the partnership, writing: “ILA has played a central role in my growth and development as a leadership educator and scholar. I have moderated the listserv, chaired a member community, and served on the board. As an ILA Fellow, I’ll have the opportunity to engage in a new and exciting way! I am thrilled to partner with ILA to bring inspirational and thought-provoking content to people all over the globe.”

ILA Fellows, Keith Grint, Stella Nkomo, Erwin Schwella, and Katherine Tyler Scott will share their insights via blogs looking at the challenges of today through a leadership lens. Grint, Schwella, and Tyler Scott are experienced bloggers, having contributed several pieces to ILA’s blog in 2020 including, “Leadership in Times of Crisis,” “The Fire Next Time,” and “The Global Pandemic: A Trigger for Deeply Systemic Disruptive Social Innovation? Or an Inevitable Global Apocalypse?” Echoing other fellows, Katherine affirmed that “ILA has been instrumental in my professional development, leadership, and service as a scholar-practitioner. I have been privileged to serve as Chair of Leadership Development, Conference Weaver, Vice-Chair and Chair of the ILA Board.” She added, “The honor of being selected as an ILA Fellow is another opportunity to contribute to this special community of learners.”

“We are thrilled to be working with this year’s group of outstanding Fellows,” noted Cynthia Cherrey, CEO & President of the ILA. “Their commitment to ILA and contributions to the field of leadership are unparalleled and will be appreciated for years to come.”

The International Leadership Association is a worldwide professional association committed to advancing leadership knowledge and practice for a better world. It accomplishes its mission by creating trusted leadership resources. The synergy that occurs by bringing people together in the charged space of its conferences and events produces a multiplier impact on leadership and change. For more than twenty years, the ILA has convened extraordinary talent across sectors, cultures, disciplines, and generations.

Source: International Leadership Association

|GlobalGiants.Com|

— The Editor is a Member of the International Leadership Association.

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:27 PM | View the original post

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April 26, 2021

Oscars 2021: 93rd Academy Awards Winners List

Photo: Oscar nominee Garrett Bradley arrives on the red carpet of The 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Image provided by & Copyright © Matt Petit / A.M.P.A.S.

Photo: On behalf of Denmark, Thomas Vinterberg poses backstage with the Oscar for International Feature Film during the live A.B.C. Telecast of The 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Image provided by & Copyright © Matt Petit / A.M.P.A.S.

Photo: James Reed, Pippa Erlich (L), and Marlee Matlin pose backstage with the Oscar for Documentary Feature during the live A.B.C. Telecast of The 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Image provided by & Copyright © Matt Petit / A.M.P.A.S.

Photo: Chloé Zhao poses backstage with the Oscar for Directing during the live A.B.C. Telecast of The 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Image provided by & Copyright © Matt Petit / A.M.P.A.S.

Photo: Oscar nominee Will Berson and guest arrive on the red carpet of The 93rd Oscars at Union Station in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Image provided by & Copyright © Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

LOS ANGELES, CA - The 93rd Oscars were held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, at Union Station Los Angeles and the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. The event was televised live on A.B.C. The Oscars were also televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Nomadland won big at the Oscars as it won the Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress awards. Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor for The Father. David Fincher’s Mank, which led the way with ten nominations, took home awards for cinematography and production design.

HERE IS THE FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS & WINNERS:

• Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Riz Ahmed in “Sound of Metal”
• Chadwick Boseman in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
• Anthony Hopkins in “The Father” — WINNER
• Gary Oldman in “Mank”
• Steven Yeun in “Minari”

• Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Sacha Baron Cohen in “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
• Daniel Kaluuya in “Judas and the Black Messiah” — WINNER
• Leslie Odom, Jr. in “One Night in Miami…”
• Paul Raci in “Sound of Metal”
• Lakeith Stanfield in “Judas and the Black Messiah”

• Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Viola Davis in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
• Andra Day in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
• Vanessa Kirby in “Pieces of a Woman”
• Frances McDormand in “Nomadland” — WINNER
• Carey Mulligan in “Promising Young Woman”

• Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Maria Bakalova in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
• Glenn Close in “Hillbilly Elegy”
• Olivia Colman in “The Father”
• Amanda Seyfried in “Mank”
• Yuh-Jung Youn in “Minari” — WINNER

• The best animated feature film of the year

• “Onward” Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
• “Over the Moon” Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou
• “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” Richard Phelan, Will Becher, and Paul Kewley
• “Soul” Pete Docter and Dana Murray — WINNER
• “Wolfwalkers” Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants

• Achievement in cinematography

• “Judas and the Black Messiah” Sean Bobbitt
• “Mank” Erik Messerschmidt — WINNER
• “News of the World” Dariusz Wolski
• “Nomadland” Joshua James Richards
• “The Trial of the Chicago 7” Phedon Papamichael

• Achievement in costume design

• “Emma” Alexandra Byrne
• “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Ann Roth — WINNER
• “Mank” Trish Summerville
• “Mulan” Bina Daigeler
• “Pinocchio” Massimo Cantini Parrini

• Achievement in directing

• “Another Round” Thomas Vinterberg
• “Mank” David Fincher
• “Minari” Lee Isaac Chung
• “Nomadland” Chloé Zhao — WINNER
• “Promising Young Woman” Emerald Fennell

• Best documentary feature

• “Collective” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
• “Crip Camp” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
• “The Mole Agent” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
• “My Octopus Teacher” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed, and Craig Foster — WINNER
• “Time” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino, and Kellen Quinn

• Best documentary short subject

• “Colette” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard — WINNER
• “A Concerto Is a Conversation” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
• “Do Not Split” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
• “Hunger Ward” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
• “A Love Song for Latasha” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

• Achievement in film editing

• “The Father” Yorgos Lamprinos
• “Nomadland” Chloé Zhao
• “Promising Young Woman” Frédéric Thoraval
• “Sound of Metal” Mikkel E. G. Nielsen — WINNER
• “The Trial of the Chicago 7” Alan Baumgarten

• The best international feature film of the year

• “Another Round” Denmark — WINNER
• “Better Days” Hong Kong
• “Collective” Romania
• “The Man Who Sold His Skin” Tunisia
• “Quo Vadis, Aida?” Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

• “Emma” Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
• “Hillbilly Elegy” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle, and Patricia Dehaney
• “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson — WINNER
• “Mank” Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri, and Colleen LaBaff
• “Pinocchio” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti

• Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “Da 5 Bloods” Terence Blanchard
• “Mank” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
• “Minari” Emile Mosseri
• “News of the World” James Newton Howard
• “Soul” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste — WINNER

• Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” — WINNER
• Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
• “Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
• Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
• “Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
• Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
• “Io Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
• Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
• “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami…”
• Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

• Best motion picture of the year

• “The Father” David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi, and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers
• “Judas and the Black Messiah” Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers
• “Mank” Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers
• “Minari” Christina Oh, Producer
• “Nomadland” Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers — WINNER
• “Promising Young Woman” Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell, and Josey McNamara, Producers
• “Sound of Metal” Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers
• “The Trial of the Chicago 7” Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers

• Achievement in production design

• “The Father” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
• “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton
• “Mank” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale — WINNER
• “News of the World” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
• “Tenet” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

• Best animated short film

• “Burrow” Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
• “Genius Loci” Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
• “If Anything Happens I Love You” Will McCormack and Michael Govier — WINNER
• “Opera” Erick Oh
• “Yes-People” Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

• Best live-action short film

• “Feeling Through” Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
• “The Letter Room” Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
• “The Present” Farah Nabulsi
• “Two Distant Strangers” Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe — WINNER
• “White Eye” Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

• Achievement in sound

• “Greyhound” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders, and David Wyman
• “Mank” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance, and Drew Kunin
• “News of the World” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller, and John Pritchett
• “Soul” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott, and David Parker
• “Sound of Metal” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh — WINNER

• Achievement in visual effects

• “Love and Monsters” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt, and Brian Cox
• “The Midnight Sky” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon, and David Watkins
• “Mulan” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury, and Steve Ingram
• “The One and Only Ivan” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones, and Santiago Colomo Martinez
• “Tenet” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, and Scott Fisher — WINNER

• Adapted screenplay

• “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimmer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
• “The Father” Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller — WINNER
• “Nomadland” Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao.
• “One Night in Miami…” Screenplay by Kemp Powers
• “The White Tigers” Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani.

• Original screenplay

• “Judas and the Black Messiah” Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
• “Minari” Written by Lee Isaac Chung
• “Promising Young Woman” Written by Emerald Fennell — WINNER
• “Sound of Metal” Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance
• “The Trial of the Chicago 7” Written by Aaron Sorkin

Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

|GlobalGiants.Com|

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April 25, 2021

U.S. National Security Advisor speaks with his Indian counterpart on the current COVID-19 situation in India.

Photo: Magnolia tree blooms are seen Friday, March 26, 2021, in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz).

• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval of India.

• APRIL 25, 2021

• National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by phone today with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, expressing deep sympathy for the people of India following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Mr. Sullivan affirmed America’s solidarity with India, the two countries with the greatest number of COVID-19 instances globally. Building on the seven-decade health partnership between the United States and India —including battles against smallpox, polio, and HIV — they resolved that India and the United States will continue to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic together. Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need.

• To this end, the United States is working around the clock to deploy available resources and supplies. The United States has identified sources of specific raw material urgently required for Indian manufacture of the Covishield vaccine that will immediately be made available for India. To help treat COVID-19 patients and protect front-line health workers in India, the United States has identified supplies of therapeutics, rapid diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will immediately be made available for India. The United States also is pursuing options to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis. The U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is funding a substantial expansion of manufacturing capability for BioE, the vaccine manufacturer in India, enabling BioE to ramp up to produce at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022. Additionally, the United States is deploying an expert team of public health advisors from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and USAID to collaborate with the U.S. Embassy, India’s health ministries, and India’s Epidemic Intelligence Service staff. USAID will also quickly work with CDC to support and fast-track the mobilization of emergency resources available to India through the Global Fund.

• The two National Security Advisors agreed that the U.S. and India would stay in close touch in the coming days.

Source: The White House Briefing Room

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April 24, 2021

Johnson & Johnson Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccinations to Resume in the U.S. for All Adults Aged 18 and Older Following CDC and FDA Decision.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 23, 2021 — Johnson & Johnson has announced that vaccinations with the Company’s COVID-19 single-shot vaccine would resume for all adults aged 18 years and older in the U.S. under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). It follows a decision from the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The decision was based on a recommendation from the U.S. CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP had followed a rigorous evaluation of data relating to an infrequent adverse event involving blood clots combined with low platelet counts (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia) observed within approximately one to two weeks following vaccination.

“As the global pandemic continues to devastate communities around the world, we believe a single-shot, easily transportable COVID-19 vaccine with demonstrated protection against multiple variants can help protect the health and safety of people everywhere. We will collaborate with health authorities around the world to educate healthcare professionals and the public to ensure this infrequent event can be identified early and treated effectively,” said Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer of Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & Johnson has updated the EUA Fact Sheets for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) and Recipients and Caregivers for the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The Company said it continues to work with other healthcare authorities and regulators worldwide to ensure that the product labels for the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine include this information. On April 20, the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) also issued a recommendation, confirming the overall benefit-risk profile of the Company’s COVID-19 vaccine remains positive.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine, developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, received EUA from the FDA on February 27, 2021, to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.

This decision was based in part on the totality of scientific evidence, including data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study. The study had demonstrated that the vaccine was 66.1 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe/acute disease and 85 percent effective in preventing severe/critical illness across all regions studied, 28 days post-vaccination.

The terms of the EUA allow the use of the vaccine while more data are gathered. The Company plans to file for a Biologics License Application (BLA) with the FDA later in 2021.

On April 21, 2021, Johnson & Johnson announced primary data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE clinical trial in the New England Journal of Medicine. The preliminary analysis of the Company’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine follows the topline efficacy and safety data announced in January, showing the trial met all primary and critical secondary endpoints and prevented COVID-19 related hospitalization across all study participants 28 days after vaccination. The data also show the vaccine to be consistently effective against symptomatic infection, including in South Africa and Brazil, where there was a high prevalence of rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WHAT SHOULD YOU MENTION TO YOUR VACCINATION PROVIDER BEFORE YOU GET THE JANSSEN COVID-19 VACCINE?

Tell the vaccination provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have any allergies
• have a fever
• have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
• are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding
• have received another COVID-19 vaccine

Source: Johnson & Johnson

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April 23, 2021

Honoring Excellence, Electing New Members: Announcement from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 22, 2021 — The American Academy of Arts & Sciences announced today the election of 252 new members.

The Academy was established in 1780 by the country’s founders to guide a young nation that would face challenges and need expertise and excellence to emerge stronger. While the founders did not anticipate a year with a historic pandemic, overdue racial reckoning, and political strife, the purpose of electing new members is more compelling than ever, the Academy stated.

The 2021 election provides an opportunity to recognize extraordinary people across America and worldwide who help solve the world’s most urgent challenges, create meaning through art, and contribute to the common good from every field, discipline, and profession.

“We are honoring the excellence of these individuals, celebrating what they have achieved so far, and imagining what they will continue to accomplish,” said David Oxtoby, President of the American Academy. “The past year has been replete with evidence of how things can get worse; this is an opportunity to illuminate the importance of art, ideas, knowledge, and leadership that can make a better world.”

The artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors elected this year include:

• Paleontologist Zeresenay Alemeseged, University of Chicago
• Economist Dirk Bergemann, Yale University
• Cognitive anthropologist Pascal Boyer, Washington University in St. Louis
• Biotechnology leader Tony Coles, Cerevel Therapeutics
• Civil rights lawyer and scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, Columbia Law School; UCLA School of Law
• Neurosurgeon and medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, CNN and Emory University
• Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, Supreme Court of Texas
• Labor leader Mary Kay Henry, SEIU
• Journalist Maria Hinojosa, Futuro Media Group and NPR
• Cinematographer and video artist Arthur Jafa
• Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li, Stanford University
• Civil rights activist and math literacy pioneer Robert Moses, The Algebra Project
• Playwright, screenwriter, and actor Suzan-Lori Parks, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
• Probability theorist Kavita Ramanan, Brown University
• Composer, songwriter, and performer Robbie Robertson
• Journalist Kara Swisher, VOX Media Inc.; The New York Times
• Atmospheric scientist Anne Thompson, NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
• Media entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey, Harpo, Inc., and Oprah Winfrey Network

The International Honorary Members, from 17 countries this year, include physician and researcher Peter Carmeliet (KU Leuven, Belgium), writer Duong Thu Huong (Vietnam), and botanist Lúcia Garcez Lohmann (University of São Paulo, Brazil).

“While it is noteworthy that we continue to elect members more than 240 years after the Academy’s founding, this is about more than maintaining traditions,” said Nancy C. Andrews, Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Academy. “We recognize individuals who use their talents and their influence to confront today’s challenges, to lift our spirits through the arts, and to help shape our collective future.”

John Adams, John Hancock, and others founded the Academy. They believed the new republic should honor exceptionally accomplished individuals and engage them in advancing the public good. The Academy’s dual mission remains essentially the same today, with members from increasingly diverse fields working together to share ideas and recommendations in the arts, democracy, education, global affairs, and science.

The new class joins Academy members elected before them, including Benjamin Franklin (elected 1781) and Alexander Hamilton (1791) in the eighteenth century; Ralph Waldo Emerson (1864), Maria Mitchell (1848), and Charles Darwin (1874) in the nineteenth; Albert Einstein (1924), Robert Frost (1931), Margaret Mead (1948), Milton Friedman (1959), Martin Luther King, Jr. (1966), and Anthony Fauci (1991) in the twentieth; and more recently Antonin Scalia (2003), Andrea Ghez (2004), Bryan Stevenson (2014), Nicholas Kristof (2017), John Legend (2017), Viet Thanh Nguyen (2018), and Anna Deavere Smith (2019).

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the country’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, convening leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to respond to the challenges facing the nation and the world. Current Academy research focuses on higher education, the humanities, and the arts; science and technology policy; global security and energy; and American institutions and the public good. The Academy’s work is advanced by its more than 5,000 elected members, who are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs from around the world.

Source: American Academy of Arts & Sciences

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April 22, 2021

UNESCO, Herbie Hancock, and a cast of Jazz greats to mark the 10th Anniversary of International Jazz Day on April 30.

Photos: Jazz Day Posters from different countries.

Paris, France, April 22, 2021 — UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock have announced the program for the 10th-anniversary edition of International Jazz Day, with an inspiring series of performances and educational and community outreach initiatives in more than 190 countries.

Hosted by multi-Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas, the 2021 All-Star Global Concert will be streamed live from UNESCO in Paris and the United Nations in New York with a lineup of some of the best international artists performing from cities around the world. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres will speak during the concert. Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock will be the concert’s artistic director, while John Beasley will serve as the concert’s musical director.

“UNESCO created International Jazz Day to share the values of a significant musical genre. Today we need Jazz more than ever. We need its values based on human dignity and the fight against racism and all forms of oppression. It is so much more than music. Jazz is the kind of bridge-builder we need in the world today,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, in her message.

“Our International Jazz Day community has displayed incredible resilience, creativity, ingenuity, and compassion throughout the immense challenges of the past year. While the global pandemic continues to make life difficult for so many around the world, the example of organizers from Nepal to Mexico to Cameroon inspires us to greet this historic 10th-anniversary milestone with joy, courage, and hope for the future of Jazz,” Herbie Hancock stated.

The All-Star Global Concert will mark the culmination of International Jazz Day 2021, starting at 9 pm UTC in New York, with performances by:

• Melissa Aldana (Chile)
• Massimo Biolcati (Italy)
• A Bu (China)
• Cyrus Chestnut (USA)
• Amina Figarova (Azerbaijan)
• Roberta Gambarini (Italy)
• Kenny Garrett (USA)
• James Genus (USA)
• Stefon Harris (USA)
• Ingrid Jensen (Canada)
• Joe Lovano (USA)
• Rudresh Mahanthappa (USA)
• Antonio Sánchez (Mexico) and
• Veronica Swift (USA).

In Los Angeles, Herbie Hancock will be joined by:

• Alex Acuña (Peru)
• Justo Almario (Colombia)
• Dee Dee Bridgewater (USA)
• Jonathan Butler (South Africa)
• Mahmoud Chouki (Morocco)
• Gerald Clayton (USA)
• Andra Day (USA)
• Romero Lubambo (Brazil)
• Marcus Miller (USA)
• Dianne Reeves (USA)
• Ben Williams (USA)
• Francisco Torres (Mexico) and
• Justin Tyson (USA).

Leading musicians performing from their home countries will be Igor Butman in Moscow (Russia), Ivan Lins in Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), John McLaughlin in Monaco, James Morrison in Mt. Gambier (Australia), Junko Onishi in Tokyo (Japan), and Jacob Collier in London (United Kingdom) and more.

In parallel, an array of virtual and socially distanced activities will occur across the globe on April 30 and in the days leading up to International Jazz Day. Independent artists, UNESCO Creative Cities of Music, and organizers worldwide have curated thousands of concerts, webinars, radio broadcasts, charity fundraisers, marathon jam sessions, educational workshops, art exhibitions, and more adhering to recommended public health guidelines.

YouTube, Facebook, jazzday.com, U.N. Web T.V., UNESCO, and U.S. State Department outlets would webcast the April 30 program live.

UNESCO established international Jazz Day in 2011 at the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes it. The day brings together countries and communities worldwide every April 30 to celebrate the international art form of Jazz. Jazz Day highlights Jazz’s essential role in encouraging dialogue, combating discrimination, and promoting human dignity. The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is UNESCO’s partner in the organization and promotion of International Jazz Day.

Source: UNESCO

|GlobalGiants.Com|

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April 21, 2021

Princeton Review releases its Best Value Colleges List & Rankings for 2021.

Photo: The Best 386 Colleges: 2021 Edition - The Princeton Review’s 29th Annual “Best Colleges” Guide (August 18, 2020, Penguin Random House).

NEW YORK, April 20, 2021 — The Princeton Review today reported its list of Best Value Colleges for 2021. This project, which the education services company debuted in 2004, annually names the colleges that receive the company’s highest ROI (Return on Investment) ratings.

The ratings are based on analyses that review more than 40 data points. They cover academic offerings, cost/financial aid, career placement services, graduation rates, and student debt, as well as alumni salary levels and job satisfaction.

The Best Value Colleges for 2021 received The Princeton Review’s highest ROI (Return on Investment) ratings.

Of more than 650 schools The Princeton Review surveyed for this year’s project, 209 made the overall Best Value Colleges list for 2021. The list, which is not ranked, includes nine tuition-free schools.

For this project, The Princeton Review also reports seven sub-categories of Best Value Colleges lists. These lists, which are ranked, reveal the top public and the top private schools for each category.

The University of California—Berkeley earned the #1 spot on Top 50 Public Best Value Colleges. Princeton University was #1 on the list of Top 50 Private Best Value Colleges. Both schools are standouts for their stellar academics, career services, and financial aid. The average scholarship grant the University of California—Berkeley awarded to undergrads with need last year was $23,700, bringing the cost of attendance for those students down to $7,700 from the sticker price $31,400. The average grant Princeton University awarded to undergrads with need last year was $53,500, reducing their cost of attendance to $12,300 from the sticker price of $65,800.

“The colleges that we designate as our ‘Best Values’ this year are truly a select group: they comprise only about 1.2% of the four-year undergraduate institutions in the U.S.,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. “These exceptional schools differ in many ways, yet they are alike in that all offer outstanding academics and excellent career services. As important to today’s college applicants and their parents: These colleges have a comparatively low sticker price and generous financial aid offerings. We recommend and commend them highly for everything their administrators, faculties, staff, and alumni are doing to educate their students and to guide them to post-college success.”

• Top 50 Best Value Colleges (Public Schools)

1. University of California—Berkeley — Berkeley, CA
2. University of Virginia — Charlottesville, VA
3. Georgia Institute of Technology — Atlanta, GA
4. University of California—San Diego — La Jolla, CA
5. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, NC
6. University of California—Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA
7. University of California—Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, CA
8. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, MI
9. The University of Texas at Austin — Austin, TX
10. University of Florida — Gainesville, FL
11. Florida State University — Tallahassee, FL
12. William & Mary — Williamsburg, VA
13. North Carolina State University — Raleigh, NC
14. Texas A&M University—College Station — College Station, TX
15. City University of New York—Baruch College — New York, NY
16. University of California—Davis — Davis, CA
17. Purdue University, West-Lafayette — West Lafayette, IN
18. University of Washington — Seattle, WA
19. State University of New York - Binghamton University — Binghamton, NY
20. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, IL
21. Missouri University of Science and Technology — Rolla, MO
22. State University of New York - Stony Brook University — Stony Brook, NY
23. Virginia Tech — Blacksburg, VA
24. University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, WI
25. University of California—Riverside — Riverside, CA
26. University of Georgia — Athens, GA
27. New College of Florida — Sarasota, FL
28. University of California—Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, CA
29. Truman State University — Kirksville, MO
30. Michigan Technological University — Houghton, MI
31. University of Minnesota—Twin Cities — Minneapolis, MN
32. Clemson University — Clemson, SC
33. The Ohio State University, Columbus — Columbus, OH
34. City University of New York—Hunter College — New York, NY
35. City University of New York—Brooklyn College — Brooklyn, NY
36. The University of Utah — Salt Lake City, UT
37. Miami University. — Oxford, OH
38. San Diego State University — San Diego, CA
39. New Jersey Institute of Technology — Newark, NJ
40. The University of Texas at Dallas — Richardson, TX
41. The University of South Florida — Tampa, FL
42. University of Massachusetts-Amherst — Amherst, MA
43. California State University, Long Beach — Long Beach, CA
44. University of Houston — Houston, TX
45. Penn State University Park — University Park, PA
46. University of Central Florida — Orlando, FL
47. The College of New Jersey — Ewing, NJ
48. University of Connecticut — Storrs, CT
49. University of Colorado—Boulder — Boulder, CO
50. University of Oklahoma — Norman, OK

• Top 50 Best Value Colleges (Private Schools)

1. Princeton University — Princeton, NJ
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Cambridge, MA
3. Stanford University — Stanford, CA
4. California Institute of Technology — Pasadena, CA
5. Harvey Mudd College — Claremont, CA
6. Harvard College — Cambridge, MA
7. Yale University — New Haven, CT
8. Williams College — Williamstown, MA
9. Dartmouth College — Hanover, NH
10. Rice University — Houston, TX
11. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art — New York, NY
12. Duke University — Durham, NC
13. Vanderbilt University — Nashville, TN
14. Claremont McKenna College — Claremont, CA
15. Pomona College — Claremont, CA
16. Columbia University — New York, NY
17. Amherst College — Amherst, MA
18. University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, PA
19. Brown University — Providence, RI
20. Haverford College — Haverford, PA
21. Cornell University — Ithaca, NY
22. Swarthmore College — Swarthmore, PA
23. Brigham Young University (U.T.) — Provo, UT
24. Bowdoin College — Brunswick, ME
25. The University of Chicago — Chicago, IL
26. Carleton College — Northfield, MN
27. Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, MD
28. Wabash College — Crawfordsville, IN
29. St. John’s College (M.D.) — Annapolis, MD
30. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology — Terre Haute, IN
31. Colgate University — Hamilton, NY
32. Carnegie Mellon University — Pittsburgh, PA
33. Emory University — Atlanta, GA
34. Lehigh University — Bethlehem, PA
35. Middlebury College — Middlebury, VT
36. Wellesley College — Wellesley, MA
37. Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester, MA
38. Grinnell College — Grinnell, IA
39. Washington University in St. Louis — St. Louis, MO
40. University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame, IN
41. Hamilton College — Clinton, NY
42. Vassar College — Poughkeepsie, NY
43. Lafayette College — Easton, PA
44. Union College (N.Y.) — Schenectady, NY
45. Babson College — Babson Park, MA
46. Wesleyan University — Middletown, CT
47. Rhodes College — Memphis, TN
48. Smith College — Northampton, MA
49. Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, OH
50. Tufts University — Medford, MA

The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. It helps college and graduate-school-bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses every year. A network delivers these courses of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House. The Princeton Review further explains that its Tutor.com brand is the largest online tutoring service in the U.S. It comprises a community of tutors who have delivered more than 20 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review (not affiliated with Princeton University) has its headquarters in New York, NY.

Source: The Princeton Review

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April 19, 2021

Oxford University launches Human Challenge Trial to study immune response to COVID-19.

Oxford, April 19, 2021 — Though the COVID-19 pandemic has been active for a year, it is unknown what happens when people who have already had COVID-19 get infected for a second time.

Researchers at the University of Oxford have launched a human challenge trial to look at what kind of immune response can stop people from becoming re-infected. They also want to see how the immune system reacts the second time around. A human challenge trial in medical research is a carefully controlled study that involves purposefully infecting a subject with a pathogen or bug to study the effects of that infection.

The study will take place in two phases with different participants in each stage. The first phase, which will start in April 2021, will establish the lowest dose of virus in approximately 50% of previously naturally infected people and can take hold and start replicating but produce little or no symptoms. In the second phase of the study, expected to begin in summer 2021, all participants will be infected with the standardized dose of the virus, which was established in phase one.

For phase one, up to 64 healthy participants between the ages of 18 - 30 who previously got naturally infected with COVID-19 will be re-exposed to the virus in carefully controlled conditions. The virus used in the study will be the original strain from Wuhan, China. The participants will be quarantined in a specially designed hospital suite for a minimum of 17 days under the care of the research team. They will undergo numerous medical tests, including CT scans of the lungs and MRI scans of the heart. The team would minimize the risks to participants by ensuring that those who take part are completely fit and well and have completely recovered from their first infection with COVID.

Any participants who develop any symptoms will receive medical treatment with the Regeneron monoclonal antibody. They will only be discharged from the quarantine unit when they are no longer infected and not at risk of infecting others. The entire length of the study will be 12 months, including a minimum of eight follow-up appointments after discharge. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary.

Helen McShane, Professor of Vaccinology at the Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford and Chief Investigator on the study, said, ‘Challenge studies tell us things that other tasks cannot because, unlike natural infection, they are tightly controlled. When we re-infect these participants, we will know precisely how their immune system has reacted to the first COVID infection, exactly when the second infection occurs, and exactly how much virus they got. As well as enhancing our basic understanding, this may help us design tests that can accurately predict whether people are protected.

‘In phase two, we will explore two different things. First, we will define the baseline immune response in the volunteers very carefully before we infect them. We will then infect them with the dose of virus chosen from the first study and measure how much virus we can detect after infection. We will then be able to understand what kind of immune responses protect against re-infection. Second, we will measure the immune response at several time points after infection to understand the virus’s immune response.

‘A challenge study allows us to make these measurements very precisely because we know exactly when someone is infected. The information from this work will allow us to design better vaccines and treatments and understand if people are protected after having COVID and for how long.’

Wellcome Trust is funding the study. Shobana Balasingam, Vaccines Senior Research Advisor at Wellcome, said, ‘There are still many unknowns surrounding this virus and human infections studies can enable us to learn a lot about Covid-19. This study has the potential to transform our understanding by providing high-quality data on how our immune system responds to a second infection with this virus.

‘The findings could have important implications for how we handle Covid-19 in the future and inform not just vaccine development but also research into the range of effective treatments that are also urgently needed. Keeping up the pace of scientific research and development, through crucial studies such as this, remain the only way we will truly get ahead of this pandemic and bring it under control.’

Source: University of Oxford

|GlobalGiants.Com|

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April 17, 2021

OMEGA Counts Down to the Olympic Games with The Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020.

• It may be a little later than planned, but the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is finally on its way. Today marks 100 days until the iconic sporting event begins in Japan. While the athletes make their final preparations, the Official Timekeeper unveils an exceptional timepiece in tribute to the occasion — OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020.

Photos: OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020. Images provided by OMEGA.

The OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020 delivers a unique color scheme inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games emblem, along with the very best in watchmaking technology.

The watch has a 42 mm stainless steel case and a blue ceramic bezel ring filled with a white enamel diving scale. The polished-brushed bracelet seamlessly integrates with the OMEGA Seamaster.

Features include a date window at 6 o’clock and the Seamaster name highlighted in red. Blued hands and indexes, filled with white Super-LumiNova, complete the dial design.

The sapphire crystal case-back is marked with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games emblem. On the inside is the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8800, officially certified by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS).

Those who choose this unique timepiece will receive it inside a special Olympic Games presentation box, along with a Master Chronometer card and a full 5-year warranty, the company said.

Tokyo 2020 will mark the 29th time in history that OMEGA has fulfilled its role as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932. Bringing almost 90 years of experience to the occasion, the brand will once again capture every second of the action with innovation, precision, and passion.

Source: OMEGA

|GlobalGiants.Com|

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April 16, 2021

NASA Announces Winners of 2021 Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC).

Photo: A family of Osprey outside the NASA Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Thursday, May 13, 2010. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls).

Photo: Mars 2020 Strategic Mission Manager Pauline Hwang gives remarks during a NASA Perseverance rover initial surface checkout briefing, Friday, February 19, 2021, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California. The Perseverance Mars rover landed on Mars Thursday, February 18, 2021. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls).

Photo: The Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter after its release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm completing a 93-day cargo mission at the International Space Station. Image Credit: (NASA Johnson).

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 16, 2021 — High school and college students from around the U.S. and world have spent the last eight months designing, building, and testing their creations for NASA’s 27th annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge - one of seven NASA Artemis Student Challenges. The winners were announced during a virtual awards ceremony on April 16.

The Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) tasks the U.S. and international student teams to design, engineer, and test a human-powered rover on a course that simulates the terrain found on rocky bodies in the solar system. The groups also must perform mission tasks while negotiating the course, including sample retrievals and spectrographic analysis.

Despite the cancellation of on-site competition activities at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the high school and college teams competed in multiple designs, documentation, and presentation categories, and were recognized for their successful efforts.

“The challenges you faced with this competition go beyond anything we’ve seen before, from designing the wheels and mission tools to executing mission requirements like sample retrievals and deploying instruments,” said Marshall Center Director Jody Singer. “To all of the students who took on these tasks and participated in Rover Challenge, we salute you and congratulate you on your accomplishments.”

“The students had to think outside the box to figure out how to develop these robust vehicles during a global pandemic,” said Miranda Fike, activity lead for the challenge at Marshall. “These members of the Artemis Generation rose to the occasion and delivered their reviews, presentations, designs, and videos without fail.”

NASA presented Awards in nine categories:

• Overall Winner

• High School Division:

• 1st place: Parish Episcopal School Team 1, Dallas, Texas.

• 2nd place: Stillwater Area High School, Stillwater, Minnesota.

• 3rd place: Navonmesh Prasar Foundation, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

• College/University Division:

• 1st place: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Columbia.

• 2nd place: Tecnológico de Monterrey, Xochitepec, Mexico.

• 3rd place: the University of Alabama in Huntsville Team 1.

• Project Review Award

• High School Division: Parish Episcopal School Team 1.

• College/University Division: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina.

• Task Challenge Award

• High School Division: Liceo Cientifico Dr. Miguel Canela Lázaro, Salcedo, Dominican Republic.

• College/University Division: Trine University, Angola, Indiana.

• Safety Award

• High School Division: Academy of Arts, Careers, & Technology, Reno, Nevada.

• College/University Division: Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

• Ingenuity Award

• High School Division: Stillwater Area High School.

• College/University Division: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina.

• Phoenix Award

• High School Division: Academy of Arts, Careers, & Technology.

• College/University Division: KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

• Videography Award

• High School Division: Navonmesh Prasar Foundation, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

• College Division: Universidad Catolica Boliviana - La Paz, La Paz, Bolivia.

• STEM Engagement Award

• High School Division: Vision Builder Adventures, Charlotte, North Carolina.

• College/University Division: Tecnológico de Monterrey.

• Social Media Award

• High School Division: Parish Episcopal School Team 2, Dallas, Texas.

• College/University Division: Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

For more than 25 years, the annual NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge and its sponsors have encouraged student teams from the United States and around the world to push the limits of innovation and imagine what it will take to explore the Moon, Mars, and other planets.

The Office of STEM Engagement manages Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. The competition reflects the goals of the Artemis program, which seeks to put the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement uses challenges and competitions to further the agency’s goal of encouraging students to pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

SOURCE: NASA

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:39 PM | View the original post

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April 14, 2021

Sputnik V vaccine authorized in India.

• India has become the 60th country to approve Sputnik V.

• Sputnik V is one of only three vaccines registered in India.

• The Russian vaccine has been approved for use in countries with a total population of 3 billion.

Photo: SPUTNIK V VACCINE.

MOSCOW, April 13, 2021 — The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) announces that India’s Drug Controller General (DCGI) has approved the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus in the country. India has become the 60th country to support Sputnik V.

Sputnik V is one of only three coronavirus vaccines registered by India’s regulatory authorities.

India is the most populated country to register the Russian vaccine. The total population of 60 countries where Sputnik V is approved for use is 3 billion people, or about 40% of the global population.

India has registered the vaccine under the emergency use authorization procedure based on clinical trial results in Russia and positive data of additional Phase III local clinical trials in India conducted in partnership with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

India is the leading production hub for Sputnik V. RDIF has reached agreements with the top pharmaceutical companies in the country (Gland Pharma, Hetero Biopharma, Panacea Biotec, Stelis Biopharma, Virchow Biotech) aimed at the production of more than 850 million doses per year.

Sputnik V ranks second among coronavirus vaccines globally regarding the number of approvals issued by government regulators.

Sputnik V has also been approved in Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, UAE, Iran, Republic of Guinea, Tunisia, Armenia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Republika Srpska (an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Mongolia, Bahrain, Montenegro, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Gabon, San-Marino, Ghana, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Guyana, Egypt, Honduras, Guatemala, Moldova, Slovakia, Angola, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Laos, Iraq, North Macedonia, Kenya, Morocco, Jordan, Namibia, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Cameroon, Seychelles, Mauritius, Vietnam, Antigua and Barbuda, Mali, and Panama.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said:

“We appreciate the decision of India’s regulatory bodies to grant authorization for Sputnik V. Approval of the vaccine is a significant milestone as Russia and India have been developing extensive cooperation on clinical trials of Sputnik V in India and its local production.

“The Russian vaccine has efficacy of 91.6% and provides complete protection against severe cases of COVID-19 as demonstrated by the data published in one of the leading medical journals, The Lancet.

“India is a vaccine-manufacturing hub and our strategic partner for the production of Sputnik V. We have created partnerships with several Indian leading pharmaceutical companies for Sputnik V production, which will provide for both vaccinations of the population in India and global distribution. Over 850 million doses of Sputnik V are going to be produced in India annually sufficient to vaccinate more than 425 million people around the world.”

• According to RDIF, Sputnik V has many key advantages:

• Efficacy of Sputnik V is 91.6%, as confirmed by the data published in the Lancet, one of the world’s oldest and most respected medical journals; it is one of only three vaccines in the world with an efficacy of over 90%; Sputnik V provides complete protection against severe cases of COVID-19.

• The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, which cause the common cold and have been around for thousands of years.

• Sputnik V uses two different vectors for the two shots in vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the exact delivery mechanism for both shots.

• More than 250 clinical studies have proved the safety, efficacy, and lack of adverse long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines over two decades. There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik V.

• The storage temperature of Sputnik V at +2+8 C means that we can store it in a conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure.

• Sputnik V’s price is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable worldwide.

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors.

Source: Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:13 AM | View the original post

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April 13, 2021

Canada is the No. 1 Country in the World, According to the 2021 Best Countries Report

Photo: The National Flag of Canada. Image Credit: Statschew.

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2021 — For the first time, Canada takes the top spot overall in the 2021 Best Countries Report, a ranking and analysis project by U.S. News & World Report; BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R; and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Cultural, economic, political, and technological influences remain essential. The report has added two new categories: social purpose and agility. Together, this broad range of types determines how the 78 countries studied are ranked on the world stage.

“Nations are impacted on many critical fronts by how they are perceived globally - from foreign relations to international business to tourism. These perceptions are ever-evolving in a rapidly changing world,” said Kim Castro, editor, and chief content officer at U.S. News. “The 2021 Best Countries analysis combines data and storytelling to explore how countries compare on a host of global issues.”

• Key themes from the 2021 Best Countries Report:

• For the first time, Canada is the No. 1 overall country. Japan and Germany finish Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, while Switzerland, the previous No. 1 overall country, falls to No. 4. Australia remains the No. 5 overall, followed by the United States, which rises one position to No. 6 overall.

• Canada ranks No. 1 in quality of life and social purpose. It is also perceived as having a good job market, caring about human rights, and is committed to social justice. Additionally, the country finished No. 1 in being viewed as not corrupt and respecting property rights.

• Social justice is a global ambition. Eighty percent of global citizens feel aligned with social justice, a broad term that refers to movements calling for addressing racial and gender inequities. Simultaneously, 76% agree that a country is stronger when it is more racially and ethnically diverse. Canada and the Nordic countries are viewed as the most committed to social justice, while the U.S. sits at No. 18. And on the specific topic of racial equality, the U.S. only manages to achieve No. 69, behind both China and Iraq.

• Women are viewed as influential leaders. Eighty-three percent of global citizens believe there is a leadership crisis in the world today. The majority of respondents view women leaders positively, as 68% agree that countries led by women tend to be better managed.

• A nation’s perceived agility is the most crucial driver of strength in 2021. Across the countries measured, agility accounts for per capita GDP variations the most - underscoring that any country needs to be seen as adaptable, progressive, and responsive. The new Agility sub-ranking carries the most significant weight among the ten sub rankings. The U.S. leads the world in perceived agility but is not among the top 10 in adaptability, coming in at No. 13 on this attribute.

“This year, the model behind the Best Countries report has been updated and evolved in response to 2020, a year like no other,” said John Keaveney, WPP advisor and head of Analytics & Insight, BAV Group. “By combining more traditional measures of a nation’s power and influence with our new dimensions of Social Purpose and Agility, we are now able to more accurately measure the strength and perceptual equity of any country in 2021.”

The 2021 Best Countries rankings methodology gathered from a proprietary survey of more than 17,000 business leaders; college-educated individuals who are middle-class or higher; and general citizens who are nationally representative of their country. “Countries should care about their image - it is not just a beauty contest. The impressions others have of a country affects its economy through tourism, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment,” said David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the Wharton School.

The Best Countries project includes in-depth news articles, an interactive data explorer, photos, and commentary from global experts in government, business, and academia. It is part of the U.S. News’ Government Rankings initiative, which measures government performance at the international, state, and local levels and includes the Best States and Healthiest Communities projects.

• Best Countries Overall Rankings 2021

1. Canada
2. Japan
3. Germany
4. Switzerland
5. Australia
6. United States
7. New Zealand
8. United Kingdom
9. Sweden
10. Netherlands
11. France
12. Denmark
13. Norway
14. Singapore
15. South Korea
16. Italy
17. China
18. Finland
19. Spain
20. Belgium
21. Austria
22. United Arab Emirates
23. Ireland
24. Russia
25. India
26. Brazil
27. Greece
28. Thailand
29. Portugal
30. Israel
31. Mexico
32. Qatar
33. Egypt
34. Turkey
35. Saudi Arabia
36. Malaysia
37. Indonesia
38. Morocco
39. Costa Rica
40. Vietnam
41. South Africa
42. Argentina
43. Poland
44. Philippines
45. Czechia
46. Croatia
47. Sri Lanka
48. Hungary
49. Chile
50. Peru
51. Panama
52. Dominican Republic
53. Kenya
54. Colombia
55. Cambodia
56. Jordan
57. Estonia
58. Myanmar
59. Uruguay
60. Slovenia
61. Bulgaria
62. Slovakia
63. Romania
64. Latvia
65. Tunisia
66. Azerbaijan
67. Lithuania
68. Ecuador
69. Guatemala
70. Oman
71. Ukraine
72. Kazakhstan
73. Uzbekistan
74. Lebanon
75. Belarus
76. Serbia
77. El Salvador
78. Iraq

• 10 Most Powerful Countries 2021

1. United States
2. China
3. Russia
4. Germany
5. United Kingdom
6. Japan
7. France
8. South Korea
9. Saudi Arabia
10. United Arab Emirates

•10 Most Agile Countries 2021

1. United States
2. Australia
3. Canada
4. Germany
5. Singapore
6. South Korea
7. Japan
8. Netherlands
9. New Zealand
10. Sweden

U.S. News & World Report is a global leader in quality rankings that empower people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Founded in 1933, U.S. News has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

BAV Group is a global consultancy with expertise in consumer insights and brand marketing strategy.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1881, was the first collegiate business school. It is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates its economic and social value worldwide.

Source: U.S. News & World Report

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:07 AM | View the original post

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April 12, 2021

Parliament of the World's Religions announces Call for Programs 2021

The world’s premier interfaith convening organization invites program proposals for its 8th global gathering focused on the theme “Opening our Hearts to the World: Compassion in Action.”

Photo: Chicago. Image Credit: Cédric Chapuis.

CHICAGO, April 10, 2021 — The Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s premier interfaith convening, has invited proposals for programs, presentations, and religious observances at the 2021 Parliament of the World’s Religions, to be held virtually, October 17-18.

Parliament convenings have featured luminaries such as H.H. Dalai Lama, President Nelson Mandela, President Jimmy Carter, Shirin Ebadi, and United Nations Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall. The 2021 Parliament Call for Programs provides featured presenters the opportunity to join a historical group of select scholars, activists, and religious and spiritual leaders from around the world.

The Call for Programs for the Parliament of the World’s Religions opened on Friday, April 2, inviting people of faith and conscience worldwide to propose a program, presentation, or religious observance for the upcoming 2021 Parliament of the World’s Religions. The program would acknowledge the setbacks and hardships the people around the world are currently facing. It would reflect the critical hope and compassion offered by the world’s faith and spiritual traditions in healing, restoration, and the promise of a just, peaceful and sustainable future.

The theme of the 2021 Parliament is “Opening our Hearts to the World: Compassion in Action.” This theme aims to encompass the global opportunity provided by the virtual nature of the 2021 Parliament and the significant emotional and spiritual needs of people around the world. It acknowledges the critical need for a just and compassionate plan to move the world forward.

The Parliament has invited diverse peoples of faith, conscience, and spirituality to share their hopes and hearts with the global interfaith movement. Interested organizations and individuals can propose panels, lectures, oral presentations, academic papers, seminars, religious & spiritual observances, workshops & training, art, films, virtual tours, music, and performances.

The 2021 Parliament of the World’s Religions provides a cost-effective way to maximize an organization’s exposure to thousands of participants from 80 different countries and over 50 faith and spiritual traditions by serving as a sponsor and exhibitor. Individuals can network with leaders from communities worldwide and connect with thousands of multi-generational, media-savvy, and culturally aware participants, the organization stated.

The Parliament of the World’s Religions’ origins is rooted in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Its historic first convening created a global platform for the engagement of religions of the east and west. The 1893 World Parliament of Religions marked the first formal gathering of representatives of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. A variety of spiritual leaders from around the world came to share their perspectives and engage in dialogue. Here, a captivating Hindu monk from India, Swami Vivekananda, addressed 5,000 assembled delegates, greeting them with the words, “Sisters and brothers of America!”

Photo: Vivekananda in Chicago, September 1893. Signed Photograph.

Headquartered in Chicago, Il, USA, the World Religions Parliament is an international NGO affiliated to the United Nations Department of Public Information. It cultivates harmony among the world’s spiritual traditions and fosters their engagement with guiding institutions to achieve a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.

Source: The Parliament of the World’s Religions, Chicago.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:47 AM | View the original post

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