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

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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.

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April 8, 2021

United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF), New Delhi, announces Fulbright Fellowships for Indian citizens for the academic year 2022-2023.

Photo: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Stephen E. Biegun, meets with Fulbright Alumni in New Delhi, India, on October 13, 2020. (State Department photo). [File Photo]

New Delhi, April 7, 2021 — United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF), New Delhi, has announced Fulbright Fellowships for Indian citizens for the academic year 2022-2023 in the following categories:

• Student awards to pursue a master’s degree or attend a U.S. university as a visiting student researcher.

• Scholars and teacher awards for academics, teachers, and professionals to teach or conduct research in the U.S.

• Professional development programs for university administrators to develop leadership and specialized skills.

“Selection committees would look to identify talented individuals whose projects are relevant to India and the United States. The committees would seek candidates who demonstrate the potential to be effective cultural ambassadors,” USIEF said.

• 2022-2023 Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships:

• The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are designed for outstanding Indians to pursue a master’s degree program at select U.S. colleges and universities in the areas of Arts and Culture Management including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies; Economics; Environmental Science/Studies; Higher Education Administration; International Affairs; International Legal Studies; Journalism and Mass Communication; Public Administration; Public Health; Urban and Regional Planning; and Women’s Studies/Gender Studies.

• These fellowships are for highly motivated individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities, have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, have at least three years of professional work experience, and commit to return and contribute to their communities. The fellowships are for one to two years.

• 2022-2023 Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships:

• The Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships for Indian scholars registered for a Ph.D. at an Indian institution. These fellowships are for six to nine months.

• Fellowships are available in the following fields only: Agricultural Sciences; Anthropology; Bioengineering; Chemistry; Computer Science (including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, digital economy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics); Economics; Education Policy and Planning; Energy Studies; Geography (including GIS and Geology); History; Language and Literature; Materials Science (with emphasis on environmental applications); Mathematical Sciences; Neuroscience; Performing Arts; Physics; Political Science (including, but not limited to, International Security and Strategic Studies); Public Health; Public Policy; Sociology; Urban and Regional Planning (with emphasis on smart cities and waste management); Visual Arts; and Women’s and Gender Studies.

• 2022-2023 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowships:

• The Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowships aim to provide Indian faculty, researchers, and professionals the opportunity to teach, conduct research, or carry out a combination of teaching and research at a U.S. institution. Depending on the U.S. host institution, it is likely that the grantee may contribute towards developing a curriculum and conducting workshops and seminars. These fellowships are for four to nine months.

• Fellowships are available in the following fields only: Agricultural Sciences; Anthropology; Bioengineering; Chemistry; Computer Science (including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, digital economy, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics); Economics; Education Policy and Planning; Energy Studies; Geography (including GIS and Geology); History; Language and Literature; Materials Science (with emphasis on environmental applications); Mathematical Sciences; Neuroscience; Performing Arts; Physics; Political Science (including, but not limited to, International Security and Strategic Studies); Public Health; Public Policy; Sociology; Urban and Regional Planning (with emphasis on smart cities and waste management); Visual Arts; and Women’s and Gender Studies.

• 2022-2023 Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Seminar:

• The Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Seminar (IEAS) aims to provide Indian college and university administrators the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the U.S. higher education system.

• The two-week U.S. visit in October/November 2022 will enable participants to learn about various facets of U.S. higher education, including the types of institutions, accreditation, curriculum development, fund-raising, student services, and international education on U.S. campuses, as well as share knowledge on Indian higher education. Topics addressed during visits and meetings at select campuses and organizations will also include research collaborations, faculty and student exchanges, and study abroad.

• This seminar is for Indian college and university administrators with at least two years of international program development and management experience at their institutions in India.

• Applicants must be middle to senior-level college or university administrators —

• Such as Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Directors of International Centres, Foreign Student Advisors, and Registrars.

• They should have substantial responsibility for enhancing their institutions’ international dimension. They should be motivated to build their faculty and students’ capacity through international collaborations, exchange, and innovative curricular design.

The United States government leads the Fulbright Program in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide. The program offers international educational and cultural exchange for passionate and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and specialists of all backgrounds to study, teach, or pursue meaningful research and professional projects.

Sources: United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF), New Delhi; U.S. Department of State.

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April 7, 2021

E-commerce, a Covid Lifeline for Retailers with Additional $900 Billion Spent Online Globally, says Mastercard Recovery Insights.

Infographic: Consumers are increasing their e-commerce footprints, buying from up to 30% more online retailers.

Photo: Retail. Garments Shop. Image Credit: Roman K.

As Covid-19 kept consumers worldwide at home, they purchased nearly everything from groceries to gardening supplies online. According to Mastercard’s latest Recovery Insights report, this amounted to an additional $900 billion spending in retail online around the world in 2020.

For retailers, restaurants, and other businesses large and small, selling online provided a much-needed lifeline as in-person consumer purchasing got disrupted.

Roughly 20-30% of the Covid-related shift to digital globally is expected to be permanent, according to “Mastercard’s Recovery Insights: Commerce E-volution.” The report draws on anonymized and aggregated sales activity in the Mastercard network and proprietary analysis by the Mastercard Economics Institute. The research dives into what this means by country, sector, goods & services, within countries, and across borders.

“While consumers got stuck at home, their dollars traveled far and wide thanks to e-commerce,” says Bricklin Dwyer, Mastercard chief economist and head of the Mastercard Economics Institute. “This has significant implications, with the countries and companies that have prioritized digital continuing to reap the benefits. Our analysis shows that even the smallest businesses see gains when they shift to digital.”

While the digital transformation has been neither universal nor consistent due to geographical, economic, and household differences, the report uncovers several critical overarching trends:

• Early digital adopters go into overdrive: Economies that were more digital before the crisis, such as the UK and US, saw more significant gains in the domestic shift to digital. That shift looks more permanent than the countries with a smaller share of e-commerce before the crisis, such as Argentina and Mexico. Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe were the most vital regions in driving e-commerce adoption.

• Grocery and discount store digital gains look sticky: Essential retail sectors, which had the smallest digital share before the crisis, saw some of the most significant improvements as consumers adapted. With new consumer habits forming and given the low pre-Covid user base, we anticipate 70-80% of the grocery e-commerce surge to stick around for good.

• International e-commerce rose 25-30% during the pandemic: International e-commerce got a boost in sales volume and the number of different countries where shoppers placed orders. With infinitely more choices at their fingertips, consumer spending on international e-commerce grew around 25-30% year over year from March 2020 through February 2021.

• Consumers increase their e-commerce footprints, buying from up to 30% more online retailers: Reflecting expanded consumer choice, Mastercard’s analysis shows that consumers worldwide are making purchases at a more significant number of websites and online marketplaces than before. On average, residents in countries like Italy and Saudi Arabia are buying from 33% more online stores, followed closely by Russia and the UK.

• Shift to electronic payments accelerated in the US: Even in stores, Covid-19 accelerated the transition to digital—with more consumers moving from plunking down cash to touch-free payments. According to Mastercard’s analysis of payment forms at brick-and-mortar retail stores and restaurants, non-cash payments jumped by an additional 2.5 percentage points beyond the ongoing trend. It led to an acceleration of the shift from cash to electronic payments by a full year.

Mastercard launched Recovery Insights last year to help businesses and governments better manage the health, safety, and economic risks presented by Covid-19. The initiative utilizes Mastercard’s analytics and experimentation platforms, its longstanding consulting practice, and unique data-driven insights to deliver relevant and timely tools, innovation, and research.

The report draws on anonymized and aggregated sales activity in the Mastercard network and proprietary analysis by the Mastercard Economics Institute.

Source: Mastercard

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:25 AM | View the original post

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April 6, 2021

IMF announces World Economic Outlook April 2021 Forecast

Photo: Chief Economist Gita Gopinath poses before giving the World Economic Outlook during the 2021 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund. April 6, 2021. Washington, DC, United States. IMF Photo/Joshua Roberts.

Washington, DC, April 6, 2021 — The IMF announced an upgrade to global growth in its World Economic Outlook on Tuesday (April 6) in Washington, DC.

IMF has projected that the global economy would grow at 6 percent in 2021, moderating to 4.4 percent in 2022. A significant turnaround from an estimated contraction of -3.3 percent in 2020 when a pandemic hit the world.

“So relative to our January forecast, we are upgrading growth to 6% for 2021 and 4.4% for 2022. It reflects the additional financial support provided in the United States and the vaccination efforts that will strengthen recovery in the second half of this year. It also reflects the continued resilience of economic activity to the pandemic in many parts of the world,” said IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath.

Gopinath stressed that a high degree of uncertainty surrounds the IMF’s projections as the pandemic is yet to be defeated and virus cases are accelerating in many countries.

That’s leading to diverging recoveries both across and within countries, as economies with slower vaccine rollout, more limited policy support, and more reliant on tourism do less well.

“The biggest risk right now is still the pandemic. If there are new virus variants that evade the vaccine, it could lead to a sharp downgrade. But if, on the other hand, there’s the faster rollout of vaccinations, then that could uplift the outlook,” said Gopinath.

She also added that multispeed recoveries could pose financial risks if interest rates in the United States rise further in unexpected ways. It could cause inflated asset valuations to unwind in a disorderly manner, economic conditions to tighten sharply, and recovery prospects to deteriorate, especially for some highly leveraged emerging markets and developing economies.

“The second big risk is to financial conditions. We see multispeed recoveries, and we have seen interest rates go up. If interest rates go up even further in a more disorderly fashion than that could have negative implications for several countries, especially for some highly vulnerable emerging and developing economies,” said Gopinath.

Policymakers will need to continue supporting their economies while dealing with more limited policy space and higher debt levels than before the pandemic, Gopinath added. It requires better-targeted measures to leave room for prolonged support if needed.

“Given that we are not out of the woods, it is crucial for policy support to be continued in this crisis. Of course, countries are dealing with high debt levels, so they’ll have to make sure this support is better targeted and well-tailored to countries’ specific economic conditions, the stage of the recovery they are in, and the structural characteristics of the economy,” she added.

She also urged central banks to keep access to money open in the current environment.

“Monetary policy should also remain accommodative while proactively addressing financial risks of using macroprudential tools,” Gopinath remarked.

Source: IMF

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:25 AM | View the original post

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April 5, 2021

MIT Sloan Senior Lecturer Chintan Vaishnav appointed Director of India's Atal Innovation Mission

Photo: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Building. Image credit: Ulrick.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 5, 2021— MIT Sloan School of Management recently announced that Senior Lecturer Chintan Vaishnav was appointed to serve as mission director of India’s Atal Innovation Mission. The Mission, housed at NITI Aayog, is the Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Vaishnav says, “At the highest level, the work of building a culture of innovation is one of engaging creativity in the service of humankind. India is a place of limitless creative potential. I am excited for the opportunity to help harness this potential.”

Over the past six years, Vaishnav has worked and lived in rural to very rural India for a total of 18 months, researching challenges related to agriculture, water, and livelihood. His research has produced solutions such as on-farm soil nutrient management and water quality testing and purification that bring world-class science and technology to underserved communities at an affordable price. His water work has turned into an early-stage startup that enables communities to keep their water safe.

“This experience has taught me how to innovate for the developing world with rigor and relevance. I hope to bring this culture to my new position as mission director,” he says.

A member of the MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design founding team, Vaishnav also designed and taught a graduate-level course on Technology, Design, and Entrepreneurship for Emerging Community. The system has trained 200 graduate students from 18 different MIT departments and has guided a total of 200,000 hours of fieldwork in India, Nepal, and Africa. The work has produced 45 patents, 12 commercial licenses, and 11 startups, some of which he advises.

Vaishnav says, “This experience has taught me how to engage young minds in solving some of our most pressing challenges in a hands-on, action-oriented way. I hope to create similar engagement as mission director.”

Before MIT, Vaishnav worked at Bell Labs, designing innovative products for high-speed networks. This work led to his Ph.D. research on how regulators can balance compliance and innovation as new technologies disrupt the traditionally regulated ones in the Internet space. Since then, Vaishnav has advised the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) at the White House, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He has also worked with several large communications companies that are members of MIT’s Communications Futures Program.

Vaishnav holds a Master’s degree in Technology and Policy and a Ph.D. in Engineering Systems from MIT. He joined the MIT Sloan faculty as a senior lecturer after finishing his Ph.D. In addition to his degrees from MIT, he holds a BA in Indian Classical Music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, India.

“My new assignment speaks directly to MIT Sloan’s Mission of developing leaders who make a positive difference in the world. MIT Sloan has been a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, and this opportunity helps take this work to a nation of 1.3 billion people via the Atal Innovation Mission,” says Vaishnav, who will be on a two-year leave from MIT to serve as Mission Director.

Source: MIT Sloan School of Management

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:35 PM | View the original post

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April 4, 2021

Deakin University, Australia, announces six scholarships valued up to INR 36 million for deserving Indian students in 2021

Photo: A building at Deakin University Campus, Australia. Image credit: Kirsten Varela.

NEW DELHI, April 4, 2021 — Deakin University, Australia, has announced its Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarship program 2021, which offers a 100% tuition fee waiver to six high-achieving Indian students for the entire duration of their studies at the university at any level.

This announcement is one of many that the university has made over the last year to support the international student community during these challenging times, including a large part of Indian students. These scholarships announced by the university are beyond a bursary of 30% to all students enrolling in the online to on-campus pathway program as the travel restrictions are prevalent due to the pandemic.

Deakin University remains committed to fostering engagement with India and ensuring the fulfillment of bright Indian students’ aspirations of an international education experience. The Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarship Program is a part of an initiative of Deakin named ‘Changing Lives,’ which recognizes deserving students with consistently high academic performance with a potential to make a leading contribution to the university and their community back in India.

While announcing the scholarships, Professor Iain Martin, President, and Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University, emphasized the importance of international education and said, “International education, particularly in an evolving global economy, is a significant part of a student’s holistic development. The Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarships are a wonderful opportunity for those deserving students to earn an international degree that will empower them to become a global talent and expand their horizons.”

Ms. Ravneet Pawha, Deputy Vice President (Global) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University, said, “Deakin University has a deep history of collaboration with India across the industry, government, and research.”

Applications for the scholarship are open for students applying in July and November intake this year. The Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarship Program selection is a rigorous process consisting of application review, referee recommendations, and interviews/presentations, including a panel interview with neutral representatives from academia and the industry.

“I think it (Vice-Chancellor’s 100% Meritorious Scholarship) is amazing not just because the tuition is paid, but I think the most interesting part of this for me was being a part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Professional Excellence Program, which empowered me to achieve beyond expectations and be ready for the careers of the future,” said Rupa Subramanian, a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholar 2017 award at Deakin University.

Shristi Ostwal, CBSE national boxing champion and a recipient of the Deakin University Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholar 2020 award, shared, “I have always wanted to give back to society by providing psychological aid to underprivileged people across the globe. The Vice-Chancellor’s 100% Meritorious Scholarship allowed me to gain skills and knowledge at par with the global standards. I commenced my studies online last year due to travel restrictions, and the flexibility of online learning has allowed me to balance my passion for psychology and sports.”

Deakin University also offers other academic merit-based bursaries and scholarships for Indian students, including a 25% Merit Scholarship and a 20% Bursary for studies onshore in Australia.

Established in 1974, Deakin University is one of Australia’s leading tertiary education providers.

According to Deakin University, it is celebrating 27 years of engagement in India as it was the first international education provider to set up India’s office in 1994. It is currently the most engaged Australian Provider across education, training, research, capacity building, and consultancy initiatives with academia, industry, and the government. Deakin University has established exclusive partnerships in India to transform education and research into beneficial community outcomes, produce world-class graduates, and contribute to the communities’ growth and sustainability.

Source: Deakin University, Australia

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Virtual Tour: Deakin’s Burwood campus.

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:46 PM | View the original post

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April 3, 2021

Mastercard Helps Small Businesses Digitally Enhance their Operations with New Microsoft, QuickBooks, and Zoho Benefits.

Purchase, NY, April 1, 2021 — As small businesses accelerate digital transformation, new offerings improve small business productivity and digital enablement.

Small businesses continue to move their operations online and access digital tools to future-proof their business in response to the pandemic. According to a Mastercard survey, 76% of small businesses in North America suggest the pandemic prompted them to make their business more digital, yet 64% say they are challenged to transform digitally.

To help small businesses maximize their digital presence, Mastercard is announcing new offerings with Microsoft, QuickBooks, and Zoho to its suite of U.S. small business benefits. Now available across Mastercard BusinessCard® and World Elite Mastercard for Business® in the U.S., small businesses can drive awareness of their business online with Microsoft Advertising, digitally manage payroll, and engage with their customers through Zoho’s marketing capabilities.

“Now more than ever, having a digitally-led approach is critical for small business owners. Mastercard remains committed to helping provide small businesses the solutions required to meet the needs of the evolving consumer and operate in our digital world,” said Chiro Aikat, EVP of Products & Innovation in North America for Mastercard. “Together with our partners, we are delivering a solid foundation of digital offerings and tools for our small business cardholders that help them sustain their business today and accelerate their growth tomorrow.”

Beginning April 1, Mastercard small business cardholders will start to automatically enjoy new benefits and access to the tools and solutions to help grow their business and digitally transform. It includes:

• Microsoft Advertising: Drive more leads, phone calls, appointments, visits, or purchases using paid search to reach customers interested in your business.

• Intuit QuickBooks® Online Payroll: Manage payroll and access health benefits and HR support for your clients. Cardholders will save 40% off QuickBooks Online Payroll for six months.

• Zoho Social and Marketing Plus Discounts: Mastercard BusinessCard cardholders receive 50% off one year of Zoho Social, a social media management tool that helps small businesses grow their social media presence.

“Many businesses have experienced an accelerated digital transition this past year. They now have an array of tools that can help them grow and promote their businesses across digital marketing channels — web, social, email, events, and more,” said Raju Vegesna, Chief Evangelist at Zoho. “We are thrilled to partner with Mastercard to offer our social media management tool and end-to-end digital marketing platform — Zoho Social and Zoho Marketing Plus — so that small businesses can fast-track their growth.”

Mastercard’s small business value proposition provides seamless digital resources and partner discounts in addition to these new offerings. These include Salesforce’s customer relationship management solution Salesforce Essentials, an all-in-one app that provides for sales and customer support tools built specifically for companies of their size.

As small businesses continue to accelerate digital transformation, Mastercard’s Digital Diagnostic can help them assess their digital footprint and identify efficiencies, Mastercard said.

According to Mastercard, its Digital Doors program provides small business owners access to insights, tools, solutions, and guidance to help them set up shop online. The program helps them grow and manage their business, accept payments, and keep their business protected.

Source: Mastercard

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:58 AM | View the original post

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April 2, 2021

College Consensus Publishes "Aggregate Consensus Ranking" of the 100 Best Public Colleges and Universities for 2021 and 100 Best National Research Universities for 2021 in the USA.

Photo: A building at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Image credit: Corey Seeman.

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., April 1, 2021 — College Consensus, a unique college rating website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published its ranking the Best Public Colleges Universities for 2021 and the Best National Research Universities for 2021 in the USA.

Public colleges & universities are a vital part of higher education in America. Public schools generally provide a more affordable and accessible option for students than private colleges, helping to democratize higher education and build a more broadly educated citizenship.

• College Consensus 100 Best Public Colleges and Universities 2021

1. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, MI
2. University of Virginia-Main Campus — Charlottesville, VA
3. University of California-Los Angeles UCLA — Los Angeles, CA
4. University of California-Berkeley — Berkeley, CA
5. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, NC
6. California State University-Stanislaus — Turlock, CA
7. University of Florida — Gainesville, FL
8. California State University-Chico — Chico, CA
9. The University of California, Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, CA
10. University of California-Davis — Davis, CA
11. University of California-Irvine — Irvine, CA
12. University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, WI
13. The University of Texas at Austin — Austin, TX
14. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus — Atlanta, GA
15. Purdue University-Main Campus — West Lafayette, IN
16. University of Washington-Seattle Campus — Seattle, WA
17. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, IL
18. California State University-Long Beach — Long Beach, CA
19. Massachusetts Maritime Academy — Buzzards Bay, MA
20. William & Mary — Williamsburg, VA
21. University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, CA
22. Citadel Military College of South Carolina — Charleston, SC
23. Texas A & M University-College Station — College Station, TX
24. California State University-San Bernardino — San Bernardino, CA
25. California State University-Northridge — Northridge, CA
26. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg) — Blacksburg, VA
27. California State University-Dominguez Hills — Carson, CA
28. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — San Luis Obispo, CA
29. California State University-Sacramento — Sacramento, CA
30. Western Washington University — Bellingham, WA
31. James Madison University — Harrisonburg, VA
32. California State University-Channel Islands — Camarillo, CA
33. University of Georgia — Athens, GA
34. North Carolina State University at Raleigh — Raleigh, NC
35. University of Northern Iowa — Cedar Falls, IA
36. Ohio State University-Main Campus — Columbus, OH
37. Michigan State University — East Lansing, MI
38. Appalachian State University — Boone, NC
39. University of Connecticut — Storrs, CT
40. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice — New York, NY
41. Eastern Illinois University — Charleston, IL
42. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities — Minneapolis, MN
43. Florida State University — Tallahassee, FL
44. California State Polytechnic University-Pomona — Pomona, CA
45. Keene State College — Keene, NH
46. Maine Maritime Academy — Castine, ME
47. Rutgers University-New Brunswick — New Brunswick, NJ
48. Indiana University-Bloomington — Bloomington, IN
49. California State University-Fullerton — Fullerton, CA
50. University of Maryland-College Park — College Park, MD
51. Truman State University — Kirksville, MO
52. California State University-Monterey Bay — Seaside, CA
53. Virginia Military Institute — Lexington, VA
54. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology — Socorro, NM
55. University of Mary Washington — Fredericksburg, VA
56. The University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, IL
57. University of Michigan-Dearborn — Dearborn, MI
58. University of Iowa — Iowa City, IA
59. University of Arizona — Tucson, AZ
60. San Francisco State University — San Francisco, CA
61. The College of New Jersey — Ewing, NJ
62. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse — La Crosse, WI
63. The State University of New York at New Paltz — New Paltz, NY
64. California State University-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA
65. California State University-Fresno — Fresno, CA
66. The University of Maine at Farmington — Farmington, ME
67. University of Massachusetts-Amherst — Amherst, MA
68. Clemson University — Clemson, SC
69. University of Delaware — Newark, DE
70. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College — New York, NY
71. Binghamton University — Vestal, NY
72. Farmingdale State College — Farmingdale, NY
73. Stony Brook University — Stony Brook, NY
74. University of California-Riverside — Riverside, CA
75. Central Washington University — Ellensburg, WA
76. Salisbury University — Salisbury, MD
77. California State University-San Marcos — San Marcos, CA
78. St. Mary’s College of Maryland — St. Mary’s City, MD
79. San Jose State University — San Jose, CA
80. Iowa State University — Ames, IA
81. Colorado School of Mines — Golden, CO
82. California State University Maritime Academy — Vallejo, CA
83. CUNY Brooklyn College — Brooklyn, NY
84. Longwood University — Farmville, VA
85. Arizona State University-Tempe — Tempe, AZ
86. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire — Eau Claire, WI
87. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus — University Park, PA
88. Radford University — Radford, VA
89. University of Central Florida — Orlando, FL
90. SUNY Maritime College — Throggs Neck, NY
91. West Chester University of Pennsylvania — West Chester, PA
92. SUNY College at Geneseo — Geneseo, NY
93. Towson University — Towson, MD
94. Michigan Technological University — Houghton, MI
95. CUNY Lehman College — Bronx, NY
96. George Mason University — Fairfax, VA
97. California State University-East Bay — Hayward, CA
98. Montclair State University — Montclair, NJ
99. Sonoma State University — Rohnert Park, CA
100. SUNY College at Brockport — Brockport, NY

Photo: A signage at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Image credit: John.

The top research universities include some of the most prestigious names in higher education. Students who attend these schools have access to today’s leading thinkers and practitioners.

“We define national research universities as institutions that draw a student body from across the U.S. and world, rather than a primarily regional population, College Consensus clarified. “Carnegie Foundation has recognized all these schools and classified them according to the Carnegie tiered classification.”

According to College Consensus, it uses an aggregate scoring system that combines data across the internet. The Publisher Rating averages scores from U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and WalletHub. The Student Rating combines scores from sites like Unigo, My Plan, and Students Review. The Publisher and Student ratings combined make up a school’s Consensus score.

• College Consensus 100 Best National Research Universities 2021

1. Yale University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Stanford University
4. Princeton University
5. Harvard University
6. Duke University
7. Vanderbilt University
8. Dartmouth College
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. Brown University
11. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
12. University of Notre Dame
13. Rice University
14. Cornell University
15. Columbia University in the City of New York
16. University of Chicago
17. University of Virginia
18. University of California — Los Angeles
19. University of California — Berkeley
20. Washington University in St Louis
21. California Institute of Technology
22. Northwestern University
23. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
24. University of Florida
25. Georgetown University
26. University of California—Santa Barbara
27. University of California—Davis
28. University of California—Irvine
29. University of Wisconsin—Madison
30. The University of Texas at Austin
31. Georgia Institute of Technology
32. Tufts University
33. Purdue University
34. University of Washington—Seattle Campus
35. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
36. Johns Hopkins University
37. William and Mary
38. University of Southern California
39. Emory University
40. University of California—San Diego
41. Texas A & M — College Station
42. Boston College
43. Carnegie Mellon University
44. Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Blacksburg)
45. Lehigh University
46. Wake Forest University
47. Brigham Young University — Provo
48. University of Georgia
49. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
50. Ohio State University
51. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
52. University of Connecticut - Storrs, CT
53. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities — Minneapolis, MN
54. Florida State University — Tallahassee, FL
55. Northeastern University — Boston, MA
56. George Washington University — Washington, DC
57. Boston University — Boston, MA
58. Brandeis University — Waltham, MA
59. Rutgers University-New Brunswick — New Brunswick, NJ
60. University of Rochester — Rochester, NY
61. Indiana University-Bloomington — Bloomington, IN
62. Tulane University of Louisiana — New Orleans, LA
63. University of Maryland-College Park — College Park, MD
64. University of Miami — Coral Gables, FL
65. The University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, IL
66. Southern Methodist University — Dallas, TX
67. New York University — New York, NY
68. University of Iowa — Iowa City, IA
69. University of Arizona — Tucson, AZ
70. Villanova University — Villanova, PA
71. University of Massachusetts-Amherst — Amherst, MA
72. Clemson University — Clemson, SC
73. University of Delaware — Newark, DE
74. Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, OH
75. Binghamton University — Vestal, NY
76. Stony Brook University — Stony Brook, NY
77. University of California-Riverside — Riverside, CA
78. University of San Diego — San Diego, CA
79. Illinois Institute of Technology — Chicago, IL
80. Iowa State University — Ames, IA
81. Colorado School of Mines — Golden, CO
82. American University — Washington, DC
83. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Troy, NY
84. Arizona State University-Tempe — Tempe, AZ
85. Syracuse University — Syracuse, NY
86. University of Tulsa — Tulsa, OK
87. Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester, MA
88. Howard University — Washington, DC
89. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus — University Park, PA
90. University of Central Florida — Orlando, FL
91. Marquette University — Milwaukee, WI
92. Michigan Technological University — Houghton, MI
93. George Mason University — Fairfax, VA
94. Montclair State University — Montclair, NJ
95. University of New Hampshire-Main Campus — Durham, NH
96. University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus — Pittsburgh, PA
97. Rutgers University-Newark — Newark, NJ
98. University of California-Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, CA
99. University at Buffalo — Buffalo, NY
100. The University of Utah — Salt Lake City, UT

Source: College Consensus

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:25 AM | View the original post

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April 1, 2021

Global University Leaders Commit to Joint Action on Reaching UN 2030 Sustainability Goals at an Online Event hosted by Zhejiang University in China.

Photo: University presidents from 30 countries unite to announce action on climate change. March 30, 2021. Image provided by Zhejiang University.

HANGZHOU, China, March 31, 2021 — On March 30, 2021, university presidents from 30 countries united for the first time to announce action on climate change. They signed a Joint Statement of Global University Leaders 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN officials witnessed the event.

That first global online forum for university leaders was hosted by Zhejiang University in China. Presidents from 56 universities across six continents committed to working together to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The initiative includes five key aspects all signatories have agreed:

• Implementing the concept of sustainable development,
• Improving sustainable development competence,
• Supporting scientific research in response to global challenges,
• Working with international partners to provide innovative solutions
• Constructive transnational cooperation on specific issues.

Among the top 50 universities on the QS World University Rankings, 80% have developed their university-level sustainability strategy, plans, or operational activities. According to Zhaohui Wu, President of Zhejiang University (ZJU), the forum’s purpose was to bring together leaders from some of the best universities to share these visions and best practices on SDGs and explore opportunities for potential cooperation in safeguarding a sustainable future.

With less than nine years to meet targets and the pandemic slowing progress, the forum allowed leaders to share essential expertise on how to scale up efforts to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. The event gave academics a platform to clearly outline their action plans for human-oriented, innovation-driven, and down-to-earth sustainable development.

UN officials, including Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary-General, and Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, joined the speakers’ panel. The speakers included Peter Salovey, President of Yale University; Pam Fredman, President of the International Association of Universities; and Eric Labaye, President of Ecole Polytechnique.

Speakers reinforced how universities can work together to harness technology’s power to expand access to quality education. They also discussed how they should draw on their academic ecosystem to support scientific collaborations and knowledge transfer across disciplines.

Universities that have signed the initiative include:

• Peking University
• Kyoto University
• Korea University
• The National University of Singapore
• Harvard University
• Yale University
• The University of Toronto
• University College London
• Ecole Polytechnique
• The University of Oslo,
• Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
• The University of Sydney,
• Stellenbosch University
• Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

• Nikhil Seth, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, said: “SDGs belong to each of us, and everything we make impacts on the achievement, in the aggregate, to SDG achievement.”

• Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, said: “The organization of the forum is timely, especially given the increasingly pivotal role of universities not only in fostering understanding and knowledge but also in contributing to building knowledge-based societies.”

• Pam Fredman, President of the International Association of Universities, Paris, said: “Cooperation and cohesion among Higher Education Institutions and organizations will foster knowledge development and sharing.”

• Zhaohui Wu, President of Zhejiang University (ZJU), said: “The ‘Global ZJU for Social Good’ plan establishes five objectives and associated actions to improve our sustainability-related education, research, and practices within the ZJU community and among other stakeholders in China and beyond. We aim to advocate for responsible sustainability, educate for a sustainable future, advance scientific collaborations, partner for collective well-being, and create greener campuses.”

Zhejiang University (ZJU) is an elite university located in Hangzhou, China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China’s oldest and prestigious institutions of higher education.

Source: Zhejiang University

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:22 AM | View the original post

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March 31, 2021

US News & World Report Announces 2022 Best Graduate Schools

Photo: Knight Management Center, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California. Image Credit: Corey Seeman.

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2021 — US News & World Report has published the 2022 Best Graduate Schools. The rankings evaluate programs across several disciplines - including business, education, engineering, law, medicine, and nursing - for students interested in furthering their education beyond college.

US News added several standalone medical school rankings, using data from the Robert Graham Center, a division of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

These rankings display data on alumni’s various practice areas - specifically, the percentage of graduates practicing in primary care specialties, rural areas, and medically underserved areas.

US News has added two new student debt indicators to the overall Best Law Schools methodology: The average law school debt incurred by law school graduates and the percentage of law graduates who incurred debt.

“Trying to decide where to go to grad school can be overwhelming under normal circumstances, let alone during a pandemic,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at US News. “Along with our articles featuring expert advice on the admissions process, the Best Graduate Schools rankings provide helpful data to make that search more manageable for prospective students.”

Best Business Schools: Full-Time MBA

Stanford University is the No. 1 full-time MBA program, followed by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School at No. 2. The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business rounds out the top three.

Best Law Schools

The top school among Best Law Schools is Yale University. Stanford and Harvard University come in at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

Best Medical Schools: Research

Harvard maintains the top spot among Best Medical Schools: Research, while New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine moves up to No. 2 this year. Duke University also moves up in the rankings to No. 3.

The University of Pennsylvania moves up to join Harvard in a tie for the top spot among education programs. MIT maintains its place as No. 1 in engineering, while Johns Hopkins is No. 1 among nursing master’s programs.

Alongside the six most prominent disciplines, US News has updated other graduate program rankings this year. These include criminology, economics, English, history, library and information studies, political science, public affairs, public health, and sociology.

2022 Best Graduate Schools Rankings

• Best 100 Business Schools: Full-Time MBA

1. Stanford University — Stanford, CA
2. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) — Philadelphia, PA
3. University of Chicago (Booth) — Chicago, IL
4. Northwestern University (Kellogg) — Evanston, IL
5. Harvard University — Boston, MA
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) — Cambridge, MA
7. Columbia University — New York, NY
8. University of California, Berkeley (Haas) — Berkeley, CA
9. Yale University — New Haven, CT
10. Dartmouth College (Tuck) — Hanover, NH
11. New York University (Stern) — New York, NY
12. Duke University (Fuqua) — Durham, NC
13. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor (Ross) — Ann Arbor, MI
14. University of Virginia (Darden) — Charlottesville, VA
15. Cornell University (Johnson) — Ithaca, NY
16. Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) — Pittsburgh, PA
17. University of Southern California (Marshall) — Los Angeles, CA
18. University of California—Los Angeles (Anderson) — Los Angeles, CA
19. University of Texas—Austin (McCombs) — Austin, TX
20. University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) — Chapel Hill, NC
21. Georgetown University (McDonough) — Washington, DC
22. University of Washington (Foster) — Seattle, WA
23. Indiana University (Kelley) — Bloomington, IN
24. Vanderbilt University (Owen) — Nashville, TN
25. Rice University (Jones) — Houston, TX
26. Emory University (Goizueta) — Atlanta, GA
27. University of Florida (Warrington) — Gainesville, FL
28. Georgia Institute of Technology (Scheller) — Atlanta, GA
29. University of Minnesota—Twin Cities (Carlson) — Minneapolis, MN
30. Arizona State University (W.P. Carey) — Tempe, AZ
31. Brigham Young University (Marriott) — Provo, UT
32. University of Texas—Dallas — Richardson, TX
33. Ohio State University (Fisher) — Columbus, OH
34. Pennsylvania State University, University Park (Smeal) — University Park, PA
35. University of Rochester (Simon) — Rochester, NY
36. University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) — Notre Dame, IN
37. Washington University in St. Louis (Olin) — St. Louis, MO
38. Texas A&M University, College Station (Mays) — College Station, TX
39. Michigan State University (Broad) — East Lansing, MI
40. University of Georgia (Terry) — Athens, GA
41. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Haslam) — Knoxville, TN
42. University of Maryland, College Park (Smith) — College Park, MD
43. University of Wisconsin, Madison — Madison, WI
44. Boston College (Carroll) — Chestnut Hill, MA
45. Purdue University, West Lafayette (Krannert) — West Lafayette, IN
46. Rutgers University—Newark and New Brunswick — Newark, NJ
47. Southern Methodist University (Cox) — Dallas, TX
48. University of Alabama (Manderson) — Tuscaloosa, AL
49. University of Utah (Eccles) — Salt Lake City, UT
50. Boston University (Questrom) — Boston, MA
51. Iowa State University (Ivy) — Ames, IA
52. University of Pittsburgh (Katz) — Pittsburgh, PA
53. George Washington University — Washington, DC
54. University of California, Davis — Davis, CA
55. Northeastern University (School of Business) — Boston, MA
56. University of South Carolina (Moore) — Columbia, SC
57. Texas Christian University (Neeley) — Fort Worth, TX
58. University of California—Irvine (Merage) — Irvine, CA
59. University of Massachusetts—Amherst (Isenberg) — Amherst, MA
60. Baylor University (Hankamer) — Waco, TX
61. University of Connecticut — Hartford, CT
62. University of Miami — Coral Gables, FL
63. Babson College (Olin) — Babson Park, MA
64. Fordham University (Gabelli) — New York, NY
65. Howard University — Washington, DC
66. North Carolina State University (Poole) — Raleigh, NC
67. University of Arizona (Eller) — Tucson, AZ
68. Louisiana State University—Baton Rouge (Ourso) — Baton Rouge, LA
69. Pepperdine University (Graziadio) — Malibu, CA
70. Stevens Institute of Technology — Hoboken, NJ
71. William & Mary — Williamsburg, VA
72. Saint Louis University (Chaifetz) — St. Louis, MO
73. University of Kansas — Lawrence, KS
74. Auburn University (Harbert) — Auburn, AL
75. Clemson University — Greenville, SC
76. University of Colorado, Boulder (Leeds) — Boulder, CO
77. Chapman University (Argyros) — Orange, CA
78. CUNY Bernard M. Baruch College (Zicklin) — New York, NY
79. University at Buffalo—SUNY — Buffalo, NY
80. University of Denver (Daniels) — Denver, CO
81. Case Western Reserve University (Weatherhead) — Cleveland, OH
82. University of Oklahoma (Price) — Oklahoma City, OK
83. University of Kentucky (Gatton) — Lexington, KY
84. Binghamton University—SUNY — Binghamton, NY
85. Syracuse University (Whitman) — Syracuse, NY
86. Temple University (Fox) — Philadelphia, PA
87. American University (Kogod) — Washington, DC
88. University of California—San Diego (Rady) — La Jolla, CA
89. University of San Francisco — San Francisco, CA
90. Rochester Institute of Technology (Saunders) — Rochester, NY
91. University of Mississippi — University, MS
92. Mississippi State University — Mississippi State, MS
93. Tulane University (Freeman) — New Orleans, LA
94. University of Oregon (Lundquist) — Eugene, OR
95. University of San Diego — San Diego, CA
96. North Carolina A&T State University — Greensboro, NC
97. Belmont University (Massey) — Nashville, TN
98. Drexel University (LeBow) — Philadelphia, PA
99. University of Houston (Bauer) — Houston, TX
100. University of Colorado, Denver — Denver, CO

• Best 100 Law Schools

1. Yale University — New Haven, CT
2. Stanford University — Stanford, CA
3. Harvard University — Cambridge, MA
4. Columbia University — New York, NY
5. University of Chicago — Chicago, IL
6. New York University — New York, NY
7. University of Pennsylvania (Carey) — Philadelphia, PA
8. University of Virginia — Charlottesville, VA
9. University of California—Berkeley — Berkeley, CA
10. Duke University — Durham, NC
11. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, MI
12. Northwestern University (Pritzker) — Chicago, IL
13. Cornell University — Ithaca, NY
14. University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA
15. Georgetown University — Washington, DC
16. University of Texas, Austin — Austin, TX
17. Vanderbilt University — Nashville, TN
18. Washington University in St. Louis — St. Louis, MO
19. University of Southern California (Gould) — Los Angeles, CA
20. Boston University — Boston, MA
21. University of Florida (Levin) — Gainesville, FL
22. University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, MN
23. University of Notre Dame — Notre Dame, IN
24. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, NC
25. Arizona State University (O’Connor) — Phoenix, AZ
26. University of Alabama — Tuscaloosa, AL
27. George Washington University — Washington, DC
28. University of Georgia — Athens, GA
29. Boston College — Newton, MA
30. Brigham Young University (Clark) — Provo, UT
31. Emory University — Atlanta, GA
32. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign — Champaign, IL
33. University of Iowa — Iowa City, IA
34. University of Wisconsin, Madison — Madison, WI
35. Fordham University — New York, NY
36. University of California, Davis — Davis, CA
37. University of California, Irvine — Irvine, CA
38. Washington and Lee University — Lexington, VA
39. William & Mary Law School — Williamsburg, VA
40. Ohio State University (Moritz) — Columbus, OH
41. George Mason University — Arlington, VA
42. Wake Forest University — Winston-Salem, NC
43. Indiana University, Bloomington (Maurer) — Bloomington, IN
44. University of Utah (Quinney) — Salt Lake City, UT
45. University of Washington — Seattle, WA
46. Pepperdine University Caruso — Malibu, CA
47. University of Arizona (Rogers) — Tucson, AZ
48. Florida State University — Tallahassee, FL
49. University of Colorado, Boulder — Boulder, CO
50. University of California (Hastings) — San Francisco, CA
51. University of Maryland (Carey) — Baltimore, MD
52. Southern Methodist University (Dedman) — Dallas, TX
53. Temple University (Beasley) — Philadelphia, PA
54. Texas A&M University — Fort Worth, TX
55. University of Richmond — Richmond, VA
56. Villanova University — Villanova, PA
57. Yeshiva University (Cardozo) — New York, NY
58. Baylor University — Waco, TX
59. University of Connecticut — Hartford, CT
60. Pennsylvania State University Dickinson Law — Carlisle, PA
61. Pennsylvania State University—University Park — University Park, PA
62. Tulane University — New Orleans, LA
63. University of Houston — Houston, TX
64. University of Missouri — Columbia, MO
65. University of Nevada, Las Vegas — Las Vegas, NV
66. University of Tennessee, Knoxville — Knoxville, TN
67. Northeastern University — Boston, MA
68. University of Oklahoma — Norman, OK
69. University of Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, PA
70. Seton Hall University — Newark, NJ
71. University of Kansas — Lawrence, KS
72. Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, OH
73. Loyola Marymount University — Los Angeles, CA
74. St. John’s University — Jamaica, NY
75. University of Miami — Coral Gables, FL
76. University of Oregon — Eugene, OR
77. Wayne State University — Detroit, MI
78. Georgia State University — Atlanta, GA
79. Loyola University Chicago — Chicago, IL
80. University of Denver (Sturm) — Denver, CO
81. American University (Washington) — Washington, DC
82. Brooklyn Law School — Brooklyn, NY
83. Drexel University (Kline) — Philadelphia, PA
84. University of Cincinnati — Cincinnati, OH
85. University of Kentucky — Lexington, KY
86. University of San Diego — San Diego, CA
87. University of Nebraska, Lincoln — Lincoln, NE
88. Florida International University — Miami, FL
89. Lewis & Clark College (Northwestern) — Portland, OR
90. University of New Hampshire — Concord, NH
91. Howard University — Washington, DC
92. Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent) — Chicago, IL
93. Michigan State University — East Lansing, MI
94. Rutgers University — Newark and Camden, NJ
95. Saint Louis University — St. Louis, MO
96. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville — Fayetteville, AR
97. University of South Carolina — Columbia, SC
98. University at Buffalo, SUNY — Buffalo, NY
99. University of Hawaii, Manoa (Richardson) — Honolulu, HI
100. University of Louisville (Brandeis) — Louisville, KY
101. University of Mississippi — University, MS
102. CUNY School of Law — Long Island City, NY

• Best 5 Medical Schools: Research

1. Harvard University (MA)
2. New York University (Grossman)
3. Duke University (NC)
4. Columbia University (NY)
5. Stanford University (CA)

Source: US News & World Report

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:16 AM | View the original post

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March 30, 2021

College Consensus Publishes Aggregate Consensus Ranking of the 100 Best Value U.S. Colleges & Universities for 2021.

Photo: The gate in front of Old Main Building, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois. Image credit: Travis Stansel / Illinois Public Media.

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., March 30, 2021 — College Consensus, a unique college rating website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published its ranking of the Best Value U.S. Colleges and Universities for 2021.

“Student debt represents the second-largest consumer debt class in the U.S. today. It’s no surprise that many prospective college students are looking to avoid a lifetime of debt without compromising education quality. We have ranked the Best Value Colleges and Universities for 2021 to guide students looking for quality and affordability,” College Consensus said.

“When it comes to college, affordability isn’t cheap. Keeping costs down, and student loan debt low is every student’s worry,” the ranking agency remarked.

“In the age of rapidly rising tuition, college costs have risen far faster than the inflation rate in the 21st century and even faster than financial aid. Affordability is no joke. With our 2021 Consensus Ranking of the 100 Best Value Colleges & Universities, College Consensus is lighting up the way to a college education students can afford,” the publisher elaborated.

• Top 50 Schools in the Best Value U.S. Colleges and Universities ranking for 2021

1. Brigham Young University-Provo — Provo, UT
2. North Dakota State University-Main Campus — Fargo, ND
3. Eastern Illinois University — Charleston, IL
4. CUNY City College — New York, NY
5. Truman State University — Kirksville, MO
6. CUNY Hunter College — New York, NY
7. CUNY Lehman College — Bronx, NY
8. CUNY Brooklyn College — Brooklyn, NY
9. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College — New York, NY
10. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice — New York, NY
11. CUNY Queens College — Queens, NY
12. University of Minnesota-Morris — Morris, MN
13. Winona State University — Winona, MN
14. University of North Dakota — Grand Forks, ND
15. Fitchburg State University — Fitchburg, MA
16. Westfield State University — Westfield, MA
17. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point — Stevens Point, WI
18. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire — Eau Claire, WI
19. University of South Florida-Main Campus — Tampa, FL
20. University of Wisconsin-Stout — Menomonie, WI
21. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University — Tallahassee, FL
22. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse — La Crosse, WI
23. University of Wyoming — Laramie, WY
24. Birmingham-Southern College — Birmingham, AL
25. The State University of New York at New Paltz — New Paltz, NY
26. SUNY Polytechnic Institute — Utica, NY
27. SUNY Maritime College — Throggs Neck, NY
28. Farmingdale State College — Farmingdale, NY
29. California State University-Fresno — Fresno, CA
30. SUNY College at Brockport — Brockport, NY
31. SUNY College at Oswego — Oswego, NY
32. California State University-Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA
33. SUNY Oneonta — Oneonta, NY
34. California State University-Channel Islands — Camarillo, CA
35. California State University-Long Beach — Long Beach, CA
36. SUNY Cortland — Cortland, NY
37. California State University-San Bernardino — San Bernardino, CA
38. SUNY College at Plattsburgh — Plattsburgh, NY
39. Florida State University — Tallahassee, FL
40. California State University-Fullerton — Fullerton, CA
41. California State University-Dominguez Hills — Carson, CA
42. SUNY at Purchase College — Purchase, NY
43. SUNY College at Geneseo — Geneseo, NY
44. California State University-Northridge — Northridge, CA
45. California State University-East Bay — Hayward, CA
46. University of Minnesota-Duluth — Duluth, MN
47. Florida International University — Miami, FL
48. California State University Maritime Academy — Vallejo, CA
49. California State University-Monterey Bay — Seaside, CA
50. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry — Syracuse, NY

Source: College Consensus

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:42 PM | View the original post

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March 29, 2021

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay begins.

Photo: The Olympic Torch Relay, Fukushima, JAPAN - March 26, 2021. Image provided by & copyright © 2021 - International Olympic Committee.

Tokyo, March 28, 2021 — The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay started in Fukushima, Japan, on March 25, 2021. It will travel through all of the country’s 47 prefectures over the next 121 days before arriving in Tokyo for the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on July 23.

The route, which is unchanged from a year ago when the Games got postponed, will see the Olympic flame travel through 859 municipalities, passing within a short distance of most Japanese populations.

The flame’s journey began in the J-Village national football training facility in Naraha, Fukushima, one of several areas badly hit by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. This particular location is befitting Tokyo 2020’s Olympic Torch Relay concept - “Hope Lights Our Way,” reflecting the Olympic flame’s symbolism of hope and peace, which is particularly relevant considering the challenges both within Japan and across the world in recent times.

The honor of becoming the first torchbearer goes to Nadeshiko, Japan, the football team that won the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their victory played an essential role in uplifting the nation still reeling from the aftermath of the disaster that year.

Over 10,000 torchbearers, hand-selected from over half-a-million applicants, will be responsible for carrying the Olympic flame on its journey across Japan. “Each torchbearer will celebrate the best in each of us - chosen for their ability to overcome adversity. They will be part of a unique Olympic Torch Relay aimed at uniting people around messages of supporting, accepting, and encouraging one another, illustrating how much stronger we are together,” said IOC.

Cherry blossom, a pink gold flower synonymous with Japanese spring, has inspired the torch design. It also embodies Tokyo 2020’s commitment to sustainability. Approximately 30 percent of the torch is made from recycled aluminum used for temporary housing after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Hydrogen, which emits no carbon dioxide when burned, will fuel the torch for selected legs of the Relay. Besides, torchbearers will get outfitted with uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles collected by Olympic Worldwide Partner Coca-Cola.

The Olympic flame first touched down in Japan on March 20, 2020, at Matsushima Airbase in Miyagi, after being lit in Greece at Ancient Olympia. Following the Games’ postponement to 2021, the Olympic flame found a home at Tokyo’s new Olympic Museum. From there, it visited 14 Prefectures and 86 municipalities, welcomed with great enthusiasm by the Japanese public and media wherever it went. The flame received over 62,000 visitors.

Source: International Olympic Committee

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At the Winter Olympics 2018 in PyeongChang, Evgenia Medvedeva performed her Short Program in Figure Skating to Dario Marianelli’s “Dance With Me,” known from the movie “Anna Karenina.”

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:43 AM | View the original post

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March 28, 2021

Airbus delivers the seventh H145 for the German Armed Forces' Search and Rescue service.

Photo: Airbus delivers the seventh H145 for the German Armed Forces’ Search and Rescue service. Image provided by & copyright © AIRBUS.

Donauwörth, March 27, 2021 - Airbus Helicopters has handed over the seventh and last H145 for the Bundeswehr search and rescue (SAR) service to the Federal Office, Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support. The previously delivered helicopters are used for training and field testing and are available 24/7 at the Niederstetten and Nörvenich air bases for rescue operations. Operations with the new H145 LUH SAR will begin shortly, as planned, at the third SAR station in Holzdorf.

“We are pleased that we have completed this order from start to finish on time and within budget and that the commissioning is proceeding according to plan,” said Wolfgang Schoder, CEO of Airbus Helicopters Germany. “The feedback we have received from our customers has been very positive. Because of their flexibility and very high availability, the helicopters of the H145 family have proven themselves in the Bundeswehr. We see more possibilities for a wide range of tasks in all branches of the armed forces for the reliable model.”

Among other features, the helicopters are equipped with high-performance cameras, searchlights, emergency beacon locator systems, a full suite of medical equipment, rescue winches, and load hooks that an operator can use for fire-extinguishing tanks, for example. They are easy to identify, thanks to the characteristic bright orange paintwork on their doors, featuring ‘SAR’ in blue lettering.

Source: AIRBUS

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:43 AM | View the original post

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March 26, 2021

WHO, ICAO, ILO, IMO, and IOM issue Joint Statement on prioritization of COVID-19 Vaccination for Seafarers and Aircrew

Photo: Airbus Aircalin A320neo on ferry flight. Image provided by & copyright © AIRBUS.

Photo: Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas in Bar Harbor, Maine. Image Credit: Corey Seeman.

• Joint Statement from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and World Health Organization (WHO) •

Geneva, March 25, 2021.

• The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered devastating consequences for human life and the global economy. Maritime and air transport are essential activities that underpin worldwide trade and mobility and are critical to a sustainable socio-economic recovery.

• Maritime transport moves More than 80% of global trade by volume. The global economy depends on the world’s 2 million seafarers who operate the global fleet of merchant ships. Travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic have severely impacted the Seafarers. Some 400,000 seafarers are stranded on board commercial vessels, long past their contracts’ expiry. A similar number of seafarers urgently need to join ships to replace them.

• Passenger air transport carried about 5.7 billion passengers in 2019, while airfreight represents 35% of the value of goods shipped in all modes combined. According to ICAO personnel statistics, the total number of licensed aviation professionals, including pilots, air traffic controllers, and certified maintenance technicians, was 887,000 in 2019. The application of stringent public health rules to aircrew, including quarantine, has resulted in hindered connectivity, operational complexity, and high cost.

• Maritime and air transport rely on seafarers and aircrew. They are vital workers required to travel across borders at all times, resulting in the need for them to present proof of a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition for entry in some countries. It is despite WHO’s recommendation that, at present, governments should not introduce requirements of proof of immunization for international travel as a condition of entry, as there are still critical unknowns regarding the efficacy of vaccination in reducing transmission and limited availability of vaccines. For shipping and air transport to continue to operate safely, governments must facilitate seafarers’ safe cross-border movement. We reiterate our call upon countries that have not done so to designate seafarers and aircrew as crucial workers.

• With this statement, our organizations also call on governments to prioritize seafarers and aircrew in their national COVID-19 vaccination programs, together with other essential workers, per the advice from the WHO SAGE Roadmap for prioritizing the use of COVID-19 vaccines in the context of limited supply published in November 2020. Seafarers and aircrew need to be protected through vaccination as soon as possible to facilitate their safe movement across borders. We also call on governments to identify and prepare for the challenges of COVID-19 vaccination of seafarers and aircrew, particularly for seafarers spending long periods away from their home country.

• Our organizations fully support the timely development of an internationally harmonized framework for vaccination certificates to facilitate international travel for seafarers and aircrew.

• WHO has established a Smart Vaccination Certificate working group. It works to ensure that digitalized versions of vaccine certificates are interoperable. The UN Crisis Management Team for COVID-19, under the leadership of WHO, has recognized that all countries should consider seafarers and aircrew who are required to travel across borders during the pandemic for essential allocation of vaccines.

• We invite governments and other stakeholders to bring this joint statement’s contents to the competent authorities’ attention and all parties concerned.

Source: WHO

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:29 AM | View the original post

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March 25, 2021

UNESCO extends full support to its new National Education Policy as India starts expanding Research-oriented Higher Education towards building a Knowledge-based Economy

Photos: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris. March 25, 2021. Director-General of UNESCO Ms. Audrey Azoulay talks with Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank,’ Minister of Education of India, through a video conference. Images provided by & copyright © UNESCO / Fabrice GENTILE.

• New Delhi / Paris, March 25, 2021 —India’s Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, held a virtual meeting with Director-General UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, today. They discussed critical issues of mutual importance, including National Education Policy and India’s response to the COVID Pandemic.

Mr. Pokhriyal said that the Ministry of Education Government of India has ensured that education reaches even the last child in the country’s remotest part.

The Minister also mentioned that competitive entrance exams for almost 2.3 million students, the most extensive entrance examinations in the world, were conducted successfully and safely during the covid pandemic.

Minister emphasized that the Government of India National Education Policy 2020 aims to transform the educational ecosystem for over 340 million students of the country. It is based on the foundations of Equality, Equity, Access, Affordability, and Accountability. It seeks to fulfill the vision of making India a ‘global superpower of knowledge’ and the ‘mission to create a ‘global citizen.’

Director-General of UNESCO Ms. Audrey Azoulay appreciated the response of the Indian Government in mitigating the challenges of covid and ensuring continuity of education during the covid pandemic by providing education to the students through different mediums of TV, Radio, and online to the last student of the country. She remarked that India’s response to covid was remarkable in terms of scale and diversity. She requested the Union Minister share the experiences and best practices relating to India’s education sector with UNESCO member states. She congratulated the Minister for bringing out the New Education policy, which is visionary and capable of transforming the education sector. On behalf of UNSECO, she extended full support in its implementation.

• New Delhi, March 23, 2021 — India’s Education Ministry said today that the National Education Policy 2020 envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to sustainably transforming India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society.

• “The new education policy aims to provide high-quality education, innovation, and research, thereby making India a global knowledge superpower. The Policy envisages that the institutions’ curriculum and pedagogy must develop a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental Duties and Constitutional values, bonding with one’s country, and conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a changing world.

• “The Policy’s vision is to instill a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds. It aims to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.

• “National Education Policy 2020 envisions a comprehensive approach to transforming India’s quality and quantity of research. It includes inter-alia promoting research in universities, the inclusion of research and internships in the undergraduate curriculum, faculty career management systems that give due weightage to study, and the governance and regulatory changes that encourage an environment of research and innovation. These aspects are highly critical for developing a research mindset in the country.

• “To build on these various elements in a synergistic manner and thereby truly grow and catalyze quality research in the nation, this Policy envisions establishing a National Research Foundation (NRF). The overarching goal of the NRF would be to enable a culture of research to permeate through the universities. The NRF would provide a reliable base of merit-based but equitable peer-reviewed research funding, helping develop the country’s research culture. Through appropriate incentives for and recognition of outstanding research, it would undertake significant initiatives to seed and grow research at State Universities and other public institutions where research capability is currently limited.”

India’s Minister for Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, gave this information through a statement in the Indian Parliament.

Source: Ministry of Education, Government of India.

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:50 AM | View the original post

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March 24, 2021

Porsche opens a new showroom in Mumbai.

Photo: Porsche Centre Mumbai officially opened its new 418-square meter showroom.

Photo: Further “Destination Porsche” enhancements will transform the showroom into a customer-focused brand experience.

Photo: Next to the Panamera, other models on display in the new facilities.

Photo: The opening of the new showroom marks the launch of the new Panamera in Mumbai.

Photo: Pooja Choudary, Dealer Principal at Porsche Centre Mumbai.

Mumbai, India: Under the management of Infinity Cars Private Ltd., a well-experienced luxury car dealership group representing various marquee brands across different cities, Porsche Centre Mumbai has initiated operations.

The new 418-square meter showroom delivers Porsche standards of customer service before being converted into a digitally-themed “Destination Porsche” center over the coming months.

When it fully transforms into a showroom based on the “Destination Porsche” retail concept by the end of the year, Porsche Centre Mumbai will offer a further enhanced retail customer experience that strengthens the sense of community with Porsche. Thanks to digital applications, the boundaries between physical space and the digital world will be dissolving ever further. It will include touch screens that will bring the Porsche brand’s products and services alive in an interactive way. The entire sales and order process can be completed electronically, including E-signature and online payment, thus elevating the customer’s in-store journey to a new level.

Pooja Choudary, Dealer Principal at Porsche Centre Mumbai, says once fully finished, the new showroom will create an individual connection between customers and Porsche products, ensuring a personable approach at every level. “We are committed to offering benchmark service to all our visitors. With our group’s extensive experience in luxury, we are confident that Porsche Centre Mumbai will always maintain a ‘customer first’ approach,” she remarked.

Source: Porsche India

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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:55 PM | View the original post

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March 21, 2021

Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) and Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) present a Joint Fashion Week 16-21 March 2021

Photo: A presentation by Abirr nʼ Nanki on March 20, 2021, at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week. Image provided by & copyright © Lakmé Fashion Week.

Photo: Presenting Dia Mirza as the showstopper for ‘The Fusion Edit’ by Taneira Sarees at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week. Image provided by & copyright © Lakmé Fashion Week.

Photo: Hina Khan at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week. Image provided by & copyright © Lakmé Fashion Week.

Mumbai, March 21, 2021: Combining forces of the powerhouses of fashion & Beauty in India, Lakmé, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), and RISE Worldwide, presented the Lakmé Fashion Week, 16-21 March 2021.

Lakmé Fashion Week, in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), had a schedule comprising the best of curation and designers from Delhi, Mumbai, and across India. FDCI & Lakmé Fashion Week jointly presented the Opening Show on March 16, culminating with the Lakmé Absolute Grand Finale on March 21.

• Anamika Khanna opened the fashion week with a virtual showcase jointly presented by FDCI and LFW.

• Ace designers Suneet Varma, S&N by Shantanu and Nikhil, Payal Pratap, Samant Chauhan, Geisha Designs by Paras & Shalini, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Siddartha Tytler, Pawan Sachdeva, Nidhi Yasha, Limerick by Abirr n’ Nanki, Nirmooha graced the platform along with a ‘fusion edit’ by Taniera from the House of Tata.

• TRESemmé presented a sustainable collection by Ritu Kumar.

• FDCI presented Bloni as the Emerging Talent showcase of the season.

• INIFD presents Gen Next winners Label Rahul Dasgupta by Rahul Dasgupta and Raffughar by Wajahat Rather.

• Showcases included a unique collaboration with ‘PETA’ and a showcase of Peace Silk by ‘Cocccon.’

• Six innovative fashion entrepreneurs competed for India’s most significant sustainable fashion award - Circular Design Challenge 3.0 presented by R Elan “Fashion for Earth” in association with United Nations Environment Programme.

• Natural Diamond Council launched a global trend report highlighting significant trends around jewelry and accessories.

• The event also promoted modeling talent through FDCI’s #GetNoticed Model Hunt.

A non-profit organization, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), is the apex body of fashion design in India, represented by over 400 members. It promotes, nurtures, and represents the best fashion and design talent in the country, and its prime objective is to propagate the business of fashion.

Lakmé is India’s No.1 cosmetics & beauty services brand. It was also the country’s first cosmetic brand to introduce makeup to Indian women and take pride in being an expert on Indian Beauty for over 50 years.

Ashwath Swaminathan, Head of Innovations at Lakmé, said, “Our association with the Indian fashion industry runs deep as Lakmé has been a critical driver of its growth for the past 20 years. We look forward to this partnership opening up new avenues of growth for all stakeholders. We continue to remain faithful to the pillars of the Lakmé Fashion week as we present the best in Indian fashion & Beauty this season to a global audience.”

Sources: Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), Lakmé Fashion Week.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Presentation from fashion designer Samant Chauhan

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:31 AM | View the original post

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March 19, 2021

University Grants Commission (UGC) India recognizes Cost Accountant Qualification equivalent to Post Graduate Degree.

• Candidates who have qualified for the Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), or Cost and Works Accountant (ICWA) exams will now be treated equivalent to postgraduate degree holders, according to the University Grants Commission (UGC).

• UGC made this decision on the behest of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India to help CA, CS, and ICWA qualification holders improve their mobility.

New Delhi, March 19, 2021 — To increase their academic mobility, the University Grants Commission has concluded that those qualifying the Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), or Cost and Works Accountant (ICWA) exams are equivalent to postgraduate degree holders.

UGC said that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India had requested it to consider the qualifications they award (CA, CS, and ICWA) as equivalent to post-graduation degrees.

To consider this, the UGC constituted an expert committee. The commission accepted the expert committee’s recommendation and resolved that CA, CS, and ICWA qualifications be considered equivalent to PG degrees, the UGC said in its official order.

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) said this decision would offer more scope to its professionals worldwide. “This recognition will leverage the company secretary profession across the globe, allowing the members of the institute to pursue Ph.D. in Commerce and Allied Disciplines,” the Institute said in a release.

Nagendra D Rao, President of ICSI, said, “This recognition will open up another world of opportunities for company secretaries. Such recognitions reaffirm the fact that with the increasing focus on good governance, the demand for Company Secretaries, as skilled professionals, is both ubiquitous and inevitable.”

Nihar N Jambusaria, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), said that this equivalence to Post Graduate Degree would open up the International market for various job avenues for ICAI qualification holders. It would aid those seeking professional opportunities abroad.”

Biswarup Basu, President of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, remarked that this recognition would facilitate widespread international acceptance of its Cost & Management Accounting qualification.

In their presentations to the UGC, the Chartered Accountants (CA) and the Company Secretaries (CS) bodies had argued that students who have cleared CA and CS exams have already attained a high level of education. At the same time, the Cost Accountants body had emphasized that compared to M.Com and MBA, ICWA students’ curriculum is much more elaborate.

The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, established in 1944, was set up under an Act of Parliament in 1959 by India’s Government as a statutory professional body to impart education and training in Cost and Management Accountancy. The Institute is the 2nd most significant Cost & Management Accounting body globally. It is a founder member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

Sources: UGC, Institute of Cost Accountants of India, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

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— The editor is an alumnus of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:52 AM | View the original post

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March 17, 2021

UNESCO Creative Cities Network — Call for Applications 2021

Photo: Berlin. Watch-traffic lights. Berlin is a UNESCO Creative City of Design. Image credit: Aleksander Markin.

Photo: Gateway of India, Mumbai. Mumbai is a UNESCO Creative City of Film. Image credit: barracuadz.

Photo: Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Detroit is a UNESCO Creative City of Design. Image credit: Corey Seeman.

Created in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) fosters international cooperation across cities of the world that invest in culture and creativity as accelerators of sustainable development.

Through seven creative fields - Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music - cities in the Network are innovative with an enormous scope of positive economic, social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Together with its 246 member cities from over 80 countries, the UCCN aims to fulfill the enabling and transformative power of culture and creativity in building resilient, sustainable, and future-proof cities. It thus supports the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the local level.

• The UCCN Call for Applications is now open to cities from all UNESCO Member States and Associate Members.

• UNESCO has invited the interested cities to submit their applications using the official standard Form by 30 June 2021 (midnight CET). Applications received after the deadline, incomplete or transmitted in a different format, will not be considered, UNESCO stated.

• Each application should include, among other required documents, an official letter of intent signed by the Mayor of the city and an official letter of support by the National Commission for UNESCO of the country.

• For the 2021 Call for Applications, UNESCO would accept a maximum of two applications in two different creative fields from a Member State. Consequently, the National Commission concerned would endorse a maximum of two applications in two separate creative areas from the country.

• UNESCO would designate a city as a UNESCO Creative City based on its assets and capacity in culture and creativity and the content, impact, and outreach of its proposed action plan. The city should demonstrate its potential contribution to the Network’s overall vision and objectives. It should confirm its commitment to UNESCO’s mandate and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The member cities represent the following seven creative fields:

• Crafts and Folk Art
• Design
• Film
• Gastronomy
• Literature
• Media Arts
• Music

UNESCO’s Director-General would designate the new creative cities after an internal technical pre-screening and an external evaluation.

Source: UNESCO

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— The editor contributes towards the enhancement of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:15 AM | View the original post

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