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May 30, 2020
Mastercard Launches Recovery Insights. It would assist Businesses and Governments in making Smarter Economic Decisions.
Mastercard extends COVID-19 Commitments by Providing Data Insights and Tools to New York City, London, Madrid, the State of Arizona, and other Governments.
PURCHASE, NY. MAY 29, 2020 — Businesses and governments worldwide are looking for resources to help better manage the health, safety, and economic risks presented by the recent pandemic. To assist in these efforts, Mastercard has launched Recovery Insights, a set of tools, innovation, and research that can provide some certainty today and support data-driven decision-making for a more digital tomorrow.
The initiative draws on Mastercard’s analytics and experimentation platforms, its longstanding consulting practice, and unique data-driven insights.
“Enabling smarter decisions with better outcomes is our goal. And, it’s what airlines, restaurants, Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, banks, governments, and countless others are seeking right now,” said Raj Seshadri, president of data and services, Mastercard. “Our insights are helping apparel brands refine their inventory to address the rise in e-commerce, grocers fine-tune store hours to give at-risk shoppers peace of mind, and governments guide services to fuel local economies.”
• Empowering Data-Driven Decision-Making
As part of this initiative, Mastercard is making specific insight-driven tools available at no cost to governments and select businesses to give a timely snapshot of economic performance. These solutions draw on aggregated and anonymized spending insights to provide an ongoing view of financial health, Mastercard said.
Dozens of cities (including New York City, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Los Angeles, and Logan City, Australia), states (Arizona), and national governments (Turespaña, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain) are now using Mastercard tools. These solutions help inform budget planning, optimize aid disbursement, understand which merchants are open for business, and prioritize investment to support those most impacted by the pandemic. The tools help assess the local effects of COVID-19 and build a foundation for an inclusive recovery.
“Access to Mastercard’s insights gives us a much more detailed picture of the economic health of the capital’s high streets during lockdown - and as we move towards easing restrictions,” commented London’s Chief Digital Officer, Theo Blackwell. “It complements other insights we’re gathering, which allows us to target future investments and understand the emerging needs of businesses and communities across London.”
Meanwhile, U.S. small business owners are using the tools to understand local consumer spending trends better, while central banks around the world are collaborating closely with the Mastercard Economics Institute to better understand changing market conditions through regular COVID economic impact trackers, Mastercard elaborated.
• Informing Plans to Reopen New York City
In New York City, retail sales were down 44 percent at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. Policymakers needed to understand how the steep decline in consumer spending would impact the city’s sales tax revenue to adjust their budgets. Mastercard Geographic Insights identified spending pattern changes in specific neighborhoods.
Mastercard is also working closely with local institutions, trade organizations, and other groups on recovery efforts. Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, said, “The Mastercard insights into how the pandemic and quarantine are impacting consumer spending have helped us understand the huge and devastating impact of COVID-19 on jobs and the local economy.”
“We’re committed to helping government leaders take an evidence-based approach to policy and program development,” added Miguel Gamino, executive vice president, Enterprise Partnerships and head of Global Cities, Mastercard. “Given the multitude of challenges today, the government leaders are activating our network to support areas ranging from aid disbursements to emergency fundraising to cybersecurity assessments and identity theft protection. It’s about building more inclusive economies for everyone everywhere.”
• Upcoming Research
The Mastercard Recovery Insights initiative will feature a research series about the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on economies, businesses, and people. The first report, available in June, will focus on the retail sector’s shift to digital.
Source: Mastercard
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:08 PM | View the original post
May 29, 2020
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), India, hosts a Webinar for more than 45,000 Higher Educational Institutions across the Country; Academicians, Professors, Faculty, Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, and Principals register their Attendance
New Delhi / Bangaluru, May 28, 2020 — Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, interacted with Academics of more than 45,000 Higher Educational Institutions across the country today. He was speaking at a Webinar. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bengaluru had hosted it. The participants included a galaxy of Academicians, Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, Professors, Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) heads, Principals, and Faculty from across the Nation.
While lauding the initiatives taken by the NAAC at this time of the Pandemic, Mr. Pokhriyal called upon the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country to treat the current situation as an opportunity to overcome limitations in the system. He called upon the educationists, students, and parents to switch-over to the online method and make the most of the situation so that the students’ academic session is not interrupted. He said there is an urgent need to improve and enhance the online ecosystem in India. He added that educators should contribute to increasing the reach so that online education reaches even the rural areas.
In the hour-long interaction and address, the Union Minister reflected on various issues and concerns raised by educationists related to Academic Calendar, Online Education, Examinations, Fees, Mental Health of Students, Problems of Students, Fellowships, and Entrance Examinations.
He urged all Higher Educational Institutions to take part in the NAAC accreditation process. He reiterated that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is very concerned about the well being of Higher Educational Institutions. The Minister assured of all help in furthering the academic activities of the student fraternity.
Photo: NAAC Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS) Poster for displaying at the Higher Education Institutions Campuses. The Union Human Resource Development Minister has urged all Higher Education Institutions to take part in the NAAC Accreditation Process. Image provided by NAAC.
The Union Minister asked all Universities to constitute a particular cell which will be empowered to address the issues of students related to academic calendar and examinations arising out of extraordinary circumstances due to COVID 19. He said that a task force had been created in the UGC to resolve the students’ different issues.
The Chairman, University Grants Commission, Prof D. P. Singh, also graced the occasion. Prof S. C. Sharma, Director, NAAC, coordinated the event.
Sources: NAAC. Ministry of Human Resource Development.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:30 AM | View the original post
May 27, 2020
Johns Hopkins Releases Comprehensive Report on Digital Contact Tracing to Aid COVID-19 Response.
Leading global experts contributed to the report, offering clear guidance and recommendations on ethics and governance as digital technologies fight the pandemic.
BALTIMORE, May 26, 2020 — Johns Hopkins University has released a comprehensive report on the use of digital contact tracing technologies (DCTT), including smartphone apps and other tools, to fight COVID-19. The paper would help the government, technology developers, businesses, institutional leaders, and the public make responsible decisions.
‘Digital Contact Tracing for Pandemic Response’ is a report led by the Berman Institute for Bioethics in collaboration with the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins, as well as leading experts worldwide. The report highlights the ethical, legal, policy, and governance issues that the world must address as it develops and implements DCTT. The report’s primary conclusions and recommendations advise that privacy should not outweigh public health goals and other values. Big technology companies should not unilaterally set terms when such broad public interests are at stake. And decisions about the technology and its uses are updated continuously as new information becomes available.
As officials in many countries strive to find a balance between respecting civil liberties and controlling the pandemic, the report offers clear, well-supported guidance for leaders as they consider deployment and use of these technologies and the data they collect, store and share.
“As we move forward, we must strike a balance between privacy and values like equity, choice, economic well-being, and solidarity,” said Jeffrey Kahn, Ph.D., MPH, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute for Bioethics. “Too much emphasis on privacy could severely limit the ability to gather the information that is critical for effective and efficient contact tracing to help beat the pandemic. And so the full range of interests and values of the public must drive this conversation, and not just those asserted by tech companies.”
The report makes numerous recommendations, including:
- Technology design should not be static. There is no “one size fits all” approach. The design should be capable of evolving depending upon local conditions, new evidence, and changing preferences and priorities.
- Technology companies alone should not control the terms, conditions, or capabilities of DCTT. Nor should they presume to know what is acceptable to members of the public.
- Design the DCTT to have a base set of features that protect privacy, with layers of additional capabilities that users can choose to activate. A default should be that user location data are not shared. Still, users should be provided with natural mechanisms and prompt to allow for opting-in to this capability, especially if opting-in is critical to achieving public health goals.
- Make the De-identified data collected through DCTT available to public health professionals and researchers to support population-level studies and analyses.
- Those who authorize the use of DCTT within a particular jurisdiction or institution should continuously and systematically monitor the technology’s performance. The monitoring should include monitoring for effectiveness and benefit, monitoring for harms, and monitoring for the fair distribution of both benefits and harms.
- Governments should not require mandatory use of DCTT, given the uncertainty about potential burdens and benefits. New technology, user, and real-world testing are needed.
- Congress should enact legislation specifically tailored to the use of DCTT as part of the response to COVID-19, which would facilitate the use of DCTT to promote the public health response while protecting citizens.
“In this time of COVID-19, digital technologies have an unprecedented capacity to accelerate and improve the way the world responds to infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics,” said Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels. “The digital contact tracing technologies represent a great opportunity. They also present significant ethical, legal, and governance concerns. I’m grateful to the Berman Institute of Bioethics for leading this effort and galvanizing some of the nation’s and the world’s foremost leaders on these issues to share their knowledge on this complex and timely set of issues.”
The report is the result of rapid research and expert consensus effort led by a group of leaders in bioethics, health security, public health, technology, engineering, public policy, and law.
Source: Johns Hopkins University
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:54 PM | View the original post
John Jay College Senior Students Balance Front-Line Work with Education Demands
NEW YORK, May 26, 2020 — John Jay students, many who live and work in communities of color hit hardest by Covid-19, are also on the front-lines. Their stories of studying while saving lives and keeping New Yorkers safe are inspiring examples of sacrifice and resilience.
Rosa Jimenez is an Emergency Medical Technician working in the Bronx, the borough with the highest infection and mortality rates in New York City. While studying full time in her senior year at John Jay, Jimenez has seen firsthand how the virus is impacting families, communities, and medical professionals.
“I’ve seen so many doctors and nurses end up with Covid-19. It concerns when you look at the patient’s chart and recognize the name,” says Jimenez.
Between shifts, Jimenez studies for finals. It’s her last semester, and she’s not letting the coronavirus or the change to distance learning stop her momentum.
Estefania Solis, a transfer student from Panama, is a Presidential Intern at John Jay and a member of the National Guard. When Covid-19 spread across New York City, Estefania’s life rapidly transformed from that of a typical student attending class and an internship to that of an active duty National Guard member contributing to a critical mission.
“My community has been affected. Some friends have had to fly back to their home countries and struggle with financial hardships. Others lost their job. Many have gotten sick. I am grateful I have the chance to help and not stay at home.”
The virus has altered all of her current plans, from summer job opportunities to her coursework. Balancing the internship, the National Guard, and her college work was initially overwhelming, and Solis thought she wouldn’t be able to complete her classes. But her professors stepped up and worked with her to make sure she finishes the semester and doesn’t lose momentum towards graduation.
Matthew Hart plans to graduate this summer, taking six courses this semester to keep on schedule. He is also serving in the National Guard at Covid-19 testing sites and food distribution centers.
“Juggle is tough. There are times when you want to sleep, but then you remind yourself that you have to get your homework done.”
Despite the struggle, Hart tries to keep a positive attitude and is committed to finishing his undergraduate education. He will start working on a master’s degree in the fall at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.
Graduate student Khalid Islam took a course at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and studied how Toronto handled a SARS outbreak. A few months later, he is using what he learned to keep the Emergency Medical Technicians and paramedics safe under his supervision. Khalid is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Safety and Training Manager for the Mount Sinai Health System. He would receive his master’s degree this month. He has managed to balance his work, family obligations, and education in the shadow of a global pandemic.
According to John Jay College, all these students rose to the challenge these past few months, facing the danger of Covid-19 head-on while staying on the path to graduation. “Their commitment to public service and their communities centers them on a course to become tomorrow’s leaders,” the College said.
John Jay College would honor these students and their classmates from the Class of 2020 in a virtual celebration to mark the end of the semester on Wednesday, May 27. The ceremony will include pre-recorded remarks from special guests, including CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos RodrÃguez; Charles Schumer, United States Senate; Kathy Hochul, Lt. Governor; and Letitia James, NYS Attorney General, among others.
An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York offers a vibrant liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. John Jay is home to faculty and research centers at the forefront of advancing criminal and social justice reform. In teaching, scholarship, and research, the College engages the theme of justice and explores fundamental human desires for fairness, equality, and the rule of law.
Source: John Jay College of Criminal Justice
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:34 PM | View the original post
May 26, 2020
Naya Hindustan - Anthem on India's Unity in Diversity during the Pandemic.
MUMBAI, May 26, 2020 — The COVID-19 Pandemic has created massive disruptions across the world. For the last two months, the lockdown in India has altered people’s lives - socially, economically, and emotionally. Music Director Hitesh Prasad ideated the concept, scored the music, and penned the lyrics of the song ‘Naya Hindustan,’ an anthem on India’s Unity in Diversity during the Pandemic. Leading singers — Mahalaxmi Iyer, Bhumi Trivedi, Toshi Sabri, Shraddha Pandit, and Hitesh Prasad sang the song with contributions from Raju Shankar (Piano) and Glen Fernandez (Guitar).
Kanishka Shankar directed the video, Tosif Shaikh mixed it, and Raju Shankar and Sanjay Jaipurwale arranged the music. Nihilent, a global consulting and services company, supported the project.
“As people embrace this new reality, it is also a time to reflect and ink a new future. With this unprecedented crisis, comes a great opportunity to heal ourselves, break barriers and blur boundaries and hasten compassion, empathy, and togetherness. No doubt, this crisis has unified all, and it is time to showcase this unity amid diversity of caste, religion, and creed. This is the time to foster humanity, love, and light,” said the producers. “The song is a tribute to the countless COVID-19 warriors, the unsung heroes and a billion-plus people suspended on hope, united by courage and faith in humanity.”
Hitesh Prasad said, ” I wrote and composed this music video to primarily showcase the communal harmony and motivate people of this country impacted by COVID-19 and lockdown in many different ways. The key message of this video I wanted to convey is my vision of ‘New India’- a country that needs to rise above all our differences and be one in this hour of crisis.” “The lyrics capture this idea of peace, communal harmony, compassion, and resilience to move forward. The singers and others have contributed as a purely social cause. Thanks to Nihilent for supporting us with this initiative,” he added.
Source: Nihilent
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:22 AM | View the original post
May 25, 2020
Jayatu Jayatu Bharatam - A tribute to India's eternal spirit.
Jayatu Jayatu Bharatam!
India will be victorious!
Watch this unique tribute by 211 singers from across the country, as they come together to salute India’s indomitable spirit.
Source: ICICI Bank
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:32 AM | View the original post
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development — Message from Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
Photo: Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), briefs journalists following a Security Council meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security. 30 November 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Kim Haughton. [File Photo]
• World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
• Message from Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO
21 May 2020
This year’s World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development comes at a time of uncertainty and anxiety.
For many, the closure of public spaces, cultural institutions, and performance and concert halls has led to a constriction of cultural space and increased seclusion.
Fortunately, the technical means we have at our disposal today make it possible for those who can benefit from them to compensate for the narrowness of confined spaces. We have thus seen initiatives blossom that has renewed interest in cultural practices around the world and highlighted their abundant richness. By dint of coordinated action, initial efforts, and creativity, this imposed downtime has made it possible to see what is one of humanity’s riches: our diversity.
Although COVID-19 has not succeeded in curbing dialogue among cultures, the long-term consequences of the crisis, especially in economic terms, might inflict severe damage on diversity, as periods of crisis are conducive to concentration and standardization. It is this insidious threat that looms.
Without significant support, structures will disappear. We would miss the opportunities to stimulate and hear different ways of seeing and feeling. Cultural diversity may get diminished, and humanity would be the poorer for it.
We must, therefore, protect diversity without delay before it is too late. That is why UNESCO has launched the ResiliArt movement, whose purpose is to find ways of fostering the protection and promotion of cultural diversity in these difficult times. By bringing together artists, cultural professionals, governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to reflect on the pandemic’s impact, we are developing the future of cultural diversity through collective intelligence and joint cultural building.
The current crisis must lead to new awareness and new efforts to ensure the development and continuation of varied cultural forms and flourishing cultural structures. The crisis has brought to light difficulties that were often already present.
On this 21 May, World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, UNESCO appeals to all: together, let us celebrate and support cultural diversity, the symbol of our humanity.
Source: UNESCO
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:22 AM | View the original post
May 24, 2020
Mastercard Joins Alliance to Accelerate Digital Identity Solutions.
Partnership accelerates access to and adoption of digital identity solutions.
Purchase, NY, May 23, 2020 — Mastercard today announced that it would join the ID2020 alliance, a global multi-stakeholder partnership dedicated to enabling everyone to have access to a viable and trusted form of legal identity.
With the recent implementation of social distancing around the world, our digital dependency has become even more significant. Individuals are signing up and logging in to a range of digital services - social media, entertainment streaming, telemedicine, and remote learning, to name just a few. What is critical in each of these interactions is the role that identity plays in enabling trust and the need to prove who we are safely and conveniently, wherever we are, Mastercard said.
“We share the belief with ID2020 that digital identity is a fundamental human right that each individual has control over. And that digital identity is a crucial step towards financial inclusion and to building a world where technology empowers, enables and protects everyone,” said Ajay Bhalla, President, Cyber & Intelligence, Mastercard. “We must work together to establish consistency and common standards across the globe that can make this a reality, addressing real challenges faced by people every day and sparking continued innovation.”
As the world accelerates towards more digital interactions and the verification associated with that, managing this rapid shift, holistically and responsibly, is crucial to ensure that no-one is left behind. Mastercard said it recognizes that holding a viable and trusted digital identity will allow everyone to connect and realize the opportunities presented by the increasingly digital world. By joining the ID2020 Alliance, who are strong advocates for digital identity in developing markets, both companies believe their collective technologies, networks, and connections can better bridge the gap and provide viable solutions for everyone.
“Digital identity can be a powerful force multiplier to enhance social and economic opportunities for all people,” said ID2020 Executive Director, Dakota Gruener. “But to fully realize that potential, governments, technology companies, financial institutions, and civil society must collaborate. We are delighted to welcome Mastercard to the ID2020 Alliance and applaud their commitment to privacy-protecting, user-centric digital identity.”
Mastercard said its collaboration with ID2020 builds on Mastercard’s commitment to improving how people manage and use their digital identity and follows the publication of the company’s model for digital citizenship in an increasingly connected world. The model is founded on user-centric principles such as data ownership, confidentiality, consent, and transparency, and embodies privacy-by-design.
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. “Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all,” Mastercard declared.
ID2020 is a global public-private partnership that harnesses the collective power of nonprofits, corporations, and governments to promote the adoption and ethical implementation of user-managed, privacy-protected, and portable digital identity solutions.
Source: Mastercard
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:58 AM | View the original post
May 22, 2020
Pandemic Will Cost U.S. International Education more than $4.5 Billion, and Tens of Thousands of American Jobs — Says Association of International Educators NAFSA.
WASHINGTON, May 21, 2020 — The Association of International Educators NAFSA says it surveyed senior leadership at U.S.-based higher education institutions and international education organizations to gauge the financial impact of COVID-19 on the field of international education.
According to NAFSA, survey results indicate that, overall, U.S. higher education had potentially lost nearly $1 billion due to shortened or canceled study abroad programs. Further, it spent approximately $638 million in financial support for international students, scholars, faculty, and staff who remained on campus when courses moved online.
Responses estimate that U.S. higher education will lose at least $3 billion due to anticipated international student enrollment declines for fall 2020. NAFSA survey has concluded that without congressional action and financial relief to support global culture, there would be a loss of more than $4.5 billion to U.S. higher education and tens of thousands of American jobs.
“With travel restrictions, visa delays, and economic instability worldwide, COVID-19 has been incredibly harmful to the field of international education,” said Esther D. Brimmer, Executive Director and CEO of the Association of International Educators NAFSA. “We need Congress to support legislation protecting international education to save American jobs and ensure U.S. students remain globally competitive at a time where we cannot afford to lose our competitive edge.”
Detailed Survey Results:
• Study Abroad
94% of institutions with study abroad programs reported shortened or canceled spring and summer programs, resulting in losses of $115 million; when estimated across all of U.S. higher education, potential losses total nearly $1 billion.
65% responded that the cancellation of study abroad programs had impacted staff positions in education abroad offices. Impacts include reduced hours, furloughs, eliminated jobs, hiring freezes, and salary reductions.
61% expressed uncertainty if study abroad programs will be offered for fall 2020, while 15% anticipated cancelations.
• International Students
38% indicated ongoing support for international students who remained on campus, spending nearly $42 million; when extrapolated across all of U.S. higher education, potential spending totals $418.5 million. Types of support include housing, scholarships, food, rent, airfare, and tuition refunds.
60% reported up to 5 staff positions funded by international student fees.
78% anticipate enrollment declines for fall 2020, with a loss of $192 million in revenue; estimated across all of U.S. higher education, potential revenue losses total at least $3 billion.
• International Scholars, Faculty, Staff
55% host or employ international scholars, faculty, and staff, with 77% indicating ongoing support/employment during the crisis.
36% reported providing additional financial support totaling nearly $6 million; estimated across all of U.S. higher education, expenditures approximate $219 million.
51% responded that staff positions in international student/scholar offices would not be impacted by COVID-19, while 24% indicated it was too soon to know, and 21% said it would affect jobs.
Impacts include reduced hours, furloughs, eliminated positions, hiring freezes, and salary reductions.
• Other Negative Financial Impacts
- 41% reported additional negative financial impacts, such as loss of grants and contracts, enrollment declines due to the shift to online instruction, and compensation paid for canceled programs.
NAFSA said it had prepared several requests to the Congress to mitigate the pandemic’s damage on the international education field and to position its recovery when it is safe for American students to study abroad and for international students and scholars to return to the U.S. These requests include petitions for policy changes, such as waiving the in-person interview requirement for visas, and direct financial assistance totaling $46.6 billion.
The Association of International Educators NAFSA is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education.
Source: NAFSA
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:26 AM | View the original post
May 20, 2020
QS World University Rankings USA
The Best US Universities for Excellence, Equity, and Employability.
LONDON, May 20, 2020 — QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the publishers of the QS World University Rankings, today released their inaugural ranking of America’s top universities.
The QS World University Rankings USA assesses how well universities are responding to the social, intellectual, and economic challenges. QS said it had ranked the Universities according to their research performance and career outcomes as well as a range of indicators evaluating each institution’s social impact and attempts to foster equitability.
The methodology also evaluates universities based on the efforts they are making to support the 17 UN Sustainable Development goals.
QS CEO Nunzio Quacquarelli said, “QS surveyed 33,000+ prospective university students since the start of the pandemic. Though COVID-19’s effects on higher education will resonate for years to come, our research reveals that it does not deter students from pursuing their education goals. We hope that this ranking will provide students with an insightful comparative tool, as they prepare for the next steps in their educational journey.”
The QS World University Rankings USA see Harvard University named America’s top university, placed ahead of Stanford University (2nd) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3rd).
Harvard’s leadership got perfect scores for QS’s Research and Employability indicators, which suggests that, on average, Harvard produces America’s most impactful research and most employable graduates, QS said.
Five American colleges achieve perfect scores for QS’s Learning Experience indicator: Yale University, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Brown University.
QS Research Director Ben Sowter said, “For thirty years, QS has served the global student community with the independent insights they need to make informed decisions. Our Employer Reputation indicator, a dataset based on the sentiments of over 44,000 hiring managers worldwide, allows potential applicants to assess US universities based on their ability to enhance their future careers.”
Sowter continued, “As the global graduate jobs market becomes even more competitive, our research suggests that students are placing a greater emphasis on this information. With the pandemic further disrupting the graduate employment market, we predict that concern about education and employability will intensify.”
QS has named 300 institutions as the best four-year universities in the United States.
• QS World University Rankings USA
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- The University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
- Columbia University
- The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Yale University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Princeton University
- Cornell University
- New York University (NYU)
- University of Chicago
- Duke University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Southern California
- Northwestern University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- Brown University
- Boston University
- Rice University
- Georgetown University
- University of Washington
- The University of Texas at Austin
- The University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
- Emory University
- University of California, Davis
- Washington University in St. Louis
- University of Rochester
- Vanderbilt University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- George Washington University
- Tufts University
- University of Florida
- Dartmouth College
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- University of Miami
- University of Notre Dame
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick
- University of California, Irvine
- Case Western Reserve University
- The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
- Stony Brook University, State University of New York
- University at Buffalo SUNY
- Pennsylvania State University
- Boston College
- University of Maryland, College Park
- University of Virginia
- Syracuse University
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Purdue University
- Northeastern University
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Michigan State University
- Brandeis University
- The Ohio State University
- Drexel University
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Temple University
- North Carolina State University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- Lehigh University
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- The University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄnoa
- Tulane University
- Howard University
- The University of Arizona
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Binghamton University SUNY
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- University of Pittsburgh
- New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
- The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
- University of the Pacific
- Texas A&M University
- University of Denver
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- William & Mary
- Florida State University
- San Diego State University
- University of Connecticut
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Indiana University Bloomington
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- University of Houston
- University of San Francisco
- The University of Georgia
- University of Oklahoma
- Arizona State University
- Wake Forest University
- Southern Methodist University
- Andrews University
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Oregon
- University of Texas Dallas
- Santa Clara University
- The University of Louisville - School of Public Health & Information Sciences
- George Mason University
• 101-110
- Rutgers University, Newark
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Loyola University of Chicago
- Oregon State University
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- University at Albany SUNY
- University of California, Riverside
- University of Iowa
- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- University of Utah
• 111-120
- American University
- Clark University
- Clarkson University
- Florida International University
- Loyola Marymount University
- Pace University, New York
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- University of Delaware
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- Washington State University
• 121-130
- Baylor University
- DePaul University
- Loyola University, Maryland
- St. John’s University: New York City
- Saint Louis University
- University of Colorado, Denver
- University of New Hampshire
- University of San Diego
- University of South Carolina
- University of Vermont
• 131-140
- Bentley University
- Clemson University
- Fordham University
- Iowa State University
- University of Central Florida
- University of Kentucky
- University of South Florida
- University of Tulsa
- Wayne State University
- West Virginia University
• 141-150
- California Lutheran University
- CUNY Queens College
- Fairfield University
- Georgia State University
- Michigan Technological University
- Pepperdine University
- Seattle University
- The University of Alabama
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Texas Arlington
- Villanova University
• 151-160
- New York Institute of Technology
- Nova Southeastern University
- Rowan University
- Rutgers University-Camden
- Texas Tech University
- University of Cincinnati
- University of New Mexico
- University of North Texas
- Yeshiva University
• 161-170
- CUNY Baruch College
- Brigham Young University
- California State University - Fullerton
- Marquette University
- San Jose State University
- Seton Hall University
- Suffolk University
- Texas Christian University
- University of Kansas
- University of Redlands
• 171-180
- Chapman University
- Dominican University of California
- Duquesne University
- Hofstra University
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
- Kansas State University
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Portland State University
- San Francisco State University
- The University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Idaho
- University of Missouri, Columbia
- University of Missouri, Kansas City
- University of Nevada - Las Vegas
• 181-190
- Adelphi University
- Auburn University
- Ohio University
- Saint Mary’s College of California
- University of Hawaii
- University of Nevada
• 191-200
- California State University Northridge
- The Catholic University of America
- Colorado State University
- Creighton University
- CUNY Lehman College
- Northern Arizona University
- Seattle Pacific University
- St. Edward’s University
- University of Massachusetts
- University of Mississippi
- University of Wyoming
• 201-250
- Ball State University
- Butler University
- California Polytechnic State University
- California State University
- California State University - Los Angeles
- California State University Dominguez Hills
- California State University - San Bernardino
- Chaminade University of Honolulu
- CUNY Hunter College
- Dominican University
- Drake University
- East Carolina University
- Elon University
- Gonzaga University
- Hawaii Pacific University
- Ithaca College
- La Salle University
- Marymount University
- Mississippi State University
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
- Northern Illinois University
- Notre Dame of Maryland University
- Oklahoma State University
- Old Dominion University
- Rider University
- Rollins College
- Simmons University
- SUNY Oswego
- Stetson University
- The State University of New York at Fredonia
- The State University of New York at Geneseo
- SUNY Oneonta
- The College of New Jersey
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- University of Bridgeport
- University of Dayton
- University of Hartford
- The University of Illinois, Springfield (UIS)
- University of Memphis
- The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- University of St. Thomas - Houston
- The University of Texas at San Antonio
- University of Texas, El Paso
- University of the District of Columbia
- University of Toledo
- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
- Western Michigan University
- Western Washington University
• 251-300
- Abilene Christian University
- Augustana University
- Boise State University
- Bradley University
- Bryant University
- California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
- California State University, Monterey Bay
- Calvin University
- Cedar Crest College
- Chatham University
- Chestnut Hill College
- Clark Atlanta University
- Cleveland State University
- CUNY The City College of New York
- Endicott College
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Gwynedd Mercy University
- Hampton University
- Immaculata University
- Iona College
- James Madison University
- Marist College
- Miami University
- Montana State University
- Nazareth College
- Oklahoma City University
- Quinnipiac University
- Regis University
- Roosevelt University
- Siena College
- Sonoma State University
- SUNY Brockport
- SUNY Cortland
- Texas State University
- Trinity University
- Truman State University
- University of Alaska Anchorage
- University of Arkansas Fayetteville
- University of Evansville
- University of La Verne
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Montana Missoula
- University of New Haven
- University of North Florida
- University of Portland
- University of St Thomas
- The University of Tampa
- University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
- Valparaiso University
- Wagner College
- William Paterson University of New Jersey
- Woodbury University
Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:39 PM | View the original post
May 19, 2020
Chandigarh among 65 Cities rated 3-Star Garbage Free Cities in India; Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore, and Navi Mumbai Certified 5-Star.
Photo: Mysore. Lalitha Mahal Palace. Built in 1921 for Viceroy’s stay at Mysore. Image Credit: Kiran Ravikumar.
New Delhi, May 19, 2020 — India’s Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep S. Puri, has informed that for the assessment year 2019-2020, his Ministry has certified a total of six cities as 5-Star. They are Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore, and Navi Mumbai. The Ministry has approved 65 cities as 3-Star and 70 towns as 1-Star.
The 65 towns with a 3-star rating include Karnal, Bhopal, Tirupati, Chandigarh, Raigarh, Jamnagar, Chhindwara, and Vijayawada.
While announcing the results of the Star Rating of Garbage Free Cities, here today, Mr. Puri also launched the revised protocol for the Star Rating of Garbage Free Cities at the event. The Star Rating Protocol was launched by the Ministry in January 2018 to institutionalize a mechanism for cities to achieve Garbage Free status and to motivate cities to achieve higher degrees of cleanliness.
The Minister said, “The importance of sanitation and effective solid waste management has been brought to the forefront now due to the COVID crisis. Five years ago, we introduced Swachh Survekshan, the annual cleanliness survey for urban India, that has proven immensely successful in improving urban cleanliness through a healthy competition spirit. However, since it is a ranking system, several of our cities, despite doing exceptionally well, were not being recognized appropriately. The Ministry, therefore, devised the Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities. It is a comprehensive framework similar to our examination systems where each ward in every city must achieve a certain standard across 24 different components of solid waste management (SWM) and is graded based on overall marks received.”
He further added, “We aim to institutionalize as well as bring consistency and transparency when it comes to solid waste management. This certification is an acknowledgment of the clean status and strengthened solid waste management systems of Urban Local Bodies. It is a mark of trust and reliability akin to universally known standards.”
“Moreover, the performance of cities under the Star Rating Protocol is crucial as it carries significant weightage when it comes to their final assessment in Swachh Survekshan. The Star Rating Protocol is holistic. It includes components such as the cleanliness of drains & water bodies, plastic waste management, and managing construction & demolition waste, which are critical drivers for achieving garbage-free cities. While the essential thrust of this protocol is on solid waste management, it also takes care of ensuring specific minimum standards of sanitation through a set of prerequisites defined in the framework,” the Minister elaborated.
Source: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, New Delhi.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:15 PM | View the original post
MIT Researchers Develop Analytics focused on Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutics Clinical Trials.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2020 — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have published their studies in a COVID-19 special issue of the Harvard Data Science Review. The studies describe new methods for accelerating drug approvals during pandemics and for providing more accurate measures of the probabilities of success for clinical trials of vaccines and other anti-infective therapies.
“Randomized clinical trials are the gold standard for determining the safety and effectiveness of a treatment,” said Andrew Lo, Ph.D., the study’s senior author, and the Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In randomized clinical trials, patients are assigned randomly to two groups, one receiving a new treatment and the other receiving a placebo or reference treatment.
“Only when the treatment group shows significant improvement over the control group, will regulators approve the therapy,” explained Lo. “The current process protects the public by minimizing the chances of ‘false positives’ (approving ineffective and unsafe therapies), and by and large, it’s been very successful,” he added.
But there is a trade-off between false positives and false negatives (not approving a safe and effective therapy). So Lo and his collaborators have developed a framework that uses an epidemiological model of COVID-19 to calculate the optimal statistical threshold for approving a drug during a pandemic. “During an outbreak, many lives are at stake, so we need to be less concerned about false positives and more concerned about false negatives than during normal times,” said Lo. “In response, we’ve developed an analytic framework that allows regulators to make this trade-off systematically, transparently, and rationally,” he elaborated.
At the core of this new framework (jointly developed in collaboration with MIT students Qingyang Xu and Danying Xiao, and former MIT student Shomesh Chaudhuri, Ph.D.) is an explicit optimization algorithm. It minimizes the expected loss of life across various scenarios generated by a statistical model of an infectious disease. This algorithm, said Xu, will lead to more drug approvals during outbreaks, unlike the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) program. “Our framework complements the EUA, allowing regulators to incorporate loss-of-life considerations quantitatively during periods of extraordinary stress,” explained Xu, the lead investigator of the study.
“The probabilities of success (PoS) is a key input into each major decision of every biopharma company,” observed Lo. PoS helps a biopharma company decide which disease to tackle and how much resources to devote to it, he added.
Because a successful clinical trial can mean billions of dollars in revenues, small changes in PoS can lead to very different business decisions. Therefore, having timely and accurate measures of PoS is critical — and often, these better measures of risk and reward allow investors to put more capital to work.
Governments around the world would soon begin to formulate a more systematic strategy for dealing with pandemics beyond COVID-19, said Wong, the study’s lead author. “The PoS estimates can be used by policymakers to identify areas most likely to be underserved by private sector engagement and in need of public sector support,” he added.
These results are part of Project ALPHA (Analytics for Life-sciences Professionals and Healthcare Advocates), an ongoing initiative at the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering (LFE), where Lo is the Director. The results would help make the biomedical funding ecosystem more efficient. “We now provide this information regularly, it’s not just a one-shot deal,” Lo said. Users can now obtain the most current PoS estimates.
The Harvard Data Science Review (HDSR), where this study appears, is published by the MIT Press. Established in 1962, the MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world.
Source: MIT Sloan School of Management
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:28 AM | View the original post
May 18, 2020
FORTUNE Announces 2020 FORTUNE 500 List, Launches First-Ever "History Of The FORTUNE 500" Data Analytics Visualization Site With Partner Qlik
Walmart takes No. 1 spot for the eighth straight year; Amazon.com jumps up to No. 2, its all-time high ranking.
NEW YORK, May 18, 2020 — Today, FORTUNE announced the 66th FORTUNE 500, its annual list of the largest corporations in the United States, ranked by revenue for the 2019 fiscal year. Additionally, FORTUNE and Qlik, the official analytics partner of the FORTUNE 500, have launched the “History of the FORTUNE 500” interactive site. This visual experience, developed by Qlik, takes users on a journey through the FORTUNE 500. It enables guided exploration of data related to company revenues, the historical events that shaped them, and the industry sector status and changes that have emerged.
According to FORTUNE, the revenue threshold for making the 2020 FORTUNE 500 list was $5.7 billion, up 1% from last year. In total, FORTUNE 500 companies represent two-thirds of the U.S. GDP, with $14.2 trillion in revenues (up 4%), $1.2 trillion in profits (up 8%), $20.4 trillion in market value (down 10%), and employ 29.2 million people worldwide.
Walmart took the top spot on the 2020 list for the eighth year in a row, generating $4 trillion cumulative revenue over that time. Amazon.com jumped to No.2 for its highest ranking since its 2002 debut. Exxon Mobil, Apple, and CVS Health round out the top 5, FORTUNE said.
THE TOP FIFTY COMPANIES ON THE 2020 FORTUNE 500 LIST ARE:
- Walmart
- Amazon.com
- Exxon Mobil
- Apple
- CVS Health
- Berkshire Hathaway
- UnitedHealth Group
- McKesson
- AT&T
- AmerisourceBergen
- Alphabet
- Ford Motor
- Cigna
- Costco Wholesale
- Chevron
- Cardinal Health
- JPMorgan Chase
- General Motors
- Walgreens Boots Alliance
- Verizon Communications
- Microsoft
- Marathon Petroleum
- Kroger
- Fannie Mae
- Bank of America
- Home Depot
- Phillips 66
- Comcast
- Anthem
- Wells Fargo
- Citigroup
- Valero Energy
- General Electric
- Dell Technologies
- Johnson & Johnson
- State Farm Insurance
- Target
- IBM
- Raytheon Technologies
- Boeing
- Freddie Mac
- Centene
- United Parcel Service
- Lowe’s
- Intel
- FedEx
- MetLife
- Walt Disney
- Procter & Gamble
According to FORTUNE, it drives the conversation about business. “With a global perspective, the guiding wisdom of history, and an unflinching eye to the future, we report and reveal the stories that matter today — and that will matter even more tomorrow,” the American multinational business magazine said. “With the trusted power to convene and challenge those who are shaping the industry, commerce, and society around the world, FORTUNE lights the path for global leaders — and gives them the tools to make business better,” it added.
Source: FORTUNE Media
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:20 PM | View the original post
UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2020: Call for Applications and Nominations
Photo: UN Secretary-General António Guterres (right) meets with Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). July 16, 2019. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Mark Garten. [File Photo]
Paris, France, May 18, 2020 — UNESCO has now opened its call for applications and nominations for the 2020 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes. This year UNESCO will reward five individuals or organizations around the world for their outstanding projects that promote literacy within the theme’ Teaching and learning literacy: the role of educators and changing pedagogies’.
This year’s thematic focus is highlighting teachers who are at the frontline of delivering literacy learning, and their contribution to promoting youth and adult literacy, linked to the Target 4.6 of the Sustainable Development Goal on Education (SDG4).
Since 1967, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have rewarded excellence and innovation in the field of literacy. Over 495 projects and programs around the world have already received recognition and support for their excellent work.
• Who can Apply and Who can Nominate?
Governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals who promote literacy through projects and programs are welcome to apply.
Candidates should submit their Applications to Nominating Entities, such as the National Commission for UNESCO, in the program’s country.
Candidates can also submit their applications through the online platform. Details about the application and nomination process are on the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes’ website.
National Commissions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO are encouraged to nominate individuals, institutions, and organizations who are making outstanding contributions to promoting literacy and who request a nomination.
- Deadline for candidates to submit to nominating entities: June 28, 2020; midnight, Paris time.
- Deadline for nominating bodies to submit their nominations to UNESCO: July 12, 2020; midnight, Paris time.
An independent International Jury would asses the nominations. The Jury would be composed of five experts based on the selection criteria. The Director-General of UNESCO would select the award winners on the recommendations of the International Jury. UNESCO would present the prizes on the occasion of International Literacy Day.
• About the Prizes
Through two prestigious literacy Prizes, UNESCO supports effective literacy practices and encourages the promotion of dynamic literate societies to close the literacy gap of approximately 750 million people.
UNESCO distinguishes between two Literacy Prizes received by five laureates in total:
- The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (2 awards), was established in 1989. The Government of the Republic of Korea supports it. This Prize gives special consideration to programs that focus on the development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training.
- The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards), was established in 2005. The Government of the People’s Republic of China supports it. This Prize recognizes programs that promote literacy amongst adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women.
Each Prizewinner receives a Medal, a Diploma, and US$ 20,000.
Source: UNESCO
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:19 AM | View the original post
May 17, 2020
Washington's National Press Club weathers Pandemic, Stays Engaged with its Members.
Photo: Washington, D.C. Capitol Building.
Washington, DC, May 16, 2020— The National Press Club, Washington, DC, has remained vibrant and maintained full employment of its staff throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Club officials said. They were addressing the General Membership Meeting held on Wednesday, May 13.
• The Club conducted the Meeting through Online Video Conference.
Speaking to the Members, Club President Michael Freedman said the Club has been resilient in responding to the “head-spinning turn of events” caused by the pandemic. The Club did that by placing the top priority on the health and safety of its members and staff, keeping it financially viable, and providing both virtual and in-person member services, including helping those in need, Freedman added.
Freedman emphasized that the Club has suspended in-person activities but has not shut down over the eight weeks though the pandemic has forced governments across the country to issue stay-at-home orders.
“The National Press Club and the National Press Club Journalism Institute have remained open and actively engaged with our members and with our colleagues on the front lines around the world,” Freedman said.
Since mid-March, the Club has hosted Virtual Newsmakers with political leaders and medical experts and has remained active in promoting press freedom.
American Nurses Association President, Dr. Ernest Grant, who called nurses “warriors without armor” in their fight against COVID-19, participated in a live fireside chat on Friday, May 15. Dr. Grant discussed the role of nurses in the global pandemic and “The International Year of the Nurse.”
American Medical Association President, Patrice A. Harris, delivered a live national address on Tuesday, April 7, about the essential need for relying on science and data to protect public health, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The speech, delivered via Livestream as part of the National Press Club’s Virtual Newsmaker series, centered on the need for evidence-based solutions and policies to build societal trust and a common understanding.
The 2020 baseball season began at the National Press Club on Tuesday, April 14, when members and guests had an opportunity to “play ball” with Washington Nationals radio broadcasters Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler.
Pulitzer Prize winner and former New York Times photographer Stephen Crowley discussed how news photos could convey humanity, irony, and humor as well as news in an online presentation with National Press Club’s Photography Team.
Photo: Edward Segal, a Member of the National Press Club and a Specialist in Crisis Management, has launched his new book, “Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies.”
Meanwhile, the National Press Club Journalism Institute (NPCJI) has started a daily newsletter and writing group, sponsored several weekly programs, and has offered online library services since the Club suspended in-person activities. “The Institute is now serving hundreds of journalists daily, something we’ve never done before,” said Angela Greiling Keane, president of the NPCJI board of directors.
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club, “World’s Leading Professional Organization for Journalists,” represents more than 3,000 reporters, editors, and professional communicators worldwide. The Club hosts nearly 2,000 events per year in its 54,000 square foot facility located in downtown Washington just three blocks from the White House.
The National Press Club (NPC) has several Reciprocal Clubs, including the London Press Club and the Press Club of India, New Delhi. NPC Members enjoy access to Reciprocal Clubs facilities.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
— The editor participated in the National Press Club Members Meeting. He is a Member of the Club since 2011.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:45 AM | View the original post
May 16, 2020
TAG Heuer introduces a limited-edition TAG Heuer Monaco timepiece as a tribute to the iconic 'Grand Prix de Monaco Historique' Car Race.
Photo: A limited-edition Monaco timepiece dedicated to the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Car Race.
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland — The appointment of TAG Heuer as the Official Sponsor and Timekeeper of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique complements its current designation as the Official Watch of the Monaco Grand Prix and the Official Watch Partner of the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum.
TAG Heuer is presenting a special-edition timepiece as a tribute to this prestigious event and the Monaco collection.
The biannual Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend is one of the classic car racing events. The passionate community of owners, drivers, and spectators relish the spectacle of historic Grand Prix racing and love the warm spirit and camaraderie around the circuit.
The strikingly elegant and charismatic chronograph designed especially for the occasion features the signature red-and-white color code that is reminiscent of eye-catching sports cars from the thrilling world of motor racing. The small silver historic car logo of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique at the 1 o’clock position on the crimson brushed dial instantly links this exclusive model to the historic race. Each of these limited edition 1,000 watches has its unique number, and the words “One of 1000” engraved on it.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:23 AM | View the original post
May 15, 2020
Self-Sterilizing, Transparent N99+ Masks
DETROIT, May 14, 2020 — Detroit-based Redcliffe Medical announced it had launched LEAF, a breakthrough transparent face mask with state of the art N99+ HEPA-Carbon filtration, powered by optional UV self-sterilization and active ventilation.
The face-cover embodies a design inspired by nature and natural transpiration of leaves, the company said. It’s efficient yet minimalistic while allowing face unlock on Smartphones. Its shell is of optical grade, soft, fire-retardant, reusable, self-defogging, and UV proof Silicone material, Redcliffe Medical stated.
LEAF comes in different transparent, translucent, and solid colors with three variants HEPA, UV, and PRO.
• LEAF-HEPA has the patent-pending signature “Leaf” design coupled with U-Series HEPA-filtration, known as the Gold standard of HEPA filtration as small as 0.3 Micron (with 99.9997% Filtration).
• LEAF-UV is high performance. It contains UV-C sterilization built into the rechargeable filter housing, destroying pathogens at the DNA level at “light” speed and Active-Carbon filtration to eliminate odors organic substances. With disposable masks raising an impending threat to nature, effective sterilization makes the filters last for up to a month.
• LEAF-PRO adds active ventilation & air quality sensing. LEAF-PRO actively senses the user’s metabolism and particle count on the included Air-Manager Smartphone app. That Air-Manager Smartphone app. automatically commands the Sterilization and Ventilation system. Deploying all that cutting-edge tech allows the LEAF PRO to deliver a paramount safe breathing experience, said the manufacturer.
According to LEAF’s Co-Founder and Innovation awardee Alex Lightman, “Leaf was designed to be the gold standard in the face mask in Covid19. It’s 2020, and we now have a mask that looks and acts fully modern. It fundamentally changes our ability to defend ourselves from pathogens and pollution while enabling society to see who we are dealing with and to keep masks on while using face unlock biometrics.”
LEAF’s Co-Founder, Lalit Verma, said, “It’s the right tech at the right time. While the COVID-19 crisis has hit the world, rapid adoption of opaque face masks is threatening social security and public surveillance, and Leaf’s transparency is key to secure scalable protection.”
LEAF’s Globe series, a stripped-down version of Leaf designed for mass deployments, is available for bulk orders. LEAF’s Geolock series is another patent-pending tamper-proof series that allows the mask to be installed-removed at secure locations for contained transit of potentially infected individuals. The manufacturer, Redcliffe Medical Devices, gave this information.
Source: Redcliffe Medical Devices, Inc.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:24 AM | View the original post
May 13, 2020
Cipla Enters Into a Licensing Agreement With Gilead to Expand Access to COVID-19 Treatment
MUMBAI, India, May 13, 2020 — Cipla Limited today announced that it had signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. for the manufacturing and distribution of the investigational medicine Remdesivir. This agreement is part of Cipla’s efforts to enhance global access to life-saving treatments for patients affected by the pandemic. Remdesivir has been issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat COVID-19 patients.
As part of the agreement, Gilead Sciences would permit Cipla to manufacture the API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) and Finished Product and market it in 127 countries, including India and South Africa, under Cipla’s brand name. Cipla will receive the manufacturing know-how from Gilead Sciences, Inc. to manufacture the API and Finished Product at a commercial scale. Cipla’s extensive geographical and retail footprint will help make this therapy accessible to more patients and markets.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s tracker, the number of reported COVID-19 cases has crossed the four million mark globally.
The EUA will facilitate the broader use of Remdesivir to treat hospitalized patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19. The EUA is based on available data from two global clinical trials - the U.S. National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ placebo-controlled Phase 3 study in patients with moderate to severe symptoms of COVID-19, and Gilead’s global Phase 3 study evaluating Remdesivir in patients with severe disease. Multiple additional clinical trials are ongoing to generate more data on the safety and efficacy of Remdesivir as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Remdesivir continues to be an investigational drug that has not been approved by the FDA.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla Limited, said, “As the world faces the COVID-19 crisis, we must collaborate and fight this virus together. We are pleased to partner with Gilead for this cause and take this treatment to patients across countries after the required regulatory approvals. At Cipla, it is our continuous endeavor to ensure that no patient is denied access to life-saving treatments. Our partnership with Gilead represents this unwavering commitment and is a significant step towards saving millions of lives impacted by the pandemic.”
Source: Cipla.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:31 PM | View the original post
Lucy Hale Joins ALMAY As Global Brand Ambassador
Photo: Lucy Hale for ALMAY.
NEW YORK, May 12, 2020 — ALMAY, a leader in clean, hypoallergenic makeup, has announced its partnership with multi-talented actress and singer Lucy Hale. She will take on the role of ALMAY Global Brand Ambassador.
“Known for her versatile skill set, Hale has captured millions of viewers around the world with her roles on multiple smash-hit TV shows. With ALMAY, Hale will now take on her newest role, inviting fans to join her sensitive skin journey and learn about her clean beauty routine,” ALMAY said in an announcement.
“I’m a beauty and skincare lover at heart, but I’ve always struggled with finding the right products for my sensitive skin,” says Lucy Hale. “For someone who has and still deals with skin issues, it’s so important that from start to finish, I keep my beauty routine as gentle as possible, which is why I love ALMAY products. From their eyeliners to their mascaras to their makeup remover towelettes, ALMAY uses gentle ingredients in products specially formulated to avoid irritation. They’re the perfect solution for me - easy to use, high-quality products that don’t sacrifice performance.”
ALMAY said Hale believes it is up to all of us to have as minimal of an impact on the planet as possible and that biodegradable, clean products are the future. Starting last year, ALMAY has taken steps towards minimizing its effect on the earth by incorporating eco-friendly, sustainable elements into their packaging to help provide for a better tomorrow.
“Lucy embodies ALMAY’s approach to effortless beauty. She’s knowledgeable about what she applies to her sensitive skin and knows that using gentle formulas with carefully selected ingredients doesn’t mean she has to compromise on payoff or performance,” said Global Brand President Silvia Galfo. “Lucy embraces our brand values of clean, effortless, hypoallergenic beauty in her daily life and is the perfect partner to inspire women to feel their best and be confident, no matter their skin needs. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to the ALMAY family.”
As Global Brand Ambassador, Hale will act as the face of ALMAY in a series of upcoming campaigns, including the launch of a series of yet-to-be-revealed products this winter.
According to ALMAY, it has been the leader in hypoallergenic makeup since 1931 with the belief that beauty should be clean, effortless, and have nothing to hide.
Source: ALMAY.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:05 AM | View the original post
May 12, 2020
Robin Hood And iHeartMedia's "Rise Up New York!" Telethon Raises Over $115 Million To Support New Yorkers Most Impacted By COVID-19.
Virtual Telethon hosted by Tina Fey unites Star-studded Group of New York’s Biggest Actors, Athletes, Musicians, Politicians, Chefs, and More.
NEW YORK, May 11, 2020 — Robin Hood, New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, and iHeartMedia joined together tonight to air a citywide “virtual telethon” to raise awareness and funds to help affected New Yorkers. COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the lives of the latter.
Hosted by Tina Fey, “Rise Up New York!” brought together bighearted New Yorkers with one common goal: to raise funds for Robin Hood’s relief and recovery efforts.
One hundred percent of donations will provide support for food, shelter, cash assistance, health and mental health, legal services, education, and more - helping fellow New Yorkers rebuild their lives as the city moves towards recovery and beyond.
To date, Robin Hood has raised over $115 million toward relief and recovery efforts since the onset of the pandemic in New York City. Corporate donors, including Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Barclays, BlackRock, Capital One, Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, have generously supported Robin Hood. These donors recognized the extreme need for help, and proactively reached out at the onset of the pandemic.
Telethon appearances included Governor Andrew Cuomo, Angie Mar, Awkwafina, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chris Rock, Daniel Humm, Danny Meyer, Darryl McDaniels, David Chang, Eli Manning, Fab 5 Freddy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Chastain, Jimmy Fallon, Justin Tuck, Matthew Broderick, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Michael Strahan, Mike D & Ad-Rock, Patti Lupone, Phil Simms, Robert De Niro, Rosie Perez, RZA, Salt-N-Pepa, Sarah Jessica Parker, Spike Lee, and Trevor Noah.
Musical performances included Alicia Keys, Andrew Rannells, Ben Platt, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Chris Jackson, Cynthia Erivo, Idina Menzel, Karen Olivio, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mariah Carey, and Sting. Mariah Carey gave a rendition of “Through the Rain/Make It Happen.”
“New York City is at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has created a whole new set of challenges for the millions of New Yorkers,” said Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore. “We must all come together as a community in support of our neighbors and one another.”
Rise Up, New York! was aired across local New York City broadcast television stations; Cheddar; News 12; RSN SportsNet; Spectrum News NY1; and YES Network. Radio stations like iHeartMedia, Entercom, SiriusXM, and CNBC also gave broadcast support. Further, ABC News Live, LiveXLive, NBC News NOW, and NowThis Media streamed the event.
Source: Robin Hood, New York.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:30 PM | View the original post
