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Expert Perspective: New Proposal to Use Southern Plantations to Teach Kids About Racism
America's history is steeped in racism - and how the country accepts and reconciles its past has been a topic of much debate and consideration. Last year, Georgia Southern University Associate Professor of Geography Amy Potter, Ph.D., was awarded a $75,000 National Science Foundation grant for the project, “The Role of Museums in the Landscape of Minority Representation.” And recently, she co-authored a fantastic piece titled, New Proposal to Use Southern Plantations to Teach Kids About Racism, that has been getting a lot of pick-up from news organizations across the country. New Proposal to Use Southern Plantations to Teach Kids About Racism State legislatures across the United States are cracking down on discussions of race and racism in the classroom. School boards are attempting to ban books that deal with difficult histories. Lawmakers are targeting initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. Such efforts raise questions about whether students in the U.S. will ever be able to engage in free and meaningful discussions about the history of slavery in America and the effect it had on the nation. As cultural geographers, we see a potential venue for these kinds of discussions that we believe to be an overlooked and poorly used resource: plantation museums... April 02 - Yahoo!News If you're a reporter looking to know more about this important topic - then let us help with your coverage and stories. Amy Potter, Ph.D., is available to answer your questions - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
12 tips to help you build your networking skills in Canada
Your professional network will be one of your most valuable assets in the Canadian job market. Whether you’re trying to land your first job or are looking for a mentor, your network can play an important role in helping you achieve professional success in Canada. As a newcomer to Canada, you’ll have to work harder and refine your networking skills to build connections from scratch in your new country. This article will provide you with tips to help you build your networking skills, so you can start nurturing meaningful professional relationships. 1. Understand that communication is two-sided One of the many advantages of networking is that it’s as much about promoting your personal brand as it is about learning from the experience of others. When someone takes time to speak with you, give them a chance to talk. Active, attentive listening is an essential networking skill that ensures you absorb the information being shared with you. You can then ask intelligent, relevant questions and get insights that might be useful for your professional success in Canada. Keep distractions away and focus on the conversation. It is rude to interrupt when someone is talking, so save your questions until they’ve finished speaking. 2. Improve your public speaking skills Many newcomers avoid networking or public speaking as they lack confidence in their English language or interpersonal skills. However, practice is the best way to overcome the fear of speaking in public. Take the time to work on your language skills. There are many English as a Second Language (ESL) resources and community groups available across the country to help newcomers improve their speaking and listening skills. Practice speaking in front of a mirror or with your friends. Don’t feel insecure if you have an accent or have trouble understanding some words. Remember, Canada is a diverse, multicultural country, and most people are accepting of the fact that English may not be your first language. 3. Practice both verbal and non-verbal communication What you say is only half the image you present—non-verbal communication is just as important. Your body language conveys a lot about your personality and how engaged you are in a meeting. Avoid crossing your arms, closing your fists tightly, or hunching your shoulders, as this can make you seem unfriendly. Practice smiling and gesturing with your hands as you talk in front of a mirror. Be aware of your posture and make eye contact with the people you are talking to. While networking in-person, speak confidently. Respect people’s personal space and avoid standing too close to them. 4. Learn the art of small talk Small talk is culturally important in Canada. It serves as an icebreaker before you get to the actual topic of conversation. Since small talk is meant to create a safe, comfortable environment, be sure to choose non-controversial, light topics. Some common small talk topics include the weather, sports, arts, entertainment, hobbies, and current events. Stay away from topics like politics, personal or family matters, income, and religion. As a newcomer, you can build your small talk skills by staying up-to-date on the news, developing an interest in Canadian arts, culture, and, of course, sports. 5. Ask for constructive feedback An easy way to build your networking skills is to get an honest opinion on what you maybe doing wrong or need to improve. Before an important networking meeting, do a practice run with some friends and ask them for feedback on your small talk, elevator pitch, questions, and overall communication skills. You can also ask for constructive feedback towards the end of your networking meetings. Be open and humble when you ask for tips to help you build your networking skills. In most cases, people are willing to offer guidance and insights that you can leverage in future meetings. 6. Give before you get One mistake many newcomers make is to only think about what they can get out of a connection, without considering what they may be able to offer in return. Networking is not one-sided, so be sure to make a list of your unique skills and strengths before you start. Even if you are new to the Canadian job market, review the LinkedIn profile of the person you’re going to meet to understand their role and see where you can contribute. During your meeting, convey your willingness to help and ask if there’s anything you can support them with. By offering to give before you get, you can build meaningful connections and also prove your value to your network. Once they’ve seen your skills in action, they’ll be more likely to offer guidance, connect you to others, or refer you to job opportunities. 7. Attend networking events and workshops One way to build your networking skills is to jump right in and start networking. Look for both virtual and in-person networking events on industry association websites or on platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup, and attend as many as you can. In addition to making connections, this will also give you a chance to observe the way other people network. You’ll be able to pick up best practices related to small talk, ways to introduce yourself, verbal and non-verbal communication, and questions to ask. If you meet someone particularly impressive, don’t hesitate to follow up and ask if they would be willing to share some tips to help you network better. 8. Prepare, prepare, prepare When it comes to networking meetings, preparation can make all the difference. Put your research skills to good use and learn as much as you can about the background, role, and career path of the individual you’re going to meet. Know what you want to get from your networking meetings—further connections, guidance, or referrals. Prepare a list of questions accordingly, and customize your list based on each person’s industry, skills, and position. Finally, spend some time creating an engaging, authentic elevator pitch. Remember that an elevator pitch is not a sales pitch, but a chance to tell your story and highlight your skills in an impactful way. 9. Ask for recommendations and introductions In Canada, every professional you meet will likely have their own network. As a newcomer, it might not be easy to ask the people you meet to connect you with others. This is a networking skill that you’ll need to build as you start to grow and nurture your network. Before you meet someone for a coffee chat, go through their LinkedIn network and see if they know someone you’d like to be introduced to. If you’re looking for specific information or trying to build a particular skill, it is a good idea to ask your connections if they can recommend someone in their industry or organization who might be able to help. If you’ve cultivated a meaningful relationship, you might also be able to get an introduction to someone in their network. When you are introduced to a person by someone they know and trust, they are more likely to take out time to speak with you. 10. Keep track of your networking meetings For most newcomers, the first few months of networking can be overwhelming. Since you’re building your network from scratch in Canada, you might be meeting as many as four or five people each week. This makes it hard to keep track of who you’ve met and what you discussed. As a result, you might forget valuable insights or miss out on following up with some people. Keeping track of your meetings is an important networking skill. Create a list with names of people you meet, meeting dates, their designations and organization, discussion points, and follow-up actions. When you set up follow-up meetings, you’ll be able to refer to your list to review points that you had discussed with them earlier. This list can also help you identify connections who might be useful when you’re applying for a job. You’ll also be able to clearly see gaps in your network, such as industries you don’t have connections in, so you can focus on those in the future. 11. Follow up and follow through Building meaningful professional relationships takes time and in most cases, the first meeting is only an introduction. The value you can leverage from your connections often depends on how much time and effort you invest in maintaining them. You can start by sending a personalized thank you note within 24 hours of your meeting. If you’ve agreed upon any action items during your meetings, don’t forget to deliver on them. After your initial meeting, you can keep the conversation going by regularly sharing relevant developments and insights, engaging on their social media posts, or asking for their opinion on topics related to the ones you discussed. 12. Don’t give up Finally, patience is another skill you’ll need as you start building your network in Canada. It’s easy to become demotivated when your LinkedIn connection requests go unanswered or when the people you connect with online are unwilling to meet you. Even after the initial coffee chats, some of your connections may not be able or willing to offer you the advice, guidance, or contacts you need. It takes time to nurture relationships and identify how and where someone might be able to add value. You might also have to demonstrate your own willingness to help before someone agrees to support you. Even if some meetings don’t go as well as you had hoped, don’t give up. Each new meeting is a learning opportunity, so keep an open mind. Remember that it only takes one connection or referral to land your dream job in Canada. Networking plays a crucial role in the Canadian job market. However, networking may not come naturally to everyone. As a newcomer to Canada, improving your networking skills will help you build meaningful relationships with people who can bring you closer to achieving your career goals. Original article located here, published by Arrive. About Arrive Arrive is powered by RBC Ventures Inc, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. In collaboration with RBC, Arrive is dedicated to helping newcomers achieve their life, career, and financial goals in Canada. An important part of establishing your financial life in Canada is finding the right partner to invest in your financial success. RBC is the largest bank in Canada* and here to be your partner in all of your financial needs.
As the war rages in Ukraine, what's next? Augusta University expert answers key questions
For a month now, the world has watched the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. The war has dominated news coverage since before the invasion, with journalists asking why Russia would invade a sovereign country and whether this could expand to an all-out war in Europe for the first time since World War II? There are still many questions to be asked, which is why we’ve enlisted Dr. Craig Albert, from Augusta University. Albert has been speaking extensively with the media answering key questions about the invasion. Q: How has Russia ramped up their war efforts and are the latest attacks a signal that they are going "all in" in taking over Ukraine? “Right now, Russia is still not fighting the war they are prepared for. In other words, they have a massive war-machine but are still only using small parts of it in this war. There are several reasons for this: they may not want to expose their hands to great powers; they may want to bring Ukraine back to the fold, so annihilating them, vis-à-vis, Grozny, might not be the best play. As it is, Russia is still poised to take Kyiv within a few months unless Ukraine has alliance boots on the ground, which is not likely since it will raise the specter of WWIII." Q: What do you expect we will see next? "I think we will most likely see the rise in dirty war tactics and techniques, with more mercenaries, more artillery bombardment, and more foreign fighters joining on both sides, especially former NATO special operations forces moving into the Ukraine International Legion, and well-paid Syrians on the side of Russia. With this increase in contract soldiers, we can expect more human rights atrocities and atrocities committed against soldiers as well as a relaxation of Geneva rules for armed conflict amongst combatants." Q. Do you expect to see Russia direct more cyber warfare the U.S. way? "I expect a steady, prolonged consistent cyber-conflict campaign waged by Russia against Ukraine and its allies, including the US. I don’t expect an escalation on this front at least at it applies to NATO forces. Russia is saving its most savvy cyberweapons for a possible larger-scaled conflict against a major power." If you’re a journalist looking to know more about what lies ahead as the war between Ukraine and Russia continues and how it may impact the United States, then let us help with your questions and coverage. Dr. Craig Albert is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism, and American politics. This is an important national and international issue. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.
UCI expert sources for the Russia/Ukraine Conflict
On Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, UCI’s School of Social Sciences hosted a webinar titled, “Understanding the Russia-Ukraine Crisis.” Several of the experts below offered perspective on key issues surrounding the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. You can watch or listen to the webinar here: https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2022/2022-02-25-understanding-the-russia-ukraine-crisis.php UCI faculty members available to comment, and their areas of expertise, are found below. Matthew Beckmann, Associate Professor, Political Science. Professor Beckman studies the organizational structures and operational strategies presidents can use to pick their team, invest their time, focus their attention, channel their effort, discipline their thinking, coordinate their subordinates, and, most importantly, make decisions. Contact: beckmann@uci.edu Jeffrey Kopstein, Professor, Political Science. In his research, Professor Kopstein focuses on interethnic violence, voting patterns of minority groups, and anti-liberal tendencies in civil society, paying special attention to cases within European and Russian Jewish history. As pertains to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, he can speak to politics in Russia and Ukraine, Authoritarianism, NATO and the transatlantic alliance, and European Union policy. Contact: kopstein@uci.edu Erin Lockwood, Assistant Professor, Political Science. Professor Lockwood’s research areas include international political economy and global financial politics. She can speak to questions related to economic sanctions, financial sanctions/financial infrastructure and payments systems more generally (for example, the prospect of cutting off Russian access to the SWIFT financial communications system.) Contact: eklockwo@uci.edu David Meyer, Professor, Sociology, Political Science and Planning, Policy & Design. Professor Meyer’s research examines the relationships between social movements and the political contexts in which they emerge. Topics surrounding the Russia/Ukraine conflict that align with his expertise include sanction strategy; the resistance strategy that might emerge in Ukraine in the face of occupation; the history of the Cold War and its influence today; and the possibility of a powerful peace/isolationist movement emerging in the U.S. Contact: dmeyer@uci.edu Gustavo Oliveira, Assistant Professor, Global & International Studies. Professor Oliveira is a specialist in global political economy and critical geopolitics, focusing on the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and international commodity markets, especially agricultural trade and natural resource governance. He can speak to the basis of the Russia/Ukraine conflict on natural resources, and the repercussions of the conflict for international commodity markets, inflation, and disruptions to global food supply chains. He can also speak about the anti-war movements in Russia, Europe, the United States, and broader political repercussions of the conflict in Brazil, Latin America, and the U.S. Contact: gustavo.oliveira@uci.edu Stergios Skaperdas, Professor, Economics and Director of the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies. His general area of research is political economy, the interaction of economics and politics. Among other issues, he has studied conflict and wars, the role of the modern state in economic development, and the interaction of globalization and geopolitics. Contact: sskaperd@uci.edu Etel Solingen, Distinguished Professor, Political Science and Thomas T. and Elizabeth C. Tierney Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies. Solingen studies the reciprocal influence between international political economy and international security, globalization and its discontents. She can discuss the crisis in terms of historical precedents (of international crises), the utility of sanctions, bargaining in crisis, Russia’s economic decline and how it bears on the current crisis. Contact: etel.solingen@uci.edu Media Contacts: • Tom Vasich, Communications Officer, UCI | 949-285-6455 | tmvasich@uci.edu • Heather Ashbach, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, School of Social Sciences | 719-651-3224 | hashbach@uci.edu
5 Ways Expertise Marketing Supports Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is much more than merely redesigning your website or moving your files to the cloud. It’s about harnessing digital technologies to elevate your business. Specifically, digital transformation is strategically adapting your business processes to change company culture, empower your staff and keep up with rising consumer demands. Organizations of all sizes are taking on transformative initiatives to meet today’s expectations in the digital space, but research by IDG has concluded that we still have some growing to do: “IT leaders are making steady and sequential progress to becoming digital-first organizations – though not at the same breakneck speed that the technologies themselves are proliferating. For many organizations, the foundational pieces are in place, and they’re actively working on adopting newer technologies like AI and IoT. But successful digital transformation will also require equal attention to change management and workforce strategy for the entire organization.” Supporting the Bigger Picture It’s easy to get hung up on the technology but successfully transforming your business means thinking about everyone involved – including your experts. Here are five ways expertise marketing supports digital transformation: It aligns people. Most companies aren’t particularly good at telling their people that their expertise is valued and many employees don’t understand the role they play as brand ambassadors. On top of that, outdated biographies on the company website fail to share the work that these experts with the audiences who are looking for it. A well-constructed expertise marketing program helps get experts and executives aligned on how they can help the brand – and it helps marketing teams feed the content beast. It tracks data. Metrics on visitor behaviour are critical to calculating ROI and ensuring your content is working. That said, most organizations don’t have an intuitive way of tracking internal contributions to the corresponding engagement data – making it difficult to determine which people and topics are driving results. Expertise marketing programs are designed to capture essential metrics on employee contributions and ensure that leads are captured and routed to appropriate individuals and departments for prompt follow up and reporting. It enhances search and SEO. Part of digital transformation is creating a sustained online presence. By harnessing your collective expertise, you can quickly publish a large volume of quality, searchable content that boosts your owned content footprint. It also provides a way to capitalize on earned media opportunities related to breaking news and emerging trends. It drives collaboration. Many organizations corporate policies and standards tend to lack guidelines for generating and promoting individual experts. As a result, individual groups within the organization are forced to fill the void and essentially, do their own thing. This leads to a disconnected set of expensive, custom projects. Organizations with structured expertise marketing programs consistently report an increase in collaboration and organizational alignment. It minimizes risk. It’s becoming more and more important to ensure adherence to corporate brand standards and editorial guidelines, as well as regulatory standards such as accessibility compliance. By centralizing your content and utilizing a federated content management structure, you’re not only providing your employees with a common source for branded assets and templates, but you’re empowering them to get things done in the simplest way possible. This approach mitigates risk, speeds time to market and dramatically lowers costs to implement a program. Filling the Gaps with Expertise As mentioned above, digital transformation is a comprehensive business strategy with many moving parts. While expertise marketing is one component of this organizational change, it works in tandem with your other programs and complements any initiative aimed at boosts your digital presence. In fact, it’s proven to support many of the activities that organizations have yet to complete. IDG’s 2018 State of Digital Transformation Expertise marketing is a powerful tool for enabling and elevating digital transformation. By encouraging company-wide participation, it’s shown to increase internal uptake, generate higher-quality content and ultimately, drive better results in terms of ROI. If digital transformation is in your future, then you need to start thinking about your experts today. Download the Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing For a comprehensive look at how expertise marketing benefits the entire organization and drives measurable return on investment, follow the link below to download a copy of ExpertFile’s Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy or download one of our tailored Guides for Corporate & Professional Services, Higher Education Institutions, Healthcare Institutions or Association & Not-for-Profits.
5 Tips On Creating Engaging Expert Profiles
If you’ve ever taken part in a website project, you know that not all content is created equal. We spend countless hours perfecting the homepage, but we often forget to tell our audiences who we are. The people behind the scenes in an organization provide some of the best opportunities to create relevant and relatable content for audiences. Take the “About Us” page for example. Ironically, it’s often an afterthought for digital teams who upload some boilerplate copy and call it a day. But people buy from people and the more human you can make your content the better the user experience will be. Here are some tips to help you create that personal connection. The Old Profile Our research shows that most employee content comes up surprisingly short when audiences conduct an online search. This is becoming a more critical element to consider, given that 78% of B2B buyers now use Google as a starting point for their online activities. While there can be several factors impacting your Google rank, the issue often comes down to a lack of quality content on employee-related pages. Many organizations resort to posting outdated headshots next to a title for their employee sections. If you’re lucky, you might find a boring text biography that fails to capture the depth of experience and expertise offered by your team. These tactics may have worked a decade ago, but today’s audiences now expect expert profiles to contain detailed biographies, multimedia and social content. This is especially true for B2B prospects like journalists and prospects looking for professional services. Any half-decent writer can make a person sound pretty important in a bio, but these audiences are looking for proof of your expertise. It’s not enough to tell audiences you’re great – you have to show them. Today’s audiences consume content differently, so it’s essential that you bring your expert profiles into the 21st century. The New Profile Here are 5 ways you can improve your employee content to better drive visitor attention, interaction and trust: Go Beyond Boring Bios: The new way to create expert profiles is to provide a detailed overview of an employee’s expertise and experience. This means that in addition to creating a detailed biography, you should also share content that shows key accomplishments that build credibility and trust: Are they an author? Have they spoken at a conference? Interviewed for a podcast? It’s important to get this information listed. Get Visual & Social: Beyond the written biography, look for ways to make content for your people more interesting for your audiences. Are there YouTube videos, Slideshares, Tweets, or thumbnails to books they have written? If so, you can leverage these assets for their profile. Remember if you are pitching media or conference organizers, this information is becoming tablestakes for journalists or event bookers who are vetting media sources or speakers. Show You Are Relevant & In-Demand: Public appearances and news spotlights can take your experts from unknown to sought-after. There are two ways to tackle this. The first is to capture any existing media releases to ramp up their credentials. If your expert hasn’t yet participated in this type of activity, publish content that speaks to emerging topics and news trends and provide quotes available to the media on newsworthy topics. This is a proven way to earn the attention of journalists and allow you to start building visibility as an industry insider. Go Beyond Your Website: While your website is ideal for hosting expert profiles, it’s not the only place to let your team shine. If you want to boost your visibility, make sure you take advantage of opportunities on third-party sites and platforms. This might include industry directories or your client/partner websites. By using the ExpertFile Platform, you can also publish your expert profiles to reach thousands of newsrooms through our media partners. Be More Approachable: It’s funny that almost every page on most websites has a call to action. However if you visit most people profiles, the journey ends there – or worse, it takes the visitor off your website and to an old, tired Linkedin profile. Instead, let your audiences get in touch with your business by including a specific call-to-actions (CTAs) within your expert profile. Depending on the size and capabilities of your organization, you might have want to enable direct connections to experts or opt to funnel leads through a various departments. Either way, the key to getting leads is starting a conversation. Download the Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing For a comprehensive look at how expertise marketing benefits the entire organization and drives measurable return on investment, follow the link below to download a copy of ExpertFile’s Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy or download one of our tailored Guides for Corporate & Professional Services, Higher Education Institutions, Healthcare Institutions or Association & Not-for-Profits.
How to Show Your Smarts: A Proven Approach to Expertise Marketing
If you’re operating in a knowledge-based industry, you’re in the business of selling expertise. Unfortunately, many organizations in these expert-rich sectors take an ad-hoc approach to planning and executing their expertise marketing initiatives. As a result, they often lack coordination across departments and fail to leverage valuable assets such as talent, content, technology and media channels. By following some simple rules, you will see significantly better results. It Starts with A Conversation First we need to talk about cross-team collaboration. Expertise marketing is a team sport, so it’s vital that your star players are ready. Throughout your organization, there are a broad range of people who are eager to support this type of initiative.Don’t focus too much on roles or seniority levels. At this stage, it’s about having candid discussions with the people around you and then expanding the conversation. You could start by discussing the value of expertise with stakeholders in your organization and sharing how it would help you meet your targets. Or you could reach out to department leads and team managers to get their insights and generate ideas. Most importantly, you need to get to know people outside of your immediate circle and discover the hidden talent within your organization. Sometimes the best results come from surprising places. The ExpertFile Approach As we go through the key elements of an expertise marketing program, you might find that you’re already following some of our best practices. However, when we start working with our clients, we often find that their expert content is disconnected and scattered across various teams and channels. If this sounds like you, that’s ok – you just need a bit of help putting the pieces together. Below, we’ve provided an overview of our proven approach and its alignment with the 5 key elements of expertise marketing: Strategy & Talent: The first step is to assess your expertise bench strength in your organization at various levels. Using a range of evaluation tools and techniques, we set out to identify any hidden expertise in your organization and establish what each expert can contribute. By engaging experts to share their expertise early on, we can define a strategy and open up doors for a range of high-quality content. Storytelling: Now, we need to establish your strengths and how we can best position your experts for your target audiences. Not only do we want to create stories that highlight your core offering, but we also need to showcase your experts in the context of breaking news and emerging issues. This ensures that you are always putting out timely and relevant content for high-value audiences like journalists, conference organizers and other media professionals. Digital Experience: Once you know which topics are best for your organization, we need to boost audience engagement with rich online experiences. We audit any existing channels and develop comprehensive “content footprints” for your experts. These footprints map out the future state of your expert content – such as new webpages, speakers’ bureaus, improved expert profiles, multi-media and/or social content assets. Search & Discovery: All the planning in the world won’t help you if your content isn’t visible. At this stage, we look to optimize your channels and maximize your reach with new and existing audiences. By publishing your expert content in searchable formats, we can make your organization more approachable and discoverable across your owned channels, search engines, social networks and newsroom platforms. Measurement: To show momentum it’s essential that we measure and track important content metrics to ensure the expertise marketing program is meeting expectations. We focus on key metrics such as expert content contributions, visitor engagement, and direct expert inquiries. And because we consider this from the onset of a project, we’re able to accurately report on your return on investment (ROI).
Troops are amassing along both sides of the border separating Russia and Ukraine. Diplomatic efforts from leaders from across Europe are in high gear as the concerns of an invasion and potentially all-out war between Russia and Ukraine could send the region into chaos. As the world watches and both sides gather allies for support, there are a lot of questions to ask, history to explore and explanations needed about what’s going on now and why. Dr. Craig Albert, associate professor of political science and director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at program at Augusta University, sat down with ABC News to answer some of those lingering questions. Q: What is the reason for Russia’s interest in Ukraine? "If NATO allows Ukraine to become a member of NATO, which is what Putin is fearing here, he might think that they might want to go to Belarus next. Where else are they going to go? Georgia, the Republic of Georgia? Putin does not want NATO literally bordering the Russian federation. He thinks that’s a threat and would allow NATO to put missiles and missile defense in those countries, which as you know, is much more of a direct threat to Russia." Q: Maybe it comes down to the possibility of military threats. Why does the US care what’s happening way over there? "So, when you have any type of European possible land mass war, conventional war, that’s going to be a cataclysmic problem for the world. I think of the untold numbers of dead that would happen in some type of land conventional war, kinetic operations on Europe. The last time we had something like that was the wars in the former Republic of Yugoslavia in the early ’90s. That resulted in up to 300,000 to 400,000 dead in two or three years. So, we live in a globalized world, so if you have Eastern or Central Europe that gets confronted with a massive conventional war, that’s going to effect the security and the economy of the entire world including us." Q: So, is it just the US being world police again? "Each side is viewing the other as acting aggressively and I think both sides are just trying to sure up their defenses, just trying to make sure that they can handle the current situation. The United States is entering in what’s called a status quo power cycle, where the United States just wants the power of the international arena to stay where it is.” With news reports of an invasion potentially happening soon, there will be an enormous amount of coverage on this topic – and that’s where the experts from Augusta can help with your stories. Dr. Craig Albert is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism, and American politics. This is an important national and international issue. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.
Senior lecturer at Aston University appointed as a Champion of the Microbiology Society
Dr Jonathan Cox, a senior lecturer in microbiology at Aston University, has been made a Champion of the Microbiology Society for the Midlands area, U.K. Microbiology Society Champions are members who help to raise the Society’s profile in their local area by initiating activities and events of their own or participating in Society-led events. They are appointed because of their passion for their subject matter and an enthusiasm to communicate it widely. Jonathan’s research interests surround the discovery of new antibiotics. He leads the Mycobacterial Research Group at Aston University, a multidisciplinary team spanning microbiology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, structural biology and drug discovery. The team’s main focus is to study the physiology of various pathogenic mycobacteria and to discover new ways to treat infections. He also teaches at Aston University and currently leads the teaching for first year microbiology on courses in biomedical science, biology and biochemistry, Jonathan also regularly engages with the press to comment on news stories and issues related to microbiology, infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. He has been a full member of the Microbiology Society for 10 years and has already contributed in many ways, including hosting the Microbiology Society Roadshow at Aston University in 2021. He has also been featured in Microbiology Today discussing his research. Speaking of his appointment, Jonathan said: “Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) accounts for around 700,000 deaths per annum globally and that number is predicted to rise to 10 million by 2050. The current economic burden of AMR is estimated to be at least €1.5 billion per year in the EU. New antibiotics and an improved understanding of how to use them will help to slow the progression of AMR, saving countless lives in the future. “I am delighted to have been appointed as a Microbiology Society Champion and to use this opportunity to raise the profile of the Society and, in particular, the importance of research into AMR.”
Top 6 reasons to study in Canada: Advantages for International Students
Canada is one of the most attractive destinations for international students wishing to study abroad. The country is known for its world-class education system and a wide variety of study programs for undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students. If you’re exploring the option of studying overseas, the fact that Canada is home to some of the top universities in the world is reason enough to add it to your list of study destinations. Nine Canadian universities feature in the top 200 academic institutions worldwide, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities 2022, which compared institutions across 90 countries. Besides the quality of education and institute rankings, there are many other reasons that make Canada a great study destination. This article compares some of the most popular study destinations and outlines six factors that make Canada one of the best countries in the world for international students. Why is Canada an attractive study destination? 1. Affordable study programs compared to other countries As an international student, one of your key criteria for choosing a study destination may be tuition fees. While the cost of education abroad can be quite high, the average tuition fee for study programs in Canada is lower compared to other popular study destinations like the United States (U.S.), the United Kingdom (U.K.), and Australia. 2. Better quality of life and lower cost of living in Canada Tuition fees will not be your only expense when you’re studying abroad. You’ll also need to account for non-tuition fees, such as additional university fees, health insurance, and ancillary fees. And of course, you need to budget for your living expenses, which include accommodation costs, the cost of food, travel, your phone bill, and more during your period of study. In Canada, international students can expect to spend between $19,000 and $28,000 CAD on living expenses in their first year. This includes the cost of accommodation (on- or off-campus), food, transportation, insurance, books, and other personal expenses. In addition, you’ll also need to pay the application fees for your study permit or student visa and for the institutions you’re applying to. According to a recent cost of living comparison, the cost of living plus rent indices for Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia are 54.62, 57.60, 53.24, and 61.51 respectively (these indices are relative to New York City). This means that it’s comparatively more expensive to live in the U.S. and Australia than in Canada. On average, living in the U.K. is slightly more economical than in Canada, but the cost of living may be higher in larger cities where universities are located. Quality of life is usually a factor of several aspects, such as quality of education, health care, employment, job security, environmental quality, and individual freedom. In the recent 2021 Best Countries Ranking, Canada was ranked the best country to live in. Australia ranked #6 on the list, but the U.S. and the U.K. did not make it to the top 10. 3. It can be easier to get admission into Canadian study programs Compared to the U.S., it can be relatively easier to get admission into Canadian universities or colleges. For admission into bachelor’s programs as an international student, Canadian universities typically take your high school academic track record into account. In the U.S., international students applying for undergraduate programs also need to get a good score on the SAT or ACT exam and there’s more emphasis on overall extra-curricular development. If you’ve been focusing on academics over these other criteria, you may have better chances of getting accepted to a Canadian university. Australia and the U.K. have eligibility criteria similar to Canada. Canadian universities also tend to have a better acceptance rate compared to similarly ranked U.S. institutions, so your chances of securing admission into an institute and study program of your choice are higher. 4. Ample post-graduate job opportunities in Canada As an international student, one of your criteria for choosing a study destination might be the possibility of staying and working abroad after your graduation. In most cases, this will mean applying for and getting a work permit, and being able to find a suitable job after you graduate or complete a higher education program. In Canada, the process of getting a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is fairly simple and you can apply for one immediately after finishing your study program or within 180 days of its completion. You may be eligible for a work permit if you’ve studied at an authorized Designated Learning Institution (DLI) with a valid study permit and if you were enrolled in a full-time study program that was at least eight months long. The validity of your work permit in Canada will depend on the length of your study program and can range from eight months to three years. So if you’ve completed a Bachelor’s program in Canada, you’ll likely qualify for a three-year PGWP. The Canadian PGWP is an open work permit, so you can choose to work in any field, regardless of whether it’s related to your study program. There are no restrictions on the time period within which you must find employment. It is also comparatively easier to find for international students to find a job in Canada after completing their studies. With a PGWP, you can choose to work part-time, full-time, or start your own business in Canada. In comparison, the post-graduate work permits or Graduate visas granted by the U.K. are typically two years long for international students who’ve completed their undergraduate or graduate program on a valid student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa in the U.K. A three-year work permit is only issued to international students who’ve completed a doctoral program in the country. This visa allows students to work, or look for work, at any skill level. In the U.S., international students who’ve completed a study program that’s at least one year long on an F-1 visa are eligible to apply for a one-year Optional Practical Training to gain work experience related to their education. Students in STEM majors can get a 24-month extension on their OPT. However, international students on OPT cannot remain unemployed for more than 90 days, which means that you’ll need to find and start a job within three months of completing your degree. While you’re completing your OPT, your employer can sponsor an H-1B work visa lottery application on your behalf once per year. However, since the H-1B visa is lottery-based, not everyone who applies will get it. 5. Multicultural classrooms and workforce Another advantage of studying in Canada is that you’ll usually be a part of a multicultural classroom, and after graduation, a diverse workplace. Canada welcomes international students from all parts of the world and consequently, you’ll have a chance to stay connected to your roots and learn about other cultures. As an international student, understanding cultural differences within the classroom fosters an environment of inclusivity and respect, which will help you be better prepared as you enter the global workforce. Canada’s leading university, the University of Toronto, for instance, has around 21 per cent of international students who come to study in Canada from 168 countries. In comparison, the top U.S. universities have between 11 and 17 per cent of international students enrolled. 6. Canadian immigration pathways for international students One of the main reasons Canada is a popular study destination among international students is because it’s easier to immigrate and get permanent residence (PR) after your study program. The country offers many immigration pathways, and for Express Entry streams like Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), you may be able to get extra points for your Canadian education to improve your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Some of these streams require you to have Canadian work experience for which you’ll first need to apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit after completing your education. Many Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) also have specialized streams for international students who’ve completed a study program in specific Canadian provinces. Depending on the immigration stream you choose, you may be eligible to apply for Permanent Residence soon after graduation or with 12 to 24 months of Canadian work experience. Once you receive your PR, the duration of your residency in Canada as an international student and temporary foreign worker can also be taken into account while determining when you’ll be eligible to apply for citizenship. Canada plans to welcome over 400,000 new permanent residents per year between 2021 and 2023, and getting a Canadian degree or diploma can increase your chances of being selected for PR. In comparison, in the U.S., fewer green cards are issued and there may be long wait times, depending on your country of birth, even if you do qualify. In the U.K., you’ll need to complete five years in a post-graduation job to be eligible for an “indefinite leave to remain (ILR) Visa”. As an international student, choosing a country to go to for higher education is a big decision. You’ll need to evaluate not just the quality of universities and study programs, but also the opportunities the country offers to work and stay after your graduation. Canada’s world-class education system, coupled with the immigration pathways the country offers, makes it one of the best study destinations for international students. Original article located here, published by Arrive. About Arrive Arrive is powered by RBC Ventures Inc, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. In collaboration with RBC, Arrive is dedicated to helping newcomers achieve their life, career, and financial goals in Canada. An important part of establishing your financial life in Canada is finding the right partner to invest in your financial success. 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