NEWS Data
| TITLE : | OAU reduces tuition fees |
| LINK : | https://thenationonlineng.net/oau-reduces-tuition-fees/ |
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| DESCRIPTION : | The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State has slightly reduced tuition fees. The Nation recalls that the management after an emergency meeting earlier this month increased the... |
| CONTENT : | The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) , Ile-Ife, Osun State has slightly reduced tuition fees. The Nation recalls that the management after an emergency meeting earlier this month increased the tuition fee by 300 per cent. However, the students kicked against the increment, vowing to shut down the school. The management of the institution yesterday announced slight reduction of the fee, describing it as “management magnanimity.” A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, said: “In a rare show of administrative magnanimity, the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have readjusted downward the sundry charges payable by the students of the university. “This followed the meeting the university management had with the leadership of the Students Union on Monday, 25th September, 2023. The Students Union leaders were adamant that the charges be reduced by 50 per cent, but the university management made it clear that the new charges were the minimum the university requires to run efficiently. “The Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Bamire, graciously announced that the charges initially announced have been reduced as follows: For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of N89, 200 for returning students have been reduced to N76,000, while the new students in the Humanities, the initial fees of N151,200 have been reduced to N131,000. “For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charges of N101,200, for returning students is now N86,000, while the new students in the same Faculties will now pay N141,000, instead of the initial N163,200. In the same vein, the returning students in the Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences will now pay N109,000, instead of N128,200. The new students in the same Faculties will now pay N164,000, instead of the initial charges of N190,000.” The statement added that the University management had agreed that the payment could be in two equal instalments. The university portal is now open to students for payment. Advertisement |
| TITLE : | Obafemi Awolowo University reduces tuition fees |
| LINK : | https://promptnewsonline.com/obafemi-awolowo-university-reduces-tuition-fees/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=obafemi-awolowo-university-reduces-tuition-fees |
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| DESCRIPTION : | The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have readjusted downward the sundry charges payable by students of the University. The Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Monday in Ile-Ife. Olarewaju said that the decision followed a meeting the University management had with the [...] The post Obafemi Awolowo University reduces tuition fees first appeared on Prompt News. |
| CONTENT : | The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have readjusted downward the sundry charges payable by students of the University. The Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Monday in Ile-Ife. Olarewaju said that the decision followed a meeting the University management had with the leadership of the Students Union on Monday. He said that the meeting which lasted for several hours, was called by the University management, after several agitations by the students union for a reduction of the initial charges approved by the University. According to him, the Students Union leaders were adamant that the charges be reduced by 50 per cent, but the University management made it clear that the new charges were the minimum the University require to run efficiently. Olarewaju said that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adebayo Bamire, however, announced that the charges initially announced had been reduced. “For the students in Humanities, the initial sundry charges of N89,200 for returning students have been reduced to N76,000. “While the new students in the Humanities, the initial fees of N151,200 have been reduced to N131,000. “For those in the Sciences and Technology, the initial charges of N101,200, for returning students is now N86,000 while the new students in the same Faculties will now pay N141,000 as against the initial N163,200. In the same vein, the returning students in the Pharmacy and College of Health Sciences would now pay N109,000, instead of N128,200. He stated further that the new students in the same Faculties would now pay N164,000 instead of the initial charges of N190,000. The statement added that the University management had agreed that the payment could be in two equal installments. Meanwhile, the University portal is now open to students for payment. (NAN) |
| TITLE : | Nepal and China sign 12 agreements during PM Prachanda’s visit to Beijing |
| LINK : | https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/nepal-and-china-sign-12-agreements-during-pm-prachandas-visit-to-beijing/article67346376.ece |
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| DESCRIPTION : | Reports from Kathmandu said PM Prachanda was sidestepping China’s pressure to welcome Mr. Xi’s new doctrines, the GSI and its GCI |
| CONTENT : | China and Nepal on September 25 signed 12 agreements, including seven MoUs, to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors including trade and road connectivity coinciding with the visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" amid reports that he was not inclined to sign up Beijing’s new security doctrine. Mr. Prachanda who met President Xi Jinping two days ago on the sidelines of the Asian Games in Hangzhou travelled to Beijing where he held wide-ranging talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday during which they comprehensively reviewed the bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the close and cordial ties, according to a press release issued by the Nepal embassy in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on the ways to further strengthen and consolidate the mutual understanding and cooperation and give a new impetus to the economy, trade and people-to-people contacts, it said. Reports from Kathmandu said Mr. Prachanda was sidestepping China’s pressure to welcome Mr. Xi’s new doctrines, the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and its Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI). Before leaving for China’s Hangzhou, in an interview in New York with Kantipur daily, Mr. Prachanda had categorically denied the chances of Nepal joining a security-related alliance, The Kathmandu Post reported on Monday. Speaking in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during the interview, the prime minister stated that China is initiating the GSI, the GCI and the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and among these, there is no hesitation to participate in the GDI. “But we cannot wade into security-related issues. It is our stated policy not to be under the umbrella of any side. Ours is a non-aligned foreign policy. On the other hand, we are saying the American Indo-Pacific Strategy and State Partnership Program are part of security initiatives. If we are not taking part in one initiative [IPS, SPP], we cannot join others too,” Mr. Prachanda said. The GSI, GDI and GCI were conspicuously missing from the official Chinese media account of the Li-Prachanda talks. Mr. Li told Mr. Prachanda that China will, as always, firmly support Nepal in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and taking a development path that suits its national conditions, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Mr. Li said that China is ready to work with Nepal to continuously improve connectivity at ports, roads, railways, aviation, telecommunications and electricity, accelerate the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network, and help Nepal, a landlocked country, upgrade connectivity with neighbouring countries as soon as possible. Mr. Prachanda, who politically distanced from the pro-China Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) headed by K.P. Oli after becoming Prime Minister in December last year, made his maiden visit to China after visiting India and the U.S. Following the official bilateral talks, 12 agreements were signed between the two countries, the Nepalese embassy said. The agreements include an MoU for Cooperation between The National Planning Commission of Nepal and China's National Development and Reform Commission; an MoU on enhancing digital economy cooperation; an MoU related to cooperation on green and low-carbon development; and an MoU on cooperation in the field of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, the release said. The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group for the review and modification of the Nepal-China trade and payment agreement. They also signed a protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of plant-derived medicinal materials for Chinese medicine from Nepal to China. China and Nepal also signed MoUs on the Hilsa-Simkot Road Project and the Nepal-China Power Grid Interconnection Project (Chilime-Kerung). The other agreements include cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation; and in the field of Human Resources Development, the release said. Mr. Prachanda also met with National People's Congress Chairman Zhao Leji during which they focused on further broadening the historical ties between Nepal and China and promoting exchange of high-level visits, it said. Mr. Prachanda has directly flown to China from New York, where he addressed the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations. |
| TITLE : | Naming and Shaming Can be Effective to Get Countries to Act on Climate |
| LINK : | http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/799705/?sc=rsla |
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| DESCRIPTION : | Enforcement is one of the biggest challenges to international cooperation on mitigating climate change in the Paris Agreement. The agreement has no formal enforcement mechanism; instead, it is designed to be transparent so countries that fail to meet their obligations will be named and thus shamed into changing behavior. |
| CONTENT : | Newswise — Enforcement is one of the biggest challenges to international cooperation on mitigating climate change in the Paris Agreement . The agreement has no formal enforcement mechanism; instead, it is designed to be transparent so countries that fail to meet their obligations will be named and thus shamed into changing behavior. A new study from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy shows that this naming-and-shaming mechanism can be an effective incentive for many countries to uphold their pledges to reduce emissions. The study, appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), assesses the naming and shaming built into the 2015 Paris Agreement through its Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). The ETF requires nations to publicly report their goals and progress toward meeting those goals. The study suggests that the ETF is most effective at motivating countries with the strongest commitments to slowing climate change. “The architects of the Paris Agreement knew that powerful enforcement mechanisms, like trade sanctions, wouldn’t be feasible,” said study coauthor David Victor, professor of industrial innovation at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy and co-director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative . “Most analysts assumed the agreement would fail to be effective without strong enforcement and are skeptical of naming and shaming. Our research suggests that pessimism is wrong. Naming and shaming is built into the system and our study shows that the policy experts who are most knowledgeable about Paris see this mechanism working well—at least for some countries.” Naming and shaming doesn’t work everywhere, the study shows; however, it is particularly important for countries that are already highly motivated to act. Even those countries need a spotlight on their behavior, lest they slip and fail to comply with the obligations they set for themselves under the Paris Agreement. In Europe—where countries have the most ambitious and credible climate pledges —the surge in energy prices and interruptions in Russian gas supply created incentives to retain higher-emission energy technologies, such as coal. International visibility and political pressures within those countries plausibly help explain why European policymakers have kept emissions in alignment with their previously committed climate goals. In the U.S., naming and shaming is likely to be effective as well, but not to the same degree as in Europe, the study shows. “This raises some concern about the ability to maintain the momentum generated by the Inflation Reduction Act under less favorable conditions, such as rising interest rates,” said Emily Carlton, study coauthor and UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy alum. Study taps expert opinions of top climate negotiators from around the world The findings in the new PNAS study are derived from responses from a sample of registrants of the Conference of Parties (COP), consisting of more than 800 diplomatic and scientific experts who, for decades, have participated in climate policy debates. This expert group is critical to understanding how political institutions shape climate policy because they are the people “in the room” when key policy decisions are made. They are in a unique position to evaluate what is most likely to motivate their countries to act on climate. They were asked questions such as: is the ETF in the agreement effective? Do they support the use of the ETF, and is it a legitimate way to enforce the Paris Agreement? Overall, 77% of the sample agreed with using naming and shaming—that is, using the ETF for comparing countries’ mitigation efforts. The results further indicate that 57% of all respondents expect naming and shaming to substantially affect the climate policy performance of their home country—where they know the policy environment best. While survey respondents’ country of origin was kept anonymous to elicit the most candid responses possible, the respondents that think naming and shaming is most effective are more likely to be from democracies with high-quality political institutions. In addition, these individuals come from countries with strong internal concern about climate change and ambitious and credible international climate commitments, such as countries in Europe. The study finds naming and shaming is likely least effective for countries that lack strong democratic institutions, such as some large emitters like China. While the inability for naming and shaming to work effectively within the countries least motivated for climate action creates tension, the study does provide a hopeful narrative for enforcing cooperation on climate, according to the authors. “It is a really good thing that naming and shaming can keep the most climate-motivated countries on track because decarbonizing is hard and changes in circumstances and energy markets can make it even harder,” said Carlton. “Countries in Europe are some of the biggest emitters and as we saw recently, policymakers could have easily switched back to coal after the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but they did not.” Who should be the “namers and shamers” and who is most effective at it? The survey respondents were also asked which institutions should be responsible for naming and shaming. The results overwhelmingly indicated the preference for namers and shamers to be scientists, as well as neutral international organizations such as the United Nations (U.N.) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, past studies have found that both diplomatic and science organizations like the U.N. and IPCC are actually ineffective at naming and shaming. “It is not something that these organizations do,” Carlton said. “They are positioned to try to get countries to cooperate and it’s just not a function of theirs to put countries on blast in a judgmental way. That is something you see done more effectively from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the media.” While naming and shaming is a mechanism that makes cooperation work, the authors believe that other strategies such as trade sanctions may be useful as well. They explored this topic in a recent study . Coauthors of the PNAS paper, “Naming and Shaming as a Strategy for Enforcing the Paris Agreement: The Role of Political Institutions and Public Concern,” include Astrid Dannenberg of University of Kassel and the University of Gothenburg and Marcel Lumkowsky of the University of Kassel. |
| TITLE : | The best 3D modeling software in 2023 |
| LINK : | https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-3d-modeling-software/ |
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| DESCRIPTION : | From filmmaking to medicine, this software help creators and designers bring characters and prototypes to life. The post The best 3D modeling software in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science. |
| CONTENT : | Over the years, the best 3D modeling software suites have been showcased in primarily two industries: the filmmaking industry, where they produce scores of fascinating computer-generated characters and amazing virtual environments, and the gaming industry, where they create incredibly realistic effects to allow users to feel immersed in the various gaming environments. Some of the top 3D software suites have been used for award-winning productions. For instance, they’ve been essential in creating some of the top blockbuster movies in the past 15 years, like and trilogies, , and , to name just a few. They’ve been particularly useful in creating science fiction, action and adventure, and animated movies. But 3D modeling software is now being used in many other industries, too. For example, teachers and educators use 3D modeling software to produce compelling scientific concepts that engage students. In medicine, 3D modeling can produce more accurate, realistic representations, which may allow doctors to make better diagnoses, among other things. Moreover, many businesses will use this software to create virtual prototypes—and actual ones (via ). We’ve researched and selected the top 3D modeling software suites that will work for almost any digital artist’s needs or budget. I’ve written about many types of digital-imaging and animation software, from image- and video-editing software suites, as well as mobile apps, to animation software for a number of publications, including .com, magazine, , , , , and others. Additionally, I’ve taught digital animation and motion graphics. I brought my expertise in this area to help discover the best 3D modeling software. Additionally, I also looked at critical reviews and user recommendations and did a lot of research to narrow down our list. I carefully considered several factors to find the best software suites, including ease of use, feature sets, operating system compatibility, and versatility. What’s striking about the 3D modeling software market is that although our top suites offer many similar features, there is a very broad price range: Users will have to pay more than a thousand dollars a year for some software suites or several thousand dollars for a perpetual license. However, they can also download Blender, which is free for the full version! Additionally, some software makers offer subscription options for their software, which means you can’t buy a one-time perpetual license. So, whether you’re a novice or an expert, here are our top choices for 3D modeling software: Although Autodesk Maya is indeed a very expensive software suite, it is definitely one of the best 3D modeling software apps on the market. It provides a host of deep 3D modeling tools and is considered the industry standard for professional-level 3D modeling software. It also allows animators and designers to create powerful animated characters in vivid, realistic, lifelike environments. It’s known for producing very natural-looking simulations of smoke, snow, fluids, particles, or other elements using its Bifrost plug-in. Like all the top 3D software packages here, Maya (version 24.1) has recently been updated to include enhancements to the time slider, skin cluster improvements, and the ability to delete multiple display layers. One of the could also be a valuable tool. In the tech world, although free products are sometimes scorned as less capable and more confusing versions of those you pay for, Blender proves that free can be fabulous, which is why it’s one of the best 3D modeling software suites. In its current version (Blender 3.6 LTS), it has a much cleaner interface than past versions, but it’s packed with powerful 3D modeling modules: Character creation (using modeling and sculpting), texturing, animating (by creating an armature), applying visual effects, and rending, to name a few. It’s truly a polished, full-featured software package that will meet the needs of many creatives. If you’re wondering why Maxon ZBrush is one of the best 3D modeling software packages on the market, here’s one reason: In the same way that (the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting) made most of the iconic paintings of the Italian Renaissance come to life in 15th century, Maxon’s ZBrush allows digital artists to breathe life into digital characters, objects, and environments and sets the industry standard for digital sculpting and painting. It’s also why it’s used by film studios, game developers, , jewelry designers, automotive and aviation designers, illustrators, advertisers, and scientists. However, it’s not easy to learn, and some have found the interface to be somewhat unintuitive. But it is very versatile. For instance, you can free-form sculpt by pushing or pulling a virtual lump of clay or add various pieces of geometry to it. Or you can customize brushes to produce unique forms, shapes, textures, and paint. What many creatives like about Cinema 4D is that although it’s a powerful suite that’s great for 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering, it’s relatively easy to use. In part, that’s due to its very clear structure as well as its intuitive tools. It’s used for a host of creative projects. One powerful area that Cinema 4D is a great tool for is motion graphics: With its Mograph toolset, you can use a powerful palette of tools to make fantastic flying logos to amazing abstract effects. You can also use those same tools to clone numerous objects and create extruded text simply and easily. But Cinema 4D is also great for animation since it has strong texturing, lighting, and rendering capabilities. It’s also a fast, powerful, flexible, and stable toolset used in everything from motion graphics, VFX, AR and VR, and game development. One of the things that’s made this software very popular with creatives is that it has a procedural node-based structure that allows creatives to produce dramatic changes to an entire project rather quickly and easily. It’s known for producing powerful organic simulations and visual effects. For example, with Pyro FX, the software can create incredibly realistic and vivid fire and smoke simulations. It’s also quite popular for its fluid and particle simulations and destruction effects. Its new Vellum technology allows creatives to quickly and realistically simulate how grains, hair, fur, and cloth react to other objects or stresses. And, although Houdini has made a name for itself in Hollywood with its remarkable simulation technology, it can also be useful for animation and modeling, as a lighting tool, and for character rigging. It can be overwhelming for novices and experts alike when buying 3D modeling software since many apps offer a wide array of capabilities. In fact, since there’s quite a bit of competition in the 3D modeling software market, if a particular feature is missing in an app today, it might appear in the very next version of the software. So, before you buy, do some research on the software that’s available, and then ask yourself the following questions: The best 3D modeling software can be quite expensive for a few reasons. First of all, some of the subscriptions for the software are pretty steep, as are the perpetual licenses. However, some apps have stripped-down versions that provide you some core features, without all the bells and whistles. Also, if you’re a student or teacher, you might be able to get the software at a discount. Additionally, if you have an older computer system, or one that doesn’t have a lot of power, you’ll need to buy new equipment, including accessories like a Wacom pad or . So make sure you factor that into your budget. Want to make the virtual into something tangible? You can find and , based on your budget. Since the 3D modeling software suites include the ability to do many tasks, make sure it includes the most important functions you’ll need to do your job. At the same time, find out if they have any ease-of-use features that can make tasks easier to do. Also, are you using it in your career or just as a hobby? If you’re not going to be using it professionally, you might not have as much pressure on you to learn it quickly. Are you an advanced power user? Or a ? Or somewhere in between? Some 3D modeling software can be customized to make it easier to use. If you’re advanced, see if it allows you to customize the interface, workspace, or other sections of the app. Be sure also to examine the user manual, help sections, access to video tutorials and training, and , all of which can really be invaluable when you’re confused about how to accomplish a task. Although Autodesk Maya is sometimes considered the industry standard software app for 3D modeling, the other top 3D modeling software in our list all offer very comparable feature sets and are almost as versatile. It’s possible, but because most 3D modeling software is very complex, you may get easily frustrated. For example, almost all 3D software suites are packed with lots of features and modules, which can be accessed by interacting with a variety of elements, such as panels, toolbars, complex menu sets, sidebars, timelines, asset browsers, to name just a handful. So, simply learning the parts of the software alone can take a lot of time. That’s why learning from an experienced 3D designer or animator may provide you with a better learning experience. Try searching for video tutorials online for the software you’re hoping to learn. Although a content creator might use the same tools for each task, there is a subtle difference between 3D designing and 3D modeling: A 3D designer is often responsible for producing a 3D visualization from various types of information, which is used to create an original 3D design. Once a 3D design is created, a 3D modeler uses that 3D design to create a more dynamic and detailed version. As far as software goes, the best 3D modeling software package are among the most complex types of digital imaging or visual apps on the market. So, if you’re a novice, it can be very overwhelming. But take heart: If you’re just starting and unsure which software is right for you, begin by downloading one of them (or a few of them) and take some time to learn them. (Note: For some companies, like Maxon, you’ll need to set up an account in order to download the free trial.) That should help you get a feel for how the software works and if it’s a tool that will be useful for you. At the same time, find some tutorials online to help you get started since these apps tend to be very confusing. Popular Science |
| TITLE : | Extron systems foster connections at Manchester University |
| LINK : | https://www.avinteractive.com/markets-news/education/extron-system-fosters-connectivity-at-manchester-university-25-09-2023/ |
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| DESCRIPTION : | An Extron NAV Pro AV-over-IP system with 186 endpoints is helping students to collaborate and connect at the University of Manchester's Engineering Campus Development. The post Extron systems foster connections at Manchester University appeared first on AV Magazine. |
| CONTENT : | Pure Audio Visual has undertaken a major system upgrade at the University of Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD). The site provides hundreds of flexible Meet & Teach classrooms, labs, workshops and specialised learning spaces for more than 8,000 engineering and science students in two new structures – Building A and Building B – and the older Oddfellows Hall. The university’s requirement for flexible AV switching systems with robust sound and intuitive control necessitated an upgrade of the technology in Oddfellows Hall to match that in the new buildings. Every room in the MECD needed to be linked and the AV systems would also have to integrate with the university’s resource management system, Extron’s GlobalViewer Enterprise (GVE). After designing the AV systems in consultation with the university’s IT/AV team, Pure Audio Visual spearheaded the integration of the full selection of products from Extron, including professional-grade AV matrix switchers, switchers, DSP audio and control systems, as well as a NAV Pro AV-over-IP system. When deciding on the best space for a particular lesson, instructors can look up rooms by size and AV capabilities on the Room Catalogue website. The website includes photos of each room and any space configuration options, as well as details about the provided and auxiliary AV equipment and connectivity capabilities. Large Meet & Teach rooms include a Panasonic 10,000-lumen projector and a Sapphire screen, at least one Kaptivo Capture Board, interactive whiteboards, and LG video walls. Panasonic displays on walls and carts augment visibility in the medium and large spaces, with the portable displays connected over HDMI. Room sources can incorporate combinations of one or more computers, a document camera, PTZ and network cameras, multiple microphones, and AV connectivity for wired and wireless devices. The large and medium-sized rooms provide an XTP system or a fixed-configuration AV switching system from Extron, with a right-sized switcher or matrix switcher, depending on the room size and available resources. The in-room sound systems are based on Extron ProDSP processors such as the DMP 128 Plus audio processor with AEC, VoIP and Dante to manage the mixing of programme audio and microphone feeds. For AV system control, each room is outfitted with an Extron IP Link Pro control processor that works in conjunction with NBP 106 D Network Button Panels and TouchLink Pro touch panels. To link each MECD room to the rest of the spaces on campus, Pure AV integrated an Extron NAV Pro AV-over-IP system. At the time of installation, it was the largest Extron NAV deployment for higher education in the UK. The AVoIP system includes 186 endpoints, enabling content to be shared among any number of destinations. Professor Martin Schröder, vice-president and dean of the university’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, says: “We have created an inspiring, highly flexible, first-class teaching and research environment that transforms the way in which the university educates engineers and material scientists.” |
| TITLE : | Cisco Research, Cornell Bowers CIS announce partnership |
| LINK : | https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/09/cisco-research-cornell-bowers-cis-announce-partnership |
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| DESCRIPTION : | Cisco Research is providing funding for six research projects that will further the college's leadership in AI and point the way toward innovative solutions to challenges surrounding the use and development of AI models. |
| CONTENT : | has funded multiple research awards to the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information science to support projects related to cybersecurity, sustainability, edge computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Five faculty projects and one graduate student will receive funding through this partnership. The resulting research will further the college's leadership in AI and point the way toward innovative solutions to challenges surrounding the use and development of AI models. Cisco Research is within , which serves as Cisco's incubation engine. Outshift is dedicated to pioneering new businesses and new markets in cutting-edge technology domains, including cloud-native application security, edge native, quantum and AI. "Cisco Research has been pushing the frontiers of technology through innovative, cutting-edge research in areas of emerging technologies such as AI/ML, edge computing and quantum. We are super excited to partner with several leading researchers in their fields at Cornell who are doing amazing research in these areas,” said Ramana Kompella, head of Cisco Research. "In addition, Cisco Research encourages and promotes a culture of open innovation, and researchers are free to make all the research – publications and software – funded through these awards completely open to benefit everyone, not just Cisco.” mediarelations@cornell.edu 607-255-6074 Cornell Chronicle 312 College Ave Ithaca, NY 14850 |
| TITLE : | Kevin McCloud accuses Government of making ‘deliberately muddled policy’ |
| LINK : | https://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/national/23812177.kevin-mccloud-accuses-government-making-deliberately-muddled-policy/?ref=rss |
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| DESCRIPTION : | The 64-year-old Grand Designs host said the approach was ‘hugely confusing’ and ‘very corrosive’. |
| CONTENT : | Television presenter Kevin McCloud has said that the Government’s “confusing” environment, energy and housing policies have been a “very corrosive way of running a country”. The 64-year-old Grand Designs host was speaking as his property show returns to Channel 4 on Wednesday at 9pm and ahead of the programme’s exhibition event arriving at the NEC Birmingham next month. McCloud spoke to the PA news agency last week before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a major U-turn on the Conservative’s climate policies. The host of the long-running show said the Government was “going backwards” on environmental policy and pushing plans that were “very favourable towards big developers” such as on nutrient neutrality. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill’s amendment to change EU-derived measures, which require developers to ensure no additional substances such as phosphate and nitrogen make it into rivers and lakes, was rejected by the House of Lords earlier this month. McCloud also said that housing associations and local government wanted to do “great things” on creating green homes but “they don’t feel there’s enough clarity, and enough of a clear drive and incentive from central government”. He is set to explore the issues in a new Channel 4 climate programme with TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and retail expert Mary Portas. McCloud said: “It was a huge discovery for me to learn just how deliberately muddled government policy is … in order to create a degree of confusion and a lack of commitment and a lack of bravery amongst housing associations, and local authorities and regions that want to do really well.” Explaining how it manifested, he said: “So that deliberate obfuscation, the burying of decisions in a paper, the decision to do something and cloaking that decision in central government, to abandon a policy, cloaking it in language that nobody understands, bearing it in the back of a document, making it not a ministerial written statement, but just a response to a letter or something is hugely confusing. “It happens across housing, and it happens across energy, and it happens across business … It’s a deliberate kind of almost disintegration of policy and I find that really, really, really destructive … it’s a very corrosive way of running a country – is not to be clear. “It’s been like this now for at least seven to eight years … we need some big, big-vision stuff and the climate change committee has done it … (it is) just that nobody’s listening.” McCloud also spoke about the UK “not building enough houses to meet demand” and people living in coastal areas and the countryside in the South East being “constantly being priced out of the market because of the number of second homes”. He said: “We have in this country, a great culture of housing associations, and a great history of social housing. “So we know we can do it. It’s just really what we need is the political will from central government, but who knows, that may all change in the next year.” When asked if he was looking for a change of government or perspective, McCloud said “socially minded liberal policies are at the core of housing”. Last week, Mr Sunak revealed that he was pushing back the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, watering down the plan to phase out gas boilers by 2035 and scrapping the requirement of energy efficiency upgrades to homes. The Prime Minister said he was confident he would meet net-zero targets to combat climate change and help the UK reach net zero by 2050 amid a backlash to his plans. McCloud said: “If you’ve got a five-year term, that’s inevitable, isn’t it, we can all create policies coming out of our ears and if we’re going to set them at 2050, many of the politicians writing them, and promoting them, talking about them now will be dead.” He also said a lot of technology for energy-efficient and green homes was “not rocket science” and was regularly seen on Grand Designs and Grand Designs Live, an exhibition event which features new ideas, innovation and home project guidance. A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) spokesperson said: “Building the homes this country needs is a government priority – we recently laid out an ambitious long-term plan for housing and are on track to deliver one million homes this Parliament. “We have announced £10 billion investment to deliver more of the right homes in the right places – including £1 billion to unlock unloved brownfield land – without concreting over the countryside. “To help areas with a high concentration of second homes we are introducing powers to enable councils to apply a council tax premium of up to 100% on second properties. This shows our commitment to prioritising and supporting first-time buyers.” Grand Designs Live heads to NEC Birmingham from October 4 to 8 and the Excel London from May 4 to 12 2024. |
| TITLE : | EMRS’ tribal students exhibit coding projects after less than a year of basic training |
| LINK : | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/emrs-tribal-students-exhibit-coding-projects-after-less-than-a-year-of-basic-training/article67345069.ece |
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| DESCRIPTION : | Tribal Affairs Ministry launches second phase of programme to introduce AI and computer science training to tribal students |
| CONTENT : | Web applications that trace the journey of Chandrayaan-3 , applications that spread awareness about road safety, cleaning the oceans, and reducing hunger — these were some of the 20 coding projects tribal students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools across the country exhibited on September 25 in Delhi after less than a year of basic training in computer science and block programming code. The students who presented their projects were trained by their respective EMRSs, where teachers were given special training for the modules as part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Amazon India, and Learning Links Foundation to bring computer and coding education to tribal students in the country. As students who learned from the first phase of the project launched last year presented their projects at an exhibition at Hotel Park in New Delhi, the second phase of the project was also launched by the Tribal Affairs Ministry. Based on experience from the pilot, the module has been revised to introduce a customised coding and artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum that is aligned with CBSE skill education. These will be in addition to the current courses in coding, logical sequencing, learning loops, and block programming. “The 20-hour module is constructed taking into account the current exposure of tribal students to computer science and coding,” the government said in a statement. It will start with fundamentals of computer science at the level of Class 6 and will advance with each grade. For instance, the students will be introduced to concepts of artificial intelligence in Class 8. By Class 10, the AI module aligned with the CBSE skills curriculum will be introduced in the academic year 2024-25. “Collaboration between Amazon Future Engineer programme and NESTS, has the potential to bridge the academic gap existing among tribal communities, ensuring their successful careers in emerging technologies,” Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said on Monday in a recorded message before the launch of the second phase. One official at the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), which administers EMRSs, told The Hindu , “It is important for tribal students to see that they are able to understand concepts of emerging technologies. And that is why we have arranged this exhibition - so that they are confident about learning these subjects and are able to show it to the world as well.” The son of a farmer in Adilabad district’s Narnoor area, Satyanarayan had not seen a computer or laptop till he started studying at the EMRS in Narnoor and was introduced to block-based coding last year. On Monday, in his first trip to New Delhi ever, the Class 9 student was among the 20 students who presented their first-ever coding project to the public - a visual-interactive web application that traced the Chandrayaan-3 mission. “It starts with a teacher asking students to go on a journey with her and then proceeds to show how the mission took off, went on and landed on the Moon. Then there is a graphic of the Pragyaan rover coming out of the lander, to collect samples. The rover then signs off saying it has work to do,” Satyanarayan told The Hindu. “I didn’t realise I’d be this confident at the end of the day but explaining to everyone how I made this really made me feel good.” Similarly, Khushi, a Class 7 student at EMRS Indu in Gujarat, had come up with an interactive application to spread awareness about cleaning pollutants from the oceans. The Ministry is currently running a 3-day workshop in Delhi to train EMRS teachers in the revised module. In this phase of the module, teachers from 54 EMRSs in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Odisha, and Rajasthan are participating. |
| TITLE : | Traditional downtowns are dead or dying in many US cities. What's next for these zones? |
| LINK : | https://phys.org/news/2023-09-traditional-downtowns-dead-dying-cities.html |
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| DESCRIPTION : | The hollowing out of U.S. cities' office and commercial cores is a national trend with serious consequences for millions of Americans. As more people have stayed home following the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic has fallen. Major retail chains are closing stores, and even prestigious properties are having a hard time retaining tenants. |
| CONTENT : | September 25, 2023 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source written by researcher(s) proofread by John Rennie Short, The Conversation The hollowing out of U.S. cities' office and commercial cores is a national trend with serious consequences for millions of Americans. As more people have stayed home following the COVID-19 pandemic, foot traffic has fallen. Major retail chains are closing stores, and even prestigious properties are having a hard time retaining tenants. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1449240174198-2'); }); The shuttering of a Whole Foods market after only a year in downtown San Francisco in May 2023 received widespread coverage. Even more telling was the high-end department store Nordstrom's decision to close its flagship store there in August after a 35-year run. In New York City, office vacancy rates have risen by over 70% since 2019. Chicago's Magnificent Mile , a stretch of high-end shops and restaurants, had a 26% vacancy rate in spring 2023. A recent study from the University of Toronto found that across North America, downtowns are recovering from the pandemic more slowly than other urban areas and that "older, denser downtowns reliant on professional or tech workers and located within large metros" are struggling the hardest. Over more than 50 years of researching urban policy , I have watched U.S. cities go through many booms and busts. Now, however, I see a more fundamental shift taking place. In my view, traditional downtowns are dead, dying or on life support across the U.S. and elsewhere . Local governments and urban residents urgently need to consider what the post-pandemic city will look like . U.S. downtowns were in trouble before the COVID-19 pandemic . Today's overhang of excess commercial space was years in the making. Urban property markets are speculative enterprises. When the economy is booming, individual developers decide to build more—and the collective result of these rational individual decisions is excess buildings. In the 1980s, the Reagan administration allowed a quicker depreciation of commercial real estate that effectively lowered tax rates for developers. With financial globalization, foreign money flowed into the U.S. property sector , especially to very big development projects that could absorb large pools of liquid capital looking for relatively safe long-term investments. Years of low interest rates meant cheap money for developers to finance their projects. City governments were eager to greenlight projects that would generate tax revenues. In many downtowns, office space now takes up between 70% and 80% of all real estate. COVID-19 finally burst this 40-year bubble. During pandemic lockdowns, many people worked from home and became comfortable with virtual meetings. Telecommuting grew as conventional commuting declined. Workers with the resources and job flexibility moved from cities to so-called " zoom towns " where housing was more affordable and parks and outdoor activities were close at hand. Now, many employers want their staffs to return to the office. However, workers are pushing back , especially against spending full five-day weeks in the office. New technologies have made it easier to work from home, and a tight labor market has strengthened employees' bargaining power. Like many U.S. cities, Portland, Oregon, is losing downtown businesses. This is cutting into urban revenues and creating a perception of decline. There are significant knock-on effects. A range of businesses, including restaurants, retail stores and services, rely on downtown office workers. At least 17% of all leisure and hospitality sector jobs are in the downtowns of the 100 largest U.S. cities. In San Francisco, for example, a typical office worker used to spend $168 near their office per week . Now, with nearly 150,000 fewer office workers commuting downtown, about 33,000 people in the service and retail sectors have lost their jobs. Today, many cities are confronting the prospect of an urban doom loop , with a massive oversupply of office and retail space, fewer commuters and a looming urban fiscal crisis. Washington, D.C., is an illustration. In December 2022, the city had approximately 27,000 fewer jobs than in February 2020, and it faced a growing financial shortfall from declining property taxes due to downtown business closures and fewer property purchases. The District of Columbia government projects that city revenues will decline by US$81 million in fiscal year 2024, $183 million in 2025 and $200 million in 2026. Washington's Metropolitan Transit Authority faces a $750 million shortfall because of a sharp decline in ridership. In the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels famously wrote that under the pressures of dynamic capitalism, " all that is solid melts into air ." They could have been describing the ever-changing built form of the United States, with people and money flowing to Main Street stores through the 1960s, then to suburban malls in the 1970s and 80s, then abandoning malls for revived downtowns and online shopping. Now, traditional downtowns may be in similar terminal decline. What can cities do with their surplus office spaces? In some cities, such as Columbus, Ohio , investors are purchasing deeply discounted buildings, demolishing them and finding more profitable uses for the land, such as residential and mixed-use buildings. Other options include converting commercial space into residences or more specialized applications such as biotech labs . But conversion is no panacea. There are many regulatory hurdles, although cities are changing zoning laws to make the process easier. Many office buildings have large internal floor spaces that makes it expensive to divide them into individual residential units that all receive outdoor light. And glass-sheathed buildings with windows that don't open are prone to overheating. Another approach is making downtowns more alluring, through steps such as waiving fees for food trucks and small businesses, offering free parking at night and on weekends and promoting events and eateries. The city of Columbus gives out lunch coupons for downtown restaurants. Worcester, Massachusetts, offers financial aid for small businesses that move into vacant storefronts . San Francisco is considering a proposal to convert its downtown Westfield Centre Mall, formerly home to Nordstrom and other retailers, into a soccer stadium . In my view, the growth of commercial office complexes that has long been promoted by investors, developers and federal and city governments has probably come to an end. The nation no longer needs so much office space. It will require more community involvement to find out what people want instead. Some communities may focus on housing, while others opt for more recreational opportunities or green spaces. The downtown filled with acres of banal office blocks, with accompanying ground-level retail stores and shopping malls, is a relic of the 20th century. It's daunting but exciting to envision what will take its place. Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article . |
