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Month: June 2022

Factory Film Studio partners with Trebas Institute Ontario

Posted on by Global University Systems

Trebas Institute Ontario and Factory Film Studio are excited to share they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The objective of the MOU is to express the willingness of the parties to explore new collaborations.

Trebas Institute provides high-quality skills training for creative careers, and as part of Global University Systems Canada (GUS Canada), a network of higher education institutions, is excited to explore new avenues to support student success.

Factory Film Studio (FFS) is a vertically integrated development, production, marketing, sales and distribution company with a catalogue of over 120 feature films from Canada and around the world inspired by a love of filmmaking. Currently, they are producing a feature film titled ‘We Could Be Heroes’, shooting this month in Hamilton, Ontario.

Trebas and FFS share a common interest expanding work-integrated learning. Proposed areas of collaboration may include:

Exploring mentorship, networking and guest speaking opportunities by means of a ‘film studio in residence’ initiative;
Creating a sustainable production model;
Share effective practices, innovations and industry trends, including exposure to the experiences of accomplished film producers, screenwriters, and film executives;
Co-developing customized training programs and/or micro-credentials and/or summer camps for domestic and international learners;
Promoting other applied learning activities to foster mutual understanding and high-quality skills development through academic-industry collaboration.

The ‘film studio in residence’ initiative has the opportunity to integrate Trebas students or alumni in project development, production, post-production, or marketing through (not-for-credit) employment opportunities with FFS. Trebas Institute may also promote employment opportunities and provide referrals when and where available with FFS.

Ehsan Safdari, Managing Director, GUS Canada Colleges Division shared, “Trebas Institute helps our students prepare for work in industry by focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration.”

He believes the ‘film studio in residence’ initiative between Trebas Institute Ontario and Factory Film Studio will allow Trebas students the hands-on experience needed to be successful in the quickly evolving production, post-production and marketing sectors while supporting the local industry with top-tier talent.

Mohamed Slimani, VP of Operations, Trebas Institute, said “Trebas Institute is committed to providing high-quality and accessible education and support services to maximize our students’ success and learning experience.” He continued, “the potential for collaboration, mentorship programs, and networking opportunities between Trebas Institute Ontario and Factory Film Studio is an excellent example of how we plan to make good of that commitment through highly compatible academic and industry collaboration.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Trebas, on this truly ground-breaking initiative, a collaborative way to build the early careers of the next generation of filmmakers in this country. A worthwhile endeavour for all parties and for our industry.”, said Michael Patrick Lilly, Chief Creative Officer, Factory Film Studio.

Cyndi McLeod, GUS Canada CEO, considers the development of high-quality work-integrated learning opportunities is an important step in GUS Canada’s mission to lead the future of education in Canada. “Trebas Institute already has an excellent track record of graduate success with 75% of students securing employment within 6 months of graduation. The collaboration between Trebas Institute Ontario and Factory Film Studio is a win-win.” She stated, “we are excited to be able to offer our skilled and diverse students another opportunity to apply their knowledge in industry before and after graduation.”

Established in 1979, Trebas Institute has campuses in both Montreal and Toronto. Over 3,000 graduates have attended Trebas from over 40 countries, making for a culturally diverse student body. This college is one of the principal subsidiaries of Global University Systems (GUS), an international network of higher education institutions united by a passion for delivering accessible, industry-relevant credentials.

Fishing for new source of proteoglycans, an important health food ingredient

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), commonly obtained from salmon nasal cartilage, are a key ingredient of various health foods. As the popularity of health foods increases, scientists are searching for alternative sources of CSPGs. Now, researchers from Japan have analyzed the PGs and their CS structures in the head cartilage of 10 edible bony fishes, including sturgeons. Their findings point to several new fishes that can serve as alternatives to salmon as a source of CSPGs.

Aggrecan, a major component of proteoglycan (PG) having chondroitin sulfate (CS) in cartilaginous tissues, has become increasingly popular as an ingredient in health food. In fact, proteoglycans from salmon nasal cartilage demonstrate biological properties such as antiaging, inhibition of angiogenesis, and attenuation of inflammatory responses. Commercially available chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) have only been prepared from salmon nasal cartilage. Although the head cartilage was found in other edible bony fishes, there is little information on the composition of core proteins and their CS structures in the head cartilage.

Now, in a new study published in the International Journal of Biology Macromolecules, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Kyohei Higashi of Tokyo University of Science, and Dr. Naoshi Dohmae and Dr. Takehiro Suzuki of the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science tackles this question. “We found that composition of PGs and their CS structure in the skull of the Siberian sturgeon and Russian sturgeon were similar to that in the salmon nasal cartilage,” reports Dr. Higashi. The fishes for the study were provided by Mr. Atsuhi Nakamura from Miyazaki Prefectural Fisheries Research Institute. This study was made available online on March 23, 2022 and was published in Volume 208 of the journal on May 31, 2022.

All the fishes examined contained abundant CSPGs in the head cartilage. Comprehensive analysis of CS structure in PGs derived from 10 bony fishes revealed that the structure of CS derived from Perciformes were similar to that of CS derived from cartilage of terrestrial animals. On the other hand, the structure of CS from skull of sturgeons was similar to that of CS from salmon nasal cartilage. In addition, they also found that aggrecan, a major CSPG in the cartilaginous tissue, was conserved in 10 bony fishes. In fact, the aggrecan protein from LOC117428125 and LOC117964296 genes registered in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database was found to be abundant in the skull of sturgeons. Furthermore, compositions of other PGs, collagens, and matrix proteins in the skull of sturgeons were similar to that of salmon nasal cartilage.

Elaborating on the findings of this study, Dr. Kyohei Higashi says, “Head cartilage from bony fishes is an underutilized resource and is typically discarded after food processing. The PGs, especially from the sturgeon, are similar in CS structure to the salmon nasal cartilage, showing that the sturgeon has a lot of potential to be an alternative source of CSPGs for health food formulations.”

The researchers hope with further studies to evaluate the biological properties of sturgeon PG, bony fishes could become an important source for CS as well as PGs.

***

Reference

Title of original paper: Comprehensive analysis of chondroitin sulfate and aggrecan in the head cartilage of bony fishes: Identification of proteoglycans in the head cartilage of sturgeon

Journal: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.03.125

 

 

Model-UN at KazNARU teaches students to deal with global challenges

Posted on by Rafis Abazov

The knowledge of and ability to deal with global challenges have been promoted by the Model-UN series of workshops at Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU). During the seminars, students and junior faculty members became young international experts in the field of UN Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They discussed many different issues including such topics as global food security, the impact of climate changes on regional and global agriculture including such important commodities as grain production, improvement of education among children, and many other topics.

Throughout the year, the participants of the Model-UN workshops dedicated the activities to the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan joining the United Nations in 1992, and they organized the events within the framework of activities of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) program at KazNARU. The main goal included popularizing the knowledge about SDGs, searching for mechanisms for involving young people in the implementation of SDGs, and developing new skills and competencies. The Model UN trainers have also worked on the development of creative imagining, soft skills and critical thinking, and such skills like diplomacy and negotiations. The workshops were conducted with the support of diplomatic missions in Almaty city (including the USA and some other countries) and the United Nations Information Office (UNIO) of the UN Department of Global Communication.

The Rector of KazNARU Tlektes I. Yesbolov pointed out that the researchers at many universities in the Silk Way region pay great attention to research on sustainable development and green economy. These research projects and practical recommendations could contribute to solving many global challenges at the local, regional, and even global levels. In this context, there is the increasing role of young graduates and scientists, who need to develop practical skills and competencies in order to transfer the results of their research experiments into practical projects. In this context, KazNARU accumulated solid and unique experiences such as the reproduction of plants through special technologies to make those plants more sustainable to bacteria and climate changes. University experts also conducted some studies on improving the management of scarce surface, underground and torrential water resources. “Our students and young scholars should have skills and navigate competencies for dealing with those problems” – said Dr. Yesbolov.

Indeed, the urgency of global challenges requires urgent and innovative solutions. In this context, undergraduate and graduate students should acquire knowledge by experimenting in laboratories and experimental fields and by working directly with industries. It is very important to transform universities toward – what Johann Wissema called – the “third-generation University,” where students and scientists together work on not only creating knowledge but practical implementation of the knowledge. Therefore, the Model UN movement is emerging as one of the mechanisms for the development of practical skills and competencies, the ability to orient in the modern world and deal with global challenges with concrete actions.

Prof. Rafis Abazov, Director of the Institute for green and sustainable development and the author of research on Model-UN phenomena believes that Model-UN could become one of the important parts of student life and extracurricular activities. First, it brings together active youth into various local, national, and international networks. Secondly, it popularizes knowledge about the SDGs and mobilizes young people to address and solve many global challenges at the local level, especially the campus level. Thirdly, the development of the educational component of Model UN includes the strengthening of such skills as creative thinking, creative approaches to developing and implementing social innovation projects, and improving communication competencies to work with colleagues at local, national to international levels. He quoted “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

The photo is courtesy of Rafis Abazov, Institute for green and sustainable development, KazNARU

LCCM and Living Bankside celebrates community on eve of local elections

Posted on by Global University Systems

London’s higher education music college LCCM, and community organisation Living Bankside, recently hosted a joint event at the Music Box, the college’s entertainment venue in SE1.

The event featured a drinks reception, live music and inspiring speeches. The speakers included Amir Eden, Living Bankside’s Executive Chair and Anthony Hamer-Hodges, LCCM Principal, as well as Adele Morris and David Noakes, long-standing local councillors who were stepping down at the local elections in May.

Elsewhere, other invitees included the Mayor of Southwark, former local MP and government minister Simon Hughes as well as local businesspeople, politicians and residents.

“Community and culture are what makes us unique as humans. Creative expression through music reflects, strengthens and elevates the culture around us and builds upon what has gone before,” says Anthony Hamer-Hodges.

“It is important therefore, to be open to the world around us and involve local people in the activities of the college and give our students the opportunity to work on local projects. Our partnership with Living Bankside is already proving fruitful in this respect and we were delighted to host their latest networking evening.”

Guests at the event were treated to an acoustic performance from LCCM student Ramona Wolf, before the party moved downstairs to the Music Box venue and bar for more music from three student bands.

“At Living Bankside, we focus on the people who are living, working, studying and visiting the Bankside, Borough and the SE1 area,” says Amir Eden, Executive Chair at Living Bankside. “We exist to ensure that our people are able to meaningfully influence and contribute to regeneration and positive change so it is fantastic to work alongside LCCM.”

LCCM’s events are not only open to students and graduates but to music lovers in the local community in London’s Borough of Southwark and the local Southbank area. Community organisations can apply to use the facilities at the Music Box which includes rehearsal and performance rooms, a live music venue, recording studios and a fully licensed bar. A computer is available for local organisations on the ground floor when the building is open. Regular opening hours are Monday – Friday 9am-9pm and Saturdays 10am-5pm.

Established artists including Kojey Radical, Moses Boyd, Amber Run, Novelist and Kara Marni have spent time rehearsing or recording from the Music Box in recent months, as well as meeting with LCCM students.

An arts and cultural heritage postgraduate programme spanning East and West

Posted on by Editorial Team

The exponential growth of the art market, and the creation of new cultural assets, such as Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural Center and the M+ Museum, are just some of the factors fueling a huge surge in demand in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the region, for professionals trained in the field of art and cultural heritage management. With Hong Kong already home to what is ranked as the world’s second largest art market, and the Hong Kong Government’s 2022-23 budget statement including further significant financial backing for the SAR’s creative and cultural heritage sectors, this demand only looks set to grow.

This makes the September 2022 launch of the Master of Arts in Arts and Cultural Heritage Management (MA ACHM) programme, run in partnership by the School of Graduate Studies at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University and the Lincoln International Business School at the UK’s University of Lincoln, so timely.

Spanning East and West, the curriculum of this exciting new dual degree will integrate the theories and practices of arts management, cultural heritage policy, curatorial practice, art projects, entrepreneurial initiatives, and professional training. Students on the programme will get the chance to apply their knowledge in tackling real-world problems. They will also be able to experience professional interaction with art historians, collectors and museum professionals, through workshops and an internship.

The structure of the programme

During their first academic semester, students will take four required courses at Lingnan. These courses are: Critical issues for cultural and heritage management; History, heritage and regional perspectives; a cultural policy workshop, and; a workshop for arts administration and programme management.

The rest of the year will be spent at the University of Lincoln, where MA ACHM students will take courses in: Community organisation, sustainability and development; Research methods for tourism; Hospitality, visitor experience, and cultural and heritage attractions, and; Digitising cultural and heritage collections.

To graduate, students will also be required to complete a master’s thesis.

The value of the East-West partnership

Both Lingnan University and University of Lincoln bring first-class faculty, as well as access to important art and cultural heritage resources, to their collaboration.

Lingnan has strong partnerships with a number of local private and public organisations, including the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Furthermore, in his latest budget, Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan made clear his desire to promote, and broaden, the development of the SAR’s arts and culture heritage sectors, and earmarked hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars for this purpose.

While Lincoln, and the surrounding area, is home to a number of exceptional heritage sites, including it’s 1000-year-old cathedral and castle. “The University of Lincoln also has established expertise in running taught masters degree programmes in the field of cultural heritage management,” explains the MA ACHM Programme Director at Lingnan, Professor Creighton Connolly.

The programme, therefore, promises to be an ideal foundation for either advanced study in cultural heritage management and conservation, or a professional career centred on museums, or in curatorial and other art-related roles.

TAU-CED teams up with Indonesian faculty, steers iVISID 2022

Posted on by Office of External Linkages and International Affairs

To improve the quality of education and administration of educational institutions, Tarlac Agricultural University’s College of Education (TAU-CED) and Universitas Brawijaya’s Faculty of Administrative Science (UB-FAS) will trailblaze the International Visiting Scholar (iVISID) 2022 through an international webinar and series of virtual assemblies on 8-11 March.

Commencing iVISID is the forum to be presided by Dr. Christine N. Ferrer, Director of TAU-External Linkages and International Affairs (ELIA), and Dr. Hermawan, M.Si., Head of Educational Administration Program of UB-FAS. Dr. Ferrer will be clarifying misconceptions on international collaboration while Dr. Hermawan will be pursuing an exchange of ideas on international quality assurance.

The second and third day highlights the interactive sessions on financial, instructional leadership, public relations, and educational management functions of educational institutions. Such will be spearheaded by Dr. Fadillah Amin, Head of UB-FAS Public Administration Department, Dr. Claire Anne A. Olivares, Dean of TAU-CED, Mr. Aulia Luqman Aziz, UB-FAS lecturer, and Dr. Blessie E. Lorenzo, Program Chair at TAU-CED, respectively.

Moreover, select students will present a report on their contributions to the advancement of education, science, and innovation which is necessary “to achieve a truly connected global higher education ecosystem for the youth” on the last day of iVISID. Dr. Ferrer proposed iVISID to develop education science in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. “ We are also working on the expansion of iVISID to other ASEAN countries in 2023,” Dr. Ferrer shared.

Universitas Brawijaya (UB) was indexed at number 271-280 in the QS Asia 2021 Rankings. With 60,000 students, UB maintains a 60-hectare campus in Malang City, East Java.

As part of World Francophonie Day celebrations, Amity School of Languages organises conference on ‘La langue française, se connecter pour agir’

Posted on by Amity University Jaipur

As part of World Francophonie Day celebrations, Amity School of Languages organized a conference on ‘La langue française, se connecter pour agir’ and a competition on French and francophone culture and civilization for UG/PG students. This endeavor was undertaken to showcase French and francophone culture, civilization and literature to students and research scholars.

The online event witnessed the presence of Prof. Nilanjan Chakrabarti from Visva-Bharati University, Prof. Abhijit Karkun from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof. Nalini Thampi from Pondicherry University, Dr. Nidhi Raisinghani from University of Rajasthan, Dr. Arunkumar Santhalingam, president of AIFPRO (Association of Indian French Professionals and Researchers) and Ms. Maryline Laidin, Attaché for Cooperation in French Language, French Institute of India. They appreciated the efforts of Amity University Rajasthan for organizing the conference on the occasion of World Francophonie Day.

Various experts of French and francophone studies along with HoI of Amity School of Languages, Prof. Dipa Chakrabarti constituted the body of the resource persons who commented on the papers presented by research scholars as well as by teachers of different universities. The invited guests were experienced, well positioned, and from same background who contributed to the present-day work on Francophonie.

The invited guests are closely linked with Amity School of Languages for a long time and they took part in webinars, BOS discussions. Some of them are co-directors of the thesis of doctoral students of Amity School of Languages and experts of BOS as well. Amity School of Languages take recourse to these experts of French and francophone fraternity when necessary.

The event had 230 attendees and 22 panelists. In the event organized by Amity School of Languages on the occasion of World Francophonie Day, the students were provided with the platform and the research scholars got chance to present their papers in front of the experts and their peers from great universities of India and abroad. A wide field of French studies including literature, culture and didactics was covered. During the two days event, recent discourse in francophone studies got highlighted by the paper presenters of which few established teachers also formed part.

Amity School of Languages provided the certificates of appreciation to the winners of the competition for UG/PG students.

7. After successful completion of the event, Amity School of Languages is planning to publish the papers presented during the two-day conference in the form of conference proceedings. Further collaborations with paper presenters and their institutes are also possible in the form of joint seminars and conferences.