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Month: October 2023

University of South Australia launches Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space

Posted on by Editorial Team

The University of South Australia in Adelaide, Australia has partnered with the University of Exeter (UK) and Carnegie Mellon University (USA) to launch the Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space, the first program of its kind to meet the challenges facing the sectors.

In response to increasing global geopolitical instability and the establishment of the AUKUS alliance, the University of South Australia (UniSA) introduced the Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space (GEMBA).

The AUKUS security pact presents significant opportunities for those working in and servicing the defence and space sectors. Skills development will be crucial to the ongoing development of the defence and space ecosystems. While technical skills are required under Pillar 1 of AUKUS to build the submarine infrastructure, sustainment and construction, developing advanced cooperation between the three partners as outlined under Pillar 2 will be required across the supply chain.

This presents significant opportunities to develop cutting-edge capabilities that are underpinned by work to promote tri-lateral information and technology sharing to accelerate defence and space innovation enterprises.

The AUKUS arrangement means working with different cultures, agencies, organisations, and teams. This requires technical understanding as well as future-focussed capabilities such as communication, teamwork and problem solving.

UniSA has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and the University of Exeter (UK) to launch the Global Executive MBA in Defence and Space (September 2023) , the first program of its kind tailored to meet the most pressing challenges facing the two sectors.

The program is designed for uniformed and non-uniformed personnel from small and large defence companies, government, and adjacent industries from AUKUS and other allied nations to develop speed to capabilities.

The GEMBA model delivers three main innovations. First, driven by the demand for speed to capabilities under Pillar 2 AUKUS, we designed a tailored program to address critical gaps in cyber security, space systems, geopolitics and defence procurement to help future-proof the workforce and build innovative leadership capabilities across the defence and space sectors for the new era.

Second, we partnered with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Exeter in presenting an 18-month cohort-based program delivered across three countries – Australia, the UK and the US – to reflect the tri-lateral AUKUS alliance. The program features 12 courses covering the organisational functional requirements of an MBA contextualised in the defence and space sectors. Students undertake three in-country residentials in Adelaide, Washington DC, and London, interspersed with online learning.

Third, we partnered with industry to cocreate the curriculum to ensure relevancy and currency. For example, for the capstone, we partnered with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG). CASG is the key delivery agency for the Department of Defence and exists to meet the Australian Defence Force’s military equipment and supply requirements. Students will be assigned a non-classified project as issued by CASG for the capstone. We have also partnered with Accenture who will supply an advisory coach to each group as they work on their capstone challenge.

Working in coopetition and not in competition, allows pockets of expertise to be leveraged and efficiency realisation gains to produce innovative learning experiences on a global scale. The three-way partnership between UniSA, CMU, and Exeter reflects the cross-cultural collaboration behaviours required for complex defence and space projects under AUKUS. It sets a precedence in creating the infrastructure and team-based cultures required to develop workforce speed to capabilities.

This new ecosystem looks to continuous innovation through a shared appreciation of the lifelong learning discourse and the need for providers to offer end-to-end learning solutions to meet evolving learner requirements. Future iterations of the program include short course offerings and industry-specific courses as either discrete learning options or pathway options into the GEMBA.

In its first year of introduction, the GEMBA expects to deliver global impact by developing leaders who can navigate complex geopolitical relationships and work across different cultural and institutional contexts.

Glen Gallagher, Operations Manager at Boeing Defence Australia, one of the inaugural students undertaking the program, says he expects the program will help him be at the forefront of AI and space weaponisation and the ethical use of autonomous systems which he suggests pose unique moral dilemmas. “We must navigate the delicate balance between innovation, effectiveness and conscience,” he says.

“The program will also help act as catalysts for those of us in the defence and space sector, to drive us forward to make informed decisions using the visionary leadership skills gained throughout the course”.

Join the sophisticated technological innovation, globalisation and shifting power balances all changing the face of the defence and space industries. The Global Executive Master of Business Administration (Defence and Space) is designed to meet the workforce development needs of these rapidly expanding sectors.

UPI Research Team Explores Cognitive Processes of Critical Thinking Skills through Neurolinguistics

Posted on by Berita UPI

A research team from the University of Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) is currently delving into the cognitive processes behind critical thinking skills through a neuroscience lens. The team, led by Dadang Sudana, M.A., Ph.D., includes senior members Wawan Gunawan, M.A., Ph.D., and Dr. Jatmika Nurhadi, M.Hum. Additionally, four students—Hazim Mujahid, Aulia Shabrina, Nur Cipta Mustikasari, and Syifa Nuraini—have actively contributed to the research.

One of their notable publications, titled “Superior Frontal Gyrus and Higher Order Thinking Skills: A sLORETA Study of Brain Activity during Speaking,” reveals how the Superior Frontal Gyrus (SFG) plays an integral role in supporting Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) when an individual speaks.

Utilizing the standardized Low-Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (sLORETA) technique, the researchers gauged participants’ neural activity, pinpointing the highest peak values achieved during tasks involving HOTS operational verbs. Results indicated that activity within the SFG peaked when participants articulated tasks such as Comparing, Detailing, and Clarifying.

“With advancements in technology, like brain scanning, researchers can now observe processes occurring in the mind, paving the way for understanding how to optimize critical thinking skills based on brain functions,” shared Dadang Sudana.

This research not only sheds light on the realm of education and training but also aspires to formulate a model to cultivate critical thinking skills. As a next step, the research team plans on developing an Android/iOS application aimed at honing these critical thinking skills.

The Smart Suit that Saves Forest Fires Firefighters’ Lives, An Award-Winning Design by Chula Students

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

Students of the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University have been awarded an MGA Award in recognition of their innovative design for their fire-resistant Smart Suit which uses IoT technology for connections and online activations to store data therefore reducing the risks and increasing the safety for firefighters at work in real time.

Over the past few years, many countries in the world, Thailand included, have been faced with the perils of forest fires that have significantly intensified and occurred more frequently than ever. These fires have caused widespread damage to the environment as well as an adverse impact on the lives and the health of human beings and animals.

The swift control of forest fires is therefore most essential – though this is a danger that involves the most risk. Although aerial firefighting is widely used to combat wildfires, we still need to rely on professionals and volunteers who need to risk their lives both from the intense heat and toxic fumes and substances like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and PM 2.5 dust particles.

These are the problems that led a group of fourth-year students of the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, or team TAF to jointly develop the Smart Suit innovation as part of an international competition known as the “Rapid Prototype Development (RPD) Challenge – a multi GNSS Asia programme.” The event saw a gathering of as many as 40 teams of students from universities all over Asia and it was there that the Smart Suit innovation of CU Engineering students garnered the MGA Award.

The Smart Suit that Saves Forest Fires Firefighters’ Lives

Nithi Achalanan, one of the TAF team members told us that “the Smart Suit was developed based on the efforts rendered to put out forest fires in the north of Thailand as well as similar crises in many countries around the world which in many cases led to the tragic loss of emergency respondents. It is hoped that this innovation will be able to reduce the risks and loss involved and play an important part in the efforts to combat forest fires in the future.”

The TAF team comprises 5 young and dynamic students of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering. Aside from Nithi, there are also Narudom Mee-Im (Electrical Engineering), Nichanant Chunsaereechai (Environmental Engineering), Natapong Intarasuk, and Anuthida Ritthiphan (Survey Engineering), all of whom will be attending this year’s graduation ceremony in October.

Smart Suit Hi-Technology Innovation

Putting out a forest fire involves very high risks and dangers that have cost lives or led to injuries of emergency respondents caused by a lack of adequate communication among firefighting teams, disturbances in working signals, inefficient protection gear, and faulty management systems.

“The team was able to gain actual situational understanding in Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province. Through interviews with firefighting volunteers, we determined some serious obstacles in terms of management and safety, and eventually, the Smart Suit was designed in response to those problems.” Nithi explained.

The design of the Smart Suit innovation is an adaptation of the IoT (Internet of Things) technology, a network of connected devices, and a technology that facilitates communication among the devices and between the devices to the Cloud system by using computer chips and high bandwidth telecommunications. The team chose the Sony Spresense board (a computer board used for IoT) and many sensors for online connectivity, and retrofit them to the original firefighter’s suits.

Nithi explained the efficiency of the Smart Suit, “We made use of equipment that relied on modern technology that is easy to install and very affordable. Most importantly, the Smart Suit is equipped with a system of data as well as an interactive map that shows the information in near real-time. This provides us with spatial data which can measure the various parameters such as PM 2.5, carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature that can be used for accurate spatial management.”

Real-Time Warning: A Distinct Feature of the Smart Suit

Real-time warning helps ensure the safety of the firefighters while performing the task of putting out the fires.

“What earned us the most points from the judges was probably the heat measurement capabilities,” Narudom, an Electrical Engineering student told us on behalf of his team. “The Smart Suit can provide immediate warning in cases where the temperatures rise above normal levels. In cases where the temperatures rise to the level that could be hazardous, the sensors will give a warning immediately to prevent people from encountering heatstroke. The same thing also goes for carbon monoxide detection since it is a toxic gas resulting from combustion and inhaling or exposing the body to those fumes at levels that are over the limit can result in immediate death. The warnings enable the wearer of those suits to avoid the fumes before they encounter loss or fatality.”

With the features attached to the Smart Suit, one can detect the location of the firefighters, making it possible for the control center to communicate with them in real-time and help combat problems that might occur immediately, for example, winds changing direction, so that evacuation can take place or orders can be given to avoid certain directions more efficiently.

Narudom provided us with more information on the Smart Suit’s warning system saying that “the control center can monitor the situation and the data collected by far range sensors and sent via LoRa (a cordless connection for IoT) which also includes the position of the firefighter and the hotspot (the point where satellites detect unusually high levels of heat than the normal levels on the earth’s surface), satellite pictures used to measure the earth and its climate often used to follow forest fires like MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) or VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite). This makes it possible to send out warnings to the firefighters and in cases where the situation is exacerbated then EWS messages (Early warning system messages) can also be sent out.”

Collaborations for real-world rollout of more innovations

We take pride in the fact that the Smart Suit innovation recently won an international award. Yet, this is only the start. As members of the TAF team, the students will be branching off to their areas of interest and expertise. They fervently hope that the prototype they have created can lead to innovations that can be put to use in actual situations of forest fires that now plague us to help ensure the safety and preserve the lives of our emergency respondents.

Narudom ended with this thought, “The Smart Suit we have developed is still at the stage of a prototype. As students, we could only use the type of technology and equipment that was inexpensive. In the future, if this innovation can be developed for actual use, we might need to update the equipment and technology by increasing the functions that make it even more efficient.”

The TAF team welcomes companies and agencies that wish to further develop the “Smart Suit” to produce them for actual use to engage in discussions and academic exchange or collaboration to develop the innovation since it is essential to develop innovations to deal with the problem of forest fires at both the national and international levels.

Those interested may contact the team members directly or via the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University at telephone numbers +662 2186309-10.

An affordable water purification system developed by Satbayev University scientists

Posted on by Satbayev University

Water is the source of life. And this, in general, is not news. But lately, we have been hearing more and more about the shortage of water resources, which can become a global problem. According to World Bank forecasts, the volume of water resources in Kazakhstan will decrease from 90 to 76 m3 per year by 2030. This means that the water shortage in the country in 8 years will be about 12-15 m3 per year, that is, about 15%. By the way, residents of remote Kazakh villages have been living without clean drinking water for decades. And this problem persists to this day.

Slow-acting filters are the first type of filters that have begun to be used in the practice of water treatment. In 1829, John Simpson built sand filters for the London water supply, which were called English, or slow.

“Slow-acting filters are used for non-reactive clarification and partial water discoloration from surface sources if its color does not exceed 35-50 degrees. According to the method of regeneration of the filter loading, the following designs are distinguished: with the removal of the polluting layer and washing it outside the filter, with the washing of the contaminated layer in the filter during mechanical loosening and flushing of impurities,” the scientists explain.

Slow filters have a unique ability to remove not only turbidity and color from the water but also specific organic, and inorganic contaminants and bacteria. At the same time, no chemical reagents are used.

“The filter has a double bottom: its lower part is solid; the upper part is perforated. A drainage space is formed between them, into which the filtered water enters. A layer of crushed stone or gravel (0.4-0.45 m thick) is placed on the upper part of the bottom, and a filter layer of quartz sand (0.8-0.85 m) is placed on it, to which the purified water is supplied. The filtration process on a slow filter approaches the natural one: water passes through the filter slowly, at a speed of 0.1-0.2 m/h. Under such conditions, almost complete clarification of water and its purification from microorganisms by 95-99% is achieved.”

As the water is filtered, a biological film is formed on the surface of the filter layer of sand from the retained organic residues, minerals, colloidal particles, and a large number of microorganisms. It is formed within a few days – this period is called the period of “maturation” of the filter. This film retains a fine suspension that would pass through the pores of the sand. That is, film filtration of water takes place on a slow filter. The film itself also contributes to mineralizing the organic substances, the destruction of microflora, and the reduction of oxidation and color.

The use of crushed shungisite (expanded clay, zeolite, volcanic slags, burnt rocks, clinoptilolite) instead of quartz sand reduces the formation time of a biologically active film by 3-5 times.

The process of “maturation” lasts until the number of bacteria in the filter decreases to 100 colonies (A colony is a visible isolated cluster of representatives of one type of microorganisms. – Note of the author.) per 1 ml of water. That is until the water meets the requirements for drinking water quality. After that, the water can be eaten.

“The useful operation period of the filter continues until the available pressure is exhausted (usually it reaches 15-30 days, sometimes more). After that, the filter is stopped and the regeneration of the upper layers of the load is started, removing a 2-3-centimeter layer or loosening it with simultaneous water supply to the filter surface to flush the impurities into the sewer collector,” say scientists of KazNRTU named after K.I. Satbayev.

Traditional technologies of water treatment and water purification provide a complex technology consisting of several processes: settling, filtering, and disinfection. At the same time, the existing treatment facilities no longer give the desired result due to the heavy pollution of reservoirs. Slow filters, scientists say, are easy to build, and low-cost to maintain, while they can provide clean water to a small village. The project is being implemented with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Recycling Used Cooking Oil into Green Eco Soap

Posted on by norashirene (Ranking Champion, FSG)

A knowledge transfer program (KTP) through community service learning to recycle use cooking oil into soap was conducted by a group of researchers from the Faculty of Applied Science, UiTM Shah Alam. Led by PM Dr Zainiharyati Mohd Zain, the Salam Komuniti Lestari Program under the financial support from Selangor State Government, Malaysia was held on the 21st of August 2022, at Dewan MBSA Seri Pagi, Kampung Paya Jaras, Seksyen U19, Shah Alam. The event was officiated by YBrs. Pn. Mariam Binti Abdul Rashid, Board member of MBSA Zone 23 and Prof. Dr. Mohamad Hariri Bin Hj. Abdullah, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry, Community and Alumni Network) UiTM. Also, present Prof. Dr. Hjh. Farida Zuraina Binti Mohd Yusof, Dean of the Faculty of UiTM Applied Sciences, Member of the Board and Director of the MBSA Department.

The aim of this project is to provide soap making knowledge and awareness via a close engagement between academics, governmental agencies, and community on the process of recycling used cooking oil into soap. In addition, a greener approach was implemented in a more simple and cheaper way.

This community initiative raises awareness, exposure, and training for 30 participants in the Shah Alam City Council’s authority to recycle used cooking oil into soap manufacture at their homes or businesses. Cooking oils are commonly used more than once in frying process. Consumption of wasted cooking oil more than twice as a source of fried food has cancerous effects on human health owing to alterations in the oil’s molecular structure generated by high temperatures during the frying process. Furthermore, improper disposal of used cooking oils can also lead to environmental pollutions.

The soap making optimisation process was brought from the lab to community using cleaner and simpler recycling procedure, adapted to the community’s knowledge and at-home facilities. The soap production quality was enhanced by utilising a different formulation, considering several factors including the moisture content, fragrance, pH value, and physical properties. This project is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 (Quality Education) and 12 (responsible Consumption and Production). The community service has raised awareness about the need of recycling leftover cooking oil and has the potential to create money by creating soap, which would help the local economy in Selangor state.

Let’s defend our friends: Moral movement against sexual violence in higher education institutions in Indonesia

Posted on by Fotarisman Zaluchu

Sexual violence in higher education institutions in Indonesia still happens very often. The perpetrators are lecturers and students themselves, and this is very much related to power relation imbalance and gender inequality. As a result, the female students, as the parties with the most inferior position so far in the patrilineal culture-oriented community, can only be silent and do nothing. This situation really puts them in a vulnerable position as the victims of sexual violence.

The existing data reveal that the number of reports filed to the Task Force of PPKS (Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence) is very few. This means, the victims feel reluctant to report the incidents they have experienced.

So far what has become the problem is that many victims of sexual violence have experienced bad incidents without any precaution from their surrounding environment, despite the fact that sexual violence is an incident that can be prevented. Every student on campus will have friends or classmates having interaction with one another in many activities. Therefore, instead of waiting for the sexual violence victims to appear, early prevention or precaution must be carried out by those present in the area of incidents.

The Tim Fortune (Fortune Team) from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, the Department of Social Anthropology, with the funding assistance from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research, and the support of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has made an important breakthrough. The Tim Fortune has designed a training for student volunteers to play a role as the “interceptors” of sexual violence incidents. The students will be trained to be active and take initiatives when someone is experiencing sexual violence.

To ease the implementation of the prevention principles, Tim Fortune consisting of David Dodi Lumbantobing, Paula Hutriany Sigiro, Novi Fitriani Br Nazara, and Cecilia Angela Sitanggang has created a pictured comic. The comic entitled “Ayo Bela Teman Kita” (Let’s Defend Our Friends) uses the figures of themselves, also as students, who seem to have conversations to encourage other students to participate in preventing sexual violence occurring in higher education institutions.

The advisor of Tim Fortune, Dr. Fotarisman Zaluchu, stated that Tim Fortune has created amazing works of art. “The comic has been tried out in classes, and students become very interested in it. Every time the comic is tried out, students become willing to be volunteers and have stated their willingness by signing a form of commitment.”

Tim Fortune has asked students to accompany their friends or classmates that are requested to have discussion by someone including by their own lecturer. Besides that, students have to be courageous to reprimand someone who says something indecent and looks inappropriately at a girl who is their friend or classmate. Moreover, the most important thing is that students are asked to fight someone who would like to do actions having the tendency toward sexual violence. This program will be continued to train more and more students in a wider range.

Restoring the Function of a Human Cell Surface Protein in Yeast Cells

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and most diverse group of cell surface proteins in humans. These receptors, which can be seen as ‘traffic directors,’ transmit signals from the outside to the inside of cells and are involved in many physiological processes. Given their prominent roles in cellular communication, cell growth, immune responses, and sensory perception, many drugs have been developed to target GPCRs, for the treatment of conditions such as asthma, allergies, depression, hypertension, and heart disease. In fact, more than 300 GPCR-related drugs are currently in clinical trials, 36% of which target over 60 novel GPCR targets without an already-approved drug. Moreover, drugs that target GPCRs account for as much as 27% of the global market share of therapeutic drugs, with aggregated sales close to US$890 billion between 2011 and 2015. Thus, any technique that could accelerate research on GPCRs is likely to trigger a large ripple effect, ultimately bringing more effective treatments to millions of people.

Today, approaches such as cryo-electron microscopy, optogenetics, computational approaches and artificial intelligence, biosensors and label-free technologies, and single-cell technologies are being explored for GPCR drug discovery and development. Among them, the single-cell approach based on yeast is one of the most useful platforms to study GPCRs. Besides its widespread application in beer and bread making, the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a long history of being used as a host to research human derived GPCRs. Although some GPCRs can be engineered to enhance their stability and function to facilitate experiments, most GPCRs do not function well in yeast cells. This long-standing problem has greatly slowed progress in our understanding of GPCRs and the development of new drugs that target them.

Against this backdrop, a research team from Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan, recently came up with an innovative strategy to restore the activity of human derived GPCR human histamine 3 (H3R) in S. cerevisiae. Their study, published in Volume 13 of Scientific Reports on September 26, 2023, was led by Associate Professor Mitsunori Shiroishi and co-authored by Ms. Ayami Watanabe and Ms. Ami Nakajima, all from TUS.

“H3R is mainly expressed in the nervous system. It is involved in cognitive function, and its inhibition is associated with the therapeutic outcomes of various conditions, such as ADHD, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and narcolepsy,” explains Dr. Shiroishi. Through preliminary experiments, the team showed that H3R becomes non-functional when expressed in yeast.

To restore its function, the research team utilized a technique called error-prone polymerase chain reaction to introduce random mutations in the H3R gene. After producing a random mutant library of H3R, they introduced modified DNA segments into yeast cells and cultivated them in the presence of an H3R agonist—a compound that binds to H3R and sets off a measurable response. By screening through multiple cultures, the researchers obtained four mutants in which the normal activity of H3R was restored. These mutants responded exclusively to a type of yeast strain that harbors certain G-chimera proteins. The mutations responsible for the restored activity were located near the amino acid sequence motifs important for GPCR activation.

This innovative approach to study GPCRs could have profound implications, particularly in the fields of medicine and cell biology. “Our research could help elucidate the function of GPCRs and may even lead to the development of drugs with fewer side effects, as well as bolster drug discovery for diseases for which there is currently no treatment,” remarks Dr. Shiroishi. There are many therapeutic areas where GPCR-targeting drugs are being actively developed, including neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart failure, various types of cancer, and metabolic disorders.

A deeper understanding of GPCR variations and how they impact individuals differently could also lead to new approaches to personalized medicine. Tailoring GPCR-targeted drugs to an individual’s genetic makeup and their specific disease profile may greatly improve treatment outcomes. Furthermore, generic GPCR treatments reaching a vast number of people worldwide might also become a reality, which would reduce the burden on healthcare systems.

We are certain that the findings of this study will pave the way to a healthier future for everyone.

38 EdUHK Scholars Named World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University

Posted on by eduhk

Thirty-eight scholars of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) were named among the top 2% most-cited scientists in the world, in the latest annual rankings published by Stanford University, as of October 2023.

Among them were new President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, who assumed the position last month; Vice President (Research and Development) Professor Chetwyn Chan Che-hin; Advisor and Adjunct Chair Professor (Geography & Environmental Science) Professor Jim Chi-yung, Advisor (Environmental Science) Professor Wong Ming-hung; and Professor Rudolf Wu Shiu-sun, who has invented ‘artificial mussels’, an effective tool that can monitor radioactive contamination in waters around the world.

Compiled by a research team at Stanford University, the rankings list top scientists from a wide range of fields, based on their career-long citation impact or single-year citation impact in 2022.

EdUHK scholars fared well in their respective fields. Notably, Professor Jim Chi-yung, also known as ‘Dr Tree’, ranked first out of over 30,000 scholars in the field of forestry, representing the high citation rate and significant impact of his research output. Professor Wong Ming-hung from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies also ranked 8th out of nearly 100,000 scholars in environmental sciences.

In addition to research capacity and impact, the University has also secured record-high funding of over HK$27 million under the annual Research Grants Council’s General Research Fund and Early Career Scheme. Once again, EdUHK came first, in the discipline of education, both in terms of the number of funded projects and amount awarded. The University has also made significant strides in various disciplines, such as psychology and linguistics, further underscoring its solid foundation in broadening academic scope beyond education.

Congratulating the EdUHK team, President Professor Lee said, “The University has made great strides in research in education and various emerging disciplines, as illustrated by its remarkable achievements over the years. To further extend our research impact in Hong Kong and beyond, we have established two new Academies, namely the Academy for Educational Development and Innovation and the Academy for Applied Policy Studies and Education to better promote interdisciplinary research with greater synergy.”

Learn more: https://www.eduhk.hk/en/features/38-eduhk-scholars-named-world-s-top-2-scientists-by-stanford-university

New Korean Language Test Center launches at Thammasat-Rangsit

Posted on by Thammasat University

Thammasat and the Korean Education Center in Thailand (KEC) have agreed to launch a new “Korean Language Test Center” at the Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat-Rangsit. The inauguration ceremony for the new center was co-hosted by Thammasat and KEC .

The Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) is a standardized examination evaluating Korean language skills. The TOPIK test can be an accurate and useful choice for a variety of foreigners who want to work or study in South Korea but do not speak Korean as their mother tongue. It is an international exam designed to help non-natives certify their talents.

The new center will offer test services for those who wish to have a comfortable stay in South Korea in jobs requiring the Korean language and to boost scholarship opportunities, visas, and permanent residency or study in South Korea. TOPIK is an excellent value-add to one’s profile since many companies expect documentary evidence before interviews and nearly all organizations, public and private universities, and government bodies accept and trust TOPIK certification. Thammasat will organize the test and KEC will monitor and assist Thammasat to manage implementation.

Additionally, Thammasat and KEC will co-host a symposium, an international conference and conduct workshops and meetings to promote comprehensive Korean studies in Thailand. More information is available at: https://www.facebook.com/topikinthailand

Computers should never be allowed to control human mind, says AI expert

Posted on by Muhammad Sheraz

Computers should never be allowed to control the human mind and humans’ decisions, says Professor Dr. Madjid Fathi, a world-known AI expert, and head of the Institute of Knowledge-Based Systems and Knowledge Management at Germany’s University Seigenin.

Professor Fathi was in Kazakhstan on 20-22 September as a guest speaker at the Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University (KATRU) named after Seifullin University in Astana. Professor Fathi gave a talk at the conference session on the use of artificial intelligence in the production of quality food. He said AI can be used for monitoring food crops and the data collected can help understand what affects the quality of food. Whether it is the quality of water, the quality of air, the quality of soil or plasticized, or the overall environment those affect the quality of the food crop.

The focus of Professor Fathi’s research is the constructive and positive use of AI. Professor Fathi’s interest in AI developed 35 years ago when he was at Standford University California. He worked at the University of California, Barkley, He was at the University of New Mexico, too. Later, speaking to the KATRU Press Service, Professor Fathi said that the human mind should always control AI and its development.

“Humans should be decision makers, not computers, computers shouldn’t lead us, we should lead computers. We must focus on controlling the misuse of AI,” said Professor Fathi.

He further elaborated his point by giving an example. “By using Artificial intelligence, we can know about existing illnesses in a person or any illnesses that person may suffer in the near future. That means that AI can tell with accuracy how long the person may live. If this information gets into the hands of insurance companies, there is a possibility of misuse of the medical data.”

Professor Fathi talked about the dangers of AI if it is not regulated. He said big businesses and corporations are using AI to make money and there is a danger that ethics may be compromised.

He stressed the need to develop ethics for the use of AI and its applications. Professor Fathi is part of a group of professors from various countries who are working and pushing for rigorous ethics to regulate AI and its development.
Professor Fathi travels around the world as a guest speaker and he has helped several universities in setting up AI centers and knowledge-based systems.

Muhammad Sheraz is the Advisor to the Rector KATRU on Strategy, Global Engagement, and Communication. His email is: [email protected]