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Climate-ready countries attracting more international students, major study finds

Countries that are better prepared for climate change are becoming more attractive to international students while more vulnerable nations are losing their appeal, according to a major new global study involving researchers from The University of Manchester.The research analysed 1.15 million international student flows, and found that climate resilience is now an increasingly important factor in where students choose to study abroad.The findings suggest that alongside university rankings, jobs and…

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CMU Researchers Develop AI System to Help Prevent Airport Collisions

Near misses like the one at New York’s John F. Kennedy International airport inspired a group from the AirLab(opens in new window) in Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute(opens in new window) (RI) to create World2Rules, an AI system that learns interpretable safety rules from data to analyze, verify and explain potential collision scenarios. By learning from both everyday airport activity and documented safety violations, the system builds a clear picture of what…

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No sponsor, no problem: TSXV drops sponsor requirement for listing transactions

The TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) has removed its longstanding requirement for issuers to engage a sponsor in connection with listing transactions effective March 31, 2026. Previously, sponsors would conduct due diligence and provide a report to the TSXV as part of its review process. The change affects transactions such as reverse takeovers, qualifying transactions and direct listings. What you need to know The TSXV has eliminated its requirement for issuers…

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Anti-DEI Law Requires Florida Contractors and Grant Recipients to Certify Compliance

Quick Hits On April 23, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill (SB 1134) that prohibits counties and municipalities from funding or promoting DEI-related programs, training, and offices. The law requires recipients of county and municipal contracts and grants to confirm they do not promote DEI. The law will take effect on January 1, 2027. The new law defines DEI as any effort to: “[m]anipulate or otherwise influence the…

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Overhauling EU customs system

The European Union (EU) has agreed on the largest overhaul of its customs system since 1968 (see our Insight in July). While the reforms will be rolled out over time, the direction of travel is already clear: responsibility for customs compliance is increasingly shifting toward e-commerce platforms. This reform will reshape how goods enter the EU market, with notable implications for international exporters – particularly Canadian businesses. A fundamental re-think…

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Bayh-Dole Coalition Honors Carmel Majidi for Breakthroughs in Electronics Cooling and Robotics

Carmel Majidi(opens in new window), professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, is one of the recipients of the Bayh-Dole Coalition(opens in new window)’s American Innovator Award(opens in new window) for his pioneering work developing flexible materials for cooling advanced electronics and enabling new forms of robotic motion.The coalition's 2026 Faces of American Innovation report(opens in new window) honors a prestigious group of researchers, entrepreneurs and technology transfer professionals whose…

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When Greatness Marries Passion: Freddie Hendricks Wins 2026 Excellence in Theatre Education Award

In Freddie Hendricks’ classroom at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood, Georgia, the words great, greater and greatness are clearly evident — on the walls, on the door to his middle school theatre arts classroom, on a mural that commands attention on an entire wall in the room. Now, Hendricks has achieved one more great accomplishment in a list of many: He is the 2026 winner of the Excellence in…

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NVIDIA Founder, CEO Jensen Huang to Carnegie Mellon University Graduates: ‘Shape What Comes Next’

In his address, Huang encouraged graduates to stay dedicated to their pursuits with unwavering determination."Carnegie Mellon has a motto I love: My heart is in the work. So, put your heart in the work. Build something worthy of your education, your potential, and the people who believed in you long before the world did," he said. "We have the opportunity to close the technology divide — and bring the power…

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The Invisible Disability: An Employer’s Guide to Mental Health and the ADA

Quick Hits The ADA’s broad definition of “disability” expressly encompasses mental health conditions, which may include major depressive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit disorder, and autism spectrum disorder, among others. Employers have an obligation to provide reasonable accommodation(s) that enable employees with mental health disabilities to perform their essential job functions or enjoy the equal privileges and benefits of employment. Employees are not entitled…

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German Federal Labor Court Clarifies Employer Duties for Suspicion-Based Dismissals

Quick Hits Germany’s Federal Labor Court held that an employer’s failure to attempt contact with a vacationing employee for the purpose of a required hearing before issuing an extraordinary termination on suspicion rendered the termination invalid for exceeding the two-week notice period. An employer must make a reasonable attempt to reach an employee on vacation within one week of learning the relevant facts, and only such an attempt will suspend…

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Limits of Soft Power: How Russia’s Approval Ratings in Its Neighbourhood Are Shaped

The Baltic states suffered more economically from the Ukrainian conflict than other EU countries, facing recession and soaring inflation. Finally, it is in these countries that the sense of a “Russian threat” is most acute, actively fuelled both internally and externally by other EU and NATO members. The idea that “if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, it will move further west” finds fertile ground here.  Notably, the more ethnically…

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Stress, Burnout, and Safety: OSHA’s Modern Approach to Worker Well-being

Quick Hits OSHA is making mental wellness a significant part of its modern safety framework. Employers may want to ensure that their safety and health management systems include worker input to ensure psychologically safe environments. Psychological risk prevention may include employee assistance programs, leaves of absence accommodations, and other accommodations to prevent and mitigate risk exposure. Psychological safety refers to the mental and emotional well-being of workers in the workplace,…

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CMU Students Help Shape Energy Systems, Foreign Policy and Science Communication with National Fellowships

Three Carnegie Mellon University students have been awarded prestigious fellowships, highlighting the value of early career research in areas such as civil engineering, public policy and political science.Those selected for opportunities this year include Engineering and Public Policy(opens in new window) (EPP) and Civil and Environmental Engineering(opens in new window) (CEE) Ph.D. candidate Stacy Godfreey-Igwe; senior Ethics, History and Public Policy(opens in new window) and International Relations and Political Science(opens in new window) major…

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SURF Program Powers Research Into Genetic Switches Behind Bipolar Disorder

Researchers in Carnegie Mellon University’s Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department(opens in new window) are working to better understand the role that the “on” and “off” switches of genes play in activating symptoms of bipolar disorder.  Andreas Pfenning By figuring out the underlying mechanisms driving its development, Associate Professor Andreas Pfenning(opens in new window) and the researchers in his Neurogenomics Lab(opens in new window) hope to uncover potential therapies or treatments that…

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Making a Difference Awards 2026 – celebrating excellence in social responsibility

On Wednesday, 6 May, the University of Manchester hosted its annual Making a Difference Awards ceremony to recognise and celebrate the inspiring social responsibility achievements of colleagues, students, alumni and external partners.The University’s social responsibility activity spans across its research, teaching, public engagement activities and University operations. The Making a Difference Awards highlight the extensive range of social responsibility initiatives across the University community and include categories such as environmental sustainability, alumni contribution, widening access and student success and equality, diversity and inclusion. By sharing ideas, time, expertise and innovation, these…

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Lee Schwamm: Onboarding AI at the Hospital

Howie and Harlan are joined by Lee Schwamm, the Yale School of Medicine’s associate dean for digital strategy & transformation and chief digital health officer of the Yale New Haven Health System, to discuss how the system is working to rapidly evaluate and deploy AI tools without compromising patient safety and oversight. Harlan highlights vaccine studies reportedly held back from publication and argues for greater scientific transparency; Howie reports on…

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Ian Curtis archive to go on display in New York in major international exhibition from The John Rylands Library

'Love Will Tear Us Apart' lyrics IAN CURTIS: INSIGHTVoltz Clarke Gallery, New York City25 June – 22 July 2026A major exhibition exploring the life and creative legacy of Ian Curtis will open in New York this summer, bringing rare archival material from the iconic Joy Division frontman to the United States for the first time.Ian Curtis: Insight presents an intimate and revealing selection of handwritten lyrics, photographs, personal letters, ephemera…

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Will an Anti-Turkish Alliance in the Eastern Mediterranean Lead Turkey to Strengthen Ties with Russia?

The recent prospect of a military alliance between Greece, Israel and Cyprus introduces a new variable into the Eastern Mediterranean security equation. Such an arrangement, even if initially limited, will inevitably be perceived by Turkey as an attempt at strategic encirclement. The consequences of this perception may extend well beyond the immediate theatre. A plausible outcome is a gradual, yet tangible, acceleration of Turkish-Russian convergence, driven more by structural pressures…

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Maine Revises Workplace Drug Testing Law

Quick Hits Maine Governor Janet Mills recently signed a bill that updates the state’s existing substance use testing law to prohibit arbitrary drug testing in the workplace. The new provisions permit drug testing based on reasonable suspicion of impairment, criteria-based testing, and random testing based on neutral selection methods. The law will take effect on July 29, 2026. The legislation updates Maine’s existing substance use testing law as follows: Employers…

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After Sunrise: Federal approval and CER conditions on the Westcoast Energy expansion

Background Last week, the Canadian federal government approved the Sunrise expansion project, a roughly $4 billion expansion of the Westcoast Energy natural gas pipeline system in British Columbia (Project). The Project consists primarily of new pipeline loops, compressor station upgrades, and associated electrical facilities. The aim was to increase transportation capacity on the existing system and address anticipated capacity shortfalls in southern BC and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Sunrise, among…

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Parting With the Trump Illusions

As the Iran crisis drags on and the United States abandons all pretense of compliance with international norms and rules, it is becoming clear that Trump’s promise of putting an end to “forever wars” has not been kept. Now, hopes for restraint in US foreign policy are fading away—Oleg Barabanov, Valdai Club Programme Director, waves goodbye to Trump the peacemaker. What has become one of the distinctive features of the…

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Seyfarth Further Bolsters Real Estate Capabilities with Return of Megan Vallerie as Partner in New York

May 6, 2026 – Seyfarth Shaw LLP continues to expand its real estate offerings and transactional New York practices with Megan Vallerie rejoining the firm as a partner in New York. Vallerie had previously been with Seyfarth from 2016 to 2022, the last three as a partner in the Real Estate department. She is the 16th lawyer to return to Seyfarth since the beginning of 2025 and the fifth “boomerang”…

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Virginia and Maine Enact Pay Transparency Laws to Take Effect in July 2026

Though neither Virginia nor Maine requires the disclosure of benefits information, both states’ laws require employers to disclose compensation information in job postings. Further, they continue the trend of the laws varying in nuanced and significant ways. For example, Maine imposes a ten-employee coverage threshold for purposes of its job posting requirements, and also incorporates recordkeeping and employee-request obligations; Virginia combines its posting requirements with a salary history ban, anti-retaliation…

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Logement social, abordable et familial : Montréal revoit les règles de son développement immobilier

À Montréal, depuis le 1er avril 2021, les projets résidentiels de 450 m² (environ 5 logements ou plus) constituaient des projets visés par le Règlement pour une métropole mixte (« RMM »). L’objectif du RMM était d’augmenter le nombre de logements sociaux, abordables ou familiaux, soit en incluant la construction de ce type de logements directement dans les projets, soit en versant une contribution financière. Cinq ans plus tard, la…

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Valdai Club to Discuss a New Sino-American Cold War

On 18 May at 15:00 (GMT +3), a discussion entitled “The United States and China after the Beijing Summit: Is a New Cold War Possible?” will take place at the Moscow venue of the Valdai Club. Relations between China and the United States constitute a latent rivalry on the global stage that may shape international affairs for years, if not decades, to come. At the same time, the two powers…

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Valdai Club to Discuss Partnership Between Russia and African States

On 21 May, at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT +3), a discussion entitled “Russia and African States: Objectives of Partnership” will take place at the Moscow venue of the Valdai Club. The discussion will be held on the eve of African Liberation Day, which is celebrated annually on 25 May by the member states of the African Union following a proposal by the United Nations General Assembly, and symbolises the liberation…

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Carnegie Mellon Tackles Global Science Diplomacy in the AI Era

Knowledge on the world stage[embedded content]At the 2026 World Economic Forum, CMU President Farnam Jahanian and several other members of the university community facilitated discussions on the ties between industry and academia across a number of panels. Farnam Jahanian During an opening roundtable discussion titled “Open science for global challenges,” Jahanian discussed the importance of interdisciplinary education, AI-accelerated scientific discovery and the future of work with an emphasis on upskilling…

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Britain’s ‘accent bias’ revealed in new book by Manchester expert

If you speak with a Northern, regional or working-class accent in Britain, you may still be judged before you’ve even finished your sentence.A new book by The University of Manchester’s Dr Alex Baratta has revealed how deeply ingrained accent prejudice remains in British society - from classrooms to job interviews - and why it’s time to challenge it.Key insightsAccent bias remains widespread across British society, including in educationPeople are routinely…

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The Colorado River Is Overdrawn, and a Corporate Reckoning Is Imminent

This commentary is adapted from a post in Todd Cort’s Substack newsletter The Real Price of Risk. The views expressed are the author’s own. Imagine that a company had a pension fund that promised $16.5 billion in future payouts but the value of that fund today sits at only $12.4 billion. Moreover, that pension fund has been drawing down the balance for over 25 years to cover the annual shortfall.…

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Chronic sunlight exposure disrupts body clocks in skin

Years of chronic exposure of human skin to sunlight strongly disrupts its body‑clock rhythm, according to a pioneering study led by University of Manchester, No7 Beauty Company, a member of The Boots Group, and University of Pennsylvania scientists.The findings could explain how ultraviolet (UV) light triggers inflammation and damage in exposed skin, so-called photoageing, which breaks down its supportive structure, altering how its cells behave.Published in the Journal of Investigative…

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AI is a new operating model conversation

AI is forcing a new operating model conversation, not just a technology one AI is no longer just a technology upgrade but a shift in organisational operating models. As AI embeds into everyday work, it reshapes people, processes, structures, technology and governance. Organisations that succeed will design for human–AI collaboration, clear accountability and trust, moving beyond isolated use cases to enterprise-wide transformation. Reading time: 4 minutes Most organisations are approaching AI like a technology…

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Navigating the EU Pay Transparency Directive: The Latest Developments

Quick Hits EU member states Estonia, Malta, Lithuania, and Slovakia have released recent updates on their respective implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Delays are now expected for Estonia; meanwhile, Malta, Slovakia, and Lithuania are still on track to meet the 7 June 2026 deadline. The European Commission has previously stated that the date for implementation remains 7 June 2026. Estonia The Economic Affairs Minister for Estonia, Erkki Keldo,…

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Misrepresentation of academic qualifications is just cause

The Alberta Court of King’s Bench recently released its decision in Tudor v Accurate Screen Ltd., 2026 ABKB 237 (Tudor v Accurate). In the decision, Justice Yamauchi dismissed Mr. Tudor’s claim against his former employer Accurate Screen for wrongful dismissal and held that Accurate Screen had just cause to terminate the employment relationship after it had discovered an intentional misrepresentation of academic qualifications Mr. Tudor’s resume. Justice Yamauchi held that…

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Why apps matter: digital banks pass on monetary policy differently

6 May 2026By Katarzyna BudnikDigitalisation is reshaping how banks pass on monetary policy. Compared with their branch‑based peers, digital banks are faster at adjusting deposit pricing for policy changes, but slower at updating their loan pricing.As more people manage their finances on a laptop or smartphone rather than at the counter in a local branch, the way monetary policy moves through banks is evolving. This blog post briefly sketches the…

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Israeli Budgeting Politics and the War on Iran

The Israeli justifications for the timing of the operation against Iran have ranged from the growing nuclear threat to the weakening of the Islamic Republic’s governing system by preceding protests. However, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government—balancing on the brink of early elections—had at least one domestic political factor that pushed it towards escalation at the end of February this year. The politics of adopting a new budget were among the considerations behind…

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What separates real transformation from a cosmetic restructure?

Chris Parsons on why organisation design must go beyond org charts to deliver lasting performance Featured on the Questioning Gurus podcast by QuestionPro APJ, Q5 Co-Founder Chris Parsons shares why true transformation goes beyond restructuring. Sustainable performance comes from aligning strategy, structure, processes, and culture to reduce friction and improve outcomes for both customers and employees. Reading time: 4 minutes What does real transformation actually look like? In a recent…

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Vacation Approved but Spent on Strike—German Labor Court Denies Pay and Leave

Quick Hits A lawful strike in Germany can supersede previously approved vacation, resulting in  an employee not receiving vacation pay for the strike period. Vacation from the previous year may expire if it is not taken during the carryover period; the employer’s special obligations to cooperate may be set aside if the vacation has already been requested and approved. The Case—Vacation Approved, Strike Underway: Who Pays? The employer, a recycling…

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Re-investing in Canada’s sport system: The spring economic update 2026 in context

On April 28, 2026, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne tabled the federal government’s spring economic update 2026 (Update). The Update included what the government described as a “generational investment” in sport: $755 million over five years and $118 million in ongoing funding to support Canada’s sport system. The announcement follows comments made by Prime Minister Mark Carney in March 2026, in which he said that the federal government would examine and…

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Design Tweaks That Keep Students Learning

Getting a question wrong might be the best thing that can happen to a student, if they try again.Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science (SCS) revealed how small design changes in online tutoring platforms can help students push through their mistakes and keep learning.The research team made small tweaks to things like text and color to see how these alterations improved students' persistence. Paulo Carvahlo "Being wrong…

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