We're often warned against opening Pandora's box, a metaphor for unleashing a torrent of evils on the world. Yet, we forget an essential detail: Elpis – the spirit of hope – remained within the box. Even when the world seems consumed by chaos, hope endures.Throughout history, philosophers and leaders have celebrated hope as a powerful force. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu observed, “As long as we have hope, we…
To assess the foreign policy preferences of potential BRICS partners, it is interesting to look at their voting in the UN General Assembly. It is clear that their results should not be taken as absolutes, and the real political practice of states is not limited to voting results and is not determined by them. But these votes are also symbolically quite important, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov. The…
The new approach uses samples from infected humans to allow real-time monitoring of pathogens circulating in human populations, and enable vaccine-evading bugs to be quickly and automatically identified. This could inform the development of vaccines that are more effective in preventing disease.The approach can also quickly detect emerging variants with resistance to antibiotics. This could inform the choice of treatment for people who become infected - and try to limit…
Quick Hits The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Program (WWIRP) applies to all employers that directly or indirectly employ at least 100 employees at a single warehouse distribution center or at least 1,000 employees at one or more warehouse distribution centers in New York. Effective June 1, 2025, the WWIRP mandates that all covered employers create and implement formal injury reduction programs that identify and minimize risks of musculoskeletal injuries in…
The year 2023 was named the hottest on record, and 2024 is on track to be even warmer. We are already feeling the impact of the climate emergency, but the problem runs deeper. Climate change is just one symptom of our planet’s health crisis. From resource depletion to social inequality, the challenges we face are interconnected and demand a comprehensive solution. Beyond the endeavours of any one company or community, sustainability…
The global crisis that we are experiencing is aggravated by an intellectual crisis of world political thought. Nevertheless, people are inventive, and maybe AI will help, writes Valdai Club Chairman Andrey Bystritskiy. There is virtually no doubt that the problems of 2024 will reappear in full and even with reinforcements in 2025. One of the reasons for the protracted global political crisis in which we now exist is that the creative ability of modern political thought is clearly insufficient to offer a more or less realistic and digestible model of the…
Business leaders today are juggling more than ever, from creating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs to managing conflict in highly-charged environments. The brunt of the pandemic may be behind us, but its effects continue to ripple deep throughout today’s workplace. Even before the death of George Floyd and the start of the Black Lives Matter movement became catalysts for change, business executives were starting to recognize the case for…
In the spirit of the season, we’re decking the halls with 12 unforgettable workplace mishaps of this year because who says the 12 Days of Christmas should only be about partridges and pear trees? 1. Age Discrimination: A windy workplace incident Lee Marsh, a manager at Birmingham City Council, was found guilty of age discrimination after an unusual incident involving a younger colleague. Marsh reportedly found it amusing to pass…
Quick Hits New state laws on paid leaves, discrimination protections, child labor, medical marijuana, and workplace safety are set to take effect on January 1, 2025. Employers may want to take note of these new laws and compliance obligations. California California has several laws set to take effect on January 1, 2025, including laws expanding protections against unlawful discrimination; prohibiting mandatory workplace meetings to discuss political or religious matters, including…
Professor Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, Professor of Probability at Oxford’s Department of Statistics, has been appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to Mathematical Sciences. Much of her work focuses on infinite dimensional stochastic processes and their applications. Most recently her central interest has been a collection of mathematical problems arising in population genetics.Professor Etheridge said: ‘This really is a huge honour and it's…
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Google's Quantum AI lab in Santa Barbara, CA.
Topics Data, AI, & Machine Learning AI & Machine Learning subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images The wave of transformation that artificial intelligence tools — large language models and generative AI, in particular — have unleashed feels unprecedented. Unlike previous technological waves, these tools are disrupting even traditional organizational structures, as highlighted in Ethan Mollick’s MIT SMR article “Reinventing the Organization for GenAI and LLMs.” Leaders are…
Quick Hits The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated an SEC order approving a Nasdaq rule that would have required public companies to maintain a certain number of board members from underrepresented demographic groups or explain why they failed to do so. The diversity rule never took effect while it faced legal challenges during the past three years. The SEC could appeal the Fifth Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court…
A study led by The University of Manchester which examined the extent and effectiveness of Russian state-sponsored online propaganda efforts has found that - despite significant investment - the Kremlin's attempts to influence Western media and public opinion are largely failing. Focusing the recent EU elections, researchers analysed the output of five outlets with confirmed Kremlin sponsorship, and uncovered a network of websites and social media accounts designed to mimic…
The near future could see AI assistants that forecast and influence our decision-making at an early stage, and sell these developing “intentions” in real-time to companies that can meet the need – even before we have made up our minds.This is according to AI ethicists from the University of Cambridge, who say we are at the dawn of a “lucrative yet troubling new marketplace for digital signals of intent”, from…
Based on these evidences and reasons, many analysts have considered Iran the main loser in the recent developments in Syria (Eliot A. Cohen, Lyuba Lulko & Dmitry Sudakov, Natasha Hall and Joost Hiltermann & Nicholas Kristof). But are these judgments correct, and has Iran lost everything in Syria? The ultimate answer to this question is no, for several reasons. First, the difference between official and unofficial positions. Usually, individuals, groups,…
A few years ago, Tuck assistant professor Sonya Mishra was talking with her research colleagues, Charlotte Townsend and Laura Kray, about the Forbes rankings of the “Most Powerful People” and the “Most Powerful Women.” They noticed something intriguing. An assistant professor of business administration at Tuck, Sonya Mishra teaches Leading Diverse Organizations in the MBA program. The individuals on the “Most Powerful People” list consisted mostly of men, and these…
The long-standing interplay between artificial intelligence and the evolution of physics played a pivotal role in awarding the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics to two AI trailblazers. “AI for physics and physics for AI are concepts you hear,” said Matteo Cremonesi(opens in new window), an assistant professor of physics at Carnegie Mellon University. “The fact that the Nobel Prize went to AI pioneers is not surprising. It’s a recognition of…
Plot twist protection vbois October 24, 2024
The terrifying context of a likely war of the EU against Russia for the Ukraine with French troops being sent on the Russian front is less a danger than an option to the French Europeanist tyrant: he can use it as a tool to unite the French political system around him, Olivier Roqueplo writes. The victory of Parliament over the Barnier Government seems to open the final chapter of the…
The evolving landscape of state immunity in award-enforcement proceedings in Canada The rise of investor-state disputes, which has taken place globally over the last two decades, has led to a growing number of recognition and enforcement proceedings of foreign arbitral awards before Canadian courts by award creditors seeking to execute against the Canadian assets of delinquent sovereign debtors in the recent years. Against this backdrop, the proceedings initiated by the…
Executives in the consumer packaged goods industry face a complex landscape marked by increased competition, evolving consumer behaviours and the need for sustainability. Although inflation is expected to stabilise, ongoing shifts in consumer expectations and market dynamics demand innovative strategies to preserve profitability and enhance resilience. As interest rates begin to decrease, a potential rise in consumer confidence could fuel spending, providing new growth opportunities for brands that are prepared…
In 2024, Valdai Club continued its cooperation with colleagues from Pakistan, which has been actively developing for several years. In April, 2024, the Club held a Russian-Pakistani conference on strategic stability, a topic that is becoming extremely acute amid the current geopolitical conditions. Pakistan, as a nuclear power, has its own views on the problems of global and regional strategic stability, which resulted in an interesting and frank dialogue between…
In today’s consumer landscape, loyalty retail programs are seamlessly woven into both traditional brick-and-mortar stores and the digital realm of eCommerce. They serve as powerful tools to enhance customer retention, and to truly understand their significance and growth, we break down the history of loyalty retail programs below. 18th to 20th Century Loyalty Programs The creation of loyalty programs in the late 18th century was considered the “premium marketing” of…
Seyfarth Synopsis: Since September 2023, there have been at least 25 lawsuits filed claiming the ability to choose between using 401(k) forfeitures to reduce plan expenses or the plan sponsor’s contributions is a fiduciary choice, and that choosing to reduce the plan sponsor’s contributions constitutes a violation of ERISA’s fiduciary duties. In the latest decision in connection with a defendant’s motion to dismiss such a 401(k) plan forfeiture claim, in…
The EU’s coercive measures no longer act as an alternative to secondary sanctions. On the contrary, administrative and criminal prosecution can be combined with the use of secondary restrictions, which creates additional risks for European businesses still working with Russian partners, writes Polina Chupriyanova, Program Coordinator at the Russian International Affairs Council. The threat of applying secondary sanctions is often perceived as a key way to influence violators of foreign…
subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Here at MIT Sloan Management Review, we’re lucky to have a growing number of columnists — true experts who write on their topics regularly — to share the latest lessons and trends that they’re seeing in their fields. Our columnists are constantly looking under the hoods of organizations to see how they work, what they’re struggling with, and what kinds of…
Seyfarth Synopsis: The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is already bringing change to the city. On December 11, 2024, the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-3 to approve a draft ordinance to amend the Living Wage Ordinance and the Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance in 2025. If the City Council approves of the City Attorney’s draft ordinance, the proposed wage increases will make a splash across the tourism industry leading up…
With an incoming administration vocal about its stance on immigration enforcement and safeguarding U.S. workers, employers who hire foreign workers on H-1B visas should make certain that they are maintaining compliance with U.S. immigration regulations. To avoid potential fines, penalties, or jeopardizing the status and work authorization of H-1B employees, it is critical to prepare for heightened scrutiny. This is especially important considering the new rule published on December 18,…
Seattle continues to expand protections for app-based workers (sometimes referred to as “gig workers”) working within the City of Seattle with its new App-Based Worker Deactivation Rights Ordinance. Overview of the New Ordinance Effective January 1, 2025, the City of Seattle’s “Ordinance relating to app-based worker labor standards; establishing labor standards on deactivation protections for app-based workers working in Seattle” (Ordinance 126878) (the “Ordinance”) takes effect. The Ordinance requires network…
While the campus is closed for winter break from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3, Stanford’s art museums will remain open during regular hours, and campus visitors are welcome to explore the outdoor public art collection. The Anderson Collection’s 10th-anniversary exhibitions celebrate the museum’s roots and what it means to live with art, while the Cantor offers several exhibitions related to the Asian American Art Initiative and two galleries of new acquisitions…
On December 23, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order temporarily staying the nationwide preliminary injunction previously granted in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al. While the Fifth Circuit’s temporary stay is not the final word on the fate of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), the court determined that, among other things, the statute is likely constitutional on its…
By: Taylor Iaculla, Yoon-Woo Nam, and Andrew L. Scroggins Seyfarth Synopsis: On December 19, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) published a new fact sheet titled “Wearables in the Workplace: Using Wearable Technologies Under Federal Employment Discrimination Laws.” The fact sheet describes some of the technologies employees may be fitted with, the types of information that may be tracked –from smart watches that can monitor physical activity, to GPS…
Indonesia’s unique opportunity with BRICS emphasises how it can navigate the new multipolar order while preserving its non-aligned and democratic values. As Indonesia considers joining BRICS, it stands at a crossroads, where aligning with emerging powers could unlock new growth while also challenging its traditional diplomatic principles, taking public benefits and strengthening global collaboration, writes Joko Susilo, a participant in the Valdai – New Generation project. Indonesia faces both opportunities and challenges…
For many contemporary readers, their first introduction to the poetry of W.H. Auden came not in a course on English literature, but from a more mainstream source: the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, in which a character recites Auden’s 1937 poem Funeral Blues during the titular funeral.“It’s incredibly touching that a poet can write some words that continue to reverberate in the minds of people who don't think of themselves…
Reflecting on a year of meaningful impact 2024 was an amazing year for the Q5 Foundation, as we deepened our commitment to social impact and supported over 30 charities and community organisations globally. Together, we achieved remarkable milestones that demonstrate the power of collaboration, expertise, and passion. Reading time: 6 minutes A year of empowering communities This year, the Q5 Foundation proudly donated over £1 million in consulting time and…
Seyfarth Synopsis: A second Trump administration is likely to bring sweeping changes to environmental regulatory and enforcement agendas. During the first Trump term, his administration focused on significant deregulation in the environmental sector, including budget cuts and staff reductions at USEPA, and the rollback of key policies from the Obama administration. In his second term we expect further slashes in EPA staffing we sell as additional jurisdictional changes such as…
Quick Hits DHS’s new final rule expands DHS’s authority to conduct site visits and impose penalties on employers that fail to follow the requirements of the program. The final rule expands H-2 worker flexibility and portability, includes expanded grace periods at the beginning and end of the H-2 petition validity period, and establishes the ability of an eligible H-2 nonimmigrant worker to begin working for a new employer upon the…
On Thursday, December 19, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Illinois Attorney General announced a massive $20 million settlement with Leader Automotive Group, the operator of 10 dealerships in and around Bloomington, Illinois, for alleged unfair and deceptive acts and practices in connection with the sale of motor vehicles in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act and Illinois state law. The FTC reported that the $20 million…
Quick Hits Illinois enacted a law prohibiting discrimination against employees who must care for family members at home. The law will not require employers to make accommodations or modifications to reasonable workplace rules and policies to allow employees to fulfill their caregiving responsibilities. The law will take effect on January 1, 2025. On August 9, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill (HB) 2161, Illinois’s family caregiver discrimination legislation, adding…