Latest news with #LondonSchoolofEconomicsandPoliticalScience
The Star
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Bringing Malaysian talents home
Strategies to reverse the brain drain In today's increasingly globalised economy, Malaysia, like many of our Asean neighbours, grapples with the challenge of brain drain. We are losing some of our brightest talents to opportunities abroad. The search for better prospects is only natural as everyone wants to have financial security and an improved quality of life. Migration at times goes hand-in-hand in the search of better prospects particularly for those who go abroad to further their studies. The motivations behind migration are clear: perceived better prospects, faster career progression, and more dynamic job markets. But while the benefits of working abroad seem attractive, the cost to Malaysia is the steady erosion of our intellectual and professional capital. At the same time, underemployment and a mismatch between academic training and market needs push young graduates to explore global options. To bridge the gap between higher education and industry demands, universities must actively engage with employers to co-develop curricula, invest in real-world skills development, and incorporate internships and research placements which align with current market expectations. Regular curriculum reviews, guided by industry insights, can help ensure education remain relevant and future-ready. Magnet for returnees But reversing brain drain is not just about preventing talent from leaving, it is also about creating the right conditions for them to come back. This is more than just matching salaries. Returnees often look for a combination of professional challenge, supportive infrastructure, quality of life, and opportunities to make meaningful contributions. I was in the United Kingdom last month, speaking at the Judge Business School at Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, encouraging the Malaysian students to come back after their studies or after working to gain experience overseas. It is clear they are attracted to the much higher salaries, not necessarily thinking of the higher cost of living as well. We need to make the environment more attractive for these young professionals to come back. It is important to invite Malaysian professionals abroad to return, not simply to fill roles, but to lead, innovate, and inspire. Returning talents bring with them a wealth of experiences which include advanced technical knowledge, exposure to global standards, intercultural communication skills, and a fresh perspective on innovation. By integrating these professionals into local industries, startups, and institutions, Malaysia can accelerate its transformation into a globally competitive nation. Under the Returning Expert Programme (REP), TalentCorp offers various incentives such as tax benefits, and permanent resident status for eligible dependents, to encourage skilled Malaysians to return home. TalentCorp also offers the Career Comeback Tax Exemption to encourage women to return to the workforce with tax exemptions for up to 12 months. Whole nation approach Tackling brain drain requires a multi-stakeholder effort. Government, private sector, academia, and civil society must work together to foster a robust ecosystem where Malaysian talents see a future at home. By inviting our talents to come back and by giving them room to thrive, we can cultivate a workforce that is not only highly skilled but globally competent. Beyond economics, it is about national pride, purpose, and potential. These returnees can be the bridge between Malaysia and the world, elevating our industries, inspiring the next generation, and building a workforce worthy of a world-class future. Prof Datuk Dr Elizabeth Lee is the chief executive officer at Sunway Education Group. A veteran in the field of private higher education, Prof Lee is also an advocate for women in leadership. She has been recognised both locally and internationally for her contributions to the field of education. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
Irish Examiner
14-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Car use and meat consumption drive emissions gender gap, research suggests
Cars and meat are major factors driving a gender gap in greenhouse gas emissions, new research suggests. Men emit 26% more planet-heating pollution than women from transport and food, according to a preprint study of 15,000 people in France. The gap shrinks to 18% after controlling for socioeconomic factors such as income and education. Eating red meat and driving cars explain almost all of the 6.5-9.5% difference in pollution that remains after also accounting for men eating more calories and travelling longer distances, the researchers said. They found no gender gap from flying. 'Our results suggest that traditional gender norms, particularly those linking masculinity with red meat consumption and car use, play a significant role in shaping individual carbon footprints,' said Ondine Berland, an economist at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a co-author of the study. Research into gender gaps is often plagued by difficult decisions about which factors to control for, with seemingly independent variables often confounded by gendered differences. Men need to eat more calories than women, for instance, but they also eat disproportionately more than women. They also have higher average incomes, which is itself correlated with higher emissions. Previous research from Sweden has found men's spending on goods causes 16% more climate-heating emissions than women's, despite the sums of money being very similar. Marion Leroutier, an environmental economist at Crest-Ensae Paris and a co-author of the study, said: 'I think it's quite striking that the difference in carbon footprint in food and transport use in France between men and women is around the same as the difference we estimate for high-income people compared to lower-income people.' Eating red meat and driving cars explain almost all of the 6.5-9.5% difference in pollution that remains after also accounting for men eating more calories and travelling longer distances The most powerful actions a person can take to cut their carbon pollution include getting rid of a petrol car, eating less meat and avoiding flights. But efforts to challenge car culture and promote plant-based diets have provoked furious backlashes from pundits, who perceive it as an attack on masculinity. The term 'soy boy' has been used by far-right figures including the US vice-president, JD Vance, and the self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate to present progressive men as weak. Soy is a common protein source in vegan cuisine, but three-quarters of the world's soya beans are fed to animals to produce meat and dairy. The French researchers suggested the gender differences in emissions could explain why women tend to be more concerned about the climate crisis, arguing the greater personal cost of reducing their emissions could cause men to avoid grappling with the reality of the climate emergency. But they added that greater climate concern could lead women to do more to cut their emissions. 'More research is needed to understand whether these differences in carbon footprints are also partly due to women's greater concern about climate change and their higher likelihood of adopting climate-friendly behaviours in daily life,' Leroutier said. - The Guardian Read More Regulator asks Tesla how driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents in Texas
The Star
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sarawak looking into long-term tie-up with LSE
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg (10th from right) with the Sarawak delegation at the London School of Economics and Political Science. KUCHING: Sarawak is exploring a strategic partnership with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in education and research. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg met LSE president and vice chancellor Larry Kramer in London on Thursday (May 1) to discuss long-term cooperation between the state government and the university. The strategic partnership will focus on executive education for the state civil service and government-related institutions, postgraduate pathways and scholarships for Sarawakian students, institutional ties and academic exchange. It will also look into joint research and collaboration opportunities with LSE in Sarawak's climate change, energy and sustainability agenda. "This strategic partnership underlines Sarawak's commitment towards establishing academic cooperation at global level to support its aspirations of sustainable development, policy leadership and human capital development," a statement on the Sarawak Premier's official Facebook page Sarawakku said. Earlier on Thursday, Abang Johari led a Sarawak delegation in a roundtable session with LSE officers and scholars. During the session, he said Sarawak was committed to implementing concrete policies to mitigate climate change together with the global community. "Sarawak is already carrying out measures towards reducing carbon emissions and strengthening environmental sustainability at all levels. "We will also continue to maintain our forest cover, which is currently 60% of our total land mass, to absorb carbon," he said. Abang Johari also called for international initiatives to contribute funds to protect Sarawak's forests, particularly through carbon trading, given the world's shared interest in climate change. "At present, there are no standard protocols for determining the market value of carbon credits. "Financial institutions are also taking a wait-and-see stand on funding green programmes and projects," he said.
New York Times
11-04-2025
- Health
- New York Times
4 Ways to Stop Stressing About Your Schedule
For the past few weeks, I've been doing a simple experiment: I leave for appointments 10 to 15 minutes earlier than normal. Yes, this is 'obvious' advice, said Chris Guillebeau, the author of the forthcoming book 'Time Anxiety: The Illusion of Urgency and a Better Way to Live.' 'But the results can be life-changing,' he explained. Yet people still resist this idea, Guillebeau said: 'They get worried, and ask me, 'What will I do with the extra time?'' But research suggests that people habitually underestimate how long a task will take. 'So in reality, they probably won't have extra time,' Guillebeau said. 'They just won't be late.' I'm not the only person who has a fraught relationship with the clock. Sixty percent of people surveyed by the Pew Research Center said they sometimes felt too busy to enjoy life. Some of the stress around scheduling is out of our control, but there are things we can all do to feel more in charge of our time, Guillebeau said. I asked him and other experts for tips. Your to-do list will never end, said Thomas Curran, an associate professor of psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the author of 'The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough.' So build your tolerance for leaving that list unfinished, he said. 'We end our days obsessing over our unchecked boxes instead of celebrating our wins,' said Amantha Imber, an organizational psychologist and the author of 'Time Wise: Powerful Habits, More Time, Greater Joy.' So Dr. Imber recommended completing the sentence 'Today I made progress on … ' at each day's end. Researchers call this practice of reflecting on our past accomplishments a 'savoring intervention,' and they say that it can improve confidence. Dr. Imber also suggested saying, 'If I get X done tomorrow, it will be a great day.' Deciding your priority the night before eliminates 'the need to deliberate with yourself' in the morning, Dr. Imber explained. Sometimes, Guillebeau said, people can cause you 'time anxiety' by pulling you into something they consider urgent, creating a 'false deadline.' When this happens, he said, take a beat and ask yourself: Is this actually urgent? Can it wait? Is it urgent to someone else, but not to me? Another person's emergency, Guillebeau said, does not have to become yours. A study of work email found that when people sent messages with an urgent tone, the recipients tended to consider the requests urgent — even when they weren't actually that time-sensitive or important. If it's possible, he said, you can ask, 'Is this a high priority, or can I finish the other things I'm working on first?' Do you need to bake cookies for your book club, or will store-bought do? Can that Zoom meeting be a quick phone call instead, while you take a reviving walk? Be alert for those moments when you are needlessly giving it your all and could give, say, 75 percent instead, Guillebeau recommended. In some cases, he said, 'it's OK to bring your B game.' It can be harder — and riskier — for some people to do this, said Minda Harts, a workplace consultant and the author of the forthcoming book 'Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace.' 'I refer to this as the 'invisible perfection pressure' that many people of color feel,' she said. 'Because we've historically been told to work twice as hard for half as much, the expectation is that we always bring our A game,' she added. She recommends acknowledging that you're at capacity by clearly saying, 'I can't take this on right now.' I'm a box checker, and must fight the impulse to squeeze 'productivity' out of every moment. But I shouldn't view downtime as unproductive, Dr. Curran said: 'It isn't wasted at all.' He sets an alarm for himself that goes off every day at 5:30 p.m. It's a recording of his toddler asking to play with him. 'It reminds me that whatever I'm doing, it can probably wait,' Dr. Curran said. Often some of your happiest memories will be events that are 'mundane and ordinary,' he said, so make time for them if you can. I recalled Dr. Curran's words when a friend asked me recently, 'If you could relive one day, what would it be?' It would be a day when my daughter was 4. I had a day off, so we went to a park where we rode on a merry-go-round, followed by a trip to get pizza and ice cream. Then we went home to play Unicorn Land. That's where you get into bed, put the covers over your head, fling them off, and you're transformed into a unicorn. That's it. It was a mundane and ordinary Tuesday. But I'll think about that when I'm debating whether to work late or have dinner with my family: I'd do anything to go back to Unicorn Land. Researchers estimate there is five bottle caps' worth of plastic in human brains. A paper published in February found that microplastics are accumulating in our bodies. Human brain samples from 2024, the researchers found, had nearly 50 percent more microplastics than brain samples from 2016. What are the health effects? Read the article: What Are Microplastics Doing to Our Bodies? This Lab Is Racing to Find Out. It's hard to find healthy cereal. Here's what to look for. Breakfast cereal brands can make ambiguous or misleading health claims, and their products can have ingredients that are not considered nutritious. But better-for-you options are out there, experts say. Read the article: Do Healthy Breakfast Cereals Exist? The Week in Well Here are some stories you don't want to miss: Let's keep the conversation going. Follow Well on Instagram, or write to us at well_newsletter@ And check out last week's newsletter about a habit that's quietly ruining your relationships.
Bloomberg
09-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
US Universities Face ‘Outflow of Scholars,' LSE President Warns
President and Vice-chancellor of London School of Economics and Political Science Larry Kramer discusses the impact of President Trump's policies on US universities as the "effective dismantling" of American higher education - an effort to "crush some of the best universities in the world". He adds that the US is becoming "an increasingly unattractive place for anybody to go to be a student or a faculty member" and that the LSE is "already receiving tons of calls" from US faculty. He says amid the UK's higher education funding crisis, Britain is in a key position to benefit from the outflow of US students and staff. Kramer advocates for all sources, including student fees, to be looked at for additional funding. On free speech, Kramer says the LSE's commitment to free speech is explicit and clear and if there were any US pressure on the LSE, the university would resist it. He spoke to Bloomberg's Caroline Hepker and Stephen Caroll. (Source: Bloomberg)
