Latest news with #PusanNationalUniversity
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Six students visit South Korea under Naan Mudhalvan scheme
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday (May 27, 2025) felicitated six students who benefitted from the Naan Mudhalvan scheme of the State government. Under Naan Mudhalvan's SCOUT (Scholarships for Outstanding Undergraduate Talent in Tamil Nadu) programme, these students visited South Korea and underwent training at Gachon University and Pusan National University. SCOUT aims to provide talented undergraduate students from Tamil Nadu with international exposure and advanced skills in emerging fields like data science, AI, and biotechnology.
National Observer
20-05-2025
- Climate
- National Observer
A deadly start to wildfire season
It's hard to imagine a more terrifying and excruciating way to die — trapped by wildfire as the flames close in. Richard and Sue Nowell were killed this week by the Manitoba wildfires, leaving two sons orphaned and homeless. The deaths turned 'an emergency into a tragedy,' said Premier Wab Kinew. It had seemed to be a relatively subdued beginning to fire season in Canada compared to the past couple of years. There have been a few more fires than last year but significantly less area burned across the country by this date. The most striking exception is Manitoba, where fires have claimed over 161,000 hectares — four times more than last year. In Manitoba, over 1,000 people have been evacuated and our news feeds are beginning to fill with evacuation orders in other provinces. It has barely cracked Canadian news, but the boreal forests elsewhere in the world are up in flames too. Over 600,000 hectares have burned in the Lake Baikal region of Russia, just since late April. More than 1.4 million hectares have burned in Siberia since the beginning of the year. Smoke is expected to spread as far as Beijing and the Korean peninsula this weekend. South Korea is just recovering from the worst wildfires in its history — simultaneous outbreaks that killed 32 people, displaced 37,000 and burned about 5,000 buildings, including temples dating to the 7th century. 'The scale and speed of the fires were unlike anything we've ever experienced in South Korea,' said June-Yi Lee, an atmospheric scientist at Pusan National University. Scientists at World Weather Attribution calculated that climate change made the fire conditions about twice as likely. It's only May and it's always impossible to know what will happen in any given year, but Canadian wildfire experts are warning us not to be complacent. Wildfire season is looking grim this year. Forecasters at Natural Resources Canada expect level 5 (on a scale of 5) fire weather severity over most of the population centres across Western Canada by August. 'The dice are loaded,' says Mike Flannigan, one of Canada's foremost experts and a professor at Thompson Rivers University. How many fires and where they occur, 'will depend on the day-to-day weather and the ignitions we get.' Here's how the forecasters at Natural Resources Canada see the outlook for fire weather severity into August. By late summer, they expect level 5 (on a scale of 5) fire weather severity over most of the population centres across Western Canada: Double zombies Some of the fires now burning in BC and Alberta are 'zombie fires' — fires that smouldered on through winter — now with an added, disturbing twist. 'This is the first time I've seen fires in Canada survive two winters and I've been watching fires closely since the 1970s,' says Flannigan. 'A number of these fires started in 2023, burned through the winter… continued to grow in 2024 and then survived this winter.' Signed, Seared, Delivered Several civil society groups are organizing to keep climate change and wildfires on the political agenda. My Climate Plan built on its 'Don't Let Canada Burn' campaign and helped 'impact voters' get their voices heard in swing ridings during the federal election. The Sierra Club of Canada curated exhibits of artifacts from wildfires, floods and hurricanes in Canada, and it has been helping climate survivors push the Carney government to implement an emissions cap on the oil and gas industry. The Climate Emergency Unit just launched a campaign for Canadians to send postcards to the prime minister and key ministers. Each one has an image of an iconic Canadian location along with 'a scorching message about the climate crisis.'
Korea Herald
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Grieving and cut off, Myanmar diaspora in Korea rallies for loved ones after quake
Fear has gripped members of the Myanmar diaspora in South Korea, after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar Friday. For many Myanmar nationals here, the disaster has unleashed a wave of misery, with unresolved phone calls, worries about missing loved ones, and a sense of helplessness. 'I still haven't been able to reach my parents," Naing Aung, 34, told The Korea Herald on Sunday via phone. 'Homes have collapsed, people are missing — and we're just watching it all happen from a distance." Naing, who came to South Korea as a migrant worker in 2021, is now a graduate student in international regional cooperation at Pusan National University and chair of the Gyeongnam Myanmar Community — a Korea-based group representing Myanmar residents in South Gyeongsang Province. He said he has been flooded with messages from fellow nationals who are still unable to confirm the safety of their families. 'They're watching the death toll rise, powerless to help from thousands of kilometers away,' he said. The 7.7 magnitude quake, which struck central Myanmar, has killed at least 1,644 people and injured more than 3,400, according to figures released by the country's military regime as of Saturday afternoon. The quake toppled buildings and crippled essential infrastructure, leaving much of the city without electricity, phone or internet service. Naing also noted that many Myanmar nationals in Korea have received no support from the military regime — which seized power in a 2021 coup — to help them contact their families back home. 'The military-led Myanmar government has not taken any steps to assist its nationals abroad in reaching their families,' he said. Kyaw San, 28, spokesperson for the Myanmar Federal Democratic Mission Coalition, said that even the Myanmar Embassy in South Korea is inaccessible to many Myanmar nationals in Korea who have protested the regime. 'Many of us, including myself, have been blacklisted by the junta and cannot turn to official diplomatic channels for help because of our political activities,' he said. 'We're completely on our own.' The MFDMC, a coalition formed by Myanmar nationals in South Korea after the 2021 coup, organizes protest movements and civic campaigns in support of democracy in Myanmar. 'And just as we were already struggling with our status here, this sudden earthquake struck — and now we have no channel left to connect with home. It's devastating,' Kyaw said. Kyaw also expressed growing concern about mental health within the community. 'Just yesterday, a Myanmar woman working in Singapore took her own life after hearing her entire family was gone,' he said. 'We're checking in on each other here in Korea, trying to prevent that from happening again.' From grief to action Overcoming grief and mounting anxiety, people are now mobilizing grassroots relief campaigns — turning their pain into action to help loved ones and others affected by the deadly quake in Myanmar. With no support from their government, Myanmar nationals in Korea have turned to each other — and to the internet — to organize relief efforts. The Gyeongnam Myanmar Community launched a donation drive on Friday night, just hours after the quake struck. By the second day, it had raised over 46 million won ($31,300) from more than 1,200 donors. The funds will go toward emergency medical supplies, and the group is also using its Facebook page to support Myanmar nationals in Korea who are emotionally distressed after losing contact with family. The MFDMC is also collecting donations through Facebook to provide emergency medicine, food and clean water. Others, like May Thu, a Suwon, Gyeonggi Province-based small business owner who sells mobile phone plans to Myanmar nationals, is also using social media to raise awareness. On Sunday, May uploaded a donation appeal video to the Facebook page Myanmar-Korea Youth Community, a network dedicated to building ties between young people in both countries. 'In moments like this, we don't have time to wait for help,' May said. 'We do what we can with the tools we have — especially online,' she said. In a rare move, Myanmar's military government — officially known as the State Administration Council — called for international assistance. In a televised speech on Friday, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said he 'would like to invite any country, any organization, or anyone in Myanmar to come and help." This marked the regime's first appeal for outside help since largely cutting itself off from the international community after the 2021 coup. But many in the Myanmar community still remain wary. 'In 2008, during the tsunami, international aid was sent to Myanmar, but the military kept most of it for themselves,' Kyaw said. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced Friday that it would provide $2 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar through international organizations. The ministry said the aid was intended to support lifesaving efforts in affected areas and added that further support would be considered as the situation develops.
Korea Herald
19-02-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
'Korean Stephen Hawkings' honored
A South Korean hospital said Wednesday it held the annual "Congratulations, Korean Hawkings," commemoration ceremony, dedicated to celebrating the academic accomplishments of patients with rare neuromuscular disorders. The event is named after the world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for most of his life. According to the Gangnam Severance Hospital, seven patients were honored at this year's event on Tuesday -- three who were accepted at universities and four who graduated. This marked the 11th edition of the ceremony established in 2012 by the hospital's Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center. "Due to consistent effort and assistance from the medical staff, (we) were able to recover enough for our daily lives and studying," said 21-year-old Lee Ji-seong who has muscular dystrophy, a rare type of neuromuscular disease that causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. Accepted to the College of Social Science at Pusan National University, Lee starts his first term in March. "I personally obtained a goal to help fellow patients living with muscle diseases." The retirement ceremony of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center's former chief, professor Kang Seong-woong, was held the same day. He is considered a pioneer in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation in Korea, a medical program treating respiratory problems in patients with chronic lung diseases. 'I hope that the story of the patients who never gave up would help abolish prejudice and social perception of those with rare neuromuscular disorders, and help bring down the walls in our society,' Kang said. Stephen Hawking, the man who the ceremony is named after, is one such person who is considered to have changed people's perception toward patients of neuromuscular disorders. Widely considered one of the most brilliant minds of all time, he is also known for his decades-long fight with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gherig's disease. Hawking was diagnosed with the disorder at the age of 21 and was given a two-year life expectancy in 1963, but he went on to live for more than 50 years afterwards, becoming one of the most accomplished scientists in modern times.
Jordan News
08-02-2025
- Science
- Jordan News
Scientists predict devastation if asteroid Bennu strikes Earth in 2182 - Jordan News
The rocky object called Bennu is classified as a near-Earth asteroid, currently making its closest approach to Earth every six years at about 186,000 miles (299,000 km) away. It might come even closer in the future, with scientists estimating a one-in-2,700 chance of a collision with Earth in September 2182. اضافة اعلان So what would happen should Bennu strike our planet? Well, it would not be pretty, according to new research based on computer simulations of an impact by an asteroid with a diameter of roughly three-tenths of a mile (500 meters) like Bennu. Aside from the immediate devastation, it estimated that such an impact would inject 100-400 million tons of dust into the atmosphere, causing disruptions in climate, atmospheric chemistry and global photosynthesis lasting three to four years. "The solar dimming due to dust would cause an abrupt global 'impact winter' characterized by reduced sunlight, cold temperature and decreased precipitation at the surface," said Lan Dai, a postdoctoral research fellow at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea and lead author of the study published this week in the journal Science Advances. In the worst-case scenario, the researchers found that Earth's average surface temperature would decrease by about 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), average rainfall would fall by 15%, there would be a reduction of up to 20-30% in plant photosynthesis and a 32% depletion in the planet's ozone layer that protects against harmful solar ultraviolet radiation. The impact of a Bennu-sized object - a medium-sized asteroid - on Earth's land surface would generate a powerful shockwave, earthquakes, wildfires and thermal radiation, leave a gaping crater and eject huge amounts of debris upward, the researchers said. Reuters
