Latest news with #foundations
The Guardian
20-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Scientific publishing needs urgent reform to retain trust in research process
The dysfunctions of scientific publishing that your article so aptly captured derive from two forces (Quality of scientific papers questioned as academics 'overwhelmed' by the millions published, 13 July) – researchers are incentivised to publish as much as possible and publishers make more money if they publish more papers. Artificial intelligence will not fix this. Churning out more papers faster has got us to this place. Given current incentives, AI will mean churning them out even faster. A paper written by AI, peer-reviewed by AI and read only by AI creates a self-reinforcing loop that holds no real value, erodes trust in science and voids scientific inquiry of meaning. Research is driven by our wonder at the world. That needs to be central to any reform of scientific publishing. Instead, the driving forces can be addressed by two measures. Incentives for researchers can and should prioritise quality over quantity, and meaning over metrics. And publishers' extortionate fees (fuelling profits of more than 30%) can and should be refused by those who pay them. Both the incentives and publishers' contracts are governed by the funders of research – universities, research councils and foundations. Their welcome attempts to engage with these problems through Plan S, which aims to make research publications open access, have not succeeded because these have been captured by publishers that twisted them to their advantage, making yet more profits. There are examples, often beyond the global north, of scientific publishing that is not geared towards generating profits for publishers. SciELO (which is centred on Latin America) is one, and the Global Diamond Open Access Alliance champions many others. We have much to learn from them. Research is in a parlous state in the English-speaking world – at risk for the truths it tells in the US, and for its expense in Britain. Funders have the power radically to alter the incentives scientists face and to lower the rents extracted by BrockingtonIcrea (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies)Paolo CrosettoGrenoble Applied Economics LaboratoryPablo Gomez BarreiroScience services and laboratories, Kew Gardens Your article on the overwhelming volume of scientific papers rightly highlights a system under pressure. But the deeper dysfunction lies not only in quantity, but in the economics of scholarly publishing, where publishers cash in on researchers' dependence on journals for academic careers. The academic publishing market systematically diverts public research funds into shareholder profits. Open access was meant to democratise knowledge, but its original vision has been co-opted by commercial publishers. It was BioMed Central (now Springer-Nature) that first introduced the 'author pays' model to secure revenue streams. With article processing charges (APCs) now being the dominant open-access model, authors routinely pay between £2,000 and £10,000 to publish a single article, even if the cost of producing it does not exceed £1,000. Some of us attended the recent Royal Society conference on the future of scientific publishing, where its vice-president, Sir Mark Walport, reminded the audience that academic publishing isn't free and that if we want to remove paywalls for both authors and readers, someone must pay the bills. We argue that there is already enough money in the system, which allows leading publishers such as Elsevier to generate profit margins of 38%. Our most recent estimates show that researchers paid close to $9bn in APCs to six publishers in 2019-23, with annual amounts nearly tripling in these five years. These most recent estimates far exceed the $1bn estimated for 2015-18 that your article cites. As further emphasised at the Royal Society meeting, publishers monetise the current role that journal prestige plays in hiring, promotion and funding. Therefore, in order to make open access sustainable and to put a stop to these extractive business practices, it is essential to reform academic assessment and decouple it from knowledge HausteinAssociate Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Ottawa; Co-director, Scholarly Communications LabEric ScharesEngineering and collection analysis librarian, University Library, Iowa State UniversityLeigh-Ann ButlerScholarly communication librarian, University of OttawaJuan Pablo Alperin Associate professor, School of Publishing, Simon Fraser University; Scientific director, Public Knowledge Project Academic publishing is creaking at the seams. Too many articles are published and too many journals don't add real value. Researchers are incentivised to publish quantity over quality, and some journal publishers benefit from this. This detracts from the excellent, world-changing and increasingly open-access research that we all need to flourish – and that quality publishers cultivate. Generative AI only scales up these pressures, as your article shows. Something has to change. That's why Cambridge University Press has spent the last few months collaborating with researchers, librarians, publishers, funders and learned societies across the globe on a radical and pragmatic review of the open research publishing ecosystem, which we will publish in the autumn. Focusing on generative AI or on low-quality journals alone is insufficient. We need a system-wide approach that reviews and rethinks the link between publishing, reward and recognition; equity in research dissemination; research integrity; and one that takes technological change seriously. The system is about to break. We need creative thinking and commitment from all players to fix it and to build something HillManaging director, Cambridge University Press
ABC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
How many lives do vaccine stockpiles save?
Across the world, governments, foundations, and the private sector fund vaccine stockpiles that are reserved for disease outbreaks in some of the poorest nations. But funding has taken a hit, with the United States recently ending its support for the The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation. Now a new study has measured the economic and human impact of these programs.
Bloomberg
28-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Buffett Donates $6 Billion in Berkshire Shares to Charities
Warren Buffett will donate about $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shares to five foundations as part of a pledge he made nearly two decades ago. About 9.43 million Class B shares will be given to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, according to a statement on Saturday. Another 2.92 million shares will be donated to his children's foundations — Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVo Foundation — as well as the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after the billionaire's late wife.
Arab News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Where culture connects, understanding grows and diplomacy finds ground
Ships at sea, planes in the sky, data streams everywhere — today's world runs on exchange and motion. And while diplomacy has long been at the heart of such connections, it has a quiet, steadfast ally in culture. In creativity. In music and the arts. The power of this ally cannot be underestimated. Where diplomacy proceeds with structure and codification, art and music move freely. Diplomatic talks are about agendas, treaties and converging or conflicting interests, while conversations between cultures allow us to share intent, perspective and emotion, entering where borders stand tall and speaking to hearts without the need for visas. In a world often defined by division, culture is a bridge, international cultural institutions are its architects and collaboration is its strongest foundation. Some might view international cultural partnerships as symbolic gestures; acts of soft power staged in gallery halls, designed to entertain and amuse. But to frame them only as such is to miss their deeper truth, their deeper strength. These partnerships, often born quietly between curators, directors and foundations, complement structured diplomacy in ways that politics may not always achieve alone. They carry nuance and spirit, offering more than representation. They offer heart. Through their patient work, diplomats enable connection. But stories, music and art activate it: as we laugh, cry or are uplifted by each other's art, not only can we meet, but we also want to meet. As one of the region's cultural pioneers, the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation has consistently led efforts to forge meaningful global partnerships. There is an art to shaping such collaborations. In order for artists and audiences to find growth in those partnerships, we not only seek out organizations that share our dedication to excellence but that are different enough from us too. This is so that our encounter and shared efforts produce new spaces and uncharted waters where artists, their art and audiences will find new conversations and new horizons. In a world often defined by division, culture is a bridge Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo This is exactly what the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation is executing with the Seoul Museum of Art through a three-year partnership, which began in 2024, to bring together the UAE and South Korea through their artists and institutions. They create more than co-curated exhibitions. They create shared spaces where cultural narratives overlap and blend yet also challenge and enrich one another. They act as platforms of mutual respect that transcend policy and protocol, in which culture is not a decorative aside, nor is it a space that allows vague and anecdotal connection. Quite the opposite. Art's role in building dialogue and trust is very practical and effective, because it brings alive the stories and feelings of other cultures. And because we think in stories as people, art — and the stories and emotions it conveys — brings our understanding of others to a deeper level and activates empathy. This is a very potent way to connect humans both as individuals and as part of a collective. This historic partnership will bring contemporary Korean art to Abu Dhabi this summer and, later in the year, carry the voices of three generations of Emirati artists to Seoul in a conversation across two cultures. Opportunities to explore art from each other's countries, indeed, but our partnership represents far more than this. Each meticulously co-curated exhibition draws from each country's institutional collections to explore the distinct histories and cultural paradigms of their respective regions. In presenting shared experiences alongside distinct perspectives, the exhibitions enable artistic dialogue and mutual understanding, as we have seen, but also cross-institutional, cross-cultural knowledge exchange. The very making of these exhibitions, the co-curation, the mutual exploration of each other's craft and artistic references, even the logistics involved in making them happen are extremely potent enablers. At each international institutional collaboration we have, the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation comes out richer with new perspectives and new approaches to its support to artists. In other words, the point of international cultural partnerships is not just the end result. It is the process. Every international collaboration we have informs, challenges, reboots and refines our way of looking at art, culture and the artists and audiences that are at the center of what we do. And then, of course, we have the wider constellation of artistic diplomacy in which such collaborations operate as a living ecosystem. There, ideas, stories and histories travel across time zones to meet in resonance, allowing culture to show its strength. This collaboration is a chorus of heritage, of questions and provocations and, in many ways, an engine of quiet support for transnational connection and diplomatic relations. The outcomes of such exhibitions illuminate the interplay between local and global identities, while addressing the challenges of representing the complexities and fluid realities of a globalized world. Themes that echo across continents and generations. And yet, each piece bears the unmistakable mark of its origin: a desert wind, a coastal hum, the language of a city's streets. Through their patient work, diplomats enable connection. But stories, music and art activate it Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo This is the beauty of international institutional collaborations. They are not homogenizing forces, but harmonizing. They allow art to remain loyal to its roots while branching across cultures, finding new relevance and resonance. They ask the world to look again, and to listen differently. And it is this force, vibrating gently under diplomatic efforts, that creates the transformational impact. I believe our beloved capital, Abu Dhabi, plays a key role, not just in cultural consumption but in leadership and connection. And in our creation of international institutional partnerships, we build platforms where our artists and musicians can share their talent on the world stage, while welcoming others to do the same here. These partnerships, these personifications of cultural diplomacy, are long-term investments in understanding — in the shared future of creativity and connection. They are the melody beneath the vocals provided by traditional diplomacy, supporting voices as they soar. Such collaborations strengthen not only our international ties, but also our cultural economy. They attract new audiences, spark new industries and nurture the next generation of creators. More importantly, they demonstrate that the Middle East can be both a custodian of tradition and a catalyst for global artistic innovation. At a time when the world seems to be in constant negotiation, perhaps it is worth remembering that creativity, too, builds coalitions. International institutional collaborations offer something that formal conduits cannot always achieve on their own: emotional resonance, cultural humility and an enduring sense of shared humanity. Through art and music, we deepen diplomatic ties, not by strategy alone but by storytelling. We bring cities closer not just through policy but through poetry. We are proud to play a role in this evolving tapestry, helping to position the UAE as a shining example of how a country can lead not just economically or politically but also culturally. A country where creativity is a standard borne proudly and where the future of diplomacy includes the voices of its artists and musicians. In every brushstroke, every word, every note and every shared exhibition, we are quietly but powerfully creating the blueprints of a more connected world. • Huda Al Khamis-Kanoo is the Founder of Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation and Abu Dhabi Festival.
Wall Street Journal
28-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
The Cost of Taxing Philanthropy
America's greatest safety net isn't the government—it's generosity. A proposal that passed the House last week as part of the 'one big, beautiful bill' would increase the excise tax on private charitable foundations by up to sixfold. That would discourage the philanthropy that has long defined the American spirit. Why would conservatives, who have rightly fought against tax increases in the past, now take aim at private charities? Some believe that American philanthropy is dominated by left-leaning activists. But center-right foundations are successfully tackling America's toughest problems. These groups emphasize empowerment, personal responsibility and the dignity of work, and they refuse to treat people as victims of circumstance.
