Latest news with #innovators
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Digant Sharma Joins Global Leaders at Europe-Asia Economic Summit in Davos
SMPL New Delhi [India], May 31: Prominent Indian industrialist and global CSR leader Mr. Digant Sharma joined an elite gathering of world leaders, policymakers, and innovators at the first edition of the Europe-Asia Economic Summit (EAES), held at the Davos Congress Centre from May 27-28, 2025. The global summit brought together more than 100 participants from academia, government, multinational corporations, and SMEs to explore the evolving intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability, under the theme 'AI and Sustainability.' Hosted by the Executive Board of EAES, including: - Aina Meng, Founder and President - Andreas Benoit, Executive Board Member - Pedro R. Mor, Executive Board Member Sharma was part of high-level strategic discussions that prioritized cross-border collaboration between Europe and Asia, with a focus on building smart, sustainable ecosystems and accelerating the global energy transition. Key Leaders and Industry Experts in Attendance Included: - Mirjam Staub-Bisang, Chair, BlackRock Switzerland - Tim Holt, Executive Board Member, Siemens Energy - Andre Schneider, Chairman, World Climate Foundation - Angela Paolini Ellard, Deputy Director-General, WTO - Edward Crook, VP Strategy, DeepL - Jontey Zhou, Country Manager of BYD Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Malta - Pascal Kaufmann, Founder, AlpineAI & Lab42 - Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist Asia Pacific, Natixis - Esmie Wanghui, GM, Alibaba Cloud Europe - Katrin J. Yuan, CEO, Swiss Future Institute - Dorian Selz, CEO, Squirro - Christian Guttmann, Executive Director, Nordic AI Institute - Andy Fitze, Co-founder, SwissCognitive - Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI - Adrian Del Maestro, VP Global Energy Advisory, AECOM - Bruno Zhang, CTO, Huawei Cloud - Corneliu Bodea, CEO, Adream Invest - Clover Hogan, Founder, Force of Nature -Stefan Legge, Vice Director, University of St. Gallen -Cindy Candrian, Co-Founder, Delta Labs AG Digant Sharma's Statement 'The EAES in Davos is a vital platform for bridging vision with action. Whether in climate, technology, or development, collaboration between global institutions and local ecosystems is key to creating meaningful, scalable impact,' said Mr. Sharma. 'I look forward to deepening partnerships across Europe and Asia to drive sustainable innovation.' A Vision for Collaboration 'Europe sets the pace in AI governance, while Asia makes giant leaps in industry-wide adoption,' said Aina Meng, President of the Executive Board.'Our goal with the EAES is to connect leaders, exchange knowledge, and support collective action--especially between large corporations and SMEs--to accelerate energy transition and sustainable growth.' The summit also spotlighted the urgency for companies to align with evolving governance frameworks, which increasingly shape access to global markets and innovation ecosystems. 'AI governance is central to shaping innovation but also a barrier to alignment. We must find shared values and keep up momentum toward human-centric, ethical tech,' Meng added. What's Next? Following the success of the first edition, the second Europe-Asia Economic Summit is scheduled for 2026, with a new thematic focus to be announced soon. Media Enquiries & High-Resolution Images: Media Office - Europe-Asia Economic Summit Congress Center Davos, Talstrasse 49a, CH-7270 Davos Platz+41 43 537 68 50 | +41 79 661 49 15media@ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
CNA
3 days ago
- General
- CNA
Community-based charity launches new initiatives to help stroke survivors
Stroke survivors in Singapore are co-developing solutions with innovators in a new lab that seeks to help them lead independent and functional lives again. Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in Singapore, with the number of cases rising by 58 percent between 2011 and 2021 to 9,680. Nadine Yeam reports.
What's On
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- What's On
Dubai announces world's first AI chef
An AI chef? Yes, you heard that right… Dubai is known for introducing and using the latest technology to make life easier and better and we believe has taken it to a new level with this latest venture, an AI chef. Developed by UAE-based culinary tech innovators UMAI, Chef Aiman (get it?AI-man?), is a fully integrated AI chef, capable of creating menus, designing recipes, recommending ingredients and even managing kitchen operations. He's not just a digital assitant. He'll soon be running a real-life restaurant in Downtown Dubai called WOOHOO. WOOHOO is a Japanese restaurant set to open this summer in Downtown Dubai and Chef Aiman will play an active role in running the restaurant, alongside a Michelin level chef. 'Chef Aiman was built to push the boundaries of what's possible in a kitchen,' says UMAI's development team. 'He's not here to replace chefs – he's here to enhance them. Think of him as a culinary co-pilot.' Chef Aiman is ethically programmed and powered by UMAI's custom culinary interface and is designed with safety and transparency in mind. All decisions are logged, tested and refined with real–time feedback loops, ensuring diners enjoy not just innovation, but trust and quality. Images: Provided > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The U.S. has world-class scientific talent. The rest of the world is hoping to lure that away
As the Trump administration cut billions of dollars in federal funding to scientific research, thousands of scientists in the U.S. lost their jobs or grants — and governments and universities around the world spotted an opportunity. The 'Canada Leads' program, launched in April, hopes to foster the next generation of innovators by bringing early-career biomedical researchers north of the border. Aix-Marseille University in France started the 'Safe Place for Science' program in March — pledging to 'welcome' U.S.-based scientists who 'may feel threatened or hindered in their research.' Australia's 'Global Talent Attraction Program,' announced in April, promises competitive salaries and relocation packages. 'In response to what is happening in the U.S.,' said Anna-Maria Arabia, head of the Australian Academy of Sciences, 'we see an unparalleled opportunity to attract some of the smartest minds here.' Since World War II, the U.S. has invested huge amounts of money in scientific research conducted at independent universities and federal agencies. That funding helped the U.S. to become the world's leading scientific power — and has led to the invention of cell phones and the internet as well as new ways to treat cancer, heart disease and strokes, noted Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science. But today that system is being shaken. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has pointed to what it calls waste and inefficiency in federal science spending and made major cuts to staff levels and grant funding at the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, NASA and other agencies, as well as slashing research dollars that flow to some private universities. The White House budget proposal for next year calls to cut the NIH budget by roughly 40% and the National Science Foundation's by 55%. 'The Trump administration is spending its first few months reviewing the previous administration's projects, identifying waste, and realigning our research spending to match the American people's priorities and continue our innovative dominance," said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. Already, several universities have announced hiring freezes, laid off staff or stopped admitting new graduate students. On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, though a judge put that on hold. Research institutions abroad are watching with concern for collaborations that depend on colleagues in the U.S. — but they also see opportunities to potentially poach talent. 'There are threats to science ... south of the border,' said Brad Wouters, of University Health Network, Canada's leading hospital and medical research center, which launched the 'Canada Leads' recruitment drive. 'There's a whole pool of talent, a whole cohort that is being affected by this moment.' Universities worldwide are always trying to recruit from one another, just as tech companies and businesses in other fields do. What's unusual about the current moment is that many global recruiters are targeting researchers by promising something that seems newly threatened: academic freedom. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this month that the European Union intends to 'to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law.' She spoke at the launch of the bloc's 'Choose Europe for Science' — which was in the works before the Trump administration cuts but has sought to capitalize on the moment. Eric Berton, president of Aix-Marseille University, expressed a similar sentiment after launching the institution's 'Safe Place for Science' program. 'Our American research colleagues are not particularly interested by money," he said of applicants. "What they want above all is to be able to continue their research and that their academic freedom be preserved." It's too early to say how many scientists will choose to leave the U.S. It will take months for universities to review applications and dole out funding, and longer for researchers to uproot their lives. Plus, the American lead in funding research and development is enormous — and even significant cuts may leave crucial programs standing. The U.S. has been the world's leading funder of R&D — including government, university and private investment — for decades. In 2023, the country funded 29% of the world's R&D, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. But some institutions abroad are reporting significant early interest from researchers in the U.S. Nearly half of the applications to 'Safe Place for Science' — 139 out of 300 total — came from U.S.-based scientists, including AI researchers and astrophysicists. U.S.-based applicants in this year's recruitment round for France's Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology roughly doubled over last year. At the Max Planck Society in Germany, the Lise Meitner Excellence Program — aimed at young female researchers — drew triple the number of applications from U.S.-based scientists this year as last year. Recruiters who work with companies and nonprofits say they see a similar trend. Natalie Derry, a U.K.-based managing partner of the Global Emerging Sciences Practice at recruiter WittKieffer, said her team has seen a 25% to 35% increase in applicants from the U.S. cold-calling about open positions. When they reach out to scientists currently based in the U.S., 'we are getting a much higher hit rate of people showing interest.' Still, there are practical hurdles to overcome for would-be continent-hoppers, she said. That can include language hurdles, arranging childcare or eldercare, and significant differences in national pension or retirement programs. Brandon Coventry never thought he would consider a scientific career outside the United States. But federal funding cuts and questions over whether new grants will materialize have left him unsure. While reluctant to leave his family and friends, he's applied to faculty positions in Canada and France. 'I've never wanted to necessarily leave the United States, but this is a serious contender for me,' said Coventry, who is a postdoctoral fellow studying neural implants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But it's not easy to pick up and move a scientific career — let alone a life. Marianna Zhang was studying how children develop race and gender stereotypes as a postdoctoral fellow at New York University when her National Science Foundation grant was canceled. She said it felt like 'America as a country was no longer interested in studying questions like mine.' Still, she wasn't sure of her next move. 'It's no easy solution, just fleeing and escaping to another country,' she said. The recruitment programs range in ambition, from those trying to attract a dozen researchers to a single university to the continent-wide 'Choose Europe' initiative. But it's unclear if the total amount of funding and new positions offered could match what's being shed in the U.S. Even as universities and institutes think about recruiting talent from the U.S., there's more apprehension than glee at the funding cuts. 'Science is a global endeavor,' said Patrick Cramer, head of the Max Planck Society, noting that datasets and discoveries are often shared among international collaborators. One aim of recruitment drives is to 'to help prevent the loss of talent to the global scientific community,' he said. Researchers worldwide will suffer if collaborations are shut down and databases taken offline, scientists say. 'The U.S. was always an example, in both science and education,' said Patrick Schultz, president of France's Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology. So the cuts and policies were 'very frightening also for us because it was an example for the whole world.'
25-05-2025
- Politics
Scientists have lost their jobs or grants in US cuts. Foreign universities want to hire them
As the Trump administration cut billions of dollars in federal funding to scientific research, thousands of scientists in the U.S. lost their jobs or grants — and governments and universities around the world spotted an opportunity. The 'Canada Leads' program, launched in April, hopes to foster the next generation of innovators by bringing early-career biomedical researchers north of the border. Aix-Marseille University in France started the 'Safe Place for Science' program in March — pledging to 'welcome' U.S.-based scientists who 'may feel threatened or hindered in their research.' Australia's 'Global Talent Attraction Program,' announced in April, promises competitive salaries and relocation packages. 'In response to what is happening in the U.S.,' said Anna-Maria Arabia, head of the Australian Academy of Sciences, 'we see an unparalleled opportunity to attract some of the smartest minds here.' Since World War II, the U.S. has invested huge amounts of money in scientific research conducted at independent universities and federal agencies. That funding helped the U.S. to become the world's leading scientific power — and has led to the invention of cell phones and the internet as well as new ways to treat cancer, heart disease and strokes, noted Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science. But today that system is being shaken. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has pointed to what it calls waste and inefficiency in federal science spending and made major cuts to staff levels and grant funding at the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, NASA and other agencies, as well as slashing research dollars that flow to some private universities. The White House budget proposal for next year calls to cut the NIH budget by roughly 40% and the National Science Foundation's by 55%. 'The Trump administration is spending its first few months reviewing the previous administration's projects, identifying waste, and realigning our research spending to match the American people's priorities and continue our innovative dominance," said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. Already, several universities have announced hiring freezes, laid off staff or stopped admitting new graduate students. On Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, though a judge put that on hold. Research institutions abroad are watching with concern for collaborations that depend on colleagues in the U.S. — but they also see opportunities to potentially poach talent. 'There are threats to science ... south of the border,' said Brad Wouters, of University Health Network, Canada's leading hospital and medical research center, which launched the 'Canada Leads' recruitment drive. 'There's a whole pool of talent, a whole cohort that is being affected by this moment.' Universities worldwide are always trying to recruit from one another, just as tech companies and businesses in other fields do. What's unusual about the current moment is that many global recruiters are targeting researchers by promising something that seems newly threatened: academic freedom. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this month that the European Union intends 'to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law.' She spoke at the launch of the bloc's 'Choose Europe for Science' — which was in the works before the Trump administration cuts but has sought to capitalize on the moment. Eric Berton, president of Aix-Marseille University, expressed a similar sentiment after launching the institution's 'Safe Place for Science' program. 'Our American research colleagues are not particularly interested by money," he said of applicants. "What they want above all is to be able to continue their research and that their academic freedom be preserved." It's too early to say how many scientists will choose to leave the U.S. It will take months for universities to review applications and dole out funding, and longer for researchers to uproot their lives. Plus, the American lead in funding research and development is enormous — and even significant cuts may leave crucial programs standing. The U.S. has been the world's leading funder of R&D — including government, university and private investment — for decades. In 2023, the country funded 29% of the world's R&D, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. But some institutions abroad are reporting significant early interest from researchers in the U.S. Nearly half of the applications to 'Safe Place for Science' — 139 out of 300 total — came from U.S.-based scientists, including AI researchers and astrophysicists. U.S.-based applicants in this year's recruitment round for France's Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology roughly doubled over last year. At the Max Planck Society in Germany, the Lise Meitner Excellence Program — aimed at young female researchers — drew triple the number of applications from U.S.-based scientists this year as last year. Recruiters who work with companies and nonprofits say they see a similar trend. Natalie Derry, a U.K.-based managing partner of the Global Emerging Sciences Practice at recruiter WittKieffer, said her team has seen a 25% to 35% increase in applicants from the U.S. cold-calling about open positions. When they reach out to scientists currently based in the U.S., 'we are getting a much higher hit rate of people showing interest.' Still, there are practical hurdles to overcome for would-be continent-hoppers, she said. That can include language hurdles, arranging childcare or eldercare, and significant differences in national pension or retirement programs. Brandon Coventry never thought he would consider a scientific career outside the United States. But federal funding cuts and questions over whether new grants will materialize have left him unsure. While reluctant to leave his family and friends, he's applied to faculty positions in Canada and France. 'I've never wanted to necessarily leave the United States, but this is a serious contender for me,' said Coventry, who is a postdoctoral fellow studying neural implants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But it's not easy to pick up and move a scientific career — let alone a life. Marianna Zhang was studying how children develop race and gender stereotypes as a postdoctoral fellow at New York University when her National Science Foundation grant was canceled. She said it felt like 'America as a country was no longer interested in studying questions like mine.' Still, she wasn't sure of her next move. 'It's no easy solution, just fleeing and escaping to another country,' she said. The recruitment programs range in ambition, from those trying to attract a dozen researchers to a single university to the continent-wide 'Choose Europe' initiative. But it's unclear if the total amount of funding and new positions offered could match what's being shed in the U.S. Even as universities and institutes think about recruiting talent from the U.S., there's more apprehension than glee at the funding cuts. 'Science is a global endeavor,' said Patrick Cramer, head of the Max Planck Society, noting that datasets and discoveries are often shared among international collaborators. One aim of recruitment drives is to 'to help prevent the loss of talent to the global scientific community,' he said. Researchers worldwide will suffer if collaborations are shut down and databases taken offline, scientists say. 'The U.S. was always an example, in both science and education,' said Patrick Schultz, president of France's Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology. So the cuts and policies were 'very frightening also for us because it was an example for the whole world.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
