Assistant Professor of Humanities Aidan Wong from SMU’s School of Social Sciences has researched on the areas of development and sustainability, in particular on electronic waste, informal labour and economic development. In recent years, he has published a paper on ‘Waste’, Value and Informal Labour: The Regional E-Waste Recycling Production Network in Malaysia and Singapore” and is seeking to update it. In this podcast, Assistant Professor Wong discusses the value of electronic waste recycling and sustainability in Singapore.

Assistant Professor of Humanities Orlando Woods from SMU’s School of Social Sciences has a keen research interest in areas including religion, cities and urban landscapes, digital technologies, space, and social and cultural geography. He has published a research paper on the role of Christianity in migrant integration in Singapore, and has received a grant from the Singapore Ministry of Education to conduct further research on this subject. Titled ‘New Religious Pluralism in Singapore: Migration, Integration and Difference”, the study seeks to better understand new types of socio-cultural diversity in Singapore. In this podcast, Assistant Professor Woods discusses the role of whether religion enables or dis-enables migrant integration into Singapore.

Financial literacy in Singapore has not been analysed in much detail, despite the fact that this is one of the world’s most rapidly aging nations. In this podcast, Professor of Finance Benedict Koh from the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, discusses the key findings of his research jointly conducted with Olivia Mitchell from the University of Pennsylvania and Susann Rohwedder, Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation and Associate Director of the RAND Center for the Study of Aging. Using a unique new data-set and nationally representative survey - the Singapore Life Panel, they conducted an analysis of older Singaporeans’ financial literacy. Here, Professor Koh discusses his key findings, including: Do older Singaporeans score better on financial knowledge compared to their counterparts in the United States? What are the empirical linkages between financial literacy and retirement preparedness in Singapore? And is financial literacy positively associated with greater wealth and diversity of portfolios?

Singapore is a small and open economy, with its economic growth highly dependent on international trade. With the momentum of global trade growth being buffeted by increased economic uncertainties and rising trade tensions, does Singapore’s position in the global value chains, or GVCs, stand it in good stead to navigate choppy waters ahead? In this podcast, Associate Professor of Economics and Lee Kong Chian Fellow Chang Pao-Li from the SMU School of Economics, discusses the key findings of her research jointly conducted with Phuong T. B. Nguyen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business. They evaluate how intensively the Singapore economy has participated in the GVCs, and characterise Singapore’s key upstream and downstream trade partners in the international production network. They also analyse the position of Singapore in the GVC, and how its position has shifted over the years. The pattern of Singapore’s position is compared with those of major regional exporters including China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the US, and the world as a whole.

Data has emerged as the most important driver for modern economic development. New industries have arisen from the use of data with personal information as the core asset, while many traditional models of business are ‘disrupted’ or drastically transformed. Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has also become an integral tool for the management and processing of data, including personal data, as it provides greater accuracy and capability. How should the use of A.I. in data management be regulated and should it be treated any differently under the data protection regime? What role can A.I. play in regulating the use of personal data and as a cybersecurity tool? Is creating a form of propertisation of personal data and ‘data ownership’ useful? These are just some of the lingering questions that regulators and organisations are currently grappling with. Central to the issue is how A.I. can best serve and safeguard humanity’s interests. Warren Chik is Associate Professor of Law at SMU School of Law, and concurrently Deputy Director at SMU’s Centre for AI and Data Governance. In this podcast, he shares his recent research into Artificial Intelligence and Data Protection in Singapore, which takes a deeper look into consumers’ trust, organisational security and government regulation.

On 30 July 2023 a one million tonne rock slope collapse occurred close to Bisisthal in Switzerland. It was captured on several videos, which show the initial pillar collapses and the transition to a rapid rock avalanche.

A video posted to social media shows three people having a very lucky escape from a debris flow in Arunachal Pradesh, northern India.

AGU is an organization committed to a culture of Experiment / Learn / Adapt. In response to voter input over many elections, the Leadership Development / Governance Committee chose to test ranked choice voting in 4 elections – International Secretary, Board Director, Council Students and Council Early Career Scientists. In case you’re not familiar, this is an increasingly popular electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference, meaning …

The post Experiment. Learn. Adapt.: Ranked Choice Voting in the 2024 AGU Elections appeared first on AGU Blogosphere.

On Tuesday, 9 July the full House Appropriations Committee marked up their Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior and Environment, and Energy and Water spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2025. These bills collectively set the spending amounts for U.S. federal science agencies, including NASA, NOAA, NSF, USGS, EPA, the Department of Energy. Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Congress established spending caps for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The Act allows only a 1% …

The post FY25 Appropriations overview part 1: House spending numbers mark weak support for science appeared first on The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy.

In this Bridge post, continued from our FY25 Appropriations Overview Part 1 blog, we’ll cover the House’s Interior-Environment, Energy-Water, and Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2025—detailing relevant funding levels and sharing committee report highlights that impact the Earth and space sciences.   House Interior-Environment Appropriations bill and accompanying report.   United States Geological Survey (USGS) FY2024 President’s Budget Request FY2025 AGU Request FY2025 House …

The post FY25 Appropriations overview part 2: House spending numbers mark weak support for science appeared first on The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy.

The latest advances in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin and production technology are making it possible to design all-PE structures for even the most demanding applications.

All three structures have been tested for recyclability according to the PTS RH 021/97 Cat II method.

The Alloyd Division of Sonoco has introduced its first, all-paper retail blister package. 

Collaboration includes sharing knowledge on packaging technologies to reduce the environmental burden.

Businesses are seeking innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact and invest in sustainability. A Gartner survey found that 87% of business leaders plan to increase their sustainability investment in the next two years. There is pressure from investors, supply chains, and consumers to make more sustainable decisions.

The patented solution brings life-changing potential for over 60 million Americans with physical limitations, while also reducing plastic usage.

N-Sorb leverages Aptar CSP Technologies’ proven 3-Phase Activ-Polymer™ platform technology to address the pressing issue of N-nitrosamine impurities in pharmaceuticals.

The 250ml Domino bottle includes a 75-mm-wide front face and customizable side panels.

Sustainability is an important topic for brands and converters, and this applies to paper, film, plastic and any product on the market. Pressure-sensitive labels play a big part in sustainability. Although over the years there has been a reduction in paper use, companies are still looking for ways to better enable recycling.

miniMist is a dispensing system designed to offer a reusable and sustainable alternative to the existing aerosol format.

LINDAL Group’s Flip440 is a new spray head with an attached overcap, suitable for both technical and home care applications.

The reuse and refill tablets can help reduce plastic bottle waste. 

The latest step in brand's sustainability journey is expected to reduce more than 90 percent of plastic use across all canister offerings.

As part of Nestlé’s continuous efforts towards more sustainable packaging solutions, the company is launching paper-based innovations across major brands.

Acquisition expands the company's local footprint in Asia-Pacific and offers exciting new packaging solutions to customers worldwide.

The new logo, featuring a wave in the letter 'M' that mirrors the visual color spectrum, symbolizes Gamut's broad capabilities. This design underscores the company's diverse industry reach and versatility as a provider.

Best practices at the highly automated Mountain View Foods plant in Denver preserve milk’s freshness and help Kroger develop innovative dairy-based products.

Smart packaging is developing rapidly. A major factor driving the growth of the smart packaging market is increasing demand for packaging that indicates and maintains product quality throughout the supply chain.

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, established the Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) to recruit, retain and advance women’s careers in packaging and processing.

PMMI has welcomed Delkor Systems’ Patty Andersen as the 2023 chairperson of the Board, marking the first time a woman has held the position in the association’s history. 

Graduates of the 2020 high school class in Atlanta, Georgia, are going to be wearing their graduation garb made of recycled plastic bottles. Coca-Cola began collecting plastic bottles at its headquarters as part of Earth Day activities. The goal is to gather 7,000 bottles, enough to make graduation outfits for 200 graduates. 

Graphic Packaging International (GPI) has developed KeelClip, a paperboard packaging solution for cans that offers sustainability advantages and merchandising benefits as compared to other packaging options. 

The free webinar on Mar. 25 will examine the transition from plastic to paperboard for multipacks.

Packaging option is a 100% paper-based alternative to shrink wrap for bundling beverage multi-packs. 

The new multimillion-dollar line, E23, promises to benefit both customers and employees as Cortec® Advanced Films continues to blaze new ground with an expanding portfolio of specialty film and bag products.

The addition of state-of-the-art thermoforming equipment at Amcor’s manufacturing plant in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will support increasing demand from customers in the medical, pharmaceutical, and consumer health sectors.

Ecopol’s recently completed production facility in Griffin, Georgia, successfully began operations in fourth quarter 2023 and is now serving customers across North America.

Jackson assumes this role after rising through a series of positions with increasing responsibility within Novolex and, before joining the company, broad experience in general operations and consulting. 

This new plant allows CL&D to increase its flexographic production capabilities, particularly thanks to the inclusion of its brand new 52” wide web press.

In his new role as Vice President, Marcus will focus on strategic business development, ensuring PulPac maintains its competitive edge while advancing its position as a leader in sustainable packaging solutions.

This innovative solution reduces the carbon footprint of the packaging by 38% and marks a stride in environmental stewardship by eliminating the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in their portfolio.

RRD’s four new press installations increase speed and flexibility for brands, logistics, and freight services.

New show features include the FlexPack@Labelexpo which will showcase short run, added-value flexible packaging, including all the ancillary equipment, thermal lamination, pouching equipment, materials, and coatings required to enter this demanding market.

Recently adapted to suit industrial settings, the company’s Robust RFID-Labels ensure reliable, trackable connectivity for products across a broad set of high-leverage sectors, including electronic and automotive components.

Recognition marks a significant step forward in enabling the recycling of plastic bottles and underscores All4Labels’ commitment to driving the development of sustainable practices in the label industry.

Sabri Demirel has just been appointed new managing director of Romaco North America. He succeeds Charles Ravalli, who retired in April 2019. 

Kettle Foods Ltd presents the KETTLE & More range with user-friendly pack reclosability to maintain freshness and support portion control, from Essentra Tapes.

Building on the success of Rippatape – the original market-leading tape-based opening device for board and paper-based packaging – Essentra Tear Tapes has launched Rippatape X.

The heavy-duty packaging tape is designed for sealing high-value packages, 100% recycled corrugated cardboard.

Craig will be responsible for driving growth of the company’s business across its Healthcare and Industrial markets in North America, Europe and Asia.