Students of Ethiopian origin belong to one of the weakest sectors in the Jewish population of Israel. During their studies they have to deal with social alienation, cultural gaps, economic hardships, and racial stereotypes which reduce their chances to successfully complete their academic degree. In this respect, the present research asks whether online social media could provide those youngsters with tools and resources for their better social integration and adaptation to the academic life. For this purpose, the study was conducted in one of Israel’s largest academic colleges while adopting a design-based research approach, which advanced gradually on a continuum between ‘ambient’ and ‘designed’ technology-enhanced learning communities. The interventions applied for this study aimed at examining how they may encourage students of Ethiopian origin to expand their activities in the online social learning groups. The findings indicate that the main pattern of students of Ethiopian origin online participation was peripheral and limited to viewing only. Nevertheless, the level of their online activity has been improved after a series of two interventions, which also led to a slight improvement in indicators of their social integration and in a change in their usage of online learning groups from social to academic uses.

The purpose of this research is the exploration of the opinions and level of self-efficacy in the usage of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) of teachers in Greek pre-schools in the learning process and administration of nurseries. By using the term “usage and utilisation of ICTs in the learning process” we mean the utilisation of the capabilities that new technologies offer in an educationally appropriate way so that the learning process yields positive results. By using the term “self-efficacy” we describe the strength of one’s belief in one’s own ability to use the capabilities he or she possess. In this way, the beliefs of the person in his or her ability to use a personal computer constitute the self-efficacy in computer usage. The research sample consists of 128 pre-school teachers that work in the prefecture of Kavala. Kavala’s prefecture is a representative example of an Education Authority since it consists of urban, suburban, and rural areas. The approach that is deemed to be the most appropriate for the exploration of such research questions is content analysis methodology and correlation analysis. The main findings of the study have shown statistically significant differences regarding the opinions and stances of the pre-school teachers for the introduction of the ICTs in the administration and the usage and utilisation of ICTs in the administration and preparation of teaching. Lastly, there were statistically significant differences between the opinions and stances of the pre-school teachers for the usage and utilisation of ICTs in the learning process. Instead, there were no statistically significant differences regarding the level of self-efficacy of the pre-school teachers in the usage and utilisation of the ICTs in the learning process. The research results could be used in the educational field as well as by Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs in order to take any corrective action, after the effort of Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, to integrate ICT in the learning process with training courses since 2006.

The Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) event, organized by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), is conducted 3-4 times a year at various locations. The four day event can be characterized as an informing system specifically designed to facilitate structured and unstructured communications between a variety of parties—e.g., software developers, inventors, military and civilian users of various technologies, academics, and agencies responsible for identifying and procuring technology solutions—that frequently are constrained in their informing activities in more restrictive venues. Over the course of the event, participants may observe technology demonstrations, obtain feedback from potential users, acquire new ideas about their technologies might be employed and, perhaps most significantly, engage in ad hoc collaborations with other participants. The present paper describes an exploratory case research study that was conducted over a one year period and involved both direct observation of the event and follow-up interviews with 49 past participants in the event. The goal of the research was to assess the nature of participant-impact resulting from attending JIFX and to consider the consistency of the findings with the predictions of various theoretical frameworks used in informing science. The results suggest that participants perceived that the event provided significant value from three principal sources: discovery, interaction with potential clients (users) of the technologies involved, and networking with other participants. These findings were largely consistent with what could be expected from informing under conditions of high complexity; because value generally derives from combinations of attributes rather than from the sum of individual attributes, we would expect that overall value from informing activities will be perceived even though estimates of the incremental value of that informing cannot be made.

In many cases, temporary websites may be simple, accessible solutions for knowledge management and dissemination of information. However, such sites may become outdated as the funding ends, but yet in many cases, still publicly available through the Internet. The issue of website sustainability is a relevant topic for all organizations that have websites. Website lifecycle, knowledge management, and website sustainability issues are discussed through a theoretical-based literature review. These issues are then summarized and used as lessons learned for the case study approach of this paper. The aim is to identify a solution to address a website’s life and longevity, post project. A practical case study assessment of the issue of project website sustainability is needed to address the website’s longevity—post project—as creation is often made through temporary endeavors. Recommendations for future project websites are made as the outcomes and results of this study and are expressed in the form of suggested practices for project website sustainability in future projects.

As the complexity of a system grows, the challenge of informing the stakeholders of that system grows correspondingly. Nowhere is that challenge more daunting than in business education, where globalization, technological innovation, and increasingly complicated regulations continuously transform the business environment facing graduates and practitioners. Informing science theory proposes that different levels of complexity require different channels if effective informing is to be achieved. The paper first examines how two important sources of complexity—the diversity of clients and the ruggedness of the business landscape—are changing, and how these changes demand vastly more interactive informing channels if impact is to be achieved. Using an exploratory case study methodology, it then takes a detailed look at how one institution—the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business—has introduced a variety of new channels, many of which enable informing flows without necessarily directing them, to adapt to these environmental changes. It then considers both outcomes related to these individual informing channels and college-wide outcomes related to a broad and deep mosaic of informing flows. Finally, it considers the question of the resources required to support these new channels and the relationship between resource acquisition and channel introduction. The proposed framework for looking at business school informing channels can be applied by administrators, faculty members, and key stakeholders in understanding, evaluating, and planning programs and activities supporting informing in a complex environment. Ultimately, the informing business school framework may also provide a means for communicating impact to business school accrediting agencies (such as AACSB).

Aim/Purpose: Sharing ideas generated in a Business Intelligence (BI) Applications class to upgrade an Information System in to an Informing System. Background: Course Registration is the essential university’s business process in a university that follows a liberal-arts education model. Almost all categories of users are involved, including students, individual faculties and departments, and administration. A typical Information System, designed to support this process, allows departments to schedule selected courses for a particular time slot and location, and allows students to choose courses to study for the semester. Methodology: The course project is to design a BI application. Domain knowledge is essential for such projects and course registration was the natural choice for this class. The assignment includes (1) identifying the categories of stakeholders; (2) identifying the information needs of different categories; (3) identifying available information sources; (4) identifying how is possible to acquire the additional data; and (5) designing the Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) process and interface scenarios in a way to inform clients. Contribution: Contributions are in two directions: (1) pedagogy - involving students in such a project motivates creativity, also enforcing students to think in cost-benefit framework may lead to creation of really effective and efficient solutions; (2) practice - implementation of some of the ideas could be with low cost, but with high impact. Findings: Exploring BI techniques may increase the informing value of existing Information Systems. Recommendations for Practitioners: Careful analysis of information needs and the way information is used, combined with deep domain knowledge and understanding the value provided by Data Mining techniques, is the way to initiate a process of transforming an Retrieval Information System to better inform clients. Recommendation for Researchers : Combining pedagogy with practice allows one to overcome routine thinking and may lead to effective solutions. This needs further structuring and research on outcomes. Impact on Society Transforming Information towards Informing Systems has a significant impact by allowing users to make rational data driven decisions in an efficient way. Future Research: The future of this project is implementation of developed ideas and assessment of the results. Impact on Society : Transforming Information towards Informing Systems has a significant impact by allowing users to make rational data driven decisions in an efficient way. Future Research: The future of this project is implementation of developed ideas and assessment of the results.

Aim/Purpose: To understand the process of social change creation in social entrepreneurial ventures (SEVs), specifically emphasizing the role and nature of the communicative process in social change creation. Background: Drawing on data from seven SEVs from India and the US and employing a grounded theory methodology, this research scrutinizes the social change process and uncovers the role and characteristics of dialogue in this process. Methodology: Qualitative data was collected from seven social entrepreneurial organizations over a period of eight months from July 2011 to February 2012. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a wide range of members within these social entrepreneurial organizations (n=27) with additional informal interviews with field workers and volunteers. Data from the semi-structured interviews and notes from observations were integrated with analyses of archival resources. Contribution: There is little scholarship about the process of social change creation and the necessary conditions to promote social change over time. Understanding the process of social change creation and the individual, interpersonal, and organizational conditions that facilitate the process is central to design of effective trans-sector TD problem solving ventures. This paper focuses on the process of social change creation in social entrepreneurial settings, specifically emphasizing the role and nature of the communicative process in social change creation. Findings: The reflections and experiences of the members of SEVs revealed that social entrepreneurship is a collective endeavor and this collective character is essential to its success. Collective organization and synergy, deep intra-organizational communication, and a conducive organizational context are critical for the creation of collective wisdom and knowledge networks for long-term collaborative community capacity building. Dialogue emerged as a central category linking the other categories to explain the process of social change creation. Organic organizational structure enables knowledge creation and integration through the process of organizational learning through deep and continuous social interaction, or dialogue. Recommendations for Practitioners: This research elucidated the key characteristics of the organizational context required to support the creation of social change. It also identified the critical role and characteristics of the communicative process required to generate structural knowledge and collective wisdom at the organizational level. Recommendation for Researchers: For individual and organizational learning, trans-sector transdisciplinary organizations require an appropriate organizational context. Key elements of such an organizational context include (1) understanding the ecology of the social problem; (2) organic organizational structure; (3) continuous and deep social interaction among all levels of the organization; (4) employee and community autonomy and empowerment; and (5) attention to subtle environmental changes in the system. These elements in combination lead to the creation of collective wisdom. Collective wisdom then feeds back into the conception, planning, and action stages of the iterative cycle of organizational knowledge creation to create positive social change. Impact on Society: Same as above Future Research: Future research model theoretically and study empirically the ecology of social entrepreneurship and trans-sector TD problem solving more broadly. For example, the ways in the personal attributes of social entrepreneurs (e.g., their leadership style, networking abilities) combine with circumstances at organizational, institutional, and international levels to influence the effectiveness of their efforts to promote positive social change within local and global communities. Second, the grounded theoretical framework developed here should be further refined and elaborated through the identification of additional key contextual factors that affect SEVs’ capacity to promote positive social change and to achieve sustainability in different socio-environmental contexts. There is also a need to translate the findings from this research to facilitate the creation of more inclusive problem solving contexts and practices.

Aim/Purpose: The growing complexity of the business environment and business processes as well as the Big Data phenomenon has an impact on every area of human activity nowadays. This new reality challenges the effectiveness of traditional narrowly oriented professional education. New areas of competences emerged as a synergy of multiple knowledge areas – transdisciplines. Informing Science and Data Science are just the first two such new areas we may identify as transdisciplines. Universities are facing the challenge to educate students for those new realities. Background: The purpose of the paper is to share the authors’ experience in designing curriculum for training bachelor students in Informing Science as a concentration within an Information Brokerage major, and a master program on Data Science. Methodology: Designing curriculum for transdisciplines requires diverse expertise obtained by both academia and industries and passed through several stages - identifying objectives, conceptualizing curriculum models, identifying content, and development pedagogical priorities. Contribution: Sharing our experience acquired in designing transdiscipline programs will contribute to a transition from a narrow professional education towards addressing 21st-century challenges. Findings: Analytical skills, combined with training in all categories of so-called “soft skills”, are essential in preparing students for a successful career in a transdiciplinary area of activities. Recommendations for Practitioners: Establishing a working environment encouraging not only sharing but close cooperation is essential nowadays. Recommendations for Researchers: There are two aspects of training professionals capable of succeeding in a transdisciplinary environment: encouraging mutual respect and developing out-of-box thinking. Impact on Society: The transition of higher education in a way to meet current challenges. Future Research The next steps in this research are to collect feedback regarding the professional careers of students graduating in these two programs and to adjust the curriculum accordingly.

Aim/Purpose: The research problem of this study refers to the manner in which old and new mass media represented the significant social development surrounding two crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX airplane. Methodology: The study follows a qualitative case study methodology based on a sample of newspaper articles, TV programming, specialized technical publications, Twitter posts, and Facebook content. Contribution: The study contributes to understanding specifics and differences in representing extraordinary socio-economic events by different types of media. Findings: Key findings are that these media have constructed different realities surrounding the tragic events and exhibited informing distortions to different degrees. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practical implications of this study are relevant for the institutional and individual clients of informing with regard to selecting appropriate media for use. There are also implications for informers with regard to reducing distortions in informing. Recommendation for Researchers: Social media could be a channel for alternative learning rather than manipulation. Mainstream media were confirmed to be a loudspeaker for authorities as postulated in critical media research, and analytical media provided influential, deeper technical analysis. Future Research: As the Boeing case unfolds, it would be interesting to investigate any evolution in mediated realities.

Aim/Purpose: This article takes ‘tourism decision-making behavior’ as an entry point, and deeply analyzes the factors influencing the travel decision-making of Chinese ‘American Travel’ tourists and their degree of influence, so as to provide a reference for the development of Chinese outbound tourism. Background: With the development of China’s economy and the improvement in people’s level, the outbound tourism market of Chinese residents has developed rapidly. The United States has become an important tourism destination country for Chinese residents’ outbound tourism, and China has also become one of the important tourist source countries of American tourism. However, the rapid development of ‘American tourism’ has also caused competition problems in China’s tourism industry. For example, prices and tourism products have become a means of competition among tourism enterprises. As the main body of consumption, tourists’ decision-making behavior will be affected by various factors. Methodology: Drawing lessons from previous scholars’ research results on tourism decision-making behavior, the influencing factors of tourism decision-making behavior are summarized. A theoretical model and index system of factors influencing tourism decision-making behavior of Chinese residents ‘Travel in the United States’ are established, research hypotheses are put forward, questionnaire data are collected, and SPSS and Amos are used to analyze and verify the theoretical model. Contribution: This research expands the literature on topics related to tourism decision-making in research and practice. It establishes a theoretical model and index system for the factors that influence the decision-making behavior of Chinese residents’ ‘American Travel’ tourism. In addition, we propose countermeasures for tourism products, enterprises, and the government. Findings: Prior knowledge and external information have a positive influence on tourism perception and value perception, and a negative influence on risk perception. Risk perception value perception has a positive and negative influence on tourism decision-making and tourism motivation, respectively. Tourism motivation has a positive influence on tourism decision-making and has a positive impact. Recommendation for Researchers: According to the research conclusions of this article, the following counter-measures and suggestions are put forward from three aspects of tourism: products, enterprises, and governments. On the basis of existing tourism products, relevant operating companies should pay more attention to the upgrading and transformation of tourism, leisure and entertainment products in scenic spots to increase the willingness of tourists to travel. When considering corporate marketing and promotion plans, tourism companies operating related businesses should increase the weight of their marketing budgets in online marketing, increase investment in online marketing, and develop mobile applications that meet the preferences of Chinese residents in the United States. Do a good job in the timely publication of safety reminders and local information. Safety is an important foundation for tourism development and the core concern of many tourists. Future Research: Due to the important research on the impact of tourism activities, the influencing factors are many and complex, and the psychological process of tourism decision-making is carried out directly. There are still unconsidered factors that need to be studied in depth. In the future, it is possible to compare multiple resource-featured themes, and increase the characteristics of potential tourists, and the factors affecting the selection behavior of regional cultural tourists, and so forth, in order to make the research more applicable and practical instructive significance.

Aim/Purpose This paper aims to illustrate, through an exploratory ideographic case study, how a Complex Thinking framework can inform the design of scientific events and the facilitation of scientific Inter and Transdisciplinary groups towards positive emergent outcomes, both at the level of the functioning of the group and the collective complexity of their thinking. Moreover, it aims to show how the choice of facilitation strategies can contribute to positive emergent outcomes in the context of a fully online event, with its inherent constraints. Finally, this study aims to conduct an exploratory qualitative evaluation of the participants’ experiences during School, with a focus on the processes and how they relate to the aims of the School and the goals of the facilitation. Background Science needs to embrace modes of knowing capable of generating more complex (differentiated, integrated, recursively organized, emergent), ecologically fit, and creative responses, to meet the complexity of the world’s challenges. New formats and strategies are required that attend to the facilitation of Inter and Transdisciplinary scientific events and meetings, towards creative and complex outcomes. A Complex Thinking framework provides suggestions for the facilitation of Inter and Transdisciplinary meetings and events through targeting key properties which may lead to the emergence of complex and creative outcomes. Methodology We adopt an ideographic case study approach to illustrate how a complex systems approach, in particular a Complex Thinking framework, grounded in an enactive view of cognition, guided the design choices and the facilitation strategies of an online Inter and Transdisciplinary Advanced Training School (Winter School). We aim to illustrate how the facilitation strategies were selected and used to promote deep and creative interactions within the constraints of an online environment. We adopt an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate the participants’ reports of their experiences of the School, in light of the principles and goals that guided its design and facilitation. Contribution This paper opens a new area of theoretical and applied research, under the scope of a Complex Thinking framework, focused on the facilitation of Inter and Transdisciplinarity at scientific events, meetings, and discussions towards complex and creative outcomes. Findings The results of the exploratory qualitative analysis of the participants’ experiences regarding the event suggest a critical role of its methodology in fostering rich, deep, and constructive interactions, in leading to the emergence of a collective group experience, to the integration of ideas, and in facilitating transformative personal experiences, under the effects of the emergent group processes. It suggests that the strategies employed were successful, anticipating and overcoming the particular constraints of an online event. Recommendations for Practitioners This case study suggests that a Complex Thinking framework can fruitfully guide the design of facilitation strategies and activities for scientific events and meetings, activating a number of key relational processes that contribute to or boost the emergence of positive group experiences and the production and integration of novel ideas. Recommendations for Researchers This study calls for action-oriented and applied research focused on the developmental evaluation of innovations, regarding the facilitation of scientific creativity and integration, within the scope of a Complex Thinking approach. Impact on Society This paper calls for new modes of organization and formats of scientific activities, suggesting that Inter and Transdisciplinary events and meetings may benefit from intentional management and facilitation of interactions between participants to produce transformative impacts. It demonstrates the importance of the organizational principles used to plan and run events that engage multiple and various societal agents, from academics to practitioners and social activists, towards enhancing their richness and relevance to complex real-world challenges. Future Research This study highlights the need for process-focused systematic case study research using complex systems-informed designs to explore how and which facilitation strategies may promote which (interaction of) properties of Complex Thinking and associated processes and how, and under which conditions, these lead to more complex and creative outcomes.

[Meg O’Neill] 00:08 Hello and welcome to the Berkeley Technology Law Journal podcast. My name is Meg O’Neill and I am one of the editors of the podcast. Today we are excited to share with you a conversation between Berkeley Law LLM student Franco Dellafiori, and Professor Bertrall Ross. Professor ...

The post Berkeley Technology Law Journal Podcast: Will ChatGPT Tell Me How to Vote? Democracy & AI with Professor Bertrall Ross appeared first on Berkeley Technology Law Journal.

Hierarchy is a reality of group life, for humans as well as for most other group-living species. And yet, there remains considerable debate about whether and when hierarchy can promote group performance and member satisfaction. We suggest that progress in this debate has been hampered by a lack of clarity about hierarchy and how to conceptualize it. Whereas prevailing conceptualizations of hierarchy in the group and organization literature focus on inequality in member power or status (i.e., centralization or steepness), we build on the ethological and social network traditions to advance a view of hierarchy as cascading relations of dyadic influence (i.e., acyclicity). We further suggest that hierarchy thus conceptualized is more likely to capture the functional benefits of hierarchy whereas hierarchy as inequality is more likely to be dysfunctional. In a study of 75 teams drawn from a wide range of industries, we show that whereas acyclicity in influence relations reduces conflict and thereby enhances both group performance and member satisfaction, centralization and steepness have negative effects on conflict, performance, and satisfaction, particularly in groups that perform complex tasks. The theory and results of this study can help to clarify and advance research on the functions and dysfunctions of hierarchy in task groups.

The interview questions deal with the means by which Estonia and other republics of the former Soviet Union managed to transform their educational systems and the impact of the Soviet heritage on this transformation. An interview was conducted with Professor Olav Aarna. In 1991 Professor Olav Aarna became the rector of TUT. From 2000 to 2003 he held the position of rector of the first private university in Estonia - Estonian Business School (EBS). From 2003 to 2007 Olav Aarna was member of the Estonian Parliament, serving also as Chairman of the Committee for Cultural Affairs responsible for education, research, culture and sports affairs. From 1998-2000 he was Vice Chairman of Estonian National Council for Research and Development. His experience in the field of educational legislation stems from his advisory position to the Minister of Education of Estonia from 1990 to1992. His competence in the field of the Bologna process results from the development of higher education legislation in Estonia (2002-...) and the development of a higher education quality assurance system for Estonia (2008-...). Olav Aarna has consulted third countries in the national qualifications framework (NQF) development as a European Training Foundation (ETF) expert.

We argue that employees who perceive that they are provided with a safe climate at work within which to voice their concerns and suggestions about work-related issues or problems will not only be more engaged employees but will also be likely to be more engaged and involved members of their communities. By focusing on the importance of employee voice opportunities, in work organizations, we seek to build our understanding of how to create "positive" organizations that contribute to the building of human potential, both inside the organizational setting and outside in our communities and societies. We also consider how employee voice opportunities in for-profit organizations may be influenced by the law and prevailing attitudes about corporate governance.

Over the past decade, the terms "crisis" and "crisis management" have become increasingly popular topics of interest for business professionals and management academics alike. According to the Institute for Crisis Management (2013), "Newsworthy business crises have been on a steady upward trend since 2009.

We study the interplay between regulatory mandates and competition on a focal firm's new resource investments. While prior literature has separately pointed to the influence of competition and regulatory policy on a focal firm's resource decisions, less is known about how the policy effect interacts with the competitive effect. Studying how regulatory mandates moderate the effect of competition on a focal firm's new resource investments, we show that resource redeployment is not simply a function of internal firm decisions but a response to external forces. We find that regulatory mandates dampen the effect of competitors' new resource investments on a focal firm's new resource investments. Distinguishing between different clean technology types, we show that this dampening effect is the stronger, the more distant the new resource is from incumbents' old resource base, and the more established the mandate is. We test our hypotheses in the context of renewable energy investments in waste-to-energy, wind, and solar in the U.S. electricity industry. Our data comprises 1542 utilities and private energy firms and their renewable investments from 1999 to 2010.

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THERE is good news for close to 15,000 University Malaya [UM] undergraduates returning to campus this October – homegrown retailer MR DIY will be distributing RM300 to each student to help them purchase essential supplies to facilitate their return to campus.

Dubbed #DIY4UM, the RM4.5 million cash aid distribution programme is being implemented in partnership with Touch ‘n Go via its eWallet platform.

The cash aid will be made to students on their Touch ‘n Go eWallets in three equal payments of RM100 each on Nov 1 and 30, and Dec 30.

Announcing the #DIY4UM aid programme, MR DIY CEO Adrian Ong said the programme was aimed at helping students make the back-to-campus transition as smooth and worry-free as possible.

He said: “The reopening of campuses is a major milestone for university students. After many months of lockdown, they will finally be able to reconvene on campus to fully benefit from the in-person learning experience and enjoy the academic social interaction with lecturers and fellow students alike.

“We believe it’s important that they are well equipped with protective and learning essentials to keep themselves safe while staying focused on their studies, which is why we are distributing this cash aid to undergraduates at University Malaya.”

He said students will be able to easily equip themselves with everyday student essentials, Covid-19 protective equipment and a wide range of stationery items at MR DIY retail stores as well as its online platform using the cash credit given.

In addition, the first 11,000 students who utilise the funds will be entitled to RM10 cashback when they spend a minimum of RM20 using the Touch ‘n Go Wallet.

The promotion applies at MR DIY Group stores, MR DIY Online, as well as the MR DIY mini programme available on Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

The programme is part of a strategic collaboration between MR DIY and Touch ‘n Go which was inked in July this year.

Commenting on the aid programme, Touch ‘n Go group chief executive officer Effendy Shahul Hamid said: “We are extremely pleased that the partnership between our companies has been extended into a benefit for society, in this case, students of University Malaya.

“We stand ready to support this initiative and we commend MR DIY for stepping up during these challenging times.”

All active Malaysian undergraduates at University Malaya are eligible for the aid. They are required to register online via Portal Maya UM by Oct 3, and ensure they have a valid Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

The initiative was lauded by Universiti Malaya’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Syukor who said: “We are confident this initiative will be of great help to students as they return to campus.”

The #DIY4UM initiative is the latest in a series of collaborations between MR DIY and University Malaysia. MR DIY has for the past four years joined hands with UM and the Ministry of Education to organise the “DIY Made Simple” competition for schools with UM’s Community and Sustainability Center (UMCares).

The competition is a CSR initiative to cultivate awareness of sustainability among schoolchildren.

Visit MR DIY’s website at www.mrdiy.com, e-commerce platform at www.mrdiy.com.my, and social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.

SHAH ALAM: A total of 387 cases of child abuse were recorded by the Selangor police from January to October, said state police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan.

He said that of the total, 139 victims were aged between 0 and 1 year, 96 were between two and five years old, while the and remaining victims were aged up to 18 years.

“Childcare providers were the main perpetrators of these crimes, followed by biological parents, teachers and stepparents,“ he said.

He made these comments to the press after officiating the second Child Interview Centre (CIC) under the Sexual, Abuse and Child Investigation Division (D11) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Selangor police headquarters in Seksyen 11 police station today.

Hussein said police investigations found that most child abuse cases were caused by negligence, such as leaving babies or young children alone, which posed risks to the victims and led to neglect.

He also noted that there had been a trend of increasing reports of child abuse cases, partly due to growing awareness of violence against children among the public and various organisations.

“Some people are now coming forward and bravely making reports, thanks to numerous awareness programmes and initiatives by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in the community to provide information,“ he said.

Regarding the second CIC, Hussein said that RM180,000 had been allocated to refurbish an existing premises at the Seksyen 11 Police Station for this purpose.

He said the establishment of the second CIC, which has been operational since March 5, was in response to the increasing number of child-related cases that require interviews each year, with an average of 400 to 500 cases annually.

“The establishment of this CIC takes into account the rising number of cases, with 875 children already interviewed this year alone, involving various cases such as abuse, neglect and sexual offences.

“Given current needs, we are also planning to expand this service. Both CIC facilities are currently located in Shah Alam, so there is a need to extend them to Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam, Hulu Selangor or the southern part of the state,“ he said.

Hussein also said that the first CIC, established in 2014 and located in Seksyen 7, serves the police districts (IPD) of South Klang, North Klang, Gombak, Shah Alam, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor, Kajang and KLIA.

“The second CIC caters to the IPDs of Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Sabak Bernam, Kuala Langat, Sungai Buloh, Sepang, Serdang and Ampang Jaya,“ he added, noting that the centre conducts interviews with children under the age of 16, as referred by investigating officers from the 16 IPDs.