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.

As the profile of businesses engaged in disputes is now more diverse than ever, there is a need for dispute resolution mechanisms that are culturally responsive as well as internationally robust. Mediation is one mechanism that offers a flexible and confidential forum for business to resolve their differences in an effective and efficient way. Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and the growing number of smaller enterprises doing business internationally. Nadja Alexander is Professor of Law at SMU School of Law. She also heads the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy as its Director, and a prominent mediator, educator, consultant and writer. In a recent study, Prof Alexander had identified some of the top trends impacting the nature and practice of international mediation. She discusses these key trends and developments in this podcast.

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?

Rapid urbanisation, coupled with the lack of coordination in the use of resources, such as taxis and security personnel, has negatively affected a wide array of quality-of-life metrics. These include waiting time in queues, response time for emergencies, and the number of traffic violations in cities. Using AI and Machine Learning methods, aggregation systems have been developed and adopted to improve the matching of resources and demand, thereby enhancing the efficiency of real-world transportation, emergency response and security systems. In this podcast, Associate Professor Pradeep Varakantham from the SMU School of Information Systems shares how AI can be used to improve transportation and security.

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.

As the climate crisis looms, how can we build a more sustainable future? While the establishment of the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) provides a helpful compass to achieve sustainability, they tend to be viewed and applied in isolation from each other. This glosses over what sustainability really means for those most vulnerable to its impacts. In this podcast, SMU Associate Professor Michelle Lim demystifies the dense jargon of the UN SDGs, and argues how viewing them as a set of integrated and interconnected goals is essential to empower us to chart a meaningful path forward for the planet and people. [About the SMU CP Podcast Series] SMU City Perspectives brings together researchers from Singapore Management University (SMU) for insightful conversations exploring the pivotal trends in digital transformation, growth in Asia, and sustainable living. Get inspired and discover solutions that will help you drive more impact in your work and shape the future of cities.

Because of climate change, cities have been grappling with stronger and more frequent storms as well, most recently being Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam and Hurricanes Helene and Milton in America. But many people remain apathetic to climate change. SMU Associate Professor Terry Van Gevelt explains the intricacies of climate change communication and what needs to be done to get urbanites facing climate change to become more aware. . [About the SMU CP Podcast Series] SMU City Perspectives brings together researchers from Singapore Management University (SMU) for insightful conversations exploring the pivotal trends in digital transformation, growth in Asia, and sustainable living. Get inspired and discover solutions that will help you drive more impact in your work and shape the future of cities.

11/15/2024 - 1:00 PM - Venue: The Hanging Tree Cafe

11/14/2024 - 10:00 AM - Venue: Assistance League building

11/13/2024 - 6:30 PM - Venue: The Senate

11/13/2024 - 10:00 AM - Venue: Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum

The devastating 17 July 2023 debris flow at Quetame in Colombia, which killed at least 14 people including three children.

The 19 July 2023 landslide at Irshalwadi in Khalipur, in western India, which has killed at least 16 people.

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

Planetary scientists are using a volcanic flow field in New Mexico to puzzle out how long past volcanic eruptions on Mars might have lasted, a finding that could help researchers determine if Mars was ever hospitable to life. People don't usually think of New Mexico as a volcanically active place, but it has some of the youngest (geologically speaking) large lava flows in the continental United States.

The post New Mexico badlands help researchers understand past Martian lava flows (video) appeared first on GeoSpace.

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.

From increased regulation, to a growing emphasis on food safety, to changing workforce and customer demographics, food processors and their vendors and partners are facing a period of unprecedented change.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) today announced a wide variety of sessions scheduled to take place at PROCESS EXPO 2015 in conjunction with three of Canada’s top institutions of higher learning including University of Guelph, McGill University and Conestoga College.

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.

Chile recently passed a law that will ban all single-use plastic in several fields. The industry has been searching for materials that are non-plastic but that still have all the characteristics of plastic.

An initiative from three of America's biggest beverage companies, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr. Pepper, aims to improve the recycling and processing of plastic bottles.

ecoCombo™ compliments Rohrer’s ezCombo™ program and offers a new way for retail brands to make sustainable packaging choices in their blister packaging.

Amcor’s new AmSky blister packaging uses HDPE throughout for curbside recycling.

The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a tremendous packaging revolution, paving way for the future development of intelligent solutions. One such breakthrough achieved in this space is the blister packaging.

The guidance is aimed at ensuring recycled plastic packaging meets and exceeds U.S. regulatory compliance.

In addition to offering their entire fleet of available blister packaging systems ready to run these challenging films, the company will offer upgrades for installed Pharmaworks blister machines in the field and can rebuild blister machines from other suppliers to handle these new sustainable films.

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

Now available in downsized diameters of 13.5-16mm, the tiny tubes expand Neopac’s award-winning line of high-barrier mono-material solutions, and amount to a significant advancement in sustainability-minded high-barrier packaging technology.

At its Booth W-19027, the company will showcase Vial Protect Pack II, a robust, multilayer vial protection/labeling solution for high-value or high-potency drug applications whose container breakage rates must be near-zero.

EUP50 is perfect for labels for small- to medium-sized packaging in all food areas, whether molding to polypropylene or polyethylene containers.

All of Ultra Solo’s components – cap, pump engine, actuator and bottle – are polyethylene (PE). As such, the whole product boasts 100% recyclability.

The new PCR PP behaves identically to virgin material, so there's no need for manufacturers to adjust tooling or processing equipment.

The new group will be positioned among the Top 5 cosmetics packaging companies worldwide, boasting combined sales of around €350 million.

The WD-40 Specialist ® line (launched in 2011) of professional-grade lubricants, penetrants, greases, cleaners and degreasers, and rust-management solutions, has an opportunity to be identified on the shelves faster by end users wiith new packaging.

Lineup includes keynote speaker Francisco Garcia, COO & Co-Founder of E6PR and Co-Founder of ENTELEQUIA, the largest compostable packaging company in Mexico. 

Bubble cushioning, inflatable air pillows and bubble mailers supplied by Sealed Air all include recycled content.

Meet Amy Mercante, General Manager of Specialty Products at PPG.

With 484 companies already secured and more expected, the upstairs hall will feature displays of lightweight machinery and promotional materials.

Dicen que sólo hay una oportunidad para dar la primera impresión y que ésta es la más importante y difícil de cambiar.

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.

A recent headline in the Philadelphia Inquirer reading “Robots don’t get sick” succinctly summed up the current view of consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies during the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to automation.

Amcor has adapted its design technology to develop the first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for pasteurized beer in Brazil.

California passes first-in-the-nation law requiring plastic beverage containers to contain an increasing amount of recycled material — 15% by 2022.

Company has temporary office space available and intends to have its Service, Engineering, Sales, IT and Administration departments set up and operating by January 5.