8 iunie 2019

UAIC Iasi a primit vizita unei delegatii de la Universitatea Jiangxi din China

Joi, 6 iunie 2019, Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” (UAIC) din Iasi a primit vizita unei delegatii de la Universitatea de Finante si Economie Jiangxi din China, formata din profesor Yuan Xiong, vice-presedinte, profesor Yin Zhonghai, decan, Liu Xiaohui, director de departament si Wan Minli, de la Facutatea de Limbi Straine.

Oaspetii au fost întâmpinati de prof. univ. dr. Mihaela Onofrei, prorector pentru activitati studentesti si parteneriate cu mediul economic si sectorul public al UAIC. În cadrul întâlnirii, cele doua institutii au semnat un protocol de colaborare, prin care se urmareste consolidarea si promovarea colaborarii dintre „Cuza” si Universitatea de Finante si Economie Jiangxi.

De asemenea, acordul presupune îmbunatatirea relatiilor academice si culturale dintre cele doua universitati, ceea ce reprezinta baza pentru o cooperare eficienta, în special între facultatile si departamentele corespondente. Vizita delegatiei chineze a inclus si o întâlnire la Facultatea de Economie si Administrarea Afacerilor (FEAA), la care au participat prof. univ. dr. Bogdan Gabriel Zugravu, prodecan, prof. univ. dr. Carmen Elena Pintilescu – prodecan, prof. univ. dr. Teodora Roman – prodecan, prof. univ. dr. Gabriel Mursa – director de departament, prof. univ. dr. Ovidiu Stoica, director de departament si conf. univ. dr. Silviu Gabriel Ursu.

Universitatea „Cuza” are o bogata traditie în ceea ce priveste colaborarea cu institutiile de învatamânt superior din China, începuta în 1993 prin acordul bilateral încheiat cu North China University of Technology din Beijing.

În prezent, UAIC are încheiate acorduri bilaterale cu patru institutii de învatamânt superior din China. În perioada 2010-2019, 91 de vizite academice au fost efectuate de studentii, profesorii si cercetatorii UAIC la universitati sau alte organizatii din China, sub forma de stagii de studiu, vizite de cercetare sau participari la diverse evenimente stiintifice.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

Centenarul Hotararii Consiliului Suprem Aliat de recunoastere a Unirii Transilvaniei, Crisanei, Maramuresului si Banatului cu Romania

Marti, 11 iunie 2019, incepand cu ora 10.00, in sala de conferinte a Muzeului Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iasi, Primaria Municipiului Iasi in parteneriat cu Centrul de Istorie a Secolului 20 din cadrul Facultatii de Istorie a Universitatii organizeaza colocviulintitulat Pericolul bolsevic in Romania anului 1919: intre realitate si instrumentalizare politica.

Alocutiunile domnului Mihai Chirica, Primarul Municipiului Iasi, a domnului prof. univ. dr. Petronel Zahariuc, Decanul Facultatii de Istorie din cadrul Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iasi, a domnului Ionut Nistor, Directorul Muzeului Universitatii din Iasi, si a domnului prof. univ. dr. Daniel Sandru, Coordonatorul Programului Centenar al municipalitatii iesene pentru perioada 2017-2020, vor fi urmate de conferinta domnului prof. univ dr. Lucian Leustean despre acceptarea granitelor Romaniei de catre Consiliul Suprem Aliat (iunie 1919), precum si de comunicarile academice ale unor recunoscuti istorici de la Facultatea de Istorie a Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iasi, de la Institutul „A.D. Xenopol” al Academiei Romane si de la Arhivele Nationale ale Romaniei, Directia Judeteana Iasi.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

China surges forward in renewable energy research

Increasing lead over US and Europe may raise questions over who controls future of green technology

China is pulling ahead of Europe and the US in renewable energy research, prompting questions about the geopolitical implications of it’s becoming dominant in such technology.

According to figures from Elsevier’s Scopus database, China overtook the collective output of European Union nations in 2017 on energy research related to renewables, sustainability and the environment.

Its total 2017 output of 13,000 papers represented a growth rate of 260 per cent since 2012, when it trailed both EU countries and the US. The data show that the US published almost half as much as China in 2017 – 7,600 publications. EU countries produced almost 12,300 papers.

China’s growing research influence in renewable energy goes beyond the sheer volume of publications.

In 2017, almost 8 per cent of its research in the area was in the top 1 per cent of cited work, compared with 5.6 per cent for the US and 3.5 per cent for the EU.

China’s increasing focus on renewable energy was highlighted in a major report published earlier this year by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

It says that although China still had a major dependency on fossil fuels, “no country has put itself in a better position to become the world’s renewable energy superpower”.

“In aggregate, it is now the world’s largest producer, exporter and installer of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles, placing it at the forefront of the global energy transition,” the report adds.

The ramifications could be profound, the paper goes on, as trade and political influence shift away from the main fossil fuel-producing nations.

“Countries that do not control key energy technologies may become heavily dependent on the few countries and companies that do,” it says, noting that mobile technology is already concentrated in a handful of global companies, including China’s Huawei.

Daniel Scholten, an assistant professor at the Delft University of Technology who was part of the research panel that supported the Irena report, said China’s approach to renewable energy had been “smart” as it was innovating in technology across the board from electricity generation to storage. This could then potentially be exported overseas “as a package”, giving it a trade advantage.

However, he added that it was “hard to prove” that China had political motivations behind its drive on green energy. There was no barrier to other nations developing their own renewable technology, and China had strong domestic motives, such as a need to achieve more energy self-sufficiency and tackle urban pollution, he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Scholten said that the shale gas boom in the US was likely to be a key reason why America was falling behind.

“There has been a bit of a windfall for finding all these resources and exploiting them, and this has lowered domestic [electricity] prices” and led to people in the US asking, “Why do you need consumers to move to renewables now?”

In the long run, he suggested, renewable energy – particularly solar power – could be “good for geopolitical stability” because it can be generated locally by small operators and households.

This would change “the whole energy landscape” and “might end part of this game” in which the countries that have major influence over markets reliant on fossil fuels can wield power over others.

Publicație : The Times

Study reveals bias against ethnic minority names on applications

Identical CVs with different names on them sent to 250 academics in experiment

A candidate’s name alone may stop them getting a postdoctoral position in the natural sciences in the US because of gender and race prejudice, according to new research.

In an experiment, identical CVs for a hypothetical PhD graduate were sent to biology and physics professors at eight large public US research universities.

The only differences between the eight CVs sent out were the names used for the candidates – Bradley Miller, Claire Miller, Zhang Wei, Wang Li, Jamal Banks, Shanice Banks, José Rodriguez and Maria Rodriguez.

The research, published in Sex Roles, found that physics academics rated men as being significantly more competent and hireable, and likewise that they preferred white and Asian candidates over black and Latinx applicants.

Black women and Latinx men and women were rated as having the lowest in hireability in physics.

Biology professors judged Asian candidates to be more competent and hireable than black candidates, but did not show other racial biases, or any bias against women.

Women were rated as being more likeable than their male counterparts across both departments.

A total of 251 faculty from physics (94) and biology departments (157) participated in the study. Ninety per cent of physics respondents were male, while 65 per cent of those from biology were men.

The increased gender bias in physics, compared with biology, did not surprise the researchers because biology is a “more gender-balanced field” and physics departments may have more “masculine cultures”, the paper says.

One of the paper’s authors, Jessica Saunders, said that the findings demonstrated why science suffered from a “leaky pipeline”. “Many racial, ethnic, and gender minority individuals enter the field, but few obtain postdoctoral positions, and even fewer become faculty,” she said.

Dr Saunders, a postdoctoral research associate at the Women’s Research Institute of Nevada, said that the “standout result” was the “double bias faced by racial and ethnic minority women candidates in physics”.

Across all science and engineering fields, women make up 42.5 per cent of assistant professors and 24.5 per cent of full professors at four-year universities in the US, according to 2018 data.

African and Latinx Americans account for less than 1 per cent of STEM faculty, 2017 data show.

Dr Saunders said that biases in recruitment mean that women and minorities were “exposed to fewer scientists who ‘look like them’ and are less likely to believe that they are hireable or competent in a STEM discipline”.

The study’s authors say that universities should consider a range of changes to overcome gender and race bias, such as getting committees with diverse memberships to decide on applications by postdocs, not principal investigators only. Specific training for staff to address bias against ethnic minority women should be considered, the paper adds.

Publicație : The Times

Queen’s Birthday Honours 2019: knighthood for UAL vice-chancellor

Three vice-chancellors get CBEs, as Anna Vignoles, Lee Elliot Major and Kevin Fong also among those honoured

Nigel Carrington, vice-chancellor of the University of the Arts London, has been knighted in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

He joined the university as vice-chancellor in 2008, after a career in law and business, including a spell as managing director of McLaren Formula One racing team.

Others knighted include Robert Williams, vice-chancellor of Swansea University between 1994 and 2003, while there is a damehood for Elan Stephens, emeritus professor of communications and creative industries at Aberystwyth University, who was formerly chair of the S4C Authority.

They were among dozens of eminent academics and higher education professionals on the list.

There were CBEs for three other vice-chancellors: Staffordshire University’s Liz Barnes, Lancaster University’s Mark Smith, and Coventry University’s John Latham.

There was also a CBE for Anna Vignoles, professor of education at the University of Cambridge, and an OBE for Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, and former chief executive of the Sutton Trust.

Kevin Fong, honorary senior lecturer in physiology at UCL and a television presenter, was made an OBE.

nick.mayo@timeshighereducation.com

Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018

Among those given knighthoods:

  • Ian Boyd, professor of biology, University of St Andrews, and chief scientific adviser, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For services to science and economics on food and the environment.
  • Nigel Carrington, vice-chancellor, University of the Arts London. For services to higher education and the creative industries.
  • Mark Caulfield, chief scientist, Genomics England and professor of clinical pharmacology, Queen Mary University of London. For services to the 100,000 Genomes Project.
  • Stephen Cleobury, director of music, King’s College, Cambridge. For services to choral music.
  • Peter Donnelly, chief executive, Genomics plc and professor of statistical science, University of Oxford. For services to the understanding of human genetics in disease.
  • Robert Williams, former vice-chancellor, Swansea University. For services to higher education, research and the Welsh language.

Among those appointed dames:

  • Elan Stephens, emeritus professor of communications and creative industries, Aberystwyth University. For services to Welsh government and broadcasting.

Among those appointed CBE:

  • Liz Barnes, vice-chancellor, Staffordshire University. For services to higher education.
  • Paul Bates, professor of hydrology, Bristol University. For services to flood risk management.
  • Kenneth Brown, professor of mathematics, University of Glasgow. For services to the mathematical sciences.
  • Michele Burman, head of the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow. For services to criminology.
  • Graham Collingridge, professor of neuroscience in anatomy, University of Bristol. For services to biomedical sciences.
  • Lorne Crerar, former professor of banking law, University of Glasgow. For services to economic and community development in Scotland.
  • Harminder Singh, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, University of Nottingham. For services to eye healthcare, health and ophthalmology.
  • Tamsin Ford, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, University of Exeter. For services to psychiatry.
  • John Latham, vice-chancellor, Coventry University. For services to higher education.
  • Marie Le Quere, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia. For services to climate change science.
  • Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine. For services to cardiovascular disease.
  • Hector MacQueen, professor of private law, University of Edinburgh. For services to legal scholarship.
  • Sylvia Richardson, director, Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge. For services to medical statistics.
  • Mark Smith, vice-chancellor, Lancaster University. For services to research and higher education.
  • David Southwood, senior research investigator, Imperial College London and lately chair, UK Space Agency. For services to space science and industry in the UK and Europe.
  • Anna Vignoles, professor of education, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. For services to social sciences.
  • Robert Welbury, professor of paediatric dentistry, University of Central Lancashire. For services to paediatric dentistry, dental education and safeguarding for children.

Among those appointed OBE:

  • Paul Collier, head of Beams department, Cern. For services to science and technology.
  • Malcolm Russell, lately director, Kellogg College, Oxford. For services to the historic environment, conservation and education.
  • Catherine Amos, professor of health promotion, University of Edinburgh. For services to public health.
  • Caroline Barron, emeritus professor in the Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London. For services to education.
  • Michael Bevan, deputy director, John Innes Centre. For services to plant genomics.
  • Sarah Broadie, professor of moral philosophy and Wardlaw professor, University of St Andrews. For services to classical philosophy.
  • Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology, University of Reading. For services to flood forecasting and the development of hazard early warning systems.
  • Kevin Fong, honorary senior lecture in physiology at UCL and consultant anaesthetist, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. For services to medicine and healthcare.
  • Tamara Galloway, professor of exotoxicology, University of Exeter. For services to environmental science.
  • Susan Hartley, director, York Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of York. For services to ecological research and public engagement.
  • Sarah Hewlett, emerita professor of rheumatology nursing, University of the West of England. For services to people with arthritis and nursing research.
  • Bettany Hughes, visiting research fellow, King’s College London and historian, author and broadcaster. For services to history.
  • Beverley Hunt, professor of thrombosis and haemostasis, King’s College London and consultant in clinical haematology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. For services to medicine.
  • Sudhesh Kumar, dean, Warwick Medical School. For services to medicine and to diabetes care.
  • Fred Land, emeritus professor of information systems at London School of Economics. For services to the information systems industry.
  • Lee Elliot Major, lately chief executive, Sutton Trust. For services to social mobility.
  • Janet Metcalfe, head, Vitae. For services to researcher career development.
  • Dorothy Miell, vice-principal and head, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh. For services to higher education and psychology.
  • Shantashil Mitter, professor of history and politics of modern China, University of Oxford. For services to education.
  • Michael Norton, chair, Digital Systems Engineering Community of Practice at Royal Academy of Engineering. For services to engineering and the digital economy.
  • Richard Ovenden, librarian, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. For services to libraries and archives.
  • Mahesh Parmer, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology and director, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, UCL. For services to medical research and clinical trials.
  • Geraldine Thomas, professor of molecular pathology, Imperial College, London. For services to science and public health.
  • Alison Watson, professor of international relations, University of St Andrews. For services to education.
  • Graham Wren, special adviser to the principal, Strathclyde University. For services to education, science and engineering.

Among those appointed MBE:

  • Antony Bayer, professor of geriatric medicine and director, Memory Assessment Service, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. For services to healthcare.
  • Richard Betts, head of climate impacts research, Met Office Hadley Centre and chair in climate impacts, University of Exeter. For services to understanding climate change.
  • Lynne Boddy, professor in the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University. For services to mycology and public engagement in science.
  • Jane Core, lately director of student and library services, Northumbria University. For services to higher education.
  • Abigail Gregory, deputy pro vice-chancellor, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Manchester Metropolitan University. For services to exports.
  • Jane Haley, neuroscience scientific coordinator, University of Edinburgh. For services to scientific engagement and education.
  • Melanie Leng, chief scientist for environmental change, British Geological Survey and professor, University of Nottingham. For services to environmental research.
  • Abbie McKenna, workforce development manager, Ulster University. For services to higher education and to deaf children.

Among those appointed Medallist of the Order of the British Empire:

  • Fiona Ellwood, lately senior lecturer and external examiner, University of Chester and patron, the Society of British Dental Nurses. For services to dentistry.
  • Susan Henderson, student services manager, University of Winchester. For services to higher education.
  • Maryanne Mariyaselvam, national innovation accelerator fellow, clinical research fellow, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust and University of Cambridge. For services to healthcare.
  • Matthew Scott, senior warden, University of Warwick. For services to students and the community in Warwick.
  • Ian Sherriff, academic partnership lead for dementia, University of Plymouth. For services to people affected by dementia.
  • Jessica Feinmann, research physicist, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London. For services to gender diversity in science.

Among those appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George:

  • Ian Hodder, professor of anthropology, Stanford University. For services to archaeology and UK/Turkey relations.
  • Virgil Jordan, professor of breast medical oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas. For services to women’s health.
  • Richard Carwardine, emeritus Rhodes professor of American history, Corpus Christi College, Oxford. For services to the study of American history in the UK and the US.
  • Charlotte Watts, professor of social and mathematical epidemiology, London School of Hygiene. For services to global health and international development.

Publicație : The Times

 

10 iunie 2019

EXCLUSIV! Langa orasul Iasi, specialistii au facut o DESCOPERIRE FANTASTICA. Poate fi o ACTIUNE care sa atraga atentia intregii Europe

In urma cu doar cateva zile, specialisti si cercetatori de la Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” – UAIC din Iasi au facut, in apropiere de orasul Iasi, o descoperire istorica! • Acesta poate fi un moment care sa atraga atentia intregii Europe catre plaiurile judetului moldav • Este vorba de o cetate getica (ce dateaza de acum peste doua mii de ani – n.r.) • Asezarea are un sistem fabulos de fortificatie, format din valuri de pamant • De asemenea, arheologii au gasit si o locuinta extrem de interesanta • Cetatea este situata pe o prelungire a Dealului Podul de Lut, din partea de sud-est a comunei Siretel, dar aflata pe teritoriul comunei Todiresti, numita sugestiv Dealul Santurilor • „Evident, ne aflam în fata unei cetati getice de mari dimensiuni, cu un sistem defensiv deosebit, bine pastrat. Apartine unei epoci de dezvoltare a neamului getic de la est de Carpati, care era împartit în mai multe uniuni de triburi, conduse de basilei importanti ce au putut sa-si ridice fortificatii ca cele din Moldova sau sa-si comande podoabe si coifuri de aur, cum este tezaurul de aur de la Baiceni, comuna Cucuteni”, a declarat conf. univ. dr. Vasile Cotiuga – Facultatea de Istorie de la Universitatea „Cuza”   

Saptamana trecuta, un grup de arheologi, profesori si cercetatori coordonati de conf. univ. dr. Vasile Cotiuga – Facultatea de Istorie din cadrul Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” (UAIC) din Iasi au facut, in apropiere de orasul Iasi, o descoperire istorica. Totul este legat de o cetate getica (ridicata in urma cu mai bine de doua mii de ani – n.r.). Asezarea are un sistem fabulos de fortificatie, format din valuri de pamant de peste cinci metri.

Descoperire arheologica de ultima ora

Aici, arheologii au gasit si o locuinta extrem de interesanta. Cetatea este amplasata pe o prelungire a Dealului Podul de Lut, din partea de sud-est a comunei Siretel, dar aflata pe teritoriul comunei Todiresti, numita sugestiv Dealul Santurilor, de la capatul judetului Iasi.

„Munca arheologilor este fascinanta când conduce la descoperirea unui nou sit arheologic, care aduce elemente noi pentru cunoasterea trecutului. Dar la fel de fascinanta este si redescoperirea unor situri cunoscute în trecut, uitate, care, bine cercetate, ar îmbogati zestrea noastra istorica. Dupa redescoperirea altor cetati getice, de la Cretesti (judetul Vaslui) sau Poiana cu Cetate (comuna Grajduri, judetul Iasi), sau identificarea corecta a unor asezari ale Culturii Cucuteni, zilele trecute am «redescoperit» cetatea hallstattiana de la Todiresti, punctul La Santuri. Situata pe o prelungire a Dealului Podul de Lut, din partea de sud-est a comunei Siretel, dar aflata pe teritoriul comunei Todiresti, numita sugestiv Dealul Santurilor, cetatea a fost descoperita în 1983, de catre Vasile Chirica si Marcel Tanasachi, autorii Repertoriului arheologic al judetului Iasi, în urma informatiilor primite de la localnicul Petru Nica. Cu aceasta ocazie s-au facut si masuratori asupra sistemului de fortificatie, care tin doar de înaltimea si latimea la baza a valurilor de pamânt, precum si de adâncimea santurilor, fara a se fi putut utiliza o harta topografica spre a permite plasarea corecta a elementelor de fortificatie si a întelege modul în care este organizata cetatea (santurile au fost trasate doar pe un plan al comunei, fara elemente topografice). Cert este ca sistemul de fortificatie era compus din cinci valuri de pamânt si santuri adiacente, usor concave, dispuse pe o muchie de deal cu pante abrupte de circa 60 de grade, în terase succesive, de 30 – 40 metri fiecare. Valurile si santurile traverseaza toata latimea platoului, având capetele pe abrupturi”, a declarat in exclusivitate pentru reporterii Cotidianului BUNA ZIUA IASI (BZI), cunoscutul arheolog Cotiuga.

Cercetarea cetatii s-a facut cu aparatura ultra-moderna

Deosebit de importat este faptul ca, între Valul 1 si Valul 2 a fost identificata o locuinta adâncita cu arsura si resturi dintr-o platforma, precum si o groapa menajera, în care s-au descoperit pe lânga fragmente ceramice apartinând Culturii Cucuteni si ceramica geto-dacica, din secolul IV inainte de Hristos (î.Hr.), datând cetatea getica într-un timp în care în Moldova au fost prezente mai multe asemenea fortificatii: Cotnari, Mosna, Raducaneni – judetul Iasi, Stâncesti – judetul Botosani, Arsura – judetul Vaslui.

„În urma cercetarilor noastre de suprafata, precum si datorita utilizarii unor instrumente moderne, precum Google Earth Pro si LIDAR, suntem în masura sa oferim date mai ample despre aceasta cetate getica, deosebita atât prin forma sa (urmeaza o muchie de deal foarte îngusta, cu un traseu oarecum curbat), cât mai ales prin amploarea elementelor de fortificatie. Înainte de toate trebuie sa remarcam ca zona în care se afla cetatea getica de la Todiresti este afectata grav de alunecarile de teren, înca active, chiar daca zona este împadurita. Nu este exclus ca în epoca, platoul pe care se afla astazi cetatea sa fi fost mai larg, de circa 20 de hectare, deci cu o suprafata mult mai mare decât cea pastrata astazi, de sase hectare, putând ajunge chiar si pâna la 50 de hectare”, mai explica profesorul Vasile Cotiuga.

„Ne aflam în fata unei cetati getice de mari dimensiuni, cu un sistem defensiv deosebit”

Cetatea se gaseste, deci, pe o muchie de deal, numit Dealul Santurilor, aflat în continuarea Dealului Podul de Lut, orientat spre Sud-Sud-Est (SSE). Dealul Santurilor se prezinta ca inter-fluviu între pâraiele Stolniceni, la Vest, si Valea Urlei sub Potcoava, la Est. Cu o înaltime absoluta de 533 metri, dealul prezinta o panta foarte abrupta pe partea de Vest, pâna la 425 metri, în valea pârâului Stolniceni. Pe partea de Est, panta abrupta are doar o adâncime de 25 metri, pentru ca apoi zona sa fie afectata de alunecari de teren, care mai domolesc din abruptul pantei. Spre Sud-Est, în vârful platoului, panta coboara destul de lin, pe un traseu foarte îngust, de maximum doi-trei metri latime, pâna la aproximativ 425 m, deasupra pârâului Vladnic. Platoul pe care se afla cetatea are o orientare de la Nord-Nord-Vest (NNV) spre SSE, pentru ca la un moment dat sa coteasca usor spre Sud-Est (SE). Are o lungime de aproximativ 950 metri si o latime maxima de 90 metri, în incinta 3, spre valul de pamânt numarul 5, pentru ca latimea minima sa o întâlnim în dreptul valului nr. 4, de aproximativ 35 metri.

„Evident, ne aflam în fata unei cetati getice de mari dimensiuni, cu un sistem defensiv deosebit, bine pastrat. Apartine unei epoci de dezvoltare a neamului getic de la Est de Carpati, care era împartit în mai multe uniuni de triburi, conduse de basilei importanti ce au putut sa-si ridice fortificatii ca cele din Moldova sau sa-si comande podoabe si coifuri de aur, cum este tezaurul de aur de la Baiceni, comuna Cucuteni. Ar fi extraordinar daca am reusi sa punem în valoare turistica aceste vestigii arheologice, care stau cuminti pe dealuri, în paduri, asteptând vizitatori. Un drum amenajat, dar mai ales o buna amenajare a cetatilor ar permite multora sa cunoasca direct istoria stramosilor nostri. Si o spun ca istoric, avem cu ce ne mândri. Pentru specialistii care doresc sa preia informatiile arheologice, rog sa fiu contactat, pentru a nu ne comporta ca politicienii…”, a conchis arheologul Vasile Cotiuga.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

Colocviul „Pericolul bolsevic în Romania anului 1919: între realitate si instrumentalizare politica”, la Facultatea de Istorie din Iasi

Marti, 11 iunie 2019, începând cu ora 10:00, în Sala de conferinte Muzeului Universitatii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” (UAIC) din Iasi, Primaria Municipiului Iasi în parteneriat cu Centrul de Istorie a Secolului XX din cadrul Facultatii de Istorie al Universitatii „Cuza” organizeaza colocviul intitulat „Pericolul bolsevic în România anului 1919: între realitate si instrumentalizare politica”.

Alocutiunile  primarului Municipiului Iasi, Mihai Chirica, a prof. univ. dr. Petronel Zahariuc, decanul Facultatii de Istorie din cadrul Universitatii „Cuza”, a universitarului Ionut Nistor, directorul Muzeului Universitatii din Iasi si a prof. univ. dr. Daniel Sandru, coordonatorul Programului Centenar al municipalitatii iesene pentru perioada 2017-2020 vor face referinta la aceasta interesanta si generoasa tema.

Totul va fi urmat de conferinta prof. univ. dr. Lucian Leustean despre acceptarea granitelor României de catre Consiliul Suprem Aliat (iunie 1919), precum si de comunicarile academice ale unor recunoscuti istorici de la Facultatea de Istorie a UAIC, de la Institutul de Istorie „A.D. Xenopol” al Academiei Române si de la Arhivele Nationale ale României, Directia Judeteana Iasi.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

Universitatea Tehnica din Iasi, implicata intr-un nou proiect european

În data de 5 iunie 2019, Universitatea Tehnica (TUIASI) „Gheorghe Asachi” din Iasi, ca partener (P6 – TUIASI) al proiectului european din cadrul programului Erasmus+ – Parteneriate Strategice, cu titlul „Mobile youth peer mentoring application to facilitate distance mentoring guidance for youth with disabilities” (MyPeerMentor), No. 2017-1-TR01-KA205-039752, a organizat cea de-a IV-a întâlnire Consiliului Consultativ National din România.

În cadrul evenimentului, prof. univ. dr. chim. Margareta Gabriela Ciobanu, manager de proiect al partenerului din România, a prezentat realizarile proiectului din perioada martie – iunie 2019.

Cea de-a cincea întâlnire transnationala a partenerilor va avea loc în Ankara, Turcia, astazi, 10 iunie, si maine, 11 iunie 2019. De precizat ca proiectul are drept scop integrarea si sustinerea tinerilor cu dizabilitati in a se integra si dezvolta profesional si academic.

Publicație : Bună Ziua Iași

What taxi drivers and traders teach us about tomorrow’s workplace

At last week’s Times Higher Education Teaching Excellence Summit at Western University in London, Ontario, Royal Bank of Canada president David McKay made the case for more students to spend time in the world of work. Here is an abridged version of his speech.

I’m a big believer in the transformative power of higher education. But its impact is not limited to those who attend university.

Universities’ efforts are helping to grow economies, solve society’s biggest challenges, encourage civic engagement, foster openness and ultimately, make life better for all of us. Indeed, I cannot think of an institution so central to our standard of living – our quality of life – than the university. And that’s why I am here – to express my gratitude – and to ask you to change.

To be sure, universities are evolving in ways that help set up their graduates for long-term success. But more must be done – and I’d argue – in greater collaboration with employers.

That’s because many business leaders are concerned about the job readiness of young graduates. A major body of research that we undertook at RBC reinforces their view.

In a nutshell: the world of work is changing in profound and permanent ways. Digital literacy is essential. But so too are human skills. Yet our current system does not adequately teach or train young workers to develop this portfolio of skills.

Let me explain.

If you want to look at how the world of work is changing, consider two very different careers – the cab driver and stockbroker.

Let’s start across the Atlantic – in the other London – where arguably, the world’s best cab drivers reside.

For more than 150 years, hopeful drivers of the iconic black cabs have been required to study the twists and turns of central London – known as The Knowledge.

Passing the exam can take up to four years. Yet a graduate’s expertise is difficult to duplicate. And millions of passengers pay a premium for it.

In recent years, however, this knowledge has also been digitised – and centralised – in GPS software. So barriers to entry have all but disappeared for other taxi drivers.

Let’s turn to stockbrokers. I work in an industry where some of the best-paid people earn their living by doing just that.

For as long as anyone remembers, traders did their own homework, built their own portfolios, tracked clients individually. Some performed well. Some didn’t. But it was their specialised knowledge that helped attract and retain clients.

Here, too, new and emerging technologies have enabled investors to make more accurate – and faster – predictions than their human counterparts.

For me, the taxi driver and stockbroker are a sign of the changing times.

The very best knowledge is being codified, centralised and then leveraged across society.

The ripple effect is permeating deep into the working world, causing huge amounts of disruption and displacement.

According to RBC research, up to 50 per cent of jobs in Canada are expected to be effected by automation.

It is also creating new opportunities. We estimate close to 2.4 million job openings in the Canadian economy over the next four years alone.

Successful graduates, however, will need to possess skills that complement – rather than compete against – the technological revolution transforming the workplace.

So how should we adapt? Let’s start with what employers are looking for in their people and work backwards from that.

So, for us, at RBC, it’s a combination of things.

We need people who can transfer data into knowledge that, in turn, creates value. These skills aren’t static – they will evolve over time as new tools and technologies are introduced into the workplace. But technical and data literacy is paramount.

Other skills are more foundational, more human. We look for good communicators – collaborators – people who can think creatively and critically. We need to develop leaders who can choose a destination, motivate a team, achieve that vision. Indeed, we often hire people with these so-called “power” skills and then teach them to be bankers.

These skills are vital for everyone. Think back to my earlier examples.

People still ride in London’s black cabs because of the experience. A New York Times article put it this way: these taxi drivers are “fonts of folk wisdom, carrying not just the secrets of London navigation but the deep history of the city and its streets”.

And what about stockbrokers? In a world where algorithms are advisers, won’t their value diminish?

To a point.

AI works well when the trading objective is straightforward. But when it is complex and hard to describe, there is no substitute for human judgement.

That insight can be applied to just about any industry, according to the University of Toronto’s Creative Destruction Lab. As the workplace becomes increasingly automated, human skills become increasingly valuable.

So, where do we go from here?

To begin, learning must be a lifelong endeavour. But, for the most part, it is being compartmentalised.

Think about the undergraduate degree.

Would students be better served if they spent two years at school, entered the workforce for a couple of years, and then finished off their degree with real work experience under their belt?

This model could also be an effective way to reskill workers in mid career – a growing challenge for all of us.

We can also break down the barrier between student life and real life through work-integrated learning.

Let me dive deeper into these learning models by sharing some of my perspectives as a co-op student and CEO.

I started at RBC as a COBOL programmer at 18 years old. The beauty of the co-op programme that I was on is that it gave me the opportunity to move into a bank branch, which is where I truly thrived. I was able to switch my major and realign my education journey to my interests at 18 years old, and became a much more valuable, focused employee coming out of university.

Better for me – better for the taxpayer. Instead of earning a degree at 22 or 23 years old, and starting as a programmer, and finding out by 26 I didn’t want to do this, I was able to refocus at 20 years old.

So I came back to school and challenged my professors differently. I learned differently because of my work experience. My expectations were much higher – the context within in which I was learning was completely different – I sought knowledge instead of receiving it.

This approach not only unlocks student impact earlier, it fosters a culture of innovation, experimentation and growth on campus, as well as in the workplace. That’s certainly been my impression as the CEO at RBC.

I’d like to give you an example of the RBC Amplify program, where summer co-op students – all of whom have never been in financial services before – collaborate to build solutions for our toughest business challenges. Some of these problems had been unsolved for years.

Last year, they worked on projects to improve our predictive analytics capabilities, data management policies, and cyber security measures. One group of students even helped us design and develop a customer-facing app to help new and expecting mums and dads navigate the financial challenges of parenthood.

I’m proud to say that, last September, we filed 15 patents as a result.

This generation – this talent – is ready to be unlocked.

We need to grow and expand programmes like these.

It is how people today learn. They like to experiment, to challenge and to share.

Work placements also build networks for students. It’s a social leveller. And it exposes students from all backgrounds to the way that most employers operate.

Additionally, research suggests Canadian university co-op graduates achieved higher earnings and employment rates than their non-co-op peers. And an overwhelming number of employers surveyed say co-op and internship students are a source of new talent and potential future employees.

I co-chair a coalition of business and academic leaders in Canada called the Business/Higher Education Roundtable.

We’ve set out to create 150,000 meaningful work placements every year to ensure every college and university student has access to these experience during their education journey.

I am pleased with the progress made to date.

However, much of it has been in areas such as engineering, business and medical science. We need to place a greater focus on liberal arts and humanities too – because many of the skills in the new world of work are cultivated in these programmes.

Yet enrolment in these programmes is in decline. In part, that’s because young people see a more direct path to a steady job from a mathematics or computer science degree. They simply don’t understand – or have the right context for – how their skill sets can fit into the new world of work.

We all need to do a better job of promoting the value of these programmes.

Educators and employers have a shared responsibility to help our workforce adapt and thrive.

I’m convinced that our combined and coordinated efforts will ensure people thrive and communities prosper for generations to come.

Publicație : The Times

UKRI agrees to create research integrity watchdog

Umbrella body for research councils accepts MPs’ call for organisation to monitor whether universities carry out misconduct investigations properly

UK Research and Innovation has committed to creating a watchdog charged with examining whether universities have carried out research misconduct investigations properly.

UKRI, the umbrella body for the country’s research funding councils, makes the commitment in a document setting out its priorities for the next year. It is a response to a call by MPs on the Science and Technology Committee, who expressed concern that universities faced a possible conflict of interest when they policed their own conduct.

In a report published last year, the committee called for the creation of such a watchdog, similar to the model operated in Australia and Canada. MPs expressed concern that one in four UK universities had not published an annual summary of research misconduct investigations, as demanded by the Concordat to Support Research Integrity – compliance with which is technically stated as a prerequisite for receiving public grants and funding.

The panel said that this made it difficult to determine the full scale of research misconduct in the UK, and expressed concern that some universities were thought to be using non-disclosure agreements to prevent the release of details about sensitive cases.

UKRI did not release more details about the proposed watchdog, beyond saying that it would be able to “independently examine whether research institutions have followed appropriate processes to investigate misconduct”.

MPs said that the new entity – which they described as a “research integrity committee” – should be able to recommend to UKRI that, if institutions were found not to have followed appropriate processes, their access to research funding should be curtailed.

They also said that it should publish an annual report on the state of research integrity in the UK, including information on retractions, misconduct investigations and their outcomes as well as training undertaken to improve the system from within.

The UKRI document – called a delivery plan – outlines a range of other actions that the umbrella body plans to take to tackle research misconduct.

These include a planned assessment of training on research integrity provided by doctoral training partnerships “to identify any challenges and to consider the case for adjustments”.

The organisation also plans to commission one of its constituent councils, Research England, to conduct research on “the impact of incentives in the research system on researcher behaviour to identify options and approaches for adjustments and counterbalances needed to support research integrity”.

Recent research misconduct cases – such as that of cancer biologist Abderrahmane Kaidi, who resigned from the University of Bristol after admitting making up experiments and fabricating data – have raised concerns that the pressure to secure a permanent position, and to attract research funding, might lead scholars to commit misconduct.

However, some universities have expressed concern about the creation of a new watchdog. In its evidence to the Commons committee, the Russell Group of research-intensive institutions highlighted that a culture that “places an emphasis on compliance with rules can be counterproductive, as it may encourage people to do the minimum, just enough to comply, as opposed to incentivising people to strive to improve research behaviours and practices”.

A UKRI spokesman said: “We welcomed the recommendation by the Science and Technology Committee on the creation of a new research integrity committee and we are actively working on its development alongside government and key stakeholders. We will provide an update in summer 2019.”

Publicație : The Times

Anger as US funding for fetal tissue research curtailed

Private funders and charitable foundations urged to support vital studies

Private funders and charitable foundations in the US have been urged to increase their support for medical research involving tissue from aborted fetuses, after the US government severely restricted federal funding.

The White House said on 5 June that the National Institutes of Health would stop funding new projects involving fetal tissue and that a $2 million (£1.6 million) per year contract with the University of California, San Francisco, would be immediately cancelled.

Other university research projects working with fetal matter would be assessed on a case-by-case basis, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

The move has sparked anger from the scientific community, who argue there is no suitable alternative for many life-saving studies.

The announcement is the latest in a series of recent moves pushed by the Trump administration and supported by pro-life lobbyists, who believe that the use of human tissue including unborn embryos or terminated fetuses within science is unethical.

In the months leading up to the decision, sector leaders including NIH director Francis Collins defended the importance of fetal tissue across a range of medical disciplines, stressing that its use had led to advances in medical vaccines and helped cure diseases.

Lawrence Goldstein, distinguished professor and director of the stem cell programme at the University of California, San Diego, said the decision was bad news for US science. “It blocks important future research vital to the development of new therapies,” he said.

Moreover, the targeting of one particular strand of medical research was an insult to scientific expertise and set a sombre tone for academic autonomy, he added. “It’s terrible. Our community follows long-standing ethical guidelines supported by democratic and republican presidents and congresses to pursue this important research,” Professor Goldstein said, adding: “We will continue to follow these guidelines.”

Pro-life groups have long campaigned for scientists to seek alternative material for fetal tissue research, but Professor Goldstein warned that the material was impossible to replicate in a way the same campaigners would approve of.

“Of course researchers will consider, use and develop alternatives wherever possible, but at this point in time and in the foreseeable future, so-called alternatives cannot legitimately replace fetal tissue in research,” he explained. “In fact, validating alternatives will require fetal tissue as a gold standard comparison,” he added, resulting in a paradox whereby further experiments to seek alternatives would require fetal tissue themselves.

While there was “lots of valuable research being done outside of [the] NIH intramural programme”, the new restrictions will put pressure on researchers in the field to secure funds by other means. “All non-NIH sources will need to help out with [funding the gap],” he concluded.

Issuing a statement, the Department of Health and Human Services said: “Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trump’s administration.”

About 200 research projects involving fetal tissue and conducted at universities using grants from the NIH will be permitted to continue until their funding expires, the body confirmed, but ethics advisory boards would be appointed to review ongoing projects to determine whether or not to renew funding beyond that.

Publicație : The Times

UK government may acquiesce to return of post-study work visas

Jo Johnson’s amendment wins support from 26 Tories, including brother Boris, prompting suggestions it will be accepted by government

The UK government could be compelled to accept the return of post-study work visas for overseas students after Jo Johnson’s plan to force its hand attracted significant Conservative support – including from his brother Boris, the front-runner to be next prime minister, and Sajid Javid, the home secretary.

Jo Johnson, the former Tory universities minister, tabled an amendment to the immigration bill in April, alongside Labour MP Paul Blomfield. The amendment, which has gained cross-party support, aims to force the government to allow overseas students to stay in the UK “to search for work or gain work experience” for “a period of at least two years” after the completion of their courses.

The amendment also aims to prevent any government from capping overseas student numbers without parliamentary approval.

In light of the scale of Tory support, there is now an expectation that the government will accept the amendment rather than risk an embarrassing defeat, Times Higher Education understands.

Seventy-five MPs from all parties have signed up to back the amendment, including 26 Conservatives – among them Boris Johnson and Sir Graham Brady, until recently the chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers. The Conservatives do not have a majority in the Commons and rely on support from the Democratic Unionist Party, whose education and international trade spokespeople have signed up to support Mr Johnson’s amendment.

That Mr Javid – who is running for the leadership and who leads a Home Office that has been the major block on visa reform alongside Ms May – has signed up to back the amendment adds to the impression that the government will not be able to resist the amendment. He wrote in an article for the Financial Times: “It makes no sense to send some of the brightest and most enterprising people in the world straight home after their time here.”

The decision to abolish post-study work visas in 2012 – taken while Theresa May was home secretary – is seen as a major factor in the subsequent collapse in Indian student recruitment at UK universities, in particular.

The UK’s offer is seen as unattractive to students, compared with the generous post-study work visa offers from key global rivals in international student recruitment: the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

The weakening of Ms May, soon to exit as prime minister, may have removed the last obstacle to liberalisation of the UK’s student visa regime – and universities could perhaps seek to push for further reforms.

The immigration bill is now in its report stage in the House of Commons. It might be expected to come back to MPs for its third reading after the summer recess, once the next Conservative leader and prime minister has been chosen. However, the bill concerns the post-Brexit immigration regime – so its fate hinges on the future of the Brexit process.

Vivienne Stern, director of Universities UK International, said that accepting the amendment “would be a massively positive move on the part of government, and would correct a long-standing policy barrier to growth in international student numbers.”

UK international student recruitment has “stagnated” in recent years, she said, “largely due to our uncompetitive visa offer”.

“The UK benefits enormously from our appeal as a study destination, but we have been holding ourselves back,” said Ms Stern. “This change would make a real difference, and the whole country would benefit as a result.”

 Publicație : The Times