Day: January 7, 2022

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Philogen announces publication of PET clinical data with proprietary ultra-high affinity FAP-targeting small molecule ligand (OncoFAP)

Philogen announces publication of PET clinical data with proprietary ultra-high affinity FAP-targeting small molecule ligand (OncoFAP)

Translational studies performed at the European Institute for Molecular Imaging and the Department of Nuclear Medicine (University and University Hospital of Münster) show rapid and selective tumor uptake of OncoFAP with unprecedented selectivity against healthy organs in cancer patients

Philogen, in collaboration with Senn Chemicals, has already produced the equivalent of 1 million GMP doses of clinical-grade OncoFAP-DOTAGA

Siena, Italy, January 7th, 2022 – Philogen S.p.A., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on antibody and small molecule-based targeted therapeutics, announces that its wholly-owned Swiss subsidiary, Philochem AG, has co-authored a new translational study on 68Ga-OncoFAP, a best-in-class FAP-targeting small molecule for applications in cancer and inflammation.

The paper, entitled “Translational imaging of the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) using the new ligand “[68Ga]Ga-OncoFAP-DOTAGA”, was published in the peer-reviewed journal European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and reports the novel pre-clinical and clinical findings obtained with 68Ga-OncoFAP.

The data confirmed the rapid and selective accumulation of 68Ga-OncoFAP in solid tumor lesions in disease models and in patient cases. Additionally, 68Ga-OncoFAP showed excellent selectivity against healthy organs, including kidneys, at early time points (i.e., already one hour after systemic administration) and an impressive tumor-targeting performance in mice and in patients with different stages of disease (i.e., from localized to disseminated disease).

Dario Neri, Chief Executive Officer of Philogen commented: “We are delighted with the translational results presented in our recent paper which showed OncoFAP’s strong selectivity against healthy organs in cancer patients. In order to pave the way towards a broader adoption of this technology, we have established a network of Nuclear Medicine centers across various continents to support our future clinical studies. The equivalent of 1,000,000 GMP-grade doses of OncoFAP-DOTAGA has already been produced in collaboration with Senn Chemicals.”

The results presented in this article stem from a collaboration between the European Institute for Molecular Imaging and the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University and University Hospital of Münster and the scientists at Philochem AG.

OncoFAP has been manufactured in GMP conditions at Senn Chemicals AG, a CDMO in peptide synthesis and small molecules with expertise in small scale GMP production.

Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) has recently emerged as a tumor-associated antigen with abundant and selective expression in the majority of human solid malignancies. The discovery of OncoFAP, together with its preclinical characterization, has been recently reported in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA in April 2021.

Philochem’s OncoFAP-derivates are the small organic ligands with the highest affinity to the FAP antigen reported to date.

OncoFAP is currently being studied as modular component for the generation of therapeutic products enabling the targeted delivery of a potent beta-emitter (lutetium-177), of fluorescein-specific CAR T-cells, and of highly cytotoxic auristatin derivatives.

The article can be accessed from the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging website under the following link.

About Philogen

Philogen is a Swiss-Italian clinical-stage biotechnology company listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. It is engaged in the discovery and development of novel pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products. Philogen’s strategy is to deliver bioactive agents, for example cytokines or drugs, to the site of disease using antibodies and other ligands that specifically and efficiently target stromal antigens. This technology has generated a strong proprietary pipeline of clinical-stage products and preclinical compounds in an array of disease indications. Philogen is headquartered in Siena, Italy, and has research activities at its subsidiary company Philochem near Zurich, Switzerland. Philogen has signed agreements with several major pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.philogen.com and www.philochem.com.

Philogen contacts

Dr. Christian Lizak (Business Development), christian.lizak@philogen.com

Dr. Emanuele Puca (Investor Relations), emanuele.puca@philogen.com

+41 (0) 43 544 88 00

Consilium Strategic Communications contacts

Mary-Jane Elliott, Davide Salvi

Philogen@consilium-comms.com

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Amlan International Continues APEC Region Expansion by Kim Huang Appointed Regional Technical Services Manager

Kim Huang

Kim Huang appointed regional technical services manager in Asia-Pacific for Amlan International.

CHICAGO, Jan. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amlan International, a global leader in natural, mineral-based feed additives for poultry and livestock, has broadened their technical capabilities in the Asia Pacific (APEC) region with the appointment of Dr. Kim Huang as regional technical services manager.

Kim will play an important role in expanding the APEC team that will serve the growing Southeast Asia market where poultry production is expected to account for one-third of global production by 2023. Kim will use his wide-ranging nutrition, poultry and feed-additive experience to help animal protein producers in the APEC region successfully incorporate Amlan’s novel mineral-based feed additives to maintain animal health, improve feed efficiency and achieve their production and business goals.

Input costs for producers are increasing, making improved feed conversion rates and healthy animals even more important for profitability. As regional technical services manager, Kim will be a key technical resource and deliver superior service to ensure long-term customer value and productivity. Kim will work to expand the service experiences for Amlan customers by providing them with mineral-based solutions that can help improve production efficiencies and profitability.

“Kim’s extensive technical service experience in the APEC region will provide our customers with valuable knowledge and expertise on the benefits of incorporating our novel mineral-based feed additives into their poultry and livestock operations,” says Fred Kao, Vice President of Global Sales, Amlan International. “We are extremely excited to welcome Kim to the team and look forward to the opportunities he will bring to Amlan and our customers.”

Kim has been involved in the animal nutrition industry for more than 30 years, including most recently as a nutritional consultant for poultry businesses. Previously, he was a technical and commercial director for the Asia Pacific for a global feed and nutrition technology company subsidiary, and a nutritional services manager for the Asia Pacific for a global poultry breeding company.

“Consumer demands for natural, antibiotic-free animal protein are growing around the world,” says Dan Jaffee, President and CEO, Oil-Dri Corporation of America. Jaffee is also President and General Manager of Amlan. “Kim joining our team of knowledgeable industry professionals will help strengthen our APEC operations and help our customers meet the evolving consumer demands for high-quality, natural animal protein.”

Kim is a graduate of South China Agricultural University, with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural science. He earned a PhD from The University of Queensland specializing in the amino acid nutrition of broiler chickens.

Company Information

Amlan is the animal health business of Oil-Dri Corporation of America, leading global manufacturer and marketer of sorbent minerals. Oil-Dri leverages over 80 years of expertise in mineral science to selectively mine and process their unique mineral for consumer and business-to-business markets. Oil-Dri Corporation of America doing business as “Amlan International” is a publicly traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ODC). Amlan International sells feed additives across the world. Product availability may vary by country, associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements.

Reagan Culbertson
Media Contact
press@amlan.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b364b802-c976-4548-8537-63a222ec6507

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Zenas BioPharma แต่งตั้ง Dr. John Orloff ให้ดำรงตำแหน่งกรรมการบริษัท

บอสตันและเซี่ยงไฮ้ จีน, Jan. 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — วันนี้ Zenas BioPharma บริษัทชีวเภสัชภัณฑ์ระดับโลกซึ่งมีความมุ่งมั่นที่จะเป็นผู้นำด้านการพัฒนาและการรักษาโดยใช้ภูมิคุ้มกันบำบัด ได้ประกาศแต่งตั้ง Dr. John Orloff ให้ดำรงตำแหน่งกรรมการบริษัท ทั้งนี้ Dr. Orloff ได้เข้าร่วมเป็นคณะกรรมการบริษัท Zenas ด้วยประสบการณ์ความสำเร็จกว่า 25 ปีในการเป็นผู้นำองค์กรด้านการวิจัยและการพัฒนาระดับโลกในด้านการรักษาโรคต่าง ๆ รวมถึงโรคแพ้ภูมิตัวเอง

“เรามีความยินดีเป็นอย่างยิ่งที่ได้ต้อนรับ Dr. Orloff ในฐานะกรรมการบริหารของ Zenas” Lonnie Moulder ผู้ก่อตั้งและประธานกรรมการบริหารของ Zenas กล่าว “ความเป็นผู้นำและความเชี่ยวชาญที่ครอบคลุมด้านการวิจัย การพัฒนา รวมถึงกิจการด้านการแพทย์และการกำกับดูแลของ Dr. Orloff เป็นสิ่งที่มีคุณค่าอย่างยิ่ง เนื่องจากเรากำลังพัฒนากลุ่มผลิตภัณฑ์ด้านการรักษาที่ทันสมัยโดยใช้ภูมิคุ้มกันบำบัด ตลอดจนขยายกลุ่มผลิตภัณฑ์ของเราอย่างต่อเนื่องในการพัฒนาธุรกิจ”

“ผมมีความยินดีที่จะได้ร่วมงานกับทีมผู้บริหารของ Zenas และกรรมการบริษัทท่านอื่น ๆ ในขณะที่บริษัทกำลังเร่งพัฒนากลุ่มผลิตภัณฑ์ด้านภูมิคุ้มกันที่มีประสิทธิภาพ” Dr. Orloff กล่าว “ผมหวังว่าจะได้มีส่วนร่วมในการพัฒนาอย่างต่อเนื่องของบริษัท ในขณะที่บริษัทมุ่งมั่นที่จะดำเนินภารกิจในการจัดหายาที่ใช้นวัตกรรมใหม่ให้กับผู้ป่วยที่จำเป็นต้องใช้ยาดังกล่าว”

ปัจจุบัน Dr. Orloff ปฏิบัติงานในฐานะพันธมิตรผู้ร่วมทุนของ Agent Capital และตำแหน่งผู้บริหารล่าสุดของท่านได้แก่ ตำแหน่งรองประธานบริหารและหัวหน้าฝ่ายวิจัยและพัฒนาของ Alexion โดยท่านทำหน้าที่บริหารงานเพื่อขยายกลุ่มผลิตภัณฑ์ในขั้นตอนการพัฒนาสำหรับ 30 โครงการ ซึ่งช่วยสนับสนุนการเข้าซื้อกิจการของ Alexion โดย AstraZeneca มูลค่า 39 พันล้านดอลลาร์เมื่อเร็ว ๆ นี้

ก่อนที่จะร่วมงานกับ Alexion Dr. Orloff ดำรงตำแหน่งหัวหน้าฝ่ายวิจัยและพัฒนาระดับโลกและประธานเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายวิทยาศาสตร์ของ Baxalta และยังดำรงตำแหน่งผู้บริหารระดับสูงของ Novelion, Baxter International, Merck Serono, Novartis และ Merck Research Laboratories ทั้งนี้ก่อนที่จะเข้าสู่อุตสาหกรรมชีวเภสัชภัณฑ์ ท่านเป็นอาจารย์ที่คณะแพทยศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยเยล Dr. Orloff สำเร็จการศึกษาระดับปริญญาตรีสาขาเคมีจากวิทยาลัยดาร์ทมัธ และสำเร็จการศึกษาระดับปริญญาตรีสาขาแพทยศาสตร์จากมหาวิทยาลัยเวอร์มอนต์ วิทยาลัยแพทยศาสตร์ จากนั้นจึงสำเร็จหลักสูตรด้านต่อมไร้ท่อและเมตาบอลิซึมที่คณะแพทยศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยเยล

ข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับ Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma เป็นบริษัทชีวเภสัชภัณฑ์ระดับโลกที่มีสำนักงานอยู่ในสหรัฐอเมริกาและจีน โดยมีความมุ่งมั่นที่จะเป็นผู้นำด้านการพัฒนาและการรักษาโดยใช้ภูมิคุ้มกันบำบัดสำหรับผู้ป่วยในสหรัฐอเมริกา จีน และประเทศต่าง ๆ ทั่วโลก Zenas ได้เร่งพัฒนากลุ่มผลิตภัณฑ์การรักษาโดยใช้นวัตกรรมที่ทันสมัยซึ่งเติบโตอย่างต่อเนื่องตามกลยุทธ์การพัฒนาธุรกิจที่ประสบความสำเร็จของเรา ทีมผู้บริหารที่มีประสบการณ์และเครือข่ายพันธมิตรทางธุรกิจของเราดำเนินงานด้วยความเป็นเลิศในด้านการรักษาที่สามารถปรับเปลี่ยนได้ เพื่อช่วยพัฒนาคุณภาพชีวิตของผู้ป่วยโรคภูมิต้านตนเองและโรคหายาก หากต้องการข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมเกี่ยวกับ Zenas BioPharma โปรดเข้าไปที่ www.zenasbio.com และติดตามเราทาง Twitter ได้ที่ @ZenasBioPharma และ LinkedIn

สำหรับนักลงทุนและสื่อมวลชน โปรดติดต่อ:
Joe Farmer
Zenas BioPharma
IR@zenasbio.com

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Supreme Court Hears Arguments Against Biden COVID-19 Mandates

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday heard oral arguments on two of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine policies, during which it appeared skeptical about the administration’s legal authority to impose these sweeping requirements.

The hearing, which lasted 3½ hours, was centered on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandates.

The OSHA policy requires companies and organizations with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are either fully vaccinated or tested weekly. This policy would affect about 80 million workers across the United States.

The CMS mandate for workers at health care facilities accepting federal Medicare and Medicaid funds requires workers to be fully vaccinated, with exemptions, including for sincerely held religious beliefs. The CMS policy would apply to about 17 million health care workers.

In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the policies “are critical to our nation’s COVID-19 response.”

Republican-led states and an alliance of business and religious groups are challenging the policies’ broad sweep and the effects the mandates are having on companies and workers.

The policies have, however, been endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association and a number of former federal health officials.

The challenge was presented before the Supreme Court after lower courts issued differing opinions on the policies.

During arguments, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, told the mostly conservative panel that COVID-19 “is the deadliest pandemic in American history, and it poses a unique workplace danger.”

According to The Associated Press, OSHA estimates that the emergency regulation would save 6,500 lives and prevent 250,000 hospitalizations over six months.

Some of the court’s justices, though, did not seem entirely convinced about the administration’s authority to impose this policy. According to The Washington Post, most of the justices seemed receptive to arguments that the states or Congress should dictate such policies, not a federal agency.

Chief Justice John Roberts cast doubt that the Occupational Safety and Health Act affords the Biden administration the power to do so, saying, “This is something the federal government has never done before.”

Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked if OSHA could impose a more targeted policy unique to workplace conditions.

Ohio Solicitor General Benjamin Flowers, who argued against the employer rule, said the administration’s policy was too broad and suggested it was “not truly intended to regulate a workplace danger. It’s a danger that we all face simply as a matter of waking up in the morning.”

Flowers, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the hearing, delivered his argument over the phone.

The court’s liberal justices expressed an understanding of the policies’ aims to mitigate spread of the coronavirus. According to The Washington Post, they seemed to exhibit disbelief at the attempt to terminate the vaccination policy, given that the virus continues to rip across the U.S.

“More and more people are dying every day. More and more people are getting sick every day,” said Justice Elena Kagan. “This is the policy that is most geared to stopping all this.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that “catching COVID keeps people out of the workplace for extraordinary periods of time.”

In support of the administration’s policy regarding health care workers, Brian Fletcher, the administration’s principal deputy solicitor general, noted that the medical community largely supports it and that many health care workers are already required to receive the hepatitis, measles and flu vaccines.

“I think it would be bizarre to say that the secretary’s authority to protect the health and safety of Medicare and Medicaid patients does not include the authority to adopt a measure that you see other regulators adopting, the medical community urging and other providers adopting voluntarily,” he said.

Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh seemed more receptive to the administration’s defense of its authority to impose a mandate on health care workers than on other employers, according to The Washington Post.

The chief justice acknowledged the risks faced by elderly and low-income patients being treated at facilities that receive federal funds. “People already get sick when they go to the hospital, but if they go and face COVID-19 concerns, well, that’s much worse,” Roberts said.

Kavanaugh asked why it was the states rather than the health care companies that were challenging the policy “if the rule would be such an imposition” on their facilities and workers, The Washington Post reported.

“Where are the regulated parties complaining about the regulation?” Kavanaugh asked.

According to The Washington Post, Louisiana Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill said the measure would “force millions of people working for or with a Medicare or Medicaid provider to undergo invasive, irrevocable, forced medical treatment. … It’s a bureaucratic power move that is unprecedented.”

The vaccination requirement for large companies was to go into effect on Tuesday. However, OSHA delayed this because of the litigation and said it would not immediately issue citations for those not in compliance. Testing requirements and potential fines for employers will not take effect until February.

The court’s decision may come quickly, given that it heard these arguments on an emergency basis.

While it deliberates the administration’s policies, COVID-19 continues to overwhelm the U.S., with millions being infected daily and over 800,000 deaths from the virus.

Source: Voice of America

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Djokovic Spends Holiday in Detention, Sends Thanks to Supporters

The top men’s tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, spent Orthodox Christmas in an immigration detention hotel in Australia on Friday as he sought to fend off deportation over the country’s COVID-19 rules and compete in the Australian Open.

Djokovic received calls from his native Serbia, including from his parents and the president, who hoped to boost his spirits on the holiday.

On Instagram, he posted: “Thank you to the people around the world for your continuous support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated.”

The 34-year-old athlete and vaccine skeptic was barred from entering the country late Wednesday when federal border authorities at the Melbourne airport rejected his medical exemption to Australia’s strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

He has been confined to the detention hotel in Melbourne pending a court hearing on Monday, a week before the start of the tournament, where he is seeking to win his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam singles title.

During the day, Djokovic’s supporters, waving banners, gathered outside the Park Hotel, used to house refugees and asylum-seekers.

A priest from the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Melbourne asked to visit the nine-time Australian Open champion to celebrate Orthodox Christmas but was turned down by immigration officials because the hotel is under lockdown.

“Our Christmas is rich in many customs, and it is so important that a priest visits him,” the church’s dean, Milorad Locard, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “The whole thing around this event is appalling. That he has to spend Christmas in detention … it is unthinkable.”

The Australian Border Force said Friday that after further investigations into two other people connected to the Australian Open, one voluntarily left the country, and another was taken into detention pending deportation.

The Czech Embassy identified one of them as 38-year-old doubles player Renata Vorácová and said she won’t play in the tournament.

Australia’s COVID-19 rules say incoming travelers must have had two shots of an approved vaccine or must have an exemption with a genuine medical reason, such as an acute condition, to avoid quarantine. All players, staff, officials and fans need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the tournament venue.

Djokovic flew to Australia after obtaining a medical exemption backed by the country’s tennis federation and approved by the Victoria state government. The grounds for the exemption have not been disclosed. But the Australian government pronounced it invalid when he arrived.

The dispute has become a touchy topic in a city where residents spent 256 days in 2020-21 under severe restrictions on their movement. Djokovic’s exemption stirred allegations that the star athlete got special treatment.

While some players have sympathized with his situation, others have said getting vaccinated would have prevented any drama.

But amid the latest turn in the dispute, even some who have been critical of Djokovic in the past are now seemingly in his corner.

“Look, I definitely believe in taking action, I got vaccinated because of others and for my mum’s health, but how we are handling Novak’s situation is bad, really bad,” Nick Kyrgios, an Australian player and outspoken critic of some of Djokovic’s opinions on vaccinations, posted on Twitter. “This is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human. Do better.”

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said earlier this week that 26 people connected with the tournament applied for medical exemptions and only a “handful” were granted. Three of those have since been challenged.

Source: Voice of America

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Azerbaijani currency rates for January 7

The official exchange rate of the US dollar and the euro against the Azerbaijani manat is set at 1.7 and 1.9211 manat, respectively as of January 7, 2022, Trend reports citing the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA).

The manat rate in relation to the world currencies according to the Central Bank of Russia as of today:

Currency Code Rate

1 US Dollar USD 1.7

1 Euro EUR 1.9211

1 Australian Dollar AUD 1.2174

1 Argentine Peso ARS 0.0165

1 Belarus Ruble BYN 0.6565

1 Brazilian Real BRL 0.299

1 U.A.E. Dirham AED 0.4628

1 South African Rand ZAR 0.1081

100 South Korean Won KRW 0.1414

1 Czech Koruna CZK 0.0784

100 Chilean Peso CLP 0.2031

1 Chinese Yuan CNY 0.2666

1 Danish Krone DKK 0.2583

1 Georgian Lari GEL 0.5502

1 Hong Kong Dollar HKD 0.218

1 Indian Rupee INR 0.0229

1 British Pound Sterling GBP 2.303

100 Indonesian Rupiah IDR 0.0118

100 Iranian Rial IRR 0.004

1 Swedish Krona SEK 0.1859

1 Swiss Franc CHF 1.845

1 Israeli Shekel ILS 0.5463

1 Canadian Dollar CAD 1.3376

1 Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 5.6149

1 Kazakh Tenge KZT 0.0039

1 Kyrgyz Som KGS 0.0201

100 Lebanese Pound LBP 0.1122

1 Malaysian Ringgit MYR 0.4044

1 Mexican Peso MXN 0.083

1 Moldovan Leu MDL 0.0948

1 Egyptian Pound EGP 0.1082

1 Norwegian Krone NOK 0.1913

100 Uzbek Sum UZS 0.0157

1 Polish Zloty PLN 0.4217

1 Russian Ruble RUB 0.0224

1 Singapore Dollar SGD 1.2506

1 Saudi Riyal SAR 0.4529

1 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) xdr 2.3773

1 Turkish Lira TRY 0.1227

1 New Taiwan Dollar TWD 0.0614

1 Tajik Somoni TJS 0.1507

1 New Turkmenistan Manat TMT 0.4857

1 Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH 0.0618

100 Japanese Yen JPY 1.4665

1 New Zealand Dollar NZD 1.1479

Gold XAU 3047.616

Silver XAG 37.669

Platinum XPT 1652.893

Palladium XPD 3190.178

Source: TREND News Agency

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A passage to Sub-Saharan Africa through the e-STEER programme

Thanks to technology, in-depth experiences of faraway places are still possible despite COVID-19 slowing down international travel – as some 80 NUS students found out. Participants of the latest iteration of the NUS Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER) programme travelled to Africa, howbeit virtually.

STEER programmes are designed to familiarise students with the diverse socio-cultural-political-economic-business environments of fast-evolving region. Over the past decade, the NUS Global Relations Office (GRO) has organised a myriad of such programmes to countries and regions that are either undergoing institutional transformation, experiencing catch-up growth or have strengthened bilateral ties with Singapore and in the process, enhancing overseas career opportunities for our undergraduates.

However, with the onset of the pandemic, the STEER programme pivoted to a virtual environment, expanding its reach through a series of webinars and virtual lectures, e-networking sessions and vicarious cultural visits.

Held from 6 to 16 Dec 2021, the e-STEER programme focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, which includes countries such as Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa. The two-week programme engaged students with invaluable insights into the political history, economic and social development, management of natural resources, as well as the rich heritage and cultures of the region.

His Excellency Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to Singapore, delivered an introduction to Rwanda, that gave the students a first look into this “land of a thousand hills”, rich in natural resources and biodiversity, which is also the most densely populated mainland African country.

Colonialism and slave trade are topics which are inevitable in the discussion of history and development of Africa, and students were deeply immersed in several lectures which enlightened them on the history of the slave trade, and its effects on African society and practices to this day. Professor Brian Farrell from the NUS Department of History presented an in-depth lesson on Africa, British Africa and the British Empire.

VR trips into dungeons

Dr Dorothy Takyiakwaa from the University of Cape Coast facilitated an enlightening lecture on the slave trade and slave castles. Her lecture was immediately followed by a virtual tour of the Cape Coast Castle, one of 40 slave castles built in West Africa used to hold slaves before they were loaded onto ships and sold in the Americas. Through the use of virtual reality (VR) headsets, students were able to view the dungeons at Cape Coast Castle, which were often the slaves’ last residence and final memory of Africa before leaving the continent through the ‘Door of No Return’.

Our students were enthused about the VR headsets used for the first-time in the e-STEER programme. Said Oh Jun Ning, Year 4, NUS Science student, “The sounds and sights were realistic, and it felt like we were exploring the place itself with a tour guide. Given that the entire programme was conducted online, the virtual tour was definitely a change of pace and scenery. It would be great if VR was to be integrated into future online programmes especially in the face of current COVID-19 restrictions.”

Norsheena Riyana, a Year 1 student from the NUS Department of Political Science, described the lectures on this topic as “different and personal”, as she “spoke with individuals whose ancestors were personally affected by the atrocities committed during colonisation, the transatlantic slave trade, and the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, instead of reading these accounts through academic articles and social media”. She also highlighted the virtual tour of the Cape Coast Castle as one of the sessions that she was most interested in, as “it was the closest experience to being physically there”.

A number of students among the participants this year had a keen interest in conservation and ecology, and the e-lectures delivered by representatives from the University of Rwanda and Rwanda Development Board further piqued their interest by delineating the broad considerations behind wildlife conservation in Rwanda, particularly on the population of endangered mountain gorillas which reside in Rwanda’s national parks.

The eye-opening sessions explained more on the costs and considerations behind biodiversity management in these precious land areas, and efforts to include and give back to the surrounding communities whose livelihoods are directly influenced by wildlife efforts and ecotourism to the national parks.

Joanna Hioe, a PhD Year 1 student from the NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies, said, “The e-STEER Sub-Saharan Africa programme gave us the unique opportunity to survey the continent, with a panoramic view of its history, culture, economy, and geography, and literally savour it, with an audio-visual feast of its music and fashion, and tastes of its food. It was a rich buffet that left students of all majors spoiled for choice.

“The thoughtfully curated e-STEER programme opened my eyes to the plethora of ways that deep, meaningful inter-cultural and transformative encounters can still be facilitated through technology.”

Building friendships

The NUS student participants also met and built friendships with peers from Zetech University (Kenya) and the University of Rwanda, through two networking sessions organised for cross-cultural sharing of Singapore and Kenyan/Rwanda cultures and way of life. Schubert Goh, Year 3 student from NUS Computing, also delivered a presentation that shared with the Kenyan and Rwandan students on Youth Culture in Singapore.

On the last two evenings of the programme, students tucked into a delectable meal set from Kafe Utu, an African café and lounge in Singapore, named for the Kiswahili word for “humanity”. Though dining individually at home, it was an experience shared virtually, in appreciation of a varied African cuisine and learning about the history and culture behind the menu.

Positive feedback

“We’re privileged and honoured to have partnered with many distinguished members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, academics, corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders of trade associations and chambers of commerce in delivering the STEER/e-STEER programmes,” said Mr Randall Ong, Associate Director at NUS GRO, who conceptualised the STEER programme from its onset.

“The feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re heartened that the sessions have facilitated tremendous educational value creation, such as in the analyses of social, environmental issues and business models, cross-cultural appreciation and professional networking opportunities for our students.”

Although the planning and implementation of overseas travel continues to be a challenge, NUS and GRO remain committed to providing our students with global opportunities for learning, albeit in alternative ways such as virtual immersions, to enhance the development of cultural understanding and skill sets in relating to a global economy.

Source: National University of Singapore(HighLights)

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One Reason China Intends to Bulk Up its Nuclear Arsenal

China will bolster its nuclear weapons arsenal in the years ahead, mainly to match the United States, experts predict.

Beijing will continue to “modernize its nuclear arsenal for reliability and safety issues,” Fu Cong, director general of arms control at the Chinese foreign ministry, told reporters Tuesday.

The Pentagon had warned less than two years ago about China’s nuclear capability after learning that Beijing was building 110 more missile silos.

Signs of nuclear weapons growth in a country that seldom discusses its military developments means Beijing hopes at least to show its arsenal can resist that of Washington, if not catch up, scholars say. China has no other major rivals, they say, as its relations with nuclear power Russia are improving.

“I think that is a signal to the United States that China is not happy with [the] U.S. position of enjoying nuclear superiority,” said Alexander Vuving, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, in Hawaii.

Great power competition

An atomic bomb test in 1964 got China started with nuclear weapons. As of 2020, the country was developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, that would “significantly improve its nuclear-capable missile forces,” the Pentagon said in an annual report to Congress.

The number of warheads on land-based ICBMs “capable of threatening the United States is expected to” reach about 200 over the next five years, the Pentagon report said. Beijing had previously maintained just 20 or so silo-based ICBMs, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said in a 2021 study.

A mobile, ground-launched, intermediate-range ballistic missile system that could swap conventional and nuclear warheads is expanding, too, the Pentagon report said.

The U.S. nuclear arsenal totaled 3,750 warheads as of 2020. Since 2017, 711 U.S. nuclear warheads have been dismantled. At its peak during the Cold War, the stockpile totaled around 31,000, the State Department said in an October news release. The department called for “increasing the transparency of states’ nuclear stockpiles” as part of their nonproliferation and disarmament efforts.

Washington still leads Beijing in the development of the world’s deadliest type of weaponry, experts said. “New improvements to U.S. capabilities constantly remind Chinese nuclear experts of their nuclear deterrent’s potential vulnerability,” the Carnegie study said. “As a result, Chinese experts have consistently agreed that Beijing needs to continue gradually modernizing its nuclear forces.”

More nuclear weapons authorized by Beijing would reflect a wider U.S.-China arms race, said Eduardo Araral, associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s public policy school. Weaker countries in Asia may chafe but should not feel surprised, he said.

“I think there’s already an arms race. This is not new. This is just an extension, whether it’s submarine building, whether it’s cyber capabilities, or now a competition for satellite powers. Nuclear weapons capability is just a continuation of the bigger scheme of things in U.S.-China rivalry,” Araral said.

Scenarios for using nukes

China and four other permanent U.N. Security Council members – a group known as the P5 – said Monday that they would work together to stop the further spread of nuclear arms and avoid nuclear conflict.

Officials in Beijing have maintained over the years that their nuclear weapons are for national security only, not an offensive strike.

China might use nuclear weapons, however, if the United States threatened to overwhelm it with tactical weapons in a real conflict, said Scott Harold, a Washington-based senior political scientist with the RAND Corporation research group. He pointed to development of intermediate-range missiles and the role of submarines and stealth bombers in nuclear weaponry as signs that China is preparing for a fight if needed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping may want better nuclear weapons as part of his bigger plans for China, too, Harold said. “Xi Jinping is all about making China great again, restoring China to a position of what he calls national rejuvenation, or achieving the China dream, one part of which is to have a world-class military by midcentury,” he said.

Nuclear weapons will further help Beijing to discourage any attacks on its territory and get what it wants during Sino-foreign diplomatic negotiations, analysts say.

Statements from China about modernizing its arsenal could spark other countries to make deals with Beijing now while it’s “weaker” and easier to engage, Harold said.

The updated arsenal will ultimately help China in any diplomatic talks as “backup by hard power,” Araral said. Other Asian countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, are modernizing their militaries, partly so they can keep up diplomatically at the bargaining table with China, he said.

Source: Voice of America