Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
1 day agoEducation to Improve the Planet's Health, and Our Own
Nature enhances human health, but environmental degradation now negatively impacts well-being, necessitating education reform for Planetary Health.
Modern scientific societies are increasingly vulnerable due to their dependence on membership fees and journal subscriptions, which are being challenged by the rise of virtual networking and open-access publishing.
Starting this year, organizations based in or controlled by China cannot apply for grants to fund projects involving artificial intelligence, telecommunications such as 5G, health, semiconductors, biotechnology or quantum technologies. China's Seven Sons of National Defence, a group of universities affiliated with the government's ministry of industry and information technology, are also barred from all funding. However, Chinese organizations can still apply for or participate in select research projects related to climate, biodiversity, food and agriculture.
Learning today doesn't usually look broken. It looks like a well-run treadmill, always on, always moving, quietly exhausting everyone. New initiatives, new tools, new priorities. New "must-have" skills. Even when learning is thoughtfully designed, there's a nagging sense that nothing sticks because nothing gets a chance to. People finish the course, grab the badge, and move on to the next thing before the last thing has had time to show up in how they work.
While everyone is subject to their individual situations, for many, the process begins with an F-1 student visa, which they hold as they complete a Ph.D. over five to six years. After graduation, they may choose to transition to Optional Practical Training (OPT), which provides a year of work authorization, with a two-year extension for STEM graduates. Some may then transition to a H-1B temporary work visa, which provides for three years of work authorization and is renewable for another three years.
This is a striking decision at a moment when public confidence in higher education is eroding. It is also puzzling because rigorous research and evaluation have demonstrated, over and over, the value of the work of centers for teaching and learning, including positive impacts on student learning outcomes, institutional effectiveness and faculty development.
"We're bringing together two really significant and very diverse institutions, and it's a big-scale operation, so we'll be able to look at a lot of things across a lot of different environments," said Mindy Tarlow, senior fellow and professor at NYU's Marron Institute of Urban Management, where the lab will initially be housed.