Graduated with Distinction







SEPTEMBER, 2023. These graduate students completed their program with a high cumulative grade point average, which reflects the quality of performance within their major. Congratulations!

DISTINCTION
Santa Sánchez
Doctor of Education
Educational Research

DISTINCTION
Pola Foko Ernest
Doctor of Philosop hy
Information Systems Management

DISTINCTION
Amoordalingum Amirthawsamy Pathe
Doctor of Business Administration
Business Administration

DISTINCTION
Awiro Rita Larok
Doctor of Science
Psychology

14th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Graduated with Distinction Food Studies



Call for Papers This Conference will be held October 2–4, 2024 at Politécnico de Portalegre, Portalegre, Portugal. In person and online.

We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops/ interactive sessions, posters/ exhibits, colloquia, focused discussions, innovation showcases, virtual posters, or virtual lightning talks. 2024 Special Focus: “Place Matters: The Valorization of Cultural, Gastronomic, and Territorial Heritage”

Theme 1: Food Production and Sustainability. Theme 2: Food, Nutrition, and Health. Theme 3: Food Politics, Policies, and Cultures. Become a Presenter:

1. Submit a proposal
2. Review timeline
3. Register
Advance proposal deadline December 2, 2023 Advance registration deadline January 2, 2024 Visit the website: https://food-studies.com Visit the website:

FIND MORE NEWS FROM AIU FAMILY






Higino Domingos de Almeida João
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Romeo Betchissou Tete
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Benin
Emile Bigirimana
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Pola Foko Ernest
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Fernando Gonzalvo
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Amanda Kamila Nuñez Góngora
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Gonzalo Andres Vergara Ponce
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Luis Fernando Gómez Pinzón
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Remtulla Kalewa Alimohamed
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Congo (DRC )
           
Adriana Cecilia Rivera Meneses
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Costa R
Santa Sánchez
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Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin
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Jose Ignacio Blanco Mena
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Ruthsela De León Vásquez
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Ximena A. Alarcón Montesdeoca
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Ecuador
Nonhlanhla Patricia Zwane
Bachelor of Accounting
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Eswatini
Mathew Tut Moses Kol
Doctor of Science
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Ethiop ia
Francis Nyanin
Doctor of Legal Studies
Legal Studies
Ghana
Adotei Emmanuel Abrahams
Doctor of Philosop hy
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Robert Kwegyir Sagoe
Doctor of Science
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Ghana
           
Rosana Madelein Arriola Pinzón
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Roberto Miguel Mazariegos Zuniga
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Honduras
Eliú Isaí López
Bachelor of Education
English as a Second Language
Honduras
Alfredo Benjamín Haces Prudencio
Post-Doctorate of Journalism
Ethical Journalism
Honduras
Busaina Fadel Nazzal
Doctor of Philosop hy
Inclusive Education and Disability
Israel
Leonie Banton
Doctor of Finance
Finance
Jamaica
           
Phillip Scotwell McPherson
Doctor of Psychology
Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
Jamaica
Tiou Kimar Clarke
Doctor of Education
Curriculum and Evaluation
Jamaica
Bennetah M. Wafukho
Doctor of International Relations
Diplomacy
Kenya
Hawo Guyo Godana
Doctor of Philosop hy
Human Resources
Kenya
Debabrata Pattnaik
Doctor of Science
Electrical Engineering
Kuwait
Hastings Sumbulanga Banda
Bachelor of Science
Agriculture
Malawi
           
Alamu Mhone
Doctor of Economics
Business Management
Malawi
Amoordalingum Amirthawsamy Pather
Doctor of Business Administration
Business Administration
Mauritius
Lorenza Cecilia Carral Lopez Negrete-
Master of Science
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México
Felix Zibwowa
Bachelor of Business Administration
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Mozambique
Juan Jose Montoya Pérez
Post-Doctorate of Accounting
Accounting
Nicaragua
Otonye Ransome Daka
Doctor of Proj ect Management
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Nigeria
           
Chiamaka Kenechukwu Obi -Uruakpa
Doctor of Business Administration
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Nigeria
Boniface Ogueri Charlie Ifeobu
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Nigeria
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Nigeria
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Doctor of Business Administration
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Inemi Erete Stephen
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Jose Jesus Mavila Castillo
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Master of Criminal Justice
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South Africa
Nontobeko Andile Mbatha
Bachelor of Education
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Doctor of Philosop hy
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James Maker Akuocpiir Majoc
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Bachelor of Education
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Thomas Ngombani
Bachelor of Science
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Tanzania
Fevzi Gökmen
Bachelor of Science
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Türkiye
Awiro Rita Larok
Doctor of Science
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Uganda
César René Bustamante Murillo
Doctor of Business Administration
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Uruguay
Juan Antonio Rosario Mena
Doctor of Linguistics
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USA
           
Jeffery Fleming
Master of Arts
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Leyda Maricela Mc Kay Levy
Doctor of Social Work
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Lucas Quirindongo
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Doctor Business Management
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Tracey Chadini
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Find More Graduates

Gallery: aiu.edu/Graduation/grids/currentgallery.html
Interviews: www.aiu.edu/Graduation/grids/interviews.html
This month we have graduates from: Angola · Benin · Burundi · Cameroon · Canada · Chile · Colombia · Congo (DRC) · Costa Rica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Ghana · Guatemala · Honduras · Israel · Jamaica · Kenya · Kuwait · Malawi · Mauritius · Mexico · Mozambique · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Peru · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Spain · Tanzania · Türkiye · Uganda · Uruguay · USA · Zambia · Zimbabwe


The controversial sustainable development

By Dr. Rosa Hilda Lora M. Advisor at AIU | rosa@aiu.edu


We are living in a world that seems to be we don't know where we are going: a) We are in a global warming that despite what scientists said, few wanted to believe. b) Food is not enough for everyone. c) The way of working agriculture and livestock are generating problems for the ecosystem. d) There is a shortage of water. e) Political systems don’t offer peace so there are conflicts everywhere. f) The development that is often given to science doesn’t lead to peace with the form of communication of digital platforms. g) The development we have achieved doesn’t lead to life, except for its quality.

h) Everything is money and even more so money without an objective for the growth of each one and for life for all. i) We are witnessing the absence of peace, of coexistence: everything is conflict and more conflict. j) A planet walking towards its destruction and human beings who don’t understand each other, few listen. What has been done wrong? It was done without any control, without analysis at the time or paying little attention to those who criticized a development, without taking life into account. Human beings are life; the planet is life. Life... What is it? a) Life means growth and development. b) Life is analysis of what is done. c) Life is stages to achieve goals. d) Life is mental development. e) Life is achieving goals, one when the previous one ends. f) Life is biological growth. g) Life is assimilating nutrients to maintain the organs. h) Life is the taking of products from the environment to transform them in our organism. i) If we don’t have an adequate environment, life isn’t possible for us.

What did we do or do wrong? What we have done wrong is to forget all the previous factors so that life is possible for us. The Organization of the United Nations-UN, an organization created for peace among nations, built after the Second World War, made the pertinent studies before the deterioration of life on the planet and the development of human beings. “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, approved in September 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, establishes a transforming vision towards economic, social and environmental sustainability of the 193 United Nations Member States that signed it and is the reference guide for the work of the international community until the year 2030”. https://www.cepal.org/es/ temas/agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible/ acerca-la-agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible This Agenda is the one that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- UNESCO works on. “UNESCO helped shape the Post-2015 Development Agenda through the Education 2030 Framework for Action, included in the global coordination of SDG 4. The Incheon Declaration, adopted at the World Education Forum in the Republic of Korea in May 2015, it entrusted UNESCO with the task of leading and coordinating the education agenda”.

https://es.unesco.org/sdgs This Agenda meant extraordinary work to reach agreements that could be signed by the countries that make up the UN. “The 2030 Agenda is the result of the broadest and most participatory consultation process in the history of the United Nations and represents the emerging multilateral consensus between governments and diverse actors, such as civil society, the private sector and academia. Likewise, the normative bases of this multilateral agenda start from the United Nations charter of 1945 to the more than 40 references to UN conferences and conventions approved to date”. https://www.cepal.org/es/temas/ agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible/acercala- agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible “Through these 17 SDGs with their 169 goals and 231 indicators, the United Nations Member States have firmly expressed that this agenda is universal and profoundly transformative.” https://www.cepal. org/es/temas/agenda-2030-desarrollosostenible/ acerca-la-agenda-2030-desarrollo- sostenible What does the Agenda include? The Agenda includes a development program for: “…the 2030 Agenda offers a paradigm shift in relation to the traditional development model towards sustainable development that integrates the economic, social and environmental dimensions”.https://www. cepal.org/es/temas/agenda-2030-desarrollo- sostenible/acerca-la-agenda-2030-desarrollo- sostenible Why do we title the controversial sustainable development? We call it controversial because industries, capitalists and citizens deny the goals of Sustainable Development because they say they are false. That claim that they are false is due to the investment and the change in production that they must carry out and the cost that it means. The information uploaded to the Platforms contributes to the previous falsehood. For this reason, UNESCO carried out a study on what Digital Platforms do and calls to control disinformation on them. https://www.unesco.org/es/articles/ at-unesco-an-appeal-to-regulatethe- digital-platforms-against-disinformation- and-el

The European Union-EU has also just established standards to be met for the information offered by digital platforms. European Comission. 2023. August 25. https://commission. europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities- 2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/ digital-services-act-ensuring-safe-and-accountable- online-environment/europe-fitdigital- age-new-online-rules-platforms_es Package of digital services laws. European Union. 2023. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/es/ policies/digital-services-act-package The time we are living is one of great misinformation that can be created by the lack of education of the world population. The current rulers take advantage of the deficiencies that their government systems have created by forgetting education and quality education for all as established by UNESCO in its Sustainable Development Goals. We are witnessing populist governments and coups d’état as if they were mushrooms in the prairie. The solution to the problem of a life for growth with the resources to achieve it’s due to the poor education received by children who will later be adults who will not be able to find the path to a life of fortunate achievements.

There should not be the global crisis we are experiencing if we had the necessary education. You are a student at Atlantic International University - AIU. Study: take advantage of the program you do so that you reach a lifetime of opportunities and goals. Study: seek all the knowledge you need so that you can educate others for a better world. The world other than the one we live in can only be built by human beings. We, human beings are the only ones who can make: a social and physical world, our planet Earth, better.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. UE. Unión Europea. Normas a cumplir para la información que ofrecen las Plataformas digitales. Comisión Europea. 2023. 25 de agosto. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/ priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act-ensuring-safe-andaccountable- online-environment/europe-fit-digital-age-new-online-rules-platforms_es | UE. Unión Europea. Paquete de leyes de servicios digitales. Unión Europea. 2023. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/es/policies/digital-services-act-package | UNESCO. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura. Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible. https://www.unesco.org/es/education-sustainable-development | UNESCO. La UNESCO y Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. https://es.unesco.org/sdgs | UNESCO. Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura. Por un internet confiable. https://www.unesco.org/es/articles/en-launesco- un-llamamiento-para-regular-las-plataformas-digitales-frente-la-desinformacion-yel | ONU. Agenda 2030. Desarrollo Sostenible. https://www.cepal.org/es/temas/ agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible/acerca-la-agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible | ONU. Naciones Unidas. Adopción de la Agenda para el Desarrollo Sostenible. 2015. Septiembre. La UNESCO en el 70º periodo de sesiones de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas y la adopción de la agenda para el desarrollo después de 2015. https://es.unesco.org/news/unesco- 70o-periodo-sesiones-asamblea-general-naciones-unidas-y-adopcion-agenda-desarrollo

Helping the vulnerable in Uganda

Stephen Ainganiza | Master of Public Relations and Strategic Communication


Mr Ainganiza has been in the newsroom for the last 17 years, besides his journalism work, he has found passion in helping vulnerable people in his community.He started a charity Non-Governmental Organization called Platform for the Needy (PLANE) for advocate for the rights of vulnerable women, youth and children offering them a platform to voice their concerns. He says the vision of helping vulnerable people in his community, started in 1991. Inspiration Ainganiza says, after reaching senior two, he was forced to drop out of school due to the domestic violence exposed to him by his step mothers who never wanted him to progress in his education. However, his luck came after one Dr Keith Morton from England working with the Africa Inland Mission in 1991, picked him from the garden and took him back to Nyakasura school and paid fees up to senior six. Mr Ainganiza says when he completed school, he opted to study journalism, in 2006 he started working with Voice of Toro and his aim was to report stories of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and other human rights items from police and community because the majority of vulnerable people are always at the police in need of help.

“I started by going to police and court to report stories, but because of my background I wanted to see how I could help other people who are vulnerable, I could write such stories of vulnerable to see I advocate for their rights,” he said. He says later, he started engaging police and couples with cases at police to see that people receive justice. Mr Ainganiza says using his little salary $200, he could help neglected children and battered women found by police by tracing their parents to see that they are rejoined to their families. He could also put announcements on radio. “I could use my transport go to communities to look for vulnerable people, give them help on how they can follow up their cases at police, others I could give them counseling services,” he added. “Because my face was common at police of Fort Portal, they started calling me in case there were such cases of gender based violence, child neglect and abuse, we could sit in reconciliation meeting, move together in field.” In 2010, he decided to start Platform for Needy (PLANE) as a Community Based Organization (CBO) in his area to see how he can formally start support vulnerable people. Ainganiza says Dr Keith who helped him, had over 1000 vulnerable children from all over the country; he supported at different education levels. This he said inspired him to start PLANE to ease his advocacy work. “Before starting, I made several consultations from my friends, majority of them welcomed the idea, some of the people started supporting me,” He says his first formal activity was in 2011 when he mobilized Shs 3 million ($845) from Kabarole district and bought goats for 37 widows and elderly people to engage them in income generating activities, a project that is progressing well. These have multiplied and changes the lives of the elderly women and widows in my community. He also started advocacy work in 2012, registered 60 needy children, mobilized resources and bought for them scholastic materials and uniforms to enable them access education.

Ainganiza revealed that the major activities under PLANE include education for vulnerable children, youth & women empowerment, sexual reproductive health rights, peace and conflict resolution, livelihoods, drama, gender based violence, girls & boys matter mentorship among others. In 2014, he upgraded and registered his CBO into a Non-governmental Organization operating in Rwenzori region but permitted to operate countrywide.

Activities In 2019, Ainganiza started several campaigns in Fort Portal and Kabarole district to help vulnerable people who were approaching him through his Family Clinic radio talkshow that handles health, social and economic aspects. One of the campaigns included helping 28-year-old woman Sharon Kyoshabire who was abandoned by her husband Kiiza James after producing triplets. Ms Kyoshabire who was a mother of four children, in Bukuku Sub County, Kabarole district, after producing triplets, the husband after being overwhelmed by the needs, developed stress, ran away and left her in a dilapidated house at verge of collapse but Ainganiza launched a campaign that restored her life. “The woman was left with children, in her dilapidated banana fibre thatched house. It was raining as if it was outside and coldness wanted to rob the little children. I started the campaign of looking for money to buy food for the children and money to build her decent house.”

Under the campaign “Save Abandoned Triplets From Death, Provide Shelter,” Ainganiza collected about Shs 6 million ($1,689) from well-wishers, school children, churches and he used the money to build her a house, kitchen, pit latrine, buy food, milk, clothes and pay fees for the older children. He says after his intervention “given the opportunity, I plan to have another campaign to raise funds to construct a permanent house for these triplets and educate them in good schools.” In the same year, Ainganiza also mobilized over 20 million Uganda shillings ($5,634) for saving the life of Brian a youth who needed heart surgery and pace maker programming in Nairobi, Kenya. Using drama in creating awareness, Ainganiza has trained several youth groups that perform in different communities to create awareness of issues that need advocacy such as sleeping under mosquito nets, ebola, ending domestic violence, having manageable families through embracing contraceptives, HIV/AIDS prevention, and child abuse among others. “Together with the youth, we record drama that is played on radios to create awareness in communities and I’m proud of educating and sensitizing my community,” Mr Ainganiza has also helped many teenage mothers in the sub counties of Kabarole district to start income generating activities, and also educating them about their rights, nutrition for their children, saving and credit and the danger of teenage motherhood.

Using his newsroom salary ($200), Ainganiza has helped many children to complete school by paying them school fees, giving them career guidance one of his children he supported by paying his fees has completed senior four. “I’ve helped Joel Tinyesengereza completed his senior four. He scored 25 aggregates (1st grade) 2020 UCE. He approached after he was chased from Nyakasura School and Fort Portal SSS for failure to pay tuition. I like Joel because is bright and boasts of becoming a medical doctor,” He said. Joel now doing PCB/Math is finishing his high school this November 2023. Achievements Ainganiza says in the last 17 years, over 110,000 their mind set have changed and over 200 vulnerable children and 108 women have been helped directly. “I have used my skills, mobilized resources for vulnerable people, created awareness on different issues in the community such as gender based violence, malaria, children rights, mobilized people for health conferences among others, all these have been achieved,” Ainganiza says, “In 2018 the Kabarole district health officer Dr Richard Mugahi said the use of drama in creating awareness in communities about sleeping under mosquito nets, the malaria prevalence reduced from 50 percent to 12 percent according to statistics at health facilities,” Dr. Mugahi awarded Ainganiza’s organization Platform for the Needy with a certificate rewarding them for their efforts to educate and sensitize the people using drama in schools and communities in Kabarole and Bunyangabu through the campaign dubbed : “Community Campaign For Social Mobilization (SCSM) sponsored by PACE”.

Awards In 2018, Kabarole district local government awarded him for being an outstanding journalist in helping vulnerable people and using his radio program (Family Clinic) and Bahemuka drama that have continued to create awareness. Challenges Ainganiza says the biggest challenge is resource mobilization both locally and internationally to help the big number of vulnerable people in the communities saying people who need help are more than resources available. “I have written several proposals but I’ve not been successful. I’ve also written many letters seeking for partnership with national, local and international organizations but I see people have negative attitudes towards partnership and helping small organizations stand out. In the last 13 years, I’ve not received any external funding from donors I am always helped by friends and my small salary ($200) per month but I would like to thank PACE Uganda for the funds they gave us to sensitize people and school children in Kabarole and Bunyangabu districts on malaria control and prevention,”. He says in 10 years to come, he wants to quit the newsroom and district job and concentrate on programs of helping vulnerable people in communities’ because it’s where he has the passion. “I shed tears when I see husbands battering their wives, young girls producing children, their partners neglecting them and when I see needy children storm my office and the radio that their parents have refused to care for them. It’s hurting! I will have to quit and concentrate on these people and I will only be coming for drama and talkshows,” he said.

Every Hour Matters Campaign Mr Ainganiza says he is proud to be in partnership with some institutions and well wishes. He narrates that Local partners have helped him to achieve some of his dream of helping vulnerable people. The partners according to Ainganiza include Kabarole district local government, Christ Aid International, PACE, Girls Not Brides, Voice of Tooro 101 FM primary schools, Dr. Fr. Pascal Kabura Director Bishop Magambo Counsellor Training Institute. Appeal: Ainganiza appeals to all people to have manageable families, produce children by choice, not by chance because it leads to the suffering of innocent children who would be enjoying love and care of their parents. To the parents, I’m calling upon you to prioritize parenting and talking to your children mostly the girl child about the sexual reproductive health rights and the future they want. Girls, prioritize education, avoid peers and engaging in early sex if you want a bright future. “I’m appealing to the general public and people of good will to continue supporting us. We are seeking for national and global partnerships with individuals, institutions, churches, corporate companies and volunteers to help us reach more vulnerable communities.” Master’s Knowledge Acquired: “I have completed a master’s degree in Public Relations and Strategic Communication at Atlantic International University. I have acquired the knowledge and skills in strategic communication, public relation, project management and image building which I will apply in managing this organization take a further step.” “I am optimistic that I will get partners and funders to help me in advancing my idea of advocating for the rights of vulnerable people in Uganda. The issue of health and Gender Based Violence not forgetting environmental degradation remain a big problem in Uganda but I believe with the knowledge I have acquired , I will be able to spread the message to reach a larger audience by crafting captivating messages and videos.”

For more information about Stephen Ainganiza and Platform for the Needy (PLANE) https://platformfortheneedy.org/ https://www.facebook.com/platformfortheneedy/ Tel: +256782442866 • Whatsapp: +256701442866 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1N-nq_ITVY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL7mIcTxmEQ

Publications by students: https://www.aiu.edu/student-publications/

Learning

How big is Africa?

Africa is more than three times the size of the US.

Africa is enormous. In fact, you could fit China, India, all the states in the contiguous US, and most of Europe into the space it actually takes up. So why does Africa look so small (comparatively) when displayed on a map? “The map is not the territory,” Alfred Korzybski once stated when explaining how people tend to confuse models of reality for reality itself, and this expression is particularly apt for modern maps. ... The problem is simple. How do you turn a sphere into a flat projection without distorting the outcome? ... For a long time, the features of our world maps were influenced by what is called the Mercator projection (Gerardus Mercator, 16th-century cartographer). This was a tool used for nautical navigation that has had a lasting influence on most of our maps. Mercator’s approach used a cylindrical projection that was valuable for sea travel, as the lines he included that make up the map’s grid were a constant course (loxodrome). However, because the features of the projection were intended for navigation, rather than for accurate geography, the landmasses nearer the poles are distorted and stretched. ... Despite these significant distortions, Mercator’s projection is still commonly used today. This means that many people are not aware of how our planet actually looks. Moreover, the distortion also impacts specific countries and can make them appear larger than they really are. Such distortions can have an impact on how we understand ourselves and ... Read full text:

Against OpenAI

John Grisham and other writers join Authors Guild in class action lawsuit.

The Authors Guild, John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, Michael Connelly, Jodi Picoult and a group of other famous fiction writers filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday [September 20th] against OpenAI, claiming that their technology is infringing on their works. In their complaint, the authors claim that OpenAI copied their works “wholesale, without permission or consideration.” The plaintiffs contend that the company fed their works into large language models, “algorithms designed to output human-seeming text responses to users’ prompts and queries.” “Generative AI is a vast new field for Silicon Valley’s longstanding exploitation of content providers. Authors should have the right to decide when their works are used to ‘train’ AI. If they choose to opt in, they should be appropriately compensated,” author Jonathan Franzen said. ... According to the suit, when prompted OpenAI’s ChatGPT “accurately generated summaries” of works Grisham’s The Chamber, The Client and The Firm, as well as an unauthorized and detailed outline of the next installment of The King of Torts. The latter included a title, The Kingdom of Consequences, that used the same characters from the existing book. ChatGPT did the same for The Last Juror, and also generated an accurate summary of Grisham’s The Litigators, according to the lawsuit. ChatGPT “could not have generated the material” had it “not ingested and been ‘trained'” on Grisham’s works, the lawsuit stated. ... Read full text:


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The golden orb

Found on ocean floor off Alaska coast.

A mysterious golden orb that may be an egg laid by an unknown sea creature has been discovered on the ocean floor off the Pacific coast of Alaska. The smooth object with an intriguing hole at the centre was found at a depth of about two miles by a remote-controlled submarine explorer. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US, which made the discovery, suggest it could be a hatched egg or a marine sponge. Researchers are conducting tests and a DNA analysis to work out what the shiny object — which feels like “skin tissue” according to Noaa— is. A remotely operated arm was deployed to “tickle” the egg, which was found to have a delicate “skin-like” texture. It was then gently “suctioned” up a tube for testing in a lab. The dive is part of the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition, which will continue until 15 September and can be followed on a livestream. ... Speaking over the livestream on 30 August, when the discovery was made, team members offered theories about the identity of the object, including an egg casing or a sponge. They suggested that the hole was created by a creature hatching, or by a predator breaking in. “I just hope when we poke it, something doesn’t decide to come out,” one scientist said. “It’s like the beginning of a horror movie.”...
Read full text:

Coffee grounds

Recycled, make stronger concrete.

Researchers in Australia have discovered that we could produce stronger concrete by adding recycled charred coffee grounds into the mix. The world produces approximately 10 billion kilograms of coffee waste each year, most of which ends up in landfills. “The inspiration for our work was to find an innovative way of using the large amounts of coffee waste in construction projects rather than going to landfills —to give coffee a ‘double shot’ at life,” said Roychand, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at RMIT. “Several councils that are battling with the disposal of organic waste have shown interest in our work. They have already engaged us for their upcoming infrastructure projects incorporating pyrolyzed forms of different organic wastes.” The resources required for the construction industry, including concrete production, also cause their own set of environmental challenges. The new concrete creation technique, developed by engineers, could simultaneously make concrete stronger and reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. It could also potentially reduce the amount of sand needed in the production of concrete as the coffee grounds can replace a portion of the sand. “The ongoing extraction of natural sand around the world —typically taken from river beds and banks— to meet the rapidly growing demands of the construction industry has a big impact on the environment,” says RMIT engineer Jie Li. ... Read full text


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Cooling clothing

How does it work?

You are probably familiar with clothing that promises to keep you both dry and cool. Experts claim these garments not only prevent overheating but also may be able to improve comfort and performance. Athletes, hikers, campers, and home gardeners can use cooling textiles to help regulate their body temperature outdoors and prevent heat-related illnesses like heat stroke. Similarly, those living in hot climates may turn to cooling clothing to promote evaporation and reduce heat build-up for comfort and relief during relentless humidity and warmth. Evaporative cooling technology It is commonly seen in vests or towels. Evaporation takes place when liquid (like sweat) turns into a vapor or evaporates. Because heat energy is used to change the water to vapor, a cooling sensation occurs. Clothing using evaporative technology relies on this ‘phase change’ process. First, you wet the vest or towel, wring it out, and then wear it over your other clothing. The fabric remains slightly damp, allowing the water particles to slowly evaporate as air passes over them. During the evaporation process, you’ll experience cooling as heat dissipates from your body. Moisture-wicking fabrics Instead of getting these fabrics wet first, they use your sweat to go through the cooling evaporative process. When you get warm and begin to perspire, these special highly-absorbent fabrics draw moisture away from your body as quickly as possible. As the heat is drawn away from your body, they pull moisture from your skin into the fabric, where it can be turned into a vapor. Most moisturewicking fabrics strive to pull as much moisture and humidity away from the skin as possible and then disperse it across the largest surface area of the fabric to maximize evaporation. Breathability and ventilation Fabrics with air permeability help to prevent heat, sweat, and humidity from being trapped against your body. These fabrics are better at allowing airflow, unlike polyester, which holds it against your skin. Added ventilation, usually seen as strategic cuts or holes in the clothing, can increase airflow. Phase change materials (PCM) Largely developed by NASA, PCMs rely on materials that change states at various temperatures, similar to the wax of a candle as it liquefies and solidifies. Sometimes, when used in textiles, these materials are called ‘thermocules.’ The molecules within the fabric change state depending on temperature fluctuations, so they either absorb or release heat, helping to adjust your body temperature quickly. Think of it as built-in temperature control, also known as thermoregulation. Although moisture-wicking and cool sensation clothing can provide relief and comfort, it does have its limitations. In high-humidity environments, its effectiveness may be decreased as evaporation is typically slower. Additionally, evaporative clothing is only helpful as long as it stays damp. Most moisturewicking fabrics must be in direct contact with your skin to remove moisture and disperse it into the fabric. ... Read full text:

Braille bricks

By Lego

Building with Lego bricks has stayed a formative and important practice for kids around the world, partly because it’s so easily enjoyed by anyone. Now the company has made its Braille Bricks, a learning toy for children with visual impairments (or who just want to learn the script). The set was introduced back in 2019, but only as a kit that was distributed for free to limited recipients. After a couple years of feedback, Lego has decided to make the set widely available. It’s a 287-piece box of special bricks, most of which are of the standard 2×4 variety, which allows room for each letter of the 2×3-dot Braille alphabet and a visible label. There’s also a reference sheet with the letters and bricks in order, and a set of starter projects to get things moving. ... Read full text

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Placebo effect

The most important recent statistics.

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which the patient’s expectation of relief from symptoms can lead to an improvement in their condition. This has been observed across many different medical conditions, and research into this area continues to uncover new insights about how powerful the placebo effect can be. Here, we will explore 20 statistics related to the effectiveness of placebos for various ailments and treatments. We’ll look at studies that have measured improvements due to placebos for pain relief, depression, anxiety, insomnia and more ... The most important statistics Approximately 35% of patients experience a placebo effect. This statistic demonstrates that a significant portion of patients can experience positive results from a placebo, even when the treatment itself has no active ingredients. This statistic is a testament to the power of the mind-body connection and the potential of the placebo effect to improve health outcomes. Placebo interventions can improve patient-reported outcomes in up to 60% of studies. This statistic demonstrates that even when no active treatment is administered, up to 60% of studies show an improvement in patient-reported outcomes. This highlights the importance of the placebo effect in healthcare and its potential to provide relief to patients without the need for costly and potentially dangerous treatments. ... Read full text:

The ‘F’ family

...of seven adrenaline responses.

Most people have likely heard of the Fight, Flight, Freeze trio of adrenaline responses, but there are four more F responses which are less wellknown: Flop, Fawn, Funster and Fib. Fight. Triggered adrenaline causes visible aggression. Your muscles tense, you start to sweat, your heart beats faster —you act on impulse to save and preserve yourself. ... Flight. It causes people to feel like they need to leave a room or location. A severe fight or flight response can become a panic attack. It can also trigger asthma attacks in people with the condition. Freeze. It is a form of behavioural inhibition accompanied by parasympathetically dominated heart rate deceleration. Flop. Similar to freezing, except your muscles become loose and your body goes floppy. Your mind can also shut down to protect itself. An example of this response is fainting. Fawn. This is a response marked by people-pleasing behaviors, conflict avoidance, unable to find one’s voice or ability to stand up for themselves in the face of a threat, and taking care of the needs of others to one’s own detriment. Funster. Social panic compells you to take on a fun, joking, clown persona that you are not in control of. Fib. When the Fib response kicks in, the brain responds to surging adrenaline by fabricating a lie in order to deny culpability with desperate creative stories. ... Read full text:


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Giant fissures

...opening up in the US are not natural formations.

Giant fissures have been appearing in the ground across the southwest US. In southcentral Arizona alone, 272 kilometers (169 miles) of these cracks have been mapped, while they have also appeared in Utah, California and Texas. The cracks are not natural formations, according to Joseph Cook of the Arizona Geological Survey, who told Insider that “it’s something we’ve caused to form”. Subsidence, where the ground is displaced, is generally the result of humans trying to get water out of the ground, causing it to compress and become unstable. “More than 80% of known land subsidence in the US is a consequence of groundwater use, and is an often overlooked environmental consequence of our land and water-use practices,” the US Geological Survey explains on their website, adding “increasing land development threatens to exacerbate existing land-subsidence problems and initiate new ones.” Fissures occur where softer ground collapses, but nearby ground does not. Like their cousin the sinkhole, they can open up pretty quickly. A recent New York Times investigation into groundwater use and the appearance of these fissures highlighted another problem; groundwater is being depleted faster than it naturally fills up. “Most of the water we’re pulling out of the ground is thousands of years old,” said Jason Groth. “It’s not like it rains on Monday, and by Saturday it’s in the aquifer.” ... Read full text:

E-Waste crisis

Apple’s first carbon neutral products ignore it.

Apple revealed its first carbon-neutral products on Tuesday [September 12th], highlighting select Apple Watch and band pairings as the first step in a promised eco-friendly renaissance. The tech giant plans to make every one of its products carbon-neutral by 2030, but with every annual product cycle, the company ignores the ongoing e-waste crisis. The world produces 54 million tons of e-waste a year, consisting of phones, computers and other electronics. Only 17% of it is recycled. The bulk of e-waste is trashed and touched only by informal waste workers in low-income countries, who sort through dumpsites for salvage despite the dangers to their health. “How much more can our planet take of machines that are made to break?” says a UN video. “We need gadgets we can lease, repair, and recycle… We need industries to design smarter products that last longer.” ... Apple attained carbon-neutral status for some products by using 100% clean electricity in manufacturing, adding in 30% recycled or renewable material by weight, and ensuring that 50% of shipping occurred without air transport. The combination of these efforts reduced carbon emissions by 75%. Apple covered the remaining 25% with carbon credits —although organizations like Greenpeace point out that offsets don’t necessarily cancel out emissions. ... Apple’s constant product rollouts have been compared to fast fashion ... Read full text:

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Marriage

...could mean losing vital benefits for people with disabilities.

Many people with disabilities in the United States face a heartwrenching choice: marry their partner and risk losing their life-sustaining disability benefits, or remain unmarried — and perhaps have to keep their relationship a secret— to keep their benefits. Advocates describe it as one of the final frontiers of marriage equality, and part of the problem is that most people without disabilities, including legislators, are unaware that the so-called marriage penalty exists. To raise awareness, more than 100 people with disabilities are expected to participate in a mass commitment ceremony on the National Mall in a protest hosted by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, a civil rights law and policy organization. ... The reasons many disabled people cannot marry are more complex than the prohibitions that outlawed samesex or interracial marriage, and the impacts are potentially life-threatening. ... Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the most significant of the programs that have a marriage penalty. SSI provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little to no income. A single person receiving SSI can have no more than $2,000 in the bank at any given time to qualify for benefits. Couples, on the other hand, can have no more than $3,000 —a 25 percent reduction in benefits. If two people on SSI marry, they essentially experience more punitive restrictions on their assets —in other words, a marriage penalty. ...
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Government inaction

Six young Portuguese will argue it discriminates against youth.

Claudia Duarte Agostinho, a 24-yearold ER nurse from western Portugal, gets stressed thinking about the reality of climate change. “Right now … the big impact that it’s having on my life is the anxiety it gives me daily,” she says. She is leading a group of six young people in a landmark lawsuit against 32 countries, including all EU member states, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Russia and Turkey. It will be heard at the European Court of Human Rights later this month. The group, the youngest member of whom is just 11, will argue that government inaction on climate change discriminates against young people and poses a tangible risk to their lives and health. It is the first time that so many countries have had to defend themselves in front of any court in the world. “This is truly a David and Goliath case,” says Dr Gearoid O Cuinn, director of the Global Legal Action Network, which is supporting the lawsuit. “It is unprecedented in its scale and in its consequences,” he adds. The case was sparked by a series of forest fires in Portugal in 2017, which killed more than 100 people and were worsened by climate change. Andre Oliveira, who was just nine years old at the time, describes it as a “terrifying experience”. He says smoke from the fires aggravated his asthma, while repeated periods of intense heat have since made it hard to sleep and concentrate on studying for his exams. ... Andre’s sister, 18-year-old Sofia, says anxiety about the climate ...
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Black bear hunt

New Jersey panel extends it, despite objections.

The New Jersey Fish and Game Council approved a bear management plan Wednwsday [September 6th] that would allow bear hunting until at least 2028, despite objections of environmental and animals rights organizations who call the harvesting cruel and inhumane. The plan still needs approval of the state Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Shawn LaTourette, who is expected to sign off. The council’s chairperson, Frank Virgilio, told attendees of a virtual public hearing that the panel weighed 8,000 public comments when considering adoption of the proposed comprehensive black bear policy for the state. The council says the policy will control the bear population and minimize human encounters, reasoning that opponents dispute. “If you don’t think that we don’t take this stuff seriously, not only do we take it seriously, but the commissioner’s office takes it seriously; the governor’s office takes it seriously,” Virgilio said. The all-volunteer, 11 member council is composed by law of six “sportsmen” —meaning hunters or anglers— three farmers, and two commercial anglers. The New Jersey Sierra Club, which has long been opposed to the hunt, said hundreds of residents had voiced opposition to the hunt and are asking La- Tourette to reject it. ... DEP data show a 32% drop in bear activity, including sightings and encounters, from Jan. 1 through Aug. 21 of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. ...
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Amazon rainfore

Thousand drones lit up NYC's night sky to call for protection.

Global movement Avaaz has brought the real jungle to the concrete jungle, filling the Manhattan skyline with 1,000 drones displaying iconic Amazon rainforest images and messages calling on the Brazilian government to save the rainforest. As President Lula returns to the UN General Assembly, Avaaz is drawing attention to the crucial role the Amazon plays in protecting the planet and underscoring that Bolsonaro’s departure does not mean the Amazon is safe. The show aims to bring life to New York City’s sky: A pink dolphin swimming over Manhattan’s skyline, a jaguar, a Sumaúma (one of the largest trees of the rainforest), emerging from the skyscrapers; the Brazilian map, and a globe in flames with the message “Amazon burns, The world burns” are among some of the impactful images brought by Avaaz. Diego Casaes, Campaign Director at Avaaz, says: “No matter where you live in the world, the Amazon rainforest is protecting you, and if this forest falls we all fall. That is why 9 million people around the world are calling on President Lula and the rest of the world’s leaders to commit to protecting this forest at all costs. People think that the rainforest is safe because Bolsonaro, the enemy of the Amazon, is no longer in power. Let’s not be fooled. This forest will only be safe when there is a commitment to end the mining, drilling, and logging that has devastated this heartbeat of our planet, and when all Indigenous peoples have their land rights secured.” ...
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Campus

Why is music getting sadder?

BY TED GIOIA / THE HONEST BROKER

I’m told that the top search term at Spotify among teens is “sad.” And it’s more than music. Sadness is so widespread among youngsters (especially teen girls) that the Center for Disease Control is now tracking it. So we shouldn’t be surprised that music and cultural indicators reflect the same reality. Even the candidates for song of the summer are filled with quiet despair —so much so that Spotify declared it the “bummer summer.” Feeding the trend, the platform serves up countless sad playlists. It’s hard to put a positive spin on this. But Spotify did its best. “Gen Z has brought a raw, authentic new reality to expressing their emotions,” the company declared in a press release. “We wanted to celebrate this powerful thing they’re doing.” The message to teens is a little awkward: You’re miserable and alone. But, hey, that’s edgy and authentic too. So what songs do sad teens want to hear during a bummer summer? “The most obvious feature of a sad song is the tempo,” explains music psychologist Michael Bonshor. “It tends to be fairly slow, often between about 60 to 70 beats per minute —like a relaxed heartbeat.”

Not long ago, this tempo was a rarity on the Billboard chart— and when you did hear a slow song it was usually a romantic love ballad for slow dancing. But the average tempo of a hit song has been getting slower since the dawn of the new millennium, but slow dancing has almost disappeared. So we have an odd situation. The slow tune is no longer dreamy music for couples, but sad, lonely music for the isolated and depressed. It doesn’t help that handheld devices, earbuds, and other pervasive technologies have turned music into something consumed alone, not communally as it was in past. Another telltale sign of sad songs is the minor key. This rise in minor key songs has been dramatic. Around 85% of songs were in a major key back in the 1960s, but in more recent years this has fallen in half. My favorite guru of music data analytics, Chris Dalla Riva, has sent me this chart showing the increasing share of Billboard #1 hits in a minor key. (By the way, I highly recommend Chris’s Substack Can’t Get Much Higher.) Chart #1. This is an enormous change —and supports my view that our culture shifted into a darker, more pessimistic phase during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The percentage of minor songs appears to have stabilized recently, but at a much higher level than the 1970s and 1980s. Lyrics have changed in tandem with the rise of the minor key. Once again, this is aligned with my thesis that a culture of anger rose to prominence in US society around the time of 9/11 —but that the trend actually started during the decade leading up to that event. It’s certainly true that song lyrics got angrier and more antisocial around that same time. Chris has also tracked the use of the words love and hate in number one hit songs — and we see a similar timeline here. Chart 2. Some have suggested that this change is due to a rise in narcissism. “In the early ’80s lyrics, love was easy and positive, and about two people,” notes psychologist Jean Twenge. “The recent songs are about what the individual wants, and how she or he has been disappointed or wronged.” My view is that the root causes here are more societal and cultural, and less built on individual personality traits. But those two forces are, of course, interconnected. And the end result is the same: gloomy songs with harsh lyrics. Pundits trying to make sense of Oliver Anthony —who went from an unsigned artist living in a trailer to a hitmaker with a number one song over the course of a few days— may want to probe these larger cultural shifts. That unprecedented event could not have happened if the prevailing ethos wasn’t predisposed to hot (not cool) and down (not up). The experts try to analyze this in terms of politics —because they analyze everything in terms of politics nowadays. But the hot cultural tone is larger than any political agenda, and cuts across party lines. (For more on this, see my “15 Observations on the Emerging Vertical Dimension of Cultural Conflict.”)

Politics does not shape the culture. Culture shapes politics. You can hear the future in hit songs long before any campaign slogan grasps the new reality. By the way, more songs now rely on ambiguous key centers —those vamping chords never resolve. You can debate whether the song is major or minor, but that lack of resolution does not produce a happy, optimistic ambiance. Not long ago, blue progressions and dominant 7 chords were everywhere on the hit charts. They had powerful resolutions. But those blues changes have now gone missing in action. The most characteristic harmonic device in contemporary popular music is a four chord repeated pattern which keeps moving back between a major chord and the relative minor chord —located up a third.

In other words, we have replaced the powerful resolve down a fourth or fifth, with the more ambiguous shift in the bass line of a third. So if you hear a F major chord in a pop song today, you will probably soon hear a A minor chord (or vice versa). If you hear a C major, get ready for E minor. If you hear a G major, you can safely bet on a B minor. Taylor Swift likes this sound —hear her “I Knew You Were in Trouble” or “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” or “Cruel Summer” or dozens of other comparable songs. Real modulations are rare (although not totally absent —check out the end of “Love Story”), but even when they appear they don’t disrupt the larger pattern. The emotional temperament of this static and repetitive approach is intriguing. It typically gives a song the quality of an anthem —those vamps provide a harmonic support for assertion, not resolution. (That’s also why these fourchord patterns are so suitable for hip-hop. Just try rapping over a 12 bar blues pattern by comparison, and you will see why the newer approach is more hip-hop friendly.) I suspect that this harmonic structure explains Taylor Swift’s effectiveness in those huge sports stadiums. People are already familiar with declamatory anthems in such settings. Swift is just presenting a different kind of anthem. Instead of declaring a nation’s independence, she is asserting her own. That’s what you do with an anthem —you tell the world who you are and what you stand for.

But anthems also convey a sense that you’re embattled and surrounded by enemies on all sides. That’s true whether you’re looking at the rocket’s red glare or simply announcing that “We are the champions” or “We will rock you” or “We’re not going to take it.” Sad and angry songs have flourished in other times and places —and we can learn from this. Songs about melancholy or even suicidal lovers were popular in the early days of German romanticism, and you find similar themes in the British folk ballad tradition. Folk ballads almost demand bloodshed and conflict, even if they also tell a love story. When I researched the history of suicidal love song, I reached the conclusion that conformist or authoritarian societies are especially fascinated by these stories. I note that newspapers in Nazi Germany frequently reported on the suicides of unhappy lovers —reading about these deaths was, for whatever reason, of great interest to the rank-and-file citizens of that regime. (I have some theories why that might be the case, but this isn’t the place to share them.) Curiously enough, Japan —Germany’s strident ally in World War II— also has a historical fascination with dark impulses and suicide in its popular culture. A few years ago, people working on a very successful dystopian TV show asked my advice about the songs in the soundtrack. I suggested that characters in a repressive, overbearing culture would probably listen to songs about deadly love affairs. They didn’t take my advice —they preferred tyrannically disciplined music for their tyrannically discipline society— but I believe my view is psychologically sound. If you live in a repressive society, songs about lovers making suicide pacts provide a cathartic release. At least that’s my working hypothesis. And what about today?

I think the sad songs of our own culture are less fatalistic than those of earlier eras, and much angrier. I’m not sure if that’s an improvement. Maybe if the prevailing anger got channeled into a positive direction, I’d be more receptive to the trend. But I fear that this angry sadness simply feeds on itself. I take some solace in knowing that no trend lasts forever. I’d be especially glad to see this one lose steam. Maybe by next summer we will be singing about carefree things again. “Let’s go surfing now. Everybody’s learning how. Come on a safari with me!” [The Beach Boys / Surfin’ Safari] But somehow I doubt it. We probably have at least a few years more of minor chord dirges and angry country singers before we modulate back to the major. Our whole society may need to experience a similar modulation before the songs get happier. In the meantime, we’re just vamping on those four chords and trying to survive a cruel bummer summer.

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Weighted critters.

Created for children with ADHD or Sensory Integration Disorder (SID). Each critter is either 2 or 2.5 lbs (around 1 kg) and can be placed on the child’s lap or shoulders. It offers pressure touch and proprioceptive input. www.performancehealth.com

PFG Freezer™ tank dress.

Combines moisture-wicking power with advanced cooling technology. Features hand pockets, and UPF 50 sun protection. www.columbia.com

Pocket folding ironing board.

Pocket folding ironing board. When not in use, simply fold it in half and tuck it away. It features an integrated storage compartment specifically designed to hold your iron, and has a hanging hook that can be mounted on a wall or door. The board comes with a perfect-fit cover made from a 100% cotton top-layer and a thick padded felt underlay. store.moma.org

Wendell Erdman Berry.

“Put your faith in the two inches of humus that will build under the trees every thousand years.”

Wendell Erdman Berry. American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer

Cooling neck gaiter. container.

Just soak it in water, pull it over your head, and within a minute it’ll cool up to 30 degrees below your body temperature for about two hours before needing a resoak. By Mission. www.amazon.com

Say what?

what? “I’m not good at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?” —Chandler (Matthew Perry), Friends
Source: parade.com


BACHELOR’S DEGREE in Journalism

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN STUDIES

The AIU Distance Learning Bachelor of Journalism program will be a custom-made program, designed just for you by you and your academic advisor. This flexibility to meet student needs is seldom found in other distance learning programs. Our online program does not require all students to take the same subjects/courses, use the same books, or learning materials. Instead, the online Bachelor of Journalism curriculum is designed individually by the student and academic advisor. It specifically addresses individual strengths and weaknesses with respect to market opportunities in the student’s major and intended field of work. Understanding that industry and geographic factors should influence the content of the curriculum instead of a standardized one-fits-all design is the hallmark of AIU’s unique approach to adult education. This philosophy address the dynamic and constantly changing environment of working professionals by helping adult students in reaching their professional and personal goals within the scope of the degree program. Writers work with editors and publishers throughout the writing process to review edits, topics, and production schedules. Editors and publishers may assign topics to staff writers or review proposals from freelance writers. All writers conduct research on their topics, which they gather through personal observation, library and Internet research, and interviews. Writers, especially of nonfiction, are expected to establish their credibility with editors and readers through strong research and the use of appropriate sources and citations. Writers and authors then select the material they want to use.

Important:

Below is an example of the topics or areas you may develop and work on during your studies. By no means is it a complete or required list as AIU programs do not follow a standardized curriculum. It is meant solely as a reference point and example. Want to learn more about the curriculum design at AIU? Go ahead and visit our website, especially the Course and Curriculum section: http://aiu.edu/course-curriculum.html

Orientation Courses:

Communication & Investigation (Comprehensive Resume)
Organization Theory (Portfolio)
Experiential Learning (Autobiography)
Academic Evaluation (Questionnaire)
Fundament of Knowledge (Integration Chart)
Fundamental Principles I (Philosophy of Education)
Professional Evaluation (Self Evaluation Matrix)
Development of Graduate Study (Guarantee of an Academic Degree)

Core Courses and Topics

The Elements of Journalism
E-Publishing
Media Languages and Cultures
Community Journalism
Professional Writing
Advertising Strategy
Campaign Planning
Literary Journalism
Introduction to Journalism and Communication
Reporting
Online Journalism
Public Relations Processes

Research Project

Bachelor Thesis Project
MBM300 Thesis Proposal
MBM302 Bachelor Thesis (5,000 words)

Publication

Each graduate is encouraged to publish their research papers either online in the public domain or through professional journals and periodicals worldwide.

Contact us to get started

Submit your Online Application, paste your resume and any additional comments/ questions in the area provided.

aiu.edu/apply-online.html

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About Us

Accreditation

Atlantic International University offers distance learning degree programs for adult learners at bachelors, masters, and doctoral level. With self paced program taken online, AIU lifts the obstacles that keep professional adults from completing their educational goals. Programs are available throughout a wide range of majors and areas of study. All of this with a philosophically holistic approach towards education fitting within the balance of your life and acknowledging the key role each individual can play in their community, country, and the world. Atlantic International University is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC). ASIC Accreditation is an internationally renowned quality standard for colleges and universities. Visit ASIC’s Directory of Accredited Colleges and Universities. ASIC is a member of CHEA International Quality Group (CIQG) in the USA, an approved accreditation body by the Ministerial Department of the Home Office in the UK, and is listed in the International Directory of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The University is based in the United States and was established by corporate charter in 1998.

Our founding principles are based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; per article 26, AIU believes that Higher Education is a Human Right. The University has implemented a paradigm shifting educational model for its academic programs that have allowed it to move closer to this goal through the self-empowerment of its students, decentralization of the learning process, personalized open curriculum design, a sustainable learning model, developing 11 core elements of the Human Condition within MYAIU, and utilizing the quasi-infinite knowledge through the use of information technology combined with our own capacity to find solutions to all types of global issues, dynamic problems, and those of individuals and multidisciplinary teams. Due to these differentiations and the university’s mission, only a reputable accrediting agency with the vision and plasticity to integrate and adapt its processes around AIU’s proven and successful innovative programs could be selected. Unfortunately, the vast majority of accrediting agencies adhere to and follow obsolete processes and requirements that have outlived their usefulness and are in direct conflict with the university’s mission of offering a unique, dynamic, affordable, quality higher education to the nontraditional student (one who must work, study what he really needs for professional advancement, attend family issues, etc.). We believe that adopting outdated requirements and processes would impose increased financial burdens on students while severely limiting their opportunities to earn their degree and advance in all aspects. Thus, in selecting the ASIC as its accrediting agency, AIU ensured that its unique programs would not be transformed into a copy or clone of those offered by the 10,000+ colleges and universities around the world. Since ASIC is an international accrediting agency based outside the United States, we are required by statute HRS446E to place the following disclaimer: ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS NOT ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. Note: In the United States and abroad, many licensing authorities require accredited degrees as the basis for eligibility for licensing.

In some cases, accredited colleges may not accept for transfer courses and degrees completed at unaccredited colleges, and some employers may require an accredited degree as a basis for eligibility for employment. Potential students should consider how the above may affect their interests, AIU respects the unique rules and regulations of each country and does not seek to influence the respective authorities. In the event that a prospective student wishes to carry out any government review or process in regards to his university degree, we recommend that the requirements of such are explored in detail with the relevant authorities by the prospective student as the university does not intervene in such processes. AIU students can be found in over 180 countries, they actively participate and volunteer in their communities as part of their academic program and have allocated thousands of service hours to diverse causes and initiatives. AIU programs follow the standards commonly used by colleges and universities in the United States with regards to the following: academic program structure, degree issued, transcript, and other graduation documents. AIU graduation documents can include an apostille and authentication from the US Department of State to facilitate their use internationally.

The AIU Difference

It is acknowledged that the act of learning is endogenous, (from within), rather than exogenous.

This fact is the underlying rationale for “Distance Learning”, in all of the programs offered by AIU. The combination of the underlying principles of student “self instruction”, (with guidance), collaborative development of curriculum unique to each student, and flexibility of time and place of study, provides the ideal learning environment to satisfy individual needs.

AIU is an institution of experiential learning and nontraditional education at a distance. There are no classrooms and attendance is not required.

Mission & Vision

MISSION:

To be a higher learning institution concerned about generating cultural development alternatives likely to be sustained in order to lead to a more efficient administration of the world village and its environment; exerting human and community rights through diversity with the ultimate goal of the satisfaction and evolution of the world.

VISION:

The empowerment of the individual towards the convergence of the world through a sustainable educational design based on andragogy and omniology.

Organizational Structure

Dr. Franklin Valcin
Presi den t/Academic Dean
Dr. José Mercado
Chief Executive Officer
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Ricardo González, PhD
Provost
     
Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez
Chief Operation Officer
and MKT Director
Linda Collazo
Logistics Coordinator

AIU Tutors Coordinators:

Deborah Rodriguez
Amiakhor Ejaeta
Amanda Gutierrez
William Mora
Miriam James



Admissions Coordinators:
Amalia Aldrett
Sandra Garcia
Junko Shimizu
Veronica Amuz
Alba Ochoa
Jenis Garcia
Judith Brown
Chris Soto
René Cordón
Dr. Anderas Rissler



Academic Coordinators:
Dr. Adesida Oluwafemi
Dr. Emmanuel Gbagu
Dr. Lucia Gorea
Dr. Edgar Colon
Dr. Mario Rios
Freddy Frejus
Dr. Nilani Ljunggren
De Silva
Dr. Scott Wilson
Dr. Mohammad Shaidul Islam
   
Dr. Miriam Garibaldi
Vice provost for Research
Carolina Valdes
Human Resource Coordinator
   
Dr. Ofelia Miller
Director of AIU
Carlos Aponte
Teleco mmunications Coordinator
   
Clara Margalef
Director of Special Projects
of AIU
David Jung
Corporate/Legal Counsel
   
Juan Pablo Moreno
Director of Operations
Bruce Kim
Advisor/Consultant
   
Paula Viera
Director of Intelligence Systems
Thomas Kim
Corporate/
Accounting Counsel
   
Felipe Gomez
Design Director / IT Supervisor
Maricela Esparza
Administrative Coordinator
   
Kevin Moll
Web Designer
Chris Benjamin
IT and Hosting Support
   
Daritza Ysla
IT Coordinator
Maria Pastrana
Accounting Coordinator
   
Daritza Ysla
IT Coordinator
Roberto Aldrett
Communications Coordinator
   
Nadeem Awan
Chief Programming Officer
Giovanni Castillo
IT Support
   
Dr. Edward Lambert
Academic Director
Antonella Fonseca
Quality Control & Data Analysis
   
Dr. Ariadna Romero
Advisor Coordinator
Adrián Varela
Graphic Design
   
Jhanzaib Awan
Senior Programmer
Vanesa D’Angelo
Content Writer
   
Leonardo Salas
Human Resource Manager
Jaime Rotlewicz
Dean of Admissions
   
Benjamin Joseph
IT and Technology Support
Michael Phillips
Registrar’s Office
   
Rosie Perez
Finance Coordinator
 
     

FACULTY AND STAFF PAGE: www.aiu.edu/FacultyStaff.html


School of Business and Economics

The School of Business and Economics allows aspiring and practicing professionals, managers, and entrepreneurs in the private and public sectors to complete a self paced distance learning degree program of the highest academic standard. The ultimate goal is to empower learners and help them take advantage of the enormous array of resources from the world environment in order to eliminate the current continuum of poverty and limitations. Degree programs are designed for those students whose professional experience has been in business, marketing, administration, economics, finance and management.

Areas of Study:

Accounting, Advertising, Banking, Business Administration, Communications, Ecommerce, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Home Economics, Human Resources, International Business, International Finance, Investing, Globalization, Marketing, Management, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Public Administrations, Sustainable Development, Public Relations, Telecommunications, Tourism, Trade.

School of Social and Human Studies

The School of Social and Human Studies is focused on to the development of studies which instill a core commitment to building a society based on social and economic justice and enhancing opportunities for human well being. The founding principles lie on the basic right of education as outlined in the Declaration of Human Rights. We instill in our students a sense of confidence and self reliance in their ability to access the vast opportunities available through information channels, the world wide web, private, public, nonprofit, and nongovernmental organizations in an ever expanding global community. Degree programs are aimed towards those whose professional life has been related to social and human behavior, with the arts, or with cultural studies.

Areas of Study:

Psychology, International Affairs, Sociology, Political Sciences, Architecture, Legal Studies, Public Administration, Literature and languages, Art History, Ministry, African Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, Islamic Studies, Religious Studies.

School of Science and Engineering

The School of Science and Engineering seeks to provide dynamic, integrated, and challenging degree programs designed for those whose experience is in industrial research, scientific production, engineering and the general sciences. Our system for research and education will keep us apace with the twenty-first century reach scientific advance in an environmentally and ecologically responsible manner to allow for the sustainability of the human population. We will foster among our students a demand for ethical behavior, an appreciation for diversity, an understanding of scientific investigation, knowledge of design innovation, a critical appreciation for the importance of technology and technological change for the advancement of humanity.

Areas of Study:

Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Communications, Petroleum Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Nutrition Science, Agricultural Science, Computer Science, Sports Science, Renewable Energy, Geology, Urban Planning.

Online Library Resources

With access to a global catalog created and maintained collectively by more than 9,000 participating institutions, AIU students have secured excellent research tools for their study programs.

The AIU online library contains over 2 billion records and over 300 million bibliographic records that are increasing day by day. The sources spanning thousands of years and virtually all forms of human expression. There are files of all kinds, from antique inscribed stones to e-books, form wax engravings to MP3s, DVDs and websites. In addition to the archives, the library AIU Online offers electronic access to more than 149,000 e-books, dozens of databases and more than 13 million full-text articles with pictures included. Being able to access 60 databases and 2393 periodicals with more than 18 million items, guarantees the information required to perform the assigned research project. Users will find that many files are enriched with artistic creations on the covers, indexes, reviews, summaries and other information.

The records usually have information attached from important libraries. The user can quickly assess the relevance of the information and decide if it is the right source.

Education on the 21st century

AIU is striving to regain the significance of the concept of education, which is rooted into the Latin “educare”, meaning “to pull out”, breaking loose from the paradigm of most 21st century universities with their focus on “digging and placing information” into students’ heads rather than teaching them to think. For AIU, the generation of “clones” that some traditional universities are spreading throughout the real world is one of the most salient reasons for today’s ills. In fact, students trained at those educational institutions never feel a desire to “change the world” or the current status quo; instead, they adjust to the environment, believe everything is fine, and are proud of it all.

IN A WORLD where knowledge and mostly information expire just like milk, we must reinvent university as a whole in which each student, as the key player, is UNIQUE within an intertwined environment. This century’s university must generate new knowledge bits although this may entail its separation from both the administrative bureaucracy and the faculty that evolve there as well. AIU thinks that a university should be increasingly integrated into the “real world”, society, the economy, and the holistic human being. As such, it should concentrate on its ultimate goal, which is the student, and get him/her deeply immersed into a daily praxis of paradigm shifts, along with the Internet and research, all these being presently accessible only to a small minority of the world community. AIU students must accomplish their self-learning mission while conceptualizing it as the core of daily life values through the type of experiences that lead to a human being’s progress when information is converted into education. The entire AIU family must think of the university as a setting that values diversity and talent in a way that trains mankind not only for the present but above all for a future that calls everyday for professionals who empower themselves in academic and professional areas highly in demand in our modern society. We shall not forget that, at AIU, students are responsible for discovering their own talents and potential, which they must auto-develop in such a way that the whole finish product opens up as a flower that blossoms every year more openly.

THE AIU STANCE is against the idea of the campus as a getaway from day-to-day pressure since we believe reality is the best potential-enhancer ever; one truly learns through thinking, brainstorming ideas, which leads to new solutions, and ultimately the rebirth of a human being fully integrated in a sustainable world environment. Self-learning is actualized more from within than a top-down vantage point, that is to say, to influence instead of requesting, ideas more than power. We need to create a society where solidarity, culture, life, not political or economic rationalism and more than techno structures, are prioritized. In short, the characteristics of AIU students and alumni remain independence, creativity, self-confidence, and ability to take risk towards new endeavors. This is about people’s worth based not on what they know but on what they do with what they know.

Read more at: www.aiu.edu

AIU Service

AIU offers educational opportunities in the USA to adults from around the world so that they can use their own potential to manage their personal, global cultural development. The foundational axis of our philosophy lies upon self-actualized knowledge and information, with no room for obsoleteness, which is embedded into a DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEM based on ANDRAGOGY and OMNIOLOGY. The ultimate goal of this paradigm is to empower learners and help them take advantage of the enormous array of resources from the world environment in order to eliminate the current continuum of poverty and limitations.

This will become a crude reality with respect for, and practice of, human and community rights through experiences, investigations, practicum work, and/ or examinations. Everything takes place in a setting that fosters diversity; with advisors and consultants with doctorate degrees and specializations in Human Development monitor learning processes, in addition to a worldwide web of colleagues and associations, so that they can reach the satisfaction and the progress of humanity with peace and harmony.

Contact us to get started

Now, it’s possible to earn your degree in the comfort of your own home. For additional information or to see if you qualify for admissions please contact us.

Pioneer Plaza / 900 Fort Street Mall 410 Honolulu, HI 96813
800-993-0066 (Toll Free in US) info@aiu.edu
808-924-9567 (Internationally) www.aiu.edu

Online application:

https://www.aiu.edu/apply3_phone.aspx