Graduated with Distinction

OCTOBER 2024. These graduate students completed their program with a high cumulative grade point average, which reflects the quality of performance within their respective major. Congratulations!

DISTINCTION
Skoulakis Vasileios
Doctor of Philosophy
Human Resources Management

DISTINCTION
Amanda Liz Jusino Rodríguez
Doctor of Digital Marketing
Artificial Intelligence DISTINCTION
Samuel Mcneil Elias Kayuni
Doctor of Social Justice and H.S.
Human Rights

DISTINCTION
Irving Pou Rivera
Doctor of Public Health
Epidemiology

DISTINCTION
Jael V Noguera Perez
Doctor of Science
Psychology

DISTINCTION
Claudia Lorena García Giraldo
Doctor of Education
Education

DISTINCTION
Claudia Arteaga Rojas
Doctor of Education
Education

DISTINCTION
Lilian Mariel Cabrera Ferreira
Doctor of Accounting
Accounting, Auditing and Finance






Awarded Professorship

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024. Dr. Emmanuel Ampem Darko, the esteemed CEO of Kwayisi Christian Herbal Clinic, has been awarded a professorship in biology by Atlantic International University’s (AIU) Department of Biology. The prestigious accolade was presented during a special ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Baffour Atua Kroko, the founder of Kwayisi Christian Herbal Clinic, held at Nankese Ayisaa. Professors Michael Philips-Corre and Jose M. Atri, co-presidents of the AIU Department of Biology, validated that Dr. Darko met all requirements for the honorary degree, underscoring his exemplary work. AIU’s official statement highlights Dr. Darko’s extensive insights into plant medicine, within Ghana and internationally. His dedication to integrating plant medicine into high-quality healthcare earned him this recognition.


Academic Achievement

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024. One of our graduates, Gil Itay, has successfully completed his Doctorate program in National Security and Defense and has recently published his thesis titled “Human Behavior and Performance Under Stress” on the AIU Student Publication Website. This remarkable research delves into the impact of stress on human performance, particularly in high-stakes military environments, and presents new strategies for improving resilience among combat fighters. Gil’s thesis investigates the CWR Model —a performance enhancement framework he developed— designed to evaluate and improve the mental resilience and response of combat soldiers in stressful scenarios. By examining the behavior and performance of several elite special units, Gil Itay’s work aims to mitigate the long-term risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military personnel. Gil Itay’s research makes a significant contribution to military training and mental health support. Find Gil Itay’s full thesis here: https://www.aiu.edu/student_ pub/human-behavior-andperformance- under-stress/

Dr. Ana Elisa Villalaz: A Beacon of Light in the World of Autism and Neurodiversity

Dr. Ana Elisa Villalaz Sánchez is a Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist. Her journey is a testament to her dedication and passion for improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and adults. Source: Global Autism Community As the Founder and Director of LCTI INTERNATIONAL GROUP, Ana Elisa has created a platform that provides efficient care services and psychoeducational programs. One of her notable achievements is The Global Autism Community, a comprehensive guide that emerged during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a valuable resource for parents, offering them insights into creating success, love, and peace for their children and families. The Global Autism Summit event series, initiated by Ana Elisa, is another exceptional project. It features over 100 interviews with autism experts, reaching and benefitting a vast audience of nearly 126,000 people. This summit is not only a source of valuable knowledge but also a source of hope and support for families dealing with autism. Source: Ana Elisa ’s Office (elconsultoriodeanaelisa. com) Ana Elisa also serves as the Founder and Director of EL CONSULTORIO DE ANA ELISA, offering online personalized assessments, clinical psychology, and therapeutic services. Additionally, as the Founder and Director of LOGROS, CENTRO TERAPÉUTICO INTEGRAL, she provides personalized in-person evaluations, clinical psychology, and therapeutic services, making a significant impact in Panama. Her commitment to making a difference in the world of autism is further exemplified by her role as Vice President of FUNDACIÓN SOY CAPAZ. She volunteers her time and expertise to promote integral development for adults with autism spectrum disorder, showcasing her generous nature and dedication to the well-being of others. When asked about the foundation of her career, Dr. Villalaz didn’t shy away from revealing the contribution of AIU’s doctorate program and course materials that enhanced her skills and upgraded her qualifications. She also elaborated on the efficiency of online education and the flexibility that it offered her. It was a transformational experience that unleashed her personal and professional growth and expanded her mental ability, emotions, and spirit. She also mentioned how the andragogy’s dynamic approach sparked creativity, and AIU’s support deepened her self-awareness, resilience, and determination and reaffirmed her uniqueness. ... If this story touches your heart and ignites your passion for making a difference, don’t stop yourself. Spread awareness and create your own success story that can further illuminate positivity among others. Take a look at her graduation ceremony and Apply for the program you are interested in. Read full text: https://www.aiu.edu/news/aiu-aninspiring- story-of-inclusivity-embracing-differences- and-creating-a-more-compassionate-world/

5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Aging & Social Change

Call for Papers This Conference will be held 25-26 September 2005 at Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden + Online. We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops/ interactive sessions, posters/ exhibits, colloquia, focused discussions, innovation showcases, virtual posters, or virtual lightning talks.

2025 Special Focus:
“Aging, Intergenerational Solidarity and the Polycrisis”
Theme 1: Economic and Demographic Perspectives on Aging

Theme 2: Public Policy and Public Perspectives on Aging
Theme 3: Medical Perspectives on Aging, Health, Wellness Theme 4: Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging

Become a Presenter: 1. Submit a proposal
2. Review timeline
3. Register Advance proposal deadline 25 November, 2024 Advance registration deadline 25 December, 2024

Visit the website: https://agingandsocialchange.com




Demiter Seke Nsakala
Bachelor of Business and Economics
Supply Chain and Logistics Management
Angola
Laura Marcela Bomben
Bachelor of Business Administration
Human Resources Administration
Argentina
Mohammad Kamruzzaman
Doctor of Business Administration
Business Administration
Bangladesh
Jessica Sbarra
Master of Science
Gerontology Public Health
Canada
Neri Camina Jr
Master of Science
Health Care Administration
Canada
Paola Andrea Serna Caballero
Bachelor of Science
Psychology
Colo
           
Claudia Lorena García Giraldo
Doctor of Education
Education
Colombia
Kadaba Michel
Master of Education
Education
Congo
Henry Kabeya
Doctor of Science
Counselling Psychology
Congo (DRC )
Viotil Margarita de Luna
Doctor of Science
Legal and Political Science
Dominican Republi
Daysi Jimena Medina Villalba
Bachelor of Psychology
Neuropsychology
Ecuador
Abdulaziz Ibrahim Feto
Doctor of Business
Business Management
Ethiop ia
           
Joseph El Khoury Tanios Abi Ramia
Bachelor of Science
Electrical Engineering
Fra
Tamar Zhordania
Master of Arts
Music Therapy and Counseling
Georgia
Gertrude Kafui Boamah
Doctor of Arts
Ethnomusicology
Ghan
Skoulakis Vasileios
Doctor of Philosop hy
Human Resources Management
Greece
Jimmy Danny Aldana Chacon
Master of Finance
Finance
Guatemala
Haba Cece Jules
Master of Science
Information Technology
Guin
           
Roy Felipe Barahona Fuentes
Doctor of International Relations
International Relations and Economics
Honduras
Rocio Del Carmen Chain Chain
Bachelor of Business Administration
Banking and Finance
Honduras
Romel Edgardo Sanchez Bonilla
Master of Science
Urban Planning
Honduras
Roslyn E. Smith
Bachelor of Business and Economics
Business Administration
Jamaica
Kasha Keleia Allison
Master of Accounting
Accounting
Jamaica
Nadia Hylton
Master of Science
Science and Agriculture Education
Jamaica
           
Shaneille Sash-Nicole Samuels
Doctor of Philosop hy
Quantitative Finance
Jamaica
Isaac Fayiah Fayiah
Bachelor of Science
Electromechanical Engineering
Liberia
Mcneil Elias Kayuni
Doctor of Soc. Justice and Human Studies
Human Rights
Malawi
Orlando Díaz Osuna
Doctor of Science
Legal Studies
Mexico
Claudia Alejandra Mergold Villaseñor
Doctor of Education
Education
Mexico
Petronila del Socorro Velásquez Lazo
Bachelor of Science
Psychology
Nicaragua
           
Mohammed-Sharif Yakubu
Doctor of Science
Accounting
Nigeria
Oyesola Opeoluwa Oworu
Doctor of Business Administration
Business Management
Nigeria
Friday Gabriel Imoluamen
Doctor of Philosop hy
Social Welfare
Nigeria
Robert Oshioke Ogirri
Doctor of Philosop hy
Business Administration and Management
Nigeria
Olumuyiwa Adewuyi Adebayo
Doctor of Business Administration
Finance
Nigeria
Oluwaseun Yinka Alabi
Doctor of Philosop hy
Project Management
Nigeria
           
Ana Cárdenas Quesada
Bachelor of Education
Psychopedagogy
Panama
Esther Komble Takili
Bachelor of International Relations
Diplomatic Relations
Pap ua New Guinea
Lilian Mariel Cabrera Ferreira
Doctor of Accounting
Accounting, Auditing and Finance
Paraguay
Noé Avendaño Ochoa
Bachelor of Science
Psychology
Peru
Noé Avendaño Ochoa
Bachelor of Science
Psychology
Peru
José Jaime Mestas Ponce
Doctor of Philosop hy
Legal Studies
Peru
           
Irving Pou Rivera
Doctor of Public Health
Epidemiology
Puerto Rico
Jagadi Rodriguez Canales
Doctor of Science
Legal Studies
Puerto Rico
Lazaroni Flavia-Mihaela
Doctor of Science
Nutrition and Health Science
Romania
Browlia Cassandra Audain
Bachelor of Arts
Special Education
Saint Kitts and Ne
Peter John Amara
Bachelor of Science
Human Development
Sierra Leone
Sunday Abraham Omolajaiye
Doctor of Philosop hy
Public Health
South Africa
           
Joseph Kudzanai Mutsigwa
Doctor of Science
Disaster Risk Management
Swaz iland
Alces Dor
Doctor of Science
Psychology
Turks and Caicos Islands
Jason Steven Henry
Doctor of Education
Adult Education
Turks and Caicos Islands
Laura Kyomukama Agaba
Doctor of Education
Education
Uganda
Haytham Said Shabayek
Doctor of Philosop hy
Child Psychology and Development
United Arab Emirates
Salian Jewel Sesay
Master of Science
Public Health
United Kingdom
           
Susan Natalie Simms
Doctor of Business Education
Business Education
USA
Eze Anastasia Chinwendu
Bachelor of Science
Healthcare Management
USA
Claudia Arteaga Rojas
Doctor of Education
Education
USA
Jose Gregorio Marquez
Doctor of Psychology
Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy
USA
Amanda Liz Jusino Rodríguez
Doctor of Digital Marketing
Artificial Intelligence
USA
Jael V Noguera Perez
Doctor of Science
Psychology
USA
           
Charlius Pierre
Post-Doctorate of International Studies
International Relations
USA
George Abang Tawoh
Doctor of Philosop hy
Project Management
USA
Mohammad Hamidullah Sheikh
Doctor of Philosop hy
Public Administration
USA
Jeffery Fleming
Doctor of Science
Sustainable Design and Construction
USA
Jean Leonrd Onana Effala
Doctor of Science
Civil Engineering
USA
Deng Gieu Reng
Doctor of Science
Renewable and Sustainable Energy
USA
           
Jesús Ángel García Arasa
Bachelor of Theology
Theology
USA
Francisco José Gil Mejía
Bachelor of Science
Political Science
USA
Alex Bupe Bwalya
Master of Science
Civil Engineering
Zambia
Prisca Siangazi
Master of Business Administration
Business Administration
Zambia
Timothy Lungu
Doctor of Philosop hy
Project Management
Zambia
Betty Siakwale
Bachelor of Communications
Communications
Zambia
           
Agnes Zengeya
Bachelor of Science
Mental Health
Zimbabwe
Forbes Kanogwere
Doctor of Proj ect Management
Project Management
Zimbabwe
       
           

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 · Argentina · Bangladesh · Canada · Colombia · Congo · Congo (DRC) · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Ethiopia · France · Georgia · Ghana · Greece · Guatemala · Guinea · Honduras · Jamaica · Liberia · Malawi · Mexico · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Puerto Rico · Romania · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Sierra Leone · South Africa · Swaziland · Turks and Caicos Islands · Uganda · UAE · UK · USA · Virgin Islands · Zambia · Zimbabwe


Student Testimonials

Kurginama Mathew Joktan
Master of Finance and Business Mgmt.
August 27, 2024
“This a letter to share my experiences with you on how my journey so far has been since I commenced studying and about to graduate, and the tremendous benefit it has been too me. The moment I logged on to my virtual learning portal, to be honest I didn’t know what to expect and how I was going to go about my studies, but with the user-friendly platform and the aid of my tutors I was able to understand everything needed to know to easily navigate the portal and my studies. From my phase 1 to phase 4, I saw the diversity in studying with you, from my online classes with different people around the world, to the courses which were no doubt challenging but very insightful. I studied Accounting for my first degree but combining it with Finance and Business management was broad for me to understand Financial and Business management in a very indepth way which opened my eyes to the endless opportunities and how I could input my own knowledge to the betterment of various sectors of the ...
READ FULL TEXT:
Anastasia Eze
Doctor of Management
September 3, 2024
“My experience throughout my learning process at AIU has been very rewarding and beneficial. I enrolled at AIU with the aim of acquiring more knowledge to enhance opportunities in my career path. During the early stages, I was met with a few challenges and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy as it was my first experience at virtual learning. I soon started to familiarize myself with the system and my tutors played a vital role in me achieving this. They were always very helpful and eager to help me through any challenges I was facing. They were also very interested to know how well I was coping with my studies and explaining every bit to me in detail and thereby giving me an ideal environment to excel. This experience made me grow in a couple of aspects, some of which I will talk about as I proceed with this letter. In the aspect of being able to effectively manage time, I was able to create a balance between my studies and my job while also being able to manage the family and attend to other demands. ...
READ FULL TEXT:
Betty Siakwale
Bachelor of Communications
September 6, 2024
“Ihave been a student with AIU since 2018 pursuing a bachelors degree and successfully completed my study in 2023. I enrolled in the school of Social and Human studies and my major was Communications. As you can see from the time I started my program it has taken me a very long time to graduate due to financial challenges. During the period I was pursuing my degree I can say that things on my part were not easy financially, I reached a point where I almost gave up because I could not manage to raise money for my tuition fees, but thanks to the dedicated members of staff at AIU who always encouraged me not to lose hope but to keep on the momentum, even when I did not have money to pay for my tuition fees, they gave me flexible options just so I could still continue with my studies and that humbled me. Mr. Foster Bey especially was one who could make an effort to call me by phone to just find out why I was not active at times with my program and gave me words of encouragement and that alone gave me encouragement and ...
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JBradshaw Tomlinson
Bachelor of Architecture
September 10, 2024
“I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to provide you with a detailed university experience letter. It is my pleasure to share with you the valuable experiences and accomplishments during my time at your esteemed university. Throughout my university journey, I have demonstrated exceptional dedication, perseverance, and a thirst for knowledge. I have completed the requirements of my chosen program, with outstanding academic achievements. My commitment to academia and eagerness to explore new avenues of learning has been truly commendable. In addition to my academic prowess, I have actively participated in various university activities. My involvement in student organizations, clubs, and community service initiatives has showcased my leadership skills and commitment to making a positive impact with online learning. Your contributions and communication skills are highly regarded and appreciated. Moreover, your interactions with ...
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FIND MORE TESTIMONIALS FROM AIU STUDENTS HERE:


STUDY to pursue entrepreneurship

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


We often wonder what is happening with our world, which seems less familiar to us every day. Today we do things this way and tomorrow we are told to do them differently. How can we find the middle ground to live a happy life? It was said that one studied and with that one had a guaranteed future; now one studies, and it seems that the results are not the same. First, one must know what studying is, second, why and where. Before, to study, applicants to enter a university thought about what they would like to know. They took tests of general competencies and of the knowledge of that area itself.

Today there is greater clarity about what studying is: Pedagogy and Psychology, like all sciences, have their advances; it is not about having brilliant reasoning, it is about being able to explain: the what, the how, the why, the where, the when, being able to represent, being able to quantify in the case of the sciences of quantity and also to distinguish when a science only reaches quality. Even today there is talk of a methodology that can unite quantity and quality. In the why we must know that a society doesn’t remain static; societies, as humans discover step by step what nature is, make changes in their ways of life. Nowadays we have a society that changes at a very fast pace. We have Artificial Intelligence and with it the media: we have information and often misinformation almost instantly about what happens anywhere in the world. Trade nowadays is global. With globalization, you can work anywhere in the world. Now, what you must learn to be in this world is to distinguish the media that stay away from misinformation and hate speech from those that don't. few years ago, people listened to information and didn't doubt its veracity; today, that's not possible. We must find our protective layer to live in peace and not be a victim and fall into nervous tension. As for why we study, we already know: to know and have a source of income for subsistence needs. That subsistence is what has become problematic. Before, people studied and looked for a job and the matter were resolved: people stayed there even when they were going to retire. Nowadays, you go to a Bank and there are few staff. You go to a store and there are few staff. You go to a restaurant and there are few staff. Well, if you studied, what happens now is that it's difficult to find a job because the world seems to be going backwards.

They make you study more and there are fewer jobs. What can I do if everything seems to be going backwards? What world are we living in? How can I resolve this situation? If I don’t study, I will understand less what is happening, and if I study, what am I going to do? Where is this world headed? It happens that when you go to a Bank, a computer appears: if you are going to do this; here; if you are going to do that; here. Oh! There is also mobile banking, and you can do it from your phone. If you go to a grocery store, you can order them and they bring them to you, or there are computer terminals, and you pay here by yourself. If it is a clothing store, a lone employee who walks around there tells you: go to that corner and put the merchandise in the box together. There is a computer terminal that tells you how much to pay and if you want packaging in what to take it, how much more it will be.

If you go to a restaurant, before you enter, the menu is already visible on an electronic board and everything they serve appears from there you mark what you want, and it also tells you where you are going to sit; it also tells you how much to pay. It also tells you about the time in which they will bring your order. Only one employee comes and brings you everything. In this world, it seems that studying is complicated because what am I going to do later. What do I have to do now to enter a university? Ah! But now in this new world there is freedom of creation, and the world is open for creativity. Today, the doors are open to being an entrepreneur; to create your niche market.

The thing is that creating my own company is difficult because I have seen that many fail. Do you know why they fail? Because they don’t study well the elements that enter for the undertaking. That is where the study is applied. According to Arturo Elias Ayub, to undertake means to pursue and execute a dream. Therefore, the first step is to find a business idea. You have to start by asking yourself what you want to do, what need, or problem or necessity have I identified in my day to day, in my environment, in the community, and ask yourself how you could solve them. First, I have to know important: what are my interests? What am I passionate about? What am I good at? Where do I see myself in 10 or 20 years? Ayub. The entrepreneur. Grijalbo. 2023.

Continuing with the concept of what it means to be an entrepreneur: “According to María Formichella (2004), “being an entrepreneur means being able to create something new or give a different use to something already existing, and in this way generate an impact on your own life and that of the community in which you live”. 20 Simple steps to start a business . Orga nization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI ) RD . 2021-2022 What am I going to be an entrepreneur about? To carry out a project that means entrepreneurship, innovation or creativity you must do the following when you are finishing your studies:

1. Analysis of the needs of the good or service to be offered.
2. New vision of it. That is what the studies were for.
3. Permits requested by the government.
4. Necessary supplies.
5. Start-up cost. Investigate whether the Bank offers credit for Entrepreneurs
6. Be patient with bureaucracy.
7. Be strong in what you do.
8. Be aware that a company doesn’t produce profitable results at the beginning.
9. Review what doesn’t work if you see that everything is going very slowly.
10. Want and want what you do.

That’s the new world we live in. If you go to university and think that’s it, you’re not looking at the new world we live in. Other situations that you must think about is that it doesn’t have to be the company that occupies an extraordinary space. It doesn’t have to be the product for the kings to ask me for it; if so, that’s great. The product or service can be the smallest thing that one can consider. There are many people that you see who know how to make a typical dish and that gives them results. We even see that even the repair service covers needs: how many clothes are bought, and this decoration has already come off and is thrown away because there is no way to repair it at home. Nowadays there are many ways to upload information about the service offered: People search for the services on their cell phone, and they even see what ratings the clients give them. There are all the ways to advertise to the clientele that you want to have; you can do it through: Google, Social Networks, WhatsApp Business and Facebook. It is no longer necessary to go to a clothing store to buy and spend hours; we have abundant commerce through the information media. Also, if you don’t want to go out and want an extraordinary dinner, you just open your phone and look for what you want and stay at home. What we are experiencing is that this world changes faster every day and we must train for the present we have, not for the past.

You are a student at Atlantic International University (AIU) and your studies are making you see that you can no longer learn just to look for a job because companies are applying more technology every day, which is why we need to create our own sources of income for a satisfactory and happy life. It is no longer impossible for us to create a world that is comfortable for us; we have the abilities as human beings to grow and grow. With your studies, find the way to be in the fore: Undertake Innovate Create Yes, you can.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. Mayub, E. 2023. El Emprendedor: 10 pasos para empezar o potenciar tu negocio. México. Grijalbo. | 20 Sencillos pasos para emprender. Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI) RD. 2021-2022 https://oei.int/downloads/disk/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaDdDRG9JYTJWNVNTSWhjakF6Ym5aNmNqZGpaakkwTkhvNGFYWnVObW8wWTNKd2RqSndZUVk2QmtWVU9oQmth- WE53YjNOcGRHbHZia2tpQVpScGJteHBibVU3SUdacGJHVnV | Blank. S. y Bob Dorf. Image: www.freepik.es 2021. El Manual del Emprendedor. Barcelona. Booket, Paidos.

Hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination for health workers in The Gambia: A Pilot Study

Abdoulie B Badjie | Doctorate in Public Health


ABSTRACT Background: Hepatitis B infection is a significant global health threat that contributes to the loss of healthcare workers (HCWs) and puts the health workforce at considerable risk. Aim: This study aimed to create and integrate Hepatitis B virus serology testing and vaccination into an occupational health and safety program for health workers in The Gambia. Objective: To determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B among a subset of high-risk healthcare workers in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH). Methods: This pilot study was a cross-sectional study conducted at the EFSTH from the 12th-16th of June 2023. Participants were interviewed, demographic and basic knowledge on Hepatitis B data was collected and laboratory investigations on hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B antibody testing were conducted before vaccination. Findings: The pilot study enrolled 70 health workers. They were mostly female 44 (62.9%) and Gambians 67(95.7%). The majority of the participants 42 (60%) reported to have taken at least 1 dose of the hepatitis B vaccine in the past. The overall prevalence of hepatitis B in this study was 3(4.3%). The prevalence in the likely unvaccinated cohort was 3(7.1%). There were no positive antigen results amongst the likely vaccinated cohort. Hepatitis B antibody testing was negative in 42 (60%) of participants. Conclusions: This pilot study confirms the high prevalence of Hepatitis B among the likely unvaccinated healthcare workers at the EFSTH. The majority of the healthcare workers also tested negative for Hepatitis B antibody. This justifies the need for a well-planned and clear HBV screening and vaccination policy among healthcare workers throughout The Gambia, especially those at the highest risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material.

INTRODUCTION The Gambia has worked to bolster its health workforce to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. The Gambian Ministry of Health (MoH), with support from the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational Health has developed a National Policy on Occupational Health and Safety for HCWs. Beginning in 2014, the UMB team has worked to explore collaborative opportunities to establish and cultivate vital relationships in the Ministry of Health (MoH) and at the University of The Gambia School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences. In 2016, UMB provided basic occupational health and safety training for the health sector in a three-day event with the MoH through the Directorate of Public Health Services and Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital for more than 30 attendees. As a follow-up in 2018, MoH identified the prevention of blood-borne hazards, airborne exposures, and the management of medical waste handling as their priorities and worked collaboratively to develop the National Policy with these three focus areas. This policy, which was validated in 2020, drew on the collective input of multiple stakeholders including Ministry of Health staff from the Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Unit, the National Public Health Laboratory, and other National Health Program representatives as well as Regional Health Directors, Hospital CEOs, the Department of Labor, the Public Health representative of the Armed Forces and the University of The Gambia representatives. In June 2022, the Ministry of Health team and University of Maryland team conducted a multi-day consultation health staff and stakeholders where they reviewed the WHO’s new draft implementation guide for HCW vaccination. Using this document as a guide, the team developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) which included planning and preparation steps such as obtaining an Ethics Board review for the protocol, and development of needed additional documents for participant information and communication, questionnaires, consent and clear pathways for participant clinical follow-up. In addition, the team drafted a flow diagram for the operational methodology for the HCW serology testing and Hepatitis B Vaccination pilot.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B infection is a significant global health threat that contributes to the loss of healthcare workers (HCWs) and puts the health workforce at considerable risk (Akibu, et. al. 2018). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), viral hepatitis is responsible for approximately 1.34 million deaths annually (World Health Orga nization. 2017). HCWs have a four-fold increased risk relative to the general population for exposure to HBV from infected patients (Wijayadi, et. al. 2018) and as such, represent an important group in the population that needs protection from HBV. The number of HBV-positive individuals globally is the highest in the African region, accounting for 68% of the global burden (Madihi, et. al. 2020). As a result of this significant public health challenge, the WHO Assembly adopted the first Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis in 2016 to protect the global health workforce (Bhadoria, et. al. 2022). In Africa, HBV is estimated to affect 15-20% of the population (Mendy, et. al. 2010). In a low-middle income country (LMIC) like The Gambia, HBV prevalence varies ranging from 13% among blood donors (Armitag e, et. al. 2019), 9% among pregnant women (Mellins, et. al. 2008), and between 8 and 17% among HIV-infected individuals (Suy, et. al. 2006). Although the prevalence of HBV varies in The Gambian population and is relatively high, HCWs are not systematically vaccinated against HBV due to a history of infant vaccine campaigns in the last thirty years and several cultural, political, and socioeconomic factors. The loss of HCWs during both the Ebola crisis in West Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how indispensable HCWs are to a functioning and resilient health system (Gebremeskel, et. al. 2021). HCW protection must therefore become more strongly prioritized in countries where health systems are already fragile (Kuhlmann, et. al. 2021).

HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD VACCINES IN THE GAMBIA Maintaining high immunization coverage is a key component in reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccinepreventable diseases. In 1974, the WHO launched the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) to make vaccines available to all children (Uwizihiwe, et. al. 2015). Five years later, the EPI was established in The Gambia to target childhood diseases, including hepatitis B. From 1986-1990, The Gambia launched the nationwide Gambia Hepatitis Intervention Study (GHIS) which targeted infant HBV vaccination as part of the EPI (Shimakawa , et. al. 2014). The objective of the GHIS study was to evaluate the protective effectiveness of infant HBV vaccination on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in adulthood (Kao, J. H. 2015). While infant vaccination was included in the GHIS, coverage may have been variable. In addition, the 3-dose series means that a sizable number of eligible children may not be fully immunized (Hill, et. al. 2015). Final results from the study were estimated to take 30 to 35 years and complete elimination of infection was expected to take 20-30 years (Tekle, et. al. 2016). When the trial finished in 1990, the national infant Hepatitis B vaccination program replaced GHIS. Given initial positive results in LMICs globally, the WHO recommended that all member states include the Hepatitis B vaccine in their national childhood immunization services by 1997 (Akbar, et. al. 2021).

WANING IMMUNITY While The Gambia has worked to expand childhood vaccination coverage, and studies have shown that the full three-dose primary hepatitis B vaccination series provides long-term immunity, it may not provide lifelong protection as immunity has been shown to wane over time (Osiowy, C. 2018). A previous study analyzing HBV immunity fifteen years post-immunization concluded that one or more boosters are needed to protect individuals from breakthrough infections (Leuridan, et. al. 2011). Another study looked at serologic hepatitis B immunity in HCWs and found that 29% of workers who were vaccinated against hepatitis B showed no serologic evidence of hepatitis B immunity (Mahamat, et. al. 2021). The lack of response in a percentage of HCWs means that many are still at risk for infection.

BARRIERS TO THE HEPATITIS B VACCINE In addition to waning immunity, the three-dose vaccine schedule puts a strain on families that experience travel-related barriers during infant vaccine campaigns meaning that some children may not be fully covered. Barriers to vaccination in adult HCWs include financial costs of vaccine distribution, lack of hospital policy, low-risk perception, fear of side effects, lack of time, insufficient cold-chain storage, and lack of trained community health workers (Mohanty, et. al. 2020). Furthermore, a lack of awareness of the vaccine’s effectiveness contributes to inadequate vaccine uptake (Thomson, et. al. 2016). The combination of each of these barriers causes vaccination coverage to plateau.

INTEREST IN HIGH-RISK ADULTS Although historically the WHO has supported vaccine campaigns for many vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), their focus has been almost exclusively on the pediatric population (Yu, et. al. 2018). Recently, however, the WHO has begun to expand its focus on the immunization of vulnerable adult populations. Because HCWs are frequently exposed to infectious patients, they are considered an especially vulnerable adult population. In 2022, the WHO released an implementation guide for the vaccination of HCWs that outlined the latest recommendations and programmatic considerations for the vaccination of HCWs (World Health Orga - nization. 2022). Specific vaccination recommendations include Hepatitis B, as well as, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, and varicella. The guide highlights the need to integrate HCW vaccination into existing occupational health and safety policies and suggests that as part of a national comprehensive viral hepatitis response, countries may consider establishing a hepatitis B testing and vaccination approach for health workers. This report describes such an effort to include Hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination in the occupational health program for the health workforce in Gambia, West Africa (Lemoine, et. al. 2016).

AIM This study aimed to create and integrate hepatitis B serology testing and vaccination into an occupational health and safety program for health workers in The Gambia.

OBJECTIVES 1. To determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B antigen among a subset of high-risk healthcare workers in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) 2. To determine the presence of antibody protection of health care workers (EFSTH) against Hepatitis B 3. To determine the Hepatitis B vaccination status or history among healthcare workers in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) TO BE CONTINUED

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

Learning

The science of reading

What learning to read for understanding requires.

For years now, the early literacy education community has been talking about the need to reform our practice to align to the science of reading. But what is the science of reading? And how can it improve our practice so kids become better readers? The science of reading is the converging evidence of what matters and what works in literacy instruction, organized around models that describe how and why. ... In early literacy alone, tens of thousands of studies have been published, and some even show results that are at odds with one another. For educators to be able to consume research meaningfully, we need to look for a convergence of evidence. When many well-designed studies point to a similar result, we should pay attention. An important model in early reading research is the simple view of reading. It says that reading comprehension (RC) is the product of decoding (D) and language comprehension (LC), or RC = D x LC Learning to read for understanding requires sounding out and recognizing words —decoding— but it also requires making meaning of the words and sentences we hear —language comprehension. ... Research is clear about what matters to teach in early literacy instruction: phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary and oral language comprehension, and text comprehension. For each of these, a convergence of evidence tells us what works ... Read full text:

Tech industry

A tiny town slammed by Helene could massively disrupt it.

A tiny town in North Carolina that’s just been devastated by hurricane Helene could end up severely disrupting the global supply chain for microchips and solar panels. Nestled in the Appalachian mountains, the community of Spruce Pine, population 2,194, is known for its hiking, local artists and as America’s sole source of high-purity quartz. Helene dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the town, destroying roads, shops and cutting power and water. But its reach will likely be felt far beyond the small community. Semiconductors are the brains of every computer-chip-enabled device, and solar panels are a key part of the global push to combat climate change. To make both semiconductors and solar panels, companies need crucibles and other equipment that both can withstand extraordinarily high heat and be kept absolutely clean. One material fits the bill: quartz. Pure quartz. Quartz that comes, overwhelmingly, from Spruce Pine. “As far as we know, there’s only a few places in the world that have ultra-high-quality quartz,” according to Ed Conway, author of Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization. Russia and Brazil also supply high-quality quartz, he says, but “Spruce Pine has far and away the [largest amount] and highest quality.” Conway says without super-pure quartz for the crucibles ... it would be impossible to produce most semiconductors. ... Read full text:


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‘Phenomenal’ tool

Sequences DNA and tracks proteins without cracking cells open.

Researchers are queuing up to try a powerful microscopy technique that can simultaneously sequence an individual cell’s DNA and pinpoint the location of its proteins with high resolution —all without having to crack the cell open and extract its contents. Imaging DNA and proteins inside intact cells provides crucial information about how these molecules work together. The method’s developers have already used it to study how ageing might alter the way that proteins in the nucleus interact with chromosomes. As the body ages, they found, changes in these nuclear proteins could suppress gene activity. “This paper is really extraordinary,” says Ankur Sharma, a cancer biologist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia... The method, called expansion in situ genome sequencing, was described in a preprint1 posted on bioRxiv on 26 September. It has not yet been peer reviewed. The approach could be particularly useful to researchers who are studying how DNA is wound around proteins and stuffed into the nuclei of cells —and how the location of genes within that morass can affect their activity. We can think of DNA as “a linear string of information that has to be squished and organized inside a 5-micron-sized cell nucleus”, says Jason Buenrostro, a geneticist at Harvard University, and an author on the preprint. ...
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Reverse diabetes

How stem cells do it for the first time in history.

For the first time in history, a multidisciplinary team of scientists managed to reverse type 1 diabetes in a 25-year-old patient, who received a reprogrammed stem cell transplant and less than three months later she started producing her own insulin. She is the first human with type 1 diabetes to be treated using cells that were extracted from her own body. The results of his case were published on the specialized site Cell and the success of the procedure is already considered a milestone for modern medicine. The paper, signed by 35 scientists from various Chinese institutions, explains that the analysis was carried out over a period of one year and corresponds to “a first phase I clinical trial in humans that evaluates the viability of autologous transplantation of islets derived from chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSC islets) under the anterior rectum abdominal sheath for the treatment of type diabetes 1.” This stem cell transplant represents a major step forward in the treatment of this disease, which along with type 2 diabetes, is considered a chronic condition affecting more than 500 million people worldwide. ... For the specific case of the Chinese patient, the paper details: “she achieved sustained insulin independence starting 75 days post-transplantation. ... Read full text


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Space Station

Like a luxury hotel inside

Aluminum for spacecraft interiors is passé; what space-farers apparently want is wood. That’s the bet from Vast, the makers of Haven-1, the world’s first commercial space station set to be placed in low-Earth orbit by the SpaceX Falcon rocket next year. First paying customers will be getting on board in 2026, and judging by the final designs just released of the station’s cozy interior, they'll feel right at home. Helping to add softness to an interior previously more focused on function than style, Vast has used fine-grained maple wood—a contemporary favorite of home interior designers, chosen for its ability to add warmth and elegance to any space, and now space space. Haven-1 has also developed other creature comforts, including a puffy space duvet that should help to encourage a good night’s rest —not something easily achieved in space. ... Read full text

Cristina Arcenegui Bono

Cloth quilter extraordinaire

Cristina began quilting in 1999 after watching the movie How to make an American quilt (it was all about community). Although her initial background is in travel and tourism, her true passion is quilting, especially by machine. When she arrived in London, in order to improve her English, the first thing she did was to visit the museums. She used to frequent haberdashery shops, which fueled her love for textile art. In 2005 she bought her first longarm and opened her quilting business. What inspires her? Children living authentic childhoods. Her signature quilts are pictorial whole cloth quilts. Much of her work is made for the sole purpose of entering contests, and she likes to listen “incognito” to people experiencing her quilts at exhibitions. Traveling means a lot to her. When she taught in California and needed to then get to Houston, she took a train to experience the country. The pandemic opened a whole new world for Cristina teaching on line. “Although four years ago I started making quilts based on illustrations from artists like Johanna Basford and Sveta Dorosheva, I am now moving to more whimsical quilts which are products of my imagination” she said. Visit: www.crisarcbono.com Read full text

Surveillance excl

Jip van Leeuwenstein

Cameras create a safer living environment. Mega databanks stock hundreds of exabytes a year. But who has access to this data? Not only the security department but also the advertisement industry. They pay to use real time data. They keep records of your personal interests and they follow you everywhere you go. By wearing this mask it is possible to become unrecognizable for facial recognition software. Because of its transparency you will not lose your facial Read full text

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UV rays

May boost health in low-sunlight countries

In low-sunlight locations, exposure to higher levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation —found in sunlight— was linked to a drop in deaths due to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Adapting public health advice to reflect both the risks and benefits of UV exposure may help to reduce disease burden and improve life expectancy in low-sunlight countries. Experts caution that measures should still be taken to protect the skin when UV levels are high, to prevent sunburn and the development of skin cancer. University of Edinburgh scientists used genetic and health information from the UK BioBank to examine the UV exposure of 395,000 people across the UK. Participants were restricted to those of white European descent, due to the role skin pigmentation plays in the response to UV exposure. ... Living in locations with lower UV levels was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer —19% and 12%, respectively. Sunbed use was linked to a 23% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 14% lower risk of death from cancer, compared to non-users. It is possible that people who use sunbeds may also seek out greater sun exposure and so this result may reflect broader sun seeking behaviour, the team says. Those with a higher estimated UV exposure had a slightly increased risk of being diagnosed with melanoma but their risk of dying from the condition was not raised. ... Read full text

Brain in pregnancy

Scans capture sweeping reorganisation of it.

Profound changes that sweep across the human brain during pregnancy have been captured for the first time, after researchers performed precision scans on a woman carrying her child. MRI scans taken every few weeks from before conception until two years after childbirth revealed widespread reorganisation in the mother’s brain, with some changes short-lived and others lasting years. The work paves the way for a far deeper understanding of the mother’s brain in pregnancy. Further scans are now being gathered from other pregnant women to learn about the risks of postnatal depression, the link between pre-eclampsia and dementia, and why pregnancy can reduce migraines and symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Scientists took 26 brain scans of a healthy 38-year-old woman who conceived via IVF, and concurrent blood samples to monitor the dramatic surges in hormones during pregnancy. The data revealed how the brain changed, week by week. Most apparent was a steady decrease in grey matter, the wrinkly outer surface of the brain, throughout pregnancy and a temporary peak in neural connectivity at the end of the second trimester. “The maternal brain undergoes this choreographed change across gestation and we’re finally able to observe the process in real time,” said Prof Emily Jacobs, a researcher on the study at UC Santa Barbara. ... Read full text:


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Harmful micr

...lurking in the world’s 7 billion tonnes of plastic waste.

In June, more than 2,000 volunteers participated in the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup campaign and netted nearly 40 tonnes of plastic debris from just some 80 kilometres of ocean and coasts across the world, including sites from Vietnam to California. Although representing one week’s hard work for the volunteers, such initiatives are a drop in the ocean of plastic waste that is generated each year —about 400 million tonnes, equivalent to the weight of all adult humans currently on Earth. A plethora of projects and policies, both national and international, aim to tackle plastic pollution. ... Yet one aspect is often overlooked: the communities of microbes hosted by plastic debris, which form the ‘plastisphere’. Initial studies suggest that this human-made habitat serves as a widespread, mobile reservoir of various microbial hazards such as pathogens —yet little else is known. ... The plastisphere covers vast expanses of water and land ... and is an ideal place for colonization by microorganisms, which tend to attach to a surface. More than 80,000 diatoms were found in one cm2 of the marine plastisphere. One gram of marine plastic can harbour ten times the microbial biomass of a cubic metre of open ocean water. ... The plastisphere hosts a variety of pathogens, including viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria that affect the health of plants, animals and humans. ... Read full text:

Deforestation

World missed its goal in 2023, report says.

In 2023, 6.37 million hectares of forest were destroyed, almost equivalent to the size of Latvia, according to a report by the organization Forest Declaration Assessment published on Tuesday [Oct. 8]. To stay on track for eliminating deforestation by 2030, this figure should not excede 4.4 million hectares (almost 11 million aces), a target that has been widely surpassed. The main causes of this massive destruction of trees were agriculture, road construction, fires, and commercial logging, according to the report. “Globally, deforestation has gotten worse, not better, since the beginning of the decade,” Ivan Palmegiani, lead author of the Forest Declaration Assessment report, said. “We’re only six years away from a critical global deadline to end deforestation, and forests continue to be chopped down, degraded, and set ablaze at alarming rates,” he said. According to the report, one of the key ways to meet global forest targets is to reduce deforestation in the tropics. However, nearly 96% of all deforestation in 2023 occurred in tropical countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tropical Oceania was the only tropical region to meet the 2023 target. Brazil, although still the country with the highest deforestation rate globally, has significantly improved its situation since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva became president. ... Read full text:

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The Pelicot trial

Could it help to finally change attitudes to sexual violence?

t is the trial that has shaken France to its core, and shocked the world. Dominique Pelicot, a retired estate agent, is accused of drugging his wife Gisèle and recruiting other men online over nine years to sexually assault her at their home. Pelicot has admitted rape. Fifty other men are on trial for alleged rape alongside him. But it is Gisèle Pelicot, the victim, who has for many people become the focus of this horrifying story. Thousands have turned out in towns and cities across France to demonstrate in solidarity with her and against “rape culture” in France. ... Gisèle Pelicot has chosen to refuse the anonymity usually granted in rape cases, and attends the trial sessions in Avignon, in order —she says— to shift the shame and humiliation often faced by victims of sexual violence on to the alleged perpetrators. ... “Some of the [ordinary] men on trial with Pelicot accept that what they did was rape and have apologised in court. But many argue that they didn’t intend to commit rape, saying they thought Gisèle was pretending to be asleep and that they were pressured into it,” Angelique Chrisafis, the Guardian’s France correspondent said. “The courtroom testimony has highlighted how society in general has not yet got a clear understanding of consent...” Could Gisèle Pelicot’s conduct and the extensive media coverage of the case mark a turning point for attitudes in France, and perhaps elsewhere? ... Read full text:

Unlearning ableism

Visit: https://unlearningableism.com

17 percent of the world’s population identify as Disabled. Despite this, society is failing to unlearn our inherent ableism. Unlearning Ableism wants to end this cycle of oppression and create an inclusive society that is accessible, empowers, represents and provides opportunity and participation for everyone.
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Wild birds

...living close to humans harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

A lot has been written about the possibility of humans contracting diseases from animals as we push into wild places. But what about the ways in which humans are infecting animals, and the possibility that will boomerang back to us? Bird poop suggests that could pose a problem as well. The gut microbes of wild birds that frequent urban areas, bear signs of antibiotic resistance that could pose a problem for people and the animals we depend on, according to a paper recently published in Current Biology. “Wild bird populations in cities are reservoirs of bacteria resistant to many important human antibiotics,” said Samuel Sheppard, an Oxford University scientist who led the research. “There is an urgent need to understand how human activity is influencing the spread of zoonotic diseases and AMR (antimicrobial resistance).” To look for an anthropic signature in the microbes inhabiting wild birds, Sheppard and his collaborators zeroed in on Campylobacter jejuni, a bacteria commonly found in birds’ digestive systems. In people, this it can cause diarrhea, and is often tied to eating raw or undercooked poultry. A wild bird species will have its own genetically distinct strain of Campylobacter. But when the scientist sifted through the genomes of 700 types of the bacteria from 30 bird species over eight countries, they discovered some types of birds had ...
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Monarch butterflies

Monarch butterflies

About a week ago, several monarch caterpillars were busily munching on the native narrowleaf milkweed I’d planted in my backyard in the San Francisco Bay Area. Then, a record-breaking fall heat wave triggered warnings about extremely dangerous temperatures across the region. Hopefully, most of the caterpillars crawled off to find a safe place away from predators to form the pupa, or chrysalis, that envelops them as their wings and adult organs take shape. But at least one fellow wasn’t so lucky. Most likely, he succumbed to a fatal viral or parasitic infection known as black death. Ecologists have long worried about the effects of a rapidly changing climate on specialists like monarchs, whose reproductive success depends on closely linked interactions with a single family of plants. Monarch caterpillars feed almost exclusively on milkweed plants within the genus Asclepias, which contain toxic chemicals called cardenolides. The caterpillars absorb the toxins, which deter predators that might otherwise eat them, but typically don’t harm the larvae —that is unless high temperatures cause plants to produce much higher levels of the chemical, as researchers reported in 2018. Monarchs (and other butterflies) are highly sensitive to temperature, the environmental cue that tells them when to reproduce ...
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Campus

How to build a more peaceful world

By Lawrence Wittner

By Clayton Page Aldern

Although the current U.S. presidential campaign has focused almost entirely on domestic issues, Americans live on a planet engulfed in horrific wars, an escalating arms race, and repeated threats of nuclear annihilation. Amid this dangerous reality, shouldn’t we give some thought to how to build a more peaceful future? Back in 1945, toward the end of the most devastating war in history, the world’s badly battered nations, many of them in smoldering ruins, agreed to create the United Nations, with a mandate to “maintain international peace and security.”

It was not only a relevant idea, but one that seemed to have a lot of potential. The new UN General Assembly would provide membership and a voice for the world’s far-flung nations, while the new UN Security Council would assume the responsibility for enforcing peace. Furthermore, the venerable International Court of Justice (better known as the World Court) would issue judgments on disputes among nations. And the International Criminal Court —created as an afterthought nearly four decades later— would try individuals for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. It almost seemed as if a chaotic, ungovernable, and bloodthirsty pack of feuding nations had finally evolved into the long-standing dream of “One World.” But, as things turned out, the celebration was premature.

The good news is that, in some ways, the new arrangement for global governance actually worked. UN action did, at times, prevent or end wars, reduce international conflict, and provide a forum for discussion and action by the world community. Thanks to UN decolonization policies, nearly all colonized peoples emerged from imperial subjugation to form new nations, assisted by international aid for economic and social development. A Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, set vastly-improved human rights standards for people around the world. UN entities swung into action to address new global challenges in connection with public health, poverty, and climate change. Even so, despite the benefits produced by the United Nations, this pioneering international organization sometimes fell short of expectations, particularly when it came to securing peace. Tragically, much international conflict persisted, bringing with it costly arms races, devastating wars, and massive destruction. To some degree, this persistent conflict reflected ancient hatreds that people proved unable to overcome and that unscrupulous demagogues worked successfully to inflame.

But there were also structural reasons for ongoing international conflict. In a world without effective enforcement of international law, large, powerful nations could continue to lord it over smaller, weaker nations. Thus, the rulers of these large, powerful nations (plus a portion of their citizenry) were often reluctant to surrender this privileged status. Symptomatically, the five victorious great powers of 1945 (the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China) insisted that their participation in the United Nations hinged upon their receiving permanent seats in the new UN Security Council, including a veto enabling them to block Security Council actions not to their liking. Over the ensuing decades, they used the veto hundreds of times to stymie UN efforts to maintain international peace and security.

Similarly, the nine nuclear nations (including these five great powers) refused to sign the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which has been endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the world’s nations. Behind their resistance to creating a nuclear weapons-free world lies a belief that there is much to lose by giving up the status and power that nuclear weapons afford them. Of course, from the stand world, this is a very shortsighted position, and the reckless behavior and nuclear arrogance of the powerful have led, at times, to massive opposition by peace and nuclear disarmament movements, as well as by many smaller, more peacefully-inclined nations. Thanks to this resistance and to a widespread desire for peace, possibilities do exist for overcoming UN paralysis on numerous matters of international security. Unfortunately, it would be very difficult to abolish the Security Council veto outright, given the fact that, under the UN Charter, the five permanent members have the power to veto that action, as well. But Article 27(3) of the Charter does provide that nations party to a dispute before the Council must abstain from voting on that issue —a provision that provides a means to circumvent the veto. In addition, 124 UN nations have endorsed a proposal to scrap the veto in connection with genocide, crimes against humanity, and mass atrocities, while the UN General Assembly has previously used “Uniting for Peace” resolutions to act on peace and security issues when the Security Council has evaded its responsibility to do so.

Global governance could also be improved through other measures. They include increasing the number of nations accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and securing wider ratification of the founding statute of the International Criminal Court (which has yet to be ratified by Russia, the United States, China, India, and other selfappointed guardians of the world’s future). It won’t be easy, of course, to replace the law of force with the force of law. ... Despite the nationalist backlash, however, the time has arrived to consider bolstering international institutions that can build a more peaceful world. And the current U.S. presidential campaign provides an appropriate place for raising this issue. After all, Americans, like the people of other lands, have a personal stake in ensuring human survival.

*** Dr. Lawrence Wittner is Professor of History emeritus at SUNY/Albany and the author of Confronting the Bomb (Stanford University Press.) h:

Read full text by Clayton Page Aldern at Aeon:

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Wrap twill trousers.

Trousers with and adjustable front wrap designed especially to allow for bloating and colostomy bags. Made from a twill fabric that has a slight stretch and a slim fit (95% cotton, 5% elastane). unhiddenclothing.com

Studio Ghibli bento cookbook.

Create fun and delicious meals inspired by My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and more, celebrating the imaginative worlds of Studio Ghibli! www.amazon.com

Call of Boba.

Step into the shoes of a bubble tea shop owner tasked with saving their struggling business. As the game progresses, you can build relationships with customers, complete town tasks, and maybe even find love A casual pixel art game developed by Tomatoast. store.steampowered.com

Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa (1941 – 1995 ).

“The environment is man’s first right. Without a safe environment, man cannot exist to claim other rights, be they political, social, or economic.”

Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa (1941 – 1995 ). Nigerian writer, teacher, television producer, environmental activist and leader of the Ogoni people, who fought against the exploitation of oil in his homeland.

Rewear chair.

Air out clothes instead of tossing them in the wash unnecessarily. A quirky piece of furniture crafted to encourage more mindful laundry practices. An unexpected chair with collapsible arms created by Uncommon Creative Studio, an eco-cleaning brand. www.uncommon.studio

Say what?

what? “I don’t need a new hairstylist. My pillow gives me a new hairstyle every morning.” Source: 100 Funny sayings that are definitely worth memorizing.
www.rd.com


BACHELOR’S DEGREE in Modern Power and Energy Systems

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

The Bachelor of Modern Power and Energy Systems program is offered online via distance learning. After evaluating both academic record and life experience, AIU staff working in conjunction with Faculty and Academic Advisors will assist students in setting up a custom-made program, designed on an individual basis. 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 Modern Power and Energy Systems curriculum is designed individually by the student and academic advisor. It specifically addresses 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 addresses 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.

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: https://www.aiu.edu/ academic-freedom-and-open-curriculum/

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

Introduction to Power Systems
Energy Generation and Conversion
Technologies
Renewable Energy Sources (Solar, Wind, Hydro, Biomass)
Electric Machines and Drives
Power Electronics and Control Systems
Smart Grids and Modern Power
Distribution
Energy Storage Systems
(Batteries, Supercapacitors, etc.)
Sustainable Energy Systems and Technologies
High Voltage Engineering
Power System Analysis and Stability
Grid Integration of Renewable Energy
Environmental Impact of Power Systems
Energy Economics and Market Structures
Digitalization in Power Systems (IoT, AI, and Data Analytics)
Electric Power System Protection
Power System Operations and Control

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

Pioneer Plaza /
900 Fort Street Mall 905
Honolulu, HI 96813
800-993-0066 (Toll Free in US)
808-924-9567 (Internationally)


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