A new operating model for people management: More personal, more tech, more human

The way organizations manage their most important assets—their people—is ready for a fundamental transformation. New technologies, hybrid working practices, multigenerational workforces, heightened geopolitical risks, and other major disruptions are prompting leaders to rethink their methods for attracting, developing, and retaining employees. In the past year alone, for instance, we have seen more and more companies adopt, innovate, and invest in technology—particularly in gen AI—in ways that have spurred more changes…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:19 mins read
Continue ReadingA new operating model for people management: More personal, more tech, more human

How College Presidents Respond to Critiques of Higher Ed

This commentary originally appeared in Time. New survey data shows that Notre Dame’s legendary president Father Theodore Hesburgh’s wisdom for college presidents from 55 years ago is still relevant today.‌ “My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy; you don't make them because they are cheap; you don't make them because they're popular; you make them because they're right,” he advised.‌ Our fresh polling data…

Continue ReadingHow College Presidents Respond to Critiques of Higher Ed

New study could lead to development of more drought-resistant corn

A corn plant knows how to find water in soil with the very tips of its roots, but some varieties, including many used for breeding high-yielding corn in the U.S., appear to have lost a portion of that ability, according to a Stanford-led study. With climate change increasing droughts, the findings hold potential for developing more resilient varieties of corn.The study, published in the journal Science, uncovers genetic mechanisms behind…

Continue ReadingNew study could lead to development of more drought-resistant corn

Sharp Turns and Continuity in Donald Trump’s Policy

The first steps of US President Donald Trump have provoked a wave of comments, assumptions and guesses. However, according to Konstantin Khudoley, professor at the Faculty of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University, Trump’s policy, which undoubtedly differs from those of his predecessors, is not as unpredictable as it may seem and contains significant elements of continuity. The decisiveness of Trump’s actions is quite understandable. Three presidential elections have…

Continue ReadingSharp Turns and Continuity in Donald Trump’s Policy

FY 2026 H-1B Cap Lottery Alert: Registration Period and Important Changes to USCIS Online System

Quick Hits The fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap registration period will open at noon ET on Friday, March 7, 2025, and will remain open until noon ET on Monday, March 24, 2025. Prospective cap-subject H-1B petitioners and their representatives must use a USCIS organizational account online to register beneficiaries and pay required fees. USCIS’s new H-1B registration fee of $215 per registration will be in effect for this year’s H-1B…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingFY 2026 H-1B Cap Lottery Alert: Registration Period and Important Changes to USCIS Online System

Return-to-office mandates and pregnancy: Employers have the right to propose alternative measures

On July 18, 2024, grievance arbitrator Mtre Francine Lamy rendered a decision in Syndicat des employés et des employées de la Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (SECDPDJ-CSN) et Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ) regarding the employer’s duty to accommodate in relation to return-to-office policies. The arbitrator emphasized the employer’s right to propose reasonable accommodations to…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingReturn-to-office mandates and pregnancy: Employers have the right to propose alternative measures

Rewiring maintenance with gen AI

Modern machines are getting harder to maintain. Extra features, multiple sensors, advanced control systems, and sophisticated software all add cost and complexity to maintenance tasks. In industrial environments, that complexity is often compounded by the coexistence of equipment from different eras, different manufacturers, and different technology types.As the work involved in maintenance becomes more demanding, maintenance functions are wrestling with other challenges. Workforce demographics are one, as older, more experienced…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:7 mins read
Continue ReadingRewiring maintenance with gen AI

The Outlines of a ‘Post-Spring’ Middle East

It is likely that Syria will again become a field of rivalry between the Arabian monarchies. Thus, in the Persian Gulf zone, there is a tendency to establish ties on the internal contour, but at the same time, competition on the external borders is intensifying. This trend is likely to intensify in the future, writes Dmitry Polyakov, researcher at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Institute of Oriental…

Continue ReadingThe Outlines of a ‘Post-Spring’ Middle East

How to get return to office right

Return to office (RTO) is on the rise. But in the words of talent expert and McKinsey Partner Bryan Hancock, “It doesn’t matter where you ask someone to be. What matters is what you do with them once they’re there.” On this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, Hancock and McKinsey Senior Partner Brooke Weddle speak with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about surprising soon-to-be-published research on the opportunities and challenges of RTO—and…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:18 mins read
Continue ReadingHow to get return to office right

Consumers Are Gaining the Right to Repair — Are You Ready?

Frontiers Research Highlight Manufacturers must begin to design for repairability and prepare for a more competitive services aftermarket. Jan Recker and Gerald C. Kane February 06, 2025 Reading Time: 5 min  Topics Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Adam Howling/Ikon Images Vendors of software-infused goods have increasingly used digital control over their products to capture additional post-sales value…

Continue ReadingConsumers Are Gaining the Right to Repair — Are You Ready?

USCIS Removes COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for Adjustment of Status Applicants

By: Peace Ibe and Mia Batista In a significant policy update, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially waived the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for individuals applying for Adjustment of Status (AOS). Effective January 22, 2024, USCIS will no longer require applicants to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the medical examination process conducted by designated civil surgeons. This decision aligns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingUSCIS Removes COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for Adjustment of Status Applicants

Employer Reminder: Ontario Election 2025—Employees’ Right to Time Off to Vote Under the Election Act

Quick Hits Premier Doug Ford has called for an Ontario provincial election to be held on February 27, 2025, requiring employers to provide eligible employees with three consecutive hours of paid time off to vote if their work schedules do not already allow for it. Employees must be Canadian citizens, eighteen years of age or older, and residents of Ontario to be eligible for voting time off. An employer can…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingEmployer Reminder: Ontario Election 2025—Employees’ Right to Time Off to Vote Under the Election Act

Top considerations for construction contracts in light of U.S. tariffs

Amid a flurry of activity over the past several days, the U.S. and Canada have tentatively reached an agreement to delay the implementation of tariffs for at least 30 days. The looming U.S. tariffs, and Canada’s intended retaliatory tariffs, telegraph a turbulent time ahead for the Canadian construction industry. The impact of the tariffs is uncertain, could be far-reaching, and will be complex (see our general thoughts on the matter…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:9 mins read
Continue ReadingTop considerations for construction contracts in light of U.S. tariffs

Why Do Museums Matter?‌

‌Q: Why do museums matter?‌ Art is elemental. Civilizations across the planet and across time have used art to tell stories, construct identity, and help us to understand our place in the world. Human beings have also created and stewarded collections of art, in various ways, going back to the very beginnings of the human condition. Caves had paintings in them before societies had language or agriculture.‌ In the 17th…

Continue ReadingWhy Do Museums Matter?‌

Using generative AI to transform customer experience

At 112 years young, Holcim is proving that age and innovation can go hand in hand. With headquarters in Switzerland, a presence in 70 countries worldwide, and $27 billion in net sales, the construction building materials company is using cutting-edge technology to help the customer ordering process run more smoothly. To transform what was once a manual system into something speedier and easier to use, Holcim recently began experimenting with…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:8 mins read
Continue ReadingUsing generative AI to transform customer experience

The AI in the Doctor’s Office and Other News

Howie and Harlan discuss a breakthrough pain medication, studies on AI-assisted medicine, the explosion of sports gambling, and the health consequences of the shutdown of USAID. Links: A First-in-Class Painkiller “F.D.A. Approves Drug to Treat Pain Without Opioid Effects” “FDA Approves Novel Non-Opioid Treatment for Moderate to Severe Acute Pain” “Peripheral Sodium Channel Blocker Could Revolutionize Treatment for Nerve Pain” “Alabama to Beijing… and Back: The Search for a Pain…

Continue ReadingThe AI in the Doctor’s Office and Other News

Sir Jim Ratcliffe receives University of Oxford’s highest recognition award for philanthropy

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, has been presented with the Sheldon Medal by the University of Oxford in recognition of the company’s exceptionally generous support for research into antimicrobial resistance. A £100 million donation from INEOS in 2021 enabled the University to establish the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI). The institute is a world-leading centre of research, training and education aimed at combatting the growing issue of…

Continue ReadingSir Jim Ratcliffe receives University of Oxford’s highest recognition award for philanthropy

Stanford Medicine offers safer, faster way to diagnose invasive mold disease

For people with weakened immune systems, common molds lurking in the environment – in the soil, along damp walls, or on a forgotten apple – can cause dangerous infections deep inside the body. These invasive mold infections can quickly become fatal without treatment, yet they are difficult to diagnose without invasive procedures such as a tissue biopsy.Now, a blood test developed at Stanford Medicine offers a safer, faster way to…

Continue ReadingStanford Medicine offers safer, faster way to diagnose invasive mold disease

The Broader Shift Away from a Unipolar World: Cultivating ASEAN-BRICS Synergy

The contemporary global framework is becoming increasingly fragmented and multipolar - with changes in our geopolitical and economic landscapes expected to further reshape strategies and potentially, alliances. Nevertheless, it still remains deeply interdependent, especially from a socioeconomic perspective. As global dynamics continue to evolve, it is crucial for stakeholders – whether regional blocs, sub-regional players, or transregional, mini-lateral entities to take on the role of facilitators – to mediate conflicts,…

Continue ReadingThe Broader Shift Away from a Unipolar World: Cultivating ASEAN-BRICS Synergy

Veterinary Professionals Act: Modernizing veterinary law

On June 6, 2024, Bill 171, the Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act, 2024, came into law in Ontario. This bill introduces the Veterinary Professionals Act, 2024, a law designed to replace and modernize Ontario’s existing Veterinarians Act. The new act includes several provisions impacting the veterinary community, and while it is specific to Ontario, it may serve as a model for other provinces as they look to modernize their…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingVeterinary Professionals Act: Modernizing veterinary law

AI Data Drop: Handling risky business in half the time

This story is featured in the WorkLab newsletter. Sign up for it here. Every company needs to be able to assess where and how mistakes get made. Let’s say a banking customer experiences delays when they’re applying for a new loan. That dissatisfaction means that customer service employees, in turn, spend valuable time dealing with complaints and inquiries. Figuring out why those delays happen—and fixing the issue—can directly affect the bottom…

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingAI Data Drop: Handling risky business in half the time

Can We Stop Giants From Failing Us?

In early 2024, the door panel blowout from a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in mid-air shocked the world, less than five years since that model was grounded worldwide following two crashes that claimed 346 lives. The urgent question then was: How did that happen? But the more important question really is: Could these disasters have been prevented?   From the apex of the aerospace industry, the American aircraft manufacturer landed itself…

  • Post category:INSEAD Knowledge
  • Reading time:8 mins read
Continue ReadingCan We Stop Giants From Failing Us?

The CEO as elite athlete: What business leaders can learn from modern sports

Sports fans love to compare today’s athletes to the legends of the past and speculate about who’s the best. While many of us cherish our childhood memories, it’s a cold, hard fact that, in almost every case, today’s athletes would handily defeat their predecessors. As a flamethrowing relief pitcher said in 2018, if Babe Ruth, arguably one of the greatest players in major league history, were playing today, “I would…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:14 mins read
Continue ReadingThe CEO as elite athlete: What business leaders can learn from modern sports

Cooperation Between Russia and India in the International Associations of the Non-Western World

Russia and India have a long history of fruitful, mutually beneficial cooperation. Its foundations were laid back in the Soviet period. At the time, both economic ties and trusting political dialogue between our countries were actively developing. In many ways, this Soviet legacy formed a solid foundation for the development of cooperation during the subsequent period. Russia’s relations with India, by and large, were not interrupted even in the difficult…

Continue ReadingCooperation Between Russia and India in the International Associations of the Non-Western World

How AI is transforming strategy development

At its core, strategy entails deriving insights from facts and data, developing real options based on those insights, making hard-to-reverse choices, and executing initiatives that convert those choices into value. Data analytics has assisted in this work for several decades, but never before has technology been able to not only augment and partially automate inputs into strategy but also combine them into complex analyses. In time, it may even recommend…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:14 mins read
Continue ReadingHow AI is transforming strategy development

Why Meetings Need a Constructive Devil’s Advocate

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Meetings are a staple of organizational life. They’re a place where important decisions are made, strategies discussed, and problems tackled. But too often, meetings don’t deliver the desired outcomes. Teams convene regularly — sometimes out of habit rather than necessity — but while agreements are often reached, the results frequently fall short. Why? Discussions are rushed, assumptions go unchecked, and risks aren’t fully explored.…

Continue ReadingWhy Meetings Need a Constructive Devil’s Advocate

Banks in Canada: A primer

The activities of foreign banks in Canada are regulated and restricted by the Bank Act (Canada) (the Bank Act). The Bank Act does not prevent foreign banks from carrying on any business activity in Canada: rather, the Bank Act restricts how such business activity takes place. Constitution 101 A historical tension between the federal and provincial governments has existed in relation to the enactment of laws concerning banks, as illustrated…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:7 mins read
Continue ReadingBanks in Canada: A primer

Enhancing Teams video quality with Super Resolution, now in public preview

Microsoft Teams continues to evolve to provide users with the best possible experience in virtual communication. One of the latest advancements is the introduction of Super Resolution (SR) support for Teams that we announced in Microsoft Ignite 2024. It is now available in public preview and will be general available in March. This feature, initially rolled out for Snapdragon X-based Copilot+ PCs, enhances video quality, especially under poor network conditions.Network…

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:4 mins read
Continue ReadingEnhancing Teams video quality with Super Resolution, now in public preview

Expert Comment: What might President Trump’s second term mean for the world?

In the lead up to his second term, we’ve seen more centrist or working-class Democrats shift to Trump’s side - those from regions still referred to as the Rust Belt. Despite concerns over the future of the economy, and despite making issues like the price of groceries central to his re-election campaign, Trump did not address these topics in his inaugural address. Certainly, there were no representatives of those groups…

Continue ReadingExpert Comment: What might President Trump’s second term mean for the world?

First distributed quantum algorithm brings quantum supercomputers closer

The breakthrough addresses quantum’s ‘scalability problem’: a quantum computer powerful enough to be industry-disrupting would have to be capable of processing millions of qubits. Packing all these processors in a single device, however, would require a machine of an immense size. In this new approach, small quantum devices are linked together, enabling computations to be distributed across the network. In theory, there is no limit to the number of processors…

Continue ReadingFirst distributed quantum algorithm brings quantum supercomputers closer

Economic mobility: Making lives better now—and for the long term

Nearly a decade ago, the Gates Foundation launched the Economic Mobility and Opportunity (EMO) strategy to help remove the barriers that prevent millions of people in poverty from moving up the economic ladder. Focused on 44 million Americans whose incomes are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (an annual income of $30,120 for an individual and $62,400 for a family of four), EMO collaborates with organizations…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:20 mins read
Continue ReadingEconomic mobility: Making lives better now—and for the long term

Map of brain’s appetite centre could enable new treatments for obesity and diabetes

Published today in Nature, this comprehensive resource, called HYPOMAP, provides an unparalleled view of the brain’s appetite centre and promises to accelerate the development of treatments for obesity and diabetes.The hypothalamus is often described as the brain’s ‘control centre’, orchestrating many of the body’s most vital processes. While much of our knowledge of the hypothalamus comes from animal studies, especially in mice, translating these findings to humans has long been a…

Continue ReadingMap of brain’s appetite centre could enable new treatments for obesity and diabetes

Blue food project taps the ocean’s potential to feed the world

A country of 17,000 islands is at the forefront of a global effort to sustainably feed billions of people in the coming decades. Because it is rich in blue foods – fish, shellfish, seaweed, and aquatic plants – Indonesia is well positioned to pioneer a model for other countries to tap the ocean’s vast potential while conserving it. In collaboration with the Indonesian government, civil society, organizations, and businesses, Stanford…

Continue ReadingBlue food project taps the ocean’s potential to feed the world

The New Administrative False Claims Act: Key Amendments and Implications

On December 23, 2024, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025 NDAA) (P.L. 118-159) was signed into law. Among its numerous provisions, the FY 2025 NDAA revitalizes an existing but underutilized fraud enforcement mechanism: the Administrative False Claims Act (AFCA). This act, previously known as the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986, offers a streamlined administrative remedy for…

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:5 mins read
Continue ReadingThe New Administrative False Claims Act: Key Amendments and Implications

DOJ Effectively Pauses Its Civil Rights Division’s Litigation, Which May Impact IER’s Pursuit of New Claims

Quick Hits New and ongoing litigation at the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is essentially frozen indefinitely. The freeze could have implications for the Immigration and Employee Rights Section, which handles claims of citizenship discrimination. Hidden among a flurry of executive orders, within the first week of President Trump’s second term of office, the media reports the DOJ issued a freeze memorandum to its Civil Rights Division, which is the arm…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingDOJ Effectively Pauses Its Civil Rights Division’s Litigation, Which May Impact IER’s Pursuit of New Claims

Thriving amid tariff shifts: Preparing for the Trump administration

As we move through 2025, Canada’s trade landscape remains volatile. Despite a brief reprieve following discussions between Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump, the threat of renewed tariffs continues to loom over corporate Canada. While diplomatic efforts have provided temporary relief, businesses must stay proactive—policy shifts in the coming weeks could still bring significant disruptions. Ongoing global tensions with China, the pending review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and…

  • Post category:BLG law firm
  • Reading time:3 mins read
Continue ReadingThriving amid tariff shifts: Preparing for the Trump administration

What happens when US and euro area monetary policy decouple?

5 March 2025By Stefan Gebauer, Georgios Georgiadis, Fédéric Holm-Hadulla and Thomas KostkaThe monetary policies of the ECB and the US Federal Reserve are not always in sync. But how does the Fed’s policy affect the euro area economy? This ECB Blog looks at how monetary policy in the United States travels across the Atlantic and what this means for the ECB.The global economy is interconnected. Central banks’ monetary policies therefore…

Continue ReadingWhat happens when US and euro area monetary policy decouple?

DEI needed if hiring on merit is your goal

Trump has initiated a series of actions aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the federal government. On January 20, he signed Executive Order 14151, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” directing the Office of Management and Budget to terminate all DEI-related mandates and programs across federal agencies. The following day, he issued Executive Order 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,”…

  • Post category:Civility Partners
  • Reading time:12 mins read
Continue ReadingDEI needed if hiring on merit is your goal

Connecting patients to healthcare: A conversation with Halodoc’s Jonathan Sudharta

When Jonathan Sudharta began his career as a pharmaceutical sales rep, he spent a lot of time in waiting rooms, observing patients who waited for hours, often in vain, to see a physician. He recognized an opportunity to address a lack of healthcare access in Indonesia and launched Halodoc in 2016, a telehealth application that connected millions of Indonesians to a network of more than 20,000 healthcare professionals, clinics, labs,…

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:18 mins read
Continue ReadingConnecting patients to healthcare: A conversation with Halodoc’s Jonathan Sudharta