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,”…

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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
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Accelerating decarbonization across the farming supply chain

On this page: Opportunity | Solution | Impact 0%est. reduction in time needed to build or update MACCs0Koperational data points processed with AI0Kemission data points in Catalyst Zero’s IP The Opportunity Reducing farming’s carbon footprint AGCO Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. It operates manufacturing sites across Europe, Asia, South America, and the US, selling under the Fendt,…

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Tackling Injuries With AI: The NFL’s Jeff Miller

Topics Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy The Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy initiative explores the growing use of artificial intelligence in the business landscape. The exploration looks specifically at how AI is affecting the development and execution of strategy in organizations. In collaboration with More in this series Get updates by email Please enter a valid email address Thank you for signing up Privacy Policy Jeff Miller moved from a…

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Big Game, Big Distractions: Navigating Employment Issues During the Super Bowl

Quick Hits Employers may want to proactively address the potential for increased absenteeism on the Monday following the Super Bowl, often called “Super Sick Monday.” With heightened excitement leading up to the game, employers may want to address the potential for distractions and loss of productivity. The National Football League’s (NFL) Kansas City Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana. Surveys show that…

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To disclose, or not to disclose, that is the question

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) is set to revisit the definition of “material change” this year. The SCC’s decision in the appeal in Lundin Mining Corporation, et al. v. Dov Markowich (Lundin Mining), heard on January 15, 2025, could have significant consequences for reporting issuers and the broader Canadian capital markets. Background Canadian securities law requires reporting issuers to immediately disclose a “material change” through a press release. For…

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Collectible cars: From niche market to growth and innovation engine

Mercedes-Benz made only two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés. The two-seat cars, which were manufactured in 1955, are nicknamed “The Red” and “The Blue” based on their interior colors. With long, sleek hoods and passenger doors that open from the top, the cars were designed for the racetrack and had a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour, making them far faster than their contemporaries. Ironically, the Uhlenhaut Coupés never entered…

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  • Reading time:25 mins read
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The Right Approach to State Regulation of AI

This commentary originally appeared in the Hartford Courant. In the last week, financial markets and the tech sector experienced a convulsive shock akin to the Russian Sputnik surprise of 1957. While recent advancements—honestly achieved or not—by DeepSeek have leaders reconsidering their approach to the development of artificial intelligence, it is also a reminder of how much America must supercharge its efforts in the space to remain globally competitive. Just as…

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Oxford researchers urge reforms to improve global wildlife trade regulation as CITES turns 50

Billions of people worldwide depend on wild species for food security, livelihoods, income generation, and well-being. Achieving long-term sustainability in the trade and use of wild species is a key global priority—not only for conservation but also to support the billions of people who rely on these species. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is the foundation of international action to support…

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Nourishing the collective being

Several groups across Stanford will recognize and celebrate Black History Month this February with events including a speaker series, a pop-up shop, a service day at the farm, and more.Many events are part of the Black Community Services Center’s Black Liberation Month programming, this year themed “Food Justice Is Justice for All.” The month’s theme ties to the center’s 2025 goal of celebrating “Our Tables, Our Stories: Nourishing Our Collective…

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Middle East: Dreams About the Future

In recent decades, the Middle East has encountered a range of challenges, including conflicts, revolutions, and economic crises. These challenges have left a significant impact on the region, but have provided an opportunity for its people to drive change, using these experiences to shape a “Middle Eastern Dream” rooted in innovation and renewal, writes Dr. Ahmad Majdalani, Member of the Executive Committee of Palestine Liberation Organisation, especially for the 14th Middle East Conference of…

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More Shake-Up of NLRB: President Trump Appoints New NLRB Acting General Counsel

Quick Hits President Trump appointed William B. Cowen as acting general counsel of the NLRB. The appointment comes after President Trump, in the past week, discharged former NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and her replacement, NLRB Acting General Counsel Jessica Rutter. President Trump also removed NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox. The NLRB said that field offices will continue to process unfair labor practice and representation cases. Acting General Counsel Cowen has…

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Managing Supply Chain Risks in the Age of Trump

The global political landscape has transformed dramatically over the past year. Donald Trump’s reelection as US President aside, in Japan, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba leads a fragile minority government after an electoral setback; South Korea faces an unprecedented crisis with the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol; tensions between Taiwan and China have heightened since the election of pro-independence Lai Ching-te; and in Indonesia, nationalism is set to grow under the…

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  • Reading time:9 mins read
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Slowing growth is making trade-offs more complicated in India

  Why the slowdown?  The answer lies in inflation, which is extremely volatile in India. Driven by food prices, it has been oscillating between 5% and 6% for the past few months. Prices are putting pressure on wages, which are stagnating or even falling slightly, and thereby on household consumption, the traditional driver of India’s growth. Against this backdrop, the lack of momentum in the labour market is not helping: employees…

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Researchers celebrated at the Cambridge Awards for Research Impact and Engagement

The Cambridge Awards for Research Impact and Engagement, formerly the Vice-Chancellor's Award, are held annually to recognise exceptional achievement, innovation, and creativity in developing research engagement and impact plans with significant economic, social, and cultural potential. Awarded in three categories, the winners for 2024 are:Established Academic Winner: Professor Sander van der Linden (Department of Psychology, School of Biological Sciences and Churchill College) and his team at the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab…

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Everything is better as code: Using FinOps to manage cloud costs

Does this sound familiar? A company spends more than $50 million a year on cloud services with a small FinOps team dedicated to tracking expenses. This team, supported by contract labor, uses various solutions to monitor and control spending and to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. Yet cloud waste persists, from storing unnecessary data to using overly expensive services. Such situations are not unique. We looked at more than…

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Middle East: Evolution. 2010–2025. Valdai Discussion Club’s Collection of Reports

Middle East: Evolution. 2010–2025. Valdai Discussion Club’s Collection of Reports ISBN 978-5-907845-26-8 The Middle East is a region characterized by constant change. There has not been a single century, or even decade, without a visible transformation of the landscape. However, there is another distinctive feature: no transformation can erase the past, leaving a clean slate to start anew. The past and future are intertwined, sometimes indistinguishably so. This compilation is…

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CEO imperatives in Asia’s new era

Asia is entering a new era that could pave the way for a meaningful expansion of its global influence. By 2040, Asia could contribute 42 percent of global GDP, be home to 60 percent of the Fortune Global 500 companies, and have 55 percent of the world’s total workforce, our analysis shows. The continent could become the engine of global trade while making strides in domestic investments, R&D, innovation, and AI…

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  • Reading time:13 mins read
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How Chinese Companies Expand Globally Despite Headwinds

Frontiers Understanding Chinese companies’ place-based strategies for growth can be valuable to companies everywhere. Shameen Prashantham and Lola Woetzel February 03, 2025 Reading Time: 10 min  Topics Frontiers An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. More in this series Harry Campbell/theispot.com The phrase “chu hai” (“going overseas,” in Chinese) has become a rallying cry for many Chinese companies in the past few years. Faced…

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Residential solar: Down, not out

Worldwide, 2024 was a difficult year for the residential solar market. After several years of 30 percent annual growth in installations, 2024 saw a decline: fewer panels were installed in many markets, and companies’ valuations declined. This led to large capital injections, major bankruptcies, and job losses.Although these conditions might appear bleak—a delay on the path to net zero and yet another setback in an industry that has taken decades…

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  • Reading time:13 mins read
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Jumping Ahead: Revolutionizing Financial Advisory with AI-Powered Client Intelligence

Today’s financial advisors are operating in a dramatically shifting market. Consolidation and competition have changed firm dynamics as advisors try to provide more comprehensive wealth-management services to their clients, often leaving small advisors squeezed. At the same time, there’s huge promise and opportunity related to the fact that, over the next two decades, Baby Boomers are expected to pass down roughly $84 trillion to their heirs, who will presumably need…

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  • Reading time:4 mins read
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Expert Comment: How is generative AI transforming the labour market?

Dr Fabian Braesemann. Credit: University of Oxford. We are seeing the beginnings of a possibly fundamental economic transformation due to the widespread adoption of generative AI tools in many sectors. Facing the impressive capabilities of AI tools in solving demanding cognitive tasks, many have expressed worries about potential job losses as AI could start to replace human labour. To find out whether the freelance job market has changed as a result…

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Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt appointed to the UK Government’s Council for Science and Technology

The Council for Science and Technology is formed of 19 independent members who are made up of senior figures from the fields of science, engineering and technology. Professor Shadbolt joins seven other new members who will advise the Prime Minister and Cabinet on strategic science and technology policy issues that cut across the responsibilities of individual government departments.In an era where data and AI will be essential tools in augmenting…

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Final enrollment data for Class of 2028 reported in Common Data Set

In October 2024, Stanford reported preliminary enrollment data for the entering undergraduate Class of 2028, the first class to be admitted under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on race-conscious admissions.Stanford has now reported final enrollment numbers for the class as part of the 2024-25 Common Data Set, a data-reporting effort used across higher education institutions.A summary of the final enrollment data for the first-year class can be found below,…

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Electricity prices across Europe to stabilise if 2030 targets for renewable energy are met

Hitting the current national 2030 quotas for solar and wind energy could reduce the volatility of electricity markets by an average of 20% across 29 European countries, according to a new study from the University of Cambridge.  The intensity of spikes in power prices are predicted to fall in every country by the end of the decade if commitments to green energy are met, as natural gas dependency is cut.   …

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Heritage Meets Innovation: Staying Relevant in Luxury

Your customer of tomorrow may be rather unlike your customer today. And if you are not connecting with them, there is a lot of catching up to do. Wedged between heritage and changing customer behaviours, the world of luxury perhaps feels the need to remain relevant most acutely. In a recent fireside chat, we explored how, as the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, LVMH stays relevant in the face of changing demographics…

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  • Reading time:6 mins read
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Building a Supplementary Financial Architecture in Times of Turmoil

In December 2024, US President-elect Donald Trump threatened the BRICS nations with 100 percent tariffs if they go ahead with “their de-dollarisation plans”. In reality, last year’s documents adopted at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan contained no references to “de-dollarisation” or an “alternative payment system”. Instead, in their 2024 declaration the BRICS member-states highlighted the “the need to reform the current international financial architecture” so that it becomes “more…

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Recycling lithium-ion batteries delivers significant environmental benefits

In briefli]:su-m-0">Compared with mining and processing new chemicals, the battery recycling process analyzed in the study:Emitted 58% to 81% less greenhouse gas emissionsUsed 72% to 88% less waterAnd used 77% to 89% less energyCarbon emissions aside, energy use correlates with air pollutants like soot and sulfurRecycling lithium-ion batteries to recover their critical metals has significantly lower environmental impacts than mining virgin metals, according to a new Stanford University lifecycle analysis…

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U.S. Department of Education Confirms That It Will Enforce 2020 Title IX Rule

Quick Hits OCR will enforce Title IX protections under the 2020 Title IX Rule, not the 2024 Title IX Final Rule. The 2020 Title IX Rule provides procedural protections for complainants and respondents and requires supportive measures. The 2024 Title IX Final Rule, which was criticized for impermissibly expanding the definition of “sex” to include gender identity and other categories, has been invalidated by federal courts. OCR’s new course for…

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Articles On: Dalai Lama, China’s Communist Party, Anti-Spy Agency, Drugs, MERICS, Chinese Firms, Covid, China FDI, Iran’s Ballistic-Missile Program, U.S. Law Firms, Investments, Stocks, German Election, and Mineral Exports

The Dalai Lama Shares Thoughts on China and the Future in a New Bookby Alexandra Altervia New York Times on January 23, 2025 How (un)popular is China’s Communist Party?via The Economist on January 23, 2025 China’s anti-spy agency urges travellers to protect state secrets during holiday tripsby William Zhengvia South China Morning Post on January 23, 2025 In China, Government Data on Drugs Blocked from Public After Backlashby Alexandra Stevenson…

Continue ReadingArticles On: Dalai Lama, China’s Communist Party, Anti-Spy Agency, Drugs, MERICS, Chinese Firms, Covid, China FDI, Iran’s Ballistic-Missile Program, U.S. Law Firms, Investments, Stocks, German Election, and Mineral Exports

Happy at Work, Happy in Life?

What makes a career truly transformative? The business media might suggest it's all about finding your bliss, achieving perfect work-life balance, or aligning with some other set of buzzword-heavy corporate values. But new research from Perceptyx’s Center for Workforce Transformation reveals something more complex and far-reaching: a fulfilling career acts as a catalyst, creating ripple effects that touch every aspect of our lives. It's not just about loving what you…

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New mail and package program enhances convenience and cuts emissions

In briefli]:su-m-0">Stanford’s new Mail and Package Services (MPS) centralizes mail handling with a Newark receiving warehouse and same-day campus delivery via electric vehicles.Redesigned package centers and 24/7 lockers offer students flexible, secure access to their packages.The program cuts delivery truck traffic, reduces emissions, and incorporates waste diversion to support Stanford’s sustainability goals.A state-of-the-art receiving warehouse opening in 2025 will further enhance mail handling efficiency and capacity.Stanford University has introduced a…

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o3-mini reasoning model now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service

We are pleased to announce that OpenAI’s new o3-mini model is now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. Building on the foundation of the o1 model, o3-mini delivers a new level of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reasoning capabilities. We are pleased to announce that OpenAI o3-mini is now available in Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. o3-mini adds significant cost efficiencies compared with o1-mini with enhanced reasoning, with new features like reasoning effort…

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Using AI and data to make immersive art

What happens when art meets technology, AI, and data? You get the trailblazing digital artist and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), lecturer Refik Anadol. For this episode of At the Edge, Anadol sat down with McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee at the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. They discussed his multisensory installation about the melting glaciers and the joy that comes from bonding with technology to push…

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Europe has strengths it can build on

1 February 2025Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European CommissionRemaining competitive is fundamental for Europe’s future. We need faster economic growth and higher productivity to protect the quality of life for Europeans – from their jobs and incomes to their security and welfare.Europe must act. Our competitiveness is at risk. While a global revolution in artificial intelligence unfolds, the EU…

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The future of the office

It’s been a year and a half since McKinsey published “Empty spaces and hybrid places: The pandemic’s lasting impact on real estate.” The comprehensive report examined the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on office attendance, occupancy, and demand. It also examined related factors, including residential moves from urban centers to the suburbs (which may mean fewer visits to the office) and online versus in-person shopping (which may affect the vibrancy…

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New Statutory Entitlements for Neonatal Leave and Pay in the United Kingdom

Quick Hits Under the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023, employed parents whose babies are admitted to neonatal care within the first twenty-eight days of birth and remain in hospital for at least seven consecutive days have a right to up to twelve weeks of leave and pay. The act aims to allow new parents necessary time during challenging circumstances without interfering with their maternity, paternity, or parental leave.…

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Mining for operational excellence

The word ‘boomtown’ was practically invented for the mining industry, which has a history of gold rush euphoria followed by equally intense busts. The pattern has continued through the past decade, with mining companies buffeted by a global pandemic, trade tensions, and geopolitical conflicts (Exhibit 1).Very few of them have been able to capitalize on the peak periods to prepare for downturns. Instead, as we noted in 2022, the mining…

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Stanford women’s basketball players teach kids data science through sports

For anyone serious about becoming a top athlete, well-known steps to success include intense conditioning, a health-conscious diet, and grueling hours of practice. However, a unit developed by Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) Professor Jo Boaler highlights a variable often overlooked in the formula for athletic achievement: the ability to use data to identify pain points in performance and adjust accordingly.For the new Basketball Data Analytics unit – published on youcubed,…

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