APFN awards 2025: The Change Initiative recognized for contributions to APFN mission

🎓 DGIST Opens the Convergence Talent Academy to Foster Future Innovators 🗓️ August 21, 2025 📍 DGIST Headquarters The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (President Kunwoo Lee) held the opening ceremony of the Convergence Talent Academy on August 21, 2025. 💡 The academy aims to nurture future talent with creativity and problem-solving skills through interdisciplinary education based on advanced science and technology. Its first program, the Science and Creativity School, fully funded by Dalseong-gun, will provide local students with specialized learning opportunities utilizing DGIST’s facilities and faculty expertise. 🗣️ President Kunwoo Lee emphasized that the academy will serve as “a cradle for nurturing creative and courageous individuals,” while Dalseong-gun Mayor Jaehoon Choi highlighted its role in “transforming Dalseong-gun into a future science city.” 🌍 Through the Convergence Talent Academy, DGIST will continue to expand interdisciplinary education and strengthen global talent development initiatives.

PGL is committed to empowering and enabling the next generation of changemakers through meaningful industry–academia linkages. These strategic initiatives bridge the gap between corporate and academia, providing young talent with real-time, hands-on experience in developing impactful projects that drive tangible change. Through this partnership, students from BNU reimagined everyday spaces with sustainable architectural designs that blend creativity, purpose, and innovation. The journey was celebrated in a special event graced by PGL CEO Asif Iqbal and Beaconhouse National University (BNU) Vice Chancellor Dr. Moeed W. Yusuf, along with their teams, reaffirming a shared commitment to nurturing youth potential, strengthening industry–academia partnerships, and shaping a more resilient and sustainable future.

Delighted to share highlights from our panel, “Empowering the Next Generation: How Education Can Drive Sustainable Transitions.” Moderated by Dudu Msomi (CEO, Busara Leadership Partners), with insights from Prof David Phaho (Director, African Energy Leadership Centre, Wits Business School), Koogan Pillay (V20 stream lead for Countering Corruption & Building an Inclusive Economy; Advisory Board, Stellenbosch University Anti-Corruption Unit), and Maseeha Ansermeah (medical doctor & systems-dynamics researcher). Key takeaways: -Education is the engine of sustainable transitions—beyond “greening” to re-architecting systems. -Universities can be catalysts by aligning research, teaching, and community engagement to global goals—designed for local realities. -Values are infrastructure: integrity, transparency, and accountability turn policy intent into delivery. -A pragmatic agenda: mainstream sustainability across every qualification; launch trans-disciplinary studios(energy, food, water, waste, health, inclusive finance); turn campuses into living labs with public dashboards; co-design with municipalities/industry/civil society; re-skill educators in systems thinking & values-based facilitation; and build the financing muscle to move from pilots to systemic change. - Article attached / in comments. Grateful to our 5th Global Leadership Summit partners: SABSA -South African Business Schools Association • Good Governance Academy (GGA) • AACSB • GBSN • Association of African Business Schools (AABS) • EFMD Global And thank you to our SABSA member schools and colleagues across the ecosystem—especially Wits Business School and Rhodes Business School —for advancing this work. Anne Wilson Carolynn Chalmers Dan LeClair Cobus Oosthuizen Owen Skae Chris van der Hoven Shireen Chengadu #SABSA #GoodGovernanceAcademy #GGA #AACSB #GBSN #AABS #EFMD #Sustainability #SystemsThinking #JustTransition #HigherEd #ValuesBasedLeadership #Africa #WitsBusinessSchool #Stellenbosch #EducationTransformation

Delighted to share highlights from our panel, “Empowering the Next Generation: How Education Can Drive Sustainable Transitions.” Moderated by Dudu Msomi (CEO, Busara Leadership Partners), with insights from Prof David Phaho (Director, African Energy Leadership Centre, Wits Business School), Koogan Pillay (V20 stream lead for Countering Corruption & Building an Inclusive Economy; Advisory Board, Stellenbosch University Anti-Corruption Unit), and Maseeha Ansermeah (medical doctor & systems-dynamics researcher). Key takeaways: -Education is the engine of sustainable transitions—beyond “greening” to re-architecting systems. -Universities can be catalysts by aligning research, teaching, and community engagement to global goals—designed for local realities. -Values are infrastructure: integrity, transparency, and accountability turn policy intent into delivery. -A pragmatic agenda: mainstream sustainability across every qualification; launch trans-disciplinary studios(energy, food, water, waste, health, inclusive finance); turn campuses into living labs with public dashboards; co-design with municipalities/industry/civil society; re-skill educators in systems thinking & values-based facilitation; and build the financing muscle to move from pilots to systemic change. - Article attached / in comments. Grateful to our 5th Global Leadership Summit partners: SABSA -South African Business Schools Association • Good Governance Academy (GGA) • AACSB • GBSN • Association of African Business Schools (AABS) • EFMD Global And thank you to our SABSA member schools and colleagues across the ecosystem—especially Wits Business School and Rhodes Business School —for advancing this work. Anne Wilson Carolynn Chalmers Dan LeClair Cobus Oosthuizen Owen Skae Chris van der Hoven Shireen Chengadu #SABSA #GoodGovernanceAcademy #GGA #AACSB #GBSN #AABS #EFMD #Sustainability #SystemsThinking #JustTransition #HigherEd #ValuesBasedLeadership #Africa #WitsBusinessSchool #Stellenbosch #EducationTransformation

The Tech For Good Institute (TFGI) Network serves as a dynamic platform to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and to create impactful initiatives with partners at the intersection of technology and societal good in Southeast Asia. Today, we're thrilled to announce the addition of Singapore Management University (SMU) to our Network! TFGI is proud to partner with SMU, a premier global university in the heart of Asia. Focused on the intersections of management, social science and technology, SMU is internationally recognised for its world-class research, innovative pedagogy and strong industry engagement. ➡️ Find out more about our partners and join us in celebrating their commitment to leveraging technology for the greater good! https://lnkd.in/gpcFZrJN #TFGINetwork #TechForGood #Collaboration #Innovation

Our education teams from across Australia recently came together in Brisbane for #TEFMA25 – Brighter Futures: Facilities for the Future – Blending People, Property, Processes, and Platform. The conference sparked valuable conversations for our project management and advisory team, particularly around: • The challenges of ageing building stock and underutilised spaces in shaping student experiences • Adaptive re-use to create flexible learning zones and industry-shared specialist spaces • Funding constraints for capital works without government or private sector support As Belinda Lawler shared, “It was a wonderful opportunity for us to catch up with each other, reconnect with old friends, and make new connections. The event was a great success, and the energy and enthusiasm were truly contagious.” TEFMA25 provided fresh insights that will continue to shape how we innovate, collaborate, and prepare tertiary facilities for the future. Belinda Lawler Ben Rowe Eddie Naffah Simon Hendon Tim Heron 

Over the last couple of months I've been further scoping what my CECAN Centre for Evaluating Complexity Across the Nexus Fellowship will explore - and I think I've started to narrow in on some questions! It's been great to have time to delve into literature and speak to some very smart people to help me unpack my interests. At the crux of what I'll be exploring are some key questions: ⚖️ What does it mean to be 'place-based'? Or, in other words, what does (and should) bringing the concept of place into our thinking do to how opportunities and change is conceptualised? 🛜 There are many 'methods lists' that exist - Social Network Analysis is often held up as a 'good method' in place-based approaches. However, with 'place' as a throughline, how does the suitability of such methods change? 💪 What are some of the best practices or principles that are required when bridging systems + place when we get to the 'pointy' end of things like investing in place-based approaches and their evaluation? In other words, I'm focusing on the recursive relationship between systems methods and place, and how they can inform commissioning and evaluation. By the end of my Fellowship (early next year) I'll produce a report that addresses these questions - with commissioners and practitioners my audience. If this sounds of interest and you want to address any associated questions or challenges, pop them in the comments! #place #evaluation #commissioning

🌍✨ GSFEN BUSINESS SCHOOL MAKES GLOBAL HEADLINES! ✨🌍 We’re thrilled to share amazing news! GSFEN Business School — the educational arm of GSFEN Worldwide Ltd — has been featured across 143 premium global news outlets for its mission to empower purpose-driven leaders for global impact! 💫 From The Financial Metrics to Daily Sports Club, Heart of Malaysia, Thailand Tribunal, and many more, this international recognition underscores GSFEN’s growing influence as a transformative force in leadership, sustainability, and innovation education. 📖 Read one of the global features here: 🔗 The Financial Metrics https://lnkd.in/gNJsvqFD or explore additional coverage below 👇 Daily Sports Club https://lnkd.in/gJjZy5jR Heart of Malaysia https://lnkd.in/gHF6rpne Thailand Tribunal https://lnkd.in/gs3mPvVR The Financial Capital https://lnkd.in/grWGViug 🌟 Why this matters: GSFEN Business School stands as a beacon of purpose-driven education, nurturing changemakers, CEOs, and innovators aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — equipping them to lead with integrity, innovation, and impact. To every ambassador, student, and global partner — this milestone is ours together. Let’s continue transforming education and building legacies that uplift humanity. 🌐💛 #GSFEN #GSFENBusinessSchool #GlobalImpact #LeadershipEducation #UNSDGs #PurposeDrivenLeaders #Innovation #EducationForChange #Sustainability #Empowerment #GlobalRecognition

Joint PhDs are a powerful way to strengthen international research collaboration — building research capacity, cultivating global talent, enhancing institutional reputation, and extending the reach and impact of research. At the same time, they come with complexity: navigating different systems and processes requires flexibility, mutual trust, and consistent communication across all levels of partnership. Yesterday at #AIEC2025, I had the pleasure of joining Victoria Bick in session chaired by Bronte Neyland to share our insights on Joint PhD Programs: Opportunities and Challenges. We reflected what worked well in our programs with the University of Nottingham and University of Nagoya, and highlighted four key ingredients for success: • Strategic planning and clear governance • Active academic engagement and institutional commitment • Student-centred support • Quality assurance and flexibility Looking ahead, we are focused on building sustainable research partnerships that endure beyond individual projects, grow shared learning and foster trust, reciprocity, and a shared vision for research excellence. It was also inspiring to hear from Adam Kilburn and Darren Svanfelds, who offered valuable perspectives on resilience and partnership quality in international education. A big thank you to my colleagues Wondwossen Kassa, Susanne Raneskold, Agnes Arthur, and Jasmin Weatherley for your input and support in shaping this presentation. #AIEC2025 #GlobalPartnerships #JointPhD #ResearchCollaboration

🌍 Introducing MINDSET: Mission-Oriented Innovation for the NPA Regions MINDSET sets out to establish Regional Mission-Oriented Innovation (RegMOI) as a new, transformative approach that enables NPA regions to shape their own missions. By introducing Regional Mission-Oriented Innovation (RegMOI), MINDSET brings together policymakers, researchers, and communities to co-create practical, place-based solutions for a greener, more resilient future. 👉 Watch our first video to learn how we’re shaping a new mindset for innovation in the North! #MissionOrientedInnovation #MINDSETProject #RegionalDevelopment Interreg Northern Periphery and ArcticÖrnsköldsviks kommun Donegal County Council Ruralia Institute - University of Helsinki Umeå universitet (Umeå University) ERNACT Annamari Kiviaho Toni Ryynänen Mikael Söderström Lorraine Arbuckle Leona Cronolly McGee Jens Danielsson Jose Manuel San Emeterio Perez Mikael Bergström Ulf Hedestig Hyyryläinen Torsti