A crisis brings out the best in organisations and teams, strengthening existing leaders and developing new ones. The article dwells on challenges faced by organisations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, how finance teams can proactively partner with business to drive actions in the short-term and build resilience to sustain performance.

What inspires us is the organisations vision, mission and customer centricity that provides a guiding framework to sustain business and emerge successful. Keeping the customer at the centre of everything we do, will help us to focus on our purpose.

The impact on the economy, healthcare and infrastructure are significant across the world leading to a humanitarian and economic crisis. Over the past four to five months, governments and communities have done their best to delay the immediate surge of infection through complete/partial lockdowns enforcing social distancing. Relief packages were announced to tide over the immediate economic hardship.

The challenge remains the high degree of uncertainty about the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic. Though it may be at or near peak in some countries and regions, for some others it is still a wait-and-watch policy as the number of infections continue to multiply at a rapid rate, with testing still limited and infrastructure strained. It is likely to remain a threat until an effective treatment or vaccine is widely available.

Is coronavirus guiding us towards business innovations?

Proactive measures that would help to tide over the current situation, but more importantly ensure the business remains relevant and poised for future success are: a) attention to cashflow and liquidity; b) business continuity and contingency planning; c) resource allocation/rationalisation; and d) spend management to drive productivity. Communication channels should be strengthened so that the entire ecosystem internal and external -- is vested in the call for action.

Over the years, finance teams have focused on becoming business partners, spending more time on value-added and decision support activities. The business disruptions and our role in the transformation will help to assess the progress we have made as business partners. As near- and long-term action areas are drawn out, the key themes and action plan will be around the following:

How to manage your finances amidst a pandemic: hear it from the experts

Relating this back home, the spirit of social responsibility, safety first caring for the wellbeing of the employee and the customer/patient needs to be taken quite seriously. Organisations need to invest in bringing relevant new products to the market in the shortest possible time.

The organisation and particularly the customer facing team inspires and motivates all to reimagine what is possible and put our best foot forward in the face of current adversities.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)

Want to make your startup journey smooth? YS Education brings a comprehensive Funding Course, where you also get a chance to pitch your business plan to top investors. Click here to know more.

Originally posted here:
Overcome the current to focus on winning the future - YourStory

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--C-Sweet, a rapidly growing national organization with a mission to foster and renew executive level relationships for women across sectors in business and industry, today announced a new Webinar How are corporations and sports including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) into operations and daily practice? Whats the promise? Whats the reality? set for Thursday, September 17th, at 11:30 AM PDT.

With highly charged racial events happening this summer across the nation and COVID-19s Work From Home guidelines, face-to-face meaningful conversations with management and staff on issues of race is more difficult than ever. To address this C-Sweet has assembled two experts in Human Resources and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to help navigate the often thorny waters when it comes to racial tensions in work and sports.

Shouldnt we just see our friends and coworkers as people, and not as types of people? said Dianne Gubin, President of Amplify Professional Services Inc, an executive search and IT consulting firm, and Co-CEO of C-Sweet. To me, its always been about who can do the job. What happens when we talk to colleagues or friends about emotional and potentially high risk topics, which can be perceived as impolite or inappropriate at work, and get out of our comfort zones to learn about others?

Embracing diversity makes us stronger. Incorporating all opinions makes for better business, as well as a better world, said Beth Hilbing, Sr. Program Manager and Principal IT Business Partner at Boeing, as well as Co-CEO of C-Sweet. For this next event we feature two outstanding speakers who can help us create a dialogue around tough questions at work.

C-Sweet corporate sponsors for this event include Key Information Systems (KeyInfo) a part of Converged Technology Partners, Inc., Google and Interpublic Group (IPG).

Renee Brown

Renee Brown is the former Senior Vice President, Chief of Basketball Operation and Player Relations of the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA). Renee played a significant and integral role in the establishment of the WNBA in 1997, now recognized as the longest running womens professional sports league in the United States. She created the WNBA player personnel department that now claims over 1000 elite players representing 50+ countries. The Institute of Diversity And Ethics In Sports reported the WNBA as being the countrys most diverse and inclusive League.

Heide Gardner

Heide Gardner is Senior Vice President, Chief of Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG) one of the worlds leading organizations of advertising agencies and marketing services companies. The first African American and person of color to serve as an officer of the Interpublic group, she is responsible for collaborating with senior management to develop global inclusion strategies and resources for IPG and its family of leading agency brands.

About C-Sweet

C-Sweet creates opportunities for women across sectors for business development, brand acceleration, partnerships and expanded career paths through curated receptions and digital engagement. This includes female CEO, CFO, COO, CIO / CTO, CMO, President, Vice President and Director level attendees, as well as Founders across industries. Executives in finance include Venture Capital, Private Equity, Institutional Investment, Investment Banking, Family Offices, Hedge Funds, and more.

C-Sweet fosters executive level relationships for business development, collaboration and expanded career paths. The group focuses on creating expanded professional networks of female colleagues in leadership positions to foster innovation. C-Sweet creates new opportunities for trusted and confidential exchange and business / career development as members connect with others to freely brainstorm and discuss challenges facing individual projects and your business.

Women who support Women on their way to the top and extend a hand to those that follow through the creation of learning and networking opportunities that lead to professional growth and personal development.

The organization offer exclusive educational networking events, panels and keynotes regularly. To sign up for the mailing list and attend future events, send email to: CSweetExecs@gmail.com .

To join C-sweet, or become a sponsor, go to http://www.csweet.org.

Here is the original post:
C-Sweet Webinar: How Are Corporations Including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Into Operations and Daily Practice? What's the Promise? What's...

About the teamPwC is looking for a senior experienced candidate to join the Transformation and Operations team in Sales and Marketing to further develop existing resourcing processes and from strategy to execution, design the roll out of a Resourcing capability across the whole function.There are a number of teams within the Sales and Marketing functionThe role will report to the Head of Transformation & Services in the Delivery Hub. The candidate can be based anywhere nationally.About the roleSales & Marketing covers all aspects of professional services marketing, sales support and business development. The prime area of focus for the function is to support the development and implementation of the firms market strategy and in particular to ensure:

We innovate every day

We are inclusive by default

We deliver commercial impact with purpose

We tell stories that inspire

From strategy to execution, developing and delivering a new resourcing plan by having a deep understanding of Sales and Marketing growth plans and headcount required to support these; and balancing these with the needs of the individual

Developing key metrics and Management Information (MI) that allow us to measure utilisation of staff who work on non chargeable activity to provide trends and availability updates

Working closely with Team Leaders to manage the rapid deployment of people to projects within the team, to meet the needs of teams whilst maximising utilisation

Being proactive in resolving or offering solutions to resolve supply and demand challenges of deployment both at the transactional and operational levels

Engage with Sales and Marketing leadership, in particular Team Leaders to continue to build better resourcing behaviours

Work closely with key teams across Transformation and Operations to ensure that resourcing insight is widely shared

Introduction of regular portfolio reviews to ensure maximum utilisation, development and fair allocation of work

Using supply and demand modelling as an insight to our overall headcount management and recruitment budgets

Promoting the use of key resourcing systems including TalentLink, Finder, S&D, Career Opportunities and the Resource Tracker to enable effective resourcing

Sharing knowledge, best practice and networking with colleagues across the business and Resource Management function

Technical Expertise

Deployment and manpower planning

Influencing and driving the mobility agenda in the function

Looking for deployment opportunities and building relationships, particularly with other IFS resourcing teams

Managing people and their development

Conflict resolution

Project management, time management and organisation skills and attention to detail

Knowledge and Skills:

Focus on commercial business outcomes

Relationship skills including communicating and influencing

Developing and sustaining long term relationships with key Sales and Marketing and relevant business operational areas

Communicating with impact using different communication styles

Strategy and Change Management:

Understanding the firmwide strategy, Sales and Marketing and Resource Management strategy and applying it where necessary

Providing input to the Resourcing objectives and vision for the BU/line of service

Influencing and creating a vision for change by championing the delivery of change

Stakeholder Management

Build relationships through delivering outcomes that take into account the different needs of multiple stakeholders; balancing the needs of individuals and those of the business

Anticipating and recognising when conflict may occur and work to resolve these but escalating if required

Commercial Acumen and Financial Management:

Identifying and implementing solutions to improve profitability of clients and PwC

Using data and Management Information (MI), networking internally and externally to advise the business on resourcing options and solutions that help to drive growth and profitability

Team and Personal Development:

Identifying development opportunities that provide stretch and challenge

Coaching and developing others in the team where the opportunity arises by providing quality, real time feedback

Participating in the recruitment process to ensure that new team members are aligned to the new ways of working if applicable

Delivering business outcomes in a fast paced and changing environment

Negotiating with senior stakeholders to deliver resourcing and strategic requirements

Using a commercial mindset and business acumen, including the use of Management Information, to inform decision making

Being a trusted advisor who provides balanced and pragmatic advice around manpower planning and resource management

Liaising, influencing and challenging effectively to build relationships at all levels and with multiple stakeholders

Did you know PwC offerflexible contractarrangements as well ascontingent work(ie temporary or day rate contracting)?

All our people need to demonstrate the skills and behaviours that support us in delivering our business strategy. This is important to the work we do for our business, and our clients. These skills and behaviours make up our global leadership framework, The PwC Professional and are made up of five core attributes; whole leadership, technical capabilities, business acumen, global acumen and relationships.

Learn more here: http://www.pwc.com/uk/careers/experienced/apply

Valuing Difference. Driving Inclusion.

We work in a changing world which offers great opportunities for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We seek to attract and employ the best people from the widest talent pool because creating value through diversity is what makes us strong as a business, enabling us to solve important problems and deliver value to our clients. We encourage an inclusive culture where people can be themselves, are valued for their strengths and are empowered to be the best they can be. As an organisation with an increasingly agile workforce, we also support different ways of working offering flexible working arrangements. Learn more here about our work to support an inclusive culture.

http://www.pwc.com/uk/diversity

Link:
Sales and Marketing Resourcing Lead job with PwC | 1401618351 - Personnel Today

Ray Dalio certainly is no radical idealist, but in his frequent writings and media appearances the veteran investor consistently calls for Americans to rewrite their longstanding contract with capitalism so that it is fairer and more generous to more people.

Otherwise, he predicts, life in the U.S. could become more difficult: mountainous debt that stunts economic growth; fewer opportunities for ordinary citizens to get ahead financially; and a worldwide lack of trust in the U.S. dollar that diminishes Americans purchasing power and could lower their standard of living.

Dalio is the founder of Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge-fund firm, which has made him a billionaire. So its not surprising that he champions capitalism as a proven way to expand economic growth and living standards.

Capitalism and capitalists are good at increasing and producing productivity to increase the size of the economic pie, he says.

Then Dalio stands this tenet on its head. Capitalists dont divide the economic pie very well, he says, and so today the capitalist system, the foundation of the U.S. economy, is not working efficiently and effectively enough for all.

Capitalism also produces large wealth gaps that produce opportunity gaps, which threaten the system, Dalio says a system that has been and still is key to the health and success of U.S. business, workers, government and investors alike.

Unless the U.S. takes steps to make systemic repairs designed to provide greater opportunity for more Americans to achieve personal growth and financial security, the consequences likely will be painful for the country, as Dalio explains in this recent telephone interview, which has been edited for length and clarity:

MarketWatch: You have written and spoken about three big domestic and international problems facing the U.S. over the next five to 10 years and how a failure to address these challenges could threaten Americas standing in the world. What are these three pressing problems?

Ray Dalio: I look at it mechanically, like a doctor looking at a disease. If asked what is the issue here, I would say that it is a certain type of disease that has certain patterns which are timeless and universal, and the United States is broadly following that progression.

There are three problems that are coming together, so its important to understand them individually and how they collectively make a bigger problem.

There is a money and credit cycle problem, a wealth and values gap problem, and an emerging great power challenging the existing dominant power problem. Whats going on is an economic downturn together with a large wealth gap and the rising power of China challenging the existing power of the United States.

Its a fact that there has been a weakening of the competitive advantages of the United States over the last couple of decades. For example, the United States lost a lot of the education advantage relative to other countries, our share of world GDP is reduced, the wealth gap has increased which has contributed to our political and social polarization.

But we havent lost all of our competitive advantages. For example in innovation and technology, the United States is still the strongest, but China is coming on very strong and at existing rates will surpass the United States. Militarily, the U.S. is stronger but China also has come on very strong and is probably stronger in the waters close to China that include Taiwan and other disputed areas. Finances for both countries are challenging, but for the U.S. more so. The U.S. is in the late stages of a debt cycle and money cycle in which were producing a lot of debt and printing a lot of money. Thats a problem. As a reserve currency status, the U.S. dollar DXY, +0.03% is still dominant though its being threatened by its central bank printing of money and increasing the debt production problem.

The United States is a 75-year-old empire and it is exhibiting signs of decline.

MarketWatch: Focusing on the money and credit problem, excessive debt can be a killer for businesses and families, but most people dont seem to recognize that debt plays havoc with their countrys finances as well. Government runs the money printing press, which buys time, but eventually somethings got to give.

Dalio: If you look at the history for example, the Dutch Empire, the British Empire both experienced the creation of debt and the printing of money, less educational advantages, greater internal wealth conflict, greater challenges from rival countries. Every country has stress tests. If you look at British history, the development of rival countries led them to lose their competitive advantages. Their finances were bad because they had accumulated a lot of debt. So, after World War II those trends went against them. Then they had the Suez Canal incident and they were no longer a world power and the British pound is no longer a reserve currency. These diseases almost always play out the same way.

The United States relative position in the world, which was dominant in almost all these categories at the beginning of this world order in 1945, has declined and is exhibiting real signs that should raise worries. Theres a lot of baggage. The U.S. has a lot of debt, which is adding to the hurdles that typically drag an economy down, so in order to succeed, you have to do a pretty big debt restructuring. History shows what kind of a challenge that is.

I just want to present understanding and facts. Theres a life cycle. Youre born and you die. As you get older you can see certain things that are symptoms of being later on in life. To know the life cycle and to know that these symptoms are emerging is what Im trying to convey. The United States is a 75-year-old empire and it is exhibiting signs of decline. If you want to extend your life, there are clear things you can do, but it means doing things that you dont want to do.

Wealth cannot be created by creating debt and money.

MarketWatch: Lets put it bluntly: Is capitalism broken?

Dalio: I wouldnt say broken as much as Id say it has problems that have to be fixed. As I said, Im not ideological, Im mechanical. I look at everything operationally like a machine and what has been shown is that capitalism is a fabulous way of creating incentives and innovation and of allocating resources to create productivity. All successful countries have uses for it. For example, communist China has chosen capitalism, which has been essential to its growth.

But capitalism also produces large wealth gaps that produce opportunity gaps, which threaten the system in the ways we are seeing now. Wealth gaps give unfair advantages to the children of rich people because they get a better education, which undermines the equal opportunity notion. Asthe number of people who get equal opportunity diminishes, this reduces the possibility of finding talented people in that population, which isnt fair and undermines productivity.Then the have-nots want to tear down the capitalist system at a time of bad economic conditions. That dynamic has always existed in history and its happening now.

The capitalist system is based on profit-seeking being the resource allocation system, which generally works well but doesnt always. So, capitalism and capitalists are good at increasing and producing productivity to increase the size of the economic pie, but theyre not good at dividing the economic opportunity pie. Socialists are generally not good at increasing productivity and the size of the economic opportunity pie, but they are better at dividing the pie.

We now have too much emphasis on distributing wealth and getting it from producing debt and printing money, and not enough from increasing productivity. Wealth cannot be created by creating debt and money. We have to be productive together, so we have to look at the good investments that we can make together that make total sense, like in education, and create equal opportunity in order to be productive.

We have to be in this together.The system needs to be reengineered to do this. But if we dont do this engineering well, were going to spend in an unlimited way and deal with that by creating debt that wont ever be paid back, and we will risk losing the reserve currency status of the dollar. If we get into that position and were very close things will get much worse because we are living on borrowed money thats financing our consumption.

Within the next five years you could see a situation in which foreigners who have been lending money to the United States wont want to.

MarketWatch: About the dollar being threatened as the worlds reserve currency what does close mean, and what would the decline of this status mean for Americans?

Dalio: Within the next five years you could see a situation in which foreigners who have been lending money to the United States wont want to, and the dollar would not be as readily accepted for making purchases in the world as it is now.

We have to realize that were spending more than were earning. Every individual, every company and every country has an income statement and a balance sheet. The income statement is how much is your earnings are relative to your expenses. If your earnings are greater than your expenses, great, you will increase your balance sheet. If your earnings are less than your expenses, then you have to draw on your balance sheet.

The United States doesnt have a good income statement and balance sheet in dealing with the rest of the world. It is running a deficit to the rest of the world that is financed by borrowing money so that we are producing liabilities. Our living standards are based on our spending, not on our income statement or balance sheet. If the U.S. loses that ability and it doesnt force itself to be more productive, one day it will lose that ability to borrow and then will have to cut spending, which is painful.

When that pain happens at a time when you have the population at each others throats over money, thats a toxic combination. People cant take a downturn and have less buying power. So, necessarily the poor will have to be getting money from the rich and the rich are going to want to prevent that, and then if it gets bad enough, that it messes up productivity.

Read: The Fed is fighting the last battle, and here are the risks to its new strategy

Also read: This new ETF is made for black-swan moments like now

When the causes people are fighting for are more important to them than the system that binds them together, the system is in jeopardy.

MarketWatch: What steps do politicians and business leaders need to take now to create and implement reforms that will fortify the U.S. balance sheet and the dollars status?

Dalio: In brief, productivity and equal opportunity are most needed. If we could at least agree that we must have these things, that would be great. What we have now is a situation in which were fighting each other, we are not providing equal opportunity, and we are losing our productivity gains.

One of the greatest problems is that everybodys fighting for their cause. When the causes people are fighting for are more important to them than the system that binds them together, the system is in jeopardy. This seems to now be happening. Everybody has their cause and theyre almost losing sight of the overall picture. Democracy depends on compromise. Its the notion of compromise and working together and being able to have a negotiation to get what the most people want rather than have one side beat the other.

You really have to take the relative parties and make them agree on whats going to be best. The group has got to be bipartisan and they have to be knowledgeable. Bring together parties of opposing ideologies who are also knowledgeable, not just smart but who are on the ground, to come up with a plan together that all can support so that were productive, increasing the size of the pie and dividing it well. It would be great if whoever the president is could draw upon people from both parties and different perspectives.

MarketWatch: As Americans prepare for a presidential election in November, the three major problems you mentioned earlier would seem to be important factors for voters to consider.

Dalio: Yes. The world is going to change in the next five years in shocking ways in relation to the three big issues we have been talking about.

First, theres a debt-money cycle what is the value of money? What will happen to the debt? Will the dollar retain its value? The finances of this who is going to pay for it? How? What will work? Thats number one.

Second, the wealth, opportunity and values gaps will have to be dealt with. Are we going to be at each others throats in a way that is harmful or are we going to be working together even if things get worse?

Third is the rising of a great power in China to challenge the existing power of the United States. Will this be well handled?

We will be dealing with these issues in the next presidential term, which will have a huge effect on our outcomes.The last time those three things existed as they do now was the 1930 to 1945 period. Thats the last time you had zero interest rates and money printing. Thats the last time you had the wealth and political gaps as large as they are today, and it was the last time you had rising powers challenging the existing world order. This and many analogous times before it help to give us perspective.

Worry as much about the value of your money as you worry about the value of your investments.

MarketWatch: These and other domestic and international challenges will clearly affect Americans financially. What would be a smart, proactive strategy for investors to both protect a portfolio and take advantage of market opportunities?

Dalio: First, worry as much about the value of your money as you worry about the value of your investments. The printing of money and the debt should make you aware of that. Thats why financial asset prices have gone up stocks, gold because of the debt and money creation. You dont want to own the thing you think is safest cash.

Second, know how to diversify well. That includes diversification of countries, currencies and assets, because wealth is not so much destroyed as it shifts. When something goes down, something else is going up so you have to look at all things on a relative basis. Diversify well and worry about the value of cash.

Americans look at the value of everything in U.S. dollars, but they dont look at the value of the dollar. Youre in an environment where you have to be cautious about that, because the easiest way out for government is to do what the U.S. just did, which is to borrow and print a lot of money. They dont have to get it from anyone, because when they raise taxes they have to get it from somebody and that somebody squawks. The population doesnt pay much attention to the debt and the printing of money. They all appreciate the giving of money. So you hear the population say, I need more money, and get angry if they dont get it. So youve got to give them more money, and its easier not to take it away from someone else.

Read: Billionaire investor Ray Dalio fears for the dollar and the soundness of our money, and heres why

Plus: Investors could be looking at a lost decade in the stock market, the worlds biggest hedge fund warns

Originally posted here:
Billionaire investor Ray Dalio on capitalisms crisis: The world is going to change in shocking ways in the next five years - MarketWatch

Onward Homes is one of the largest registered providers of social housing in the North West, with 35,000 properties across the region.

We believe that everyone deserves a place to call their own, which is why were committed to building 400 new homes each year. We do more than just provide a roof over our customers heads, were here to make a real difference.

At Onward were working towards creating positive spaces, which extends to not only to the communities we serve but to our workplaces being positive spaces that are open, diverse and inclusive. Onward is committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation in every aspect of our work.

We are looking for aLandlord Compliance Officer - Fire and Asbestos (1 post)to join our Property team on a fixed term basis for 12 months.

The Compliance Officer will deliver effective management of Fire and Asbestos compliance across the region in accordance with regulatory undertakings to ensure Onward is fully compliant and reduces any residual risk to customers, colleagues and third parties.

Responsibilities include ensuring thatall Fire and Asbestos servicing, testing and inspection processes are carried out correctly, remedial/follow on works are undertaken on a risk basis, that the service, testing and inspection process is fit for purpose and that the records and certification is appropriately recorded, validated and current.

In addition, ensuring effective management and administration of Fire and Asbestos contracts, set and deliver performance standards, monitor progress and resolve issues andup to date information relating to Fire and Asbestos Compliance risks. Take overall health and safety responsibility and compliance with legislative requirements for all investment activities within the region, to include delivery of a comprehensive programme of training in Fire and Asbestos safety.

All posts are recruited to the recruitment salary and movement to the confirmed salary is based on successful completion of a 6 month probation. As well as a competitive salary and a generous annual leave entitlement, we offer a range of benefits for a rewarding career including a health cash plan, pension scheme and personal development.

The base location for this role is Renaissance Court, Didsbury. However please note that due to Covid-19, we have adapted our working arrangements under government guidelines and Safe Systems of Work and the current working arrangements for the role will involve a mixture of home working and occasional site based activity around the Greater Manchester region as required. Discussions around the current working arrangements and Safe Systems of Work specific to the role will take place during the interview process. If candidates have any concerns / questions in relation to Covid-19 and the role at any stage of the recruitment and selection process they can contact the HR team onHumanResourcesTeam@onward.co.ukand a member of the HR Team will be in touch.

Go here to read the rest:
Landlord Compliance Officer - Fire and Asbestos job with Onward Homes | 4642801 - Inside Housing

A job might also help you if you are feeling the mental effects of having left home combined with the disappointment of starting university in semi-lockdown. Alister Gray, life coach and founder of Mindful Talent, says that some level of anxiety is to be expected, and that applies this term more than ever.

Thats true when you start anything new or experience change, says Gray. For some this will be heightened, but either way, acknowledging the feeling is the first step. And, he points out, remind yourself, you are not the only one. All your peers will be feeling some level of stress.

Most universities were already committed to enhancing their mental health provision through Universities UKs Stepchange programme, which advocates a whole-university approach to mental health, so that wellbeing becomes part of the curriculum as well an issue of pastoral care. Some have built on that by making sure that support was accessible remotely, and offering Covid-specific resources to students and staff.

But individuals can support their own mental health too. As you enter university, things will become more clear, Gray explains. Youll meet your peers and start the course itself. Then if you experience a moment of doubt why did I do this course, will I ever make friends? go back to the moment that you filled in your Ucas form and remind yourself of that moment of excitement. That will ground you, he says. and remind you of why you chose your path.

Still feeling anxious? Then dont bottle up those feelings. See who you can speak to, says Gray. whether that be your peers, tutors, family or professional support. Its not a weakness to ask for help.

It can help, he says, also, to think about balance making sure that you schedule in some time every week, in among the studying and social life, to do something that makes you feel good. That could be a walk, meditation or finding a mentor or coach.

Crucially, says Gray, consider your values. That may sound stuffy, but take time to reflect on who you are and what matters to you. Ask yourself, what is important to me? What would make this year successful?

It might be a very different experience to the one that older siblings or parents enjoyed when they were students, but we can only play the cards we are dealt.

And, rest assured, everyone Ive spoken to is convinced that the class of 2020 will look back on their university years as a stimulating, rewarding, exciting and life-enhancing time.

Here is the original post:
What university will really be like for the class of 2020 (and there's plenty to be excited about) - Telegraph.co.uk

Quantum Computing (QC) has been gaining huge momentum in the last few years. Recent breakthroughs in affordable technology have seen conversations shift from the theoretical to practical use cases.

As early as 2018, IBM drew attention across the tech world with the creation of its Q System One quantum computer, while D-Wave Technologies went on to announce a QC chip with 5,000 qubits, more than doubling its own previous 2,000-qubit record.

While quantum-computing applications may still be five to ten years down the road, a recent report by McKinsey shows that the automotive and transportation sectors have been quick to capitalize on QCs potential, and have successfully showcased how effective the technology can be with several pilots.

Several OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and tier-one suppliers are actively discovering how the technology can benefit the industry by resolving existing issues related to route optimization, fuel-cell optimization, and material durability.

Just last year, Volkswagen partnered with D-Wave to demonstrate an efficient traffic-management system that optimized the travel routes of nine public-transit buses during the 2019 Web Summit in Lisbon.

Elsewhere, significant investments have already been made, with German supplier Bosch acquiring a stake in Massachusetts-based quantum start-up Zapata Computing, contributing to a US$21 million Series A investment.

BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen have announced that they are actively pursuing QC research, including quantum simulation for material sciences, aiming to improve the efficiency, safety, and durability of batteries and fuel cells.

Quantum Computing is being embraced by the automotive sector. Source: Pixabay

The potential for QC in the automotive sector could translate into billions of dollars in value as OEMs and automotive stakeholders hone in on the markets niche and develop a clear QC strategy.

As things stand, automotive will be one of the primary value pools for QC and is expected to have an impact on the automotive industry of up to US$3 billion by 2030, thanks to its potential in solving complex optimization problems that include processing vast amounts of data to accelerate learning in autonomous-vehicle-navigation algorithms.

QC will later have a positive effect on vehicle routing and route optimization, material and process research, as well as help improve the security of connected driving, and help accelerate research into electric vehicles (EV).

Supply routes involving several modes of transport could be optimized using algorithms developed through QC, while other applications will improve energy storage and generative design. QC could also help suppliers improve or refine kinetic properties of materials for lightweight structures and adhesives, as well as develop efficient cooling systems.

QC will be utilized by automakers during vehicle design to produce improvements relating to minimizing drag and improving fuel efficiency. Whats more, QC has the ability to perform advanced simulations in areas such as vehicle crash behavior and cabin soundproofing, as well as to train algorithms used in the development of autonomous-driving software. QCs potential to reduce computing times from several weeks to a few seconds means that OEMs could ensure car-to-car communications in real-time, every time.

HARDWARE

Shared mobility players such as Lyft and Uber also have the potential to use QC to optimize vehicle routing, while improving fleet efficiency and availability. Alternatively, QC can help service providers simulate complex economic scenarios to predict how demand varies by geography.

Within the next five years, the automotive industry will continue to focus on product development and R&D.

QC isnt likely to replace existing high-performance computing (HPC), but will instead rely heavily on hybrid schemes where a conventional HPC can help refine problem-solving more efficiently. A computational problem, for example, to find the most efficient option among billions of possible combinations will initially be iterated with a quantum computer to get an approximate answer before the remainder is handled by an HPC to round off assessments in the subset of solution space.

The pathway for QC is still uncertain despite its potential. Investing in QC is a heavy commitment but will almost certainly put companies ahead of competitors further down the line once it has become more mainstream in use.

Automotive players will need to determine exactly where they fit in the value chain, while building solid partnerships and valuable intellectual property.

The next five to ten years will see players prioritizing application development and building focused capabilities, while making first pilots and prototypes operational. Ten years and beyond will see businesses take full advantage of their technological edge through QC and expand their core capabilities.

As QC continues to make breakthroughs, the automotive sector is set to drive the technology to the next level.

Read the rest here:

How quantum computing could drive the future auto industry - TechHQ

Magnon excitation. Credit: Daria Sokol/MIPT Press Office

Physicists from MIPT and the Russian Quantum Center, joined by colleagues from Saratov State University and Michigan Technological University, have demonstrated new methods forcontrolling spin waves in nanostructured bismuth iron garnet films via short laser pulses. Presented inNano Letters, the solution has potential for applications in energy-efficient information transfer and spin-based quantum computing.

Aparticles spin is its intrinsic angular momentum, which always has a direction. Inmagnetized materials, the spins all point in one direction. A local disruption of this magnetic order is accompanied by the propagation of spin waves, whose quanta are known as magnons.

Unlike the electrical current, spin wave propagation does not involve a transfer of matter. Asaresult, using magnons rather than electrons to transmit information leads to much smaller thermal losses. Data can be encoded in the phase or amplitude of a spin wave and processed via wave interference or nonlinear effects.

Simple logical components based on magnons are already available as sample devices. However, one of the challenges of implementing this new technology is the need to control certain spin wave parameters. Inmany regards, exciting magnons optically is more convenient than by other means, with one of the advantages presented in the recent paper in Nano Letters.

The researchers excited spin waves in a nanostructured bismuth iron garnet. Even without nanopatterning, that material has unique optomagnetic properties. It is characterized by low magnetic attenuation, allowing magnons topropagate over large distances even at room temperature. It is also highly optically transparent in the near infrared range and has a high Verdet constant.

The film used in the study had an elaborate structure: a smooth lower layer with a one-dimensional grating formed on top, with a 450-nanometer period (fig.1). This geometry enables the excitation ofmagnons with a very specific spin distribution, which is not possible for an unmodified film.

To excite magnetization precession, the team used linearly polarized pump laser pulses, whose characteristics affected spin dynamics and the type of spin waves generated. Importantly, wave excitation resulted from optomagnetic rather than thermal effects.

Schematic representation of spin wave excitation by optical pulses. The laser pump pulse generates magnons by locally disrupting the ordering of spins shown as violet arrows in bismuth iron garnet (BiIG). A probe pulse is then used to recover information about the excited magnons. GGG denotes gadolinium gallium garnet, which serves as the substrate. Credit: Alexander Chernov et al./Nano Letters

The researchers relied on 250-femtosecond probe pulses to track the state of the sample and extract spin wave characteristics. Aprobe pulse can be directed to any point on the sample with adesired delay relative to the pump pulse. This yields information about the magnetization dynamics in a given point, which can be processed to determine the spin waves spectral frequency, type, and other parameters.

Unlike the previously available methods, the new approach enables controlling the generated wave by varying several parameters of the laser pulse that excites it. In addition to that, thegeometry of the nanostructured film allows the excitation center to be localized inaspot about 10 nanometers in size. The nanopattern also makes it possible to generate multiple distinct types of spin waves. The angle of incidence, the wavelength and polarization of the laser pulses enable the resonant excitation of the waveguide modes of the sample, which are determined by the nanostructure characteristics, so the type of spin waves excited can be controlled. It is possible for each of the characteristics associated with optical excitation to be varied independently to produce the desired effect.

Nanophotonics opens up new possibilities in the area of ultrafast magnetism, said the studys co-author, Alexander Chernov, who heads the Magnetic Heterostructures and Spintronics Lab at MIPT. The creation of practical applications will depend on being able to go beyond the submicrometer scale, increasing operation speed and the capacity for multitasking. We have shown a way to overcome these limitations by nanostructuring a magnetic material. We have successfully localized light in a spot few tens of nanometers across and effectively excited standing spin waves of various orders. This type of spin waves enables the devices operating at high frequencies, up to the terahertz range.

The paper experimentally demonstrates an improved launch efficiency and ability to control spin dynamics under optical excitation by short laser pulses in a specially designed nanopatterned film of bismuth iron garnet. It opens up new prospects for magnetic data processing and quantum computing based on coherent spin oscillations.

Reference: All-Dielectric Nanophotonics Enables Tunable Excitation of the Exchange Spin Waves by Alexander I. Chernov*, Mikhail A. Kozhaev, Daria O. Ignatyeva, Evgeniy N. Beginin, Alexandr V. Sadovnikov, Andrey A. Voronov, Dolendra Karki, Miguel Levy and Vladimir I. Belotelov, 9 June 2020, Nano Letters. DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01528

The study was supported by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

See the original post here:

Spin-Based Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Physicists Achieve Tunable Spin Wave Excitation - SciTechDaily

IonQ CEO's bold claim

We could see a quantum PC on the desktop by 2025 according to IonQ CEO Peter Chapman.

Talking to the assembled throngs at TechCrunch Disrupt 2020, Chapman said that in the next five years you will see desktop quantum machines, athough the goal is to get to a rack-mounted quantum computer.

You know, you cant rely on a system which is sitting in a cloud. So it needs to be on the plane itself. If youre going to apply quantum to military applications, then youre going to need edge-deployed quantum computers, he said.

IonQ relies on technology pioneered in atomic clocks for its form of quantum computing. Quantum Machines doesnt build quantum processors. Instead, it builds the hardware and software layer to control these machines, which are reaching a point where that cant be done with classical computers anymore.

Chapman predicted that we could have edge quantum machines in situations such as a military plane, that cannot access the cloud efficiently.

Alan Baratz, CEO at D-Wave Systems thought that was pushing things a bit. He thought it all hinges on the super-conducting technology that his company is building, it requires a special kind of rather large quantum refrigeration unit called a dilution fridge, and that unit would make a five year goal of having a desktop quantum PC highly unlikely.

Itamar Sivan, CEO at Quantum Machines, too, believes we have a lot of steps to go before we see that kind of technology, and a lot of hurdles to overcome to make that happen.

This challenge is not within a specific, singular problem about finding the right material or solving some very specific equation, or anything. Its really a challenge, which is multidisciplinary to be solved here, Sivan said.

D-Wave, on the other hand, uses a concept called quantum annealing, which allows it to create thousands of qubits, but at the cost of higher error rates.

As the technology develops further in the coming decades, these companies believe they are offering value by giving customers a starting point into this powerful form of computing, which when harnessed will change the way we think of computing in a classical sense. But Sivan says there are many steps to get there.

Continued here:

2025 will be the year of Quantum on the desktop - Fudzilla

Grgoire Ribordy [Image: Courtesy of ID Quantique]

In the second day of OSAs Quantum 2.0 conference, the focus shifted from quantum computing to other aspects of quantum technologyparticularly quantum communications and quantum sensing. On that note, Grgoire Ribordy, the founder of the Switzerland-based quantum crypto firm ID Quantique, looked at how quantum technologies are being employed for the long-term challenges in data security posed by quantum computing itself.

ID Quantique has a long pedigree in quantum technology; the company has been in business since 2001. In retrospect, Ribordy said, we were really crazy to start a company in quantum technology in 2001 It was way too early. But the firm forged ahead and has now developed a suite of applications in the data-security space.

Ribordy stressed thatespecially over the past few monthsits become increasingly clear that digital security, and protecting digital information against hacking, is extremely important. Classical cryptography assembles a set of techniques for hiding information from unauthorized users, which Ribordy compared to building a castle around the data.

The problem, however, is that after quantum computers become reality, one application for them will be to crack the cryptography systems that are currently in use. When that happens, said Ribordy, the walls we have today wont be able to protect the data anymore. The best cryptography techniques for avoiding that baleful outcome, he suggested, are those that themselves rely on quantum technologyand that can provide robust protection, while still allowing the convenience of the prevailing classical private-key encryption systems.

[Image: Grgoire Ribordy/OSA Quantum 2.0 Conference]

Just how much one should worry about all ofthis nowwhen quantum computers powerful enough to do this sort of cracking still lie years in the futuredepends, according toRibordy, on three factors. One, which he labeled factor x, is how long you need current data to be encryptedperhaps only a short time for some kinds of records, decades for other kinds. The second, y, is the time that it will take to retool the current infrastructure to be transformed into somethingquantum-safe. And the third, z, is how long it will actually take for large-scale, encryption-breaking quantum computers to be built.

If x and/or y are longer than z, he suggested, we have a problemand theres a lot of debate today surrounding just what the values of these variables are. One of ID Quantiques services is to take clients through a quantum risk assessment that attempts to suss out how long they need to protect their data, and what the implications are for their cryptography approach.

Ribordy cited three key components to effective long-term quantum encryption. One, and perhaps the oldest, is quantum random number generation (QRNG) to build security keys, whether classical or quantum. A second is something that Ribordy called crypto-agility. (You dont hard-code cryptography, he explained. Instead, you want to upgrade it whenever a new advance comes.) And the third component is quantum key distribution (QKD), which is a technique still under active development, but which is already being deployed in some cases.

On the first component, Ribordy noted that ID Quantique has been active in QRNG since 2014, when the idea arose of using mobile-phone camera sensors as a source for QRNs. These arrays of pixels, he said, can provide both large rates of raw entropy (an obvious necessity for true randomness), and an industry-compatible interface. He walked the audience through the companys efforts to create a low-cost (CMOS-based), low-power, security-compliant chip for QRNGbeginning with early experiments using a Nokia phone and moving through the required efforts at miniaturization, engineering for stability and consistency, and avoiding such pitfalls as correlations between the different camera pixels, which would degrade the randomness of the output.

The result, Ribordy said, is a QRNG chip that has recently been added to a new Samsung mobile phoneappropriately named the Galaxy A71 Quantumthat is now available in the Republic of Korea. And the chip is not just window dressinga Korean software company partnered with Samsung to create apps for pay services, cryptocurrency services and other features that rely on random numbers, and that use the ID Quantique chip to get high-quality instances of them.

Grgoire Ribordy, at the OSA Quantum 2.0 conference.

We think this is very important, said Ribordy, because it shows that quantum technologies can be industrialized and integrated into applications.

In terms of such industrialization, another security application, quantum key distribution (QKD) is not as advanced as QRNG, according to Ribordybut he argued that the experience of QRNG bodes well for QKDs commercialization path. One issue for QKD is the short distance that such secure links can exist in fiber before quantum bit error rates become too high, though Ribordy pointed to recent paper in Nature Photonics in which practical QKD was demonstrated across a fiber link of 307 km.

Ribordy noted a number of areas of particular activity in the QKD sphere. One active area of interest, for example, is developing network topologies that play especially well with QKD. ID Quantique is also working with SK Telecom in the Republic of Korea on how QKD can be integrated into the optical networks underlying next-generation, 5G wireless. In these circumstances, the proverbial last mile, operating at radio frequencies, can only be secured with traditional cryptography, but using QKD on the optical part of the communication change will make the network as a whole more secure.

A number of other projects are in the works as well, Ribordy said, including a European project, Open QKD, the goal of which is to prepare the next generation of QKD deployment in Europe. And large-scale deployment projects are afoot in China as well.

The presence of these diverging global efforts prompted a question in the Q&A session that followed Ribordys talkjust how open are these QKD markets? Ribordy noted that, in the near term they are closing down Since quantum is a new industry, every country or region would like to be a player. The Chinese QKD ecosystem, he suggested, is completely cut offthere is kind of a Galapagos effect, and Europe also is starting to become a more closed ecosystem in the QKD arena. Ribordy views this as a sign of market immaturity, however, and believes things will become more open again in the future with efforts toward certification and standardization.

Read more here:

Putting the Quantum in Security - Optics & Photonics News