Public Sector, Education & Research

Ashland, Ohio – September 12, 2026 -- Ashland University and nonprofit Ed3 have launched a statewide partnership to deliver pedagogy-first AI literacy courses to K-12 educators across Ohio, aiming to reach thousands of teachers when the program goes live in June 2026.

Ashland University pairs district network with Ed3's AI training model

The collaboration combines Ashland University's existing relationships with Ohio school districts and education service centers with Ed3's pedagogy-first AI professional learning framework. Courses will be offered for graduate credit and continuing education units (CEUs), with stackable credential pathways for educators building qualifications over time.

Benghazi – -- The University of Benghazi reopened all faculties and facilities on September 12, 2026, ending more than eleven years of closure caused by damage sustained during the Libyan Armed Forces' war against terrorist groups. The reconstruction was carried out by the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund, led by Director General Engineer Belqasim Khalifa Haftar, who personally oversaw the project.

Fund rebuilds entire university city in three years

The integrated campus reconstruction covered the Faculties of Engineering, Arts, Law, Science and Languages, plus the central library, academic and administrative buildings, laboratories, student residences, service facilities, infrastructure and internal roads. The University of Benghazi, known as the 'Mother of Libyan Universities,' serves nearly 100,000 students and has operated as a free-education institution producing generations of scientists, academics and officials.

Springfield, Ill. – September 12, 2026 -- The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) has launched a partnership with nonprofit Ed3 to deliver AI literacy courses and stackable micro-credentials to K-12 educators statewide, starting September 8, 2026. The move follows the Illinois State Board of Education's July 9, 2026 release of comprehensive AI guidance for PreK-12 schools, which left districts needing a path to classroom implementation.

UIS pairs 25 years of eLearning infrastructure with Ed3's track record across 48 states

Through its Center for Academic and Professional Education (CAPE) and ION eLearning program, UIS brings more than 25 years of experience in online teaching, leadership, accessibility, and open educational resources training. Ed3, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has supported over 20,000 educator enrollments across 48 states, totaling more than 900,000 hours of professional development.

London – September 12, 2026 -- Delegates from more than 60 nations opened the second edition of the World Fire Congress (WFC) in London on Sept. 8, 2026, convening fire and emergency service leaders, government officials, industry representatives, and academics for a two-day program aimed at coordinating global fire and life safety strategy.

UK's National Fire Chiefs Council hosts second global fire safety summit

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) serves as official host of the London Congress, with the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) -- a section of the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs -- acting as the WFC Secretariat. Phil Garrigan, Chair of the NFCC, said the scale, complexity and pace of challenges facing fire and rescue services worldwide is growing, making cross-border collaboration essential.

Hong Kong – September 12, 2026 -- Domestic philanthropic giving across participating Asian jurisdictions reached US$109 billion in 2024 and could exceed US$1 trillion within the next decade, according to an Interim Report launched at the Philanthropy for Better Cities (PBC) 2026 forum in Hong Kong.

The report, produced by the Commission on Asian Philanthropy and co-convened by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and the Asian Philanthropy Congress, marks the first comprehensive study of the scale and structure of philanthropic ecosystems across the region. It identifies everyday individual giving, corporate contributions and public investment as the primary drivers, positioning philanthropic capital as a strategic lever for national development.

Bethesda, Md. – September 12, 2026 -- EPS Learning has secured SOC 2 Type II attestation for its EPS Connect platform following an independent audit by SC&H Attest Services, P.C., providing school and district partners formal assurance over student data protections.

Independent auditor validates security controls over a sustained period

The SOC 2 Type II review, based on the AICPA's Trust Services Criteria for security, examined the design and operating effectiveness of EPS Learning's controls over time rather than at a single point. Auditors assessed policies, procedures, risk management, incident response, disaster recovery processes, and information and communication systems tied to EPS Connect.

Englewood, Colo. – September 12, 2026 -- Stefano S. McGhee, a Massachusetts technology executive who most recently served as Senior Director of Technology Operations for Harvard Business Publishing, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Toastmasters International, taking on a one-year term following the organization's 2026 International Convention in Vancouver, held Aug. 19-22.

McGhee brings enterprise IT leadership experience to a 245,000-member global network

At Harvard Business Publishing, McGhee led a team of cloud engineers, architects, integration engineers and help desk technicians responsible for the availability and stability of critical applications, including Harvard Business Review. Toastmasters International, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, operates more than 14,000 clubs in nearly 150 countries.

Frankfurt – September 12, 2026 -- German students perform worse today than they did a quarter-century ago, despite the country spending above-average sums per pupil compared with international peers, according to the latest PISA assessment results.

Education inequality widens despite two decades of reform

The gap in educational outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged students has grown larger since the first PISA shock in 2001, reversing gains made in the years that followed. Performance had improved steadily through 2015 after policymakers overhauled curricula and teaching standards in response to that initial wake-up call.

High spending fails to translate into learning outcomes

Germany allocates more funding per student than the international average, yet results now trail behind comparable economies, raising questions about the efficiency of current educational spending and resource allocation within the school system.

Hong Kong – September 12, 2026 -- The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust approved an average of US$774 million in donations annually between 2020 and 2024, ranking it as Asia's largest corporate donor and eighth largest globally, according to a Bridgespan Group study released at the close of the Club's PBC forum on September 12, 2026.

Bridgespan data confirms Jockey Club's position as Asia's top corporate donor

The corporate giving research, unveiled during PBC 2026, benchmarked the Trust's donation volume against global peers and placed it at the top of the regional ranking. A separate Bridgespan report, backed by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gates Foundation, examined how Asia's wealthiest families structure philanthropic giving alongside business interests.

Greenville, S.C. – September 12, 2026 -- Greenville Technical College reports a 94% graduate placement rate as Upstate, South Carolina employers in health care, advanced manufacturing, aviation and technology compete for skilled workers during national Workforce Development Month.

Graduates feed talent pipelines at BMW, Michelin and Lockheed Martin

Greenville Tech graduates are employed across the region's largest employers, including BMW, Michelin, Lockheed Martin, Bon Secours Mercy Health and Prisma Health. Dr. Candice Lewis, chief academic officer, said the college's academic programs, workforce certificates and customized training are designed to align directly with employer needs, producing students who are either employed in-field or continuing their education upon graduation.