Fintech PR
Announcing the shortlist for the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize
Five titles being considered for best non-fiction book on international affairs published in English
TORONTO, WASHINGTON, LONDON and ROME, Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The shortlist for the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize shortlist has been selected by an international panel of practitioners, journalists and scholars. This will be the 34th awarding of the prize, which honours the world’s best book on international affairs published in English. The winner will receive $50,000 CAD and will be chosen from the following five titles:
- Power and Progress: Our 1000-year struggle over technology and prosperity, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (PublicAffairs, Hatchette Book Group)
- Underground Empire: How America weaponized the world economy, Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman (Macmillan, Henry Holt and Co. U.S.A.; Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Press, U.K.)
- Homelands: A personal history of Europe, Timothy Garton Ash (Yale University Press)
- Seven Crashes: The economic crises that shaped globalization, Harold James (Yale University Press)
- We, The Data: Human rights in the digital age, Wendy H. Wong (MIT Press)
“The jury has chosen five books that explore topics critical to our understanding of the forces that influence the global economy and international cooperation,” said Judith Gelber, Chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize Board. “They each exemplify the values of the Lionel Gelber Prize with elegant writing on important issues.”
This year’s shortlist was selected by the 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize Jury: Prof. Janice Gross Stein (Jury Chair), Prof. Rosa Brooks (Washington), Prof. Francis J. Gavin (Washington), Iain Martin (London) and Eric Reguly (Rome).
Winner Announcement:
The winner will be announced on March 6, 2024. The winning author will take part in a hybrid event hosted by the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy on March 25, 2024.
About The Lionel Gelber Prize:
The Lionel Gelber Prize, a literary award for the world’s best non-fiction book on international affairs published in English, was founded in 1989 by Canadian diplomat Lionel Gelber. A cash prize of $50,000 CAD is awarded to the winner. The award is presented annually by University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. For further information, please visit: https://gelber.munkschool.utoronto.ca/ or follow @gelberprize on Facebook and Twitter.
The 2024 Lionel Gelber Prize – Shortlisted Books and Authors
Power and Progress: Our 1000-year struggle over technology and prosperity, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (PublicAffairs, Hatchette Book Group)
About the authors:
Daron Acemoglu is Institute Professor of Economics at MIT, the university’s highest faculty honor. For the last twenty-five years, he has been researching the historical origins of prosperity, poverty, and the effects of new technologies on economic growth, employment, and inequality. Acemoglu is the recipient of several awards and honors, including the John Bates Clark Medal, awarded to economists under forty judged to have made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge (2005); the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in economics, finance, and management for his lifetime contributions (2016), and the Kiel Institute’s Global Economy Prize in economics (2019). He is author (with James Robinson) of The Narrow Corridor and the New York Times bestseller Why Nations Fail.
Simon Johnson is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Sloan School at MIT, where he is also head of the Global Economics and Management group. Previously chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, he has worked on global economic crises and recoveries for thirty years. Johnson has published more than 300 high-impact pieces in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Financial Times. He is author (with Jon Gruber) of Jump-Starting America, and (with James Kwak) of White House Burning and the national bestseller 13 Bankers. He works with entrepreneurs, elected officials, and civil society organizations around the world.
Underground Empire: How America weaponized the world economy, Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman (Macmillan, Henry Holt and Co. U.S.A.; Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Press, U.K.)
About the authors:
Henry Farrell is the SNF Agora Professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS, the 2019 winner of the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Politics and Technology, Editor-in-Chief of The Monkey Cage at The Washington Post, and co-founder of the popular academic blog, Crooked Timber. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Farrell has written for publications such as The New York Times, the Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Washington Monthly, The Boston Review, Aeon, New Scientist, and The Nation.
Abraham L. Newman is a professor at the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University. Known for his research on the politics generated by globalization, he serves as a frequent commentator on international affairs, appearing on news programs ranging from Al Jazeera to Deutsche Welle and NPR. His work has been published in leading outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nature, Science, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Harvard Business Review, and Politico.
Homelands: A personal history of Europe, Timothy Garton Ash (Yale University Press)
About the author: Timothy Garton Ash is professor of European studies at the University of Oxford and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His books include The Magic Lantern, his eyewitness account of the revolutions of 1989; The File: A Personal History, based on reading his own Stasi file; and History of the Present. He lives in Oxford, England.
Seven Crashes: The economic crises that shaped globalization, Harold James (Yale University Press)
About the author: Harold James is the Claude and Lore Kelly Professor in European Studies and professor of history and international affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of numerous books, most recently The War of Words: A Glossary of Globalization (Yale, 2021) and Making a Modern Central Bank: The Bank of England 1979–2003 (Cambridge, 2020).
We, The Data: Human rights in the digital age, Wendy Wong (MIT Press)
About the author: Wendy H. Wong is a Professor of Political Science and Principal’s Research Chair at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. She is the author of two award-winning books: Internal Affairs: How the Structure of NGOs Transforms Human Rights and (with Sarah S. Stroup) The Authority Trap: Strategic Choices of International NGOs.
Lani Krantz, Communications and Media Relations Specialist, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, +1 (647) 407-4384 (text preferred), [email protected]
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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to provide Indonesian customers with real-time international money transfer capabilities. This collaboration aims to enhance the cross-border offerings for BRI’s individual and corporate customers, delivering more accessible and cost-effective financial services across Indonesia.
This partnership empowers more than 150 million BRI account holders, including those in remote regions of Indonesia, to access modern, real-time cross-border payment services. The offering includes a variety of real-time payment mechanisms, supporting bank account destinations, a global electronic card network, and digital wallets. These innovations are closely aligned with BRI’s ongoing mission to provide affordable and customer-focused financial products, particularly for traditionally underserved communities.
BRI’s Corporate Secretary, Agustya Hendy Bernadi, emphasized BRI’s dedication to constantly improving customer convenience through innovations in its global network and cross-border transaction services. “This collaboration reflects BRI’s continuous efforts to enhance productivity and efficiency by expanding its digital payment channel network to meet the growing demand for global transactions,” he said. Agustya added that the partnership with Nium aligns perfectly with BRI’s vision to be Southeast Asia’s most valuable banking group and a champion of financial inclusion by 2025. “With Nium’s global transaction network, BRI strengthens the digitalization of its business processes and enhances retail banking capabilities in line with our 2025 strategic vision.”
Anupam Pahuja, General Manager and Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa at Nium, shared his excitement about the partnership, highlighting BRI’s extensive presence across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. “By integrating Nium’s advanced technology into BRI’s platform, we are dedicated to providing BRI’s customers, no matter where they are, with access to exceptional financial services. This partnership will remove the risks associated with cash handling and provide faster, more cost-effective transactions—whether individuals are sending money to family members abroad or businesses are making international payments.”
Cross-border payments are projected to grow significantly in Indonesia, with a forecasted year-on-year increase of 15% through 2025, driven largely by the digital transformation in financial services (Statista, 2024).
This partnership between BRI and Nium is expected to transform the way Indonesians engage with global financial services, meeting the rising demand for modern payment infrastructure and enhancing the overall experience for BRI’s customers in their international transactions.
About Nium
Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 40 markets. Nium’s growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bri-partners-with-nium-to-expand-real-time-cross-border-payment-solutions-302279138.html
Fintech PR
Grexie Signchain Launches on November 1st, 2024: Enabling Smart Contract Developers to Bring Off-Chain Data On-Chain with Seamless Gas-Paid Signing
Grexie Signchain enables developers to sign off-chain data into smart contracts, with self-hosted or secure vault signer wallet management.
MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Grexie Limited proudly announces the launch of its innovative smart contract solution, Signchain, on November 1st, 2024. Designed specifically for developers, Signchain introduces a powerful way to bring off-chain data on-chain through user-paid gas fees and secure signing of data into smart contract methods using its extendable smart contract, Signable.
In the growing landscape of blockchain technology, securely managing off-chain data and integrating it into on-chain smart contracts has posed significant challenges for developers. Signchain eliminates these hurdles by offering a robust, gas-efficient system for signing and authenticating data in real-time.
Key Features of Signchain:
1. Seamless Off-Chain to On-Chain Data Integration
Signchain enables developers to securely bring off-chain data on-chain by signing it directly into smart contract methods through user-paid gas fees. This integration ensures that data authenticity is preserved, and its entry into the blockchain remains tamper-proof, streamlining processes for industries relying on real-world data verification. Signchain also supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase, making it easy to pull data from popular off-chain data sources.
2. Extendable Smart Contract – Signable
The core of Signchain’s technology is its extendable smart contract, Signable, which allows developers to customize and build upon existing smart contracts. With Signable, developers can easily implement contract signatures for any data type, offering flexibility across industries from finance to logistics and beyond.
3. Signer Wallet Management
Signchain offers comprehensive signer wallet management as part of its service, empowering developers to manage and authenticate signers effectively. Wallets can either be self-hosted using Signchain’s Docker container for those who prefer their own infrastructure, or they can leverage Signchain’s network of secure vaults for maximum security.
4. Self-Hosted or Managed Service
For developers who want full control of their infrastructure, Signchain provides a self-hosted option via Docker containers, allowing them to deploy the platform on their own servers. Alternatively, developers can opt to use Signchain’s secure vault network, offering a hassle-free solution with enterprise-grade security and wallet management.
5. User-Paid Gas Fees
By integrating a user-paid gas fee model, Signchain allows users to cover the costs of signing and authenticating their data, ensuring the signing process is efficient and doesn’t overburden developers with additional expenses. This makes Signchain an ideal solution for dApps and platforms handling high transaction volumes.
6. Google Sheets, AWS, Firebase Integration with Serverless Model
Signchain supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase in a serverless model, powered by a hosted Sign In With Ethereum (SIWE) implementation provided by Signchain’s API. Developers can simply connect their Google Sheets and configure the contract parameters associated with each column. Signchain will automatically look up the user’s wallet address in the spreadsheet, sign the transaction data, and execute it in the blockchain along with any user-supplied parameters. This creates an easy, efficient way to manage data inputs from off-chain sources without heavy infrastructure setup.
Revolutionizing Smart Contract Workflows
With Signchain, developers now have the tools to handle the complexities of integrating off-chain data into smart contracts. The extendable nature of Signable offers flexibility, allowing developers to cater to various use cases, whether it’s automating financial transactions, supply chain data, or verifying legal agreements.
Tim Behrsin, CEO of Grexie Limited, said, “Signchain is more than just a signing solution—it’s a platform that empowers developers to securely integrate off-chain data into their smart contracts with minimal effort. The flexibility of Signable and our focus on signer wallet management offers developers control and security at every stage of the process.”
Why Signchain Matters
Signchain addresses critical challenges faced by developers, particularly those dealing with off-chain data. By signing data into smart contracts and enabling user-paid gas fees, the platform significantly reduces friction in managing secure, scalable smart contracts. Whether developers need to manage high volumes of data transactions or create bespoke smart contracts, Signchain offers a scalable and secure solution.
In industries like DeFi, real estate, and supply chain management, data integrity and security are paramount. Signchain’s secure vault network and customizable signing workflows allow businesses to handle sensitive information with confidence.
Launch Event and Future Developments
The official launch of Signchain will take place on November 1st, 2024, alongside a virtual event. The event will showcase live demonstrations of Signable, with detailed walkthroughs of the Docker-based self-hosted solution and signer wallet management features. Attendees will also get an exclusive preview of future enhancements, including multi-signature workflows and advanced blockchain network integrations.
About Signchain
Signchain is a cutting-edge platform developed by Grexie Limited, based in Manchester, Cheshire, United Kingdom. Signchain simplifies smart contract development by offering a secure, scalable, and customizable solution for signing and authenticating off-chain data on-chain. Developers can either self-host the solution using Signchain’s Docker container or rely on the network’s secure vault infrastructure. With an emphasis on security, flexibility, and developer experience, Signchain is set to transform how smart contracts handle off-chain data.
For more information, visit signchain.net.
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View original content:SOURCE Grexie Limited
OXFORD, England, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — n2 Group, the transformative computing technology investment company, announces the acquisition of high-performance computing (HPC) and AI specialists, X-ISS. The addition of X-ISS expands the Group’s portfolio– joining NAG, VSNi, BioTeam and STAC—as it accelerates advancements in technology and computation, underpinned by innovation, technical excellence, and a focus on long-term growth.
n2 Group invests selectively in technical computing companies with deep business impact in a variety of sectors, providing operational support and a collaborative approach to innovation and business transformation. The addition of X-ISS will further strengthen the Group’s already strong HPC/AI credentials, with NAG, STAC and BioTeam already adding to this space.
X-ISS is a pioneer in Managed Services specifically designed for HPC/AI. With their in-depth understanding of hardware and software complexities within HPC and AI, they deliver highly impactful end-to-end services to clients through the integration, optimization and management of HPC/AI systems. The integration of X-ISS into n2 Group aligns with the Group vision of improving the accessibility, quality and robustness of computing solutions to enable greater productivity in industry.
X-ISS will operate as an autonomous business within the n2 Group, maintaining its brand, identity and ethos. n2 Group’s status as an independent, member-backed organisation with no external financial stakeholders allows X-ISS to continue providing impartial advice based on the technology needs and challenges of its clients. Inter-group synergies will enable greater innovation and collaboration, advancing the Group’s position and long-term HPC/AI market impact.
“X-ISS strengthens the n2 community in the strategically important area of HPC/AI”, said Adrian Scales, Snr Director of Investments and Partnerships at n2 Group. “As a respected boutique HPC service provider, X-ISS is helping clients navigate an increasingly complex landscape in terms of technologies and software integrations with AI and analytics. The acquisition strongly complements the Group’s existing HPC professional services capability, and we are delighted to have them on board.”
“This is an important milestone for X-ISS.”, said Deepak Khosla, CEO X-ISS, “The partnership with n2 Group will enable us to enhance our flagship ManagedHPC solution by leveraging n2‘s complementary services and product developments, allowing us to deliver even greater value to our customers. As businesses face increasing challenges with complex technologies like AI and cloud computing, we’re now better equipped to support them with the same quality, passion, and partnership that defines X-ISS. I am excited about the opportunities this can bring for current and future X-ISS customers.”
About n2 Group
At n2 Group we are transforming computing and technology investment with a radical new approach. Our businesses are all established, purpose-driven market-leaders in computing products or services. We stimulate long-term sustainable growth through group-level support in strategy, business development, innovation, and operations. With no shareholders or external financial interests, we reinvest all profits back into the group or to the community, reinforcing our commitment to positive social impact through technological advancements.
n2 Group companies are at the forefront of computing and IT infrastructure, helping clients in various sectors to be more productive, innovative or reduce risk through advanced software and services. Rapidly expanding in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and scientific computing, our businesses maintain their unique brands and identities, but benefit from the expanded network available through the group.
n2 Group Companies
• BioTeam: Scientific computing consultancy integrating technologies, data, and cultures to accelerate science.
• NAG: Advanced products and services in algorithms, optimization, high-performance computing and AI.
• STAC: Independent financial services technology research and community events.
• VSNi: Proven statistical solutions and data expertise driving innovation and success.
• X-ISS: Industry leading management and analytics solutions for HPC/AI systems.
For more detailed information and the latest updates, visit n2 Group.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/n2-group-advances-hpcai-portfolio-by-acquiring-managed-services-company-x-iss-302279433.html
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