Public Sector, Education & Research

New York – October 13, 2026 -- Debra L. Laskin, PhD, a member of the Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety, has been named to the Forbes 2026 50 Over 50: Innovation list after a career of more than 40 years and over 350 published journal articles, reviews, book chapters and reports.

Forbes cites Laskin's research on immune responses to toxic chemicals

The annual list recognizes women whose experience, leadership and accomplishments continue to advance their fields. Laskin was honored for research into how the immune system responds to toxic chemicals and into the inflammatory mechanisms behind lung and liver injury. Her work has contributed to the development of medical countermeasures for chemical threats, including mustard agents.

Santa Clara – October 13, 2026 -- Smarter Balanced has appointed Dr. Karen Barton as Deputy Executive Director, effective October 13, 2026, adding a leader with more than two decades of assessment and learning experience to its senior team.

Barton to oversee major operational portfolios under Executive Director Tony Alpert

Barton will work closely with Executive Director Tony Alpert. Her remit covers major operational portfolios, coordination across teams, and the alignment of resources with the Consortium's strategic priorities and member needs.

Interview panels including member agency representatives backed her unanimously

Alpert said Barton earned unanimous support from the Consortium's multidisciplinary interview panels. The panels included representatives from member education agencies. He said she combines a student-centered focus with the skills needed to lead complex operations.

Phoenix – – October 13, 2026 -- The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) opened a waitlist today for three online Pilates credentials, targeting a U.S. market where participation reached 13.8 million in 2025, up from 9.9 million in 2020, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).

ISSA launches Mat, Reformer and bundled Pilates certifications

The portfolio comprises a Mat Pilates Instructor Certification, a Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification, and a Mat + Reformer bundle that awards both credentials under a single enrollment. The mat course covers the classical 31-exercise repertoire, functional anatomy, cueing and population-specific program design. The reformer course covers safety, spring mechanics, progressive cueing and the full 27-exercise repertoire.

Singapore – October 12, 2026 -- Leadde AI has introduced an education workflow that converts course materials into learning videos in minutes, and selected education teams report video-production time reductions of up to 80 percent.

Workflow targets the scripting, recording and localization bottleneck

Education institutions hold extensive teaching materials but lack capacity for scripting, recording, editing, subtitling and localization, according to the company. The constraint is most acute in hybrid programs and multilingual classrooms, where content must stay accurate, consistent and easy to update.

The workflow runs on Leadde's AI Video Agent for education. It analyzes source materials, identifies key messages, and generates scripts, narrated scenes, subtitles and editable video drafts.

Plano, Texas – October 12, 2026 -- Toyota has donated $75,000 to Music Will, the largest nonprofit music education program in the United States, as the two organizations enter the second year of their partnership under the Driving Music Forward initiative.

Donation funds instruments and resources in communities tied to Toyota's music activations

The $75,000 will support music education programs in communities connected to Music Will and Toyota's music activations. Funds are intended to give students access to instruments, resources and opportunities to develop their talents.

Driving Music Forward combines Toyota's music platform, nonprofit partnerships and festival activations into a single community-impact effort focused on music education and emerging artists.

Western New York – – October 12, 2026 -- National Grid has committed $2 million over five years to Northland Workforce Training Center, funding a new Clean Tech Lab and Experience Center that held its formal ribbon cutting on Sept. 25.

National Grid's 2025 grant targets electrical construction and clean energy students

The money, pledged in 2025, supports students pursuing careers in electrical construction and clean energy. It is distributed over five years and flows through National Grid's Sustainability organization, where the Social Impact and Community Engagement team invests in nonprofits across the utility's service area.

New York – October 09, 2026 -- SuperCom (NASDAQ: SPCB) has won two county-level electronic monitoring contracts with adult and juvenile probation agencies in Texas, fully displacing the county's incumbent providers and lifting its total to more than 50 new U.S. contracts since mid-2024.

SuperCom's fourth and fifth Texas contracts both replace existing providers

The awards are the company's fourth and fifth in Texas since it expanded into the state in December 2025. SuperCom entered Texas with a single juvenile probation agency, and all five of its Texas contracts to date have involved replacing an incumbent provider, according to the company.

Beijing – October 08, 2026 -- New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (NYSE: EDU; SEHK: 9901) will convene its annual general meeting on November 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. local time at No. 6 Hai Dian Zhong Street, Haidian District, Beijing.

No shareholder vote is scheduled for the 2026 annual meeting

The company confirmed no proposals will be submitted for approval at the gathering. Instead, the meeting will function as an open forum allowing shareholders of record and beneficial owners of American depositary shares to raise questions directly with management on company affairs.

London – October 08, 2026 -- Arden University and Google Cloud have announced a strategic partnership granting more than 30,000 students and staff full access to Gemini Enterprise, Google's agentic AI platform used by large global organisations.

Partnership embeds AI across 30 new degree programmes

Arden University has launched more than 30 new degrees built from the ground up around AI tools, incorporating immersive, AI-enabled learning experiences designed to prepare graduates for the workplace. Staff will use Gemini Enterprise to deliver personalised, AI-driven teaching and to create interactive demonstrations, case studies and accessible course formats, including audio/visual overviews and mind maps via Gemini Notebook.

Tokyo – – October 08, 2026 -- LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: LFS) reported first-half fiscal 2026 revenue of JPY5,978.8 million ($36.8 million), up 8.9% year over year and a record high for the six-month period since fiscal 2023. Income from operations rose 35.9% to JPY92.3 million ($0.6 million), while net income climbed 43.5% to JPY77.1 million ($0.5 million) for the six months ended October 08, 2026.

Adjusted operating income more than doubles to JPY139.7 million

Adjusted income from operations increased 105.6% to JPY139.7 million ($0.9 million) from JPY67.9 million a year earlier. Basic and diluted earnings per share rose to JPY2.95 ($0.02) from JPY2.16 in the prior-year period.