Leading Education Consultants to Watch in 2020.

2020 | VOL-10 | ISSUE-2

Campus Abroad Mauritius LEADING EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS TO WATCH IN 2020

EDITOR’S NOTE

EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS –

OPTIMISING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

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here used to be a time when bringing about reforms, transitions, providing training and updating members the education community along with creating awareness about government policies were the responsibilities of the educators. In addition, they also counselled students with their future career path. All these responsibilities along with educating the future generation used to be very taxing for the educators.

Gone are those days. Now one cannot even imagine the education sector without education consultants. They not only bring about transitions in the education environments of institutes but are also the dependable guides for teachers, students and parents. They implement changes in the curriculum to the best interests of both teacher and learner.

The responsibilities of an educational counsellor are aplenty. Besides, improving the school’s and student’s needs they have to also keep themselves abreast with the global education trends and reforms. The information gathered is then disseminated to the educators and the other members of the education community. Lot of research and market survey are done by the educational consultants to shoulder their responsibilities effectively and to the satisfaction of the educators as well as that of the students.

Ample knowledge about various careers and career opportunities, incorporating current technology and education trends are no child’s play for the consultant who manages various aspects of education skilfully.

Education consultants are the most trustworthy advisors for teachers, parents, school administrators and students. With them lie the gigantic responsibility of assessing education standards and improvising the best methods to raise the bars.

Then there are millions of students aspiring to study overseas in the best universities and education consultants are the best guides for them. Evaluating the profile, choosing the right university, preparing financial documents, supporting documents, filling applications, counselling for Visa interviews and University interviews are all deftly managed by the education consultants. Once you entrust your educational journey to an education consultant, you can rest assured that the process will be cakewalk for you.

Besides, some education consultants by virtue of their sheer knowledge in the field are also invited by governments to share their expertise in bringing about reforms education policies.

latest edition titled, Leading Education Consultants to Watch in 2020.

On the cover we have, Campus Abroad Mauritius, which devotedly provides conclusive counselling, supports young learners, and helps them make a career choice or pick a subject that taps the greatest potential within them.

Other prominent consultants include, HeadWest Migration, which provides various immigration services to Canada and other countries. It is a new age education and immigration start-up established in 2015.

Through various strategies, HeadWest offers permanent residency services, abroad education placements, investments in businesses overseas and assistance; and Visamax Immigration, which caters to the needs of people who are willing to start their career and a new life in other countries.

This edition also includes insightful articles penned by industry experts and our in-house editorial team, sharing their views on education consulting and beyond.

We hope you enjoy reading this editon as much as we did while curating it for you! T R

Indeed, education consultants are the lifeline of any education system today. We at The Knowledge Review have highlighted the importance of education consultants in our Sumita Sarkar sumita@theknowledgereview.com

Cover Story

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Campus Abroad Mauritius Endowing Opportunities for a Glorious International Education and Career

22 30 HeadWest Migration The Gateway to Endless Opportunities

Visamax Immigration Providing Tailored Immigration Solutions

C CXO STANDPOINT

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18 ASTUTE MIND The study of the Philosophy of Religion in the age of the internet

28 Expert’s Viewpoint The power of Molecular Understanding and Interpretation in Precision oncology: From science Fiction to reality

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24 The Know-Hows Ask Educational Consultants

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34 Astute Thoughts Why and how women can be the face of tomorrow’s business leaders

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Campus Abroad Endowing Opportunities for a Glorious International Education and Career

Mauritius COVER STORY

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f we ask many industry professionals, ‘how they came to be where they are today?’ most of them will say that they walked down the path of diminishing salaries and stopped where they felt that this is the least they need to earn.

But, what most of them neglect to say is how as a young adult they constantly struggled with the choice of career.

This calls to mind Confucius’ words, “Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work another day in the life.”

However, choosing a career that one loves is not an easy decision to make considering how the world is getting competitive every day, and aspirations of having crossdisciplinary knowledge are rising. The point to be noted here is that choosing a career directly influences a student’s preference of subject matter.

Young learners today have an amazing opportunity as technology has opened doors to the world and has brought a plethora of opportunities to learn in a competitive global economy at the touch of a button. The world today is looked at differently and the global milieu has opened several potential educational gateways, not only in terms of choices of subjects but also in terms of destinations.

However, to decide one’s preferred subject and most important choosing a college that helps them bring out their true potential requires access to extensive information,

streamlined processes, and thorough knowledge about all the global educational institutions.

This calls for the need for a well-aware and experienced network of education aligned service providers and consultants. These consultants devotedly provide conclusive counseling, support to young learners, and help them make a career choice or pick a subject that taps the greatest potential within them. Campus Abroad Mauritius Ltd is one such education consultant. The philosophy, ‘Children matter but, their goals, dreams, and future matter more’ is central to this agency.

Gateway to a World of Opportunities Campus Abroad Mauritius has created an environment that shapes global citizens considering every country or education institution equally important. It suggests a list of opportunities for the best available education institutions worldwide in its counseling sessions and provides a platform for the aspirants to sit with their experienced counselors.

Established in 2001 by Mr. Seshadri Jayasankar and Mrs. Rajeshwari Jayasankar, Campus Abroad Mauritius acts as a facilitator that enables Mauritian students to pursue overseas education. The company was started as an agency that represented only three to four British Universities.

From those humble beginnings, the organization has today grown to a stage where it represents over a hundred institutions worldwide.

Educational Consultants

to watch in 2020

It is licensed by the Ministry of Education, Government of Mauritius and is also a member of various educational bodies like ICEF and QISAN. Campus Abroad is registered with UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service).

Students wishing to pursue higher education in the UK can apply to UCAS online from the Campus Abroad’s office in Rose-Hill.

In addition to the UK, Campus Abroad works with numerous institutions in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India, China, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, and more. Campus Abroad is an Education New Zealand recognized agency. Most of the staff at Campus Abroad have undergone PIER certification or British Council training.

The consultancy wing of Campus Abroad Mauritius also helps overseas educational institutions to set up bases in Mauritius by conducting market surveys, liaising with governmental authorities, and preparing detailed business plans. This division has helped several leading Indian institutions set up operations in Mauritius.

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Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work another day in the life.” - Confucius

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Even as agents, we need to be prepared for a reduction in the number of students walking into the office for information.

Check-listing Easy Study Abroad Process At present, this education consultant stands in a position to connect students with the preferred course in the right institution in the right country. It provides the following services to the students, parents, and educational institutions: • Easy Application and Admission processing • Unbiased university and destination counseling • Managing Offer acceptance process

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Campus Abroad Mauritius follows a calculated and a tailored approach based on the experiences and knowledge on the matter to aid its customers.

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• Decisive visa counseling and support • Accommodation support and other student essentials support • Immigration Services through its contracted agents.

We can thus say that Campus Abroad Mauritius follows a calculated and tailored approach based on the experiences and knowledge on the matter to aid its customers. It focuses on ensuring that all its customers

experience a seamless overseas boarding and have an athome accommodation facility. Most Universities do offer on-campus accommodation for international students and Campus Abroad Mauritius gives students a virtual tour of the respective accommodations and guides them to choose wisely.

Being student-centric counselors, this consultancy is not obliged to focus on any particular university.

Representing universities from all over the world, offering more a plethora of courses worldwide, Campus Abroad remains loyal to its principle of keeping students’ interest foremost.

As a result, Campus Abroad has managed to develop a network of universities, banks, travel agencies, immigration agencies, students, and even alumni due to which this firm enables students to connect with individuals at the University who will assist students like; finding accommodation off-campus, airport pick ups and transfers, opening bank accounts etc.. Additionally, it also helps students in connecting with other students who are currently studying at the University. Campus Abroad's connection with banks allows students to apply for education loan and avail scholarships.

Managing Crisis and Adapting We have already established how through in-depth engagement with students and parents, the counselors at Campus Abroad understand and formulate a customized plan for them. However, times are changing, and looking

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We are investing heavily in technology as post COVID, we are convinced that this is the way forward

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He further adds online communication is going to be the norm going forward and thus Campus Abroad has redesigned its website and is in the process of developing a mobile app. It is also extremely active on social media and is geared for talking to students on several online platforms. “Education fairs are also likely to go fully virtual,” he commented.

Thus, we can say that Campus abroad will in future focus more on the use of technology. “We are investing heavily in technology as post COVID, we are convinced that this is the way forward. We are planning to expand into the African mainland as we firmly believe that Africa is the continent of the future. We are also getting into executive training both face to face and through the online mode,” concluded Mr. Jayasankar. T R

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at the present pandemic outbreak, the number of students preferring to study abroad might reduce in numbers and Campus Abroad is preparing itself for such a situation. “Even as agents, we need to be prepared for a reduction in the number of students walking into the office for information,” says Mr. Jayasankar

Our goal is to bring international education within the reach of every individual

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ASTUTE MIND

Dr. Brian Huf�ing Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Theology Southern Evangelical Seminary

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THE

Study

OF THE

PHILOSOPHY OF

Religion IN THE

Age

OF THE

INTERNET S

tudying reality is important. Studying ultimate reality is ultimately important. Many philosophers and theologians argue that God exists as the cause for everything else that exists. The issue of God’s existence and nature falls under the philosophy of religion, as do the issues of evil, miracles, and religious experience. These areas require years of study in metaphysics (what is real), epistemology (what is knowledge), and the history of philosophy. To be qualified to hold the title ‘Philosopher of Religion’, or any such title, one must pay his/her academic dues, such as getting a masters and doctoral degree. This certainly does not mean that one cannot study the field of philosophy of religion unless he/she is in a formal academic

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program. What it does mean, is that to be considered an authority, one must possess a certain level of peer-reviewed training.

Once upon a time, the research required to attain such credentials had to be done through laborious hours in a library utilizing databases, looking through books on shelves, and acquiring sources through the mail. While much of this is still is required, the Internet has drastically changed the way research is performed. It has allowed philosophers of religion around the world to collaborate faster and with greater ease, use centralized databases, and experience lightning fast communication. It has also

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provided the ability to acquire sources from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. In addition, philosophers of religion have been able to post papers (Academia.edu) and articles online, subscribe to journals online, and keep abreast of the latest scholarship via search engines or databases. Such databases are invaluable for dissertation research, such as ProQuest. Other sites allow for general research for students and teachers. One such site is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP, plato.stanford.edu). There are well over 1000 articles written by accomplished and well-known philosophers, which are peer reviewed for the site. The SEP boasts of many ways that it is distinct from traditional journals. For example, unlike traditional journals, the SEP can continually update articles as the authors see fit. Also, they can write on a more comprehensive list of topics that are not covered in traditional journals. The SEP allows for digital crossreferencing between articles. Further, the SEP can have a broader audience than academic journals, as the latter tend to focus on specialists in the field of study. Many of the articles in the SEP are in the area of philosophy of religion, or relate to it. Such a digital database of topics is a great resource for students and teachers.

Many philosophers of religion have their own websites, blogs, etc., such as Richard Howe (richardghowe.com), William Lane Craig (reasonablefaith.com) and Edward Feser (edwardfeser.com). This is a great way to allow students and the public to access their papers, thoughts, and to some extent the ability to converse. Such sites, as well as sites like YouTube, allow for these philosophers to host debates, lectures, and interviews so that students and interested persons can avail themselves of such a treasury of information and knowledge.

With the advent and popularity of the Internet, however, there have been some negative consequences as well. As most people know, anyone can create a website, blog, or whatever online. Professors and students alike know of the convenience and potential dangerous effects of sites like Wikipedia.com. Because of such sites, schools in general have imposed a rule that no more than about 10% of students’ resources can come from the Internet. (Oftentimes this does not limit the use of sites such as the SEP, online access to academic journals, or eBooks.) The reason for such limits is because educators do not want students pulling from just any website. Many online have no formal training in the area in which they write or discuss. This is the case with printed and published books as well; however, the ability to be able to write online is much easier than having to go through a publisher. Just buy a domain name, and one can be in business. While sites can be good for specialists to help promote and study research, as well as teach the general public or students, the uninitiated can also make sites with no peer evaluation or formal training—much to the detriment of the field, and to the chagrin of legitimate philosophers of religion.

Possibly the Internet’s most profound effect for philosophers of religion is online education. No longer does one have to move to get certain degrees (especially BA and MA degrees). Now, one can study the philosophy of religion from home. The merits (convenience) and demerits (alleged lowering of educational quality) of such education are debated almost endlessly. What is not debated is that the Internet has changed and is changing education in drastic ways.

For those interested in studying the most profound questions and issues of ultimate reality, the philosophy of religion is an intriguing and fascinating area to devote one’s time and efforts. The Internet has made it much easier to explore the issues. It has also tended to blur the lines between scholarship and ignorance. If you are reading this and are interested in the philosophy of religion, be thankful for the advent of the Internet. But also beware. Choose sites and schools wisely, and enjoy one of the most important and rewarding fields of study. T R

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HeadWest Migration

The Gateway to Endless Opportunities are a new age education & immigration startup which has evolved “ We from 2015 to now as a cornerstone of the Immigration industry

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ith enormous benefits, people willing to move to Canada are offered flexible immigration programs. Canada aims to draw a very huge international crowd. Currently, Canada is looking to invite 1 million immigrants. As the Canadian market is booming for the students, it is the right time to plan for immigration.

Keeping upbeat with the trend, HeadWest Migration provides various immigration services to Canada and other countries. It is a new age education and immigration startup established in 2015. Through various strategies, HeadWest offers permanent residency services, abroad education placements, investments in businesses overseas and assistance.

The aim of HeadWest Migration is to be the consultant of choice for the customer in providing immigration solutions in a legal and comprehensive manner. The consultancy currently is working in almost all the segments of the international visa market. The services range from skilled migration visas, business migration visas, study visas to tourist visas.

Excellence Throughout the Journey Since the beginning of the journey, the clients of HeadWest consultancy have been very satisfied with services. This is why the clients have immense faith in the company and its practices. The consultancy follows an assessment process of the customer’s profile.

For HeadWest consultancy, it is very important, to be honest with its customers. The team at HeadWest doesn’t give false hope to its clients if the profile does not meet the requirement prescribed by the country.

Vikas says, “Given the fact that we do not accept every client like many others irrespective of their eligibility, neither do we promote to fabricate documents and aim towards a 100% success rate. A lot of clients were surprised

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when we didn’t accept their case and told them that they didn’t qualify as compared to other companies who were signing them up.”

Honesty, Integrity and Trust HeadWest Migration stands strong on its core values of honesty, integrity and trust. With a 100% transparency in all the processes, the company provides a roadmap to the customers. Through genuine solutions, students are helped to choose their dream university.

As most of the clients do not have in-depth knowledge about the overall process, HeadWest makes it their aim to make the client aware of it. From choosing the right course to filing the visa document, HeadWest provides a comprehensive service.

HeadWest has strategic partnerships in the industry and works directly and indirectly through highly curated service providers in the visa industry.

Unmatched Assistance to Students Indian students have immense potential. Hence, to direct such talents to the ever-rising education destination, HeadWest has struck alliances across Australia, Canada and Europe. Through its network, the consultancy offers a range of courses to its student clients for diploma, bachelor’s, postgraduate diploma and master’s programs.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) process ensures that the students get a streamlined visa process. Genuine students have a great opportunity to study abroad on an as low budget as Rs 15-16 lacs including living expenses per year.

Canada currently has immense potential for students, skilled professionals, and businessmen alike. There are numerous choices across different sectors to start with study and become a permanent resident or set up a business and then become a permanent resident.

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Leading T R

An Experienced Advisor

Educational Consultants

to watch in 2020

Behind the inception of HeadWest Migration, there is a very unique purpose. The Founder, Vikas Puri an Australian Citizen, had moved to Australia in 2008 as an offshore skilled migrant. In 2014, due to family commitments, he had to move back to India.

After returning to India, his friends and family started asking him for advice and tips about all the international immigration as well as the educational process. This is when Vikas came up with the idea of immigration consultancy.

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Vikas Puri Founder

HeadWest, with its expertise in the immigration sector, is the only company in the market that is seamlessly aiming to benefit students. It does so by giving them an endto-end solution. The students are directed in a study course depending on their liking which will further make a pathway to PR Visa.

We have 100% transparency in all our processes and we like to work from the client’s perspective and work out options which would have a positive impact on their careers

Vikas says, “Canada is at the forefront of the International education sector with the innovative SDS admission process and pro-student part-time work opportunities, Co-op options and finally the post-study work right of up to 3 years which gives an opportunity to convert the study status to permanent residency and a pathway to Canadian Citizenship.”

Noteworthy Awards •“10 Most promising Immigration Consultants in India 2018” by a Review Magazine •“Most Promising Immigration Consultants in India” by India Business Awards 2018 organized by Blind Wink • Nominated by The Entrepreneur Magazine in 2018.

Success Stories Vikas has mentioned a few stories that have changed the lives of his clients. He mentions, “Mr.Raj chose to join an MBA program through the foundation pathway and has been highly impacted by our service. His Visa was rejected in the first attempt, however, our team worked relentlessly on his case and worked on his SOP document and made it really impactful and he was able to Join University Canada West.”

Vikas adds, “Mr. Kumar wanted to pursue Supply and chain management course. We found such an option at Yorkville University and were able to place him in their Bachelor program. He got a Scholarship of $10000 and got his Visa approval in a quick time. He is well settled in his course and has further referred his sister who has started her admission process with us for the Business Management program at Vancouver Community College.”

Vikas’ and the team’s dedication and honesty have helped shape various lives. There are many opportunities for people in Canada and lead a peaceful life. Through HeadWest’s assistance, the dream of immigration can be made true. T R

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“

ASK

EDUCATIONAL

CONSULTANTS

“Be Educated, Be Organized”

M

odern day Indian society stresses on education, as it is an essential function for a developed society.

Education does not mean school and school does not mean education. So, what does it mean to be educated? To consider yourself educated means developing the knowledge and skill to look beyond the hidden complexity. Education means to teach people about everything around and provide necessary skills to compete in the world.

The limitations of finding a good educational guidance depend upon the teachers, budgets, location and outside influences. With these ideas in mind a strong example of a personbased experience is “Educational Consultants”.

The large variety of experiences of multiple perspectives allow consultants to seize advantage of educational opportunities. They are continuously aware of what is today’s educational requirements.

Every student is unique, mentoring every student and giving personal attention are focused by consultants. Ensuring solutions through a maze of questions, career path, career goals, complete guidance on educational loans and also providing information to students about the various National, International, and Institutional Scholarships are the basic services that consultants provide.

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The Know-Hows Educational Consultants assist in identifying the industry trends and give special attention to identify the correct institutions for these popular courses. A consultant will give substantial attention which school may be unable to provide.

Dream School Admit is one of the leading Educational Consultants in India. Getting into the right Graduate program with a top experience Dream School Admit will walk you down the path.

Online counseling in India is still evolving. At Quikconsult technology connects real people to real experts for online advice and counseling through chat and email. It is a marketplace and one stop shop of independent experts from over 19 industries. Edwise International, World Wide Education, Karan Gupta Consultants, are some of the leading Overseas Education Consultants.

Taking the current scenario of pandemic into consideration, international universities as well as those within the geographical boundaries of the nation have shifted to the online medium of education. With the rapid advancements being made in the ďŹ eld of technology, universities abroad ensure that students inculcate in various interactive sessions.

With respect to job prospects, students have the opportunity to engage in internships or parttime jobs as well. Thus, this is the perfect way to enhance their skills and be ready whenever the opportunity comes knocking at the doors.

School provides us the baseline for our knowledge. But educational consultant is what truly shapes an individual beliefs and ideas. T R

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Massimo Cristofanilli MD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, is a professor of medicine in hematology and oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and associate director for translational research at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

THE POWER OF MOLECULAR UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETATION IN PRECISION ONCOLOGY: FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO REALITY

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recision medicine may represent the most significant revolution in medicine in the last decade. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, there has been a proliferation of studies aimed at the discovery of direct links between specific alterations in the individual DNA, also known as germline DNA, and diseases. The first goal is to identify potential therapeutic interventions aimed at replacing the defective gene or correcting the underlying defect causing the disease. The second, probably with much more downstream impact, is to identify individuals at risk and make them aware of the potential risk for future generations and, in some cases, correct the defect before it is transmitted.

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An expert in translational research and treatment of patients with inflammatory breast cancer, Dr. Cristofanilli has led the development of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers in primary and metastatic breast cancer. His research is focused on advancing a patient-centered, biology-driven model of cancer care, combining sophisticated tissue and bloodbased molecular diagnostic technologies and innovative treatments.

Dr. Cristofanilli is also Director of Lurie Cancer Center OncoSET. Through an innovative three-step process – Sequence, Evaluate, Treat -- the precision medicine program combines oncology with genomic sequencing to provide cutting-edge cancer care personalized for each patient.

Another area of emphasis is educating physicians about emerging technologies and strategies for translating advances in precision medicine to their clinical practice.

OCTOBER|2020

EXPERT’S VIEWPOINT

The creation of the “perfectly healthy” individual without any genetic condition is coming closer to reality. In the meantime, the development of revolutionary interventions to treat progressive blindness due to a mutated gene (RPE65) and hemophilia represent some examples of such novel and impactful opportunities. At a more practical level, today pharmacogenomic testing is increasingly offered to patients to predict the efficacy and toxicity profile of commonly used drugs, allowing physicians to practice a safer and more precise therapeutic intervention.

Perhaps the area with the greatest potential impact for precision medicine is oncology, by definition a genetic disease. Many alterations in gene-controlling essential functions in cancer cells have already been discovered, but genetically-directed therapeutic interventions have been successful in only a minority of cases. Generally, these interventions are beneficial when the genetic change in the cancer cells is predominantly in one gene location in all the cells.

The most successful example of gene-directed therapy is represented by imatinib (Gleevec), FDA-approved for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The clinical use of this agent also provided the opportunity to learn about resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies and the importance of monitoring the complex biology of cancer cells. Thus, we need to use multigene testing to be able to assess a more complex pathway analysis and to use the same testing in a longitudinal fashion.

The availability of sophisticated genomic analysis allowing investigators to evaluate large panels of cancer genes (somatic DNA alterations), sometimes associated with mRNA expression profiling using a small amount of tissue, is becoming an affordable reality for every tumor and available to every patient. Most of these tests perform parallel testing of germline (individual patient) DNA, giving a more complete understanding of the cancerassociated risk and potential therapies. Moreover, the use of blood-based genomic testing or liquid biopsy allows for a continuous monitoring of somatic (tumor) alterations over time, with the assumption that we can potentially predict benefit or response and use imaging studies more judiciously. The availability of these novel tests created a paradoxical situation in clinical practice. Many times oncologists are not prepared to deal with the complexity of the information provided, or do not have access to the

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identified therapeutic interventions. There is a new and pressing need to provide every physician with the tools and capability to rapidly access this expanded knowledge and translate it into more effective and individualized therapeutic options.

Large organizations have created infrastructures such as molecular tumor boards (MTBs) and have expanded their portfolio of clinical trials to include more targeted agents.

Even in such a scenario, if we were to rapidly escalate the use of molecular diagnostics in every patient with advanced cancer and incorporate the use of liquid biopsy into everyday practice, the time and resources needed to analyze individual data over time would be overwhelming. This challenging and complex task requires the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the practice of oncology allowing rapid bioinformatics analysis of complex genetic codes and provides the list of cancer-related genomic abnormalities likely to drive individual tumors.

The use of AI can drastically reduce the time to analyze the ‘current’ scientific and clinical evidence available in the literature (sometimes thousands of manuscripts) to predict the pathway- or gene-direct agent likely to produce the best therapeutic benefit. In the near future, it will also incorporate structured clinical data from thousands of real cases, improving the predictive value of the structured reports.

The evaluation and treatment of a cancer patient is moving closer to the reality seen in science-fiction literature and movies. For every medical consultation, a treatment and prediction of benefit can only be accurately prepared after analysis of both tissue and blood samples for somatic and germline mutations. The simplified report of this complex analysis is performed with the support of both sophisticated laboratories supported by AI in a short time, and repeated over time in the blood to monitor response to treatment and potentially change it. Imaging studies will become less useful and the overwhelming data will furnish evidence for new models to develop drugs, ultimately reducing cost. T R

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Leading T R

Educational Consultants

to watch in 2020

VISAMAX IMMIGRATION Providing Tailored Immigration Solutions Major Personalities of Visamax The firm is led by 2 licensed Canadian immigration consultants who are full members of the national regulatory body, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). Mr. Randy Boldt is the CEO and Principal Immigration Consultant of the firm. He obtained his MBA in Banking and Finance from the Cass Business School in England. He is extremely well-versed in the application of business knowledge in immigration procedures.

Randy is currently a member of the board of the regulatory body ICCRC. He has also appeared multiple times before the Parliamentary Committee on Immigration as an individual to provide submissions.

Mr. Randy Boldt

Tobey Xiang

CEO

Associate Immigration Consultant

Tobey Xiang is the Associate Immigration Consultant atVisamax Immigration. His main practice areas include students, skilled workers, and family sponsorships. He also has experience representing clients before the Canada Border Services Agency and in study permit compliance audit proceedings.

Tobey is extremely well-versed in Canada’s immigration legislation and court decisions at various levels. Aside from advising and representing immigration clients, Tobey also devotes his time to advise fellow immigration consultants in the industry and has been called “the consultant of consultants.” Tobey is bilingual and speaks English and Chinese Mandarin.

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L

ocated in the northernmost part of North America, Canada is spread over an area of 9.98 million square kilometers. Due to its amazing facilities and highquality living standard, Canada has become a prominent choice of immigration for people from numerous countries.

People usually immigrate depending on their needs. Some people might want to immigrate for their business purpose while some may want to immigrate as skilled workers.

Due to some complicated process, immigrating to Canada has been a difficult task for many people. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Visamax Immigration caters to the needs of such people who are willing to start their career and a new life in Canada. To help make the immigration process easier, Visamax was formed in the year 2008.

Visamax offers immigration consulting services and legal representation to businesses and individuals wishing to relocate to Canada either temporarily or permanently. The immigration process often involves complex legal procedures. Although the Canadian government tries to

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explain everything properly on their websites, the complicated nature of the matters makes the process difficult to understand.

The government often finds that the more they try to clarify the rules, the more confusion they create for the general public. Hence to fill this gap, Visamax provides professional immigration advice. The consultancy focuses on each individual as each person’s needs are different.

Exclusive Services The core service of Visamax is to advise and represent its clients in almost all immigration programs and proceedings which also include Provincial Nominee Programs. Visamax offers general business advice exclusively for its business clients. This helps its clients to develop sound and practical business plans and organize their source of funds.

When it comes to services for international students, Visamax provides easy and convenient services with

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regards to their visa processing. Visamax Immigration is also the authorized student recruiter for most of the postsecondary schools in Manitoba. For students destined to the province of Manitoba, Visamax Immigration offers school admission services free of charge.

Randy adds, “We firmly believe in the importance of giving advice that is competent and ethical. Moreover, student clients are often within the age group that requires extra guidance and support, and these are what we strive to provide as well.”

Visamax Immigration stands out from other firms in that it recognizes and appreciates the differences among individuals. “We believe that the same piece of advice would not work well if designed to fit everyone. This puts us in a good position to determine the best-tailored solution or course of actions we recommend to our student clients,” says Randy.

Benefits of Immigrating to Canada

Visamax’s free career counselling for their student clients helps the students to get accustomed better to the labour market environment after their graduation. This would help them with their transition into skilled workers and permanent residency eventually.

While on the business side, the immigration program has recently been changed targeting the entrepreneurs in the HiTech industry under what’s called the Start-up Visa Program. It has changed from a temporary pilot project to a permanent immigration program.

Significant Role of Visamax

This is a reflection of the government’s strong intention to start recruiting more tech entrepreneurs amid the U.S immigration crisis. Visamax Immigration will be pleased to work with clients in both areas. As Randy concludes, “Our mission is to become one of the most well-known and sought-after immigration consulting firms in the country.” T R

As most of the clients desire to eventually immigrate to Canada permanently, Visamax with its careful evaluation makes it possible. The immigration process is tedious and requires a thorough knowledge of all the sections involved in the immigration process. Visamax Immigration is a trusted advisor and advocate during the execution of the entire arrangement, which requires thorough and detailed planning.

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Canadian Government gives great importance to international graduates as they are considered as the most suitable immigration candidates for the country. Most of the economic immigration programs feature facilitative requirements for graduate students.

OCTOBER|2020

ASTUTE THOUGHTS

Why and how women can be the face of tomorrow’s business leaders

About the Author Dr. Terri Howe is the Director of Career Services and Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and has been a practicing Career Counselor for nearly two decades. She has a passion and interest in researching career options for marginalized or otherwise career challenged populations such as women, military veterans and people with disabilities.

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OCTOBER|2020

T

he future face of business is a female one.

According to United Nations Women, when more women work, economies grow and an increase in a country’s female labor force will equal faster economic growth. Women have demonstrated the qualities of good leadership in whatever work setting or industry in which they found themselves long before acceptance as business leaders. While the glass ceiling is still firmly in place in many ways, there are gleaming examples of women who possess these qualities and shine as models of how female leaders will help shape the face of tomorrow’s business world.

Business analysts have made many lists of qualities and characteristics over the years, attempting to understand what the profile of the future successful leader will look like. Qualities such as having a vision, integrity, and being collaborative have made these lists countless times and are considered critical to the future success of business leaders.

In addition to these qualities, choice of leadership style, transformational or transactional, is known to impact a company’s performance and consequently should be considered when trying to determine how the future of business will appear.

It is a commonly held belief that vision is shaped from the top of an organization and permeates the entire company, depending on the strength of the leader’s belief in the vision. Tomorrow’s leaders will need to drive the company towards this vision and at the same time, be prepared to alter the vision to keep pace with consumer demands.

Because women are historically good readers and quick learners, they possess the ability to stay abreast of changes that can alter a company’s trajectory and consequently the vision. A great example of this is Chairman and CEO of General Motors (GM) Mary Barra’s vision to transform GM’s traditional offerings to keep pace with the future. In 2016, Barra took on electric car company, Tesla, by launching the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with a battery that outlasts Tesla cars. This was a risky, but calculated move that has reshaped the vision of GM and set the tone for future production.

In order to steer a company towards a vision, a tomorrow’s great business leader must lead with integrity. This involves being an ideal role model when others are watching and doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Leading with integrity will allow tomorrow’s leaders to avoid pitfalls, such as the lack of transparency that have brought large corporations down. Women leaders such as Stephanie Buscemi, COO for the cloud tech company Salesforce, have been “walking the walk” and leading by example in a maleOCTOBER|2020

dominated industry. Knowing that her every move is being watched, Buscemi intentionally seeks out challenging opportunities in cloud computing to resolve so she can exemplify integrity in action.

Along with vision and integrity, future leaders will drive business successfully forward by incorporating collaboration into the process. Working together to achieve a common goal is a time-honored practice that women in many industries have mastered to achieve exponentially better results versus the attempt to “go it alone.” Women like to share ideas and come up with solutions that are effective and benefit everyone involved. Collective organizations, such as SheWorx, encourage female entrepreneurs to work together on the same goals and propel their businesses forward, making much greater gains than those who attempt sole enterprises and have no outside support. Participants in these collective endeavors have found success across the globe with co-founders Yin Li and Lisa Wang setting up programs in New York, Los Angeles, London, Singapore and Tel Aviv.

Besides these qualities, another factor that will continue to shape the face of business is a leader’s style – whether it is transactional or transformational. Transactional style of leadership employs some sort of system of reward and punishment or discipline. In this type of work environment, employees are motivated to perform in order to attain a reward (e.g. bonus pay or additional time off) or avoid negative consequences (e.g. denying a time off request) associated with not meeting one’s work goals. A leader utilizing a transformational style motivates workers by encouraging and inspiring employees. Transformational leaders tend to model exceptional behavior and work to help the employees understand and embrace the company’s vision. Women leaders gravitate to the transformational style because they tend to be relationship-oriented. Unlike men, women are more likely to form strong interpersonal connections with subordinates that encourage higher levels of job performance.

While there are many factors that will come into play to shape the face of tomorrow’s business leader, considering these qualities and styles can provide perspective on how future business leaders could look. And, adding the additional layer of how women embody these qualities and styles aids in bringing the picture into focus. There is no doubt that women who tend to possess high integrity, create and share vision in a collaborative, transformational way will contribute to the furtherance of good business practice. T R

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