Welcome to the February edition of AG. As it is the first one of 2017, I would like to wish all of our readers and contributors a very Happy New Year. 2017 has started with a bang, with the inauguration of Donald Trump in the US and the Supreme Court ruling that the UK government must consult Parliament before triggering Article 50.
Change is also afoot in the European Parliament, where Antonio Tajani has been named as the new President. This issue starts with a foreword from President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Georges Dassis. In his opening article, Dassis gives thought to events of last year and looks forward to how we can progress this year.
The health section starts by highlighting World Cancer Day 2017, with a special focus headed up by EU Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis. The Commissioner’s article stresses the need for prevention and joint efforts to tackle rare forms of cancer. AG also interviews Dr Percy Ivy from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in the US. She sheds light on clinical trials and their integral role in cancer research. The focus also features articles from SIOPE, Cancon and Cancer Research UK.
Our extensive health section highlights a number of key healthcare challenges, including obesity, with articles from RCPCH, WHO Europe and the Canadian Institute of Health Research. HIV/Aids in Sweden, low vision, innovative medicines, and smart hospitals are also discussed.
Another area we give focus to in the February edition is wildlife crime prevention, in the environment section. EU Commissioner for Environment Karmenu Vella and MEP Catherine Bearder both highlight this problem. “We need tougher action on wildlife trafficking’, states Bearder in her informative piece, and Commissioner Vella highlights the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking.
In the environment section, we also look at polar research, in the Arctic regions of Canada, as well as Antarctica. An article from Polar Knowledge Canada outlines how they bring together indigenous and scientific expertise to look at issues faced by Arctic communities today.
Other topics within the publication include Erasmus+, Hungarian rail infrastructure, renewable energy sources in Canada, Digital Society, and cyber security in healthcare.
Elsewhere in this winter issue, we shine the light on a number of key HR topics, including women in leadership, HR compliance and retaining talent. Articles come from such key organisations as CIPD, Acas, and PPMA to outline these areas.
As always we hope you find the February edition informative and useful, and we welcome any feedback you may have.