In response to the current financial crisis in Europe, the European Central Bank has developed an integrative workshop on money markets, central bank balance sheets, and monetary policy implementation. This workshop brings together central bankers, academic experts, and actual practitioners to collaborate on reasons for and possible solutions to common issues. The workshop covers developments in money markets, central bank operational frameworks, and monetary policy implementation.

The program recognizes the way in which both secured and unsecured money markets have been impacted by financial and sovereign debt crises, as well as by regulatory reforms and other changes in finance, innovation, and infrastructure. Many banks, as a result of these crises, have resorted to non-standard measures of operation, such as negative interest rates and increased, easier access to liquidity.

Applicants to this program may submit applicants on a range of relevant topics. For example, they may choose to discuss the transmission of monetary policy through money markets, or engage in the effects of negative interest rates on money markets. Other common topics include the integral role of central bank collateral frameworks, along with the future outlook for money markets.

To apply, interested candidates should submit a paper with a topic of interest by June 30, 2018. These applications should include a clear statement of whether the candidate would like to discuss a paper. All accepted applicants will be notified by the end of July.

This year’s workshop begins on Tuesday, November 6 and ends on Wednesday, November 7. All program speakers will be reimbursed for travel and accommodation costs. Interested candidates may submit their applications via email to MMWorkshop@ecb.europa.edu in a portable document format (PDF). No late or incomplete submissions will be considered.

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Google invites United States residents who are eager to master web and mobile development skills to apply for their prestigious Developer Scholarships. These scholarships allow students to learn valuable skills to launch or advance their careers as mobile or web developers. The curriculum is developed by experts from Google and Udacity and allows students to excel in a rapidly growing community of developers across the country.

Applicants must be at least eighteen years old and residents of the United States. Students may choose from either a Web Developer or Android Developer track. Once students have applied and selected a learning path (and, of course, accepted to the program), they will be placed in either a Beginner or Intermediate training track. Top students in each track will earn full scholarships to Android or Web Development Nanodegree programs.

There are twenty-five thousand seats available in the web developer track. No programming experience is required, and students will engage in a three-month program with access to Intro to HTML + CSS with support from Udacity mentors. Students will learn how to design and build stunning, engaging websites. The top 1,500 students from this program will be awarded scholarships.

In the mobile developer track, students will receive a three-month training in Android basics. They will learn how to build Android apps and learn Java development. Again, the top 1,500 students will be awarded scholarships to the more intensive six-month study program.

The application process takes only about ten minutes. All applicants, regardless of experience level or track, will complete the same application. Training in this program, as well as the application process, all takes place entirely online.

All applications are due November 30, 2017. Recipients will be notified December 7 2017 and the program begins on December 11, 2017. Questions about the application process or program may be directed to scholarships-support@udacity.com.

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The Wallace Stegner Fellowship is available for qualified writing applicants. Ten two-year fellowships are available every year, with five in the category of fiction and five in poetry. All fellows will meet once per week for a three hour workshop with outstanding faculty.

The aim of this program is to recognize working artists who are hoping to both practice and perfect their crafts. The program does not offer a final degree after culmination, but only requires workshop attendance and extensive writing. Applicants from any background may apply, including writers who are diverse in style and experience and express serious talent. U.S. citizenship is not required, but English proficiency is a necessity of the program.

Stegner fellowships do not require any degrees or admissions tests. No discipline or school of writing is preferred over another, and age is not a consideration. Fellowships consist of a living stipend of $26,000 per year. Fellows will also receive tuition and health insurance as provided by the Creative Writing Program. This is a full-time academic commitment and not meant to be pursued concurrently with another degree. In addition, fellows must live close enough to Stanford to attend workshops, events, and readings.

Applications will be reviewed based on the quality of the candidate’s creative work and potential for overall growth. It will also be considered whether fellows have the ability to contribute to and profit from the writing workshops provided through the fellowships. Again, this program does not culminate in a final degree, but provides writers with the experience and feedback necessary to become proficient in the field.

The online application should include all relevant biographical information, contact information for two references, a statement of plans, manuscript, and application fee. Paper applications are available if you would prefer to complete a hard copy as an alternative to the online form. All materials must be received by December 1, 2017. Questions should be directed to stegnerfellowship@stanford.edu

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The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is offering Professional Development Grants (PDGs) to support mid-career conservationists who want to pursue training that will upgrade their knowledge and skills. These trainings should be short-term, non-degree courses and can include short courses, certificate trainings, conferences, or other training opportunities.

You may only apply if you are from the WWF’s list of approved countries, and the WWF will give preference to applicants who are working in priority regions. The countries eligible to apply for PDGs are (in alphabetical order): Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Fiji, French Guiana, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Congo, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.

To be eligible for the grant, you must be a citizen of one of these countries, and you must currently live and work there. You must also have been working in a conservation-related field (in a paid position) for at least three years in your home country. At the time of your application, you must have already applied to or been accepted to the proposed training. Your current work and the proposed training ought to support conservation in your home country, and you cannot be enrolled in an academic degree program. Your employer must have approved your participation in the training, and you must have a promise of continued employment. You must also possess a bank account in your own name that can receive US dollars, and you cannot have received PDG funding in the past. The proposed training must begin at least 90 days after the application deadline and be completed within six months.

You will be notified of the results of your application within one month after the deadline. To learn more about the grant and to apply online, click here.

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The Open Society Foundation offers support to Hungary through the New Community Programs. Founded in 1984, the Open Society Foundation has invested over $400 million to efforts aimed at improving the lives of Hungarians. These grants help support free school breakfasts, the fight against corruption, scholarship funds, and school improvement projects.

The foundation invites proposals for the amount of 30 million HUF. These proposals may address any of the following topics:

• Budapest, a Living Space
• Theatre and Debate
• Music and Debate
• Tradition and Innovation: The Memory of the “Place”
• Storytelling Festival

The most successful applications will be those from organizations who are funded from multiple sources. They will have a demonstrated success in implementing similar programs within the past two years. The proposal must relate to the cultural scene in Budapest.

Applicants should submit a proposal of no more than three pages, in A4 format. This should be a maximum of 1,600 words and describe the project, method of delivery, and a justification of the program’s relevance. It should also denote the expected impact of the program.

Applicants should also include an application form, deed of foundation of the applying organization, a 2016 annual report, and a 2017 budget of the organization that is applying. Other information may be requested.

Applications must be written in Hungarian and submitted to kultura2017@opensocietyfoundations.org. Applicants will receive an emailed confirmation upon receipt of the application.

Roughly 250 million HUF is funded to help improve social issues as well as develop art and cultural projects. This program has expanded through the center in Budapest and is built on the concept of an open society. This society should be built around the diversity of ideas and need for social participation.

The main goal of the Open Society Foundation is to culturally support artists and culture. Free cultural activities are integral for a democratic society as they introduce new ideas and allow patrons to reflect on traditions and history.

The deadline for all applications is October 6, 2017. Questions may be directed to the Open Society Foundation at kultura2017@opensocietyfoundations.org.

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The University of Oxford is now accepting applications for their one-day course titled “Improving Your Blog.” If you already have a blog and want to improve its design, add other features, and have it read by a wider audience, then this may be the course for you. Technical advice provided in the course will be for blogs written on the WordPress platform, and the course is open to all blog topics. The day will begin with personalized feedback on your blog that will include suggestions for improving its design, navigation, and writing style/format. Then, you will be introduced to larger possibilities of blogging and how to promote your blog. You will also learn how to measure and encourage reader interest; how to monetize your blog; and how to deal with writer’s block and other challenges.

The course will run from 9:45 am to 5:00 pm on September 2, 2017. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided along with an hour for lunch. The course costs £87, and you can purchase a bag lunch for an additional £4.40, or a full lunch for £13. However, if you are currently receiving a state benefit, then you may be eligible for a 50% reduction in the tuition fees. Accommodations may also be available in Rewley House if you wish to stay the night before the course. You may contact the university’s Residential Centre for details on availability and prices.

The course will have two instructors from whom you will receive feedback and support. Robert Bullard is an Oxford-based writer, editor, and writing skills trainer. Since 2003, he has helped individuals and businesses improve their writing. He has written for national newspapers and websites, including the Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. The other instructor, Dr. Cezar Ionescu is associate professor of data science at the department for continuing education and director of studies in computing and mathematics.

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Who doesn’t want to be happy? There are plenty of self-help books and so-called experts who promise us the “secret(s)” of happiness. But how much of what they offer is backed by science and high quality research? In “The Science of Happiness,” a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by the University of California Berkeley, you will learn about the ground-breaking science of positive psychology. This cutting-edge, interdisciplinary field explores the roots of what it means to live a happy and meaningful life and how to achieve it. As a student in the course, you will engage with practical lessons from this field and learn how to use research-supported strategies in your own life to foster happiness. The course’s main lesson is this: That happiness is inextricably linked to having strong social connections and contributing to something bigger than yourself. You will be exposed to ideas from psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and others which have supported the science behind positive psychology.

Most importantly, the course provides students with practical strategies for nurturing their own happiness. You will get to try several research-backed activities to foster social and emotional well-being and identify how your happiness changes as the course progresses.

The main instructors for the course are Drs. Dacher Keltner and Emiliana Simon-Thomas – leading authorities in the field of positive psychology who strive to make the coursework fun and personal. Throughout the course, they will occasionally be joined by guest experts, including Barbara Fredrickson, Paul Ekman, Sonja Lyubomirsky, and John Kabat-Zinn. The class will discuss themes such as empathy, mindfulness, and gratitude.

“The Science of Happiness” begins 4 September 2017 and lasts eight weeks. It is free to attend, but if you desire a Verified Certificate for successfully completing the class, then you will have to pay $49. Health professionals can take this class and earn continuing education credits for their participation. Watching the lectures and completing the assignments will take approximately four to five hours each week, and you will be given two exams: a midterm and a final. To learn more about the course, read student reviews, and register, click here.

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The curriculum has been designed for NGO workers, especially those who want to improve their project management skills. However, workers with project management experience are still invited to attend, for the course will offer a refresher on foundational ideas and holds the potential to offer new insights.

Attendees will benefit from intense learning sessions during the length of the program. The course is based on a combination of the Project Management Professional methodology along with some theories borrowed from MBA programs, such as Lean Start-Up Theory and Minimum Viable Product. In addition to learning how to write a project charter and determine a project’s objectives, you will also learn how to prepare a stakeholders register and a risk register. Participants will learn how to write a business plan, and – using Minimum Viable Product theory – to identify the minimum requirements for accomplishing a project’s goal. Theoretical lessons will be combined with practical application, meaning participants will be given opportunities to practice what they learn during the sessions. By the end of the program, you’ll leave with the ability to create and realize projects in a professional manner.

The course will take place in Moscow, Russia, and course participants will be given a day to explore the city, which means you can visit landmarks such as Red Square and the Kremlin. The price of the course is €490, and that fee includes the course program (along with all study materials), accommodation, all meals, and a visa invitation. Click here to learn more about the course in project management for NGOs and how to apply.

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The London School of Economics has announced an intensive, five-day course in marketing strategy designed for experienced marketing managers or business executives who want to develop a greater understanding of marketing processes. This short course will offer practical skills for taking your marketing campaign to the next level. In just five days, you will learn the foundational principals behind many top-notch marketing MBA programs, and the class will change the way you think about marketing.

This executive program possesses many benefits, both for the professionals who attend and the businesses they represent. Attendees will learn about how customers make decisions and ways to capture those decisions through statistical modeling. You will study how to conduct Customer Lifetime Value analyses – an important tool for measuring the value of customers. The course also offers an opportunity to better understand methods for setting price and pricing anomalies. Of course, the class isn’t all theory and abstractions. Course participants are given the opportunity to practice practical skills like quantitative and qualitative methods of marketing research; creating frameworks for effective segmenting, targeting, and positioning strategies; launching new products and/or services; distributing a product and/or service; and effectively promoting a product, service, and/or idea.

By the end of this five-day, rigorous course of study at the renown London School of Economics, participants will leave equipped with an analytical toolkit capable of delivering success across various industries. The program aims to separate popular, but ineffective, marketing practices from ones which are grounded in science and possess a proven track-record of achievement. Marketing professionals are increasingly expected to demonstrate the effectiveness of their strategies, and this class will provide you with the skills and vocabulary necessary to accomplish your goals.

The program is not intended for entry-level professionals but is instead tailored for the needs of experienced marketing managers or executives. Those who stand to benefit the most from this five-day course include executives assuming new marketing responsibilities, managers already working in marketing but lacking postgraduate education in the subject, and executives across all sectors who want a better understanding of this important arena. The tuition fee of £5,795 includes all course materials, daily lunches, coffee breaks, two complimentary networking events, and full office support. At the end of the program, you will be awarded a certificate of completion by the London School of Economics.

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