Editors Pick

Highlights: Australia has recorded a $100 million university program to back women in STEM

• Tech founder Robin Khuda's $100 million donation impact by increasing opportunities for women.
• Women still hold 15% of STEM jobs in Australia for NSW University in funding a project that hopes to shift the balance.
• Robin Khuda funded $24 billion for AirTrunk, a hyperscale data specialist in the Asia Pacific and Japan.
• The STEM program aims to attract female students to relevant high school courses and support them.
   

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Record $100 million university donation aims to support women

Women in Australia still hold only 15% of STEM jobs in Australia. However, the record donation to a NSW university funds a project that hopes to shift the balance. This program aims to add 300 female STEM graduates to the workforce with the help of Robin Khuda at Sydney University.
 

The ambitious 20-year program will create a pipeline for high school girls in western Sydney into STEM education and careers. Robin Khuda has made it possible to record a $100 million donation from the Khuda Family Foundation, the largest ever received by a university in NSW.  Mr. Khuda sold off his company to AirTrunk for a large sum. He planned to hire women for technical and senior management roles to increase the awareness of recruiting female staff.
 

The STEM program aims to attract female students to relevant high school courses and then retain and support their studies to pursue STEM.
 

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Highlights: Canada increases federal wage to $17.75 per hour from April 2025

• From April 1, 2025, Canada's federal minimum wage has increased by $17.75 per hour.
• This impact will be eligible for sectors like banking and transportation and interprovincial transportation.
• A 2.4% hike would align with the annual Consumer Price Index and is part of on-going efforts.
• The wage revision aims to foster income stability and a fairer economy.
   

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Canada increase the federal minimum wage with a hike of 2.4%

Canada's government has increased the federal minimum wage by 2.4% per hour since April 1, 2025. The hike of 2.4% aligns with the annual Consumer Price Index and is part of on-going efforts to keep earning in federally regulated private sectors. This increase will affect the payroll of employees in sectors regulated at the federal level, including industries such as banking, telecommunication, and interprovincial transportation. Employers must update the payrolls to reflect the new rate. Applicants must pay a higher if the provincial or territorial minimum wage is higher than the federal rate.
 

The Canadian government increased the wage revision approach to stability for workers in part-time, temporary, and low-wage roles. The federal minimum wage brings stability and certainty to Canadian workers and businesses alike, helping to reduce income inequality across the board.
 

Consumer Price Index recalculation

Since April 1, 2021, the federal minimum wage has been recalculated yearly based on the average Consumer Price Index for the previous year. The rate is rounded off to $0.05. Below are the annual increases in the federal minimum wage since 2021:
 

• 2021: $15.00
• 2022: $15.55
• 2023: $16.65
• 2024: $17.30
• 2025: $17.75
   

In addition to adjusting wages, it planned for better employee well-being, including improved job protections and expanded access to benefits related to health, parental leave, work-life balance, and absence.
 

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Highlights: Sweden's research council declared 2 million grant for researchers

• The Swedish Research Council declared to grant 2 million for researchers established outside Europe.
• The application for researchers grant will open on April 15, 2025, and accept applications until December 1, 2025.
• The New grant established for researchers outside Europe will allow researchers to reside in Sweden for 12 months.
• The New grant fund amount of 2 million will cover the researcher's relocation-related cost in Sweden.
   

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Sweden issues new Grant for Researchers

The Swedish Research Council will issue a grant of 2 million SEK to enable Swedish higher education institutions and other research organizations to recruit prominent researchers who are active outside Europe. The new initiative for recruiting international visiting researchers to Sweden is intended to cover the expenses related to the recruitment and the researcher's salary during the initial stay in the country.  Sweden's government issued 1,451 residence permits to international researchers in 2024.
 

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Eligibility criteria to apply for the grant

Below are the eligibility criteria to apply for the grant:

• Research project grants with Development Researchers with a focus on sustainability and resilience
• Must be an individual researcher
• Applicant's level of activity in the project must be no less than 20 percent of full-time equivalent
• Must be a holder of a Swedish doctoral degree or corresponding foreign degree
   

Who can apply for the Swedish Research grant?

Swedish higher education institutions (HEIs) or other research organizations willing to recruit researchers established outside Europe for at least two years can apply for the grant. HEI will employ the researcher and can establish their future in Sweden. 
 

Sweden Research grant is for 12 months, and the grant amount is 2 million SEK. The grant may be used to fund costs relating to the researcher located in Sweden, such as:

• Removal cost
• Rent of housing
• Travel
• Some researchers caused by Sweden
• Cost of accompanying family members
• Researcher salary
   

Sweden introduced this initiative, which makes it easier for Swedish higher education institutions and other research organizations to recruit prominent research talents working outside Europe. 
 

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Highlights: Germany issued 43% more student visa in the last four years

• Germany granted 43 percent more student visa in the last four years.
• Germany issued a total of 27,000 student visas between 2021-2024.
• The number of work visas issued by Germany increased by 77.3 percent in 2024.
• Germany has also introduced new measures to improve immigration for skilled professionals.
   

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Student and Work visa issued by Germany in the Last Four Years

Germany has been established as a destination for international students as the number of visas granted for study in the last four years has increased by almost 43 percent. According to the data, 63,000 visas were issued for study purposes in 2021.  After three years, in 2024, the authorities granted 90,000 study visas. Germany has successfully improved immigration across sectors like study and work, lengthening immigration for students and skilled professionals. The number of work and study visas has been on an upward trend between 2021 and 2024. At the same time, the study visas were up by 43 percent during the four years, whereas the German work visa increased by 77.3 percent in 2024 from 97,000 recorded in 2021 to 172,000.
 

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Germany introduced new measures to improve immigration

The German government has planned to implement new measures at different stages to improve immigration to Germany at various levels. The German authorities decided to consider language skills. As per the Skilled Immigration Act, Germany has one of the most robust projects that aim to attract foreign workers who have been modified to give professional experience, while citizenship law has been changed to facilitate the process for those who have lived in Germany for a long time to become German citizens.
 

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Highlights: Germany issued over Half a Million work visas in the Last Four Years

• Germany has issued over Half a Million in the Last Four Years
• Germany has granted 579,000 work visas from 2021-2024.
• A total number of 152,000 visas for employment purposes were issued during 2024.
• Germany granted around 77 percent more visas for employment in 2024 compared to 2021.
   

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Germany issued work visas for Employment Purpose

Germany, one of the leading economic countries in the European Union, has attracted many foreign workers and granted many visas for employment purposes in the last few years. Germany awarded 579,000 work visas to foreign nationals to meet its dynamic job market from the beginning of 2021. The most significant number of work visas was issued in 2024, indicating Germany's need for foreign national requirements. In 2021, Germany issued 97,000 work visas. Germany faced a sharp labor shortage that significantly increased the number of granted work visas in 2022, with the country issuing 152,000 visas for employment this year.
 

The need for foreign skilled workers remained the same in 2023, during which Germany granted 158,000 work visas. It reached its highest level in four years, in 2024, when Germany granted 172,000 work visas.
 

The data revealed that Germany granted around 77 percent more visas for employment purposes in 2024 compared to 2021. Minister Faeser stressed that Germany is a country of immigration as it needs foreign skilled professionals to address the labor shortage in the country.
 

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