text:
\section{Introduction}

Recent years have seen major advances in photon based quantum technologies \cite{Kim08} such as deep space optical communication (DSOC) \cite{Cal19b, Iva20}, quantum key distribution (QKD) \cite{BB84, Shi14}, quantum computation \cite{Sin16}or state teleportation \cite{Pfa14}.
For such applications, components such as single-photon emitters (e.g. quantum dots,\cite{Sen17} NV centres in diamond\cite{Kur00} or 2D materials\cite{Tra16}), spin-photon interfaces \cite{Ata18, Ber20} or single-photon detectors are needed.
In terms of detectors, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) \cite{Gol01, Rei13, Red16, Fla22a} have prevailed over other options such as single-photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs) \cite{Nix32} or transition edge sensors (TES) \cite{Ull15}.
Besides near unity quantum efficiency\cite{Red20}, one of their outstanding performance features is the timing jitter describing the temporal resolution. \cite{Had09}
It was shown to be as low as \SI{2.6}{\pico\second} for a short (\SI{5}{\micro\meter} long) and thin (\SI{80}{\nano\meter} wide) superconducting nanowire \cite{Kor20} at $\lambda = $\SI{775}{\nano\meter}.
For a meandering nanowire covering an area of  10x\SI{10}{\micro\meter\squared}, values of \SI{28}{\pico\second} have been reported \cite{San19}.
Amongst others, it is composed of contributions from the amplifiers, hotspot formation, electrical and thermal noise as well as detector geometry. \cite{San19}
It is a crucial parameter for various applications such as the characterization of single-photon emitters \cite{Had05}, single-photon QKD \cite{Kup20} or pulse-position modulation \cite{Shi99}, where information is encoded in so-called time bins.
The smaller the timing jitter the more time bins fit within a certain amount of time.
Therefore, it is of utmost interest to develop an understanding of the various influences on timing jitter, how to improve it, and how to speed up the characterization process.

\section{Experimental}

All measurements were carried out with a Janis cryogenic probestation at \SI{4.5}{\kelvin}. The NbTiN detectors are typically \SI{8}{\nano\meter} thick, have a nanowire width of \SI{100}{\nano\meter} and an areal fill factor of \SI{33}{\percent} covering an area of 10x\SI{10}{\micro\meter\squared}.
For the efficiency measurements a CW laser (\SI{780}{\nano\meter}) was used to illuminate the detectors.
In Fig. \ref{fig:1}(a) a typical detector response is shown.
It consists of a fast rising edge and an exponential decay following $\tau_\text{fall} = L_\text{k} / Z_\text{load}$ \cite{Ker06}, where $Z_\text{load}$ is the load impedance (typically \SI{50}{\ohm}) and $L_\text{k} = \frac{\hbar R_\text{device}}{\pi 1.76 k_\text{B} T_\text{c}}$ \cite{Yan17} the kinetic inductance.
Here $R_\text{device}$ describes the device resistance and $T_\text{c}$ corresponds to the switching temperature of the superconductor.
For the timing measurements a pulsed laser (pulse width $<\SI{3}{\pico\second}$, at \SI{850}{\nano\meter}) was used.
The laser signal is divided between a fast photodiode (UPD-15-IR2-FC, start signal) and the detector unit consisting of the detector and two room temperature amplifiers (\SI{53.5}{dB}, stop signal).
Both channels are connected to the sampling scope (MSO64) to perform a delay measurement.
In Fig. \ref{fig:1}(b), the normalized occurences of the delay measurement are plotted as a function of time.
The corresponding FWHM represents the devices timing jitter (\SI{28.6}{\pico\second}).

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{Pulse.pdf}
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{Timing_jitter_pulse}
  \caption{Detector response upon photon absorption. (a) Typical voltage pulse showing a fast rising edge and exponential decay. The rise time is defined as the time between 1/e and \SI{90}{\percent} of the maximum pulse height. (b) Timing jitter measurement using a pulsed laser.}
  \label{fig:1}
\end{figure}

\begin{table}[h]
\centering
\small
  \caption{\ Timing jitter of the measurement setup characterized by mimicking the detector signal using an AWG}
  \label{tbl:1}
  \begin{tabular*}{0.6\textwidth}{@{\extracolsep{\fill}}llllll}
    \hline
    Pulse height (V) & Jitter (ps) & PH (V) & J (ps) & PH (V) & J (ps) \\
    \hline
    0.1  & 61.1 & 0.35 & 19.0 & 0.6  & 10.8 \\
    0.15 & 41.9 & 0.4  & 16.4 & 0.65 & 10.2 \\
    0.2  & 31.6 & 0.45 & 14.4 & 0.7  & 9.6 \\
    0.25 & 26.4 & 0.5  & 12.6  & 0.75 & 9.5  \\
    0.3  & 22.0 & 0.55 & 11.6 & 0.8  & 9.4 \\
    \hline
  \end{tabular*}
\end{table}

To characterise the timing jitter of the setup, an AWG was used that mimics the detector signal before it gets attenuated and amplified again (table \ref{tbl:1}).
The error is assumed to be less than \SI{3}{\pico\second}.
Note that the timing jitter can be calculated using $t_\text{tot} =  \sqrt{\Sigma t_\text{i}^2}$ for the different contributions.
The data reveals that the jitter of the setup is significantly lower than the measured values ensuring that it did not influence the presented results significantly.

\section{Results}
To investigate the dependence of the pulse shape on the timing jitter, samples with different stacks were fabricated.
While most detectors were produced on a full-chip sized gold mirror (\SI{10}{\nano\meter} Ti / \SI{50}{\nano\meter} Au) with varying SiO$_2$ layer thicknesses to form a bottom cavity, detectors were furthermore fabricated on small (\SI{100}{\micro\meter} diameter) gold mirrors (hereafter: Au$^{*}$) and Si/SiO$_2$ wafers.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{Efficiency_sim_stack}
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{TJ_vs_Bias}
  \caption{Influence of layer combination. (a) Measured and simulated efficiency of \SI{8}{\nano\meter} NbTiN at \SI{780}{\nano\meter} on gold mirror with varied SiO$_2$ thickness (inset) and Si/SiO$_2$ wafer. (b) Timing jitter depending on the applied current using different NbTiN thicknesses on gold mirror with \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$. Inset: Comparing results to NbTiN deposited on Si/SiO$_2$ wafer.}
  \label{fig:2}
\end{figure}

Fig. \ref{fig:2}(a) shows the efficiency of the aforementioned samples as a function of the silicon dioxide thickness measured at a wavelength of \SI{780}{\nano\meter}.
In agreement with FDTD simulations, the data set reveals a maximum efficiency around \SI{80}{\percent} for \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ (1$^\text{st}$ maximum) and \SI{390}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ (2$^\text{nd}$ maximum) on a full-chip sized (FCS) gold mirror as a bottom cavity only.
While similar results can be achieved for small gold mirrors with \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$, the efficiencies for the data points in between are significantly lower.
In Fig. \ref{fig:2}(b) the timing jitter is shown as a function of the applied bias current for different NbTiN thicknesses on a FCS gold mirror with \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$.
The jitter decreases with an increased current converging against \SI{65}{\pico\second}.
The inset shows the same data in comparison to detectors on wafer in the range up to \SI{12}{\micro A}.
Here, a significantly improved jitter can be observed for the detectors on wafer reaching values of \SI{37}{\pico\second}.
The comparison indicates a strong influence of the gold mirror underneath.

\subsection*{Influence of the material stack}

To analyze the influence of the material stack, detector pulses  for \SI{105}{\nano\meter}, \SI{260}{\nano\meter}, \SI{390}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ on a FCS gold mirror and \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ on the small gold mirror only below the detector are shown in Fig. \ref{fig:3}(a).
\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{Pulses_mirror}
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{PH_SiO2_both_2}
  \caption{Comparison of the detector response for different material stacks at an applied bias current of \SI{16}{\micro A}. (a) Normalized voltage pulses shown for \SI{105}{\nano\meter}, \SI{260}{\nano\meter}, \SI{390}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ on a FCS gold mirror and \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ on a small gold mirror. The reference lines mark the start and end position of the rising edge for the \SI{100}{\micro\meter} mirror. (b) Mean pulse height. Inset: microscope image of the detector on both types of gold mirrors.}
  \label{fig:3}
\end{figure}

The pulses show an increased steepness (from bottom to top) resulting not only in a shorter rise time but also in higher pulses.
Note that the pulse for the \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ on a small gold mirror shows a significantly steeper rising edge compared to the same SiO$_2$ thickness on a FCS film.
Moreover, for a FCS film a general trend of faster rise times for thicker SiO$_2$ layers can be observed.
In Fig. \ref{fig:3}(b) we present the corresponding pulse height as a function of the material stack used at a fixed bias current of \SI{16}{\micro A}.
It increases with an increased SiO$_2$ thickness until it reaches the same pulse height as both the detector on the small gold mirror (inset Fig. \ref{fig:3}(b)) and on wafer.
To conclude, for thicker SiO$_2$ thicknesses (or small gold mirrors) the rise time becomes faster and the pulse height larger.
\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{Rise_TJ_SiO2_2}
  \includegraphics[height=4.3cm]{RT_sim_4}
  \caption{Influence of the distance and size of the buried gold mirror relative to the (\SI{10}{\nano\meter} Ti / \SI{50}{\nano\meter} Au) contact pad at a bias current of \SI{16}{\micro A}. (a) Rise time and timing jitter for the different material stacks used. (b) Calculated rise time consisting of a capacitance, bias current and kinetic inductance component.}
  \label{fig:4}
\end{figure}

To quantify these findings, we plot the rise time and timing jitter for the different samples at a fixed bias of \SI{16}{\micro A} in Fig. \ref{fig:4}(a).
Here, the timing jitter follows the same trend as the rise time.
While for \SI{105}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$ on a FCS film a timing jitter of only \SI{80}{\pico\second} was measured, we achieved around \SI{30}{\pico\second} for the same SiO$_2$ thickness on a small mirror.
Again, the detectors on \SI{390}{\nano\meter} SiO$_2$/Au, a small gold mirror and the detectors directly fabricated on the wafer behave similar confirming the results in Fig. \ref{fig:3}.
In Fig. \ref{fig:4}(b) we calculate the expected rise time at a bias level of \SI{16}{\micro A}, consisting of a kinetic inductance, bias current and capacitive component.
The fraction of the kinetic inductance ($\tau_\text{rise} = \alpha \cdot L_\text{k} / R_\text{n}$ \cite{Smi16}) depends on the scaling factor $\alpha = 0.9-1/\text{e}$, which relates to the limited rising edge from 1/e to \SI{90}{\percent}, the kinetic inductance, and the resistance of the normal-conducting region upon photon absorption.
To determine the latter to be \SI{0.56}{\kilo\ohm} with $\frac{V_\text{HS}}{V_\text{SSPD}} = \frac{R_\text{n}}{R_\text{device}}$, we calculated the average hotspot size $V_\text{HS}$ \cite{Sem09}, derived the SSPD volume $V_\text{SSPD}$ from the present geometry, and considered the measured device resistance $R_\text{device}$.
For an average kinetic inductance of $L_\text{k} = \SI{194}{\nano\henry}$, we finally calculated the resulting rise time contribution.
The second component is related to the bias current.
Here, the corresponding rise time decays with $\tau_\text{rise} \propto \sqrt{1 / I_\text{Bias}}$\cite{Nic19} (cp. Fig. \ref{fig:5}(a)) but stays constant at a fixed bias.
To derive it, we considered detectors on a small mirror with a known kinetic inductance component.
The third parameter is a capacitive component forming between the FCS (small) gold mirror and the gold contact pads.
For each type of mirror we assume a plate capacitor $ \frac{1}{C_\text{tot}} = \frac{1}{C_\text{Sig}} + \frac{1}{C_\text{Gnd}} = \frac{d_\text{SiO2}}{\epsilon_\text{0} \epsilon_\text{R}} (\frac{1}{A_\text{Sig}} + \frac{1}{A_\text{Gnd}})$ considering separately both contributing areas signal ($A_\text{Sig}$) and ground ($A_\text{Gnd}$), with $d_\text{SiO2}$ as the thickness of the silicon dioxide layer, $\epsilon_\text{0}$ as the vacuum permittivity and $\epsilon_\text{R}$ as the relative permittivity of silicon dioxide.
Subsequently, we calculate the cutoff frequency $f_\text{cutoff} = \frac{1}{2\pi C_\text{tot} Z_\text{load}}$ and get the capacitive component of the rise time $\tau_\text{C} = \frac{1}{2f} \cdot \alpha$.
The difference in $\tau_\text{C}$ (orange dashed vs. green line) shown in Fig. \ref{fig:4}(b) is due to the different areas contributing to the capacitance.
Thus, by choosing the small gold mirror, the rise time and therefore timing jitter can be improved significantly following $\tau_\text{tot} = \sqrt{\tau_\text{Lk}^2 + \tau_\text{bias}^2 + \tau_\text{C}^2}$. \cite{Val48}.

\subsection*{Current dependence of rise time, jitter and pulse height}

The typical detectors dependence of the rise time, timing jitter and pulse height on the bias current is shown in Fig. \ref{fig:5}(a).
The data set reveals a linear increase for the pulse height, an exponential decay in the timing jitter (compare Fig. \ref{fig:2}(b)) and a slow exponential decay of the rise time.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{Example_Au_star}
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{TJ_RT_Bias}
  \caption{Current dependence of different pulse parameters. (a) Current dependence of the pulse height (top), the timing jitter (middle) and the rise time (bottom) of the detector on a gold mirror with a diameter of \SI{100}{\micro\meter}. (b) Ratio of rise time and timing jitter as a function of applied current for all material combinations used.}
  \label{fig:5}
\end{figure}

Considering the latter two, we present the relation between timing jitter and rise time as a function of the applied bias current in Fig. \ref{fig:5}(b).
Here, all data points of the different material stacks follow the same trend.
This is even more noteworthy as the rise time in Fig. \ref{fig:4}(a) differs strongly for the different samples.
It can be concluded that the relation between timing jitter and rise time is stable for a fixed bias current (within a current dependent limit) regardless of the material combination used.
Also, it allows to approximate the jitter for a given bias current and rise time.

\subsection*{Dependence between timing jitter and slew rate}

To investigate the fundamental relations between pulse shape and timing jitter even further, we look at the dependence of the timing jitter relative to the slew rate (ratio between pulse height and rise time) in Fig. \ref{fig:6}.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
  \includegraphics[height=4.5cm]{slew_rate_merged}
  \caption{Timing jitter as a function of the (reduced) slew rate. Inset: Current dependence of the timing jitter as a function of the slew rate.}
  \label{fig:6}
\end{figure}

The reduced slew rate (top x-axis) refers to the initial pulse height without amplification (\SI{53.5}{dB}) keeping it comparable to other measurement setups.
For an increased slew rate we observe a decreased timing jitter in agreement with D.Zhu\cite{Zhu19}.
It decreases rapidly from \SIrange{280}{80}{\pico\second} for a slew rate from \SIrange{100}{600}{\volt / \micro\second}.
Subsequently, the decrease slows down until it reaches a timing jitter around \SI{25}{\pico\second} for a slew rate of \SI{3200}{\volt / \micro\second}.
Again, these findings are independent of the material stack used.
The clear dependence of the timing jitter on the slew rate allows to deduce the timing jitter only by measuring the slew rate.
Thus, by measuring a single pulse (e.g. pulse height and rise time) it is possible to predict the timing jitter within a slew rate dependent tolerance.
In particular this means that the timing jitter characterization can be conducted only using a CW laser with matching wavelength.
The inset shows a more detailed view of selected points at a bias current of \SI{12}{\micro A} and \SI{16}{\micro A}.
For an increased bias current, the slew rate becomes higher and the timing jitter lower.
Note that only the slew rate itself is strongly dependent on the material stack used.
This fits well with the results in Fig. \ref{fig:3} and \ref{fig:4}(a), where a decreased rise time was always accompanied by an increased pulse height resulting in a higher slew rate.

\section{Conclusions}

We investigated the relation between the SNSPD timing jitter and the detector response at a wavelength of \SI{850}{\nano\meter} measured at \SI{4.5}{\kelvin}.
The detectors were fabricated on a full-chip sized gold mirror (\SI{10}{\nano\meter} Ti / \SI{50}{\nano\meter} Au) with varying SiO$_2$ layer thicknesses, on small (\SI{100}{\micro\meter} diameter) gold mirrors and Si/SiO$_2$ wafers.
Besides a strong dependence on the bias current (Fig. \ref{fig:2}(b)), we observed a dependence of the timing jitter on the material stack underneath the SNSPD (inset: Fig. \ref{fig:2}(b)).
In particular, the entire pulse shape changes (Fig. \ref{fig:3}(a)) resulting in different pulse heights (Fig. \ref{fig:3}(b)), rise times and timing jitters (Fig. \ref{fig:4}(a)).
Note that the origin of this is a capacitive behavior between the FCS gold mirror and the gold contact pads (Fig. \ref{fig:4}(b)).
Thus, the rise time increased and the pulse height decreased.
However, by fabricating the detector on a small gold mirror (\SI{100}{\micro\meter} diameter) underneath the detector (and not the entire Ti/Au contact pad) we were able to restore the timing jitter as found on bulk Si/SiO2 substrates.
Hence, to combine a good efficiency with a good timing jitter either a small gold mirror or a thick SiO$_2$ layer ($> \SI{300}{\nano\meter}$) can be used.
The second major finding is the dependence of the timing jitter on the rise time (Fig. \ref{fig:5}(b)).
In particular, we were able to extend these findings to the dependence of the timing jitter on the slew rate (Fig. \ref{fig:6}).
We found a general trend independent of the stack of material used that enables to predict the timing jitter for a given detector pulse slew rate.
Thus, by measuring the entire pulse shape this technique allows it to speed up the timing jitter characterization process as there is no direct measurement needed.
It eliminates the need to use a pulsed laser, reduces drastically the time needed for such a study and paves the way for industrially scalable timing jitter characterisation.

\section*{Author Contributions}

R.F. designed study, analyzed data and drafted manuscript. R.F., L.Z., C.S. and S.S. fabricated samples. R.F. and C.S. performed the experiments. F.F. contributed simulations. J.F. and K.M. led the research projects. All authors discussed results and revised the manuscript.

\section*{Conflicts of interest}
There are no conflicts to declare.

\section*{Acknowledgements}
We gratefully acknowledge the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research via the funding program Photonics Research Germany (contract number 13N14846), via the funding program quantum technologies - from basic research to market (contract numbers 16K1SQ033, 13N15855, 13N15982 and 13N15760), and via the projects Q.com (contract number 16KIS0110) and MARQUAND (contract number BN105022), as well as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy – EXC-2111 – 390814868.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Joseph Noel, CEO of YesDTC Called into Smallcapvoice.com to explain how YesDTC Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:YESD) is a direct-to-consumer marketing company specializing in direct response television (DRTV), internet and retail marketing programs. The Company brings a unique set of skills to this market space. YesDTC combines both the creative talents and financial acumen needed to create a total package for direct-to-consumer marketing programs. Importantly, the Company also maintains a strategic partnership with Schulberg Media Works (SMW), a pioneering media production firm in the direct-to-consumer space with a highly acclaimed list of successful client campaigns and product infomercials. SMW's track record is impressive, with nearly $1.0 billion in revenues generated and a high profile list of industry awards and recognitions. Specifically, SMW campaigns include Tempur-Pedic, Guthy-Renker, Sony, 24-Hour Fitness, Rhino Records, HarperCollins and PureSleep, among many others. More information on YesDTC Holding can be found at www.yesdtc.com and additional information on Schulberg Media Works can be found at www.smw.tv.
Bill Grand, Product Consultant for YesDTC Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: YESD), called into SmallCapVoice.com to discuss their MotorBooster(TM) product.
MotorBooster(TM) is a proprietary combustion catalyst and engine conditioning product made of a patented organic metallocene compound that works by creating an oxide residue film on the hot surfaces of the combustion chamber's "fire deck" to significantly improve engine performance, enhance fuel burning efficiency and lower harmful emissions. MotorBooster's unique formulation has been granted a U.S. Patent and is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With an average tank size holding approximately 16 gallons of gas, many consumers of regular gasoline will realize a savings of approximately $9.42 per tank, and even more if MotorBooster tablets are purchased at our volume discount offer.


Parent teacher conferences will be held on the dates listed below.
To select your conference time: please complete an online form for your child. This form goes out to all families, the sooner you complete the form the more choices you will have.
If you need any assistance please call the main office at: 327-5880.
Please select your child's teacher to view available conference times. Please note that we only offer one conference per family as we do not have enough time or slots available to offer multiple conferences for each child.
NO school for kids on Monday, November 5th.
NO school for kids on Thursday, November 15th.
NO school for staff and kids on Friday, November 16th.


text:
Monday Mover, Monday Movers
Welcome to LDN's Monday Movers! Each week we'll post a few tracks to get the pulse rate up a little. Enjoy!
Malevolence – On Broken Glass
After a year of success playing the UK'S top rock and metal festivals – Slam Dunk, Download & Bloodstock – the hardcore five-piece Malevolence are back and this time not to incite violence but to initiate a 'demonstration of strength' – though this won't stop us from inciting a circle pit during Monday morning traffic. This track provides a foundation of intricate guitar riffs paired with fast-paced, punchy drums underneath a layer of contrasting vocals that play off each other's emotions perfectly; anger and pain transitioning into this sudden roar of hope and perseverance. Malevolence have always carried a sense of camaraderie in the community they have cultivated and the music they have created, and the video perfectly accommodates this idea. The video was filmed in their hometown of Sheffield with the idea to 'capture the raw energy of Malevolence in a live environment.' Alex further emphasised the video was 'completely DIY from hiring the venue, stage and crew to inviting close friends and family down to the shoot.'
Still figuring out if these guys are a worthy investment? Be sure to catch them tearing down venues across the UK with Architects and Sleep Token this May or better yet pre-order the new album 'Malicious Intent' via Nuclear Blast Records set to be released May 20.
So, elbows for breakfast anyone?
Where do I find out more?
Check out their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube channel.
2. Bob Vylan – Health Is Wealth
What do we love more than spitting bars? Political aggression!
The new single by the London punk-grime duo Bob Vylan 'Health Is Wealth' is an anthem about the world around us and everything wrong with it, touching on themes surrounding environmental issues, mental health struggles and expenses of living a healthy lifestyle all influenced by government corruption. A real eye opener to make you question why the 'unhealthy lifestyle' is advertised so willingly compared to this 'healthy lifestyle' as depicted in the video. Compared to his previous releases this feels very mellow without any thrashy guitars, yet this still feels heavier topically – which is why Bob is certainly on our radars. So, if you were over the whole concept of new year's resolutions there's still time to follow in Bob's footsteps and get those running shoes on, do some push-ups, make that homemade chickpea curry and crack open that book you've neglected on the shelf. Make 2022 the year that you ditch the unhealthy lifestyle and instead create the perfect balance between your mind, soul, and body because that 'is an act of revolution,' (as quoted by Bob).
Be sure to pre-order 'Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life' via their independent label Ghost Theatre for release April 2 and while you're there why not grab a ticket to one of their headlines shows throughout the UK this May.
Check out their Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or official YouTube channel.
3. Abby Roberts – Pink Champagne
'She's a dreamy break-up song for you to live your main character moment in the back of your parents' car' is how the 21-year-old TikTok star Abby Roberts describes her new indie-pop track, 'Pink Champagne'. Usually, break-up tracks are full of sadness or anger, but this has a melancholy tone that is often contradicting. 'Tried to sleep but I hear melodies/our bittersweet entropy' tells a story in itself; the melodies are the butterflies we feel when we're in that perfect 'honeymoon' phase however, things get complicated and disorganised and what we once loved in the beginning can often become what we start to despise. But this isn't a break-up song, it's a love song about break-ups wrapped up in an ethereal landscape, a tribute to the wonderful times and I'm sure we can relate that to a certain someone. The video, however, encapsulates this 90s nostalgia sprinkled with modern pop culture references from the likes of 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' and 'Love Actually'.
If you wish to further immerse yourself in the talent of who could be the next 'pop princess' catch her touring the west coast of America throughout June and July supporting Halsey on the Love And Power Tour.
Check out her Instagram, TikTok, Twitter or official YouTube channel.
Words: Shannon Eacups
4. The Afghan Whigs — I'll Make You See God
Anticipation gears up riffs from the get go in 'I'll Make You See God', and adrenaline courses through the track for US alt-rock veterans The Afghan Whigs for the first time since 2017's 'Demon In Profile' single. To be on the listening end of such a chip-on-the-shoulder rock track is a pleasure, as if some sort of invincibility is boiling from within as you listen and the heat only gets turned up further when coarse guitars and drums meet their makers come the chorus. For gaming fans, 'I'll Make You See God' joins the 'Gran Turismo' franchise in its seventh instalment for more passion-filled driving than ever.
Check out their Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube channel or official Website.
5. Saloon Dion — Hey Hey
Crawling from one of the UK's most promising post-punk breeding grounds, Bristol-based Saloon Dion are back with their third single 'Hey Hey' in addition to signing to Nice Swan Records. The amalgamated five-piece of previous bands now show their vulnerability in 'Hey Hey', rallying themselves for another unorthodox run of synth-fuelled post-punk – Saloon Dion have once again brought their weird with them. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of fellow synthesising punks Home Counties, this quintet have sights set on success with cowbells, Korgs and rickety riffs in hand.
Where do I find more?
Check out their Instagram or Facebook page.
Words: Jack McGill
geryhristova 28th Feb 2022 28th Feb 2022 #featured, abby roberts, bimm, BIMM London, bob vylan, bobby vylan, feature, grime, health is wealth, hey hey, I'll make you see god, LDN, ldn magazine, ldnmagazine, malevolence, metal, monday, Monday Mover, Monday Movers, music, new music, on broken glass, pink champagne, punk, rock, saloon dion, the afghan whigs
Previous Previous post: ICYMI: Top 5 News This Week
Next Next post: Book Of The Week #3 – Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Minor bug fixes and UI updates.
This summer, it's time for you to follow your passion & make your dreams come true.
Preparing for your next triathalon? Find people who have done it before. Pursuing your dream to create a startup? Share your stories on Showcased. Looking to further your passion for dance? Collaborate with others who share this common passion.
The 15 puzzle is a sliding puzzle that consists of a frame of 4x4 numbered square tiles in random order with one tile missing. The object of the puzzle is to place the tiles in order. It's also called Gem Puzzle, Boss Puzzle, Game of Fifteen, Mystic Square.


text:
from .restsource import RObject, RObjectList

# TODO TEST

def payload_from_form_errors(form_errors):
    errors = RObjectList(u'errors')
    for field,field_errors in form_errors.iteritems():
        if field == '__all__':
            for fe in field_errors:
                errors.append(RObject(u'error', { u'info': fe }))
        else:
            for fe in field_errors:
                errors.append(RObject(u'error', { u'field': field, u'info': fe }, ['field']))
    return errors

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Flavonoids compose one of the most abundant and important subgroups of secondary metabolites detected so far in higher plants. They are involved in several aspects of plant development and defence. Besides the attraction of pollinators and dispersers to fruits and flowers, flavonoids also protect against a plethora of stresses including pathogen attack, wounding and UV irradiation. Flavonoid content and composition of fruits and plant products have been associated with fruit quality including taste, colour and health-promoting effects (Czemmel et al., 2012). In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) flavonoids accumulate preferentially in the skin and seeds of grapes (Downey et al., 2004) determining the colour but also the final flavour and astringency of red and white wines. Furthermore, flavonoids extracted from grape berries and seeds exhibit strong nutraceutical potential with a broad spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic effects (Nassiri-Asl and Hosseinzadeh, 2009). The synthesis of these compounds is mainly regulated at transcriptional level. Flavonoids accumulate at specific stages and in specific tissues during flower and berry development, as a consequence of the timely expression of the genes necessary for their synthesis. Although the general flavonoid pathway has been genetically and biochemically elucidated also in grapevine, its regulation still remains not completely characterized (Hichri et al., 2011). Similarly knowledge is still lacking about the molecular basis of the varietal variability in terms of quality and quantity of flavonoids. To shed light on this issue a mapping population derived from the cross Syrah x Pinot Noir segregating for flavonoid content was characterized at the metabolic and transcriptional level. The transcriptome analysis of the extreme genotypes of the population has allowed the identification of a set of differentially expressed genes. Among them, a basic leucin zipper transcription factor (VvbZIP) has been selected and further characterized to elucidate its role in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. A phylogenetic analysis of all the 55 predicted grapevine bZIP factors was performed. According to the ten-classes classification proposed in Arabidopsis, VvbZIP belongs to the S-group of the family. The analysis of the different classes of flavonoids and of VvbZIP expression in Pinot Noir samples collected from flowering to technological maturity (18°Brix), showed a peak of VvbZIP expression as well as of the flavonols quercetin and kaemperol at flowering time. A further evidence of the role of this gene in flavonols regulation came from the analysis of Chardonnay plants exposed to UV-light and monitored over a 3-d time period. The light treatment caused an induction of the VvbZIP, VvFLS1 and VvMYBF1 transcripts within the first 10 h, followed by the accumulation of flavonols at 24 h post treatment. To test the in-planta function, VvbZIP was stably overexpressed into tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum). The overexpression of VvbZIP observed in 7 transgenic lines positively correlated with the flower content of quercetin, kaempferol and cyanidin in the glycosilated form suggesting a broader regulatory role of this factor.Luciferase reporter-assays carried out by bombardment of Chardonnay suspension cultures (Czemmel et al., 2009), revealed that VvbZIP binds to the promoters of VvCHS, VvFLS1, VvANR genes activating their transcription, likely through the interaction with other co-factors such as MYBF1 and MYBPA1.
Malacarne, G.; Coller, E.; Vrhovsek, U.; Heppel, S.; Czemmel, S.; Bogs, J.; Moser, C. (2012). Characterization of a bZIP factor that regulates the flavonoid pathway in grapevine. In: Macrovision of viticulture, wine making & markets: Macrowine 2012 conference, June 18-21, 2012, Bordeaux, France: 5.O4. handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10449/21276
Characterization of a bZIP factor that regulates the flavonoid pathway in grapevine
Malacarne, Giulia;Coller, Emanuela;Vrhovsek, Urska;Heppel, S.;Czemmel, S.;Bogs, J.;Moser, Claudio
Biochemical and transcriptional analysis
Basic leucin zipper factors
Flavonoidi
Analisi biochimica e trascrizionale
Fattori bZIP
2012 Macrowine Malacarne et al.pdf


text:
Parademarsch der 18er Husaren är en tysk/saxisk kavallerimarsch som används av Försvarsmakten i Sverige och av Bundeswehr i Tyskland. I Chilenska militären går marschen under namnet Húsares de la Reina och används av det preussiska regementet Granaderos de Chile under Chilenska militärparader. Marschen har också historiskt används inom Nationale Volksarmme i Östtyskland, Wehrmacht i Nazityskland och inom Kejsardömet Tyskland.

Referenser

Marscher

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Almost three quarters (70 percent) of Australia online shoppers would likely switch to an alternative retailer when next shopping for products online if they had a poor experience with ordering an item online, according to the JDA/Centiro Customer Pulse 2017 Report conducted by YouGov and co-sponsored by Honeywell (tweet this). This is a rather alarming figure at a time when most retailers are consolidating their 'bricks and mortar' stores and continuing to invest in their online presence.
Of those respondents who had experienced a problem when making a purchase online in the last 12 months, 50 percent of respondents had experienced late delivery, 41 percent had missed a delivery despite being at home, 28 percent never received an item, and 23 percent received incorrect items (tweet this). This was the second highest level of intolerance from the various country-specific surveys JDA has conducted, with only the UK (78 percent) having less tolerant shoppers. Consumers are clearly most sensitive to online experiences, which suggests this is an area that retailers need to give specific attention to as they develop new ways to engage with the customer.
The maturity of the Australian online market has fueled a high level of Click & Collect usage, with 47 percent of shoppers who have made a purchase online in the last 12 months, having used this service (tweet this). This is beaten only by the UK (54 percent) where it is appreciably higher than in other major markets including Germany (28 percent) and France (36 percent). The increased adoption by shoppers reflects their growing appetite for convenience and cost-efficient online buying. The survey shows the key drivers for Click & Collect use are avoiding delivery charges (45 percent), convenience (37 percent), and greater confidence of receiving items compared with home delivery (26 percent) (tweet this).
However, with such a focus on Click & Collect, it is disappointing that as many as 68 percent of Australian Click & Collect shoppers have encountered an issue over the past year (tweet this). This is significantly higher than the UK (43 percent). For those Australians who have encountered a problem, the major issues were long waiting times (27 percent), staff in-store unable to locate items (27 percent) and no dedicated Click & Collect area in-store (20 percent) (tweet this).
"The growth in Click & Collect requires retailers to re-think their current fulfilment methods and consider alternative methods to pick online orders more efficiently and accurately. Picking and packing is only part of the solution; capturing and delivering accurate and timely information to customers is important when providing a memorable shopping experience. Retailers need to build flexibility and resilience in their e-commerce model by incorporating worker-focused technologies that allow their staff to easily deal with higher order volumes, accurate order picks, packed, placed, and ready for convenient pick up. There will also be challenges managing product returns due to exchanges and damaged goods. Existing technology developments and exciting new picking technologies will help enhance their customers' online experience," commented Tony Repaci, sales director of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, a leading provider of data capture products and productivity technology.
An overwhelming majority (83 percent) of respondents would be happy to exceed minimum order values in order to ensure they can enjoy free delivery (tweet this). This is higher than the 75 percent in the UK and could be a result of Australians regularly grouping their orders to waiver the more onerous charges and thresholds applied to international deliveries. Nearly a third of Australians online would be happy to exceed minimum order values if it resulted in them qualifying for either free same day delivery (29 percent) or next-day delivery (28 percent) (tweet this). Worryingly, a sizeable 27 percent of all Australians online would take their business elsewhere to a retailer that did not have a minimum order value for free delivery or Click & Collect, while 23 percent would choose an alternative free delivery / collection option (tweet this).
"Online retail continues to be extremely competitive. The winners will be those retailers that can offer a reliable and convenient fulfillment service to consumers, rather than simply focusing on speed and price. At the same time, escalating costs and ever-increasing competition is putting pressure on retailers' already squeezed margins. Retailers must think hard about the configuration of their supply chains, and will need to become much smarter about how they use their key assets of staff, stores and inventory to fulfill customer requests intelligently. They need to think smart – finding the perfect balance between cost-effectiveness and a great customer experience," added Viney.
The survey was commissioned by JDA and conducted by YouGov Plc. The sponsors include Centiro and Honeywell. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample sizes were 1,044 adults in Australia, 2,070 adults in the UK, 2,124 adults in Germany and 2,014 adults in France. Fieldwork was undertaken between December 2016 and March 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in each market (aged 18+). While this is the first survey for Australia, JDA is in its third year for customer pulse surveys commissioned for UK, France, Germany, Sweden, China, and Japan.
Download the complete report covering returns, delivery habits, issue resolution and more online behaviour here.
Download our infographic: The Online Shopping Experience 2017: are retailers getting it right?
Centiro is the leading innovator in cloud-based transportation and delivery management solutions. Centiro's products empower companies and finer supply chains in more than 125 countries. The company has won several awards and accolades over the years and is ranked as one of the best places to work in Europe by Great Place to Work®. For further information, please visit: www.centiro.com.


Providing freebies and free stuff for health, fitness, health freebies, health samples, health trial offers, fitness freebies, health free stuff.
Hair Vitality is a natural vitamin complex formulated with essential vitamins and nutrients for healthy hair. This version is specifically for females.
Users can purchase Somatodrol! This new testosterone formula helps muscle growth, increases stamina and boosts energy for better workouts and greater results.
Lose weight without changing your diet~ Blast your fat and boost your metabolism with 2 in 1 Nutrition.
With Miracle Bust, users will be able to see results steadily over time if they are taking the capsules on a regular basis.
A new offer from Alliance Health's Diabetic Connect network: Diabetic Connect - BBQ Recipes.
Beauty products such as shampoo, conditioner, skin care products and makeup have today become an essential part of most women's budgets. Unfortunately, these products can also cost quite a pretty penny, so it is important to know how you can go about saving money when making these purchases. There are a number of tips that can help in this respect. Take advantage of special offers at beauty supply stores You can find great deals at your local beauty store such as makeup lines or skin care products sold at discounted prices. And this is not necessary during sales either. All you need to do is to request to be added to their mailing list after you make a purchase, and they will regularly inform you of upcoming special deals. Shop at drugstores rather than at department stores Many women don't know this, but beauty products are made with essentially the same type of products. Thus, the only thing that differentiates an expensive product from a cheaper one is simply branding and marketing. As such, it is very possible to find a drugstore version of a face cream which is actually less irritating and works better than its more expensive department store counterpart. Once you realize this, you can significantly slash your beauty product budget by opting to make most of your purchases at drugstores. Dollar stores offer even greater savings Even cheaper than drugstores are dollar stores, where you can find beauty items of decent quality at incredibly cheap prices. Dollar stores are particularly good places to shop for things that you use often such as cotton swabs, bobby pins, scrunchies and makeup applicators. You are very likely to find respectable makeup brands stocked there at bargain prices. Once you make dollar stores part of your beauty shopping routine, you will be pleasantly surprised at the huge savings you will start to make. Take advantage of online deals You would be surprised at the large number and variety of special deals you can get in an online store for beauty products that you can get anywhere. A number of websites allow you to sign up and get free samples of some of your favorite beauty products. Usually, they will offer you this free sample once you make a purchase on the site, but at the end of the day, it is still a saving for you because you do not have to purchase it at the store. Other websites provide you with coupons, local ads and promo codes that allow you to save money when you purchase the beauty products. Sign up for beauty rewards cards Many beauty product stores have a rewards card scheme that allows you to accumulate points on the card with every purchase made. Once the points reach a certain level, you can redeem them against beauty care products such as moisturizer, shampoo or even limited edition products. Other stores even give you back money once you spend a certain amount on products from their store. These rewards card schemes are available whether you shop at the drugstore, department store or online, making it very convenient for you to sign up for this money-saving scheme. Do your research before buying and seek out free samples It is possible, and indeed very important, to research beauty products before purchasing them. There are many websites on the internet that provide useful beauty product reviews that are based on published research, on the product's ingredient lists, or on comparisons to similar products. Just on the basis of these reviews, you can know whether the product is of good enough quality or not suitable for you to risk making a purchase. You can also take advantage of free samples at some beauty stores or at your local spa to help you decide whether a particular product is right for you before you buy. Finally, after a purchase, you should not feel stuck with a product if you do not like it, since many drugstores and online retailers now have more relaxed returns policies for their beauty products. Buying beauty products no longer has to be a costly affair if you follow the above money-saving tips. The key is to look for special deals wherever they are to be found, whether online or at the physical stores themselves. You should also discard traditional notions that more expensive automatically equals higher quality, especially when it comes to beauty products. In so doing, buying your beauty products will go back to being a beautiful experience.
Users can purchase Athletic Greens, a Premium SUPERFOOD Cocktail designed to boost energy and increase overall health.
ProMuscle Fit is an L-Arginine blend that provides the necessary amino acids to repair, build, and strengthen your muscles. The building blocks of natural protein production, the amino acids found in ProMuscle Fit promote faster recovery from exercise and improved work capacity of the active muscles. Initial cost to user is only $5.00 shipping & handling.


When we were kids in school, there was a straightforward path set before us. We started a class, read the books, went to the lectures, did the homework, took the exam, and got the grade necessary to move on. All along the way, there were expected places where feedback on our performance and potential were given to us. The students who took the feedback as a lesson and incorporated those messages into their knowledge journey typically performed the best in the end. They were willing to adjust their journey, play to their learning style, and alter their methods of operation. In contrast, those who railed against the feedback and focused more on the negative emotions it invoked were hampered by not being able to take it in stride and move forward.
As professionals, we have more in common with our childhood selves than we might realize. There is still a path of growth in front of us, although it may not be quite as straightforward as it once was. We also might receive feedback at times that are unexpected or inconvenient. However, the point is that we must accept feedback whenever it is given and use it to our advantage. If we are to advance our careers, we cannot be tomorrow who we are today. Each of us has the opportunity to be better tomorrow.
I have discovered that there are two types of people when it comes to moving forward in career and life: growers and languishers. The former is able to move forward despite difficulties, and the latter gets mired in a moment, fixating on an issue and the emotional ties to it, which makes them unable to move on. From my experience in working with thousands of candidates, advising many businesses, mentoring dozens of employees and young people, and training many individuals in self-defense and human combat, I have seen one common trait that separates those who grow and flourish from those who hit a ceiling and stagnate.
The trait that I see in growers is that they receive all input and feedback as opportunity for growth. When given input, whether it is delivered in a gentle way or a harsh way, it is the receiver's responsibility to view it not as criticism, but as an opportunity for learning and growth. Keep in mind that I am not saying all input is good input. Far from it! What I am saying is that input is a valuable tool for growth if we can set aside our price and ego, and, with an open mind, look for an opportunity for learning. I had a boss one time who had an abrasive style of leading and who often frustrated and angered me. However, when I was able to put my emotions and pride aside, I actually learned from him. I didn't like how the message was delivered when he communicated his feedback to me, but it actually became valuable in that it enabled me to learn this message. I now remember this man fondly because I learned a lot from him.
Being able to set emotion aside and being open to accept feedback as an opportunity to grow and learn also opens the door for mentors to share with you and invest in you. Wise people tend to invest in things that provide returns. Mentors are no different: they look to help people who do something good with what they have been given.
In anything there can be a lesson, just as when we were in school. Even if you get feedback that completely misses the mark or angers you at first, you can view it through the lens of growth. Take a step back and think about how you can use that feedback to your advantage before you wrap your emotions around it. This will open the door to forward progress and will show others your potential and strengths. These are, after all, two of the keys to success in work and in life.
I'd love to hear your stories about how you have used feedback as opportunity for growth. Please share in the comments section below!
If you'd like to discuss growing your career in a positive direction, contact us here.
Do you want to take your career on a UX track? If so, be sure to check out our post on Three Skills Every User Experience Pro Should Develop. Are you more interested in developing your Digital Strategist career? Take a look at our post on 3 Questions to Ask Before Taking Your Next Digital Strategist Role.


*20% off everything with code 20OFF Offer ends at 11:59PM PT on July 5th 2016. Enter promo code 20OFF in the shopping cart for savings to be applied. No adjustments on previous purchases. Excludes shipping. This offer is valid only athttp://jamiebrowneart.com and may not be combined with another offer. Only one promo code per order will be accepted. jamiebrowneart.com reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time without notice.
Free Worldwide shipping available this weekend on my Society6 Store Page when you use this link.
Promotion expires May 8, 2016 at Midnight Pacific Time.
Caught up with the crew at The Lens about my new Yin Yang Surfstitch towel. Check out the interview here. Grab yourself a Yin Yang towel on Surfstitch.
*20% off Limited Edition Prints with code FINALLY Offer ends at 11:59PM PT on 1/31/16. Enter promo code FINALLY in the shopping cart for savings to be applied. No adjustments on previous purchases. This offer is valid only athttp://jamiebrowneart.com and may not be combined with another offer. Only one promo code per order will be accepted. jamiebrowneart.com reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time without notice.
For a limited time my store on Society6 has $5 Off Everything and FREE Worldwide Shipping when you click here.
Promotion expires November 8, 2015 at Midnight Pacific Time.
The LB Project (American Edition) kicks off tonight, bringing together 10 skate photographers and 10 artists (including myself) for a collaboration on a set skate decks.
Come down and check out my collaboration with photographer Jake Darwen featuring Tommy Fynn.
The LB Project supports The Harold Hunter Foundation.
More info about The LB Project here.
I recently traveled to Austin with the Volcom Design & Creative team to check out vintage clothing stores, record shops, bars, BBQ and bands to get inspired.
Check out the digi-zine put together from the trip here that inspired my Lurker Tee illustration.
In the lead up to the launch of the online store, we're stoked to announce we have select prints, cushions, phone covers, tote bags and more, available on Society6.
Stay tuned for more info about the online store by signing up for our newsletter.
Recently I chatted to Volcom OZ Head Creative Kimmy Reynolds about all things art, music & skating and working at Volcom HQ in California. Check out the interview at the Volcom Site here.
Deadly Cool my artshow with Otis Carey will be ending mid May. A number of my original pieces are still available, contact Open House Creative to check out whats still up for grabs via email Info@openhouse-creative.com or call on +1 (949) 438-5674.
Grab a copy of the latest Yen Magazine - The "Create" Issue and take a peek at little piece I did citing four of my creative heros Tony Edwards, Jim Phillips, M.C Escher and Vernon Courtlandt Johnson.
Was stoked to be part of the art show Deadly Cool with genius Otis Carey from March 14 at Open House Creative. Curated by the talented Mike Ziobrowski.
Where: Open House Creative 1602 Babock Street, Costa Mesa CA.
For art sales enquiries: Contact Open House Creative via email Info@openhouse-creative.com or call on +1 (949) 438-5674.


text:
South Korea commits US$1 billion concessional loan for Egypt to strengthen infrastructure,…
South Korean health experts propose renewed collaboration on global health governance
Both South Korean presidential candidates support increased ODA; focus on strengthening Korean…
NorwaySpain
South Korea is the 16th-largest donor country on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD's) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), spending US$2.2 billion on official development assistance (ODA) in 2020 (current prices). This corresponds to 0.14% of its gross national income (GNI) making South Korea the 27th-largest DAC donor in proportion to the size of its economy.
Since 2017, South Korea's ODA/GNI ratio has been relatively stable at 0.14%. It committed to reaching an ODA/GNI ratio of 0.2% by 2020, but the government acknowledged its failure to reach the target in the 'Midterm Strategy for Development Cooperation (2021-2025)', citing worsening public finances as a reason.
The National Assembly, the national legislator of South Korea, approved the final 2021 ODA budget of KRW3.71 trillion (US$3.2 billion), a major increase of 41% from KRW2.62 trillion (US$2.2 billion) in 2020 (2019 prices). The increase in ODA has in part been influenced by a growing sense of South Korea's obligation as a DAC donor that used to be an ODA recipient until 1995, and the success of the multilateral approach during the COVID-19 crisis.
Explore more data
South Korea adopted the 'New Northern Policy' and 'New Southern Policy' in 2018 to strengthen ties with partner countries north and south of the Korean peninsula. The 2020 update, called the 'New Southern Policy Plus', prioritizes cooperation on health and medicine, education, sustainable investments in trade, infrastructure, future industries, and security.
The Mid-term Strategy for Development Cooperation (2021-2025) has twelve priority goals, including strengthening global health risk response, increasing humanitarian assistance, promoting South Korea's Green New Deal, diversifying development finance, and strengthening partnership with civil society.
South Korea pledged a historic US$200 million to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in June of 2021 to expand the COVID-19 vaccine supply to low and middle-income countries. This is a significant increase from the previous pledge of US$10 million in 2020 and further strengthens South Korea's multilateral response to the COVID-19 crisis as a policy priority.
As part of the government's endeavors to establish itself as a middle power country, South Korea hosted a scaled-down version of the 'Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) Summit' in May of 2021 in which it highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in the areas of water, energy, food and agriculture, cities, and circular economy.
South Korea is scheduled to have a new presidential election on March 9, 2022. The President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in (of the Democratic Party), has been President of South Korea since 2017.
In the 2021 Annual Implementation Plan, an annual spending review, South Korea committed to doubling the ODA budget between 2019 and 2030. It will also continue to increase assistance for global health, especially until 2022 due to COVID-19.
South Korea will prioritize helping neighboring countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and will focus its ODA spending on five key sectors: infrastructure; health; education; agriculture and fisheries; and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Grant assistance will be prioritized in the following five sectors: education; humanitarian assistance; agriculture and fisheries; health; and public administration.
ODA Trends
South Korea is a small but growing donor; the government aspires to double the ODA budget between 2019 and 2030
South Korea is the 16th-largest donor country among members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC). In 2020, it spent US$2.2 billion on official development assistance (ODA; current prices). This corresponds to 0.14% of South Korea's gross national income (GNI), making it the 27th-largest donor in proportion to its economic size. Total ODA in 2020 decreased from the previous year by US$235 million in 2019 prices. As a share of GNI, ODA fell by 0.01%. The decline in ODA was directly influenced by the economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 crisis and the local currency's depreciation against the U.S. dollar. In 2020, GNI per capita in South Korean won (KRW) increased by 0.1% but decreased by 1.1% in USD, decreasing the amount of ODA funding available as a percentage of GNI in USD. The National Assembly approved the final 2021 ODA budget of KRW3.71 trillion (US$3.2 billion), an increase of 41% from KRW2.62 trillion (US$2.2 billion) in 2020. The budget includes more ODA funding for health and humanitarian assistance, as part of its COVID-19 response abroad.
South Korea disburses a large proportion of its ODA as concessional loans. In 2019, 43% of bilateral ODA was disbursed through loans or equity investments, more than five times the OECD DAC average of 8%. Because such a large proportion of South Korea's ODA is disbursed as loans, the OECD's new system for quantifying ODA — which only counts the 'grant' portion of a loan as ODA rather than the total cash-flow —affects the official headline figures for South Korea's ODA. (For more information on the changing methodology, see the Donor Tracker Codebook.) To allow for comparison over time the OECD still publishes ODA calculated using the old cash-flow methodology.
In 2021, the government published (1) the 'Mid-term Strategy for Development Cooperation (2021-2025)', a medium-term vision on South Korea's ODA, and (2) the '2021 Annual Implementation Plan', an annual spending review. Both documents guide South Korea's international development cooperation policy and ODA expenditure. South Korea's Committee for International Development Cooperation (CIDC) requested an increased ODA budget of KRW4.17 trillion (US$3.6 billion) for 2022 to authorize more ODA funding for health and humanitarian assistance, as part of its COVID-19 response abroad; the final budget is to be confirmed in December of 2021 following a review by the National Assembly. The final 2021 budget approved by the National Assembly was KRW3.71 trillion (US$3.2 billion), falling short of the requested amount. It includes a 5% increase in budget allocation for 2021 requested by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help it expand its strategic and humanitarian ODA in response to COVID-19.
Unless otherwise indicated, all data in this section is based on the grant-equivalent measurement system. For more information, see our Donor Tracker Codebook.
South Korea, itself an ODA recipient until 1995, prioritizes sharing its successful development experience and promoting inclusive development partnerships
The Framework Act on International Development Cooperation, first published in 2010 and amended in 2018, outlines the overarching principles of South Korean development cooperation and clarifies the responsibilities of different actors. The Framework Act sets out six pillars for development: 1) poverty reduction; 2) the human rights of women, children, adolescents, and people with disabilities; 3) gender equality; 4) sustainable development and humanitarianism; 5) economic cooperation; and 6) peace and prosperity in the international community. Supporting low-income countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and protecting the human rights of adolescents, were added with the amendments made in 2018.
The 'Mid-term Strategy for Development Cooperation (2021-2025)' translates the Framework Act into concrete strategic priorities for medium-term development policy and indicative volumes of the official development assistance (ODA). The strategy has twelve priority goals, including strengthening global health risk response, increasing humanitarian assistance, promoting South Korea's Green New Deal, diversifying development finance, and strengthening partnership with civil society. The strategy also states that ODA will be closely aligned with South Korea's foreign strategy.
South Korea's key development priorities for 2021 to 2025:
Increase ODA: Double ODA volume between 2019 and 2030 (modified from a former commitment to reach 0.30% ODA/GNI by 2030)
Focus on bilateral ODA: Focus on bilateral ODA: Provide over 70% of bilateral ODA to the 27 priority partner countries
Grant/loan ratio: More flexible ratio of grants/ loans ODA at 60 (±3%): 40 (±3%)
Within the Mid-term Strategy, South Korea's development cooperation is guided by an 'Annual Implementation Plan' that outlines specific priorities. In the '2021 Annual Implementation Plan', South Korea committed to doubling its ODA budget between 2019 and 2030. It will also continue to increase assistance for global health, especially until 2022 due to COVID-19. The share of loans and grants will be approximately 40% (±3%) and 60% (±3%), respectively. South Korea will also aim to increase the share of untied grants to 95%. The government will prioritize helping neighboring countries achieve the SDGs and will focus its ODA spending on five key sectors: infrastructure; health; education; agriculture and fisheries; and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Grant assistance will be prioritized in six sectors: education; humanitarian assistance; agriculture and fisheries; health; and public administration.
In October of 2018, South Korea adopted two policies to guide its future foreign relations: the 'New Northern Policy' and 'New Southern Policy', both of which serve to strengthen ties with partner countries to the north and south of the Korean peninsula. At the South Korea Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in November of 2020, the government announced an updated version of the New Southern Policy, known as New Southern Policy Plus. It lays out seven key areas for cooperation: 1) health and medicine post-COVID-19; 2) human resource development and sharing of South Korea's education model; 3) mutual cultural exchange; 4) mutually beneficial and sustainable investment in trade; 5) infrastructure development of rural and urban areas; 6) future industries for mutual prosperity; and 7) non-traditional security sectors. These policies demonstrate South Korea's intention to strengthen engagement with India and the ASEAN and to engage in more regional infrastructure connectivity projects (such as railways and power generation) in cooperation with North Korea, Russia, China, and the former Soviet states in Central Asia as part of the New Northern Policy. These policies are expected to increase South Korea's ongoing development focus on infrastructure activities in Asia.
In addition to its thematic initiatives, the government has taken on a leadership role in the international push for increasing adherence to ODA effectiveness principles. Following the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4) in Busan in 2011, South Korea has hosted regular 'Busan Global Partnership Forums', bringing together stakeholders to reinforce the commitment to and track progress against the Busan principles: 1) countries should define the development model that they want to implement; 2) sustainable impact should be the driving force behind investments and efforts in development policymaking; 3) need for partnerships for development; and 4) development co-operation must be transparent and accountable to all citizens. In 2020, South Korea also re-joined the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) Steering Committee, a vehicle for driving development effectiveness. Both the Busan Global Partnership Forums and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) Steering Committee are considered of importance for South Korea as both followed from HLF-4.
South Korea's multilateral approach has been influenced by its middle power and its strategic priorities detailed above. It chaired MIKTA, a cross-regional middle-power partnership between Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey, and Australia between February of 2020 and February of 2021. MIKTA aims to support effective global governance on various issues including global health. South Korea also seeks to promote green ODA in lower-income countries as the Chair of the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) until the next Summit in Colombia in 2023. P4G is a global platform that drives investments in green solutions to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
As outlined in the International Development Cooperation Government-Civil Society Partnership Basic Plan published in January of 2019, civil society will play a key role in enhancing the transparency and accountability of South Korea's ODA. Through partnerships with civil society, South Korea will strengthen accountability on the development cooperation process and results.
ODA Breakdown
South Korea channels most of its ODA bilaterally
South Korea disbursed 76% or US$2.0 billion of its total official development assistance (ODA) bilaterally in 2019, above the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) average of 59%. This includes 12% as earmarked funding to multilaterals which are reported to the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as bilateral ODA. Current ODA flows are therefore consistent with the target bilateral-to-multilateral ratio of 75:25.
Loans and equity investments accounted for 43% of South Korea's bilateral ODA in 2019, more than five times the DAC average of 8%. South Korea itself had a positive experience as a recipient of ODA loans, and the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance sees ODA loan provision as a tool for promoting fiscal discipline in partner countries. Despite some debate within the government about the risks of creating high levels of debt in partner countries through loans, South Korea intends to maintain a stable, high share of loans.
South Korea channels most of its bilateral grants and loans through its own implementing agencies (80% went through the public sector in 2019), mainly Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Eximbank). It seeks to diversify its activities by promoting public-private partnerships (PPPs) such as the Global Corporate Social Responsibility Program, which encourages the involvement of the South Korean private sector in development cooperation. Despite this goal, only 1% of bilateral ODA was channeled through PPPs in 2019. The 2021 Annual Implementation Plan intends to increase the total grant share for PPPs to 5%. It also prioritizes civil society engagement, promoting a competitive ODA model and reducing fragmentation of development assistance.
South Korea's bilateral ODA primarily funds infrastructure works
Supporting infrastructure through loans is a key focus of South Korea's bilateral ODA investments. In 2019, the government disbursed 15% of its bilateral ODA to infrastructure projects, 14% to water and sanitation, 12% to education, and 9% to health and populations. Most of this funding was in the form of loans to Asian countries. Promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development, partially based on their own experience of development, is another priority of South Korea's development policy. In 2021, the health sector received 12% of South Korea's bilateral ODA, followed by education (10%), agriculture (9%), and water and sanitation (8%). Disbursements to infrastructure remained at 15% of bilateral ODA.
Bilateral ODA is concentrated in Asia
South Korea's bilateral assistance centers on Asia, particularly its Southeast Asian neighbors. This focus was reaffirmed by the 2021 Annual Implementation Plan. In 2019, 47% of bilateral ODA went to Asia, significantly above the DAC average of 14%.
South Korea reselected its priority partner countries at the end of 2020 as part of the New Southern and Northern Policies (see 'Strategic Priorities'). It currently has 27 priority countries for the period of 2021-2025. Of these, 12 are in the Asia-Pacific region, seven in sub-Saharan Africa (meaning the regions of Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern Africa, as designated by the African Union), four in Latin America, and four in Central Asia. The largest recipient of South Korea's bilateral assistance in 2019 was Bangladesh, receiving 5% of all bilateral ODA, predominantly in the form of loans.
Programming of bilateral funding for priority countries is set through Country Partnership Strategies (CPSs). Country Partnership Strategies outline two to three priorities for bilateral funding in priority countries. South Korea will update its Country Partnership Strategies for each partner country following the reselection.
South Korea has a strong preference for bilateral funding to lower-middle-income countries, but more emphasis might be given to low-income countries in the future. 72% of South Korea's bilateral ODA went to middle-income countries in 2019; 59% to lower-middle-income countries and 13% to upper-middle-income countries. Low-income countries received 15% of total bilateral ODA. This is significantly different from the DAC average of 41% of bilateral ODA to middle-income countries of which 24% to lower-middle-income countries and 17% to upper-middle-income countries. Low-income countries received on average 18% of total bilateral ODA from DAC donors. South Korea has said it will allocate more ODA to low and lower-middle-income countries, but no target was set in the 2021 Annual Implementation Plan.
South Korea provides a low proportion of ODA to multilateral organizations, but its support to global health has dramatically increased
Only 24% of South Korea's ODA is channeled as core funding to multilaterals, compared to the DAC average of 41%. This share has been relatively consistent since South Korea joined the DAC in 2010. 12% of funding in 2019 was earmarked funding to multilaterals, close to the DAC average of 14%.
Historically, South Korea is not a big financial supporter of multilateral organizations. Its COVID-19 response however included a stronger multilateral approach and funding. South Korea was invited to the Group of Seven (G7) summit as a guest nation in June of 2021 where it pledged a historic US$200 million to the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC); a significant increase from the previous pledge of US$10 million in 2020. The pledge allocates US$100 million for 2021 and an additional US$100 million in financial and in-kind contributions for 2022 to expand the COVID-19 vaccine supply to lower-income countries.
South Korea made two major pledges for the 2020-2022 period, pledging US$25 million to the Global Fund at its sixth replenishment to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and US$9 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate vaccines developments of emerging infectious diseases with epidemic potential and enable equitable access to vaccines in lower-income countries. South Korea contributed an additional US$1 million to Unitaid in 2020 to increase access to COVID-19 diagnostics through the Diagnostic Partnership of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A). South Korea joined ACT-A as a Facilitation Council member, providing strategic advice and guidance to ACT-A, and is one of eight countries — with the US, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, and Mexico — in the 'market leader group'.
South Korea's funding to Gavi AMC, the Global Fund, CEPI, and ACT-A have dramatically increased over the courses of the pandemic, but funding from the Global Disease Eradication Fund (GDEF, a government program that aims to prevent and eradicate infectious diseases in partner countries) suffered significant losses. GDEF funds are raised through taxation on international flights departing from Korea. In the past, South Korea has supported several projects of multilateral organizations with GDEF funding, but limited travel during lockdown directly impacted its resource levels, with financing shrinking by 36% from KRW63.2 billion (US$54 million) in 2020 to KRW40.7 billion (US$35 million) in 2021. GDEF funding to multilaterals decreased by 73% between 2020 and 2021 from KRW31.2 billion (US$27 million) to KRW8.3 billion (US$7 million).
According to the 2021 Annual Implementation Plan, South Korea will pursue 'strategic partnerships' for health with the Global Fund and Gavi. South Korea joined the board of the Global Fund in 2018 and is the Global Fund's third-largest supplier of diagnostic tests and the sixth-largest supplier of essential health products. South Korea provides limited core contributions to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It makes no contributions to United Nations Population Fund Supplies Partnership that delivers contraceptives and maternal health medicines to adolescents and women. It has, however, made other non-core contributions for various UNFPA programs in recent years.
The South Korean government has stated its intention to expand multilateral collaboration in response to global challenges, including climate change and humanitarian crises. In 2016, the South Korean government published a 'Multilateral Aid Strategy' identifying the following five United Nations (UN) agencies as compatible partners with their policy focus: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); World Food Programme (WFP); United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)' World Health Organization (WHO); and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In 2021, 16% of total multilateral funding will be provided to these five UN agencies.
Unless otherwise indicated, all data in this section is based on the cash-flow basis measurement system. For more information, see our Donor Tracker Codebook.
For more granular and up-to-date development finance data on South Korea, including information on where and in which sectors it is spending both ODA and non-ODA funds, please consult the IATI d-portal. IATI is a reporting standard and platform on which organizations and governments voluntarily publish data on their development cooperation.
Main Actors
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Economy and Finance steer policy; KOICA and the Korea Eximbank lead implementation
The President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in (of the Democratic Party), leads the government and sets broad strategic guidelines for development cooperation including official development assistance (ODA) volumes and thematic priorities. He is supported by the Prime Minister. The President's directions are honored by ministries and agencies. Mr. Moon has been President of South Korea since 2017, following the impeachment of the previous President, Park Geun-hye. Kim Boo-kyum has been Prime Minister since May 2021. Within the Prime Minister's office, Kim Yong Soo is the Head of the Office for International Development Cooperation.
Two ministries guide development policy under the overall policy and decision-making authority of the President: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF).
MOFA, led by Minister Chung Eui-yong, sets policies and priorities for bilateral grants and multilateral ODA channeled through the UN and other multilateral instruments, such as the Global Fund. The Director-General (currently Cho Yeong-moo) is responsible for the Development Cooperation Bureau that oversees the following four divisions: 1) Development Strategy Division; 2) Development Agenda and Policy Division; 3) Development Cooperation Division; and 4) Multilateral Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance Division. These divisions address policies regarding ODA and grant policies, multilateral aid with non-international financial institutions, and humanitarian assistance. It also works with implementing agencies.
MOEF, led by Minister Hong Nam-ki, sets policies for ODA loans and manages contributions to International Financial Institutions. It also supervises South Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), which finances bilateral loans, and the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) which implements them. In addition, MOEF sets the national budget, and its Budget Office can veto grants and loans proposed by MOFA that do not meet project approval criteria. The Director-General (currently Lee Jong Hwa) is responsible for the Development Finance Bureau that oversees the concessional loan policies, multilateral aid for international financial institutions and works with EDCF in the implementation of concessional loans.
Within these ministries, key actors include:
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), overseen by MOFA, is a key player in development policy implementation in South Korea. The agency was founded in 1991 and provides bilateral grants and technical cooperation. It has 42 country offices and representatives dispatched to the UN and the OECD. Sohn Hyuk-Sang took over as President of KOICA in December of 2020.
The Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) was established in 1987 to promote economic cooperation between South Korea and partner countries through loans. MOEF is responsible for the operations and policymaking of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund. Eximbank manages and implements loans from this fund. Eximbank supports South Korea's economic development through strengthening exports, imports, and overseas investment projects.
KOICA and EDCF are overseen by the CIDC, the coordinating body responsible for deciding on major ODA-related policies. CIDC was established in 2006 and meets approximately three times per year. It consists of 25 members including the Prime Minister (the Chair), cabinet members, the President of the KOICA, the Chair of the Korea Eximbank, and twelve civilian experts. The Sub-Committee for Evaluation is composed of 1) the Head of the Planning and Coordination Office of the Prime Minister's Office (chair), 2) the Director-General of MOFA, 3) the Director-General of MOEF, 4) Vice President of KOICA, 5) Head of the EDCF Group at the Korea Eximbank, and 6) ten representatives from academia and civil society. The latest OECD Development Co-operation Peer Review, published in 2018, found that CIDC's involvement in priority-setting has strengthened quality assurance and result management in South Korea's development cooperation.
Parliament: The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, the Parliament, can influence the direction of South Korea's development policy and budget. The National Assembly votes on, amends as necessary, and approves the budget bill presented by the government. Within the National Assembly, the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee is responsible for development cooperation and can change overall ODA spending amounts and specific allocations through its Sub-Committee on Budget. The Parliament provides the legal basis for South Korea's ODA policies. The Democratic Party led by President Moon Jae-in won a substantial majority in the April 2020 general election. The new chair of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee is Song Young-Gil of the ruling party.
Civil Society: South Korean civil society organizations (CSOs) are involved in policymaking and are increasingly playing a greater role in ODA implementation.
Budget Structure
MOFA and MOEF manage three-quarters of the ODA budget with limited ministerial discretion over respective budgets
According to the '2021 Annual Implementation Plan', the majority (80%) of South Korean official development assistance (ODA) is provided by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF, 47%) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 37%). The remaining 16% is divided across other ministries and agencies, including regional or provincial governments, all of which have their respective ODA budgets.
South Korea's overall ODA budget includes breakdowns by sector, region, ministry, and implementing agency. It also sets out how much funding is allocated to bilateral and multilateral channels within each ministry's budget. The annual budget also lists concrete activities to be funded from each ministry's budget, allowing very limited ministerial discretion over their respective budgets once each has been approved by the Parliament.
According to the approved ODA budget for 2021, 78% will be allocated as bilateral ODA (including earmarked funding to multilateral organizations) and the remaining 22% will be channeled as core funding to multilaterals. Within bilateral assistance, 57% will be allocated as grants and 43% as concessional loans. South Korea will also continue to focus its development cooperation on Asia (41%) and Africa (19%).
Within individual agencies, 84% (KRW1.34 trillion, US$1.1 billion) of MOEF's ODA budget will be delivered bilaterally, almost exclusively as concessional loans through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF). Only 5% of MOEF's bilateral ODA (KRW79.2 billion, US$68 million) will be delivered as grants. KRW256.0 billion (US$220 million) will be provided as multilateral funding.
The ODA-related budget of MOFA has two major funding lines: bilateral grants and multilateral organizations. Bilateral grants account for 87% of ODA (KRW1.07 trillion, US$916 million) from MOFA, broken down into projects/programs, technical assistance channeled through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and funding delivered through public-private partnerships. Multilateral ODA accounts for the remaining 13% of the MOFA's ODA-related budget (KRW166 billion, US$142 million) and comprises of assessed and voluntary contributions to international organizations, such as the Global Fund.
Korea's ODA budget 2020
Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF)
Bilateral 1,337 1,147
Economic Development Cooperation Fund loans 1,258 1,080
Grants (including Committee for International Development Cooperation spending) 79 68
Multilateral (assessed and voluntary contributions incl. Global Agriculture and Food Security Program) 256 220
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
Bilateral grants 1,067 916
Project and programs 539 463
Technical assistance 169 145
Development consultation and other spending 285 245
Public-private partnerships 65 56
Admin costs 9 8
Multilateral (assessed and voluntary contributions incl. funding to the Global Fund) 166 142
Other ministries, of which
Ministry of Health (incl. funding for the World Health Organization) 68 58
Ministry of Agriculture (incl. funding to Food and Agriculture Organization 101 87
Prime Minister's Office (including Committee for International Development Cooperation spending) 10 9
International financial institutions (IFI)
UN and other agencies (including UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UN Women)
Total ODA spending
The figures presented in the table above do not add up or fully reflect all ODA spending for several reasons associated with a lack of transparency. First, funding flows from ministries beyond the 14-largest in the South Korean government as well as regional and provincial governments are not included in the budget table but do disburse some ODA. Discrepancies also result from double counting of funding for some International Financial Institutions (IFIs), United Nations agencies, and other agencies. The 2021 Implementation Plan makes clear that the double-counted amount for IFIs is KRW67 billion worth of concessional loans to Asian Development Bank (ADB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Green Climate Fund (GCF), which are included in MOEF's budget as well as in the budget line for total IFIs. The document also states that South Korea's total multilateral assistance to 15 "UN and other agencies" in 2021 is KRW223 billion (US$191 million), but it stops short of specifying which agencies are included in this category. This makes it difficult to determine the exact amount of funding that has been double counted in the budget table.
Overall, ODA levels are set by MOEF between January and April; specific allocations are made between July and October
Ministries submit medium-term finance plans: Each ministry submits a medium-term spending plan to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) by the end of January. Based on this, MOEF draws up budget guidelines including spending limits for each ministry.
Ministries develop budgets: Between May and June, ministries develop their budgets for the coming year, based on the limits set by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. At this stage, relevant ministries, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), develop proposals for sectoral and geographic allocations of the official development assistance (ODA). Key stakeholders are the Directors-General of the ministries, as they submit the ministerial budgets for review in June.
The Committee for International Development Cooperation debates budget allocations: Between July and September, ministries that have a role in dispersing ODA negotiate their sectoral and geographic allocations. This process is led by the Committee for International Development Cooperation (CIDC). It includes expert consultations followed by a review by the Committee and final approval by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The government submits its draft budget: By the beginning of September, the government submits its draft budget to the Parliament (National Assembly) for debate, amendments, and approval. Once the budget has been submitted, committees within the National Assembly review the draft budget in detail. The Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee is responsible for the ODA budget. Following the review, the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts conducts an overall review of the budget draft.
Parliament approves the budget: In December, the National Assembly votes on the ODA budget in a plenary session.
Government Sources
Government of the Republic of Korea; Framework Act on International Development Cooperation; 2010; (Korean)
KOICA; Mid-term Strategy for Development Cooperation (2016-2020); 2015
Government of the Republic of Korea; 2020 International Development Cooperation Implementation Plan
Other official sources
OECD; OECD Development Co-operation Peer Reviews: Korea; 2018
IATI; d-portal; 2021


Last October we hosted Yvonne Grant for a Spiritual Warfare Intensive.
After multiple requests, Yvonne is back to take a deeper look at Spiritual Warfare, specifically focusing on how to tear down "strongholds" in our lives.
Join us on Saturday, March 30th (date change because of the snow storm!) from 10:00 am to noon in the Mill Creek Town Center (15117 Main Street Suite B204 Mill Creek).
This is a free event (childcare not provided).
For questions, or to sign up, email info@canyoncreekonline.com.


4350 Hillcrest Dr # 919, Hollywood, FL, 33021 - Photos, Videos & More!
Remodeled unit kitchen and bathrooms, hardwood flooring. Spacious corner unit 1,499 sqf, great view.Open kitchen. Enjoy living in a magnificent 55 community, no pets no lease. One parking space assigned.


Developing an effective eCommerce strategy isn't just valuable for retailers - it's essential. As consumers turn to their smartphones for everything from product research to price comparisons to actual purchasing, firms can't afford to ignore this trend. Instead, they need to ensure their mobile solutions are as inviting and easy to use as possible. After all, the U.S. Department of Commerce has estimated that eCommerce sales reached $93 billion in Q4 2014, up from $82 billion in Q4 2013. Mobile shopping is playing an ever-increasing role in this area's growth.
"ECommerce sales reached $93 billion in Q4 2014."
Mobile Web design plays a huge role in this capacity. Yet despite its importance, many companies have not made the effort to truly optimize their mobile Web offerings. For decision-makers eager to move in this direction, it can seem like a daunting task. These leaders need to figure out which is the best approach for their unique operations, audience and goals.
Two of the leading options for any company's mobile strategy are responsive Web design and adaptive Web design. As IT Pro Portal contributor Sam Ganga recently highlighted, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Responsive Web design allows retailers to develop a single website that adjusts its display to match whichever device the site visitor is using. This holds true whether the user is on an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, a Kindle Fire, a PC or anything between - regardless of screen size or operating system. As Ganga pointed out, responsive web design utilizes CSS and Java Script in a client-side approach, avoiding the need for server-side changes or redirects to third parties.
There are a lot of advantages inherent to embracing responsive Web design, as Ganga highlighted. Most obviously, this approach guarantees a smooth experience for each user and across every device. Additionally, the writer pointed out that responsive design can deliver superior search engine optimization, since each page only needs one URL - rather than different URLs for a smartphone-enabled page, PC-enabled page and so on. Finally, this strategy offers easier back-end integration, which further improves performance for users and the retailer as well.
High-quality mobile Web design can be the gift that keeps on giving for retailers.
That being said, Ganga also emphasized that there are some downsides to responsive Web design that retailers need to take into account. The biggest and most significant issue is that responsive Web design can be difficult to master. The technology involved here is still quite new, fairly complex and evolving at lightning speed. Finding experienced engineers in the market who possess the technical, UX and broader business requirements can be tough and time consuming. Do you have the talent in-house or do you outsource?
There are many factors that need to be taken into account when designing a website, from search engine optimization to aesthetics to device and platform compatability and beyond. It is not necessarily difficult for a company to create some sort of Web design, but that's very different from creating a high-quality, satisfying website. There are a number of template-based services available, but these are typically too simplistic and similar to one another for a business, and are particularly unacceptable for a mid-sized firm or enterprise. Today's consumers are extremely Web-savvy, and they will immediately recognize a subpar offering.
What's more, a poor responsive Web design can lead to image display issues and slow performance on mobile devices, which obviously undermines the value that a mobile website should provide.
The other leading option for a mobile-optimized website is adaptive Web design. Ganga explained that this represents a server-side approach, delivering different content to users based on the device they are using to view the website. One advantage that this format has over responsive Web design is optimized, agile performance, including faster load times. It's also a more well-established strategy, and is therefore easier for many retailers to harness.
At the same time, though, Ganga was quick to point out that there are numerous disadvantages inherent to this approach - many of which are the exact inverse of responsive Web design. The user experience will not be consistent across each device, for example, and back-end integration becomes more of a challenge. SEO results will also dip, due to the need for multiple URLs per page. Adaptive Web design also makes it more difficult for retailers to adjust their mobile online offerings as new devices hit the market.
"Achieving mobile success will always require skill and knowledge."


text:
Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment
24 APRIL 2012, BY malaysia-students.com
The Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment was announced in conjunction with the 2011 Merdeka Award Presentation ceremony by Prime Minister YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak. It is designed to make it possible for qualified Malaysians, between the ages 22 - 35 to engage in short-term collaborative projects/programmes at a selected, internationally-recognised host institution. This is help the recipient build on his or her expertise by undergoing a learning experience in an institution or organisation of international repute, and improving the recipient's body of work and achievements.
The attachment is made possible through the global network and reach of the three Merdeka Award founding partners - PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell, who have each given their commitment to utilise their global links with some of the world's renowned institutions, corporations, agencies and organisations, to help facilitate this attachment and make the Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment a success.
The Grant is open to qualified Malaysians, between the ages of 22 and 35, in select disciplines - Education and Community, Environment as well as Health, Science and Technology, mirroring the categories in which the Merdeka Award itself is accorded. The broad categories include areas such as visual and performing arts, heritage and social work, sports; traditional disciplines like economics and finance, scientific disciplines, and areas related to the environment such as climate change, biodiversity and the protection and conservation of the environment. These categories have been carefully selected because of the importance of these disciplines to the progress of the country.
Speaking at a briefing to media (attended by Malaysia Students Blog) as well as representatives of institutions of higher learning and non-governmental organisations across a myriad of disciplines, Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Merdeka Award said, "This exciting new initiative by the Merdeka Award, Malaysia's highest award of excellence, is designed to identify and recognise outstanding young Malaysians who personify the Spirit of Merdeka, and those who, in their own areas of expertise, and in their own way, demonstrate a commitment to excellence and a contribution to society. They are individuals who are making a difference to Malaysia and the lives of Malaysians."
"The aim of this attachment is for them to establish contact and working relationships with other experts in the field of study, share knowledge and expertise, and upon their return, utilise these relationships and shared knowledge to further build on the body of work," he explained.
One grant will be offered in 2012 and two each in subsequent years. Applications for the grant opened on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 and will close on June 30, 2012. All applications must be made online at www.merdekaaward.my
The Merdeka Award Grant recipient will have to go through a stringent 3-step Selection Process:
The first will be the submission of an application, along with an Attachment Proposal that outlines his or her proposed area of research, what he or she hopes to achieve from it and the benefit the research will bring to the people of Malaysia.
The applicant will also be responsible for developing an Attachment Budget, outlining the anticipated expenses to cover the attachment. Both the Attachment Proposal and Attachment Budget will be reviewed by the Merdeka Award Secretariat, from which a long list of promising candidats in each category will be developed.
A Selection Committe, chaired by Dato Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Merdeka Award, and consisting of the Human Resource heads of the three founding partners of the Merdeka Award - PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell, will then review the long-list of candidates and select a short-list if the top 3 candidates in each category.
These candidates will then be called for an interview with the Selection Committee, who will evaluate them in areas such as relevance of the proposed area of research, the quality of their proposal, the innovativeness of the area and method of research, and their commitment to and method of sharing their learnings with younger Malaysians upon their return.
Everything, from their research methods, their concept of teamwork, their philosophy and commitment to community building, right down to their public speaking and social and media skills will be evaluated.
From interviews and shortlisting process, the Selection Committe will then recommend 3 names to the Merdeka Award Board of Trustees, who will make the final selection
The recipient will have to complete the attachment within a year of the Grant being awarded. During this time, he or she will be required to share his or her experiences by maintaining a personal blog, while also sharing updates on social media.