11.12.2020 Views

Leading Educational Consultants to Watch In 2020

Besides, some education consultants by virtue of their sheer knowledge in the field are also invited by governments to share their expertise in bringing about reforms education policies. Indeed, education consultants are the lifeline of any education system today. We at The Knowledge Review have highlighted the importance of education consultants in our latest edition titled, Leading Education Consultants to Watch in 2020.

Besides, some education consultants by virtue of their sheer knowledge in the field are also invited by governments to share their expertise in bringing about reforms education policies.
Indeed, education consultants are the lifeline of any education system today. We at The Knowledge Review have highlighted the importance of education consultants in our latest edition titled, Leading Education Consultants to Watch in 2020.

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2020 | VOL-10 | ISSUE-2

Campus Abroad

Mauritius

LEADING EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS TO WATCH IN 2020




EDITOR’S NOTE

EDUCATIONAL

CONSULTANTS –

OPTIMISING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

There used to be a time when bringing about

reforms, transitions, providing training and

updating members the education community

along with creating awareness about government

policies were the responsibilities of the educators. In

addition, they also counselled students with their future

career path. All these responsibilities along with

educating the future generation used to be very taxing

for the educators.

Gone are those days. Now one cannot even imagine the

education sector without education consultants. They

not only bring about transitions in the education

environments of institutes but are also the dependable

guides for teachers, students and parents. They

implement changes in the curriculum to the best

interests of both teacher and learner.

The responsibilities of an educational counsellor are

aplenty. Besides, improving the school’s and student’s

needs they have to also keep themselves abreast with

the global education trends and reforms. The

information gathered is then disseminated to the

educators and the other members of the education

community. Lot of research and market survey are done

by the educational consultants to shoulder their

responsibilities effectively and to the satisfaction of the

educators as well as that of the students.


Ample knowledge about various careers and

career opportunities, incorporating current

technology and education trends are no

child’s play for the consultant who manages

various aspects of education skilfully.

Education consultants are the most

trustworthy advisors for teachers, parents,

school administrators and students. With

them lie the gigantic responsibility of

assessing education standards and

improvising the best methods to raise the

bars.

Then there are millions of students aspiring to

study overseas in the best universities and

education consultants are the best guides for

them. Evaluating the profile, choosing the

right university, preparing financial

documents, supporting documents, filling

applications, counselling for Visa interviews

and University interviews are all deftly

managed by the education consultants. Once

you entrust your educational journey to an

education consultant, you can rest assured

that the process will be cakewalk for you.

Besides, some education consultants by

virtue of their sheer knowledge in the field are

also invited by governments to share their

expertise in bringing about reforms education

policies.

latest edition titled, Leading Education

Consultants to Watch in 2020.

On the cover we have, Campus Abroad

Mauritius, which devotedly provides

conclusive counselling, supports young

learners, and helps them make a career

choice or pick a subject that taps the greatest

potential within them.

Other prominent consultants include,

HeadWest Migration, which provides various

immigration services to Canada and other

countries. It is a new age education and

immigration start-up established in 2015.

Through various strategies, HeadWest offers

permanent residency services, abroad

education placements, investments in

businesses overseas and assistance; and

Visamax Immigration, which caters to the

needs of people who are willing to start their

career and a new life in other countries.

This edition also includes insightful articles

penned by industry experts and our in-house

editorial team, sharing their views on

education consulting and beyond.

We hope you enjoy reading this editon as

much as we did while curating it for you! T R

Indeed, education consultants are the lifeline

of any education system today. We at The

Knowledge Review have highlighted the

importance of education consultants in our

Sumita Sarkar

sumita@theknowledgereview.com


Cover Story

08

Campus Abroad Mauritius

Endowing Opportunities for a Glorious International Education and Career

22

30

HeadWest Migration

The Gateway to

Endless Opportunities

Visamax Immigration

Providing Tailored

Immigration Solutions


CXO STANDPOINT

18

ASTUTE MIND

The study of the

Philosophy of Religion in

the age of the internet

C

O

N

28

Expert’s Viewpoint

The power of Molecular

Understanding and

Interpretation in

Precision oncology:

From science

Fiction to reality

Article

24

The Know-Hows

Ask Educational

Consultants

T

E

34

Astute Thoughts

Why and how

women can be the

face of tomorrow’s

business leaders

N

T

S


People behind this edition

sales@insightssuccess.com

OCTOBER, 2020

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Senior Editor

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Campus Abroad

Endowing Opportunities for a Glorious

International Education and Career


Mauritius

COVER STORY


If we ask many industry professionals, ‘how they came

to be where they are today?’ most of them will say that

they walked down the path of diminishing salaries and

stopped where they felt that this is the least they need to

earn.

But, what most of them neglect to say is how as a young

adult they constantly struggled with the choice of career.

This calls to mind Confucius’ words, “Choose a job you

love and you'll never have to work another day in the life.”

However, choosing a career that one loves is not an easy

decision to make considering how the world is getting

competitive every day, and aspirations of having crossdisciplinary

knowledge are rising. The point to be noted

here is that choosing a career directly influences a student’s

preference of subject matter.

Young learners today have an amazing opportunity as

technology has opened doors to the world and has brought a

plethora of opportunities to learn in a competitive global

economy at the touch of a button. The world today is

looked at differently and the global milieu has opened

several potential educational gateways, not only in terms of

choices of subjects but also in terms of destinations.

However, to decide one’s preferred subject and most

important choosing a college that helps them bring out their

true potential requires access to extensive information,

streamlined processes, and thorough knowledge about all

the global educational institutions.

This calls for the need for a well-aware and experienced

network of education aligned service providers and

consultants. These consultants devotedly provide

conclusive counseling, support to young learners, and help

them make a career choice or pick a subject that taps the

greatest potential within them. Campus Abroad Mauritius

Ltd is one such education consultant. The philosophy,

‘Children matter but, their goals, dreams, and future matter

more’ is central to this agency.

Gateway to a World of Opportunities

Campus Abroad Mauritius has created an environment that

shapes global citizens considering every country or

education institution equally important. It suggests a list of

opportunities for the best available education institutions

worldwide in its counseling sessions and provides a

platform for the aspirants to sit with their experienced

counselors.

Established in 2001 by Mr. Seshadri Jayasankar and Mrs.

Rajeshwari Jayasankar, Campus Abroad Mauritius acts as

a facilitator that enables Mauritian students to pursue

overseas education. The company was started as an agency

that represented only three to four British Universities.

From those humble beginnings, the organization has today

grown to a stage where it represents over a hundred

institutions worldwide.


LeadingT R

Educational

Consultants to watch in 2020

It is licensed by the Ministry of Education, Government of

Mauritius and is also a member of various educational

bodies like ICEF and QISAN. Campus Abroad is registered

with UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service).

Students wishing to pursue higher education in the UK can

apply to UCAS online from the Campus

Abroad’s office in Rose-Hill.

Choose a job you love

and you'll never have

to work another day

in the life.” - Confucius

In addition to the UK, Campus Abroad

works with numerous institutions in

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the

USA, India, China, Switzerland, Hungary,

Germany, and more. Campus Abroad is

an Education New Zealand recognized

agency. Most of the staff at Campus

Abroad have undergone PIER

certification or British Council training.

The consultancy wing of Campus Abroad

Mauritius also helps overseas educational

institutions to set up bases in Mauritius

by conducting market surveys, liaising

with governmental authorities, and

preparing detailed business plans. This

division has helped several leading Indian

institutions set up operations in Mauritius.


“ Even as agents,

we need to be

prepared for a

reduction in the

number of

students walking

into the office for

information.

Check-listing Easy Study Abroad Process

At present, this education consultant stands in a position to connect

students with the preferred course in the right institution in the right

country. It provides the following services to the students, parents, and

educational institutions:

• Easy Application and Admission processing

• Unbiased university and destination counseling

• Managing Offer acceptance process


Campus

Abroad

Mauritius

follows a

calculated and

a tailored

approach

based on the

experiences

and knowledge

on the matter

to aid its

customers.

• Decisive visa counseling and support

• Accommodation support and other student

essentials support

• Immigration Services through its contracted agents.

We can thus say that Campus Abroad Mauritius follows

a calculated and tailored approach based on the

experiences and knowledge on the matter to aid its

customers. It focuses on ensuring that all its customers


experience a seamless overseas boarding and have an athome

accommodation facility. Most Universities do offer

on-campus accommodation for international students and

Campus Abroad Mauritius gives students a virtual tour of

the respective accommodations and guides them to

choose wisely.

Being student-centric counselors, this consultancy is not

obliged to focus on any particular university.

Representing universities from all over the world,

offering more a plethora of courses worldwide, Campus

Abroad remains loyal to its principle of keeping students’

interest foremost.

As a result, Campus Abroad has managed to develop a

network of universities, banks, travel agencies,

immigration agencies, students, and even alumni due to

which this firm enables students to connect with

individuals at the University who will assist students like;

finding accommodation off-campus, airport pick ups and

transfers, opening bank accounts etc.. Additionally, it also

helps students in connecting with other students who are

currently studying at the University. Campus Abroad's

connection with banks allows students to apply for

education loan and avail scholarships.

Managing Crisis and Adapting

We have already established how through in-depth

engagement with students and parents, the counselors at

Campus Abroad understand and formulate a customized

plan for them. However, times are changing, and looking

We are investing

heavily in

technology as

post COVID, we

are convinced

that this is the

way forward


at the present pandemic outbreak, the number of students preferring to study

abroad might reduce in numbers and Campus Abroad is preparing itself for

such a situation. “Even as agents, we need to be prepared for a reduction in

the number of students walking into the office for information,” says Mr.

Jayasankar

He further adds online communication is going to be the norm going forward

and thus Campus Abroad has redesigned its website and is in the process of

developing a mobile app. It is also extremely active on social media and is

geared for talking to students on several online platforms. “Education fairs

are also likely to go fully

virtual,” he commented.

Our goal is

to bring

international

education

within the

reach of

every

individual

Thus, we can say that Campus

abroad will in future focus more

on the use of technology. “We

are investing heavily in

technology as post COVID, we

are convinced that this is the

way forward. We are planning

to expand into the African

mainland as we firmly believe

that Africa is the continent of

the future. We are also getting

into executive training both face

to face and through the online

mode,” concluded Mr.

Jayasankar. T R


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ASTUTE MIND

Dr. Brian Hufing

Assistant Professor of

Philosophy & Theology

Southern Evangelical

Seminary

18

OCTOBER|2020


THE

Study

OF THE

PHILOSOPHY OF

Religion

IN THE

Age

OF THE

INTERNET

tudying reality is important. Studying ultimate reality

Sis ultimately important. Many philosophers and

theologians argue that God exists as the cause for

everything else that exists. The issue of God’s existence and

nature falls under the philosophy of religion, as do the

issues of evil, miracles, and religious experience. These

areas require years of study in metaphysics (what is real),

epistemology (what is knowledge), and the history of

philosophy. To be qualified to hold the title ‘Philosopher of

Religion’, or any such title, one must pay his/her academic

dues, such as getting a masters and doctoral degree. This

certainly does not mean that one cannot study the field of

philosophy of religion unless he/she is in a formal academic

program. What it does mean, is that to be considered an

authority, one must possess a certain level of peer-reviewed

training.

Once upon a time, the research required to attain such

credentials had to be done through laborious hours in a

library utilizing databases, looking through books on

shelves, and acquiring sources through the mail. While

much of this is still is required, the Internet has drastically

changed the way research is performed. It has allowed

philosophers of religion around the world to collaborate

faster and with greater ease, use centralized databases, and

experience lightning fast communication. It has also

OCTOBER|2020

19


provided the ability to acquire sources from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. In addition,

philosophers of religion have been able to post papers (Academia.edu) and articles online, subscribe to

journals online, and keep abreast of the latest scholarship via search engines or databases. Such databases are

invaluable for dissertation research, such as ProQuest. Other sites allow for general research for students and

teachers. One such site is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP, plato.stanford.edu). There are well

over 1000 articles written by accomplished and well-known philosophers, which are peer reviewed for the

site. The SEP boasts of many ways that it is distinct from traditional journals. For example, unlike traditional

journals, the SEP can continually update articles as the authors see fit. Also, they can write on a more

comprehensive list of topics that are not covered in traditional journals. The SEP allows for digital crossreferencing

between articles. Further, the SEP can have a broader audience than academic journals, as the

latter tend to focus on specialists in the field of study. Many of the articles in the SEP are in the area of

philosophy of religion, or relate to it. Such a digital database of topics is a great resource for students and

teachers.

Many philosophers of religion have their own websites, blogs, etc., such as Richard Howe

(richardghowe.com), William Lane Craig (reasonablefaith.com) and Edward Feser (edwardfeser.com). This

is a great way to allow students and the public to access their papers, thoughts, and to some extent the ability

to converse. Such sites, as well as sites like YouTube, allow for these philosophers to host debates, lectures,

and interviews so that students and interested persons can avail themselves of such a treasury of information

and knowledge.

With the advent and popularity of the Internet, however, there have been some negative consequences as

well. As most people know, anyone can create a website, blog, or whatever online. Professors and students

alike know of the convenience and potential dangerous effects of sites like Wikipedia.com. Because of such

sites, schools in general have imposed a rule that no more than about 10% of students’ resources can come

from the Internet. (Oftentimes this does not limit the use of sites such as the SEP, online access to academic

journals, or eBooks.) The reason for such limits is because educators do not want students pulling from just

any website. Many online have no formal training in the area in which they write or discuss. This is the case

with printed and published books as well; however, the ability to be able to write online is much easier than

having to go through a publisher. Just buy a domain name, and one can be in business. While sites can be

good for specialists to help promote and study research, as well as teach the general public or students, the

uninitiated can also make sites with no peer evaluation or formal training—much to the detriment of the

field, and to the chagrin of legitimate philosophers of religion.

Possibly the Internet’s most profound effect for philosophers of religion is online education. No longer does

one have to move to get certain degrees (especially BA and MA degrees). Now, one can study the philosophy

of religion from home. The merits (convenience) and demerits (alleged lowering of educational quality) of

such education are debated almost endlessly. What is not debated is that the Internet has changed and is

changing education in drastic ways.

For those interested in studying the most profound questions and issues of ultimate reality, the philosophy of

religion is an intriguing and fascinating area to devote one’s time and efforts. The Internet has made it much

easier to explore the issues. It has also tended to blur the lines between scholarship and ignorance. If you are

reading this and are interested in the philosophy of religion, be thankful for the advent of the Internet. But

also beware. Choose sites and schools wisely, and enjoy one of the most important and rewarding fields of

study. T R

20

OCTOBER|2020



HeadWest

Migration

The Gateway to Endless Opportunities

We are a new age education & immigration startup which has evolved

from 2015 to now as a cornerstone of the Immigration industry

With enormous benefits, people willing to move to

Canada are offered flexible immigration

programs. Canada aims to draw a very huge

international crowd. Currently, Canada is looking to invite 1

million immigrants. As the Canadian market is booming for

the students, it is the right time to plan for immigration.

Keeping upbeat with the trend, HeadWest Migration

provides various immigration services to Canada and other

countries. It is a new age education and immigration startup

established in 2015. Through various strategies, HeadWest

offers permanent residency services, abroad education

placements, investments in businesses overseas and

assistance.

The aim of HeadWest Migration is to be the consultant of

choice for the customer in providing immigration solutions

in a legal and comprehensive manner. The consultancy

currently is working in almost all the segments of the

international visa market. The services range from skilled

migration visas, business migration visas, study visas to

tourist visas.

Excellence Throughout the Journey

Since the beginning of the journey, the clients of HeadWest

consultancy have been very satisfied with services. This is

why the clients have immense faith in the company and its

practices. The consultancy follows an assessment process of

the customer’s profile.

For HeadWest consultancy, it is very important, to be

honest with its customers. The team at HeadWest doesn’t

give false hope to its clients if the profile does not meet the

requirement prescribed by the country.

Vikas says, “Given the fact that we do not accept every

client like many others irrespective of their eligibility,

neither do we promote to fabricate documents and aim

towards a 100% success rate. A lot of clients were surprised

22

when we didn’t accept their case and told them that they

didn’t qualify as compared to other companies who were

signing them up.”

Honesty, Integrity and Trust

HeadWest Migration stands strong on its core values of

honesty, integrity and trust. With a 100% transparency in all

the processes, the company provides a roadmap to the

customers. Through genuine solutions, students are helped

to choose their dream university.

As most of the clients do not have in-depth knowledge

about the overall process, HeadWest makes it their aim to

make the client aware of it. From choosing the right course

to filing the visa document, HeadWest provides a

comprehensive service.

HeadWest has strategic partnerships in the industry and

works directly and indirectly through highly curated service

providers in the visa industry.

Unmatched Assistance to Students

Indian students have immense potential. Hence, to direct

such talents to the ever-rising education destination,

HeadWest has struck alliances across Australia, Canada and

Europe. Through its network, the consultancy offers a range

of courses to its student clients for diploma, bachelor’s,

postgraduate diploma and master’s programs.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) process ensures that the

students get a streamlined visa process. Genuine students

have a great opportunity to study abroad on an as low

budget as Rs 15-16 lacs including living expenses per year.

Canada currently has immense potential for students,

skilled professionals, and businessmen alike. There are

numerous choices across different sectors to start with study

and become a permanent resident or set up a business and

then become a permanent resident.

OCTOBER|2020


An Experienced Advisor

LeadingT R

Educational

Consultants to watch in 2020

Behind the inception of HeadWest Migration, there is a

very unique purpose. The Founder, Vikas Puri an

Australian Citizen, had moved to Australia in 2008 as an

offshore skilled migrant. In 2014, due to family

commitments, he had to move back to India.

After returning to India, his friends and family started

asking him for advice and tips about all the international

immigration as well as the educational process. This is

when Vikas came up with the idea of immigration

consultancy.

Vikas Puri

Founder

“ We

have 100%

transparency

in all our

processes and

we like to

work from

the client’s

perspective

and work out

options which

would have

a positive impact

on their

careers

HeadWest, with its expertise in the immigration sector, is the only company in the

market that is seamlessly aiming to benefit students. It does so by giving them an endto-end

solution. The students are directed in a study course depending on their liking

which will further make a pathway to PR Visa.

Vikas says, “Canada is at the forefront of the International education sector with the

innovative SDS admission process and pro-student part-time work opportunities, Co-op

options and finally the post-study work right of up to 3 years which gives an opportunity

to convert the study status to permanent residency and a pathway to Canadian

Citizenship.”

Noteworthy Awards

•“10 Most promising Immigration Consultants in India 2018” by a Review Magazine

•“Most Promising Immigration Consultants in India” by India Business Awards 2018

organized by Blind Wink

• Nominated by The Entrepreneur Magazine in 2018.

Success Stories

Vikas has mentioned a few stories that have changed the lives of his clients. He

mentions, “Mr.Raj chose to join an MBA program through the foundation pathway and

has been highly impacted by our service. His Visa was rejected in the first attempt,

however, our team worked relentlessly on his case and worked on his SOP document

and made it really impactful and he was able to Join University Canada West.”

Vikas adds, “Mr. Kumar wanted to pursue Supply and chain management course. We

found such an option at Yorkville University and were able to place him in their

Bachelor program. He got a Scholarship of $10000 and got his Visa approval in a quick

time. He is well settled in his course and has further referred his sister who has started

her admission process with us for the Business Management program at Vancouver

Community College.”

Vikas’ and the team’s dedication and honesty have helped shape various lives. There are

many opportunities for people in Canada and lead a peaceful life. Through HeadWest’s

assistance, the dream of immigration can be made true. T R

OCTOBER|2020

23


ASK

EDUCATIONAL

CONSULTANTS

“Be Educated, Be Organized”

Modern day Indian society stresses on

education, as it is an essential

function for a developed society.

Education does not mean school and school

does not mean education. So, what does it mean

to be educated? To consider yourself educated

means developing the knowledge and skill to

look beyond the hidden complexity. Education

means to teach people about everything around

and provide necessary skills to compete in the

world.

The limitations of finding a good educational

guidance depend upon the teachers, budgets,

location and outside influences. With these

ideas in mind a strong example of a personbased

experience is “Educational Consultants”.

The large variety of experiences of multiple

perspectives allow consultants to seize

advantage of educational opportunities. They

are continuously aware of what is today’s

educational requirements.

Every student is unique, mentoring every

student and giving personal attention are

focused by consultants. Ensuring solutions

through a maze of questions, career path, career

goals, complete guidance on educational loans

and also providing information to students

about the various National, International, and

Institutional Scholarships are the basic services

that consultants provide.

24

OCTOBER|2020


The Know-Hows

Educational Consultants assist in identifying the industry trends and

give special attention to identify the correct institutions for these

popular courses. A consultant will give substantial attention which

school may be unable to provide.

Dream School Admit is one of the leading Educational Consultants in

India. Getting into the right Graduate program with a top experience

Dream School Admit will walk you down the path.

Online counseling in India is still evolving. At Quikconsult technology

connects real people to real experts for online advice and counseling

through chat and email. It is a marketplace and one stop shop of

independent experts from over 19 industries. Edwise International,

World Wide Education, Karan Gupta Consultants, are some of the

leading Overseas Education Consultants.

Taking the current scenario of pandemic into consideration,

international universities as well as those within the geographical

boundaries of the nation have shifted to the online medium of

education. With the rapid advancements being made in

the field of technology, universities abroad ensure that

students inculcate in various interactive sessions.

With respect to job prospects, students have the

opportunity to engage in internships or parttime

jobs as well. Thus, this is the perfect way

to enhance their skills and be ready whenever

the opportunity comes knocking at the doors.

School provides us the baseline for our

knowledge. But educational consultant is what

truly shapes an individual beliefs and ideas.T R

OCTOBER|2020

25




Massimo Cristofanilli

MD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, is a

professor of medicine in

hematology and oncology at

Northwestern University Feinberg

School of Medicine and associate

director for translational research

at the Robert H. Lurie

Comprehensive Cancer Center of

Northwestern University.

THE POWER OF MOLECULAR

UNDERSTANDING AND

INTERPRETATION IN

PRECISION ONCOLOGY:

FROM SCIENCE

FICTION TO REALITY

recision medicine may represent the most

Psignificant revolution in medicine in the last

decade. Since the completion of the Human

Genome Project, there has been a proliferation of

studies aimed at the discovery of direct links between

specific alterations in the individual DNA, also known

as germline DNA, and diseases. The first goal is to

identify potential therapeutic interventions aimed at

replacing the defective gene or correcting the

underlying defect causing the disease. The second,

probably with much more downstream impact, is to

identify individuals at risk and make them aware of the

potential risk for future generations and, in some cases,

correct the defect before it is transmitted.

28

An expert in translational research

and treatment of patients with

inflammatory breast cancer, Dr.

Cristofanilli has led the

development of novel diagnostic

and prognostic markers in primary

and metastatic breast cancer. His

research is focused on advancing a

patient-centered, biology-driven

model of cancer care, combining

sophisticated tissue and bloodbased

molecular diagnostic

technologies and innovative

treatments.

Dr. Cristofanilli is also Director of

Lurie Cancer Center OncoSET.

Through an innovative three-step

process – Sequence, Evaluate,

Treat -- the precision medicine

program combines oncology with

genomic sequencing to provide

cutting-edge cancer care

personalized for each patient.

Another area of emphasis is

educating physicians about

emerging technologies and

strategies for translating advances

in precision medicine to their

clinical practice.

OCTOBER|2020


EXPERT’S VIEWPOINT

The creation of the “perfectly healthy” individual without

any genetic condition is coming closer to reality. In the

meantime, the development of revolutionary interventions

to treat progressive blindness due to a mutated gene

(RPE65) and hemophilia represent some examples of such

novel and impactful opportunities. At a more practical level,

today pharmacogenomic testing is increasingly offered to

patients to predict the efficacy and toxicity profile of

commonly used drugs, allowing physicians to practice a

safer and more precise therapeutic intervention.

Perhaps the area with the greatest potential impact for

precision medicine is oncology, by definition a genetic

disease. Many alterations in gene-controlling essential

functions in cancer cells have already been discovered, but

genetically-directed therapeutic interventions have been

successful in only a minority of cases. Generally, these

interventions are beneficial when the genetic change in the

cancer cells is predominantly in one gene location in all the

cells.

The most successful example of gene-directed therapy is

represented by imatinib (Gleevec), FDA-approved for the

treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and

gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The clinical use of

this agent also provided the opportunity to learn about

resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies and the

importance of monitoring the complex biology of cancer

cells. Thus, we need to use multigene testing to be able to

assess a more complex pathway analysis and to use the

same testing in a longitudinal fashion.

The availability of sophisticated genomic analysis allowing

investigators to evaluate large panels of cancer genes

(somatic DNA alterations), sometimes associated with

mRNA expression profiling using a small amount of tissue,

is becoming an affordable reality for every tumor and

available to every patient. Most of these tests perform

parallel testing of germline (individual patient) DNA,

giving a more complete understanding of the cancerassociated

risk and potential therapies. Moreover, the use of

blood-based genomic testing or liquid biopsy allows for a

continuous monitoring of somatic (tumor) alterations over

time, with the assumption that we can potentially predict

benefit or response and use imaging studies more

judiciously. The availability of these novel tests created a

paradoxical situation in clinical practice. Many times

oncologists are not prepared to deal with the complexity of

the information provided, or do not have access to the

identified therapeutic interventions. There is a new and

pressing need to provide every physician with the tools and

capability to rapidly access this expanded knowledge and

translate it into more effective and individualized

therapeutic options.

Large organizations have created infrastructures such as

molecular tumor boards (MTBs) and have expanded their

portfolio of clinical trials to include more targeted agents.

Even in such a scenario, if we were to rapidly escalate the

use of molecular diagnostics in every patient with advanced

cancer and incorporate the use of liquid biopsy into

everyday practice, the time and resources needed to analyze

individual data over time would be overwhelming. This

challenging and complex task requires the incorporation of

artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the practice of

oncology allowing rapid bioinformatics analysis of complex

genetic codes and provides the list of cancer-related

genomic abnormalities likely to drive individual tumors.

The use of AI can drastically reduce the time to analyze the

‘current’ scientific and clinical evidence available in the

literature (sometimes thousands of manuscripts) to predict

the pathway- or gene-direct agent likely to produce the best

therapeutic benefit. In the near future, it will also

incorporate structured clinical data from thousands of real

cases, improving the predictive value of the structured

reports.

The evaluation and treatment of a cancer patient is moving

closer to the reality seen in science-fiction literature and

movies. For every medical consultation, a treatment and

prediction of benefit can only be accurately prepared after

analysis of both tissue and blood samples for somatic and

germline mutations. The simplified report of this complex

analysis is performed with the support of both sophisticated

laboratories supported by AI in a short time, and repeated

over time in the blood to monitor response to treatment and

potentially change it. Imaging studies will become less

useful and the overwhelming data will furnish evidence for

new models to develop drugs, ultimately reducing cost. T R

OCTOBER|2020

29


LeadingT R

Educational

Consultants to watch in 2020

VISAMAX

IMMIGRATION

Providing Tailored

Immigration Solutions

Major Personalities of Visamax

The firm is led by 2 licensed Canadian immigration

consultants who are full members of the national

regulatory body, the Immigration Consultants of Canada

Regulatory Council (ICCRC). Mr. Randy Boldt is the

CEO and Principal Immigration Consultant of the

firm. He obtained his MBA in Banking and Finance

from the Cass Business School in England. He is

extremely well-versed in the application of business

knowledge in immigration procedures.

Randy is currently a member of the board of the

regulatory body ICCRC. He has also appeared multiple

times before the Parliamentary Committee on

Immigration as an individual to provide submissions.

Mr. Randy Boldt

CEO

Tobey Xiang

Associate Immigration

Consultant

Tobey Xiang is the Associate Immigration Consultant atVisamax Immigration. His main practice areas include students,

skilled workers, and family sponsorships. He also has experience representing clients before the Canada Border Services

Agency and in study permit compliance audit proceedings.

Tobey is extremely well-versed in Canada’s immigration legislation and court decisions at various levels. Aside from

advising and representing immigration clients, Tobey also devotes his time to advise fellow immigration consultants in the

industry and has been called “the consultant of consultants.” Tobey is bilingual and speaks English and Chinese Mandarin.

30

OCTOBER|2020


Located in the northernmost part of North America,

Canada is spread over an area of 9.98 million square

kilometers. Due to its amazing facilities and highquality

living standard, Canada has become a prominent

choice of immigration for people from numerous countries.

People usually immigrate depending on their needs. Some

people might want to immigrate for their business purpose

while some may want to immigrate as skilled workers.

Due to some complicated process, immigrating to Canada

has been a difficult task for many people. Based in

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Visamax Immigration caters to the

needs of such people who are willing to start their career

and a new life in Canada. To help make the immigration

process easier, Visamax was formed in the year 2008.

Visamax offers immigration consulting services and legal

representation to businesses and individuals wishing to

relocate to Canada either temporarily or permanently. The

immigration process often involves complex legal

procedures. Although the Canadian government tries to

explain everything properly on their websites, the

complicated nature of the matters makes the process

difficult to understand.

The government often finds that the more they try to clarify

the rules, the more confusion they create for the general

public. Hence to fill this gap, Visamax provides

professional immigration advice. The consultancy focuses

on each individual as each person’s needs are different.

Exclusive Services

The core service of Visamax is to advise and represent its

clients in almost all immigration programs and proceedings

which also include Provincial Nominee Programs. Visamax

offers general business advice exclusively for its business

clients. This helps its clients to develop sound and practical

business plans and organize their source of funds.

When it comes to services for international students,

Visamax provides easy and convenient services with

OCTOBER|2020

31


regards to their visa processing. Visamax Immigration is

also the authorized student recruiter for most of the postsecondary

schools in Manitoba. For students destined to the

province of Manitoba, Visamax Immigration offers school

admission services free of charge.

Visamax Immigration stands out from other firms in that it

recognizes and appreciates the differences among

individuals. “We believe that the same piece of advice

would not work well if designed to fit everyone. This puts us

in a good position to determine the best-tailored solution or

course of actions we recommend to our student clients,”

says Randy.

Visamax’s free career counselling for their student clients

helps the students to get accustomed better to the labour

market environment after their graduation. This would help

them with their transition into skilled workers and

permanent residency eventually.

Significant Role of Visamax

As most of the clients desire to eventually immigrate to

Canada permanently, Visamax with its careful evaluation

makes it possible. The immigration process is tedious and

requires a thorough knowledge of all the sections involved

in the immigration process. Visamax Immigration is a

trusted advisor and advocate during the execution of the

entire arrangement, which requires thorough and detailed

planning.

Randy adds, “We firmly believe in the importance of giving

advice that is competent and ethical. Moreover, student

clients are often within the age group that requires extra

guidance and support, and these are what we strive to

provide as well.”

Benefits of Immigrating to Canada

Canadian Government gives great importance to

international graduates as they are considered as the most

suitable immigration candidates for the country. Most of the

economic immigration programs feature facilitative

requirements for graduate students.

While on the business side, the immigration program has

recently been changed targeting the entrepreneurs in the Hi-

Tech industry under what’s called the Start-up Visa

Program. It has changed from a temporary pilot project to a

permanent immigration program.

This is a reflection of the government’s strong intention to

start recruiting more tech entrepreneurs amid the U.S

immigration crisis. Visamax Immigration will be pleased to

work with clients in both areas. As Randy concludes, “Our

mission is to become one of the most well-known and

sought-after immigration consulting firms in the country.”

T R

32

OCTOBER|2020



ASTUTE THOUGHTS

Why and how women can be the

face of tomorrow’s business leaders

About the Author

Dr. Terri Howe is the Director

of Career Services and

Adjunct Professor at Texas

A&M University-Corpus Christi

and has been a practicing

Career Counselor for nearly

two decades. She has a

passion and interest in

researching career options

for marginalized or otherwise

career challenged populations

such as women, military

veterans and people

with disabilities.

34

OCTOBER|2020


he future face of business is a female one.

TAccording to United Nations Women, when more

women work, economies grow and an increase in a

country’s female labor force will equal faster economic

growth. Women have demonstrated the qualities of good

leadership in whatever work setting or industry in which

they found themselves long before acceptance as business

leaders. While the glass ceiling is still firmly in place in

many ways, there are gleaming examples of women who

possess these qualities and shine as models of how female

leaders will help shape the face of tomorrow’s business

world.

Business analysts have made many lists of qualities and

characteristics over the years, attempting to understand

what the profile of the future successful leader will look

like. Qualities such as having a vision, integrity, and being

collaborative have made these lists countless times and are

considered critical to the future success of business leaders.

In addition to these qualities, choice of leadership style,

transformational or transactional, is known to impact a

company’s performance and consequently should be

considered when trying to determine how the future of

business will appear.

It is a commonly held belief that vision is shaped from the

top of an organization and permeates the entire company,

depending on the strength of the leader’s belief in the

vision. Tomorrow’s leaders will need to drive the company

towards this vision and at the same time, be prepared to

alter the vision to keep pace with consumer demands.

Because women are historically good readers and quick

learners, they possess the ability to stay abreast of changes

that can alter a company’s trajectory and consequently the

vision. A great example of this is Chairman and CEO of

General Motors (GM) Mary Barra’s vision to transform

GM’s traditional offerings to keep pace with the future. In

2016, Barra took on electric car company, Tesla, by

launching the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with a battery that outlasts

Tesla cars. This was a risky, but calculated move that has

reshaped the vision of GM and set the tone for future

production.

OCTOBER|2020

In order to steer a company towards a vision, a tomorrow’s

great business leader must lead with integrity. This involves

being an ideal role model when others are watching and

doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Leading

with integrity will allow tomorrow’s leaders to avoid

pitfalls, such as the lack of transparency that have brought

large corporations down. Women leaders such as Stephanie

Buscemi, COO for the cloud tech company Salesforce, have

been “walking the walk” and leading by example in a maledominated

industry. Knowing that her every move is being

watched, Buscemi intentionally seeks out challenging

opportunities in cloud computing to resolve so she can

exemplify integrity in action.

Along with vision and integrity, future leaders will drive

business successfully forward by incorporating

collaboration into the process. Working together to achieve

a common goal is a time-honored practice that women in

many industries have mastered to achieve exponentially

better results versus the attempt to “go it alone.” Women

like to share ideas and come up with solutions that are

effective and benefit everyone involved. Collective

organizations, such as SheWorx, encourage female

entrepreneurs to work together on the same goals and

propel their businesses forward, making much greater gains

than those who attempt sole enterprises and have no outside

support. Participants in these collective endeavors have

found success across the globe with co-founders Yin Li and

Lisa Wang setting up programs in New York, Los Angeles,

London, Singapore and Tel Aviv.

Besides these qualities, another factor that will continue to

shape the face of business is a leader’s style – whether it is

transactional or transformational. Transactional style of

leadership employs some sort of system of reward and

punishment or discipline. In this type of work environment,

employees are motivated to perform in order to attain a

reward (e.g. bonus pay or additional time off) or avoid

negative consequences (e.g. denying a time off request)

associated with not meeting one’s work goals. A leader

utilizing a transformational style motivates workers by

encouraging and inspiring employees. Transformational

leaders tend to model exceptional behavior and work to

help the employees understand and embrace the company’s

vision. Women leaders gravitate to the transformational

style because they tend to be relationship-oriented. Unlike

men, women are more likely to form strong interpersonal

connections with subordinates that encourage higher levels

of job performance.

While there are many factors that will come into play to

shape the face of tomorrow’s business leader, considering

these qualities and styles can provide perspective on how

future business leaders could look. And, adding the

additional layer of how women embody these qualities and

styles aids in bringing the picture into focus. There is no

doubt that women who tend to possess high integrity, create

and share vision in a collaborative, transformational way

will contribute to the furtherance of good business practice. T R

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