Connect with us

Technology

MLA College granted degree-awarding powers by the Office for Students

Published

on

A landmark achievement as the College builds on its specialist heritage, STEM ambitions and international reach

PLYMOUTH, England, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — UK-based MLA College is extremely proud to announce that it has been granted taught degree-awarding powers by the Office for Students (OfS), marking a defining moment in its development as a provider of higher education. The authorisation, effective from 25 October 2026, enables the College to award its own taught degrees up to master’s level within specified subject areas.

The decision follows a rigorous assessment of the College’s academic standards, governance and quality assurance arrangements. It reflects years of preparation and the contribution of staff, students and partners.

The new powers will enable MLA College to award its own degrees within the scope of its authorisation alongside its continuing validation partnerships with the University of Plymouth and The Open University.

Established in 2012, MLA College supports students across more than 75 countries, with a particular focus on flexible higher education for working professionals. Its academic portfolio spans maritime disciplines, sustainability, engineering, business and project management.

Professor Mohammad Dastbaz, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of MLA College, said:

“This is an incredibly proud moment for MLA College. Achieving degree-awarding powers is a testament to the dedication, expertise and commitment of our academic community, and reflects the care, ambition and hard work that have shaped the College over many years.

“Our journey began with a clear understanding of the challenges facing professionals who wanted to continue their education while working. The commitment to providing flexible, accessible and high-quality education remains at the heart of who we are, even as our academic portfolio, partnerships and global student community have grown.

“Degree-awarding powers mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for MLA College. They provide an opportunity to build on our established strengths, further develop and diversify our academic portfolio, particularly across science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and introduce innovative programmes that respond to emerging skills needs and the evolving demands of industry.”

Glenn Harris, Chief Operating Officer of MLA College, said:

“Reaching this point has been a long journey and one that has involved a huge amount of work from everyone at MLA College. I have seen first-hand just how much commitment, care and determination has gone into achieving this, alongside everything else involved in running and developing the College.

“I am personally very proud to have played a part in that journey, but even more proud of what the MLA team has achieved together. I want to thank everyone who has contributed along the way. This is a significant milestone for MLA, and one that belongs to the whole team.

“There is also a real sense of excitement about what this now makes possible for MLA. Degree-awarding powers give us the opportunity to build on what we have achieved, broaden what we can offer and take the College into its next phase with real confidence and ambition.”

Notes to editors

About MLA College

Established in 2012, MLA College is a UK-based higher education institution registered with the Office for Students and part of GEDU Global Education. It delivers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through flexible distance learning to students in more than 75 countries.

MLA College works with university and industry partners, including the University of Plymouth and The Open University, and has a partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Website: https://www.mla.ac.uk/

Media Contact
Sheefa Fijiwala
Head of Marketing
MLA College
sheefa.fijiwala@mla.ac.uk

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/mla-college-granted-degree-awarding-powers-by-the-office-for-students-302927907.html

SOURCE MLA College

Continue Reading

Technology

Automated Drone Technology Further Transforms Polish Mountain Rescue Operations

Published

on

By

How Poland’s TOPR Team is Revolutionizing Mountain Rescues with Automated DJI Docks

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — With its steep peaks, deep valleys, and harsh winter conditions, the Tatra Mountains present immense challenges for search and rescue operations. Powered by DJI Enterprise’s next-generation automated drone technology, TOPR (Tatrzańskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe), Poland’s dedicated volunteer mountain rescue service, is actively transforming its emergency response in rugged regions.

Building on their successful integration of DJI Enterprise equipment like the DJI Dock 3, TOPR recently initiated a pilot program with the newly released DJI Dock 4. The concept is groundbreaking for alpine rescues: launching a drone from an automated rooftop dock before the ground rescue team has even left the base.

“Certain locations are completely inaccessible by car, bike, or even snowmobile during winter,” explains Marcin Józefowicz, a TOPR rescuer and Head of Cybertech. Traditionally, a full mountain deployment could take up to two hours just to assemble the team and reach the trailhead on foot. To overcome this critical bottleneck, TOPR is looking to the sky.

This early deployment means a drone can reach a reported accident site in minutes instead of hours. “Crucially, we can assess the situation before we begin a physical operation,” says Józefowicz. This rapid aerial reconnaissance allows duty officers to determine if a rescue is genuinely needed, how many volunteers to dispatch, and exactly what equipment is required.

Once on the scene, the DJI Matrice 5TD helps TOPR make contact with people on the ground. Rescuers can use its loudspeaker to give instructions and ask whether assistance is needed, with hikers responding through gestures. If they indicate that they do not need help, the team can continue searching elsewhere. In total darkness, advanced thermal fusion imaging provides operators with near-daylight clarity, allowing them to pinpoint hikers’ headlamps and read topographic details simultaneously.

To conquer the mountainous terrain that frequently blocks standard communication signals, TOPR’s trial creatively utilizes a network of DJI O4 video transmission ground stations. By placing relay stations on observation towers and distant peaks, the drone can seamlessly roam between them. “This infrastructure allows us to extend our flight range even into neighboring valleys,” Józefowicz notes.

With automated flight triggers and a dock capable of swapping batteries in just 25 seconds for continuous operations, TOPR is exploring the ultimate future of mountain rescue. Beyond active missions, the automated fleet is testing the waters for daily hazard reconnaissance and trail monitoring. For TOPR’s dedicated volunteers, this continuous innovation serves one ultimate goal: reaching the injured faster, safer, and more effectively in the unforgiving Tatras.

1 All data was measured using a production model in a controlled environment. Some features are only available when paired with specific DJI drones, and may not be available in certain regions and countries. For more information, please refer to our official website: https://enterprise.dji.com/dock-4

About DJI

Since 2006, DJI has led the world with civilian drone innovations that have empowered individuals to take flight for the first time, visionaries to turn their imagination into reality, and professionals to transform their work entirely. Today, DJI serves to build a better world by continuously promoting human advancement. With a solution-oriented mindset and genuine curiosity, DJI has expanded its ambitions into areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, public safety, surveying and mapping, and infrastructure inspection. In every application, DJI products deliver experiences that add value to lives around the world in more profound ways than ever before.

For more information, visit our:

Website: https://enterprise.dji.com  
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJIEnterpriseOfficial/       
X: https://X.com/DJIEnterprise   
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/dji    
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@DJIEnterprise   

About TOPR:

TOPR (Tatrzańskie Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe) is the dedicated volunteer mountain search and rescue organization operating in the Tatra Mountains, headquartered in Zakopane, Poland.

(Note: The accompanying multimedia case study was co-produced by DJI Enterprise and INNPRO.)

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/automated-drone-technology-further-transforms-polish-mountain-rescue-operations-302927891.html

Continue Reading

Technology

SlidesAI Expands Beyond Google Slides With Standalone AI Presentation Platform

Published

on

By

Users can now create, edit and share presentations directly in their browser, alongside integrations with Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint and ChatGPT.

SHARJAH, UAE, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SlidesAI, an AI presentation maker that began as a Google Slides add-on, has expanded into a standalone presentation platform with its own browser-based workspace.

First released earlier this year, the SlidesAI web app lets users turn ideas, notes and documents into presentations without installing an add-on or working inside Google Slides or PowerPoint. It brings presentation planning, content creation, design and editing into one workspace.

“We started as a Google Slides add-on, then a PowerPoint add-in, and that’s where we found our first users and grew to over twelve million,” said Anurag Bhagsain, founder of SlidesAI. “But honestly, the product outgrew that framing.”

The standalone platform extends SlidesAI’s role across the presentation process. Users begin with a topic, notes or a document, then specify their audience, tone, language and slide count. Before generating the deck, they can review the outline, reorder slides and refine the content. Once the presentation opens in the editor, they can edit text directly or request AI revisions, review the suggested changes and accept them.

The need for help across those steps is reflected in a recent SlidesAI onboarding survey. Among more than 18,000 responding new users, roughly two-thirds selected design and visuals as a presentation challenge, while nearly half selected the time required. Respondents could select multiple challenges.

Those responses illustrate why generating slide text addresses only part of the work. Turning that content into a structured, visually coherent presentation also requires decisions about sequence, layout and design. SlidesAI’s web-based AI presentation maker lets users work through those stages within the same environment.

For organizations creating recurring presentations, Brand Kit lets users import an existing PowerPoint template and apply their colors, fonts, logos and layouts to generated decks. Finished presentations can be presented directly, shared through a link or exported to PowerPoint or Google Slides.

SlidesAI also continues to support its existing integrations. Users can create and refine presentations through the PowerPoint add-in, work directly within Google Slides, or use ChatGPT to generate presentations directly in their SlidesAI account.

About SlidesAI

SlidesAI is an AI presentation creation and editing platform for professionals, educators and students. Available as a standalone web app and through integrations with Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint and ChatGPT, SlidesAI helps users turn ideas and source material into editable presentations. Learn more at  https://www.slidesai.io/.

Media contact
Anurag Bhagsain
+917018743674
426118@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/slidesai-expands-beyond-google-slides-with-standalone-ai-presentation-platform-302926828.html

SOURCE SlidesAI

Continue Reading

Technology

RepData Launches Verified Intelligence Platform, Establishing New Category for End-to-End Research

Published

on

By

Quality-led market research platform combines survey creation, participant sourcing, data quality verification, analysis and AI-powered automation in a closed-loop system 

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rep Data has launched the Verified Intelligence Platform (VIP), an end-to-end research and insights solution that takes teams from business questions to actionable insights, with data quality verified throughout. The platform allows researchers to design studies, source verified respondents, detect fraud and low-quality responses, and analyze results in one connected system, with the flexibility to manage research themselves or work with Rep Data’s experts.

The platform builds on RepData’s sample sourcing and fraud prevention technology, adding survey design, behavioral data quality assessment and advanced analytics through its recent acquisitions of ReDem, OWL and SightX. It incorporates RepData’s curated participant network and quality checks at the source, respondent and response levels. The launch establishes Verified Intelligence as a new category of research with data quality verified at every step and visible to customers.

“Insights teams shouldn’t have to make high-stakes decisions on questionable data or choose between quality and speed,” said Patrick Stokes, CEO and Founder of RepData. “We’ve built the only research platform that offers this level of capability, technology and transparency in one place. Quality has been part of our DNA since day one, and VIP sets a new standard for conducting research and making decisions with confidence.”

Verification is integrated throughout the platform, with customers able to see how data quality is assessed at each stage:

Source: The next generation of Research Defender scores sample sources and blocks low-quality sources in real time, including during and after fieldwork.Respondent: More than 120 signals are analyzed and scored together for each respondent, identifying fraud, inattention and AI text responses before and during surveys.Response: Every response receives a score from 0 to 100 across five criteria (open-ended responses, behavioral analytics, time, grid and coherence), with plain-language explanations of flagged responses.Replacement: Rejected respondents are automatically replaced during fieldwork, eliminating need for data cleaning after the fact and shortening research timelines.Learning: Results from each study are used to retrain quality models, improving detection over time.

RepData’s VIP supports and embeds agentic research workflows, where AI agents can create surveys, launch studies, collect results, analyze data and prepare reports, with verification throughout.

Customers can use RepData’s technology and services in three ways:

Integrated platform: The Verified Intelligence Platform includes more than 50 research methodologies and question types, a panel network spanning 50 countries, pre-survey quality checks, automated data cleaning, analysis, reporting and actionable recommendations.Individual products: RepData’s sample marketplace and data quality tools are available through API and MCP connections for use with existing survey platforms.Research services: RepData’s research team manages projects from scoping and study design through field management, analysis and reporting.

Enterprise and mid-market teams can conduct research in-house or outsource projects, while research agencies and technology platforms can integrate RepData’s capabilities into existing systems.

The launch introduces RepData’s new brand identity and website, reflecting its expanded capabilities.

About RepData
RepData helps businesses make high-stakes decisions with confidence through verified research, advanced technology and human expertise. Its Verified Intelligence Platform (VIP) provides an end-to-end solution for designing, conducting and analyzing research, with data quality verification integrated at every step of the process. RepData works with enterprise and mid-market businesses, research agencies and technology platforms, offering flexible options for teams conducting research across a range of business functions, including self-service research, individual technology solutions and fully managed research services. www.repdata.com

Contact: Michelle Andre, 426176@email4pr.com, +1-415-577-8634

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/repdata-launches-verified-intelligence-platform-establishing-new-category-for-end-to-end-research-302927802.html

SOURCE Rep Data

Continue Reading

Trending