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The 9th China Festival of Education: Shaping the Future of Learning

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SHANGHAI, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 18 April, the 9th China Festival of Education broke new ground, drawing more than 70 speakers and over 800 attendees from across China and around the world. With participation at an all-time high, the Festival remains the country’s essential platform for anyone invested in the future of teaching, learning and school leadership.

Reflecting on the event, Jeremy Birk, Director of the China Festival of Education, said, “This year’s Festival proves that when educators come together, real momentum builds. We saw honest discussion, bold ideas and genuine connections—a community committed to pioneering education that serves and helps shape a better world.”

Setting the Stage for Meaningful Exchange

From the outset, the programme encouraged questions, debate and the exchange of real solutions for modern classrooms. Barbara Amono-Oceng, British Deputy Consul-General in Shanghai, emphasised the value of international educational partnerships in her opening remarks: “International education works best when it is based on trust and shared purpose. The Festival of Education, particularly here in China, shows how long‑term partnerships—between educators, leaders and institutions—can create space for honest discussion and mutual learning.”

Insights for Today and Tomorrow

Author and columnist Chloe Combi delivered the first keynote of the day, titled Gen Z, Gen A and the Road to 2030 in China: What Every Educator Needs to Know. Among her most urgent warnings was the threat artificial intelligence poses to youth employment pathways. “AI is stripping away entry-level jobs—those are the jobs done by young people,” Combi stated. “If you keep taking away the bottom, sooner or later you lose the top. You cannot demand the future of leadership if you don’t teach young people how to become future leaders and managers.” Yet Combi concluded on an optimistic note, emphasising the importance of qualities such as critical thinking, service, leadership, and being well-read—skills that every young person has the power to develop.

Another keynote came from psychotherapist and Sunday Times bestselling author Owen O’Kane, who addressed the topic of Navigating a Healthy Mind. Mr O’Kane spoke frankly about the growing pressures facing students and teachers, offering practical advice on building resilience and prioritising wellbeing. “We walk around with a high volume of thought,” he explained, “and about 70% of those thoughts can be critical, judgmental or anxiously driven. We very often over-identify with them… But the reality is most things that we think are not facts—they are just thoughts that can come and go.” He urged educators to model healthy self-talk and emotional regulation, arguing that teaching students to value themselves may be one of the most powerful interventions schools can offer.

Lessons from School Leaders: Connection in Action

This year’s highly anticipated panel discussion, Empowering the Future: Fostering Connection in a Polarised World, brought together a distinguished group of school leaders: Maxine Lu (General Principal, Xiehe Education), Cynthia Xin (Head of School, Tsinghua International School Daoxiang Lake), and Stella Zhou (Master, Hiba Academy Shanghai). Together, they shared insights on educational leadership and pedagogical practice, examining how schools might bridge cultural divides in periods of change, transcend subject boundaries to foster interdisciplinary learning, and strengthen home-school trust—equipping every pupil with meaningful connections and robust support to realise their potential and contribute to societal progress.

Stories and Sessions That Defined the Day

Educators from across China and around the world gathered to exchange ideas, share experiences and look ahead to the future of education. The Festival welcomed participants from K12 schools and universities, creating space for meaningful discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing modern classrooms.

Throughout the day, sessions explored a range of timely topics shaping the educational landscape—among them, China’s ongoing transitions in education, the integration of AI and emerging technologies into teaching and learning and the growing focus on wellbeing, coaching and school leadership. Attendees also engaged with the latest thinking in the science of teaching, as experts shared current research and practical approaches.

Adding to the celebratory spirit, the programme included spectacular performances by our pupils as well as interactive robot demonstrations. These moments showcased not just innovation but the shared energy and commitment of the entire educational community.

A Partnership for Progress

This year’s Festival marked an important milestone for international education in China, highlighted by the signing of a partnership agreement between Wellington College Education (China) and Lujiazui Group. Through the innovative integration of ‘education × city × industry,’ our organisations are teaming up to promote the development of a high-quality international community in Qiantan. This partnership embodies a shared belief in the power of education to drive community growth. Together, we are committed to expanding educational opportunities, driving innovation and supporting growth throughout Pudong—and Shanghai as a whole—while advancing international education nationwide.

Continuing a Global Conversation

Now part of Wellington College Education’s expanding global network, the Festival continues to welcome new voices and perspectives each year. With established editions in the UK, US and Thailand, the event has become a meeting point for educators eager to make connections that cross borders and cultures. In 2026, this spirit of collaboration will expand even further. For the first time, the Festival of Education will also take place in Spain and the Netherlands, bringing together new communities dedicated to reimagining what education can be.

With the 9th China Festival of Education successfully behind us, one message stands out: real progress in education depends on open minds, collaboration and the courage to try something new.

 

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SOURCE Wellington College Education (China)

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Tampax spotlights all-star athlete lineup led by Olivia Miles, bringing “Queen’s Court” fan experience to women’s basketball’s biggest moments

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CINCINNATI, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rising star Olivia Miles is leading Tampax’s growing roster of elite athletes, as the brand spotlights its commitment to supporting women in sport through confidence, performance and trusted protection.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/tampax/9386052-en-tampax-and-all-star-lineup-brings-queens-court-fan-experience-to-wnba

All-star lineup empowering, educating women in sports

In partnership with WNBA draftee Olivia Miles and Olympic medalist Maia Shibutani, Tampax is continuing its commitment to support women in sport — bridging winter and summer athletes through a shared focus on performance and preparation.

“As an athlete, every detail matters when it comes to performance, and that includes how I manage my period,” said Miles. “Partnering with Tampax feels incredibly empowering because they truly understand the need for reliable protection that allows us to compete at the highest level without a second thought. But it’s more than just reliable protection; it’s about trusting the products you use on and off the court.”

“As an Olympic athlete, I know firsthand that periods don’t take a break for training or competition. The need for reliable, comfortable, and safe period care is universal across all sports – whether you’re on the ice, court, or anywhere else,” shared Shibutani. “Seeing organizations like Tampax step up to champion female athletes, and to provide products that instill confidence and trust, is vital for breaking down stigmas and empowering the next generation.”

As part of its associate partnership with the 2026 WNBA Draft presented by State Street Investment Management SPY, Tampax introduced “Queen’s Court,” an interactive, fan-facing experience designed to connect fans to the energy and culture of the game—bringing them closer to the athletes and moments shaping women’s basketball.

Tampax provided athletes and fans alike the opportunity to explore its unique space prior to the draft, which included access to #1 US OB/GYN recommended tampons *based on a 2026 survey designed for comfort and performance.

“Our partnership with the WNBA, and specifically our presence at the WNBA Draft with the Queen’s Court, is a natural and powerful alignment for Tampax,” said Chelsey Harshman, Senior Brand Director at Tampax.

“We understand the unique challenges women athletes face, and our mission is to ensure that period care is never a point of concern or limitation. By being the Official Period Protection Partner of the WNBA and the Toronto Tempo, we’re not just providing products; we’re providing confidence, comfort, and the assurance of trusted protection built on safe ingredients.”

Why is Tampax partnering with women’s professional sports?
Because performance doesn’t pause for a period.

Tampax is helping normalize conversations around periods and empowering women to be at their best while ensuring athletes have access to protection they can trust.

Through its women sports partnerships, Tampax is:

Providing reliable and safe period protection designed for athlete comfort and performanceHelping break stigma around periods in sportsReinforcing the importance of knowing and trusting the products athletes use

The goal is simple: give athletes one less thing to think about, so they can focus on their game.

About Olivia Miles
Olivia Miles is a rising star and one of the faces of the next generation of the WNBA. A native of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, she starred at Notre Dame before finishing her collegiate career at TCU. During her collegiate career, Miles earned All-American honors and multiple All-Conference selections, while consistently ranking among the national leaders in assists. She was selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, cementing her status as a rising star at the professional level.

About Maia Shibutani
Maia Shibutani is a two-time Olympic medalist, author, producer, and speaker. Alongside her brother and ice dance partner Alex Shibutani, she made history as part of the first ice dance team of Asian descent, and the first team of color, to medal at the Olympic Winter Games. The duo are three-time World medalists, five-time U.S. National Champions, and were inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2023.

Off the ice, Maia is a co-author of the “Kudo Kids” series and the children’s books Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All (2023) and Incredible: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Changed the World (2025), and is developing film and television projects. She is an advocate for education, diversity, and representation, serving in ambassador roles with organizations including the U.S. Department of State and Right To Play. Her honors include the Asia Society Game Changer Award, induction into the Asian Hall of Fame, and recognition as a Gold House A100 honoree.

About Tampax
Procter & Gamble‘s leading tampon brand, Tampax, exists to help women and girls better manage their periods through superior internal period protection and medically accurate period education. With more than 80 years of period protection expertise, Tampax meets a variety of needs with a product lineup that includes Tampax Pearl, Tampax Radiant, Tampax Pure Cotton, and Tampax Pocket Radiant. Only Tampax tampons offer a LeakGuard™ Braid and five absorbency sizes to help provide leak-free periods.

About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at https://www.pg.com/news.

Contact

Amanda Brown
Senior Communications Manager, North America Feminine Care
brown.a.8@pg.com

 

 

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SOURCE Tampax

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Oracle Health Demonstrates Interoperability Leadership, Achieves CMS Aligned Network Status

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Delivers solution to eliminate check-in paperwork by leveraging CLEAR1 in support of CMS’ “Kill the Clipboard” initiative

AUSTIN, Texas, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Advancing its mission to provide patients with access to their healthcare data when and where they need it, Oracle Health is now a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Aligned Network. Oracle Health has also developed and delivered an easy-to-implement solution that allows patients to digitally verify their identity and provide access to their health records at check-in. This eliminates redundant information gathering and reflects Oracle Health’s commitment to reducing the administrative burden across the healthcare ecosystem and increasing interoperability.

“Oracle Health is committed to making sure patients have access to and remain in control of their health data. Our participation in the CMS Aligned Networks will help health systems and patients connect data across settings, reduce fragmentation, and improve how clinicians and patients access the information they need,” said Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences. “Oracle will continue working with government and industry leaders to deliver a secure, interoperable, and AI-enabled healthcare system that improves experiences for patients and clinicians while driving down the cost of care delivery.”

Streamlining the patient intake process

CMS’ “Kill the Clipboard” initiative encourages providers to replace paperwork intake processes with a seamless digital check in. Oracle will be integrating CLEAR1, CLEAR’s secure identity platform, to enable patients with a simple way to check in and give providers access to the health data they have opted to share by simply showing a QR code. The data will then flow directly into EHR workflows. CLEAR1 is Full Service certified by the Kantara Initiative for NIST Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) and Authenticator Assurance Level 2 (AAL2), high-assurance standards that are foundational to trusted healthcare data exchange.

“Healthcare has long relied on fragmented, manual intake processes that create friction for patients and administrative burden for providers,” said David Bardan, SVP, Head of Healthcare, CLEAR. “By integrating CLEAR1 with Oracle Health, we’re working to help eliminate the clipboard entirely—enabling a simple, secure digital check-in that verifies the person and seamlessly connects their information into clinical workflows. This will be a meaningful step toward a more interoperable, patient-centered healthcare experience where trust, privacy, and ease of use are built into every interaction.”

New Jersey-based health system AtlantiCare is already using the solution to drive a better, more connected care experience for patients and providers.

“As one of the first healthcare systems in the nation to pledge support for the CMS Interoperability Framework, AtlantiCare is excited to partner with Oracle Health to deliver on that vision,” said Jordan Ruch, CIO of AtlantiCare. “We’ve completed full integration of this technology into our ambulatory check-in workflows, positioning us to deliver a faster, paper-free experience for patients, providers, and staff. This eliminates waiting room forms and repetitive medical history collection, with verified patient information flowing securely and seamlessly into our system as we prepare for broader rollout.”

Simplifying patient and provider access to health information

In addition to unveiling its offering to eliminate paperwork at check in, Oracle Health has taken another step toward helping accelerate secure, patient-centered healthcare data sharing by becoming a CMS Aligned Network. This most recent achievement builds on years of work enabling standards-based data exchange across care settings.

By becoming a CMS Aligned Network, Oracle Health has demonstrated its technology supports CMS-aligned approaches to simplify and accelerate healthcare data sharing for patients and providers. Oracle Health’s open and interoperable platform communicates with other CMS Aligned Networks as well as Qualified Health Information Networks® (QHINs) to create a single front door for patients to access and share their health information with providers.

Oracle Health is committed to enabling patient access to health data that is as simple as accessing bank records and is available conveniently when and where they need it. Last year, Oracle Health Information Network Inc., a subsidiary of Oracle, became a designated QHIN as a part of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA™).

About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com.

Trademarks
Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company—ushering in the new era of cloud computing.

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SOURCE Oracle

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OrthAlign Accelerates Global Growth Strategy with Announcement of CE Mark in Europe

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IRVINE, Calif., April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OrthAlign, Inc., the leader in handheld orthopedic enabling technology, today announced it has received CE Mark under the EU MDR for its portfolio of navigation solutions, enabling commercialization across European markets. Both the Lantern® and OrthAlign Plus® platforms are now CE marked and available for sale.

This milestone expands access to OrthAlign’s proven technology across a region increasingly focused on efficiency, flexibility, and cost control in joint replacement.

OrthAlign’s handheld systems are well aligned with the needs of European healthcare systems. Delivered in a single-use format with per-case pricing, the technology eliminates the need for capital equipment, service contracts, and complex infrastructure. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers can more easily manage costs while maintaining access to advanced surgical technology.

“Our technology was designed to be accessible and easy to implement,” said Eric Timko, CEO of OrthAlign. “With no pre-operative imaging requirements, minimal training, and rapid product availability, we enable surgeons to adopt technology without disrupting existing workflows.”

OrthAlign’s open-platform supports compatibility with all major implant systems, giving surgeons flexibility across techniques and preferences while helping facilities standardize solutions across sites of care. It delivers consistent outcomes across total knee, revision knee, partial knee and total hip procedures.

With more than 450,000 procedures performed globally, OrthAlign has established a strong track record of delivering accurate, real-time data while maintaining procedural efficiency. The systems are designed to integrate seamlessly into the operating room, offering time-neutral performance compared to manual techniques without the added complexity of traditional navigation or robotics.

“The European market is increasingly prioritizing solutions that balance clinical performance with operational and economic efficiency,” added Timko. “We believe OrthAlign is uniquely positioned to meet that need.”

OrthAlign will begin immediate commercial rollout in key European markets, supported by distribution partners and clinical education programs. For distribution inquiries please contact info@orthalign.com

About OrthAlign

OrthAlign, Inc. is a global medical device company focused on delivering simple, accurate, and cost-effective handheld technology for joint replacement surgery. Its product portfolio, including OrthAlign Plus and Lantern, empowers surgeons with real-time data to improve alignment and procedural efficiency, without the need for capital equipment.

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SOURCE OrthAlign

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