Latest news with #Duan
Hypebeast
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
PARCO Taps Shanghai-Based Emerging Director Aj Duan for Autumn 2025 Campaign
For over 50 years,PARCOhas been a leading force in Japanese style and culture, not only as a major commercial institution, but the brand is also renowned for its richly imaginative and insightful campaigns. Continuing to welcome audiences into its world, PARCO now unveils the latest campaign for the Autumn 2025 season. She has an extensive portfolio that includes campaign visuals for distinguished fashion houses, including Hermès and Gucci. However, this collaboration with PARCO marks her first creative project for a Japanese company. The theme of the striking new campaign is 'echoes of self.' Expanding upon that theme, Duan explains her thoughts on the concept, 'The word 'echoes' has always resonated with me. It's a sound in a very uncertain state; you can never tell when the original sound began, because it's constantly reflecting, distorting and transforming. The phrase 'echoes of self' emerged as I was creating this campaign.' She continues, 'I believe that each of our 'selves' is composed of a multitude of voices, a variety of 'echoes.' Voices from the outside, the perspectives of others, and our own experiences all continuously influence and shape our self-perception, much like echoes. In an age that moves at a breathtaking pace and that is overflowing with information, I wanted to use the imagery of 'echoes' to express our search and contemplation for that ambiguous, yet certain, existence we call the 'self.'' The theme signifies not only a physical reverberation of sound, but a deep, internal resonance. This worldview was brought to life through the majestic backdrop of Izu Oshima island. The campaign depicts two individuals living in a modern society dominated by information overload and speed, as they confront the selves they're beginning to lose. Through their connection with nature, they rediscover their bond with the natural world and with themselves. The campaign also features sounds that we might not ordinarily notice, inviting the audience to experience a sharpening of the senses through the visuals and their auditory elements. The PARCO Autumn 2025 campaign, directed by Aj Duan, will launch Tuesday, July 22nd. Looking ahead, the Winter 2025 campaign is scheduled for release in mid-October. Check out thePARCO websitefor what's next.
Hans India
07-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
New gene therapy shows potential for restoring hearing
New Delhi: Ina significant scientific breakthrough, an international team of researchers has developed a novel gene therapy that can improve hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness or severe hearing impairment. In the study, Swedish and Chinese used gene therapy and improved hearing in 10 patients, and the treatment was well-tolerated. 'This is a huge step forward in the genetic treatment of deafness, one that can be life-changing for children and adults,' said Maoli Duan, consultant and docent at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, comprised 10 patients between the ages of 1 and 24 at five hospitals in China, all of whom had a genetic form of deafness or severe hearing impairment caused by mutations in a gene called OTOF. These mutations cause a deficiency of the protein otoferlin, which plays a critical part in transmitting auditory signals from the ear to the brain. The gene therapy involved using a synthetic adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a functional version of the OTOF gene to the inner ear via a single injection through a membrane at the base of the cochlea called the round window. The gene therapy worked rapidly and helped the majority of the patients to recover some hearing in just a month. A six-month follow-up showed considerable hearing improvement in all participants, with the average volume of perceptible sound improving from 106 decibels to 52. The younger patients, especially those between the ages of five and eight, responded best to the treatment. One of the participants, a seven-year-old girl, quickly recovered almost all her hearing and was able to hold daily conversations with her mother four months afterward. However, the therapy also proved effective in adults. 'Smaller studies in China have previously shown positive results in children, but this is the first time that the method has been tested in teenagers and adults, too,' Duan said. 'Hearing was greatly improved in many of the participants, which can have a profound effect on their life quality. We will now be following these patients to see how lasting the effect is,' the expert said. Importantly, the results also show that the treatment was safe and well-tolerated.
International Business Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- International Business Times
The Rise of AI in Asia: The Pivotal Works of Yuyan Duan
In the global pursuit of artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley has traditionally led the way. However, Asia is rapidly becoming a crucial hub for AI deployment, education, and startup development. A new generation of founders in Singapore and Southeast Asia is emerging, characterized by strong technical skills, market understanding, and entrepreneurial drive. Yuyan Duan, an enterprise AI strategist based in the U.S., is playing a pivotal role in this evolution. Rather than creating another chatbot or pitching another AI fund, she's focused on providing essential resources to these founders. Her work centers on developing practical tools, frameworks, and systems that adapt Silicon Valley's AI advancements for a global audience. Her book, "AIGC: From 0 to 1," published in early 2024, is the first Regional Asian-language book on generative AI written after the release of GPT-4. It serves as a hands-on guide for technical founders, product managers, and startup educators navigating the complexities of AI agents, orchestration tools, and enterprise readiness. Duan identified a significant gap in accessible resources for local-language speaking founders: "There was no single source that taught applied AI to founders in the region, " she explains. "I wrote this book because I knew how many brilliant people were building, but lacked access to the frameworks we take for granted in the Valley." The book has quickly gained traction within Asian tech communities. It has been adopted by bootcamps in the region, cited in academic publications, and featured on platforms like Tencent News and NetEase News. Its insights have also been shared in technical workshops, founder roundtables, and investor briefings in Singapore and Taiwan. The impact of Duan's work extends beyond her book. A founder reported using her agent evaluation framework to refine a product demo, which significantly improved investor communication. A startup mentor in Singapore noted that the book provided a clear roadmap for a previously scattered team, enabling them to progress from prototype to pitch-ready. "The startup world in Asia is moving fast," Yuyan notes. "But many founders are still stuck in translation, not of language, but of systems. They understand the tech, but not how to shape it into something scalable, governable, and investable." Duan's unique position, as an insider to Silicon Valley's AI product development with a focus on a bilingual, global audience, sets her work apart. Duan's community initiative, AI+, has also played a significant role in fostering the growth of AI startups. The platform has organized over 150 events, including tailored Go-To-Market (GTM) workshops designed to tackle the most urgent commercialization roadblocks. These workshops, presided over by Duan, unite entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders, and have become a vital resource for emerging AI ventures. "It's incredibly rewarding to see founders exchanging lessons learned in real time," Duan commented. "We want to create an environment where they can troubleshoot their toughest GTM challenges with people who've actually been through it." Numerous startups connected through AI+ have secured funding from prominent venture firms and incubators, including a16z, Plug n Play Tech Center, Fusion Fund, Draper University, TSVC, DCM Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund and more. These successes underscore the importance of the practical frameworks, go-to-market strategies, and real-world validation emphasized by Duan and AI+. Duan emphasizes that AI is not solely a technical field, but also a social one. She believes in building systems that foster trust, collaboration, and regional adaptation. This is particularly relevant in Asia, where governments are rapidly establishing AI frameworks, but where consistent implementation at the ground level is often lacking. For example, Singapore prioritizes AI ethics and governance. Duan's work helps to bridge these policy goals with practical startup execution. Duan's multifaceted efforts, ranging from judging AI compliance at the Stanford Law School Hackathon to mentoring early-stage teams at Jessup University's Startup Co-op and creating a globally relevant, bilingual AI playbook, provide structure in an environment often characterized by hype. "The next wave of innovation will come from founders who newly set foot in and outside the Valley", "But they'll need infrastructure, trusted systems, usable blueprints, and frameworks that work in their local context." Duan's future plans include expanding AI+ programming across Asia-Pacific, developing educational resources for cross-border teams, and potentially releasing an English-language version of "AIGC: From 0 to 1" for global distribution. She aims to establish a common language for AI development, not only linguistically, but also through scalable systems, potentially shaping the future of the global AI landscape.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Company livestreams employees working from office during weekend, draws backlash
A Chinese company has invited criticism online after live-streaming footage of its staff working over the weekend, but employees say they're comfortable with the practice. According to South China Morning Post, the snack wholesaler Miaohuo Net, based in China's Zhengzhou, has been regularly broadcasting its office via an account on a popular short-form video platform. In one such live stream, around 15 employees were shown working through the weekend. According to the company's owner, surnamed Xing, the streams are meant to show that the company has a genuine in-house team, not one that outsources tasks. 'Some companies claim to have a team but actually outsource their work; we want to assure people that we are a legitimate company with a dedicated team,' Xing told Hongxing News on April 16. The company, which shifted from a traditional wholesaler to a live-streaming-led internet business last year, says the idea behind livestreaming its office is to build customer trust by showcasing a 'true and transparent' workplace. Miaohuo Net has 50 employees, though official records from 2023 indicate that only 13 have been enrolled in company-provided insurance, often seen as a rough indicator of the actual workforce. Xing said that his company offers all employees a two-day weekend. However, some employees choose to work over the weekend to earn overtime pay. Although the company officially offers two-day weekends, some employees voluntarily choose to work overtime to meet deadlines and are compensated accordingly, he said. Xing added that employees have not complained about being on camera during office hours. One employee, surnamed Duan, confirmed that he had no issue with the livestream, even though viewers have criticised it as an invasion of privacy. 'Many people live-stream at scenic spots when I visit those places too,' he said, adding that company benefits include overtime pay and annual trips for employees. Still, the approach has sparked concerns on social media over employee rights and privacy. Critics questioned whether staff can truly object to being filmed in a workplace where power dynamics may discourage dissent.
Mint
30-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Company faces backlash after live-streaming employees working over the weekend, ‘We are corporate slaves'
A snack company in China called Miaohuo Net has faced strong criticism after live-streaming its employees working in the office on the weekend. The company, based in Zhengzhou, Henan province, said the idea was to build customer trust by showing their real working process. They used a popular video app to stream about 15 staff members working. According to the company's owner, Mr Xing, this has been done before. It shows they are 'honest and transparent' in their work. 'Some companies claim to have a team but actually outsource their work; we want to assure people that we are a legitimate company with a dedicated team,' the South China Morning Post quoted Xing as saying. Miaohuo Net has 50 employees, but 2023 data shows insurance was provided for only 13. The company gives two-day weekends, but some workers choose to work extra on weekends to finish tasks. They are paid for the overtime. Owner Xing said the cameras were clearly visible during the live-streams, and no staff complained. An employee named Duan said he was fine being filmed and compared it to people live-streaming at tourist spots. According to the employee, the company offers good benefits like overtime pay and yearly trips. Such things keep him happy. The decision to live-stream, however, did not go well with social media users. One of them commented, 'How can any employee voice dissatisfaction in this environment? It would imply that they are not committed to working hard enough.' One of them wrote, 'We are corporate slaves, expected to follow our bosses' orders without the ability to say no.' China's Civil Code bans using someone's image without consent. Labour laws say overtime should not cross three hours a day or 36 hours a week. As per the law, they should get at least one day off. Lawyer Zhao told the SCMP that employees had given consent for livestreaming. Therefore, it was legal. First Published: 30 Apr 2025, 04:48 PM IST
