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Paul Steinhardt

Paul Joseph Steinhardt (born December 25, 1952) is an American theoretical physicist whose principal research is in cosmology and condensed matter physics. He is currently the Albert Einstein Professor in Science at Princeton University, where he is on the faculty of both the Departments of Physics and of Astrophysical Sciences.

Steinhardt is best known for his development of new theories of the origin, evolution and future of the universe. He is also well known for his exploration of a new form of matter, known as quasicrystals, which were thought to exist only as man-made materials until he co-discovered the first known natural quasicrystal in a museum sample. He subsequently led a separate team that followed up that discovery with several more examples of natural quasicrystals recovered from the wilds of the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. Several years later, he and collaborators reported the accidental synthesis of a previously unknown type of quasicrystal in the remnants of the first atomic bomb test on July 16, 1945, at Alamagordo, New Mexico.

He has written two popular books on these topics. Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang (2007), co-authored with Neil Turok, describes the early struggles in challenging the widely accepted big bang theory and the subsequent development of the bouncing or cyclic theories of the universe, which are currently being explored and tested. The Second Kind of Impossible: The Extraordinary Quest for a New Form of Matter (2019) recounts the story of quasicrystals from his invention of the concept with his then-student Dov Levine, to his expedition to far eastern Russia to recover meteorite fragments containing natural quasicrystal grains formed billions of years ago.

Education and career
Born in 1952 to Helen and Charles Steinhardt, Paul Steinhardt is the second oldest of four children. He grew up in Miami, Florida, where he attended Coral Gables Senior High School while attending classes at a local university. Steinhardt received his Bachelor of Science in Physics at Caltech in 1974, and his Ph.D. in Physics at Harvard University in 1978 where his advisor was Sidney Coleman. He was a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows from 1978 to 1981; rose from junior faculty to Mary Amanda Wood Professor at the University of Pennsylvania between 1981 and 1998, during which he maintained a long-term association with the Thomas J. Watson Research Center; and has been on the faculty at Princeton University since the Fall of 1998. He co-founded the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science and served as its Director from 2007 to 2019.

Inflationary cosmology
Beginning in the early 1980s, Steinhardt co-authored seminal papers that helped to lay the foundations of inflationary cosmology.

Slow-roll inflation and Generation of the seeds for galaxies: In 1982, Steinhardt and Andreas Albrecht (and, independently, Andrei Linde) constructed the first inflationary models that could speed up the expansion of the universe enough to explain the observed smoothness and flatness of the universe and then "gracefully exit" to the more modest expansion observed today. The Albrecht-Steinhardt paper was the first to note the effect of Hubble friction in sustaining inflation for a sufficiently long period (the "slow-roll" effect), setting the prototype for most subsequent inflationary models.

Hubble friction played a critical role in the 1983 paper by James Bardeen, Steinhardt and Michael S. Turner who were the first to introduce a reliable, relativistically gauge invariant method to compute how quantum fluctuations during inflation might naturally generate a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of density fluctuations with a small tilt, properties later shown by observations of the cosmic microwave background to be features of our universe. The density fluctuations are seeds about which galaxies eventually form. Contemporaneous calculations by several other groups obtained similar conclusions using less rigorous methods.

Eternal inflation and the multiverse: In 1982, Steinhardt presented the first example of eternal inflation. Neverending inflation was eventually shown to be a generic feature of inflationary models that leads to a multiverse, the break-up of space into an infinite multitude of patches spanning an infinite range of outcomes instead of the single smooth and flat universe, as originally hoped when first proposed.

Although some cosmologists would later come to embrace the multiverse, Steinhardt consistently expressed his concern that it utterly destroys the predictive power of the theory he helped create. Because the inflationary theory leads to a multiverse that allows for every possible outcome, Steinhardt argued, we must conclude that the inflationary theory actually predicts nothing.

Imprint of gravitational waves on the cosmic microwave background: In 1993, Robert Crittenden, Rick Davis, J.R. Bond, G. Efstathiou and Steinhardt performed the first calculations of the complete imprint of gravitational waves on the B-mode temperature maps and on the polarization of the microwave background radiation in 1993.

Despite his criticisms of the idea, Steinhardt's major contributions to the inflationary theory were recognized in 2002 when he shared the Dirac Prize with Alan Guth of M.I.T. and Andrei Linde of Stanford.

The unlikeliness problem: In 2013, Anna Ijjas, Abraham Loeb and Steinhardt added to the criticisms in a widely discussed pair of papers that the inflationary model was much less likely to explain our universe than previously thought.

According to their analysis of the Planck satellite 2013 results, the chances of obtaining a universe matching the observations after a period of inflation is less than one in a googolplex. Steinhardt and his team dubbed the result the "unlikeliness problem." The two papers also showed that Planck satellite data ruled out what had been historically accepted as the simplest inflationary models and that the remaining inflationary models require more parameters, more fine-tuning of those parameters, and more unlikely initial conditions.

In 2015, the unlikeness problem was reaffirmed and strengthened by a subsequent round of measurements reported by the Planck satellite team.

Incompatibility with the string-swampland conjectures: In 2018, Steinhardt, in collaboration with Prateek Agrawal, George Obieds, and Cumrun Vafa, argued that inflation may also be incompatible with string theory because inflationary models generally violate constraints (sometimes called the "swampland conjectures") on what is required for a model to be consistent with quantum gravity.

Bouncing and cyclic cosmology
Motivated by what he viewed as the failures of inflationary theory, including but not limited to the multiverse, Steinhardt became a leading developer of a new class of cosmological models that replace the so-called big bang with a bounce and replace inflation with a period of slow contraction preceding the bounce. The hypothetical idea that the universe began with a bang is based on extrapolating back in time, assuming that Einstein's equations of general relativity remain valid at energies and temperatures far greater than have ever been tested.

Theorists generally agree that, if there was a big bang, then, in the instants following, quantum physics effects should have created large fluctuations in spacetime. These fluctuations would have caused space-time to curve and warp and the distribution of energy to become very uneven, all of which is inconsistent with what experimentalists observe when they study the early universe. The universe is, in fact, observed to be homogeneous. Inflation was originally invented to expain the smoothness that is observed in the universe. But it is unclear how to transition from the highy uneven conditions created after a big bang to an inflationary universe and, even if a solution could be found, the inflationary theory ultimately results in a multiverse rather than a smooth universe.

The new approach removes the bang altogether, envisioning instead a smooth transition from a previous period of slow contraction to the current period of expansion. If the contraction is slow, it smooths the entire universe, and, unlike inflation there is no multiverse. By evading the infamous cosmic singularity problem associated with a big bang, a bounce avoids quantum gravity effects that produce an unsmooth universe. A natural extension of these ideas is a never-beginning and never-ending cyclic universe in which epochs of bounce, expansion, and contraction repeat at regular intervals.

In a pivotal lecture in 2021, Steinhardt explained why it is time to jettison the big bang theory and replace the bang with a ‘bounce’ — a smooth transition from contraction to a dense, hot universe that continues to expand and cool.

Historical Development

Early models with a big crunch: In 2001, Steinhardt presented the first examples of these bouncing and cyclic models, referred to as "ekpyrotic," in papers with Justin Khoury, Burt A. Ovrut and Neil Turok.

These models were based on the speculative notion suggested by string theory that the universe has extra-dimensions bounded by "branes" (where "brane" is derived from "membrane," a basic object in string theory). The fiery collision and rebound of these branes is comarable to a big crunch, a violent event that would depend sensitively on strong quantum gravity effects that are not yet established and may create tremendous curvature and warping of spacetime.

In principle, the collisions can repeat at regular intervals resulting in a cyclic universe. In 2002, Steinhardt and Turok incorporated the ekpyrotic idea into an early version of a cyclic theory of the universe.

Improved models with slow contraction and a gentle bounce: Recent versions of bouncing cosmology developed by Anna Ijjas and Steinhardt introduce elements that simplify and address problems with the earlier ekpyrotic proposal. They do not require extra dimensions or branes or string theory; ordinary fields with potential energy evolving in space-time, similar to inflationary models, can be used.

Instead of a violent ekpyrosis (the collision of two branes), the smoothing and flattening of spacetime occurs through ``slow contraction,” a period in which space contracts very little while the Hubble radius contracts a lot. By the time the bounce is reached, the universe is ``supersmoothed.”

The bounce is a gentle transition that can be fully computed and maintains smoothness because it is a continuoous process that occurs long before quantum gravity effects become strong. There is no cosmic singularity problem, unlike theories based on the big bang.

Universal smoothing and ultralocality: To test these ideas, Anna Ijjas adapted the tools of numerical general relativity, originally invented to simulate the merger of black holes and the emission of gravitational waves, to cosmology. Together with Steinhardt and collaborators, the new tools were used to study the effectiveness of slow contraction.

The study demonstrates that slow contraction is a supersmoothing cosmological phase that homogenizes, isotropizes and flattens the universe both classically and quantum mechanically and can do so far more robustly and rapidly than had been realized in earlier studies. Beginning from wildly unsmooth and curvy starting condition, the studies verified that slow contraction smooths virtually all of spacetime due to an effect of general relativity known as ultralocality. The ultralocal effect is specific to a contracting universe, and there is no equivalent in an expanding universe, including the case of inflation. The consequent smoothing power is an unparalleled advantage of slow contraction.

Cyclic version of bouncing cosmology: In the cyclic version of these models, space never crunches; rather, it necessarily grows by a constant factor overall from bounce to bounce every 100 billion years or so. After each bounce, gravitational energy is converted into the matter and radiation that fuels the next cycle. To an observer, the evolution appears to be cyclic because the temperature, density, number of stars and galaxies, etc., are on average the same from one cyclic to the next and the observer cannot see far enough to know that there is the observer cannot see far enough to know that there is an ever-increasing amount of space, matter energy outside the horizon. The fact that the universe expands overall from cycle to cycle means that the entropy produced in earlier cycles (by the formation of stars and other entropy-producing processes) is increasingly diluted as the cycles proceed and so does not have any physical effect on cosmic evolution. This growth from cycle to cycle and associated entropy dilution are features that distinguish these new cyclic models from versions discussed in the 1920s by Friedmann and Tolman, and explain how the new cyclic model avoids the "entropy problem" that beset earlier versions.

Theoretical advantages of the new cyclic model

The new cyclic models have two important advantages over inflationary models. First, because they do not include inflation, they do not produce a multiverse. As a result, unlike inflation, cyclic models produce a single universe that everywhere have the same predicted properties that are subject to empirical tests. Second, cyclic models explain why there must be dark energy. According to these models, the accelerated expansion caused by dark energy starts the smoothing process, the decay of dark energy to other forms of energy starts a period of slow contraction, and the slow contraction is what is responsible for smoothing and flattening the universe.

Theoretical predictions of the new cyclic model

One prediction of the cyclic models is that, unlike inflation, no detectable gravitational waves are generated during the smoothing and flattening process. The Simons Observatory being built in the Atacama Desert in Chile will test this prediction. Instead, the prediction of the cyclic models is that the only source of gravitational waves on cosmic wavelength scales are so-called "secondary gravitational waves" that are produced long after the bounce. Their amplitudes are far too weak to be found in current detectors but are ultimately detectable. A second prediction is that the current acceleration expansion must eventually stop and the vacuum must be eventually decay in order to initiate the next cycle. (Other predictions depend on the specific fields (or branes) that cause the contraction.)

Observational support for the new cyclic model

The cyclic model may naturally explain why the cosmological constant is exponentially small and positive, compared to the enormous value expected by quantum gravity theories. The cosmological constant might begin large, as expected, but then might slowly decay over the course of many cycles to the tiny value observed today.

The discovery of the Higgs field at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may provide added support for the cyclic model. Evidence from the LHC suggests that the current vacuum may decay in the future, according to calculations made by Steinhardt, Turok and Itzhak Bars. The decay of the current vacuum is required by the cyclic model in order to end the current phase of expansion, contract, bounce and begin a new era of expansion; the Higgs provides a possible mechanism of decay that can be tested. The Higgs field is a viable candidate for the field that drives the cycles of expansion and contraction, and this may ultimately be testable.

Dark energy and dark matter
Steinhardt has made significant contributions researching the "dark side" of the universe: dark energy, the cosmological constant problem and dark matter.

First evidence of cosmic acceleration: In 1995, Steinhardt and Jeremiah Ostriker used a concordance of cosmological observations to show there must be a non-zero dark energy component today, more than 65 percent of the total energy density, sufficient to cause the expansion of the universe to accelerate. This was verified three years later by supernova observations in 1998.

Quintessence: Working with colleagues, he subsequently introduced the concept of quintessence, a form of dark energy that varies with time. It was first posited by Steinhardt's team as an alternative to the cosmological constant, which is (by definition) constant and static; quintessence is dynamic. Its energy density and pressure evolve over time. The 2018 paper on swampland conjectures with Agrawal, Obieds and Vafa points to quintessence as being the only option for dark energy in string theory and consistent quantum gravity.

Self-interacting dark matter: In 2000, David Spergel and Steinhardt first introduced the concept of strongly self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) to explain various anomalies in standard cold dark models based on assuming dark matter consists of weakly interacting massive particles (also referred to as "WIMPs").

In 2014, Steinhardt, Spergel and Jason Pollack have proposed that a small fraction of dark matter could have ultra-strong self-interactions, which would cause the particles to coalesce rapidly and collapse into seeds for early supermassive black holes.

Quasicrystals
Development of the theory: In 1983, Steinhardt and his then-student Dov Levine first introduced the theoretical concept of quasicrystals in a patent disclosure. The complete theory was published the following year in a paper entitled "Quasicrystals: A New Class of Ordered Structures." The theory proposed the existence of a new phase of solid matter analogous to Penrose tilings with rotational symmetries previously thought to be impossible for solids. Steinhardt and Levine named the new phase of matter a "quasicrystal." The never-before-seen atomic structure had quasiperiodic atomic ordering, rather than the periodic ordering characteristic of conventional crystals.

The new theory overturned 200 years of scientific dogma and proved that quasicrystals could violate all of the previously accepted mathematical theorems about the symmetry of matter. Symmetries once thought to be forbidden for solids are actually possible for quasicrystals, including solids with axes of five-fold symmetry and three-dimensional icosahedral symmetry.

The first reported example of a synthetic quasicrystal: Working simultaneously to, but independently of, Steinhardt and Levine, Dan Shechtman, Ilan Blech, Denis Gratias and John Cahn at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) were focused on an experimental discovery they could not explain. It was an unusual alloy of manganese and aluminum with a diffraction pattern of what appeared to be sharp (though not perfectly point-like) spots arranged with icosahedral symmetry that did not fit any known crystal structure. The alloy was first noted in 1982, but results were not published until November 1984 after more convincing data had been obtained.

Steinhardt and Levine were shown a preprint of the Shechtman team's paper and immediately recognized that it could be experimental proof of their still-unpublished quasicrystal theory. The theory, along with the proposal that it could explain the mysterious, forbidden structure of the new alloy was published in December 1984.

The new alloy was ultimately discovered to be problematic. It proved to be unstable and the noted imperfections in the diffraction pattern allowed for multiple explanations (including one about crystal twinning proposed by Linus Pauling) that were hotly debated for the next few years. In 1987, An-Pang Tsai and his group at Japan's Tohoku University made an important breakthrough with the synthesis of the first-ever stable icosahedral quasicrystal. It had sharp diffraction spots arranged in close accord with Steinhardt and Levine's quasicrystal theory and was inconsistent with any of the alternative explanations. The theoretical debate was effectively ended and the Steinhardt-Levine theory gained wide acceptance.

The first natural quasicrystal: In 1999, Steinhardt assembled a team at Princeton University to search for a natural quasicrystal. The team, composed of Peter Lu, Ken Deffeyes and Nan Yao, devised a novel mathematical algorithm to search through an international database of powder diffraction patterns.

For the first eight years, the search yielded no results. In 2007, Italian scientist Luca Bindi, then curator of the mineral collection at the Universite’ di Firenze, joined the team. Two years later, Bindi identified a promising specimen in his museum's storage room. The tiny specimen, a few millimeters across, had been packed away in a box labeled "khatyrkite," which is an ordinary crystal composed of copper and aluminum. On January 2, 2009, Steinhardt and Nan Yao, director of the Princeton Imaging Center, examined the material and identified the signature diffraction pattern of an icosahedral quasicrystal. This was the first known natural quasicrystal.

The International Mineralogical Association accepted the quasicrystal as a new mineral and designated its name, icosahedrite. The material had exactly the same atomic composition (Al63Cu24Fe13) as the first thermodynamically stable quasicrystal synthesized by An-Pang Tsai and his group in their laboratory in 1987.

Expedition to Chukotka: Two years after identifying the museum sample, Steinhardt organized an international team of experts and led them on an expedition to its source, the remote Listventovyi stream in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the northern half of the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. The team included Bindi and Valery Kryachko, the Russian ore geologist who had found the original samples of khatyrkite crystal while working at the Listventovyi stream in 1979. Other members of the team were: Chris Andronicos, Vadim Distler, Michael Eddy, Alexander Kostin, Glenn MacPherson, Marina Yudovskaya, and Steinhardt's son, William Steinhardt.

After digging and panning a ton and a half of clay along the banks of the Listvenitovyi stream in the Koryak Mountains, eight different grains containing icosahedrite were identified. During subsequent years of study, Steinhardt's team proved that both the sample found in the Florence museum and the samples recovered from the field in Chukotka originated from a meteorite formed 4.5 billion years ago (before there were planets), and landed on the Earth about 15,000 years ago.

More natural quasicrystals: Further studies revealed other new minerals in the Chukotka samples. In 2014, one of those minerals was discovered to be a crystalline phase of aluminum, nickel and iron (Al38Ni33Fe30). It was accepted by the International Mineralogical Association and named "steinhardtite" in Steinhardt's honor In 2015, a second type of natural quasicrystal was discovered in a different grain of the same meteorite. The second known natural quasicrystal was found to be a different mixture of aluminum, nickel and iron (Al71Ni24Fe5) and had a decagonal symmetry (a regularly stacking of atomic layers which each have 10-fold symmetry). It was accepted by the International Mineralogical Association and given the name "decagonite."

Three more crystalline minerals were also discovered and named after colleagues involved in Steinhardt's quasicrystal research: "hollisterite," for Princeton petrologist Lincoln Hollister; "kryachkoite," for Russian geologist Valery Kryachko; and "stolperite," for Caltech's former provost Ed Stolper.

A previously unknown quasicrystal created by the first atomic bomb test: In 2021, Steinhardt led the team that discovered a novel icosahedral quasicrystal created by the detonation of the first nuclear device at Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945 (the Trinity test). The new quasicrystal was discovered within a sample of red trinitite and is the oldest extant anthropogenic quasicrystal ever discovered. The previously unknown structure, which is made of iron, silicon, copper and calcium, is thought to have been formed by the fusion of vaporized desert sand and copper cables during the atomic test blast. The discovery of a unique quasicrystal in trinitite could transform the field of nuclear forensics, leading to a new diagnostic tool which could help law enforcement prevent future terrorist attacks by using quasicrystals (which unlike radioactive debris and gases do not decay) to identify the signature of an atomic weapon and track down the culprits.

Other contributions to the field: Steinhardt and his collaborators have made significant contributions to understanding the quasicrystals’ unique mathematical and physical properties, including theories of how and why quasicrystals form and their elastic and hydrodynamics properties.

Peter J. Lu and Steinhardt discovered a quasicrystalline Islamic tiling on the Darb-e Imam Shrine (1453 A.D.) in Isfahan, Iran constructed from girih tiles. In 2007, they deciphered the manner in which early artists created increasingly complex periodic girih patterns. Those early designs were shown to have culminated in the development of a nearly perfect quasi-crystalline pattern five centuries before the discovery of Penrose patterns and the Steinhardt-Levine quasicrystal theory.

Photonics and hyperuniformity
Steinhardt's research on quasicrystals and other non-crystalline solids expanded into work on designer materials with novel photonic and phononic properties.

Photonic quasicrystals: A team of researchers including Steinhardt, Paul Chaikin, Weining Man and Mischa Megens designed and tested the first photonic quasicrystal with icosahedral symmetry in 2005. They were the first to demonstrate the existence of photonic band gaps ("PBGs"). These materials block light for a finite range of frequencies (or colors) and let pass light with frequencies outside that band, similar to the way in which a semiconductor blocks electrons for a finite range of energies.

Hyperuniform disordered solids (HUDS): Working with Salvatore Torquato and Marian Florescu, in 2009 Steinhardt discovered a new class of photonic materials called hyperuniform disordered solids (HUDS), and showed that solids consisting of a hyperuniform disordered arrangement of dielectric elements produce band gaps with perfect spherical symmetry. These materials, which act as isotropic semiconductors for light, can be used to control and manipulate light in a wide range of applications including optical communications, photonic computers, energy harvesting, non-linear optics and improved light sources.

Phoamtonics: In 2019, Steinhardt, along with Michael Klatt and Torquato, introduced the idea of "phoamtonics," which refers to photonic materials based on foam-like designs. They showed that large photonic bandgaps could arise in network structures created by converting the foam edges (intersections between foam bubbles) to a dielectric material for the two most famous crystalline foam structures, Kelvin foams and Weiare-Phelan foams.

Etaphase Inc.: The meta-material breakthroughs by Steinhardt and his Princeton colleagues have valuable commercial applications. In 2012, the scientists helped create a start-up company called Etaphase, which will apply their discoveries to a wide range of high performance products. The inventions will be used in integrated circuits, structural materials, photonics, communications, chip-to-chip communications, intra-chip communications, sensors, datacomm, networking, and solar applications.

Amorphous solids
Steinhardt's research in disordered forms of matter has centered on the structure and properties of glasses and amorphous semiconductors, and amorphous metals.

He constructed the first computer generated continuous random network (CRN) model of glass and amorphous silicon in 1973, while still an undergraduate at Caltech. CRNs remain the leading model of amorphous silicon and other semiconductors today. Working with Richard Alben and D. Weaire, he used the computer model to predict structural and electronic properties.

Working with David Nelson and Marco Ronchetti, Steinhardt formulated mathematical expressions, known as "orientational order parameters", for computing the degree of alignment of interatomic bonds in liquids and solids in 1981. Applying them to computer simulations of monatomic supercooled liquids, they showed that the atoms form arrangements with finite-range icosahedral (soccer-ball like) bond orientational order as liquids cool.

Honors and awards

 * In 1986, Steinhardt was elected as a Fellow in the American Physical Society in recognition of his contributions to cosmology and to the theoretical understanding of quasicrystals.
 * In 1994, he was named a Guggenheim Fellow.
 * In 1998, he was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences.
 * In 2002, Steinhardt was honored for his work on the inflationary model of the universe with the P.A.M. Dirac Medal from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics. He shared the award with Alan Guth of MIT and Andrei Linde of Stanford.
 * In 2010, Steinhardt received the Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize of the American Physical Society for his pioneering contributions to the theory of quasicrystals.
 * In 2012, he received the John Scott Award for his work on quasicrystals.
 * In 2012, Steinhardt was named Simons Fellow in Theoretical Physics and Radcliffe Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard.
 * In 2014, he received the Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award.
 * In 2014, the International Mineralogical Association accepted a new mineral from the Khatyrka meteorite into the official catalogue of natural minerals, and named it "steinhardtite" in his honor.
 * In 2018, he shared the Aspen Institute Italia Award with Luca Bindi for scientific research and collaboration between Italy and the United States.
 * In 2020, he received the Niels Bohr Institute Medal of Honour.

title: Paul Steinhardt


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User talk:Pwanyonyi

Karibu
Welcome to my wikipedia page! Nothing much here, lakini bado ndio naanza kazi! You can see my most recent contriutions at Wanyonyi 12:32, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

Good work
Thanks for your contributions, it's good to see you around! I've brought you a sunflower. You might have something to add to Elgon languages — since you seem to know the area quite well, you might also know more about the sociolinguistic situaution — things like the main lingua franca of the area, and whether Pok and Bong'om are teached in school, etc. Incidentally, I've added an merge tag to your article Mt Elgon since we already have Mount Elgon. Your text can be added to the latter, and then the former can be turned into a redirect. Keep up the good work! Cheers, — mark ✎ 21:56, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

Email
If you sent me an email recently, could you let me know in reply here please? Talrias (t | e | c) 22:53, 16 July 2005 (UTC)

Lumasaaba
Thanks, Wanyonyi, for your note on my talk page. Did you add this to the Bukusu language article? It's very relevant info. Haven't came across you for some time, it's nice to see you editing again! — mark ✎ 18:15, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

Muezzin
I'm not sure if you're aware of my answer (not really an answer) to your question on my Talk page. If I remember, I will ask a Semiticist coming Tuesday. — mark ✎ 20:01, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I have asked Harry Stroomer, and according to him the words come from distinct roots: Muezzin from the Arabic root 'DN and Hazzan from the root HZN. So the superficial similarity is merely coincidental. — mark ✎ 12:07, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Image Tagging for Image:Matatu3.jpg
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kiazi
Hello, I'm here to ask the meaning of kiazi in Swahili, since potato and sw:kiazi are linked with interwiki, but the photo in sw:kiazi seems that "kiazi" in Swahili means yam. --Puzzlet Chung 03:48, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

Kiazi is a generic term used generally as a reference to potatoes, though this is not actually correct - it actually means edible root. The term should be used with a qualifier to denote the actual root being referred to: for example, yam is casually called kiazi kikuu - meaning large root, while sweet potatoes - borrowing from English usage - are called viazi vitamu - literally meaning sweet potatoes. In Kenya, kiazi is generally used to refer to the Irish Potato, and in the (very few) communities that grow yams, there are different names for the different varieties of yams - the white yam, for example, is called danga, while another variety is called mtubwi. As such, the use of kiazi to refer to a yam would be correct in much the same way that root crop would be a correct reference, in English, to cassava: technically correct but not informative enough. Wanyonyi 06:05, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

The text in sw:kiazi seems to indicate potato, because it mention Solanaceae, (scientific branch in which potato is classified,) but the picture shows a photograph of yams. Do you think sw:kiazi should be a disambiguation page, or just alter the image? --Puzzlet Chung 14:08, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I would think kiazi should be a disambiguation page that then links to the specific cases. In fact, I will work on that soon! Wanyonyi 15:43, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Invitation to Swahili Wikipedia
If you have not yet started to do so, please consider contributing to Swahili Wikipedia. Wasalaam, Oliver

Could you help me write this article?
Hello,

I was wondering if you would be willing to help me write either Seikichi_Iha or Shorin-ryu_Shido-kan. Tkjazzer 21:48, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

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Image tagging for File:Raila.jpg
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Unreferenced BLPs
Hello Pwanyonyi! Thank you for your contributions. I am a bot alerting you that 1 of the articles that you created  is tagged as an Unreferenced Biography of a Living Person. The biographies of living persons policy requires that all personal or potentially controversial information be sourced. In addition, to insure verifiability, all biographies should be based on reliable sources. if you were to bring this article up to standards, it would greatly help us with the current Category:All_unreferenced_BLPs article backlog. Once the article is adequately referenced, please remove the unreferencedBLP tag. Here is the article:

Thanks!--DASHBot (talk) 23:35, 8 January 2010 (UTC)
 * 1) Burudi Nabwera -

File source and copyright licensing problem with File:Matatu.jpg
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Call for Wikipedians in Residence in Africa
Hello,

I hope you are well and thriving!! WikiAfrica has just put out a call for two Wikipedians in Residence. One in Cape Town at WikiAfrica, at the Africa Centre; and the other for WikiAfrica Cameroon in Douala, at doual’art. If you are interested, please contact either Marilyn [marilyn.doualabell@undefineddoualart.org] for the WikiAfrica Cameroon call or Isla [islahf@undefinedafricacentre.net] for the WikiAfrica position in Cape Town.

If you are not interested in applying, I would be very grateful if you could spread this call far and wide among your networks to ensure that both projects get excellent candidates. Here is the link for the information page: http://www.wikiafrica.net/two-wikipedians-in-residence-for-africa/

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ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 12:56, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

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Speedy deletion nomination of Caroline Mutoko

A tag has been placed on Caroline Mutoko, requesting that it be deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under two or more of the criteria for speedy deletion, by which pages can be deleted at any time, without discussion. If the page meets any of these strictly-defined criteria, then it may soon be deleted by an administrator. The reasons it has been tagged are:
 * It seems to be unambiguous advertising which only promotes a company, product, group, service or person and would need to be fundamentally rewritten in order to become encyclopedic. (See section G11 of the criteria for speedy deletion.) Please read the guidelines on spam and FAQ/Business for more information.
 * It appears to be a clear copyright infringement of https://informationcradle.com/kenya/caroline-mutoko/. (See section G12 of the criteria for speedy deletion.) For legal reasons, we cannot accept copyrighted text or images borrowed from other web sites or printed material, and as a consequence, your addition will most likely be deleted. You may use external websites as a source of information, but not as a source of sentences. This part is crucial: say it in your own words. Wikipedia takes copyright violations very seriously and persistent violators will be blocked from editing. If the external website belongs to you, and you want to allow Wikipedia to use the text — which means allowing other people to modify it — then you must verify that externally by one of the processes explained at Donating copyrighted materials. If you are not the owner of the external website but have permission from that owner, see Requesting copyright permission. However, even if you use one of these processes to release copyrighted material to Wikipedia, it still needs to comply with the other policies and guidelines to be eligible for inclusion. If you would like any assistance with this, you can ask a question at the help desk.

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license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:Pwanyonyi


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Seth (Stargate SG-1)

 This page is an archive of the discussion about the proposed deletion of the article below. This page is no longer live. Further comments should be made on the article's talk page rather than here so that this page is preserved as an historic record. The result of the debate was redirect to Seth (Stargate) Sjakkalle (Check!)  06:56, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Seth (Stargate SG-1)
This page is a duplicate of Seth (Stargate), and (Stargate) is the preferred suffix for articles relating to the fictional universe of Stargate. Tyler 06:31, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Redirect to Seth (Stargate). As you said, duplicate page using a non-standard suffix.  Almafeta 06:35, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Redirect to prevent recreation. -- AllyUnion (talk) 09:09, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Redirect to Seth (Stargate) as per above. -- Lochaber 13:06, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Redirect per above. Mgm|(talk) 19:18, Jun 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * Redirect 23skidoo 20:52, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep because "Seth (Stargate)" refers to the Goa'uld Seth, while "Seth (Stargate SG-1)" refers to the episode ABOUT Seth. There should be a distinction made on both pages. The (Stargate) suffix refers to general Stargate universe info, while the (Stargate SG-1) prefix refers to specific episodes.Splintercellguy 02:28, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * This page is now preserved as an archive of the debate and, like some other VfD subpages, is no longer 'live'. Subsequent comments on the issue, the deletion, or the decision-making process should be placed on the relevant 'live' pages.  Please do not edit this page .


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/List of taxi operators in Greater Toronto Area

 This page is an archive of the discussion about the proposed deletion of the article below. This page is no longer live. Further comments should be made on the article's talk page rather than here so that this page is preserved as an historic record. The result of the debate was delete. Recreation of previously VFD'd content, per JamesTeterenko's comment below. CDC  (talk)  20:42, 17 Jun 2005 (UTC)

List of taxi operators in Greater Toronto Area
Not encyclopedic. Transwiki to Yellowikis. -- RHaworth 06:33, 2005 Jun 3 (UTC)
 * Yellowikis is not a Wiki Foundation project but one of its objectives is to provide a wiki space for articles about commercial organisations that don't fit comfortably in Wikipedia. Please feel free to "dump" such articles into Yellowikis.--Payo 28 June 2005 11:36 (UTC)
 * Transwiki as indicated if possible, (since... is Yellowikis under Wikimedia's control?); else delete as non-notable/non-encyclopedic. That list probably changes a lot. --Idont Havaname 07:15, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Possibly YelloWikis ain't a Wikimedia project but that don't prevent you cutting and pasting it! -- RHaworth 08:10, 2005 Jun 3 (UTC)
 * Delete not encyclopedic, wikipedia is not a directory. JamesBurns 09:38, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep, I don't see anything wrong with this list. How are taxi companies any less encyclopedic a part of the transport system than subway stations? An anon seems to be doing a lot of good work in this area and the external links allow for easy verification. - SimonP 14:37, Jun 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. There's a lot of interesting history behind some cab companies and a list of them is a great first step toward future articles. This list is no less worthy than a list of city parks or schools. --NormanEinstein 15:35, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Oh, the irony. RickK 04:13, Jun 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. Wikipedia is not yellowpages. --MarSch 15:46, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. We've already got articles on some of them and they're equally important as subway stations and airline companies. Mgm|(talk) 19:21, Jun 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, advertising, not encyclopedic.  RickK 04:13, Jun 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. Wikipedia is not yellowpages. carmeld1 00:44, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete --[[Image:Ottawa flag.png|20px]] Spinboy 22:23, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment. Note that there was a similar article deleted in the past.  See Votes for deletion/Taxi and Limo Operators in Toronto.  I believe much of the content was moved to this page on the Toronto Wiki.  -- JamesTeterenko 21:05, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. A list of non-notable entities is not notable. --Deathphoenix 14:44, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC)

 * This page is now preserved as an archive of the debate and, like some other VfD subpages, is no longer 'live'. Subsequent comments on the issue, the deletion, or the decision-making process should be placed on the relevant 'live' pages.  Please do not edit this page .


text:
User:The.orpheus

Its-a me! The Orpheus!

title: User:The.orpheus


text: File:New Radicals YGWYG Single.jpg

title: File:New Radicals YGWYG Single.jpg


text:
User:Mhbourne

M.H.Bourne
Mhbourne (Mark)(Me) I was born and raised in Chestertown, Maryland. and went to St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware and then to Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. I briefly attended the needlessly militaristic Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. I currently live in Ballard, Seattle, Washington. I've also lived in the Lowry Hill East or "Wedge" neigborhood of Minneapolis, the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois,the Mar Vista district of Los Angeles and Olympia, Washington..

I'm interested mostly in geography, especially cultural regions and neighborhoods. Other interests include: Roads, routes, highways and and scenic byways, food and cooking, architecture, the gamelan, and geology.

Basically anything is interesting if you think about it long enough. (profound, i know.)

Articles I Started/Contributed to
Lowry Hill East Gladstone Park, Chicago North Shore Scenic Drive Candy thermometer Chinoise (utensil) Bench scraper Baba au rhum Mulholland Drive

title: User:Mhbourne


text:
Kingsgrove railway station

Kingsgrove railway station is located on the East Hills line, serving the Sydney suburb of Kingsgrove. It is served by Sydney Trains T8 Airport & South line services.

History
Kingsgrove station opened on 21 September 1931 when the East Hills line opened from Tempe to East Hills. It was the original terminus of the double track electrified section from Tempe. Until 1939, passengers transferred at Kinsgrove to a CPH railmotor or steam service to continue their journey towards East Hills. The line was duplicated and electrified beyond Kingsgrove in 1948.

In 2000, as part of the quadruplication of the line from Wolli Creek to just west of Kingsgrove station, through lines were added on either side of the existing pair. A headshunt was provided to the west of the station in association with this project, this is used by terminating services. In 2013, the quadruplication was extended to Revesby as part of the Rail Clearways Program.

The station was upgraded in 2005.

Accident
On 6 October 2000, an eight car Tangara derailed at low speed near Kingsgrove station causing the rear three carriages to topple onto their side. The derailment was caused by a track buckling as a result of high temperatures. Ten people were hospitalised.

Platforms and services
Kingsgrove is typically served by 4 trains per hour in each direction, with increased frequencies during peak hours.

The station is accessible with one lift from the west side of Kingsgrove Road to the single island platform.

Transport links
Transit Systems operates three bus routes via Kingsgrove station, under contract to Transport for NSW:
 * 490: Drummoyne to Hurstville via Five Dock, Burwood and Campsie
 * 492: Drummoyne to Rockdale via Five Dock, Burwood and Campsie
 * 493: Roselands Shopping Centre to Rockdale via Beverly Hills, Bexley North and Bexley

U-Go Mobility operates one bus route via Kingsgrove station, under contract to Transport for NSW:
 * 455: to Rockdale Plaza via Kingsway West, Hurstville and Kogarah

Kingsgrove station is served by one NightRide route:
 * N20: Riverwood station to Town Hall station via Narwee, Rockdale and Airport

title: Kingsgrove railway station


text:
Talk:Flag of Colorado

Untitled
Parameters of the flag that are not defined, according to the article: A reference for this article would be nice! dbenbenn | talk 06:39, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * 1) the color of the yellow,
 * 2) the ratio of width to height
 * 3) the horizontal position of the yellow disc,
 * 4) the exact shape of the red C

According to Flags of the World, the ratio is 2:3 (height:width). dbenbenn | talk 06:59, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Infobox date of adoption does not match the article; changed to match. Krychek (talk) 14:13, 15 May 2013 (UTC)

The March 31, 1964 Senate Bill cited in the article makes no mention of the disk size. Mbucari1 https://dspace.library.colostate.edu/webclient/DeliveryManager/digitool_items/cub01_storage/2014/10/23/file_1/384549 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mbucari1 (talk • contribs) 19:31, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Flag of Colorado


text:
Noppera-bō

The noppera-bō (のっぺらぼう) or 野箆坊, or faceless ghost, is a Japanese yōkai that looks like a human but has no face. They are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mujina, an old Japanese word for a badger or raccoon dog. Although the mujina can assume the form of the other, noppera-bō are usually disguised as humans. Such creatures were thought to sometimes transform themselves into noppera-bō in order to frighten humans. Lafcadio Hearn used the animals' name as the title of his story about faceless monsters, probably resulting in the misused terminology.

Noppera-bō are known primarily for frightening humans, but are usually otherwise harmless. They appear at first as ordinary human beings, sometimes impersonating someone familiar to the victim, before causing their features to disappear, leaving a blank, smooth sheet of skin where their face should be.

In literature and folktales
Often, a noppera-bō would not actually exist, but was the disguise of a mujina, a fox kitsune, or a tanuki. In Showa 4 (1767), in the kaidan collection Shinsetsu Hyakumonogatari, there were stories that told of how in Nijugawara in Kyoto (near the Nijo-ohashi bridge in the Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto), a monster called noppera-bō appeared and those that were attacked by it would have several thick hairs attached to their clothing, indicating that it was the disguise of some kind of animal. However, sometimes their real identity is not known, and in the Kanbun 3 (1663) kaidan collection Sorori Monogatari, it was written that in the Oike-cho of the capital (now Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto), there appeared a noppera-bō with a height of about 7 shaku (about 2.1 meters), but nothing was written about what its true identity was. They are also said to appear in folktales in the Osaka Prefecture and Kotonami, Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture among other places.

The Mujina of the Akasaka Road
The most famous story of a noppera-bō is "Mujina" in Lafcadio Hearn's book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. The story tells of a man who, travelling along the Akasaka road to Edo, comes across a young woman in a remote location near Kunizaka hill, crying and forlorn. After he attempts to console the young woman and offer assistance, she turns to face him, startling him with the blank countenance of a faceless ghost. Frightened, the man proceeds down the road for some time, until he comes across a soba vendor. Stopping to relax, the man tells the vendor of his encounter, only to recoil in horror as the soba vendor strokes his face, becoming a noppera-bō himself. It turns out that all of these noppera-bō are really just mujina in disguise.

title: Noppera-bō


text: Template:IndigenousAmerican-lang-stub

title: Template:IndigenousAmerican-lang-stub


text:
Li & Fung

Li & Fung Limited is a Hong Kong-based supply chain management company. Established in 1906, the company became publicly traded in 1973 and has since played a significant role in manufacturing apparel, toys, and various consumer goods for major North American and European retailers. Significant growth occurred after its public listing, reaching a peak market capitalization in 2011, but the rise of platforms like Alibaba and Amazon, which directly connect manufacturers with consumers, created an increasingly challenging environment for the company.

In response to challenges, including the US-China trade tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Li & Fung announced privatization plans in March 2020 and was subsequently delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The move was aimed at expediting the restructuring and technology investments needed to adapt to the changing market.

The company's history is characterized by its expansion and diversification of its service offerings across various industries. Founded by Fung Pak-liu and Li To-ming, the company initially engaged in exporting porcelain before diversifying into other products and establishing itself as a major exporter from Hong Kong in the 1970s. The company evolved from a traditional broker to a comprehensive supply chain solutions provider, offering services from design to logistics, which solidified its relationships with Western retailers.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Li & Fung pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy, significantly expanding its global presence and service offerings. This period of rapid expansion was followed by a strategic focus on core competencies in sourcing, trading, and logistics in the 2010s, in response to the shifting retail landscape and the challenges posed by e-commerce. The establishment of LFX in 2021 marked Li & Fung's continued adaptation to the digital era.

Throughout its history, Li & Fung has navigated through various criticisms and controversies, including labor issues and challenges related to its growth strategy. Notably, the company has engaged in initiatives to improve factory safety standards and working conditions, particularly in the aftermath of incidents in Bangladesh. Amid its strategic development, the company has also faced allegations of non-payment to suppliers. Despite these challenges, Li & Fung remains a key player in the global supply chain management sector, continuously adapting to the ever-changing landscape of global trade and retail.

1906–1970 Founding & the Early Years
Li & Fung was founded in 1906 in Guangzhou by Fung Pak-liu, an English teacher, and Li To-ming, a local merchant whose family owned a porcelain shop. The company name, derived from the founders' surnames, signifies "profit" (Li) and "plentiful" (Fung), reflecting the founders' aspirations. During the early 1900s, Li & Fung emerged as the first company in the export sector to be entirely owned by Chinese stakeholders.

Initially focusing on porcelain, the company diversified into fireworks, jade, and ivory handicrafts, and silk, targeting the US market through a partnership with Ignaz Strauss & Company, a New York-based sourcing agent for upscale retailers.

In 1937, the company expanded into British Hong Kong, establishing its first branch office outside mainland China. Despite Li divesting his shares in 1946, the company retained its original name despite prevalent regional corporate norms. Shortly after, the Guangzhou branch was closed, and the employees were relocated to the company's main office in Hong Kong. By the late 1940s, Li & Fung was responsible for exporting 30% of Hong Kong's rattan furniture.

The 1950s brought significant changes with the United Nations trade embargo on China, promoting Hong Kong's shift to manufacturing textiles, plastics, electronics, clocks, watches, and toys. This shift was fueled by industrialists from mainland China who brought technology and capital, alongside factors such as an influx mainland Chinese, low taxation, economic stability, minimal restrictions, and a port infrastructure catalyzed the burgeoning export sector. The textile industry, in particular, saw rapid growth, making Hong Kong a leading exporter of textiles by the 1960s. Despite the societal challenges that surfaced in the mid-1960s, the export sector, including, Li & Fung's garment export business, continued to thrive, solidifying the company's position as a key player.

1970-1989 The First Public Listing
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Li & Fung's main competitors were British firms Dodwell & Co. and the Swire Group. Targeting the USA market, the company achieved a notable growth rate of 28% from 1969 to 1973.

William and Victor Fung, the sons of Fung Hon-chu, joined the company after completing their education at Harvard University – William with his MBA in 1972 and Victor with his doctorate in 1973. They soon restructured the company by establishing Li & Fung, Ltd with six subsidiaries.

In April 1973, Li & Fung went public, listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. However, the 1973 Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) oil embargo on the United States triggered a global recession that lasted through 1975, adversely affecting Li & Fung's financial performance until a recovery in 1976.

In the 1970s, Western retailers began importing directly from Asian manufacturers. In response, Li & Fung shifted from playing the traditional broker role to becoming a manufacturing partner. The strategic pivot involved offering services that included design, identifying suppliers for fabrics and manufacturing, inspection, packaging, and logistics, boosting the company's standing among Western retailers and with suppliers in China. By the early 1980s, Li & Fung's clientele included The Gap and The Limited, with the company also serving as a distributor of handbags, belts, shoes, scarves, and other fashion accessories from Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan.

The late 1980s marked Li & Fung's entry into the toy industry and retail, adopting its supply chain model in collaboration with Toys R’ Us. Li & Fung's diversification continued across other sectors such as real estate, warehousing, shipping, finance, and insurance through strategic joint ventures, acquisitions, and investments.

In May1987, the Gap, a major client, established a merchandising office in Hong Kong. On October 19, 1987, stock markets around the world crashed, highlighting the interconnectedness of financial markets. Amid these setbacks, Li & Fung moved to privatize the company; the management buyout was completed in January 1989.

1990s - 2013 The Second Public Listing: Growth Through Acquisitions
Li & Fung's decision to go public in 1973 was aimed at enabling family members to gain financially from the company's success without direct involvement in its operations, while still retaining the majority of the shares (75%). In 1989, the Fung Brothers initiated a management buyout to privatize the company, a move intended to consolidate control and cultivate a corporate environment that would attract and retain talent.

The same year marked the introduction of the Three Year Plan, where executives set three-year goals reflecting the anticipated business environment. This strategic planning framework was designed to maintain consistent objectives, even as tactics might adapt over time. A Harvard Business School study in 2014 posited that this strategy may have led to the acquisition of underperforming companies, noting that Li & Fung acquired approximately 50 companies between 2008 and 2013.

Following its relisting on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1992, under the leadership of the Fung Brothers, Li & Fung embarked on a series of strategic acquisitions aimed at expanding its global footprint and service offerings. This included the acquisition of Inchcape Buying Services (formerly known as Dodwell & Co.), a UK-based sourcing company, in 1995, which extended Li & Fung's sourcing network to the Indian subcontinent, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. In 1999, Li & Fung acquired two of its major competitors: Swire & Maclaine, a UK-based logistics company, and Camberley Enterprises.

Further expansion through acquisitions continued through the early 2000s, such as the purchase of the Colby Group, and the appointment of Bruce Rockowitz, to the board of directors, later becoming president of  Li & Fung (Trading) Limited, the Group's principal trading subsidiary. TThe company further diversified its portfolio through acquisitions in various sectors, including fashion, logistics, and retail, notably acquiring Tommy Hilfiger's global sourcing operations in 2007.

Li & Fung's aggressive acquisition strategy was supported through various financial strategies, including share placements and investments from significant shareholders like Temasek Holdings, which bought 4.62% of Li & Fung for HK$3.88 billion, enabling the company to fund more acquisitions.

2014–2019: Transition, Digitalization, and Market Challenges
The global retail landscape revolution that began in 2010 intensified in the latter half of the decade. The rapid expansion of e-commerce and changes in consumer behavior led to rapid shifts. The period, referred to by some as the "retail apocalypse" saw traditional retail facing unprecedented challenges. In response, Li & Fung embarked on a series of strategic moves and investments in technology. Nonetheless, the impact on Li & Fung's business led to a 95% loss in market value between 2011 and 2020.

In 2014, Spencer Fung was appointed Group CEO, succeeding Victor Fung, with Marc Compagnon taking on the role of Group President. That year, Li & Fung executed a strategic division of its operations, spinning off its global brands and licensing business through a stock split. Bruce Rockowitz assumed the role of Chief Executive for the newly independent Global Brands Group, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2014. The move was aimed at focusing on the company's core competencies in sourcing, trading, and logistics, a pivot from the company's previous growth strategy focused on mergers and acquisitions.

To expand its logistics operations, in 2014, the company acquired China Container Line, a freight forwarding company. In 2015, Li & Fung sought to expand its retail presence in China through a joint venture with Beijing Wangfujing Department Store Group Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Bailian Group Co. Ltd., with plans to open 300 stores. In 2016, Li & Fung divested its LF Asia Distribution, its consumer and healthcare distribution business, to Dah Chong Hong for US$350 million. By the end of the company's 2014-2016 strategic plan, the company experienced a decline in revenue and profit for three consecutive years with a notable 47% decrease in profit in 2016.

In 2017, following its removal from the Hang Seng Index, Li & Fung sold three business units -- Whalen, Cobalt Fashion, and MEIYUME -- to Hony Capital for $1.1 billion, a transaction that involved substantial write-downs and an accounting loss of US$610 million.

The years 2018 and 2019 witnessed a downturn in Li & Fung's core operating profit, with a 20% reduction in 2018, exacerbated by a 22% decline in 2019 due to store closures, customer bankruptcies, and margin pressures. Despite these challenges, in 2019, Singapore-based Temasek Holdings invested US$300 million for a 21.7% stake in LF Logistics, valuing the company at an estimated US$1.38 billion. Concurrently, the market capitalization of Li & Fung was around US$1.25 billion.

2020 to Present: Navigating Challenges and Strategic Transformations
In 2020, the Fung Family completed the privatization of Li & Fung, acquiring it at a value notably lower than its historical peak. This transition was followed by a comprehensive restructuring of the company, which involved a significant reduction in its global workforce. These layoffs led to public protests and allegations of unlawful dismissals, as reported by several sources. Subsequently, Li & Fung received a US$100 million investment from the e-commerce giant, JD.com, signaling a strategic partnership and financial reinforcement.

In April 2021, a separate and new company called LFX was announced with the CFO of Li & Fung taking the helm in the new company. The new company would focus on offering digital solutions and services across the consumer goods supply chain.

In December 2021, LF Logistics, a subsidiary of Li & Fung, was acquired by the global container shipping company Maersk for US$3.6 billion in an all-cash transaction. This deal raised questions among some of Li & Fung's former minority shareholders, who sought an investigation by the Securities and Futures Commission into the sale's valuation, which was substantially higher than the valuation at which Li & Fung was privatized.

In September 2022, Moody's Investors Service announced a review of Li & Fung Limited's credit rating for a potential downgrade. The announcement highlighted ongoing concerns regarding the company's restructuring efforts and the sale of LF Logistics to Maersk. Although there was an expectation of improved financial leverage, Moody's cited "significant uncertainty" regarding Li & Fung's ability to maintain an enhanced performance level in the coming years.

Li & Fung Foundation
The Li & Fung Foundation, originally established as the Fung Foundation in 2006 on the centennial of its parent company, has been an active contributor to the communities where the Fung Group operates. The foundation's charter is to promote sustainable development and improve the lives of the of individuals in these communities. With a focus on education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability, the foundation has been instrumental in supporting a wide range of global organizations and initiatives.

Since its inception, the foundation has engaged in a wide array of philanthropic activities, supporting numerous organizations worldwide. Notable partnerships include the Asian University for Women (AUW), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), Captivating International, Crossroads, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Movember Foundation, Red Cross/Red Crescent, Room to Read, The Women's Foundation (TWF), World Vision, World Wide Fund for Nature, and various cancer research funds.

Specific educational initiatives sponsored by the foundation include:

 * The establishment of a $100 million scholarship in 2006 to support up to 100 Hong Kong undergraduates to study abroad and students from mainland China to study in Hong Kong.
 * Collaboration with Captivating International, a Hong Kong-based charity that focuses on helping schools that serve children living in poverty. Through this partnership, the Li & Fung Foundation provided sewing machines and matched employee contributions to the Seng Girls Vocation School Program in Tibet, enabling the school to teach girls how to make clothes and bags.
 * Partnering with the Cambodian Children's Fund whose mission is to transform the lives of impoverished children through education.
 * Supporting House of Heart to provide shelter for abandoned children and education for impoverished women.

The foundation also provides disaster relief through the Red Cross and UNICEF, and supporting the annual "Get Redressed Month," Hong Kong's largest clothing drive that aims to create awareness for fashion waste.

Central to the Li & Fung Foundation's strategy is its commitment to partnering with local charities that share its mission.

Victor & William Fung Foundation
A separate philanthropic organization, the Victor & William Fung Foundation promotes leadership through scholarships and fellowships. The Fung Scholars program supports more than 6,000 scholars and fellows across 31 universities worldwide.

COVID-19 Response
In February 2020, in response to widespread shortages, Circle K stores gave away 100,000 surgical masks to Hong Kong residents 65 years and older. Circle K at the time was operated by CRA Convenience Retail Asia Limited, a subsidiary of Li & Fung; the company sold its 340 Circle K stores in November 2020.

In June 2020, the Sourcing Journal reported a rumor that Li & Fung dismissed 70 Percent of procurement staff. The next day, the same publication reported that Li & Fung admitted that COVID-19's impact on global retail was forcing the company to adjust staffing levels but that the total percentage across all units in all countries wouldn't be anywhere near 70%.

Partnership and initiatives
Li & Fung is a founding member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and has been involved in the development of the Higg Index. The Index is a tool for organizations to standardize the measurement and evaluation of the environmental performance of apparel products across the supply chain at the brand, product, and facility levels. Li & Fung has provided consultation services to assist vendors in upgrading factories to meet the evolving demands of the supply chain complexity and compliance."

In 2012, through the Fung Group, Li & Fung began collaborating with the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) to train female workers in Bangladeshi factories on health, nutrition, and financial planning. This initiative was later expanded to include Cambodia, India, and Vietnam, broadening its impact on female factory workers in the garment industry, under the banner of the HERProject. The initiative was later expanded into Cambodia, India and Vietnam.

Between 2011 and 2014, Li & Fung supported CARE International's Hemaya project. The project aimed to empower women working in garment factories in Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs) around the northern cities of Irbid, Al Mafraq and Az Zarqa, where many textile factories are located. The Hemaya initiative is a component of CARE Jordan's broader strategy to promote linkages between local employment opportunities and the local female workforce, in response to Jordan's notably low rate of female participation in the workforce -- one of the lowest in the world.

In February 2019, Li & Fung became an Associate Partner of the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), joining other companies such as Everlane, G-Star Raw, and Selfridges Group. The partnership aims to address environmental performance and sustainability in the fashion industry.

In July 2021, Li & Fung partnered with Canopy, an environmental organization, to use circular and next-generation alternative materials in their packaging solutions and engage with their brand and retail customers on sustainability practices. The partnership is part of Li & Fung's efforts to support environmental sustainability across its supply chains.

In March 2023, Li & Fung introduced a partnership with Happy Returns, deploying Return Bars in over 1,100 Hibbett Sports and City Gear stores. The arrangement facilitates in-person returns for online purchases and aims to reduce cardboard waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, Unifi3d, a subsidiary of Li & Fung, worked with BeProduct to enhance digital product creation and management for various brands, retailers, and manufacturers.

In March 2024, Li & Fung was awarded a B score in the CDP Climate Change Disclosure for 2023. This score is part of an annual assessment by the CDP that measures environmental transparency and performance among companies worldwide.

Labor
In November 2012, a fire occurred at the Tazreen Fashions Factory in Bangladesh, resulting in the death of 112 workers. The factory's customers included Walmart, C&A, and Li & Fung. Following the incident, Li & Fung acknowledged having contracts with Tarzeen valued at $175,000 and committed to providing compensation of US$1200 to each of the victims' families. Additionally, the company also announced initiatives to support the affected families further, including the establishment of an education fund for the victims' children. In January 2014, the company announced it would provide factories with consulting services, financing, and insurance to help meet safety standards.

In 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, which housed five garment factories also led to loss of life. Li & Fung noted that it had neither operations nor orders with any of the factories located at Rana Plaza at the time of the collapse. The two incidents, however, drew global attention to the working conditions in the garment industry, particularly in Bangladesh, and highlighted the complex challenges of ensuring safety and fair labor practices in global supply chains.

In response to the growing concerns over safety standards in the garment industry, Li & Fung also became a signatory of the Accord and Alliance for Safety in Bangladesh RMG, initiatives aimed at improving factory conditions. These agreements were part of a collective effort by industry stakeholders to address systemic issues in the sector but ceased operations on December 31, 2018.

Criticism has been directed towards Li & Fung and similar companies over their negotiation practices, which some argue contribute to cost-cutting measures by factories that compromise safety and labor conditions. Additionally, activists have criticized the company for its role in perpetuating low wages in developing countries and for alleged shortcomings in conducting thorough inspections of factory conditions.

Financial
Li & Fung has faced criticism for its growth by acquisition strategy. A 2014 Financial Times opinion piece highlighted that from 2006 to 2014, the company's acquisition-related expenditures reached approximately US$7 billion. While revenue grew from US$4 billion to US$16 billion within this period, the increase in revenue was criticized as insufficient relative to the investments, noting only a 30% growth in the top line. Peter Guy of the South China Morning Post further criticized the company's strategy, suggesting that the anticipated synergies from acquisitions failed to materialize and advocated for a return to focusing on the core competencies of Li & Fung.

Concerns were also raised by SimplyWallSt in 2019 regarding the compensation of Li & Fung's CEO, suggesting that it was excessive compared to other executives in companies of similar market capitalization.

In 2020, the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong examined Li & Fung Trading (LFT) for two primary issues: The first concern was whether the profits derived from goods sourced outside of Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Macau should be exempt from the profits tax. The second issue examined was whether the deduction of a marketing commission paid to its holding company in the British Virgin Islands from onshore profits violated anti-avoidance regulations stipulated in sections 61 and 61A of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. The Board of Review decided in Li & Fung's favor in the first issue, and for the Commissioner in the second; the case was settled.

On May 12, 2020, 97.1% of the minority shareholders approved of the company's privatization plan. Li & Fung Shareholders who opposed the deal filed a complaint with Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to investigate whether Li & Fung's May 12 shareholders meeting was conducted in accordance with regulations.

title: Li & Fung