The SETI Institute announced that alliant Global CEO, Dhaval Jadav, joined its Board of Directors. Dhaval brings a deep lifelong passion for space science, a strong commitment to STEM education, and a shared belief in the SETI Institute’s mission to explore one of humanity’s most profound questions: Are we alone in the universe?

This marks the beginning of a strategic partnership that gives the SETI Institute the ability to leverage alliant’s resources and AI capabilities in the search for extraterrestrial life.

“As a kid nothing got me more excited to learn about space than the thought of extraterrestrials being out there,” said Dhaval. “I think we’ve lost some of that sense of wonder, the curiosity that drives people to look beyond their screens and ask big questions about the universe. I wholeheartedly believe in the SETI Institute’s mission, and I hope alliant can help the SETI Institute be a beacon that rekindles that curiosity and inspires people to seek answers to life’s biggest mysteries.”

This feature examines how Middle Eastern education systems navigate tensions between global models and local cultures. Drawing on studies across the Gulf, Turkey, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and Iran, it explores shadow education markets, policy borrowing, teacher learning communities, culturally grounded early education, and classroom critiques of test-driven systems. Together, these perspectives show education as an ongoing negotiation, not simple adoption, shaping identity, equity, and future readiness across the region.

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has opened the application period for its annual grants supporting STEM education and community development initiatives. These grants are funded by Battelle Energy Alliance, which operates the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy.