KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Media OutReach – 18 July 2022 – Asian University for Women (AUW), based in Chittagong, Bangladesh, offered hundreds of new scholarships for Afghan women who are eligible and qualified for admission to AUW’s undergraduate or graduate programs. During a four-day visit to Kabul, Kamal Ahmad, Founder of the Asian University for Women, met with Mr. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Acting Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan and former head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, and made the offer. He also handed over a gift of essential medicines for Kabul hospitals that was requested by the Afghan authorities. Deputy Foreign Minister Stanikzai welcomed the AUW initiative and committed his support for the proposal.
Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister H.E. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai presenting a gift of a plate of Lapis Lazuli to Kamal Ahmad for AUW as a token of his government’s appreciation of AUW’s support for Afghan women’s education.
Separately, Kamal Ahmad also held discussions with the Acting Minister of Higher Education; the Minister of Education; the Chancellor of Kabul University; and other senior government officials. He also called on the Ambassador of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) based in Kabul.
In addition to the scholarships, AUW has proposed to initiate a pilot online secondary school education program through which Afghan students studying at the AUW Graduate School of Education would run online classes following the Afghan national curriculum. A new MOU is being prepared in this regard to be entered into between AUW and the Afghan Ministry of Education. This pilot project would provide an opportunity for AUW Afghan Masters students to gain teaching experience while also enabling young girls to continue their education at home while the Afghan government determines its approach to girls’ and women’s education. The Afghan Acting Minister of Education invited AUW to make a formal proposal in this regard and noted that his Ministry will be soon initiating a Directorate of Online Education.
It may be noted that AUW has been deeply engaged in education of Afghan girls and women from its inception. Currently, about 170 Afghan women attend AUW on full scholarship.
Hashtag: #AUW #AsianUniversityforWomen
About Asian University for Women (AUW):
Founded in 2008 and located in Chittagong, Bangladesh, AUW is the first of its kind: a regional institution dedicated to women’s education and leadership development through liberal arts and sciences education. It is international in outlook but rooted in the contexts and aspirations of the people of Asia. Chartered by the Parliament of Bangladesh, AUW exists solely to support a rising network of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from across the region. It seeks out women who show significant academic achievement and potential, demonstrate courage and a sense of outrage at injustice, and are empathic to the woes of other people.
1160 students from 17 countries currently attend AUW: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Timor Leste, Vietnam, and Yemen. More than 85% of AUW students are on full or near-full scholarships funded by supporters from around the world. The University has graduated over a thousand students to date. A majority of AUW graduates secure employment in the private and public sectors in their home countries while about 25% go on to pursue graduate studies at other institutions of higher learning including Oxford, Cambridge, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Columbia, Duke, Brandeis and Tufts, among others. To learn more about Asian University for Women, please visit https://asian-university.org.
Straits Forum: Drinking the Same Bottle of Wine, We Belong to the Same Root
XIAMEN, CHINA – Media OutReach – 18 July 2022 – On July 13, 2022, the 14th Straits Forum was held in Xiamen, Fujian. “Drinking the same bottle of wine, people from both sides of the Straits belong to the same root.” That was said by Yang Cheng-wu, Magistrate of Kinmen County when he addressed the Form before. Now it is quoted again at the Forum this year. The quotation best expresses the purpose of the Forum to promote people-to-people exchanges across the Straits.
Full of young people, the Forum also causes homesickness. The spectacles here remind Taiwanese singer Nini Wei of the hustle and bustle of the alley where she used to live with her grandmother. The performance of waving flag-tied bamboo poles originated in Fujian, where the roots of most Taiwanese lie.
Forum is focused on folk culture and future development. In addition to youth exchanges, the Forum has been valuing cultural and economic exchanges by holding events about agriculture, folk culture, and religions for the past 13 years. It also has been trying hard to meet the needs of the Taiwanese for development opportunities.
The dancing program Tea Fragrance poetically shows the beauty of the Cherry Blossom Tea Garden in Yongfu Town. As the hub of the National Taiwan Farmers Pioneer Park, Yongfu Town is where most Taiwanese farmers invest, and the mainland’s largest producer of Ruan Zhi Oolong Tea. Drinking tea brings together people from both sides of the Straits, and a growing number of Taiwanese farmers are now choosing to work in Yongfu Town.
The Forum is full of affectionate stories and best wishes. There will be a nostalgia program called “35 Years of Affectionate Stories”. In the program, stories about people who have helped promote cross-Straits exchanges will be shared. Many young people from Taiwan have been inspired to engage themselves in the rural revitalization drive of the mainland. Li Peizhen, a Taiwanese folk culture artist restores North-Song houses and runs a folk culture museum in Qingqiao Village, Haicang District, Xiamen.
Lin Shuren, a young man from Taipei, each year helps 5000 Yi people in Sichuan grow olives.
The Forum witnesses frankness as well as perseverance. Taiwanese man Yang Mingzhong once promised to cycle together with orphans to the mainland to see the Yellow River. He wanted to prove to the orphans that the Yellow River is not yellow. He has been cycling so for 10 years.
Over the past decade, he has cycled 12,000km through 50 cities . Along the way, he has helped 920 young people of both Taiwan and the mainland.
Like many Taiwanese attendees here, Yang Minzhong greatly values the friendship between the youth of both sides of the Straits.
Women wear xauv necklaces as part of traditional Hmong dress.
The Laotian Times interviews two experts on Hmong clothing about their differing views on a celebrity’s “Hmong-inspired” outfit at the 2022 BET Awards.
Malaysia U-19 won the 2022 AFF U-19 Cup after defeating Laos 2-0 in the championship match on Friday evening at the Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium, Indonesia.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 15 July 2022– A team of four Form 3 students from HKSYCIA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College was crowned champion at this year’s “Social Innovation • Community 4.0” Competition. Their winning solution “Sunshine to Elderly”, is a socially inclusive sustainable gardening system on school campus. It aims to tackle the mental health issues of elderly citizens living in Sham Shui Po District by encouraging them to team up with students to grow plants while also making use of an application to keep track of the growth in the plots. Regular pop-up markets will be held by the students and the elderly for selling the plants with the purpose of enhancing the self-esteem of the elderly. The winning school team will join an overseas tour to visit a cluster of innovative start-ups and social enterprises.
Mr. Paul Wong Yan Yin, JP, District Officer, Sham Shui Po District Office, Home Affairs Department (first from left), joined by Ms. Susan Kwek, Head of Operations & Technology, Citi Hong Kong, (first from right), presents the award for the fourth “Social Innovation • Community 4.0” Competition to the champion team from HKSYCIA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College for their innovation “Sunshine to Elderly”.
Supported by Citi Foundation and organized by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the “Social Innovation • Community 4.0” Competition is a pioneering challenge open to all secondary schools to find sustainable solutions to community problems.
Five award prototypes were showcased at the ceremony.
Mr. Paul Wong Yan Yin, JP, District Officer, Sham Shui Po District Office, Home Affairs Department; Ms. Susan Kwek, Head of Operations & Technology, Citi Hong Kong; Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, JP, Chief Executive, HKCSS and Dr. Jacob Hui Shing Yan, Chief Curriculum Support Officer, Education Bureau officiated at the award presentation ceremony today. Also attending were representatives of the competition’s partnering and supporting organizations, as well as teachers and students from the finalist teams. Five award prototypes were showcased at the ceremony.
Each year, a district in Hong Kong is selected as the focal area – Central and Western District in its first year, Kowloon City District in the second, and North District third. Sham Shui Po District was the focus this year. Through experiential learning in the community and comprehensive training in design thinking, technology and making prototypes, as well as interaction with local citizens with the support of the District Office and NGOs in the area, participating students were challenged to identify a community issue and come up with solutions to address it.
15 prototypes and 44 concept boards are now being exhibited to the public at Form Society and Parallel Space on Tai Nam Street until July 18.
This year, 44 teams from 34 secondary schools around Hong Kong submitted their proposals. 15 finalist teams were invited to produce prototypes, which, together with the remaining teams’ concept boards, are now being exhibited to the public at Form Society and Parallel Space on Tai Nam Street in Sham Shui Po from July 13 to July 18.
Mr. Paul Wong Yan Yin, JP, District Officer, Sham Shui Po District Office, Home Affairs Department, said, “Social Innovation ‧Community 4.0 encourages young people to apply innovative thinking to tackle social issues in Sham Shui Po. It has set out a new paradigm for community building by young people. I look forward to seeing the participants to keep contributing to the community in their future endeavors.”
Ms. Susan Kwek, Head of Operations & Technology, Citi Hong Kong said, “Citi Foundation has been supporting initiatives that improve youth employability and promote sustainability. This program not only enables young people to understand the community and to care about society, but also provides them with a platform to unleash their creativity, learn problem-solving, equip themselves for future career development and comprehend the meaning of team spirt. At the same time, it also helps build a sustainable city by addressing community issues. Young minds are key to shaping a brighter future for all, and Citi Foundation aspires to equip them with the skills and networks, which will contribute to their success in our ever-changing world.”
Mr. Chua Hoi Wai, JP, Chief Executive of HKCSS, said, “The Social Innovation Community 4.0 Competition has launched in its 4th year. In addition to the genuine support of Citi Foundation, the engagement of the government departments, supporting NGOs and community partners provides a chance for the students to experience a complete journey of social innovation. Through community visit and stakeholder’s interaction, the teams are able to create innovative solutions in response to the specific social problems. The mindset of “thinking out of the box” and breaking through is definitely the collective goals of the society. It is hoped that more creative proposals could be implemented in the community and all students could continue to pursue your passion towards the society by contributing to the well-being of all communities together with the social sector in the future.”
The finalists’ prototypes will undergo four rounds of testing in the community on July 20 and 22 this year. Teams will demonstrate on-site how their prototypes operate in practice, while residents in Shan Shui Po District will be invited to provide user feedback in order to improve the feasibility and practicality of the prototypes.
The fifth “Social Innovation • Community 4.0” Competition will be open for applications in mid-October, and the new cohort will focus on social issues in Yau Tsim Mong District. It is hoped that the competition inspires the students to turn their ideas into action for the betterment of the community, thereby advancing social innovation in our society.
Hashtag: #Citibank
About Citi Foundation
Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfil our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com
About HKCSS
The HKCSS is an umbrella organization of over 500 agency members that provide over 90% of the social welfare services in Hong Kong. HKCSS strive to build a cohesive society by promoting strategic partnership among business and social service partners and inspiring corporate social responsibility through caring for the community, employees and the environment. HKCSS put much effort in building capacity of social enterprises through the Social Enterprise Business Centre (SEBC) to advance social entrepreneurship and mobilize social innovation. For more information, visit www.hkcss.org.hk | Facebook: www.facebook.com/HKCSS1947
The Australian government has discontinued a policy to allow foreign workers, including those from Laos, to work in Australia under agricultural programs.