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British Council launches Making Matters, China Design Challenge

An open call to Chinese university students in Mainland China and the UK to explore circular design

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach – 27 September 2021 – The British Council launched Making Matters, China Design Challenge. Themed “fall in love with the future through circular design”, the Challenge aims to discover young creative talents and to facilitate an exchange of dialogue around circular design. The Challenge is part of Making Matters, sponsored by IM Motors and co-developed by Manchester Metropolitan University and Young Green Tech. Chinese university students in Mainland China and the UK are invited to apply by 8 November 2021 through WeChat account Younggreentech.

 

Making Matters was launched in 2018 by the British Council with an aim to explore how principles of the circular economy can be a catalyst for creativity, collaboration and regenerative thinking within architecture, design and fashion practice through its multi-disciplinary programme. Circular design involves creating products and services that minimise the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions to result in less waste and more value added to the ecosystem. Open to Chinese students in universities in Mainland China and the UK, Making Matters, China Design Challenge encourages students to rethink the role of design today and how to create positive change through circular design.

 

Eligible applicants can apply individually or form a team of up to 6 members to submit a proposal outlining an issue or concern that their circular design addresses by 8 November 2021. The judging panel will evaluate the proposals based on the following criteria in two phases:

  • Social impact – applicants’ sense of social responsibility and concern for global challenges, with the ambition to make positive change through circular design
  • Communication – applicants’ ability to express their ideas, present their project and communicate with mentors and judges
  • Academic performance – applicant’s understanding of circular design and how they can adapt a circular approach through their proposal
  • Potential, feasibility and relation – feasibility of the proposed idea to materialise in real life and its potential for further development, as well as it’s relevancy to the community or the planet
  • Critical thinking – applicants’ ability to think critically and logically
  • Innovation – applicants’ ability to develop innovative product, provide creative solutions, or conduct meaningful research with a circular design practice
  • Achievement and improvement – applicants’ ability to make progress through newly acquired knowledge and skills, as well as deepen understanding and change perception

30 semi-finalists will be shortlisted on 15 November 2021 and invited for an in-person presentation in Shanghai. 15 finalists will be selected to enter the second stage. In April 2022 for the final presentation in Beijing, one grand champion and 4 runners-up will be announced. The grand champion and runners-up will receive a prize of CNY 24,000 (~GBP 2,210/ USD 3,720) and CNY 12,000 (~GBP 1,350/ USD 1,860) respectively, with an internship opportunity with IM Motors, Young Green Tech and other supporting organisations. A documentary will be produced to record all the finalists’ projects.

 

While the semi-finalists will be selected by the organisers, a judging panel will be responsible to select 15 finalists. Details of the judges will be announced in due course.

Rehana Mughal, Director Arts China at British Council and Counsellor (Culture and the Arts) at Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy said, “Making Matters is all about supporting emerging talents from the world of design, giving them the opportunity to showcase innovation, creativity and solutions to reduce our impact on the environment. Climate Change is one of the biggest shared challenges we all face, and all of us can make a difference in reducing our impact on the environment. We hope that through this exciting collaboration, rising stars of design can benefit from international collaborations and partnership needs to take their ideas from the drawing board to reality.”

For further details on the Making Matters, China Design Challenge, please visit  https://www.britishcouncil.cn/en/programmes/arts/making-matters

 

Making Matters, China Design Challenge

Organiser: British Council

Strategic partner: IM Motors

Co-organisers: Manchester Metropolitan University and Young Green Tech (YGT) 

Programme portal: https://www.britishcouncil.cn/en/programmes/arts/making-matters  

British Council WeChat ‘bc-china’ and ‘UK_NOW’

British Council Weibo @英国大使馆文化教育处, @艺述英国

 

Strategic Partner:

IM Motors

IM Motors – Spearheading the Intelligent Mobility.

Jointly founded by SAIC Motor, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Group and Alibaba Group on December 25, 2020. A hi-tech company leveraging big data from consumer engagement to drive innovations of green and intelligent mobility. A pioneer in redefining the relationship between consumers and enterprises in the era of artificial intelligence.

 

Co-organisers:

Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester Metropolitan University is a great modern university, in a great global city, here to make an impact on Manchester, our nation and beyond, with a driving ambition to discover and disseminate knowledge, and make higher education accessible and beneficial to all those with the passion and ability to succeed.  We work closely with our city, with business, the community and our academic peers – locally, nationally and internationally – to be inventive and creative, generate great opportunities, and enable our students, colleagues and everyone whose lives we touch to make an impact.

 

Young Green Tech (YGT) 

YGT is an exchange program that empowers young creators and doers to create transformative solutions. YGT aims to encourage the youth generation to use innovative methods and ideas to propose solutions to the environmental challenges we face. Every year, we select the most potential and innovative youth environmental protection business projects from all over the world, and help them succeed through mentor guidance, public display, in-depth training and docking investment, so as to cultivate young environmental protection entrepreneurs who changed the world and produce greater social demonstration effect.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. In 2019-2020 we reached over 75 million people directly and 758 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive a 14.5 per cent core funding grant from the UK government.

www.britishcouncil.org

Please visit our official website in Chinese for detailed programme.


We will update our programme on daily basis through our social media accounts, please stay tuned with us on:

Weibo @英国大使馆文化教育处 @艺述英国

Wechat

bc-china (英国大使馆文化教育处)

UK_NOW (艺述英国)

#British Council

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Rapid antigen test for Covid-19

The Lao National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control has urged residents to be cautious of fake or ineffective Covid-19 rapid test kits.

Thongkhankham Market Closes for Disinfection

Thongkhankham Market Closes for Disinfection
Thongkhankham Market

Authorities in Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital have ordered the closure of Thongkhankham Market after Covid infections were reported.

StashAway MENA Introduces Thematic Portfolios

DUBAI, UAE – Media OutReach – 27 September 2021 – StashAway has launched Thematic Portfolios. StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios include three themes: Technology Enablers, The Future of Consumer Tech, and Healthcare Innovation. The portfolios feature ETFs from some of the world’s top fund managers, including ARK Invest, iShares, Global X, and VanEck.

 

Since 2018, the amount of assets in thematic funds globally have grown at an annual rate of 37%. In 2020 alone, assets in thematic funds grew by 77%. And not only are thematic investments growing in popularity, but they’re also eclipsing traditional equity sectors: thematic portfolios have accounted for nearly 40% of all equity fund net sales since 2017.*

 

What makes StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios different from any other thematic offering available to both retail and institutional investors is its risk management feature: Investors select the downside they’re willing to accept in a given year, and then the StashAway platform maximises the thematic exposure as much as possible within those risk constraints. “This gives investors the access to thematic investing without the risk inherent with thematic investing,” says StashAway Co-founder and CIO, Freddy Lim. The remaining non-thematic assets in a portfolio are there to manage risk. “We call these non-thematic assets ‘balancing assets’, and their role in our Thematic Portfolios is just as important as the thematic assets.”

 

“One key strategy to building wealth is to diversify the investments where you can capture opportunities. We’re thrilled to deliver a product that both benefits our clients’ long-term investment strategies and is an exciting opportunity to be a part of the industries investors believe will have the greatest impact in the future,” shares Ramzi Khleif, General Manager MENA.

 

 

*https://www.ftadviser.com/investments/2021/07/30/thematic-investing-grows-by-77-per-cent-in-2020/

About the themes

Technology Enablers includes subthemes such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, robotics, and semiconductors – it’s technology that consumers don’t see but that enables new technologies to transform the world.

The Future of Consumer Technology invests in technology that everyday consumers use: e-commerce, fintech, gaming, Internet, mobility, and social media.

Healthcare Innovation is about investing in the technologies that can not only improve but even change the way people stay healthy, get treatment, and recover. This portfolio gives investors exposure to biotech, genomics, and pharmaceuticals, such as smart beds and software used for genome sequencing.

About StashAway

StashAway is a digital wealth manager that offers investment portfolios and wealth management solutions for both retail and accredited investors and operates in Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East and North Africa, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

As of January 2021, the company surpassed $1 billion USD in assets under management. It achieved this milestone faster than it took the world’s largest digital wealth managers, Betterment and Wealthfront, to reach the same milestone. In 2020, StashAway was recognised as a Technology Pioneer by The World Economic Forum and a Top 10 LinkedIn Startup.


#StashAway

StashAway Introduces Thematic Portfolios

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 27 September 2021 – StashAway has launched Thematic Portfolios. StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios include three themes: Technology Enablers, The Future of Consumer Tech, and Healthcare Innovation. The portfolios feature ETFs from some of the world’s top fund managers, including ARK Invest, iShares, Global X, and VanEck.

 

Since 2018, the amount of assets in thematic funds globally have grown at an annual rate of 37%. In 2020 alone, assets in thematic funds grew by 77%. And not only are thematic investments growing in popularity, but they’re also eclipsing traditional equity sectors: thematic portfolios have accounted for nearly 40% of all equity fund net sales since 2017.*

 

What makes StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios different from any other thematic offering available to both retail and institutional investors is its risk management feature: Investors select the downside they’re willing to accept in a given year, and then the StashAway platform maximises the thematic exposure as much as possible within those risk constraints. “This gives investors the access to thematic investing without the risk inherent with thematic investing,” says StashAway Co-founder and CIO, Freddy Lim. The remaining non-thematic assets in a portfolio are there to manage risk. “We call these non-thematic assets ‘balancing assets’, and their role in our Thematic Portfolios is just as important as the thematic assets.”

 

“We’re excited to offer new investment opportunities to our clients. The promising innovations that make up these portfolios take time to reach mass adoption. So, it’s important for investors to have a long-term mindset when investing in Thematic Portfolios,” shares Amanda Ong, Country Manager of StashAway Singapore.

 

 

*https://www.ftadviser.com/investments/2021/07/30/thematic-investing-grows-by-77-per-cent-in-2020/


About the themes

Technology Enablers includes subthemes such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, robotics, and semiconductors – it’s technology that consumers don’t see but that enables new technologies to transform the world.

The Future of Consumer Technology invests in technology that everyday consumers use: e-commerce, fintech, gaming, Internet, mobility, and social media.

Healthcare Innovation is about investing in the technologies that can not only improve but even change the way people stay healthy, get treatment, and recover. This portfolio gives investors exposure to biotech, genomics, and pharmaceuticals, such as smart beds and software used for genome sequencing.

About StashAway

StashAway is a digital wealth manager that offers investment portfolios and wealth management solutions for both retail and accredited investors and operates in Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East and North Africa, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

As of January 2021, the company surpassed $1 billion USD in assets under management. It achieved this milestone faster than it took the world’s largest digital wealth managers, Betterment and Wealthfront, to reach the same milestone. In 2020, StashAway was recognised as a Technology Pioneer by The World Economic Forum and a Top 10 LinkedIn Startup.


#
StashAway

StashAway Malaysia Introduces Thematic Portfolios

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 27 September 2021 – StashAway has launched Thematic Portfolios. StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios include three themes: Technology Enablers, The Future of Consumer Tech, and Healthcare Innovation. The portfolios feature ETFs from some of the world’s top fund managers, including ARK Invest, iShares, Global X, and VanEck.

 

Since 2018, the amount of assets in thematic funds globally have grown at an annual rate of 37%. In 2020 alone, assets in thematic funds grew by 77%. And not only are thematic investments growing in popularity, but they’re also eclipsing traditional equity sectors: thematic portfolios have accounted for nearly 40% of all equity fund net sales since 2017.*

 

What makes StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios different from any other thematic offering available to both retail and institutional investors is its risk management feature: Investors select the downside they’re willing to accept in a given year, and then the StashAway platform maximises the thematic exposure as much as possible within those risk constraints. “This gives investors the access to thematic investing without the risk inherent with thematic investing,” says StashAway Co-founder and CIO, Freddy Lim. The remaining non-thematic assets in a portfolio are there to manage risk. “We call these non-thematic assets ‘balancing assets’, and their role in our Thematic Portfolios is just as important as the thematic assets.”

 

“StashAway’s Thematic Portfolios will empower Malaysians to invest in promising innovations for the long term. Innovations that aim to shape the future take time to grow and gain market acceptance. So, it’s important for investors to have a long-term mindset when investing in these themes,” shares Albert Kok, Deputy Country Manager Malaysia.

 

*https://www.ftadviser.com/investments/2021/07/30/thematic-investing-grows-by-77-per-cent-in-2020/


About the themes

Technology Enablers includes subthemes such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, robotics, and semiconductors – it’s technology that consumers don’t see but that enables new technologies to transform the world.

The Future of Consumer Technology invests in technology that everyday consumers use: e-commerce, fintech, gaming, Internet, mobility, and social media.

Healthcare Innovation is about investing in the technologies that can not only improve but even change the way people stay healthy, get treatment, and recover. This portfolio gives investors exposure to biotech, genomics, and pharmaceuticals, such as smart beds and software used for genome sequencing.

About StashAway

StashAway is a digital wealth manager that offers investment portfolios and wealth management solutions for both retail and accredited investors and operates in Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East and North Africa, Hong Kong, and Thailand.

As of January 2021, the company surpassed $1 billion USD in assets under management. It achieved this milestone faster than it took the world’s largest digital wealth managers, Betterment and Wealthfront, to reach the same milestone. In 2020, StashAway was recognised as a Technology Pioneer by The World Economic Forum and a Top 10 LinkedIn Startup.


#StashAway

President Thongloun Sisoulith Meets Vietnamese and Cambodian Leaders

Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith poses with Vietnamese and Cambodian leaders in Hanoi.
Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith poses with President of the Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith met with Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phi Trong and President of the Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen yesterday.

Laos Records 622 Cases of Covid-19, Total Cases Reach 22,441

Covid-19 Update

Laos has recorded a large number of cases of Covid-19 again today across multiple provinces as the outbreak continues.