32 C
Vientiane
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 1665

Man Charged for Vandalizing Sacred Wat Phra Kaew Temple in Thailand

Man Charged for Vandalizing Sacred Wat Phra Kaew
Police officers approach a man who writes on a wall of the Grand Palace on Tuesday. (Photo: Egg Cat Cheese Facebook)

A 24-year-old man from Khon Kaen was arrested by Thai police on 28 March after being caught spray-painting an anti-112 message on the wall of Wat Phra Kaew temple in Bangkok.

South China Vocational Education Announces its 2022 Annual Results Revenue Grows Steadily to RMB516.3 million

Actively Supports and Serves Country’s Development Strategies Upholds “Empowering Industry-education Interaction and Creating Value” Philosophy

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 3 April 2023 – South China Vocational Education Group Company Limited (“South China Vocational Education” or the “Group”, Stock Code: 6913), a leading private formal vocational education service provider in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (“GBA”), has announced its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2022 (“FY2022” or the “Year”).

During the Year, the Group maintained its position as the leading private formal vocational education service provider in the GBA by focusing on quality development and with active progress in establishing majors, school-enterprise cooperation and brand building. The Group’s revenue increased by approximately 3.3% year-on-year to RMB516.3 million, primarily due to an increase in tuition fees as a result of the increase in total full-time student enrollment and the increase in the average tuition fees, as well as an increase in continuing education programs during the Year. The Group’s gross profit amounted to approximately RMB196.8 million and profit for the year was approximately RMB142.9 million.

Continues to pursue stable development, improves operational efficiency

Mr. He Huishan, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of South China Vocational Education Group, said, “In 2022, we formulated our overall development strategies that agree with the 14th Five-Year Plan, insisting on enriching the content and special characteristics of vocational education, driving development of the new innovative industry-education integrated engine and, instead of the single academic qualifications structure, changing to adopting the “three-wheeled” strategy that stresses academic qualification education, open education and industry-education integration. Despite the challenges from the pandemic during the year, we are pleased to see the Group made significant progress in all its work and achieved overall stable performance. We will continue to uphold our philosophy of ’empowering industry-education interaction and creating value’, deepen organizational and management reform and improve operational efficiency, so as to inject new vigor to help the Group develop.”

The Group operates two schools in the GBA, namely, Guangdong Lingnan Institute of Technology (“Lingnan Institute of Technology”) and Guangdong Lingnan Modern Technician College (“Lingnan Modern Technician College”). As at 31 December 2022, Lingnan Institute of Technology had 13 secondary colleges and offered over 47 majors in a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to, electronic information engineering technology, e-commerce, computer network technology, cloud computing technology application, webcasting and operation, online marketing and livestreaming e-commerce, industrial internet, financial services and management, etc. Lingnan Modern Technician College had 7 departments and offered over 27 majors, including but not limited to, mechatronics, drones, vehicle inspection and maintenance, fire engineering, traditional Chinese medicine, rehabilitation, nursing, big data applications, advertising design, computer network application, computer program design and digital media application, etc.

Favorable policies to support vocational education development

During the Year, a number of national policies favourable to the development of vocational education were rolled out, providing a strong impetus to the long-term development of the industry and opening up wide room for the Group’s future growth. Among them, the newly revised “Vocational Education Law of the People’s Republic of China” was passed in April 2022. It states that “vocational education is of equal importance as general education”, promotes “the mutual integration of vocational education and general education”, and emphasizes that “the State encourages the development of various levels and forms of vocational education, promotes diversified school-running, supports broad and equal participation of social forces in vocational education”. Besides, in December 2022, the General Office of the Central Committee of CPC and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Deepening the Construction and Reform of Modern Vocational Education System (the “Deepening Opinions”). The Deepening Opinions have put forward that the promotion of the high-quality development of modern vocational education should be placed in a more prominent position. The policy also emphasizes that modern vocational education should insist on serving the overall development of students and economic and social development, based on enhancing the key competencies of vocational schools, cultivate more high-quality technical and skilled talents, and lay a solid foundation for accelerating the building of a strong country in education, science and technology and talent.

Notable increase in new enrollment in 2022/23 academic year, evidence of brand influence

During the year, with the Group actively building up course content and improving quality, new enrollments in the 2022/23 academic year achieved encouraging growth. As at 21 September 2022, new enrollments of Lingnan Institute of Technology increased by 15.4% year-on-year to 5,291, and that of Lingnan Modern Technician College climbed by a notable 66.5% to 5,638, reflective of the brand influence of the Group and that its strategies of driving high-quality and scalable development are bearing fruit. In aggregate, the full-time students enrolled at the Group’s schools numbered at 26,743 for the 2022/2023 school year. As at 31 December 2022, the average tuition fee of Lingnan Institute of Technology and Lingnan Modern Technician College were RMB17,348 and RMB12,667, respectively, and the average boarding fee of the two schools were RMB1,792 and RMB1,804, respectively.

Adopts “three-wheeled” approach of academic education, open education and industry-education integration

With regard to business development strategy, the Group will drive growth through the directions of promoting the endogenous growth of formal vocational education, expanding school networks by mergers and acquisitions, expanding ancillary education business and developing international cooperation. Firstly, the expansion and upgrade of Lingnan Institute of Technology will continue. Supported by the policy encouraging the establishment of undergraduate level vocational education, the Group will first focus on the establishment of certain undergraduate programs and then gradually develop the entire school into an undergraduate level vocational and technical college. In addition, Lingnan Modern Technician College will proactively identify new venues in the GBA for its new branches or new independent colleges, expanding its network of secondary vocational schools.

In addition, the Group will strive to expand its school networks through mergers and acquisitions, with priority given to high-quality technical schools and institutions providing non-formal vocational training in the Greater Bay Area. Furthermore, the Group will continue to proactively expand its ancillary education business, including adult continuing education programs, vocational skills certificate examination training, and training tasks for government institutions and industry associations. The Group will also explore cooperation with overseas colleges and institutions for higher education (focusing on colleges and institutions in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, the European Union and other countries and regions) so as to create a new pathway for global high-quality education.

Mr. He Huishan concluded, “Looking forward, South China Vocational Education will actively integrate into the country’s new development aspiration. It will push to tap investment and financing power, strengthen integration of internal and external resources, step up market-oriented development mechanism and bring in talent. On the foundation of pushing for steady development and raising the quality and standard of vocational education, the Group will actively explore mergers and acquisitions of training business and online education, build a provincial-level industry-education integration demonstration park, and improve the layout of the vocational education system and education-related industries. It will also gradually export its vocational education model to the Greater Bay Area and areas surrounding Guangdong, such as Jiangxi and Fujian, work hard on building an ecosystem that focuses on industry-education integration and development, so as to fortify its core competitiveness, improve employee well-being and its capability to serve the society. The Group will transform and upgrade in line with the country’s strategy and regional development needs, while aiming for high-quality growth.”

Hashtag: #SouthChinaVocationalEducation

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About South China Vocational Education Group Company Limited (Stock Code: 6913)

Established in 1993, South China Vocational Education Group Company Limited operates Guangdong Lingnan Institute of Technology and Guangdong Lingnan Modern Technician College in Guangzhou and Qingyuan. It offers over 70 majors covering the TMT and health industries, such as next-generation information technology, e-commerce, healthcare and medicine, and is committed to nurturing young vocational talent in the Greater Bay Area. The Group is a leading private formal vocational education service provider in the Greater Bay Area.

Authorities Counsel Forest Fire Offenders in Vientiane

65 Offenders Educated on Forest Protection Following Phou Phanang Burning
Fire erupts at Phou Phanang protected forest (photo: Jonathan Meadley)

Last week, the Vientiane Province government counseled 65 locals who were caught burning forest land in Phou Phanang National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area to reeducate and raise awareness on the harmful long-term effects of illegal logging and deforestation.

ASEAN Vows Support in Tackling Cross-Border Haze Pollution

ASEAN Vows to Assist in Resolving Haze Pollution Issue.
Two women wearing masks in Bangkok's polluted air (photo: smartairfilters)

During his visit to Thailand on Thursday, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn pledged to assist in addressing the transboundary haze pollution that is affecting several member countries of ASEAN.

Vientiane Residents Block Road with Drainage Pipes to Speed up Repair

Residents in Vientiane Capital use green drainage pipes to address road repair. (Photo: Laophattana News)

Residents of Chanthabouly District in Vientiane Capital, have resorted to using concrete drainage cement pipes to block a road in hopes of expediting the repair process.

Array’s Next-Gen Algorithmic Stablecoin System: Built on Self-Developed AI Algorithms

VICTORIA, MAHE, SEYCHELLES – Media OutReach – 3 April 2023 – Recently, the AI+Stablecoin project Array has attracted attention in the industry by utilizing on-chain AI algorithms to adjust liquidity curves and provide a new asset management method for Web3. In Web3, currency is considered a digital asset based on blockchain technology, which no longer requires centralized institutions to issue and manage. However, this decentralized currency system also has some issues, such as volatility and liquidity constraints.

array.png

Array is a full-chain protocol for decentralized asset management that aims to build the next-gen algorithmic currency systems through AI, allowing Web3 to break free from the cycles of volatility while still enjoying shared wealth creation. The Array team believes that “AI, as one of the core technologies, plays a crucial role in building algorithmic currency systems.”

Through self-developed AI algorithms, the Array team operates based on the Polygon Network public chain, adopts the dual token economic model ($ARA/$USDR), and creates original complex code and contract invocation logic, simplifying the complex steps of application interaction, bringing more composability to applications. Its trading operations are conducted on-chain, with open and transparent contracts and full open source.

Optimizing Liquidity with AI Algorithms

The Array team believes that in order to maximize benefits, pledging $ARA to obtain staking rewards and corresponding $USDR (with 400% over-collateralization) is the way to go. However, this leads to insufficient $ARA liquidity. To address this issue, the platform has developed a self-developed Liquidity Curve contract, which provides liquidity support for the platform. Through a complex algorithm that releases small amounts of $ARA to the market multiple times, this not only increases the bottoming fund pool but also creates opportunities and convenience for more people to participate in the project.

Array uses AI algorithms to achieve certain security and interoperability to ensure the safety of users’ digital assets and transactions, such as encryption technology, firewalls, etc. Users can easily connect traditional fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies, making fund transfers and transactions more accessible.

It is worth mentioning that this model not only allows seamless switching between traditional and cryptocurrencies but also further promotes the popularity and use of digital assets in the traditional financial system. It provides multiple guarantees for users and is expected to redefine the entire stablecoin industry.

Hashtag: #Array

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Thailand Set to Welcome 20 Million Visitors During Songkran Festival

20 Million Visitors Expected In Thailand During Songkran Festival
People play with water as they celebrate during the Songkran holiday in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13. ( Photo : REUTERS )

After a three-year hiatus, the popular Songkran (Pi Mai) Festival will be celebrated in Thailand this April, with more than 20 million visitors expected to attend the festivities.

Sgcarmart Introduces New Financing Initiative for Used Cars

A new fully-digital ‘Smart Loan’ service for used car buyers

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 April 2023 – Sgcarmart, Singapore’s #1 car platform for buying & selling cars, officially introduced it’s new revolutionary car financing service, Sgcarmart Smart Loan today. This new fully-digital service seeks to boost used car sales in Singapore by offering car buyers below-market interest rates and a fast online approval process that can be done via MyInfo.

Sgcarmart user exploring Sgcarmart Smart Loan
Sgcarmart user exploring Sgcarmart Smart Loan

In the wake of rising car prices and the surge in COE premiums, demand for used cars has declined by up to 15% since the beginning of 2022, as evidenced by Sgcarmart’s transaction data. This has led to a build up of used car dealer inventory.

Sgcarmart’s Smart Loan aims to benefit both dealers and buyers, by boosting inventory turnover through the provision of attractive interest rates and lower monthly repayments. As a launch promotion, buyers can enjoy incredible savings on monthly repayments with an interest rate 2.28%^ plus $1,700 worth of perks, including a $500 cashback and an exclusive KINTO membership program.

“Buying a used car has become tough to finance with COE premiums being as they are now. The introduction of the new Sgcarmart Smart Loan service is a two-pronged approach aimed at providing greater support to dealers and also enhancing value for our users.” Mr Vinod Cherumadathil – Managing Director & CEO of Sgcarmart.

Sgcarmart Smart Loan is a revolutionary car-financing initiative that ensures a seamless buying experience offering below-market interest rates, fast and actual approval, with exceptional customer service. Used car buyers can also compare their total savings if they take a car loan with Sgcarmart against other financial institutions with the online savings calculator.

For more information on Sgcarmart Smart Loan, please visit
www.sgcarmart.com/car_loan

For more information on KINTO membership, please visit here.

^Promotional terms and conditions apply.

Hashtag: #Sgcarmart #SgcarmartSmartLoan #DigitalSmartLoan #SgcarmartFinancialServices #CarLoans #CarFinancing





The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Sgcarmart

Sgcarmart is Singapore’s #1 car platform. With over 30,000 listings, it offers the largest database of new and used cars, with an average of 10 cars sold every hour, helping to drive approximately 70% of all second-hand car transactions in Singapore. The platform receives more than 1.6 million users every month, offering the highest level of support for drivers with its suite of value-added car ownership & transactional services.