Founder of Vientiane’s volunteer emergency service, Sebastien Perret, discusses Vientiane Rescue’s operations amid the continued problem of road accidents.
Advancing to the Next Phase: PandaiSuite Commences Phase II Development
PandaiMind, a patent-protected solution, intends to improve training and learning neural networks while leveraging learner profile-driven training and course design improvement. PandaiKM, another ground-breaking feature, aims to offer comprehensive knowledge management and course recommendations, as well as an AI-enabled career path training planner to help users identify relevant courses for their career goals. The next phase also sees the rollout of PandaiHR, which is designed to bridge the gap between SME/Enterprise and Training Providers (TPs) while enabling learners to acquire relevant skills through AI-enabled training. The final advanced addition to PandaiSuite Phase II includes PandaiNetwork, which seeks to facilitate networking between learners and trainers, creating a community based on learning and development. Together, these improvements will provide a more effective learning management system while enhancing the inclusive learning experience for users.
The new additions of PandaiSuite Phase II are projected to bolster the existing components of PandaiSuite Phase I, which include PandaiCore, PandaiCart, PandaiCampus, and PandaiCorner. This first phase laid the framework for PandaiSuite to be an online course platform that offers learners the flexibility to personalise their learning journey. Designed to cater to corporate training providers and individual learners looking to enhance their skill set and knowledge base, the current platform allows users to select from various short courses, monitor their progress, and take relevant tests. It also enables users to learn at their own speed, offering access to professional trainers attached to the platform and allowing learners to achieve their goals regardless of their prior knowledge or skills.
With its proposed action plans, PandaiSuite has been selected to participate in the innovSpur Programme, which supports the advancement and early adoption of viable learning innovations for EdTech solutionists. As a result, the platform has been awarded a grant that is projected to support the implementation of PandaiSuite Phase II and its next steps of development.
Through its participation in the innovSpur Programme, PandaiSuite is equipped to benefit from the resources available and thereby has the potential to push its learning initiatives forward. The grant of up to $500,000 or 75% of the project value offered by the programme will allow PandaiSuite to cover a significant portion of the costs associated with scaling up and early adoption. The live-testing support offered in the real market and customer conditions also aim to aid PandaiSuite in understanding their customers better and fine-tuning their product to cater to market needs.
For more information, please visit https://pandaisuite.com/.
Hashtag: #PandaiSuite #Business #Technology
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Laos, South Korea Sign Agreement on Financing Lao Workers Overseas

Laos’ Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and BNK Capital Lao Non-Deposit Taking Microfinance Institution Co., Ltd. (BNK MFI) of the Republic of Korea inked a deal last week to provide financial support for Lao workers to work overseas.
The latest CSR trend in fintech: how technological companies help build a more sustainable future

What does this trend, or rather a new societal norm, have to do with fintech companies? In what ways can they help, and what actions do they already take to improve our world? This article aims to answer these questions for emerging and already established fintech companies, as well as for their clients.
Fintech companies and corporate social responsibility
Fintech companies can advance social causes in several unique ways: from bringing financial services to people who have not had access to them to promoting financial literacy. Here are some of the most pressing issues fintech companies are already addressing:
- Giving made easier. Some companies, such as Fidelity Charitable, present an opportunity to contribute cash, securities, and other assets to donor-advised funds at public charities. This makes it possible to increase tax savings for donators. Others, like Binance Charity, attempt to revolutionise global giving by employing Web3 technology, which makes donations more transparent, efficient, and, most importantly, direct.
- Serving the underserved. Financial exclusion in rural and underdeveloped areas has become a major issue many fintech companies decide to centre their CSR activities around. In some cases, the whole purpose for creating a fintech service is built around bridging this gap. For instance, the mobile financial service bKash was specifically designed to cater for the 70% of the Bangladesh population who live in rural areas and have limited access to formal banking.
- Advancing financial literacy. Unfortunately, few schools teach banking, investments, and savings, while those are some of the most important skills students might need in their adult life. Fintech companies become increasingly aware of the issue and start developing educational courses that serve their clients and a much wider audience.
Other charitable activities major fintech companies are involved in include environmental projects, such as HSBC’s efforts to help preserve Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park in Taiwan, emergency aid and various initiatives corresponding to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
What can just one fintech company do to advance social causes worldwide?
Let’s take one fintech company to illustrate the CSR approach in fintech and its impact. In 2022, the international Forex broker OctaFX directed its efforts at helping local communities overcome global challenges. Here’s what it managed to accomplish:
- The broker helped 1855 people and 46 small businesses in emergency situations, mostly during natural disasters.
- OctaFX supported educational efforts of 4452 students and 50 schools and organisations by funding scholarships, extracurricular educational workshops, professional courses, renovating and building new schools and classes, purchasing computers and other necessary educational equipment.
In total, OctaFX helped more than 6000 people across multiple countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Some of the most impressive projects included the following:
- In India, the broker helped construct six computer classrooms for the Lala Bulaki Das Babu Ram Sahai Hindu Mahila Inter College in Tilhar.
- In Malaysia, OctaFX provided twelve-month allowances to six students pursuing different degrees in Malaysian universities.
- In Indonesia, the broker provided humanitarian aid for families affected by an earthquake in Cianjur district, which left 58,362 people hurt and displaced.
- In Pakistan, OctaFX financed the Health, Education and Safety (HES) project, which aimed at improving the health, education, and safety of children in twelve rural areas of Muzzafargarh, Punjab.
- In Nigeria, OctaFX provided fifty unemployed youths with ICT training as part of the charitable project Youth Employability Skills (YES).
- In Mexico, the broker is currently sponsoring Empowerment Program, which is going to benefit 110 elementary school students in Fundación Dr. José María Álvarez I.A.P.
The current CSR trend in the fintech industry is set to expand, while both stakeholders and employees expect their values to align with those of their companies. As more companies start to actively participate in socially beneficial projects, we become yet closer to a more sustainable, educated, and healthy future for the world.
Hashtag: #OctaFX
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About OctaFX
OctaFX is a global broker providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and a variety of services already utilised by clients from 150 countries with more than 21 million trading accounts. Free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools they provide help clients reach their investment goals.
The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charitable and humanitarian initiatives, including the improvement of educational infrastructure and short-notice relief projects supporting local communities and small to medium enterprises.
On a side note, OctaFX has also won 60 awards since its foundation, including the ‘Best Online Broker Global 2022’ award from World Business Outlook and the ‘Best Global Broker Asia 2022’ award from International Business Magazine.
Aon Names Stephen Rudman as Head of Marine for Asia
Based in Singapore, Rudman will be part of Aon’s global marine executive team and report to Paul Young, head of Commercial Risk Solutions for Asia at Aon. He joins Aon from Gallagher, where he worked for the past 10 years, most recently as head of Marine, Transport and Logistics for Australia.
“Businesses in the region are facing several challenges including rising inflation, workforce shortages and increasing climate risks. Stephen’s extensive experience will further enhance our team’s capability to bring scalable solutions to our clients in the marine industry in such a challenging environment. I am confident that he will build on the team’s success and continue to help our clients manage volatility and make better business decisions,” Young said.
Aon has a significant presence in the marine industry globally with over 250 colleagues based in key locations dedicated to serve clients in this industry. In his role, Rudman will be responsible for growing the team and driving business growth in the region while providing clients with solutions and services for their risk management needs.
“I am excited to join the Aon team and look forward to leveraging Aon’s global expertise and state-of-the-art analytics to provide innovative solutions and ensuring our clients in the marine industry continue to receive the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business,” Rudman said.
More information about Aon in Asia is available here.
Hashtag: #Aon
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About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.
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Landor & Fitch Appoints Meta Exec Teemu Suviala as Chief Creative Officer

Suviala will take responsibility for Landor & Fitch’s award-winning creative teams in studios across more than 20 countries worldwide, working with clients such as Apple, Netflix, Coca-Cola, LEGO and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Reporting to Jane Geraghty, Global CEO, Teemu will lead the continued expansion and evolution of the company’s design offer, with a particular focus on integrating new technologies.
“I am delighted that Teemu is joining our team. He’s an exceptional designer with a long track record of delivering transformative work and a compassionate leader with a truly global view. The breadth of his experience will be invaluable as we continue to expand and evolve our offer to meet the needs of our ambitious clients,” said Jane Geraghty. “With our recent rapid growth and influx of new talent, Teemu’s passion for nurturing creative cultures makes him the perfect creative leader for us.”
Previously holding creative director roles at agencies including Collins and Wolff Olins, Suviala joins from Meta where he was global head of brand design for its Reality Labs. He and his team worked closely on the company’s high-profile rebrand from Facebook, including the naming, branding and visual identity. Alongside this, Suviala led the expansive brand design work in bringing Meta’s metaverse concepts to the fore across breakthrough technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. Suviala is an entrepreneur and adventurous designer, bringing over 25 years of creative and management experience. An impressive portfolio includes ground-breaking creative for clients including Amnesty International, Google, Spotify and Uniqlo.
Suviala will be joining Landor & Fitch at the beginning of February, splitting his time between London and New York.
“An incredible set of clients. Award-winning work. Stubbornly future-forward thinking. Landor & Fitch holds huge appeal to a creative mind, and the opportunity for growth is unlimited. But it was the culture here that spoke to me most – a singular vision and commitment to working as one to deliver the extraordinary and make a positive difference.” Suviala added. “I’m excited to join a culture that not only obsesses about creativity and innovation to achieve success but aspires to reach it together. I’m keen to explore how we can be at the forefront of the Imagination Age with new technologies such as A.I. and by blurring the lines between our physical and virtual worlds to create the better, bolder brand experiences which appeal to the consumers, clients, and stakeholders of today and tomorrow.”
Rob Reilly, Global Chief Creative Officer at WPP, said: “It’s hard to find a global talent with as long a track record of creative excellence as Teemu. But what impresses me most about him is his commitment to bringing greater diversity to the design industry. We can’t wait to see the impact he has on our people and clients.”
Hashtag: #Landor&Fitch #Branding #Transformation #Creativity #Agency
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Landor & Fitch
We are a global brand transformation company, here to make an extraordinary difference: for our clients, our employees and the world around us.
We mix left and right brain people, working together, to go beyond what’s expected. Essential intelligence and dramatic design. Business strategy and brand purpose. Expression and experience. Expertise and empathy. 1,200 curious minds. 20 countries. 1 team. We transform brands and businesses, to drive growth.
We see ourselves as valuable additions to our client’s teams and are proud of our relationships with them. Local and global. Corporate and consumer. Emerging and established sectors. We work with clients that include Apple, Bang & Olufsen, bp, Kellogg’s, LEGO, Microsoft, Nike, Procter & Gamble and Singtel, to name a few.
We are proud to be part of WPP, a creative transformation company dedicated to building better futures.
Vietnam’s Agriculture: Farmer-centered and Sustainable Transformation

For decades, Vietnam’s agriculture followed the targets of production volume. This growth model has failed to take account of income returns to farmers and all other environmental costs. This leads to a dilemma that when Vietnam’s agricultural production and export revenue increased to a certain extent, farmers’ incomes decreased over time. The shift to an economic growth model that put farmers at the centre will help reverse this trend, improve farmers’ incomes and restore ecosystems and the rural environment.
At COP26, Vietnam pledged that it will reduce net emissions to zero by 2050.
At COP26, the Prime Minister made a commitment that Vietnam will reduce net emissions to zero by 2050 and will reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 compared to 2020’s level. At COP27, Vietnam submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which sets higher targets. For agriculture, the unconditional NDC target by 2030 increases from 6.8 million tons per NDC 2020 to 12.4 million tons per NDC 2022; the conditional NDC target increases from 32.6 million tons per NDC 2020 to 50.9 million tons per NDC 2022. This translates into financial needs of around US$2.1 billion and US$16.1 billion to meet conditional and unconditional targets, respectively.
Vietnam’s agricultural export turnover in 2022 clearly demonstrates its strengths and comparative advantages in the global agricultural supply chain and its important role for the global food security. This result has been accompanied by strong support of international partners and efficient utilization of ODA projects.
Rice farming is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Vietnam’s agriculture sector, emitting about 49.6 million tons of CO2e annually. Moving to low-carbon rice production offers the highest potential for Vietnam to reduce GHG emissions, particularly methane.
The Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project (VNSAT), financed by the World Bank, has demonstrated that by adopting improved rice farming methods so-called 1 Must 5 Reduction (1 must: certified seeds; 5 reductions: number of sown seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, watering and post-harvest losses), it will not only help increase yield and net profits for farmers but also significantly reduce GHG emissions. At the time the VNSAT closed in June 2022, the project was able to reduce approximately 1.5 million tons of CO2e annually.
These successful experiences will be upscaled if the government expands further supports to improve infrastructure and large-scale agricultural extension services. If the improved farming methods be replicated in the remaining core rice areas in the Mekong Delta, it might help reduce over 9 million tons of CO2e annually. The implementation of the VNSAT Project in 7 years (from 2015 to 2022) is evaluated as the most successful model project ever in international cooperation in agriculture.
On this basis, the World Bank is supporting Vietnam to access global funds to finance 100 million USD from carbon payments for rice farming in the Mekong Delta and preparing the Low-carbon Agriculture Value Chain Development Project following VNSAT.
With the companionship of international partners, Vietnamese agriculture is gradually transforming its production model to meet green growth, demonstrating an increasingly important role in the international community for sustainable development, emission reduction, climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development affirmed that “Vietnam is a responsible member of the international community and wishes to develop its agriculture in a responsible, transparent and sustainable manner. We do hope that our international partners will strengthen the cooperation with Vietnam in developing green and sustainable agriculture and achieving global food security”.
Box:
According to Mr. Ahmed Eiweida, Vietnam Sector Leader for Sustainable Development (World Bank), the new growth model of Vietnam’s agriculture promotes environmental sustainability, restoring ecosystems and puttting farmers, at the heart of the development, which is aligned with global best practices.
In addition, Vietnam has made great progress in agricultural policy reform followed by concrete actions. Government strategies, such as the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for the period of 2021-2030 with a Vision to 2050 and the Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan, accurately capture the main aspects of the new growth model of agricultural economy covering both production, income, export, employment, environment, and rural development.
Corresponding to this mindset shift, the World Bank has also adjusted its focus on development assistance towards climate resilience, livelihood diversification, and low-carbon agriculture. The World Bank is also coordinating with FAO and IRRI to assist MARD in developing a standardised Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system for the rice subsector.
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108Jobs, UNDP to Organize Job Fest 2023 in March
Job Fest 2023 will be organized on 3-5 March 2023 at the International Cooperation and Training Center (ICTC) in Vientiane to provide career opportunities and consultation for job seekers in Laos.