Asia Magazine #26

SINGAPORE

TAIWAN

JAPAN

HONG KONG

The Story of Kickstarting a Country

The Taste of Sweden in Your Taiwanese Lunch

The Quest for Coffee in Tokyo

Gender Inequality in Hong Kong

BY CHALMERS STUDENTS IN ASIA

ISSUE 26 FALL 2015

Welcome!

In your hand you are holding the latest issue of Asia Magazine, a joint effort carried out by Chalmers students in Asia. The magazine is meant to be informative and entertaining regarding current topics of Asia as well as a source of inspiration for students curious about exchange studies. With this dynamic region in focus, it features articles on cultural, political, economical and social subjects. The magazine is coordinated and compiled by students at the Chalmers International Taiwan Office.

What is Chalmers International Taiwan Office?

Chalmers International Taiwan Office, CITO, was opened in March 2003 and is the result of a bilateral exchange agreement between National Chiao Tung University, NCTU, and Chalmers University of Technology. CITO is strategically located at NCTU, near the Hsinchu Science Park.

The main purposes of the organization are: • To increase awareness about the development of East Asia, with focus on Taiwan, at Chalmers • To support mobility of students and staff between NCTU and Chalmers • To enhance the visibility of Chalmers in Taiwan in the neighbouring region • To act as a hub at NCTU for Chalmers students in East Asia • To further develop Chalmers’ cooperation with Swedish companies in Taiwan and Asia

A part of the CITO mission is to enhance opportunities for Chalmers students in Asia by searching for internships, master’s theses and other cooperations. If you are looking for assistance to grab an opportunity in Asia, do not hesitate to contact us!

Editor in Chief Malin Ansgar malin.ansgar@chalmers.se Art Director Thure Waller thure.waller@chalmers.se Contact CITO National Chiao Tung University 1001 Daxue Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan R.O.C www.asia.chalmers.se Cover photo by Thure Waller

Contents 02

Editor’s Letter

03

AsiaStaff

04

22

42

SINGAPORE

SWEDEN

The Singaporean Approach on Sustainability

24 JAPAN

Joint Business Council 2015 —A Brief Review From a Student Perspective

44

Chalmers in Asia

Sendai —After the Shock

06

26

46

SINGAPORE

TAIWAN

30

50

TAIWAN

INDIA

CHINA

By Bike in Beijing

09 JAPAN

The Quest for Coffee in Tokyo —By Any Beans Necessary

12 SINGAPORE

Urban Planning in Asia’s Densest Populated Country

14 TAIWAN

The International Language of Sports

16 INDIA

Indian Culture

19 CHINA

The Language Barrier

The Story of Kickstarting a Country

The Global Game

32 SINGAPORE

Fires Paralysing a Nation

34

AsiaPhotos

SINGAPORE

Volvo Group in Asia Oceania

The Taste of Sweden in Your Taiwanese Lunch

IITD —The Hard Way to Success

52 HONG KONG

A Sustainable Future

54 SINGAPORE

38

Lee Kuan Yew

HONG KONG

Gender Inequality in Hong Kong

40 JAPAN

Small Town Perspective in the World’s Most Populous City

01

EDITOR’S LETTER

2015/10/18

There are currently 41 Chalmers students studying in Asia within Chalmers World Wide programme. We are all curious individuals who have seized a unique opportunity and accepted a challenge presented to us. With vast expectations and hopes mixed with anxiety for the unknown places we would soon call home, we recently stepped onto airplanes taking us to new adventures. These students have contributed to this, the 26th, issue of Asia Magazine. I would like to thank them all for the creativity, thought and time they spent expressing their experiences in words and photos for others to take part of. As you might have noticed Asia Magazine has been given a new and updated look, all thanks to the hard work of our Art Director, Thure Waller. We think the magazine looks better than ever, hope you like it too!

The modern development of Asia has been astonishing. Through the economic advancement and the enormous population of the region the countries within it are now vital actors of our globalized world. The Asian market offers great opportunities.

Knowledge and understanding for the Asian cultures pose a significant need for conducting successful business within the region. As exchange students we have come to know the everyday life of these cultures. The ten students studying in Taiwan can all recount numerous stories of a vibrant, colourful and dynamic culture and an admirable hospitality of our new Taiwanese friends. However, adapting to a new culture is not always easy. Living in a globalized community poses many challenges but at the same time gives us opportunities to learn from each other, because different is not always wrong. Daring to challenge yourself and your perceptions through encounters with new people, places and situations will be rewarding and help you grow as an individual. Because as we all know; we can not learn from what we already know.

So take your time to read the magazine, it is a part of Asia, fragments from our everyday lives. Maybe you are in your third year of studies at Chalmers and thinking about applying to the World Wide Programme in Asia? Allow yourself to be inspired by the cultures of a continent and then ask yourself the question: are you ready to experience Asia?

Malin Ansgar Editor in Chief

ASIASTAFF

Viktor Wåhlberg

Björn Agaton

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Quality and Operations Management viktor.wahlberg.chalmers.se

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation

Malin Ansgar

Thure Waller

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering

malin.ansgar@chalmers.se

thure.waller@chalmers.se

Linn Lindfred

Johan Rebner

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation

linn.lindfred@chalmers.se

johan.rebner@chalmers.se

Erik Martinsson

Johnny Truong

Head of Office

Editor in Chief

Academic Exchange and Alumni Contacts

Academic Exchange and Alumni Contacts

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering

Deputy Head of Office

bjorn.agaton@chalmers.se

Art Director

Academic Exchange and Alumni Contacts

IT Responsible

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Communication Engineering johnny.truong@chalmers.se

erik.martinsson@chalmers.se

Marcus Bexell

Ebba Mannheimer

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management

Corporate Relations

marcus.bexell@chalmers.se

Corporate Relations

ebba.mannheimer@chalmers.se

03

Chalmers in Asia Studying at Chalmers does not limit you to Gothenburg, Sweden. Through many exchange programmes Chalmers students are given the opportunity to study at a range of Asian universities. Likewise, students from many different countries are invited to study at Chalmers in Sweden.

Dehli, India

Indian Institute of Technology

Singapore

Nanyang Technical University

National University of Singapore

04

Beijing, China

Tsinghua University

Shanghai, China Tongji University

Seoul, South Korea Seoul National University

Sendai, Japan Tohoku University

Tokyo, Japan

The University of Tokyo

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Hsinchu, Taiwan

National Chiao Tung University

Hong Kong, China

City University of Hong Kong

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

05

06

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing.

That’s a fact, it’s a thing we can’t deny.

Like the fact that I will love you till I die.

BY BIKE IN BEIJING

By Bike in Beijing

I

f I were to ask you which city in the world you associate with bicycles, the odds are that you would answer Amsterdam. If you had asked me the same question about a month ago I would probably have given the same answer. After just I couple of days in Beijing I changed my mind, and I feel sure to say that Beijing is the capital of bikes.

Before I went to Beijing I booked a hotel close to Tsinghua so that I would have a short distance to school the first days before I found a permanent place to stay. I looked at the map and found a good hotel about four blocks away, which sounded perfect. The first day I was cursing over all the bikes and how dangerous it was as a pedestrian. I was also wondering when I would get to the university gates. It took me 40 minutes to walk four blocks to reach Tsinghua, and 25 more to reach my classroom.

When you arrive in a new country without nothing more than your luggage and a credit card you try to work out your basic needs like food and a place to stay.

These were my priorities for the first days too. It just doesn’t feel right to spend 300 RMB (400 SEK) on a bike when you don’t know where to get your next meal or where to sleep the next night. After my third day in Beijing with no luck apartment hunting I was close to giving up. With apartment agents scamming students left and right, ridiculous prices and rooms with 5-7 people, it seemed impossible to find a good place to stay.

The turnaround came when I bought my bike on the fourth day. I figured I could at least go down in flames and ride my bike back to Sweden if it wouldn’t work out. With my new bike (a nice looking fixie-bike that falls apart if you stare at it) I managed to

get to classes in under 15 minutes, find the school cafeteria on the other side of campus (thus saving 80% on food expenditures) and meet with several more apartment agencies.

One day later I had a nice apartment set up just outside Tsinghua and I finally managed visit all the teachers I needed to talk to for registering for courses. I was back on track!

By now you have already figured out that Beijing is a huge city, not only in terms of population, but also in distances. One block in Beijing is like three blocks everywhere else in the world. Since scooters and mopeds are expensive and have a limited range (since a couple of years back all scooters must be powered by electricity) bicycles seem to be the mean of transportation in Beijing.

At Tsinghua there are about 30 bike shops. On a regular day when the semester starts each shop sells about a bike every fifteenth minute on average. Shops are usually open 14 hours a day, 7 days a week. The first week more than roughly 12.000 bikes were sold. At Tsinghua University there are about 40.000 students and about 10.000 employees and faculty members. About 95% of them have a bicycle. A lot of numbers, but what I am trying to say is that there are a lot of bicycles at Tsinghua and in Beijing. In one of my courses we did an estimation about the number of bikes parked on a regular day at Tsinghua. The park administration had it estimated to 100.000, even with clean ups going on continuously.

Tsinghua is about 3x3 km big and I estimate it to be about three times larger than Chalmers Johanneberg. Imagine if 30.000 bikes where parked at Chalmers when you went to school tomorrow and 95% of all the people going somewhere were doing it riding a bike!

So far I have enjoyed my stay enor07

CHINA

mously, apart from the basic hassle of being in mainland China: the necessity of a good VPN (Software protocol so you can access Google and Facebook for example), that no one speaks English outside the classroom and that you never know what will end up on your plate. Tsinghua University is probably the most famous and best university in China, all the presidents have studied here, so the odds are that the next one probably has studied here as well. The school is really good and most of my professors have PhDs from universities like Stanford, LSE and MIT. I can highly recommend Tsinghua, but make sure to read my upcoming survival guide before you go here, it will save you a lot of time and give you a recommendation for the best bike shop in Beijing!

WORDS AND PHOTO Anton Skoglund Tsinghua University, China

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. antonsk@student.chalmers.se

08

JAPAN

THE QUEST FOR COFFEE IN TOKYO

The Quest for Coffee in Tokyo —By Any Beans Necessary ”Are you sure we’re on the right street?” is what I’m asking my new found Singaporean friend as we’re venturing deeper into a cluster of low-rise neighbourhoods. The air is unpleasantly humid and I’m starting to feel impatient.

Even though we’re in the beginning of October, it seems Tokyo has yet to let go of summer. The location is Omotesando, an area mostly known for its streets showcasing architectural marvel. Today however, we’re not here for the architecture. Instead we’re on a mission to find a well-hidden coffee shop.

All of the sudden, I’m stumbling upon a square-framed sign with the words ”Omotesando Koffee” written on it in capital letters. An impressive line of customers can be seen behind a fence surrounding what appears to be an old Japanese home. As we’re entering through the gate, I think to myself; every visitor went through all this effort to arrive here, and for the same reason, to satisfy their coffee addiction.

S

tudying abroad means having to be prepared to leave a few habits behind.

With a new culture come new habits.

Knowing I would travel to Japan, an East Asian country more commonly known to the West for its tea culture, I was well prepared to put my coffee addiction on the shelf for the time being. This might appear as no big deal to the common reader, but for me it would be quite troublesome. Not only am I from Sweden, one of the world’s biggest coffee consuming nations per capita, but I also have a history of working as a barista. I take my caffeine intake seriously. I was therefore surprised and obviously euphoric when I read the news that coffee culture is in fact blooming in Tokyo.

The history of coffee consumption in Japan begins with Dutch settlers introducing it to the country at the end of 17th century. Compared to the traditional green tea, it remained only a minor beverage. It stayed therefore nothing but a curiosity for centuries. It wasn’t until the end of World War II

that the tides shifted. Japan entered a phase of westernisation and along with it came European inspired coffee houses. This eventually resulted in coffee becoming increasingly popular. The real boom however was by the synergistic effect of canned ready-to-drink coffee in both hot and cold forms, and the expansion of vending machines. Japan has been hooked on coffee beans ever since.

During the last 40 years, consumption has soared, making today’s Japan surprisingly the world’s third biggest importer of coffee. Today, a variety of coffee can be spotted everywhere in Tokyo. Allow me to introduce some of the options.

The mentioned canned coffee is one alternative. It tends however to be either too sweet or bitter for my liking. It’s nonetheless a good source of caffeine and I’ve realized that its accessibility can be a lifesaver at times. They can be found in almost any vending machine located on just about every corner of Tokyo.

When one has plenty of time, then 09

JAPAN

there’s the option of visiting the European inspired coffee houses, also known as kissaten in Japan. Generally speaking, these are easily spotted by their decor. Entering these cafés feels like stepping back in time to a Japan during late mid 20th century. The decor alone is worth the visit and can be either elegant or charmingly worn-out. The atmosphere is intimate with jazz usually being played in the background. Guests however rarely make a sound. Compared to the lively conversations happening in most cafés in my home country, kissaten seems to rather encourage silence. Another interesting notation was that every kissaten appears to be family-owned. I would therefore assume that the owners take pride in their coffee, considering they’ve served customers for decades. So far, it’s been proven true since I’ve yet to be dissatisfied. Interestingly, the common brewing method is siphon, which is fairly uncommon in Sweden. It involves brewing with va10

pour pressure and vacuum resulting in clear and rich flavours.

Sadly, kissaten are slowly dying out and it’s the rise of coffee chains that is to blame.

International coffee giants such as Starbucks have become the preferable choice due to having the reputation of being hip, especially by the youth. Nowadays, coffee chains are everywhere in Tokyo. This makes it very challenging for kissaten to compete. Hence, many have been forced to close down.

In recent years though, a new coffee movement has swept over the city. Various number of independent specialty coffee shops have started opening up throughout the capital. Many of them even go through the effort of roasting their own beans. With so many to choose from, it’s hard to pick which one to visit. This weekend however, I finally decided to give a visit to Omotesando Koffee. It turned out to be a great decision.

THE QUEST FOR COFFEE IN TOKYO

Once we passed beyond the gate and stepped into a small courtyard, the first thought that struck me was the number of customers waiting in line. I expected fewer considering the difficulty finding the shop. I begin inspecting the building from the outside, it appears to be an old tatami-styled home. We’re stepping inside and an interior is greeting us that is anything but traditional.

While we’re standing in line, my eyes begin to wander and I’m noticing a repeated pattern in the decor. Cubes are seen everywhere, from the framing that is encasing the espresso bar down to the signage in front of the gate. As we’re making our way to the counter, I’m noticing that the pastries are also shaped into cubes. Everything is so minimalistic. It even seems to be only one barista behind the counter. No other staff members are to be seen.

I finally decide to order both a hot and cold cappuccino as I’m still being exhausted from the walk. While waiting for my order, I’m exchanging a few words with the barista, who actually turns out to be owner of the shop.

I find out that his approach is a Japanese style coffee. A Japanese spirit is emphasized in contrast to most other coffee shop in Tokyo that looks for foreign concept. I find this apparent in both decor and way of serving. Once our orders are done, we decide to bring them out to the courtyard. While we’re enjoying this intimate space, I’m taking a sip of my hot beverage. The foam is just the right amount and the espresso is rich without being too acidic.

It puts a smile on my face.

A

fter a week of exploring the coffee of Tokyo, I can finally conclude that I can truly satisfy my coffee addiction in this East Asian capital. Even though the more exclusive coffee shops might require some traveling, it can clearly be worth it. Obviously, I also have yet to explore them all. Coffee is definitely blooming here, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it during my stay. As I take another sip, I think to myself that I can now start worrying about what else I’ll miss during my exchange. That however, is another chapter to be told.

WORDS AND PHOTOS Daniel Krabbe

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Achitecture.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Design. krabbed@student.chalmers.se

11

SINGAPORE

Urban Planning in Asia’s Densest Populated Country

W

hen Singapore celebrated its golden jubilee on the 9th of August, standing in Marina Bay looking at the skyscrapers it was hard to imagine how different the city scape looked fifty years ago and how it will look fifty years from now.

The fundamental consideration for Singapore’s urban planners is the country’s small physical size, with 5.54 million people squeezed into an area of only 682.7 km2, which is just a bit more than the metropolitan area of Stockholm. To yield more space land reclamation has been used, but there is a limit to how much more can be reclaimed.

With such a severe land constraint, the balancing act that is synonymous with urban planning becomes more challenging in a city-state like Singapore.

Urban planning in Singapore aims to optimise the use of the country’s scarce land assets for the diverse needs of both current and future generations of residents. It involves allocating land for competing uses such as housing, commerce, industry, transport, recreation and defence, as well as determining the development density for various locations.

The way Singapore looks today is, to a large extent, a result of the government’s implementation of its urban development plans, the most important of which are the concept plan and the master plan.

The concept plan consists of a long-range land use and transportation plan that provides broad directions to guide Singapore’s physical development over the next 40-50 years. The master plan translates the strategic vision of the concept plan into detailed planning guidelines that will shape the physical development of Singapore over the next 10-15 years.

12

Singapore’s urban planning has its beginnings in the 1820s, when Sir Stamford Raffles implemented a land-use plan known as the Raffles Town Plan. Among its key features were a grid layout for the road network and a clear segregation of residential communities by ethnic group, for example the Chinese and Indian population. These neighbourhoods where the Indian and Chinese were placed still have cultural differences form the rest of Singapore and are today known as Little India and China Town.

By the early 1900s, the city area had become severely overcrowded. In the absence of an updated town plan and with the lack of control by the British government, slums had sprung up in the older sectors of the city and in the outlying areas. A planning department was founded and was given the power to control the development of land throughout Singapore for the purpose of implementing the 1958 master plan. That is how Singapore truly began its journey towards the planned city-state the world sees today.

However, the government soon realised that the planning strategies embodied in the master plan would be insufficient to cope with the rapid social and economic changes taking place in Singapore. It therefore sought the help of the United Nations to formulate a long-term framework for urban development

Illustration: Thure Waller

URBAN PLANNING IN ASIA’S DENSEST POPULATED COUNTRY

in Singapore. For the government, land-use planning had to address the two priorities of a newly independent Singapore: the provision of adequate housing and the generation of employment opportunities for the people.

The concept plan formed by the UN envisaged the development of high- and low-density residential estates, industrial areas and commercial centres in a ring formation around the central water catchment area, as well as a network of expressways and a mass rapid transit (MRT) system to provide island-wide interconnectivity. Safeguarding land for the expressway and MRT networks early on meant fewer planning problems and less disruption to the public when construction actually began. Similarly, the concept plan set aside land for the Changi Airport.

The first expressway, Pan Island Expressway, and the Changi Airport Terminal 1 were completed in 1981 and the MRT network was opened in 1987.

The current policy of Singapore’s urban planners is to create self-sufficient neighbourhoods and districts, which are then further assisted by four regional centres, each of which serves one of the four different regions of Singapore, besides the Central Area. These regional centres reduce traffic strain on Singapore’s central business district, the Central Area, by replacing some of the commercial

functions the Central Area serves.

The current concept plan is aiming to: • Enhance Singapore as a home of choice by offering a wider variety of housing locations and housing types.

• Strengthen Singapore as a magnet for business by developing new commercial hubs outside the city centre to give businesses a greater choice of attractive locations.

• Enhance Singapore as a vibrant and exciting playground by providing an extensive range of round-the-clock leisure opportunities under a new island-wide leisure plan.

• Make Singapore a home to cherish by safeguarding places of identity and heritage.

Despite good planning in advance there are some challenges Singapore is facing, especially with the limited amount of space, a growing interest of conserving of culture and heritage and a population that wants more independence from the government.

WORDS Emmy Dahlström

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering and Building Technology. demmy@student.chalmers.se

13

TAIWAN

The International Language of Sports

T

aiwanese students love sports. During the day it is often too warm and humid to do anything more exhausting than walking, but as soon as it gets dark, the campus explodes with different activities. Students can be seen juggling, playing basketball, swimming, jogging, you name it. Of course, as an exchange student, you want to adapt to the culture. Luckily the Taiwanese people are very friendly and inviting, soon we found ourselves engaged in different sport clubs, even though none of us spoke Chinese.

There are no language barriers in sports

Our first practices were fun, but we encountered a big problem. We realised that our coaches did not speak English. However we realised that this did not matter because there are no language barriers in sports. Even though we didn’t understand a single word, you get some idea about what you should do by following the coach’s gestures and tone of voice. If someone is pointing at you and yelling, then probably you are doing something wrong, but this has, of course, not happened to either of us.

Everyone is welcome

Like mentioned before, not speaking the same language is not a problem in sports. The coaches and instructors are very welcoming and helpful and even though instructions are in Chinese there is always someone who will help you with translation. Observing other participants is also a helpful in order to understand what you should be doing.

The practice sessions serve as a great way of learning Chinese, so far we have picked up a couple of words: 跑

Pǎo

Run

跳

Tiào

Jump

十秒

Shí Miǎo

10 Seconds (Meaning 10 seconds left until pause)

游泳

Yóuyǒng

Swim

两百

Liǎng bǎi

Two hundred

Hǎo qiú

Nice shot, nice pass, good job etc. (All you need)

好球

The most important point is that even though our oral communication is not optimal, we quickly realized that it does not matter because we can communicate through the international language of sports, practice and have fun.

14

THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF SPORTS

Before I (Erik) started playing with the basketball team I was concerned about the language barrier, but I decided to give it a try.

As I first stepped onto the school basketball court I was greeted by the school team coach, he called one of the basketball players over to translate for him. He explained to me about the school team and how he wanted me to have a great experience and make good memories, and I have been playing with them since then.

“...as soon as it gets dark, the campus explodes with different activities.”

We both think sports is a great way to meet Taiwanese people and get to know them because you share a common interest, an “ice breaker”. The Taiwanese universities have sports teams associated with them, similar to those that can be found in the United States.

We think that it is a welcoming community and as an exchange student you should not hesitate, if you are interested, to be a part of it. *A fun fact is that the cost for participating in the kickboxing club is 300 NTD per year, which is about 75 SEK. WORDS Johan Rebner

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

Our personal encounters with school sports

One of my (Johan’s) great passions is working out. So going to Taiwan I was a little bit worried about not being able to do sports because of the language barrier. Arriving here I realised there was no need to worry. Now I practice with the university swim team and the kickboxing club. It has been great, not only because practicing sports is fun but you also get to know a lot of Taiwanese students who share a common interest.

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. johan.rebner@chalmers.se

WORDS Erik Martinsson

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering. erik.martinsson@chalmers.se

15

INDIA

16

INDIA

INDIAN CULTURE

Indian Culture

T

here is no doubt that there is a giant culture difference in India compared to Sweden and it is an amazing experience to visit this country. India is often a country with extremities. Over one billion people today consider India as their home, consisting of different ethnicities, social backgrounds and class.

The wealth amongst people differs a lot, and unfortunately the very poor people are more commonly seen, but there are many privileged rich people at the same time. Also, Indians with educational background speak good English and since childhood they are being taught the importance of English. However, Indian culture distinguishes significantly from Swedish culture in many of ways. What is really fantastic is that India always surprises you with discoveries even if you think that you have seen it all.

Indians are in general very warm-hearted and share their love in quite expressive ways. In fact, if you are close to an Indian, you will be overwhelmed by their affection and attention. You could easily observe this if you are guest to someone in their home.

Guests in Indian families are treated as gods.

During the stay they will make sure you have the most delightful and most memorable experience. While visiting an Indian family you can also observe their close family relations with joint family privileges meaning that they all live together and share strong bonds with each other. Staying with family is more common and the Indians are closer to their parents in comparison to the western culture. This is why it is often seen that an Indian residence contains grandparents, parents and grandchildren.

Regarding the Indian tradition, Indian couples are mostly not formed by their own will. It is common that parents arrange their

children’s marriage. In older times, parents did not ask their respective child for consent nor allow them to meet before marriage.

However, with time the Indian society has undergone a significant change. Arranged marriages are still common, but these days the to-be bride and groom, are both asked for their consents. Parents match the horoscope of the couple for compatibility with respect to background of the families and their casts.

In brief, Caste system is a quite intrinsic concept in Indian society, a stratification of the society on the basis of job done by people.

When matching is over, the marriage is approaching and the bride’s family has to stand for all expenses during the wedding and also give gifts to the groom’s family. The woman has to abandon living at her family to live with her husband, who continues living with his family. These are some reasons why a boy often is preferred over girls during child birth. Though these traditions have been less followed during the last decades. One of the principle reasons for such change is the influence of western culture.

In India the relation between men and women differ and the separation of men and women is sometimes complex and hard to understand. For example women have a special reserved wagon in the metro, while other times the metro goes smoothly with a mix of men and women. Furthermore, girls are not allowed to swim in public wearing bikinis but instead have to use a special swimsuit, with no exceptions. At present, in some cases the schools are divided into separate schools for boys and girls in India, so in a manner, boys and girls are still to be separated. This is not the case for most of the schools though, and here at IIT Delhi everyone interacts in a, for me as a Swede, normal way.

Another fascinating thing is that you 17

INDIA

“Guests in Indian families are treated as gods. During the stay they will make sure you have the most delightful and most memorable experience.” never ever thank or welcome your loved ones. The strong bond between parents and children might be the reason of not thanking their parents. The main reason behind this strange visibly ungrateful act is that Indians actually feel that it is their duty to help out each other and being nice to loved ones. Being there for someone whom you love is actually not a big deal but your duty. Though, saying ‘thank you’ or ‘welcome’ is considered formal, to be said to strangers or to ones who are not close.

To believe in something is of great importance which all Indians do. Not necessarily the same gods but everyone agrees there is higher power. There are so many temples to visit and what often defines each temple is that one specific god is worshipped. A personal favourite was the temple where a god was worshipped with alcohol. Spirits of different kinds where sold outside the temple, in purpose to give it as a symbolic gift to the god in shape of a statue in the temple. Interesting 18

since the drinking age is twenty-five but still people of younger ages are encouraged to visit here.

My conclusion is that cultures differ a lot across the world and not least in India.

Though India seems to become more and more influenced by the West and who knows what my article would look like in ten, twenty or thirty years from now. India is an incredible country to see, experience and visit as one of their guests.

WORDS AND PHOTOS Marcus Johansson

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Applied Mechanics. jmarcu@student.chalmers.se

CHINA

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

The Language Barrier Most recent studies show that Sweden is considered to be one of the best non-native English-speaking countries in the world, and this is something most Swedes are aware of. Thanks to English being taught in pre-school, combined with easy access to native English-speakers on the Internet, many Swedes feel comfortable using English for both everyday talk as well as in business.

However, with the ability to make ourselves understood in the majority of the world we might have gotten lazy with learning a third language. What do we do when English is no longer the go-to-language?

B

efore I arrived in Shanghai I was quite confident in being able to use English for getting by, while learning Mandarin was more of a hobby.

I had been told by friends and read on the Internet that Shanghai was the most Western-like city in Mainland China, allowing the possibility to live life just as I would have if I had stayed back home. What I had not realised was how small this part of the society was. It turns out that unless shopping at the most luxurious malls or eating at the most expensive restaurants are your main activities, the chances of having an actual conversation in English here are quite slim. When you happen to meet Chinese people who know English, they usually know it very well and are happy to talk for as long as you like, but even within the university campus the occurrences of English-speakers are rare. Suddenly, our English proficiency is of no use.

What does this language barrier mean for Swedes living in China? I met up with Viktor Andersson, who is pursuing a double Master’s Degree at the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University, to ask him about his experience. Viktor had been in China once before, taking a four-week Mandarin summer course in Nanjing, but that was already five years ago. Regarding his previous language knowledge Viktor says: “I learned how to order rice, how to count and

ask about the price. That, and bargaining too, as we went to the fake market a lot. At the market it is possible to communicate just by numbers, as you are holding the thing you want in your hand”. Viktor describes the local people in Nanjing as very friendly towards foreigners. In Shanghai he finds the locals a bit less welcoming, something he attributes to the sheer amount of expatiates: “I think that many believe that we Westerners come here and take their jobs”. Even so, knowing just a bit of Mandarin can do wonders. Just by being able to say nihao (“hi” in mandarin) or tell someone your name, they tend to open up considerably, especially the staff in smaller restaurants or the residents of the penghuqu.

So how do you get around when the language-based communication is lacking?

Normally we turn to using body language, but even that can be problematic in China, as Viktor has experienced several times. “The body language is different from the West.

I have difficulties gesticulating anything, it won’t come across as I intended”, he says and shows me the gesture for “I don’t understand”; when he tried to use it, it mostly led to locals continuing to repeat the same sentences over and over in a louder and louder voice. Viktor’s advice to newcomers in China is to find a restaurant or grocery store where the people are nice, and start going there regularly. It is best to take it slowly: “You try to 19

CHINA

learn what apple is and ask for that a couple of times, and then you change to… maybe bananas, or pears and so on”, Viktor tells me before we get down to the fruit shop in the penghuqu where the locals have gotten used to seeing him every day.

20

Mandarin

also known as Putonghua or common language, is the official spoken language of Mainland China since 1950. The Chinese written signs/characters are the same throughout the country.

Penghuqu

“basic houses”, areas where residents who have not yet been evicted to make room for new high-rise compounds live; often home to the poorest but most welcoming people.

Waiguo ren

official term for “foreigners”.

Laowai

“foreigners”, formerly used in a negative way.

S

o just how much do you need to know not to feel as limited, and how much work does it take to get there?

Andreea Viorela Jakab, who holds a Bachelor’s in Chinese and a Master’s Degree in East-Asian Studies from the University of Bucharest, is in Shanghai to enjoy the culture and meet people, as well as to practice the everyday language. She tells me that it is hard to keep it at a high level when you are not in China. One of Andreea’s reasons for coming back to China after a three-year break is that Shanghai offers a mix of languages. “I speak the standard language but I want to understand Shanghai hua, the language they speak here in Shanghai. Dialects in China can be compared to all languages of Europe: they are extremely different from one another, and not even Chinese people can understand them.”, she says and explains that even by being fluent in Mandarin you will not be able to speak with everyone in China. This is especially true for the older generations that

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

have not had mandatory Mandarin classes in school. “Sometimes the local people use it [their native language] to be able to talk behind your back, be it good things or (rarely) bad ones, even if you know Mandarin”, Andreea says and tells me that she often overhear people talking about her in the streets.

Laowai and waiguo ren are words to listen for when you are a foreigner in China.

The first time she was in China, four years ago, she studied in Tianjin after two years of Chinese Studies in her home country. “When I first came to China I could write and read, but when I tried to speak they didn’t understand anything”, says Andreea and adds in a joyful manner: “I didn’t use any tones”. Tones are a critical part of Mandarin, one that most Swedes and Europeans are not used to. Although it took her a couple of months to get the spoken language going, before she left one year later, she could speak about everyday things quite unhindered. It takes much more exposure to grasp the language completely, as even the differences between words used in spoken language and a newspaper article can be huge.

When you are used to being able to communicate in English, China does present some difficulties. However, even the most basic knowledge of Mandarin will make a difference. Reaching a level in which you can talk to strangers might take a bit more effort, but studying Mandarin during your stay in China will definitely make the whole experience much more interesting. Experiencing a language barrier will, if nothing else, teach you to have patience.

WORDS AND PHOTO Fredrik Beckius Tongji University, China

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Interaction Design and Technologies. frebec@student.chalmers.se

21

SINGAPORE

The Singaporean Approach on Sustainability

S

ingapore is an impressive country in many ways, especially when you consider the transformation it has been through since gaining independence in 1965. The rapid development the country has undergone has been done with sustainability close in mind, which has led to a well-developed country with a low environmental impact.

The focus on sustainability and the environment permeates throughout the citystate, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is not an exception. My field of study is sustainable energy systems, so this is something that attracted my attention and piqued my curiosity. I decided to find out more about what NUS does to pursue sustainability and environmentally friendly development in Singapore.

My first experience regarding the sustainability focus of NUS was the Recycle Day. On this day, new students are encouraged to use items that old students have left behind.

Since there are a lot of exchange students at NUS every year, the amount of things left behind is substantial. Rather than throwing these items away, students are encouraged to hand them in to make it possible for other students to use them again. This is a very simple, yet effective way to encourage students to make more environmentally friendly decisions.

Behind most of the ideas and campaigns such as Recycle Day is the Office of Environmental Sustainability, whose purpose is to continuously work to protect the environment and try to incorporate sustainability in all aspects of campus life. They have established an environmental policy consisting of eight paragraphs outlining the NUS vision 22

and they are offering guidelines on how to achieve their objective of sustainability and cultivate environmental sensitivity. One section of the policy guidelines regards the protection, preservation and enhancement of the campus environment and this focus is self-evident to everyone. All over campus there are a multitude of green areas that are beautifully and meticulously integrated.

Adding to the sense of detail and environmental concern created by these topographic aesthetic touches is all the new constructions on campus. Everywhere you look there are renovations and new buildings being built. The university’s objective is to ensure that all of the new, and newly-renovated buildings are awarded the Green-Mark certification. This certification is a way to rate buildings with regards to their environmental impact and energy efficiency.

THE SINGAPOREAN APPROACH ON SUSTAINABILITY

NUS is quite a large school, and there is a lot of research being done across a wide variety of areas, including environmental sustainability. The data learned from this research is something the school itself can benefit from, when they implement said research in creating solutions for their own projects, moving forward.

During my time here, I have been impressed of the way NUS works with sustainability and how they try to encourage students to make more environmentally friendly decisions; everything from not using plastic bags at the grocery stores, to participation in different environmental awareness events. I came across one of these events in the beginning of my stay - the “No Waste Days Challenge”. This is an initiative of the Singaporean government and there were a group of students informing other students on campus.

The purpose of this challenge is to minimize

one’s individual waste for a chosen number of days, with the goal of increasing awareness of what one can do in everyday life to contribute to a sustainable way of living.

There are a lot of things being done here at NUS aimed at making student more conscious of the environment, but there is one thing I find peculiar about NUS, and all of Singapore for that matter, and that is the temperature in the air conditioned areas.

Don’t get me wrong, the AC is a vital part for a comfortable life in Singapore since it is very hot, but the temperature difference between inside and outside is far greater than it needs to be. Almost every local student sits around in long pants and hoodies in lecture halls because it is too cold to wear anything less. For those of you that don’t know, the temperature in Singapore is around 30⁰ C all year, a climate that makes long pants and hoodies unnecessary. I could only imagine how much energy that would be saved by increasing the temperature of the AC, if only by a couple degrees.

National University of Singapore has a clear focus on sustainability and being environmentally friendly. The institution devotes a lot of time, energy and resources to communicate this message to everyone involved with the school in any way. I have not been here for a long time but my impression, which is shared by many of my fellow students, is that they are doing a good job.

WORDS AND PHOTO Daniel Eriksson

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Energy Systems. danierik@student.chalmers.se

23

JAPAN

Sendai —After the Shock

T

ake a look around you. What would you do if an earthquake hit you? When the ground moves fast enough to knock you off your chair and hard enough to crack buildings like twigs, where do you go? Most likely you don’t have an answer, but for 13 year old Nana Sato the answer was obvious: get under the table.

The 11th of March 2011 Nana Sato was sitting in class with her friends. The time was 14:46 when the world around her suddenly changed. The quiet chatter of the classroom was replaced with the loud roaring of the most powerful earthquake to ever hit Japan.

Like everyone around her she hid under the table, grasping one of the legs to hold still, but to no use. The quake was too powerful, and tables were smashed together along with everything not bolted to the ground. Cracks 24

formed in the walls and the lights went out.

They would remain under their desks for 30 minutes until the quake had stopped completely. When stepping outside they saw the destruction. Most buildings were damaged, some were destroyed. Nana remained hopeful, because after all, earthquakes are quite common in Japan and the buildings are built to handle them. They were not, however, built to handle the resulting tsunami that was rushing towards the coast of Sendai.

The students and teachers decided to stay the night at the school. With the roads smashed and the power gone, getting home would be far too risky. The next morning everyone gathered in the cafeteria. Nearby restaurants gave them food and water, but it was not enough to keep from feeling hungry.

The school was located inland, and was for-

SENDAI — AFTER THE SHOCK

tunately not hit by the tsunami. When Nana was picked up by her parents and travelled back to her house closer to the coast, she saw what the tsunami had done. Thousands dead, hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

This was not an average earthquake.

Nana’s house was spared from damage, and her mother had prepared with food and water to last for a while. After arriving at home Nana saw her father go out right away to help the victims. She also wanted to help, so she accompanied her father to gather food and supplies to distribute them to the refugees who were now without homes. Being only 13 years old at the time, she could not carry heavy debris or help the wounded, but she helped her father give out food to those who needed it.

A month after the earthquake temporary housing was built to give the victims a place to live while their houses were being rebuilt on higher ground. The Japanese government decided that they did not have sufficient protection against tsunamis. To com-

bat this they started moving vast quantities of sand and dirt to the coastal regions most affected, with the intention of building a sort of natural wall against the water. This process is ongoing, and even today many victims still live in their temporary housings.

Today Nana is 19 and is a part of the Tohoku University volunteer group, helping the victims of the earthquake cope with their new environment by providing support and stress relief. Ruined buildings can be rebuilt. Damaged power lines can be replaced. Damaged people are often forgotten. I’m glad there are people like Nana who remember them.

WORDS AND PHOTOS Daniel Chiniquy Engström Tohoku University, Japan

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. chiniquy@student.chalmers.se

25

REA SET BEIJING

26

DY

THE STORY OF KICKSTARTING A COUNTRY

The Story of Kickstarting a Country

“In this module, we will create a product and launch it for crowd funding. In short - it will be thrilling.” Did I just read that right? A course where I get to do what I love - develop and turn riveting ideas into reality - and at the same time have the chance of showing the world what I have created? And maybe earn money from it? I’m in.

I

t’s my first week in Singapore, the week of choosing modules for school, and I’m trying to take it all in, trying to understand the way of Singaporean education and culture. It’s that first week of both confusion and excitement, trying to put the first pieces of the puzzle of a new culture together.

The impressions from school are exciting. From friends, I hear about professors from Google and other renowned companies. As for myself, the lecturer leading the crowdfunding course is a prominent designer. In another course, we are to develop new ideas and future applications of the wonder material of graphene. I sense a way of being innovative within the area of education, and it’s exciting.

The first days go by and I start understanding Singaporean life, taking it in little by little, laying one piece of the puzzle at a time.

During the celebrations of Singapore’s 50th year as a nation, it dawns on me that Singapore has truly accomplished something that few other nations have. The country has risen from a fisher’s village to a world leading economy in only fifty years. If China is the corporate big brother, Singapore is the smaller but peaking Kickstarter sister, having gone from zero to success in only half a century.

Most people say it’s due to hard work.

As the weeks pass by, this hard work really becomes obvious. On campus, people staying nights in the study halls is a common sight.

Work, sleep, eat, repeat. Work, sleep, eat, re-

peat. But is hard work enough when a country is too small to have any natural resources, or has the lack of resources forced Singapore to think of new ways, to be innovative and creative? Is thinking of new ways a part of the Singaporean way of thinking?

As the weeks go by and more pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, the crowdfunding campaign is starting to take shape and we’re getting ready to launch. In my group, we’re launching a product to simplify carriage of laptop accessories. It’s exciting to learn from other successful projects, and try to find a way to shape our own story. As always, after a while it becomes obvious that much more work lies behind a project than the first impression suggests. Even though it starts with an idea, a vision, that’s far from all it takes. What really makes a successful campaign is hard work. We spend many hours putting together press kits, trying to reach journalists, writing agreements with manufacturers and not least - developing and tweaking the details of the product.

When I ask my Singaporean group mates about Singaporean innovation, they tell me that Singaporeans don’t innovate, they copy what is already good, and they work hard. I’m perplexed - have I gotten it all wrong? Has this piece of the puzzle gotten in the wrong place?

When talking more to my Singaporean group mates, watching presentations and reading the news, I’m starting to see it all 27

SINGAPORE

If you’re interested in Jakob’s Kickstarter campaign visit www.projectzag.com/crowdfunding.

The developed product, “ZAG” is a uniquely combined gadget organizer and laptop stand that uses elastic bands in an original way to keep accessories safe on the go.

with new eyes. Maybe innovation is not a key foundation in Singaporean culture after all. Even though it started with an idea, a vision signed Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father who governed for more than three decades, innovation might not have been the main reason why Singapore rose from zero to success in one generation. A vision was not all it took, but it was mostly hard work that did. Collaborative hard work in a society where everyone is striving for success. Work, sleep, eat, repeat. Work, sleep, eat, repeat.

The semester is now coming to its end and many pieces of the puzzle are put together. More pieces will fall into place during the coming semester, but like in most puzzles, some pieces will always be missing. My group has finally put together everything we need, we’ve tweaked the 28

last details, and we’re only one click away from launching our Kickstarter campaign.

Alright, let’s go.

Ready, set, launch!

WORDS AND PHOTO Jakob Hedlund

National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering. jakobhe@student.chalmers.se

WORK, SLEEP, EAT, REPEAT. WORK, SLEEP, EAT, REPEAT.

BY BIKE IN BEIJING

29

TAIWAN

The Global Game Asia’s economic growth in recent years has probably not been ignored by anyone. This development brings new possibilities for the public, and one of these possibilities is the opportunity of playing golf. One cannot view Asia as a single market from a golf perspective. A continent of such scale and variety has many different characteristics across its regions, but there are trends that stretch across a number of different countries.

I

n 1949, Mao Zedong banned the game of golf in China because it was viewed as a right-wing pastime highly impacted by Western culture. Today, there is still a ban that limits the construction of golf courses in the country due to environmental impact concerns. Despite this ban, the number of golf courses has more than tripled since 2004, which indicates that in China, just because something is banned, doesn’t mean it can’t boom.

Almost across the entire continent, the development and growth of golf has been a top-down process. The sport has spread primarily because wealthy elites have taken to it.

Golf courses have been built by developers as part of a scheme whose goal is to make profit, rather than by golfers coming together to find somewhere to play.

This could be the reason why golf in Asia has been known as an upper-class sport only accessible to a small percentage of the total population. And it still is. For example, a comparison between Sweden and China shows that there are 0.021 million people per golf course in Sweden and 23.3 million people per golf course in China. In most Asian countries, business is transacted on a more personal level than in other countries.

It is not uncommon that business deals are sealed on the golf course, the American business magazine Forbes has even written an article called “19 Tips for Closing a Deal on the Golf Course”.

30

There has been a boom in the number of children playing the sport in major areas in Asia. An HSBC report suggests that one reason for the game’s growing popularity in Asia is that Asian consumers are turning to leisure activities as their economic wealth increases.

Despite China’s limited number of golf courses, the number has tripled in less than a decade. Recent studies show that the enthusiasm for golf is higher in China and India than in the US and the UK, which suggests that the growth of golf will be sustained.

Due to the overall golf expansion in Asia, many golf facilities have been built and new projects are under development.

Despite Japan’s limited space, it is the biggest golf country in Asia with its 2,400 golf facilities, which is more than five times as many as China, the second biggest golf country. However, the interest of golf in Japan has decreased compared to the extreme boom in the 1980s when a great deal of golf courses were built. Instead of letting the lost space go to waste, Kyocera, a Japanese electronics manufacturer, will be installing solar panels on the courses. The first project will launch in 2017 and produce enough power for 8,000 homes.

One of the biggest golf facilities in Asia is Mission Hills Golf Club, located in Shenzhen, China. The facility includes twelve 18hole courses, designed by players like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Nick Faldo and Annika Sörenstam.

Illustration: Thure Waller

THE GLOBAL GAME

Eleven of these are championship courses, and one of them has hosted the tournament WGC – HSBC Championship, where the world top 50 were invited.

Apart from the golf courses, Mission Hills also features spas, resorts, the largest tennis centres in Asia with 51 courts, different kinds of golf academies, 5-star hotels and two club houses (one of them covers an area of 63,000 square meters). Mission Hills has also hosted a friendly football game between FC Barcelona and Mission Hills Invitation XI. Unfortunately, the Mission Hills team, captained by Sai Ho Cheung, wasn’t able to handle the Barcelona team with players like Andrés Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Xavi Hernández. The score was 4-0 in favour of Barcelona.

Golf is no longer a sport only accessible in Europe and the US. Golf has in recent years boomed all over Asia with its astonish-

ing facilities. Furthermore, this continent is a great leading example of environmental actions to be taken when the interest declines.

Golf has truly become a global game, but the cultural differences between continents are clear. In Sweden, golf is primarily played with your friends, which is not necessarily the case in Asian countries where golf is related to business. This might be something Swedes can learn from, because it is better to be on the golf course thinking about work than to be at work thinking about golf.

WORDS Marcus Bexell

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. marcus.bexell@chalmers.se

31

SINGAPORE

Fires Paralysing a Nation Haze has become a recurring problem for Singapore in the last two decades.

The haze consists of smoke originating from man made fires in Indonesia but looks like fog, which you can see in all countries around the world. It has a major impact on everyday life for the citizens of Singapore. Even though it only affects a limited period every year it is still an issue that Singaporeans have to deal with because of a greedy industry.

H

aze is a regular occurrence, every year during the dry season it affects major parts of Southeast Asia. The haze comes from illegal fires mainly on Sumatra and the Indonesian part of Borneo. The reason for these fires are that they are a quick and cheap way to clear land for palm oil, pulp, and paper plantations. The number of fires have increased as plantations expand every year due to a rising demand for palm oil, which is a key ingredient in everyday goods such as shampoo and biscuits.

32

The haze has been a problem since 1991 and many political agreements have been made, and broken, during the last decades.

In 2002 all ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, except Indonesia, signed the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, but the pollution problem is still present. In 2013 Singapore experienced a record high pollution level.

When the haze had just started in Singapore my thoughts were that it was an irritating problem that soon would be over.

When the PSI-levels are between 100 and

FIRES PARALYSING A NATION

200, a healthy person is recommended to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Most of the time that was the case but the levels have during limited periods reached 300. In the beginning the haze was disappointing, but now three weeks later I feel like the haze has limited my possibilities to have the active lifestyle that I want.

Even though the haze only lasts for a limited time of my stay here in Singapore, I think it destroys some part of the experience of being here. Then, when I imagine living like this every year, I feel the frustration and powerlessness the citizens here must feel. However, they possess the knowledge about the circumstances and can hopefully adapt their lifestyle better than I have managed.

So I ask myself the question is it unhealthy to be exposed to the haze? For many of the residents of Singapore the haze will not have any health impacts, at least not in a short term perspective, but the haze is a repetitive phenomenon. It is not yet clear what effects the haze may have on an entire population in the long-term. Exposure to the haze has a more significant impact on people with a number of risk factors. For example it is more dangerous for those who are very young or old, have pre-existing conditions, or an occupation that involves physical labour.

People from these risk groups may be affected by the conditions existing today.

So why does the production of everyday goods continue to affect the everyday life of people in Southeast Asia every year? The answer to that question is money. Although hefty fines and long jail terms are the verdict for starting a fire to clear land in Indonesia, the corruption is common and the law enforcement struggles. The largest companies in the region have a Zero-burn policy, but many activists are sceptical that all firms stick to their pledges.

The best way to make this phenomenon stop is by continuing to demand palm

“So why does the production of everyday goods continue to affect the everyday life of people in Southeast Asia every year?

The answer to that question is money.” oil that is good for the environment. Only the buyers of the products can push the demand to change the way they are produced. Perhaps then it might be possible that Singaporeans no longer need a daily reminder about the air quality. However, the problem is that not many people outside of the affected region are aware of this problem. Therefore the demand is left unchanged and the burnings continue to cause haze in Southeast Asia.

WORDS AND PHOTO Sara Lingegård

Nanyang Technical University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management. saralin@student.chalmers.se

33

ASIAPHOTOS

34

A city of possibilities Shanghai, China Fredrik Beckius

35

BEIJING

36

ASIAPHOTOS

On top of Taiwan

Yangmingshan National Park, Taiwan Thure Waller

Blossom, depth and an unreasonably beautiful backdrop Kenting, Taiwan Johan Rebner

37

HONG KONG

Gender Inequality in Hong Kong

A

s a woman and a feminist I sometimes encounter gender discrimination in Sweden. In Hong Kong however, daily sexism is much more tangible. In the enlightened community of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) women face daily challenges due to their gender. Following the global trend, more and more of freshmen students in Hong Kong are women. This year 55% of new undergraduate students at CityU were female. However, ascending the academic ladder the number decreases to 25% of doctorates and 0% of all deans (Institutional Analysis Group, 2015).

On my very first lecture after arriving in Hong Kong, the professor scrutinized the class and said something along the lines, “Good, last time I taught this class there were so many girls, and that was problematic as girls are so hard to control”. In chock I looked at my fellow classmates but no one else seemed upset or even concerned about what we had just heard. This followed by more sexist comments throughout the class. Luckily all my classes here are not this bad. This was an extreme case, but maybe not as extreme as one could wish. The university’s welcome ceremony consisted of 24 distinguished male faculty members and at the introduction of the master programme none of the female professors spoke a word. Too often, people address my male friends instead of speaking directly to me and at most lectures only male students ask and answer questions.

The women I have met in Hong Kong are ambitious, career seeking and academically high achieving but are also expected to bear the traditional female role as a mother, wife and daughter, looking after the male members of her family. Even though many 38

continue to work, marriage usually means the end of a woman’s career. Of working age women living with spouse and/or child(ren) in Hong Kong only 43% are economically active (Census and Stasistics Department HKSAR, 2015).

Development of women’s rights in Hong Kong differs slightly from Mainland China as Hong Kong experienced a westernization while China was influenced by Mao Zedong’s official ideology of gender equality. Also, due to the one child policy families in China are encouraged to invest in their daughters while Hong Kongers still choose to educate their sons over their daughters, especially at postgraduate level.

While in China there are around 33 million more men than women, in Hong Kong there are only 858 males for every 1000 females in 2014 (Census and Statistics Department HKSAR, 2015). The transition from an economy based on manufacturing industry to a service market created many work opportunities for women in Hong Kong.

As a result of traditional household gender roles, a lack of day care centres and the fact that more and more women want to pursue professional careers, an increasing number of domestic helpers are hired in Hong Kong. According to data from the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2015), there are currently over 330,000 so called Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong.

This is an increase by 29% compared to 2008 and a considerate part of the city’s population. Looking at official statistics in Hong Kong, data is always specified as including or excluding FDWs. Almost all FDWs are women from Southeast Asia, mainly the Philip-

GENDER INEQUALITY IN HONG KONG

pines and Indonesia. Every Sunday, their day off, these women can be seen around Central, sitting on big sheets of cardboard along every footpath, under bridges and in parks. They are eating, reading, painting toenails, playing games, sleeping and socializing. Most of them are escaping the homes of their employers, in which they are required to live by law.

FDWs are a particularly vulnerable group of women. Even though it might allow more women to have a professional career, the exploitation of FWDs is distressing.

Foreign domestic workers are excluded from the ordinary minimum wage regulations and can be paid a legal monthly salary of as little as HK$ 4,210 (GovHK, 2015), equivalent to SEK 4 480. According to investigations made

by Amnesty International in 2013, one third of FDWs in Hong Kong earn even less than that. The report also claims an average of 17 working hours per day, and that many are “on call 24 hours”. More than half of FDWs do not receive their rightful weekly rest day and over two thirds have been subjected to physical or psychological abuse by their employers.

Most FDWs obtain their position through agencies who charge preposterous fees that

leave the FDW in debt for a long time.

On arrival in Hong Kong it is not unusual that the FDW’s travel documents and contracts are confiscated, either by the agency or the employer. Many agencies even recommend the employer to refrain the FDW from leaving the residence during the first few months of the employment.

These conditions can only too well be compared to human trafficking and described as a form of modern slavery.

This system does not provide the female part of the population with a fair choice.

Either stay at home or exploit other women to look after children and perform domestic tasks. In the end, women are always the losers in a patriarchy. I can only hope that in the not too distant future, people of Hong Kong, both men and women, will be more aware of the sexist configurations we meet every day, in our living rooms as well as professional workplaces and university classrooms. Then we can work towards a society with more equal opportunities for everyone, despite gender.

WORDS AND PHOTO Maja Svending

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Ecology. svending@student.chalmers.se

39

JAPAN

Small Town Perspective in the World’s Most Populous City

D

epending on how you measure, Tokyo is currently the largest city on the planet and capital of the world’s third largest economy.

With its staggering 38 million people, there are more people living in Tokyo than all of the Nordic countries combined. Since the 1970’s Sweden has experienced a new wave of urbanization from the smaller towns across the country toward the main cities. Life in the city has always meant bigger opportunities and a more diverse nightlife. In a global comparison, there are no real big cities in Sweden. Even Gothenburg seems like a small town. After leaving my apartment in Lorensberg this is my early experience of Tokyo, the world’s most populous metropolitan area.

In terms of size the urban area of Tokyo is about 20 times the size of the urban area of Gothenburg and it just feels endless. The city is connected with two separate subway systems, several different commuter train lines and a big circular line that surrounds inner city Tokyo with trains leaving continuously in each direction every three minutes. It is as vast as it is confusing with different ticket systems, but helpful when you want to explore another city district and takes you where you want to go. Even though each train is longer, wider and more space efficient than for example in Stockholm, they still get full during rush hour which will have you waiting a couple of minutes for the next one, or the following, by standing in line.

In comparison with most other subways I’ve experienced during my travels, the subway in Tokyo stands out as one of the most pleasant to use. Thanks to the Japanese culture’s disdain for crime and high regards for politeness and efficient police force, there 40

is no graffiti or vandalism anywhere, no beggars in the carts and no obnoxiously loud phone calls to be heard. You can instantly pay using coins at each station without having to worry about getting a separate card and each ticket is about half the price compared to Gothenburg. The same qualities go for the rest of the city as well. It’s remarkably clean everywhere, despite the fact that waste bins are rare, and people are almost suspiciously polite and well dressed. You can also see bicycles being parked where they would have been instantly stolen anywhere in Sweden.

The culture is also a lot more tolerant than any other I’ve seen. Although most Japanese are like people in general, there is a more wide spread expression of distinct sub-cultures in Tokyo than can be seen at home. While I can’t help glancing, the Japanese seem to have been completely jaded with cosplayers, music related sub-cultures, crossdressers etc. As long as they don’t bother them, they don’t really seem to mind. This phenomenon could be attributed to the large population where even the smallest nichesub-culture can reach enough practices. The Japanese I’ve have spoken to about this described it as a reaction towards the strict rules of the workplace to have a more free-spirited spare time. Other attributes it to the freed will of self-expression for many young adults when they leave the school uniform system, which sometimes regulates down to short haircuts for boys and no make up for girls.

A great benefit of living here is the overwhelming amount of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It is never far to the nearest restaurant and you can almost always buy a good meal reasonably priced at ¥500 (34 SEK) or even less, tip included. The open-

Photo chosen by the Editor

SMALL TOWN PERSPECTIVE IN THE WORLD’S MOST POPULOUS CITY

ing hours of local convince stores and super markets are also generous with many being open until 24:00 or even 24/7 without being noticeably more expensive; they just rather have a smaller supply. Most other stores close about 20:00, which is still more generous than at home in Gothenburg, especially on weekends. This gives you the opportunity to run errands even though you stayed up the previous night. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the Japanese also use services like Amazon, but those of us who realize that buying what you need in real stores is a lot more convenient (unless you live outside the city), will find Tokyo to be a great city in that regard.

There are still bookstores with several floors and ample amounts of second hand shops that replace “Blocket” and come in handy when you are looking for a bike for your one year stay.

There is a saying that you don’t really realize or appreciate how lucky we are in

Sweden and how good life really is here until you travel abroad. Of course Tokyo and Japan is not Utopia, but the general question that arises during my first weeks here is: Where did we go wrong? The theme of this article has been about the benefits of living in a larger city, but the benefits of living in Japan are not limited to this. I’d argue that Japan is, together with maybe Switzerland, one of the best countries I’ve been to and an absolute must visit for anyone that is interested experiencing different cultures. It does live up to the hype.

WORDS Mattias Patricks

The University of Tokyo, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Complex Adaptive Systems. matpat@student.chalmers.se

41

SWEDEN

Joint Business Council 2015 —A Brief Review From a Student Perspective

T

he Taiwan-Sweden Joint Business Council Meeting (JBC) has been continuously held every year since 1986, making it the world’s longest successively held joint trade seminar. The goal of the these types of meetings is both to allow for a forum where national officials can express inter-state formalities and get to know each other, but also to connect Taiwanese companies, Swedish companies and their respective governments to explore new business and R&D opportunities.

Having the theme “Smart Cities and Internet of Things”, the 31:st JBC featured talks discussing how the connection of digital devices to the internet further can benefit society, help people in their daily life and generate profit for companies. Presentations were held by company representatives from major Taiwanese and Swedish ICT businesses.

One of them, Mr. Ulf Pehrsson, head of Government and Industry Relations in Ericsson, presented their progress of the 5G road map and gave the audience a taste of what a 5G, connected society, might look like. Dr. Lir-Fang Sun, Vice President of Data Communications Business Group in Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd, shared ideas on Chunghwa’s work on cloud technology industry and pointed out the pros with such services and how it can reduce costs and improve growth of businesses. Another player in a future connected society attending the JBC was Foxconn, represented by Mr. Kuo-Liang, who gave a presentation on the future of their business and put special focus on the role of big data, rapidly becoming an important field where important knowledge can be gained.

In the smart cities perspective the main focus was placed on green energy. This was well in line with the formalities expressed early during the meeting by Taiwanese officials, stating that Sweden and Swedes seem to have a genuine commitment towards sustainability. One Green tech company that was given presentation time was Exeger, a solar cell manufacturer based in Stockholm. During a rather short and fast-paced pitch Chalmers Alumni Dr. Georgios Foufas presented Exeger’s flexible and cheap solar cell technology capable of charging a cellphone or even a electric car in low light conditions. Another presenter was Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories from Tawian who discussed future possibilities of “Virtual Powerplants “ - smart combinations of energy storages at citizen level that appear as power plants in the electrical grid.

All in all the presentations held at the 31:st JBC gave us something to think about when it comes to learning and what we are taught 42

JOINT BUSINESS COUNCIL 2015

in academia. All over the world, in Sweden and in Taiwan, new technology is constantly evolving, collaborations are established and joint goals are there to be reached. As students we have to gain knowledge to benefit our society and make it better. However there are many skills left to learn after you graduate. In some cases, such as that of “Big data”, academia could be quicker to present new material to students to match the international industry’s needs. In other cases, academia can’t possibly try to teach the abilities needed. This is for example the case with the ability to build relations in international forums, whether it’s in a Joint Business Council meeting or in any other forum.

WORDS AND PHOTO Kasper Westman

WORDS AND PHOTO Chuan­-Yen Chiang

Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics.

Holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Applied Physics.

Currently pursuing a Doctor’s Degree in Computer Science and Engineering at National Chiao Tung University.

Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

kasper.westman@chalmers.se

Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.

cychiang.cs99g@nctu.edu.tw

43

SINGAPORE

Volvo Group in Asia Oceania I think most Swedish people know what Volvo Group does. However, you might not be familiar with Volvo Group’s truck business in Asia Oceania.

The region, Asia Oceania Sales (AOS), is one of seven sales regions and accounts for around 7% of Volvo Group’s total truck sales globally. This equals around 14 000 trucks per year plus additional spare parts and service sales. A Volvo Truck can be up to four times the price of a Chinese truck brand, and the daily challenge is to show the fantastic benefits and features of the Volvo Group trucks.

Who is Martin Persson?

Martin started working for Volvo Trucks in 2004 after completing his university degree in Marketing, and Chinese language studies. Shortly after graduation he moved to Beijing to look for job opportunities and to practice speaking Chinese. After a few months in Beijing there was an opportunity to start working for the Volvo Trucks headquarter for Asia. This is where his Volvo journey began.

Martin works for the aftermarket department and is responsible for Marketing and Communications. In total Martin has spent over 9 years studying and working abroad, mainly in Australia, China and Singapore. Today Martin is living in Singapore with his wife Mira and two kids Oliver and Noah.

What would you say benefits you most in your work from previous experiences?

In 1998 Martin travelled to Shanghai to participate in an internship with ABB Robotics division. He was a student at that time, and found Asia and the Chinese language very beautiful and also quite different from other languages. Did you know that Chinese language has got four different tones and the same word can have equally many meanings depending on how you pronounce it?

When Martin studied at Macquarie University in Australia he got to know many Asian students from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Singapore. Even though the Chinese language wasn’t necessary to make himself understood, it was a common ground to make friends with other Asian students. This was also the place where he met his wife for the first time, in 2001. Since then Asia has been an important part of his and his family’s life.

What do you feel are the biggest differences working in Singapore compared to working in Sweden?

Every day at the office, including online meetings, is filled with 44

This is Martin!

Do’s and don’ts in Singapore: DO! • Use title for people you speak to such as Auntie and Uncle.

• Try the local mix of English and Chinese language called Singlish.

• Try the local food courts serving Hawker food.

DON’T! • Expect everyone to be in exact time for meetings.

• Bring the Asian fruit Durian onto public transports.

Lovely fruit, but very smelly.

• Feel you are not included if people speak their own language.

VOLVO GROUP IN ASIA OCEANIA

accents from all over the world. French, Belgian, Swedish, Chinese, Indian, Australian, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and Indonesian people, in turn their cultures become part of everyday life in this type of work environment. AOS supports more than 25 markets and the opportunity to travel to many interesting countries is one of the major benefits of this job.

One of the main differences between working in Sweden and Singapore is the pace. In Asia everything moves quickly and there is less dependency on reaching consensus to move ahead.

Decisions are taken and people move into action. The office in Singapore is also much closer to the markets, and it is easy to feel the business pulse. The work days here are a bit longer, but it does not feel like that. At the end of every day Martin finds that he wants to sit just a little bit longer to finish off the day’s work.

In your opinion what do you feel are the major challenges working at an international office?

Martin’s best tips for working abroad • Look for global companies with operations in many countries.

• Learn a new language, even if only basic level it can help you.

• Learn about history, cultures, people, and life situations in countries of interest.

• Study abroad and get to know exchange students from other countries.

• Be curious about people and their way of working.

The global Volvo culture is very strong, there are many similarities working for Volvo Group in Singapore compared to other Volvo offices worldwide. In fact, the offices look quite alike and are designed to support a multi-branded environment. The Volvo culture is open and Martin says he can freely talk to anyone in the management team and express thoughts, opinions and ask questions. The biggest challenge in daily work is language barriers, and to some extent culture. It is important to really listen, be patient and try to understand things from other people’s perspective. The way to communicate with customers for instance is different from market to market. Yet, Martin explains, we need to secure that communications for our brands are designed and delivered in a consistent and meaningful way.

Do you have any advice for students thinking about starting their career abroad?

Taking the step to move abroad is not always easy, but in my experience it is worth the effort. It is a great way to learn languages, get to know new friends and to experience the true local flavour of foods and traditions.

WORDS AND PHOTO Emelie Bertling

Nanyang Technical University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. emebert@student.chalmers.se

45

TAIWAN

The Taste of Sweden in Your Taiwanese Lunch When having lunch in Taiwan it is very likely that you consume your noodles from a lunch box produced in Sweden or Finland. The Swedish/Finnish packaging, biomaterials and paper company Stora Enso is one of the largest suppliers of carton board to the Taiwanese food and beverage market, and continue to increase its presence in Asia.

So what is the reason why Stora Enso’s customers in Taiwan choose to purchase carton board from the other side of the world? And how will Stora Enso’s new board mill, starting up in China 2016, change your lunch experience in Asia in the future?

S

tora Enso has for many years been one of the largest suppliers in the Taiwanese cartonboard market, mainly providing material for hot drinking cups, cold drinking cups, noodle cups and take away food boxes. When asking Olli-Pekka Back, General Packaging Sales director for the Consumer Board division overseas, about the reasons why Taiwanese companies would choose a Scandinavian supplier for this, the main reason is the high quality of the board but also that Stora Enso has been able to meet the Taiwanese food safety regulations.

Stora Enso provides a wide product range with different alternatives for both hot and cold drinking cups as well as noodle cups. We have also been able to comply with the regulations by providing OBA-free products with no added optical brightener additives, says Olli-Pekka.

Stora Enso has established a strong position in the Taiwanese market and continues to grow in the region. Olli-Pekka mentions that one of the reasons for succeeding with long-term customer relationships is the continuous improvement of the products that they offer.

We are working hard on improving our material efficiency, for example in terms of source reduction. This means that the customer get more products out of less trees. We have also developed our barrier coatings to provide optimal protection and performance. Another reason for succeeding with strong customer relationships in Asia is our large network of sales offices in the region, he says.

Stora Enso has recently made the largest investment in the company’s history, to build a new mill 40 km outside the city of Beihai, in the province of Guangxi, China. The new board machine will strongly increase the company’s presence in the Asian market. One reason for the investment is that the demand for virgin fibre based (non-recycled) products has increased dramatically in Asia during the last years.

46

THE TASTE OF SWEDEN IN YOUR TAIWANESE LUNCH

We want to participate in the strong Asian growth in the virgin fiber based market. The speed of everyday life has created a growing market for foods and drinks consumed on the go. We also aim to introduce fiber based products into many fossil based packaging end uses. There are many countries that plan to ban polystyrene and other plastics from their markets which creates new opportunities for our business. Also large global brand owners get more concerned about sustainability and take own initiatives to replace plastic materials with renewable materials in their production. This further increases the demand of fiber based products.

The geographical location of the new mill will impact Stora Enso’s current as well as new business in the region in different ways. First, the new board machine will supply the Asian customers, whom today are served by the mills in Sweden and Finland, shortening the delivery times substantially. Secondly, the mill will give a much better position for the company to meet Asian customers’ service requirements.

Today, we need to plan the deliveries to Asia really carefully because of the geographical distances but that will be much easier when we open up the Beihai mill. Our new location will also give us the opportunity to provide our new and existing customers with excellent customer service, says Olli-Pekka.

47

TAIWAN

Eucalyptus plantation operated by Stora Enso in Guangxi province, China.

Photo: Stora Enso

To be able to feed the new board machine, an Eucalyptus plantation covering 1200 square kilometres of land has been taken into operation by the company, an area equal to the size of the Hong Kong island. Though this might seem like a huge area, the plantation size is still almost 90 % smaller than compared to operating such a machine in Sweden or Finland.

In the Northern hemisphere, one rotation of forest takes about 80–100 years, while in the Southern hemisphere the growth of a eucalyptus tree plantation needs 7–10 years. We can still obtain the same characteristics and quality of the board by using eucalyptus tree instead of the Nordic tree species, he says.

The establishing of the new production site in China is currently one of the main focuses in the organisation and Olli-Pekka describes that the project has enabled many internal learning opportunities for the organisation. The new machine will start up in the summer of 2016, but until then it will still be possible to catch a glimpse of the Swedish forest in every single of the seven thousand 7-eleven stores in Taiwan. And although the Scandinavian flavour might disappear in the future, eucalyptus might actually go even better along with your noodles.

Interested in job opportunities at Stora Enso? Visit storaenso.com/careers, or follow the Instagram account @storaensoworld for updates from Stora Enso around the world.

WORDS Ebba Mannheimer

National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management. ebba.mannheimer@chalmers.se

48

PHOTOS Stora Enso

THE TASTE OF SWEDEN IN YOUR TAIWANESE LUNCH

49

INDIA

IITD —The Hard Way to Success The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international study performed once every three years for evaluating the knowledge of 15 year olds. Ever since its start in year 2000, the results have had a negative trend in Sweden, dropping from 512 points in the science test to today’s 485 points.

Although India isn’t part of the PISA study anymore, it is well known that India is in progress of great development and that India is taking a big step into the scientific world. I am studying at Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) in Delhi and can see that there is a big difference in how the education is composed.

M

y professor once told me that I do not try hard enough. I thought he was mad, or maybe I was stupid, since I only studied at 75% and I was studying 40-50 hours per week. Now I have realised that it was relatively little compared to other students in India. When you wake up in the morning and go to school, you see people walking home and then coming back 4 hours later, if they even go home at all. I have seen people sleeping on tables so many times. It is very different from department to department, but the courses in Computer Science have around four assignments each and I would say each of them is as hard as one course in Sweden.

In India, people are struggling. Some are struggling with getting food on the table meanwhile others with getting a an employment to be able to support their family. Here, there is no time to be lazy and studying is one of the safest ways to get a good job, although you have to be a top student to be totally safe.

Since people are struggling, the competition in India is very hard, to join IIT you must do a test and only the top-students get accepted.

Students in India study very hard for this test, in 2014 1,3 million students took the test, and if you get in most of the parents force you to study there. It does not matter what 50

“In India, children the age of 2 years so much that they contact with other you want to study, you should do what gives you the best chances in the future. Whether this is bad or not is arguable, but one thing is certain, that it is very different from Sweden.

In Sweden we are struggling to be popular, more than performing well at school. Being a good student is sometimes almost considered a bad thing, because then you will be seen as a nerd. This is not the case in India.

Many students do not think it is enough with studying at the best university in India.

They want to go abroad for their master’s degree and Sweden is not a country they are considering. They want to go to the United States to study at Stanford or other comparable universities, otherwise they feel like they

IITD—THE HARD WAY TO SUCCESS

have failed. Their picture of the future is big and their life today totally depends on their day tomorrow.

But is it really good to study this much?

It might be good for the society in terms of development, but are people happier? In India, children can study from the age of 2 years old and then study so much that they do not have any contact with other children.

This is the childhood for many students at IIT, since it is the only way to get in and what they would call a success in life. In Sweden the children start studying at the age of six or seven and it begins with some hours per day and their free time is seen as their most im-

can study from old and then study do not have any children.”

portant time.

I do not think it is necessary to change Sweden’s study routines, but we should teach children that having fun is not everything.

When Indian people get free time they make better use of it than we do in Sweden. So if you are in the Computer Science department, India is a country you should study in if you want a real challenge and if you like to learn new things. Because although I study a lot, when I come back to Sweden I will have so much more knowledge.

WORDS AND PHOTO Linnea Andersson

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Algorithms, Languages and Logic. linneaan@student.chalmers.se

51

HONG KONG

Hong Kong —A Sustainable Future

B

efore arriving in Hong Kong I didn’t expect there to be any concern for the environment. In the middle of a bustling metropolis, where the prize goes to the person with the top dollar, there couldn’t possibly be any thought of the nature.

In several aspects this statement is true, wherever you go there are huge air-conditioned malls and stores full of fashionable clothes, fancy watches and the newest electronic gadgets. Parks and various green areas, on the other hand, are few and far between.

However, the city is remarkably clean; it is rare that you will find trash just lying in the street, which comes as a pleasant surprise.

While this might not be caused by public concern (the fine for littering is $1500 HKD), there’s still something being said about a ma52

jor city working to keep its streets clean.

The most noticeable problem, by far, is that of smog and air pollution, created largely by coal plants and heavy traffic. On bad days, when the wind blows down from the Chinese province of Guangdong, the visibility is less than 8 km and there might even be warnings not to spend too much time outside in order to avoid respiratory issues. While this may be a cause of concern, there’s a lot of work being done to improve the situation. Currently the majority of power is generated by coal plants, but there are already strategies put in place by the Environmental Bureau with the objective of reducing this to less than 20% in a seven year period.

Dependency on the import of goods and products is another issue that is worth mentioning. Since Hong Kong is a ser-

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

“Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot being done about reducing electricity consumption and in the eyes of the people there’s no compelling reasons for them to change their comfortable lifestyle.” vice-based economy, there’s no notable manufacturing and if you find something in a store it’s likely that it came all the way from China, Japan or Singapore. Not only does this create a dependency on other regions and keeping healthy relations, the transportation of goods is also a major actor in creating traffic.

On the plus side, when it comes to public transport the situation is already quite good. If you ask a local, they will probably tell you that the best way to get around Hong Kong is by using the MTR metro system, which carries a staggering number of 4.71 million passengers each day. It is both an incredibly fast and environmentally friendly way to get around. The negative side is that the electricity, as mentioned earlier, usually isn’t the cleanest.

The majority of greenhouse emissions (68.2%) are created by electricity generation and this is probably the area where the most improvements could be made. Because of the hot climate, it’s incredibly rare to go inside a building that doesn’t have air conditioners running at full blast. The artificial indoor climate coupled together with poorly insulated buildings and storefronts left open to the streets leads to an enormous waste of energy.

Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot being done about reducing electricity consumption and in the eyes of the people there’s no compelling reasons for them to change their comfortable lifestyle.

This might sound incredibly jaded, but in reality, the situation isn’t much worse than in other places. Of course there are several areas where improvements could be made in order to reduce the environmental impact. However the carbon footprint of Hong Kong is already much smaller than those of western nations and it still ranks ahead of several of its highly developed neighbours, where both Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan are left in the dust.

There are also several initiatives created by the government in different areas. Stricter regulations for new buildings, an all out ban on new coal plants, whilst pushing for cleaner energy alternatives, and several schemes enacted upon the public in order to increase awareness and promote a green living. In the end there is a question that still remains, how will enormous service-based economies, such as Hong Kong, be affected by a push towards a greener world?

WORDS AND PHOTO Niclas Ogeryd Nordholm

Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Algorithms, Languages and Logic. ogeryd@student.chalmers.se

53

SINGAPORE

54 Illustration: Thure Waller

LEE KUAN YEW

Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew, perhaps the most influential person in the history of Singapore, passed away in March of 2015. He served as prime minister for a majority of the country’s existence, founded the only political party that has ever ruled Singapore, led the country to independence and took Singapore from being a third world country to becoming one of the most prosperous economies in the world. His way of ruling has often been criticised but he surely will be missed by the people of Singapore.

H

arry Lee Kuan Yew was born on the 16th of September 1923 in Singapore, at that time a city under the rule of the British Empire. He attended Raffles College (now National University of Singapore), and stood out due to his strong academic results. However, his education was delayed by the Japanese occupation of Singapore during the end of World War II and it was not until the end of the occupation that Lee could move to Great Britain to continue his studies. He briefly attended London School of Economics, before moving to Cambridge to study law at Fitzwilliam College. After graduating in 1949 Lee decided to move back to Singapore to practise law, at the same time dropping his English name, Harry, to be known only as Lee Kuan Yew. It was during his time in England that Lee got convinced that Singapore had to be governed independently from the rest of the British Empire. He co-founded Peoples Action Party (PAP) and when the country got full self-government from the British in 1959 he became Singapore’s first Prime Minister, a position that he would come to occupy for the next 31 years. Only a few years later Singapore leaders chose for the state to be incorporated under Malaysian rule. The coalition however, lasted only until the 9th of August 1965 when heated ideological conflicts between the two governments made Malaysia

vote to expel Singapore. From that day Singapore had to struggle as a country without any natural resources, with infected relations with neighbouring countries and a volatile mix of ethnicities, mainly consisting of Chinese, Malays and Indians. As Lee put it himself in an interview in 2007: “To understand Singapore and why it is what it is, you’ve got to start off with the fact that it’s not supposed to exist and cannot exist. To begin with, we don’t have the ingredients of a nation, the elementary factors: a homogeneous population, common language, common culture and common destiny.”

Few leaders have had such a big influence on their country as Lee has had for Singapore and even fewer can say that they have managed to bring their country from being a third world country to becoming one of the most prosperous economies in the world, in less than 50 years. The initial instability of the country and the complicated diplomatic situation gave Lee the opportunity to deprive his people of some of their democratic rights.

Singapore has had free elections, however with a system that has made it very difficult for PAP to lose power and it was not until 16 years after the independence that the opposition won their first seat in the parliament.

Furthermore, in an interview in 1987 Lee said: “And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldn’t be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not inter55

SINGAPORE

vened on very personal matters - who your neighbour is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.” During his time at power he was critiqued for suppressing political opposition, pushing for stifling press controls and taking legal actions to limit foreign press coverage of the country. However, his model of centralized power and economic liberty has proved to be successful in terms of the economic growth and quality of living among his people.

Lee saw great urgency in keeping his government free from corruption. One way for him to achieve this was to attract talent by matching the salaries to those of the private sector, making Singapore’s government officials some of the best paid in the world. He made sure that Singapore had sound finances while he pushed taxes down. He also introduced a housing program that made people who didn’t earn big salaries able to buy their houses. From the time he took over as Prime Minister until 2015 the per capita income has risen from $400 to $56,000, a rise matched only by a few countries in the world.

When Lee stepped down as Prime Minister in 1991 he continued his political career as the newly appointed position of Senior Minister. Later when his grandson took over as Prime Minister in 2004 Lee continued working as Minister Mentor until 2011 when he retired from politics. Some mean that the lack of political competition has given him the opportunity to make Singapore prosper while striving for long term goals though critics argue that the limitations of the democratic rights are intolerable. However, few argue against the competence that Lee possessed as a leader and him passing away in early 2015 left many Singaporeans in great grief. When his death was announced on the 23rd of March 2015 almost 450 000 Singaporeans showed up at the Parliament House of 56

Singapore to pay their respects while another 850 000 showed up at other community sites.

When the public later were let inside the Parliament to pay their respects the queue was up to 10 hours long and the police eventually had to urge people not to join due to safety concerns. Buses and trains stopped during the minute of silent on the 29th of March, the day of the funeral and the end of the week long national mourning period. Many people have opinions regarding Lee Kuan Yew but one thing is for sure, Singapore would not have been the same if it wasn’t for him.

WORDS Adam Myrén

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Software Engineering. adammy@student.chalmers.se

Chalmers International Taiwan Office

of representation for Taiwanese students at NCTU as well as visiting companies and representing Chalmers throughout East Asia.

Part of the Chalmers’ World Wide Programme Over the recent decades the economies of East Asia have shown a remarkable development. China and Japan are two of the world’s largest economies and many more show great promise. The region is vibrant, interesting, dynamic and somewhat challenging.

Among those with a background in technical education professional contacts and cooperations with this region will continue to increase. Considering this, Chalmers has developed a unique exchange programme, based in Taiwan, giving students an opportunity to study in and gain experience from these economies.

The programme is called The Asia Programme and is located at the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU). The university is among the foremost technical universities in Taiwan and is especially profiled towards electrical engineering and information technology. However, in collaboration with the neighbouring National Tsing Hua University, the exchange programme covers all engineering programmes at Chalmers. Courses held in both English and Mandarin Chinese can be chosen.

Contents of Asia Programme • Intensive course in Mandarin, 4 weeks in July to August at NCTU in Hsinchu, Taiwan • Full academic year of engineering or architectural studies at NCTU • Maintenance of the Chalmers International Taiwan Office at NCTU • Company visits throughout East Asia

Wdents of Chalmers operate the Chalmers International Taiwan Office (CITO). The operations of CITO include arranging events

How to apply for World Wide You apply for nomination to NCTU and all of the other universities in Asia through the MoveOn-portal before the 1:st of December 2015. Attach a motivational cover letter in Swedish with your application. If you are student of Architecture or Architecture and Technology you also need to submit an additional portfolio. Choose two universities but do not forget to find courses that match you master programme and check these with the coordinator of your master programme.

Main Requirements for World Wide • You have reached your third year of studies at an engineering or architecture programme.

• You have the minimum grade point average of 3.7 credits.

• You have finished at least 60 hp by the first of December.

The selection of students to be nominated for the universities within the World Wide programme is based on the grade point average and study pace of the applying students.

The motivational cover letter is used to distinguish between students with the same average grade. In February you are informed whether or not you have been nominated for a university. If you are not nominated you still have a chance to study abroad by applying to the second selection for the universities that still have vacancies to fill.

For more information visit www.chalmers.se.

AsiaMagazine aims to be entertaining and informative regarding current topics of Asia as well as a source of inspiration for students curious about exchange studies. The magazine is a joint effort of Chalmers students in Asia.

Chalmers International Taiwan Office is the result of a bilateral exchange between Chalmers University of Technology and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.

The office is operated by Chalmers students and acts as a hub between Chalmers and East Asia.