APR 2017
Theme: Choosing the right school Kerstin Johansson
Teaching Swedish in Hong Kong BUSINESS
PEOPLE
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
China Denmark Tourism Year
Christina sells organic baby food to China
Sofia Norén wins Anders Wall scholarship
Sweden in Hong Kong’s team building day
APR 20 17
Business
Sofia Norén from Borås wins Anders Wall Shanghai scholarship Them Choo e: the rigsing ht scho ol Kerstin Te J aching
BUSIN ESS
China Den Tourism mark Year
ohanss in Hong on Ko
Swedish
PEOPLE
Christina organic sells to Chin baby food a
ng
COMM UNITY
Sofia Nor wins And én scholarsh ers Wall ip
EVENTS
Sweden in Hong Kong ’s team building day
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S
ofia Norén (born in 1992) from Borås is the winner of the 2017 Anders Wall scholarship for a one-year internship at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. The scholarship of SEK 150,000 will be awarded at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 March. Sofia has studied economics and social anthropology at Uppsala University and at the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gotheburg . Her main interest is the rapid digitisation process underway in the world. She wants to help companies understand the digitisation and how it can develop the conditions in particular for the particular trade.
“Often, companies are hiring someone to ‘take care of those things online’, but it’s all about implementing the digital approach throughout the business, says Sofia. I want to work strategically with the development of the old organisations and transform the large, stiff dinosaurs. There is a paradigm shift we are experiencing with entirely new rules.The Internet is a window to the world!” says the Anders Wall scholarship winner. In 2015 she founded the consulting firm Handelsforskarna i Borås AB (Trade Scientists in Borås) together with her mother Malin Sundström, who has solid scientific background in economics. The clientele consists mainly of companies and organisations are facing new challenges and opportunities due to changes in customer behavior as a result of digitisation. Sofia has worked with, among others Vasakronan, Cervera and Unionen. She also has a job as a Social Media Manager for Mat.se. Sofia has always been fascinated by China and the extremely rapid development that is taking place there. “One can really speak of a boom there!” she says. “I look forward to within the Chamber of Commerce framework to assist Swedish companies operating in the Chinese market,” she says. In 2015 Sofia was one of eight finalists among 4500 applicants to Adecco’s CEO campaign where university students underwent personality tests, logic tests and interviews for the role of deputy CEO. Her leadership profile was assessed as “cool head, warm heart and working hands”. Sofia has also had a summer job as a test driver for Volvo Cars and been a Chairman for Unga Aktiesparare in Visby.
Sweden in Hong Kong’s team building day
T
o strengthen the Team Sweden collaboration in Hong Kong, the Consulate General of Sweden, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Business Sweden had a joint team building day in January 2017. Altogether 14 participants from our three organizations attended a ceramic session. With three instructors’ assistances, all participants created individual ceramic art pieces as an introduction; the participants were then divided into three groups and competed for the most creative team art piece. All the individual and team works were very creative. The team behind the rooster bowl won first prize. This team building activity was very important for the Team Sweden in Hong Kong collaboration. “It strengthened communication and cooperation among participants from the three organizations. Communication enabled the par ticipants to come to a common idea for the team art piece; and cooperation made it possible to turn the common idea into a ceramic ar t piece,” one par ticipant commented. Members of Team Sweden Hong Kong have always had good relations and we anticipate a very close collaboration in 2017 and in the future. Source: Consulate General of Sweden to Hong Kong and Macao
April 2017
ScandAsia Community
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2 Sweden in Hong Kong’s team building day 9 Martin Vercouter new General Manager of Swedish Chamber of Commerce China 18 Karolinska seminar promotes Hong Kong as Asia hub
Kerstin Johansson
Teaching Swedish in Hong Kong
Theme: Choosing the right school
10
ScandAsia Business
2
4 China Denmark Tourism Year opens in Beijing This year marks a year where Denmark as the first EU country is working with China to increase tourism between China-Denmark.
5 Volvo Cars’ sales hit new record in 2016
9
Volvo Cars has reported a robust 66 per cent increase in operating profit in 2016 to SEK11 billion and a new record as global sales hit 534,332 cars.
16
18
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April 2017 • ScandAsia.China 3
Business
China Denmark Tourism Year opens in Beijing By Nadja Dam Jensen
M
ore Chinese people will hopefully soon be wandering the streets of Denmark. 2017 marks a year where Denmark as the first EU country is working with China to increase tourism between. China-Denmark Tourism Year is the official name of the agreement that has been made between the two countries and was celebrated at an opening ceremony in Beijing on Friday 28 February 2017. Brian Mikkelsen, the Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, was in Beijing for the opening event of the tourism year. Together with companies and individuals from China and Denmark, he celebrated the agreement being signed between the two countries. The Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and Li Jinzao, President of China National Tourism Administration held speeches, including greetings from both the Chinese President, Xi Jinping and Danish Crown Prince Frederik. To enter tain for the night a Danish jazz band had been brought in to play. Furthermore, a Chinese singer performed and actors and director of a Chinese film being shot in Denmark were present and talked about the movie and working together. Mikkelsen is very optimistic upon the coming year and believes that it will help Denmark reach their goal of increasing Chinese overnights in Denmark by 25 percent from 2016 to 2018, 4 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
and also increase the average length of their stay. Previous numbers say that on average a Chine tourist stays in Denmark for one and a half day. The Danish goal for the tourism year is increase that average to two days. “The tourism year will increase the attention on Denmark, and will be a huge growth material for tourism in Denmark.” says Brian Mikkelsen. The number of Chinese people travelling abroad has doubled in just five years from just 57 million travellers to 120 million last year. According to the Confederation of Danish Industry, DI, 61 million more Chinese people are expected to be able to afford traveling abroad in 2023. “Chinese tourism in in constant growth, and if we can get just a few of them to travel to Denmark, if would be great for the tourism industry,” says Mikkelsen. According the Minister there will be events every month in connection with the tourism year. One of the events will be Denmark Days held in China which will have both a commercial focus and a cultural focus. December in Odense, the hometown of fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, will invite visitors for 6 weeks of light celebration at an event called Odense Illuminated. Lanterns will light up the city to celebrate the 150th anniversary of H.C. Andersen becoming an honorary citizen of the city. However, to increase their length of stay in Denmark, the Chinese must also experience the
Danish nature, not just Copenhagen and H.C. Andersen in Odense. “In Copenhagen they can see Tivoli Gardens, the shopping street, Strøget, and all of that, but then they should go see the rest of Denmark. They like to see the nature, the forest, beaches, so that’s what were going to focus this year on,” says Mikkelsen. As the final event of the year, China will be host at a ceremony taking place at the Danish Castle Kronborg, also known as the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But the great tourism focus from China won’t end there. Previous countries having had a tourism agreement with China has experienced growth in Chinese visitors on 50 to 100 percent in the years following the tourism year. And for Denmark the exposure will be even bigger as 2018 will welcome a tourism agreement between China and the EU. “I think it’s a big advantage for Denmark to have this agreement both as the first EU country, but also following a year where all of EU will work with China, because it means more Chinese people already have their eyes on Denmark,” says Brian Mikkelsen. Photo credit: Sara Ringgaard Price
Business
Volvo Cars’ sales hit new record in 2016
C
hinese-owned Swedish brand Volvo Cars has reported a robust 66 per cent increase in operating profit in 2016 to SEK11 billion and a new record as global sales hit 534,332 cars. Net revenue for the period increased 10 per cent to SEK180.7bn compared to SEK164.0 bn in 2015 while the operating profit margin improved significantly from 4 per cent in 2015 to 6.1 per cent in 2016. The results provide the latest proof that the premium carmaker’s on-going financial and operational transformation is gathering pace. Global sales rose 6.2 per cent, underpinned by an 11.5 increase in China and an 18.1 rise in the US, Volvo’s two largest individual sales markets. “Volvo is going from strength to strength,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “The new models are successful, sales are at record levels and profits are up substantially reflecting the contribution of all our employees. On the back of these achievements, I foresee that 2017 will also be a record year in terms of sales.” The last financial year was an important one for Volvo Cars. For the first time in its 89 year history, it conducted a €500 m bond issue in May, followed in November by a SEK3 bn bond issue. In December, it raised a further SEK5 bn from the sale of equity to three institutions.
On the operational front, Volvo Car s completed the rollout of its top-of-the-range 90 series during 2016, successfully repositioning the brand as a genuine premium competitor. Volvo Cars also announced two significant new alliances in 2016 that reinforce its leading position in autonomous driving, connectivity and safety. In August, it joined forces with Uber, the ridesharing company, to develop next generation autonomous driving cars. In September it announced plans to create a new joint venture with Autoliv, the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, to develop autonomous driving
software, the first time a leading premium car maker has joined forces with a tier one supplier to develop new ADAS and AD technologies. “With these alliances,Volvo Cars is positioning itself for coming changes in the automotive industry. These themes of sustainable profitability, rising sales and new business initiatives will be continued in 2017,” said Mr Samuelsson. Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010.
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17/03/16 12.095 April 2017 • ScandAsia.China
Community
Teaching Swedish in Hong Kong
Kerstin Johansson arrived in Hong Kong in 2014 with her husband Anders and teenage daughter Hanna. Today, she is a teacher at the Swedish School of Hong Kong.
T
By Colin Rampton
h e r e a r e a p p r ox i m a t e ly t wo thousand Swedish nationals living in Hong Kong, and it is thanks to dedicated Swedes like Ker stin Johansson that the children are able develop their home language skills and keep in touch with their culture. I spent a very enjoyable afternoon chatting to Kerstin in a coffee shop in the New Territories town of Ma On Shan where she lives with her family. 6 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
Kerstin is an exuberant, ver y personable teacher of Swedish who arrived in Hong Kong in 2014 with her husband Anders and teenage daughter Hanna. (Her two older sons having already completed school, were studying overseas). For fifteen years before her arrival Kerstin taught in a Primary School in the small city of Kalmar on Sweden’s Baltic coast. Anders accepted the offer of a position as priest in charge of the Swedish Church of Hong Kong
and China, and suddenly she found herself in somewhat different surroundings. An active soul by nature, Kerstin immediately set about making contact with the Swedish community and utilizing her skills and experience. She is now a popular and well established teacher at the Swedish School of Hong Kong.
The Swedish School of Hong Kong
The ‘Swedish School’ is rather a misnomer for there is no physical building. In practice the school operates in the early evenings on two sites to provide an after-school Swedish curriculum for children, who in most cases, attend English speaking International Schools during the day. Kerstin teaches ninety minute sessions on tuesdays with 6-12 year olds at Discovery Bay School on Lantau Island, not far from the Hong
have a long relationship as tenants with South Island School, an established English Schools Foundation school. Currently the Swedish Cultural Society are looking at ways to establish meaningful Swedish opportunities for children over 12. At this age increasing expectations from their day schools make it more challenging for the children to continue with the Swedish School classes. Some choose to further their studies through distance learning.
Swedish Culture
The school emphasizes the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing and children are encouraged to help each other. Hong Kong’s pressurized education system does mean that children get a lot of homework from their day school, so extra Swedish homework is kept to a minimum. The school follows a curriculum set down by the National Swedish Agency for Education and areas covered include Swedish Geography, History and Culture.
Kong International Airport. The children travel from various parts of the territory and are very enthusiastic and keen to enhance their Swedish skills and learn about their home country and its culture. Of course the needs of the children vary considerably, and Kerstin uses her skills to address individual strengths and weaknesses. Some of the children have fluent spoken Swedish after recent relocation from the home country, while others were born in Hong Kong or elsewhere in Asia. Apar t from having a Swedish parent, these children may have had little experience of Sweden. The school emphasizes the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing and children are encouraged to help each other. Hong Kong’s pressurized education system does mean that children get a lot of homework from their day school, so extra Swedish homework is kept to
a minimum. The school follows a curriculum set down by the National Swedish Agency for Education and areas covered include Swedish Geography, History and Culture.
The School’s Operation
The school is managed by the Swedish Cultural Society which was founded back in 1984 by a group of parents. Although the school receives a subsidy from the Swedish government it is not enough to cover costs and parents pay a fee to meet the demands of expensive rents and to keep the pupil-teacher ratio low. Kerstin is one of five teachers. There are also four Educational assistants and currently 43 students who attend one or the other of the two venues. In Discovery Bay the Swedish School is par tnered with Hong Kong International Learning Academy, an independent school. On Hong Kong Island they
I asked Ker stin how her home culture is embraced in the Swedish community and she gave me several examples. The Lucia procession occurs just before Christmas and is one of the highlights of the year. The children eagerly prepare for it and on 10th December last, over 500 people gathered to attend the Lucia service at St John’s Cathedral in Central. They watched the procession and listened to the white-robed children singing traditional Christmas carols in their native language. An adult choir also participated. The children and their families also gather to celebrate the arrival of spring at the end of April with the annual valborgsmassoafton bonfire on one of Hong Kong’s many beaches. Kerstin also showed me photographs of her students cooking semla cream buns - a Shrove Tuesday tradition. Clearly Swedish traditions are alive and well in Hong Kong, and thanks to Kerstin and her colleagues, Swedish children can regularly meet in a friendly and informal setting to celebrate their culture and heritage.
A lesson from Stockholm
Lessons at the Swedish school are far from dull and Kerstin and her colleagues use modern technology to keep up with events from Sweden. A recent history lesson about the 1628 sinking of the ‘Vasa’ off the Swedish coast was enhanced with an interactive Skype chat with staff from the Stockholm Museum of History. Kerstin summed up the ethos of the Swedish school: “I love my job and relish the positive challenge of meeting every child’s needs. We have a happy interactive classroom where children come to learn, have fun and make new friends.”
Adjustment to Hong Kong
Our conversation moved back to Kerstin herself, and how she coped when she first arrived in Hong Kong’s bustling metropolis (population 7.6 million) from her small community in Kalmar (population 36,000). For her, though, it was not so difficult. Kerstin and Anders had travelled extensively in Asia when they were students, including an 8 month spell of voluntary work on the Indian island of Goa. India has maintained a special place in the couple’s affections. The Johanssons are an outdoor, sport-loving family and Kerstin was pleasantly surprised by Hong Kong’s opportunities for outdoor activities and its excellent sports facilities. Although Ma On Shan is a densely populated New Town and most of its inhabitants live in modern high rise apartments, it lies close to the April 2017 • ScandAsia.China 7
Community
I love my job and relish the positive challenge of meeting every child’s needs. We have a happy interactive classroom where children come to learn, have fun and make new friends.
famous MacLehose Trail which stretches for 100 kilometres from East to West across the hilly New Territories countr yside. The Cantonese translation for the town is “Horse’s Saddle Mountain” and it is well named for the shape of the small mountain which rises and dips beyond the urbanization. Challenging hill walks are on the doorstep. The Johanssons are great hikers and take full advantage of their surroundings. Kerstin was also impressed with the relative safety of Hong Kong. Drivers maneuver their vehicles in an orderly fashion (especially for Asia), public transport systems operate efficiently and crime rates are low. It is also possible to buy many Swedish foods from the Swedish Shop in Kowloon’s Star House shopping complex. Adapting to new surroundings is less of a challenge for the open-minded and Kerstin’s ease with people and friendly disposition clearly made the transition a smooth one.
The SWEA
Kerstin swiftly made contact with the Swedish Women’s Educational Association, which is a worldwide organization and has a ver y active Hong Kong branch. Regular sightseeing excursions, hikes, coffee mornings and even mah-jong sessions have all helped to develop her circle of friends. The Hong Kong SWEA has over eighty members. Some things are missed of course. There 8 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
are no long light summer evenings here, and no opportunities for her long term passion – skiing. Hanna’s education was an initial concern and the most suitable school involves a long commute to Hong Kong Island. Of course Kerstin greatly misses her friends and family back in Sweden but Anders is nearing the end of his contract in Asia. This, and the advancing years of both sets of parents mean that the return to Sweden isn’t so far beyond the horizon. Kerstin Johansson is passionate about her work and she will certainly miss Hong Kong. It is certain also that her friends, colleagues and students will greatly miss her. But Hong Kong’s loss will indeed be Kalmar’s re-gain! For information about the Swedish School of Hong Kong contact the chairperson of the Swedish Cultural Society Lisa Boldt-Christmas at svenskaskolanhongkong@outlook.com or visit the website www.svenskaskolan.hk
Belgian spearheads Swedish Chamber of Commerce China as its new General Manager
Business
By Joakim Persson
M
r. Martin Vercouter, who is already know to many in the Chinese-Swedish business community, is as of 1 April 2017 the new General Manager for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China (Swedcham China), Beijing. He was recently an Anders Wall scholarship winner, based at the Swedcham Shanghai office for six month, and who has now, for the second time, struck luck about his Sweden-China connection. Mr. Vercouter, is a Belgian citizen who resided in Sweden before heading for China and the Anders Wall Shanghai scholarship. He completed a double Masters in Sweden, following a bachelor in Science from Université de Namur, Belgium. He holds a Master of Science from the University of Stockholm and a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management from KTH, The Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm Sweden). He has several years’ experience of executive and board governance, in both non-profits and corporations. “Both when he reported interest and during the interviews Martin presented a clear vision for the Swedish Chamber’s future, and how he would shape its development. I as chairman of the main board believe that we have found the most suitable candidate to take on our current GM role and in a targeted and focused manner lead the chamber through our 20 year anniversary in 2018 and forward into the 2020´s,” Lars-Åke Severin wrote in a statement. Ten candidates had been selected for interviews. “Mar tin Vercouter has a solid Swedish Academic education, his Swedish is impressive, and he was simply the best candidate,” he tells ScandAsia. “Martin had early in the interviews a very interesting strategy around his view on the development strategy work and the necessary steps needed as par t of this. We saw his background, energy and visionary orientation as strong advantages.” “It is a difficult task that awaits and of course I look forward to it. Choosing a young candidate is not always obvious, but I am convinced that I will be able to deliver satisfying results. It is also important for the Chamber to be able to look ahead and therefore reassuring that the organization has the open, confident attitude. I am therefore particularly pleased for both myself and for the Chamber of Commerce’s sake,” comments Martin. Mar tin replaced Karin Roos who left SwedCham at the end of February when she also left China. “The recruitment is a result of her departure. Mar tin Vercouter’s mission is to continue the work to further strengthen the chamber’s role as one of the main partners for Swedish enterprises in China.” “Like other organisations, Swedcham China
changes over time. Today we have many more Chinese managers in our Swedish member companies, as well as Chinese middle managers and other team members who are in various ways are involved in our activities.This means that we today must have an even more must have an offer that makes the chamber attractive. Through the choice of Martin Vercouter, our active chapter boards and our mainboard we will strongly drive the necessary change around communication and digitization. The new communication processes being developed in China affect us, like everyone else. Not being a part of that obviously does not benefit our members,” Lars-Åke Severin comments on the chamber’s evolvement to keep up with the times and meet new needs. Martin’s vision for Swedcham China is based on three objectives: “Clear membership value, a modern image and efficient organization. In all three respects, we have some parts in place and some to work fur ther on. The changes in the business environment and the internal demographics that we see among our members naturally also runs as a red thread through the whole process runs. In the end it’s about not only being relevant, but also self-given. I look forward to presenting at the upcoming annual meeting how to achieve this.” The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China today has just under 300 member companies and has in recent years pursued a change process where they have worked extensively with issues surrounding the member value, strategy and advocacy work on issues concerning China. New
members who enter today are mostly smaller companies, SME’s with few employees and often within the environmental or technology sector. On how Mar tin Vercouter ended up first in Sweden and now in China he commented: “I felt at home in Sweden, since day one. I moved to Stockholm as a 20-year-old with a bachelor’s degree in my pocket, and the plan was to study a master’s degree in biophysics. But gradually I came to realize that a life in the lab was not my calling, so I added a Master in Entrepreneurship at KTH. By then I was already settle, with a job, friends and eventually an own business. During all that time it seemed natural that I would grow and develop further in Sweden. Although I live in China and in all probability will move again in the future, amy base is in Stockholm.” “China attracted me for a number of reasons. I never liked to take the easy path, or to go with the flow, and somehow China felt like the ultimate challenge. With thousands of years of history and culture, there is always something new to learn here. Meanwhile, China’s impor tance is enormous and ever-growing weight in the world’s development. Many people have a reasonably good understanding of that, but unfortunately there is still a broad lack of knowledge about the country as such, both in Sweden as well as the rest of the West. Coming here was the only way to build one’s own solid understanding.”
April 2017 • ScandAsia.China 9
International Schools
7 Steps to choosing the Deciding something as important as your child’s new school might be the toughest part about moving to another country.
C
By Gregers Moller hoosing a new school when moving has become increasingly difficult for parents.There are more and more schools established all the time, and each institution has its own unique philosophy and attributes. Comparing what they offer with the needs of your child is no simple task. Most parents probably start out by asking other parents of their own nationality which school they have chosen and why. Then you find out they have chosen different schools and for different reasons and you are back to square one. There is probably no way around making your own inquiry into each available option.
Local vs International
First choice is if you are looking for a local school or an international school? In most countries in Asia, a local school is an option although cer tainly a more challenging option for your child. If you child is mixed Scandinavian - Asian this may, however, not be so frightening a prospect. And mostly it will have an economic silver lining as local private schools are less costly compared to international schools. However, physical punishment has not been abolished in many Asian school systems, so take this into consideration. Talk to the school how 10 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
If it’s possible, talk to some of the existing students. Are they happy there? Do they look motivated to learn? How will the school help your child get started? Do they assign so-called “buddies” (another student from the same country) for new students?
right school they administer physical punishment and ask if they can make an exception for your child if you are not comfortable with this. If you go for the International school, consider that international students grow up and evolve in a cultural environment that is vastly different to that of your own. Known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), they often develop a very different attitude to many issues compared to their former friends back home. If you are uncomfor table with this prospect you may prefer to look into the option of choosing a local school or a boarding school back home. Once this is said, most expat families decide to go for the international school, at least through primary school up to grade 9, where other options may come into play. At this point, not only boarding schools in Scandinavia but also boarding school in Asia may be considered.
A few suggestions
So now you have the table filled with brochures of different schools and wonder what to look for. Here are a few suggestions to help you make up your mind: First: How far away is the school from your home? Before spending time looking through school
courses, you need to make sure the school is not too far away. Bear in mind that in most big cities, it is the traveling time between your home and the school that matters. How long will it take for your child to get to school and home afterwards? How will your child be going there? Especially in cities like Bangkok, you will be challenged by some of the heaviest rush hour traffic in the world. Second:What reputation does the school have? Talk to people as much as possible. This is where your first intuition comes handy. Don’t listen to opinions expressed by people who have no children at the school themselves - parents are quick to seek confirmation of their own choice by adopting opinions about the competing schools. The age of the school is no sure indication either. Nothing guarantees that the reputation of a hundred year old school is better than a one year old school. Third: How are the courses at the school? The school’s courses and programs will most likely be listed in the school’s information packages. They will talk about British Curriculum and American Curriculum and - what most Scandinavians these day go for - the IB curriculum.
This is important as you will most likely have to relocate again in a few years. Find out if the native language and culture of your child is taught as optional learning. It is important for your child to keep his or her ties to your cultural background. It is also important for you. Ask questions about the tests and exams which are offered and used as evaluation method. If your child is already a secondar y school student, ask how well the graduating students do in getting accepted into major universities both in your current country, back home and elsewhere overseas. Fourth: What other activities can the school offer your child? Besides the fundamental course works, what kind of ar ts, spor ts, community service does the school offer? Are there proper facilities to support those activities? It seems that schools almost competes with each other when it comes to spor ts, thus many schools will have gymnasiums and spor t complexes, which are either new or remodeled. But maybe your child is more into other activities - computer programming, performing ar ts? Most schools offer after-school/weekend April 2017 • ScandAsia.China 11
International Schools
students can get help about studying, working, individual needs and so on. Seventh: How is the relationship between the school and the parents? You will obviously not be able to monitor your child in school. The teacher will have to be your eyes and ears. You must be notified of your child’s functionality regardless of grade, and regardless of whether it includes bad behavior or progress your child has made. Make sure that you can get informed as often as possible. You may join a parents’ volunteer program if available. Some schools may offer activities for the whole family as well.
Watch your child!
programs as well as field trips and community services. You should be able to freely pick the activities that best suit your child. Fifth: Does the school have qualified personnel? This is not as obvious as you may think. The school is most likely private and qualifications for employment are not as strict as for schools back home. What educational degree do they hold? How long have they been teaching at the school? What kind of teaching methods do they prefer? Are they involved in planning and evaluating the curriculum? Will they be giving
special attention to each child’s problems or personal needs? Sixth: What do the current students think of the school? If it’s possible, talk to some of the existing students. Are they happy there? Do they look motivated to learn? How will the school help your child get started? Do they assign so-called “buddies” (another student from the same country) for new students? Most schools have established student organizations to provide service to students at a personal level. Here,
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Never mind how diligent you do your homework - and maybe the above list is a bit excessive - you will never be able to foresee if your child will thrive at the school. It is therefore important that you make a habit of spending more time than you used to be back home talking to your child about how school was today. What they did in class, and what they did outside. Let her or him tell about their new friends. Listen. All may initially sound fine and uncomplicated, but that may just be a honeymoon period. This is the most important step of them all. If your child develops in any way you find disturbing or even develops signs of discomfort with going to school, you should think twice before you tell your child that “this is life - it is not always pleasant!”. A change of school at the right time might be the single most impor tant decision to make to put the future of your child on the right track!
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Our students and staff
All teacher s hold univer sity degrees and appropriate teaching qualifications. Classes are small.With students and staff representing more than thir ty different nationalities, we pride ourselves in having a welcoming and including community. ISB was founded in 1975, giving us 40 years of experience as an educational institution. International School of Bergen Vilhelm Bjerknesvei 15, 5081 Bergen, Norway Phone: +4755306330 Website: www.isob.no E-mail: post@isob.no
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: What is Theory of Knowledge? If you are familiar with the IB Diploma programme, you will have heard the phrase “Theory of Knowledge”. What exactly is it?
T
heor y of Knowledge, or ToK, is one of the core elements of the IB Diploma and it is a class all IB Diploma students follow. Here they explore the questions “What is knowledge?”, “How do we know?” and “What does this mean in different cultures or contexts?”. There’s really nothing mysterious about ToK. ToK is about how we make knowledge, it underpins all other subjects in the DP, and there’s ToK everywhere: • A painting by Rothko sells for US$40m at Christie’s in New York, whilst a student in a KIS art class produces a very similar piece. • A DP student chooses a particular university over another because it ‘feels right’ to them. In each case a way of knowing about the world is being used to produce specific knowledge. In most DP subjects students learn knowledge that has already been produced, in ToK students learn how that knowledge is produced. A few examples:
• In Maths students learn to calculate statistics and probability, In ToK they learn why we often misinterpret probability. • In Environmental Systems and Societies students lear n the advantages and disadvantages of mitigating climate change. In ToK they learn why climate change scientists may disagree on those advantages and disadvantages. If we under stand how knowledge is constructed then we can better understand how and why knowledge changes. This understanding is essential for positive progress in personal, social and academic spheres. The elections in the USA and Brexit are heated debates that represent differences in beliefs and values, illustrating the differences in what we all (think that we) know about our world. ToK can shine light on how people decide which way to vote, or how to raise their children or whether to care for those in need. It helps us
understand personal biases, and enables us to resolve personal and social conflicts.
Daniel Trump, Diploma Programme Coordinator and Theory of Knowledge Teacher KIS International School, Bangkok
April 2017 • ScandAsia.China 13
A Child-Centred Setting for Early Years Education
“W
hat we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child,” wrote British author George Bernard Shaw. For our children, learning should be filled with many moments of discovery and joy. A child’s first years in school should lay the foundations that make them lifelong learners, forever curious and open to the ideas around them. Imagination is a powerful tool for future life and learning, and it is vital that we provide students with ample opportunities to develop their imaginations whilst learning with others. Through its 60 year histor y of British international education in Thailand, Bangkok Patana School has always sought to continuously improve their students’ learning experience at all stages of development. In August 2017, a newly renovated environment for the youngest students will provide even more opportunities for outdoor learning, creative role play and physical development. Some of the highlights of the new spaces are listed below.
Outdoor Learning and Physicality:
Children need an outdoor environment that can provide them with space, both upwards and outwards, and places to explore, experiment, 14 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
discover, be active and healthy and to develop their physical capabilities. The outdoor environment at Bangkok Patana School offers plenty of space and is par ticularly beneficial to those children who learn best through active movement. Ver y young children learn predominately through their sensory and physical experiences, which support brain development and the creation of neural networks. They revel in freedom of movement that is inventive, adventurous and stimulating, while developing their fine and gross motor skills. Outdoor play suppor ts children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness
Connection with Nature:
In the busy, bustling, vibrant and hot city, life can sometimes become very indoor focussed. Bangkok Patana values the importance of learning without walls and we recognise that young children love the freedom of being outdoors. Our new early years environment will give children the freedom to connect with nature: mud kitchens, sandpits, water play, climbing frames and bike tracks. Playing and learning outside also helps children to understand and respect nature, the environment and the interdependence of humans, animals, plants, and lifecycles.
A Sensory Experience:
Young children benefit incredibly from a multisensory approach to learning - appealing to all of the senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing and movement. A multi-sensory approach to learning encourages talk as students respond to what they see, hear, smell, touch and taste making learning more memorable, enjoyable and effective. Through textured displays, walkways and different surfaces, children learn and make sense of the world in many different ways – not restricted to only books, paper and pencils and technology.
Quiet Reflection Spaces:
Incorporated into the new learning environment are spaces that offer time out from busy play to sit and wonder. Just like adults, children appreciate quiet, calm time to think and be mindful. Mindfulness practices are beneficial for children for the same reasons they help adults, contributing to reduced stress, improved sleep quality and heightened focus when necessary.
Outdoor and indoor amphitheatres for role-play and expressive arts:
For children, role play is essentially learning through play. Role play is an active, social activity and children use it to reflect on and develop their knowledge of a topic. Through our role play areas, children are able to act out and make sense of real-life situations whilst developing social, language and communication skills. By taking on the role of different story characters, our children are given opportunities to empathise and develop an understanding of different perspectives. Overall, the new early years learning spaces at Bangkok Patana reflect a very child-centred, natural aesthetic. Students are not over-stimulated through the overuse of colour and clutter. A focus on the natural environment and soothing colours enable children to more easily see the links between each area of learning. Achieving a balance in colour enables children to relax and truly feel at home.
Business
Our guiding statements and values lead us to continuously improve our students’ learning experience at all stages of development. From August 2017 our new early years learning spaces will further enhance the experience of our youngest students through: More time to inquire through play-based, experiential learning with an extended school day More opportunities for outdoor learning, creative role play and physical development in our inspiring new facilities More early years experts inspiring each child’s learning Scan the QR code or visit www.patana.ac.th/childcentred to find out more about giving your child a strong foundation for the future through our key values and new child-inspired facilities.
Celebrating 60 Years of British International Education
www.patana.ac.th admissions@patana.ac.th Tel: +66 (0) 2785 2200
Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit, IB World School, accredited by CIS and NEASC
Business
Christina is ready
to take on China with organic baby food
B
Nadja Dam Jensen aby food entrepreneur Christina Hansen was r unning a baby’s development class in Copenhagen, Denmark when she discovered a gap in the market. All the mothers were bringing sticky goop on jars disguised as lasagne or beef with pees, which they could just pull out of their bags and feed their babies with after the classes. It was all highly processed food containing lots of starch among other things. Food that had to be heated to 125 degrees Celsius in order to kill all bacteria. Christina saw a lack of focus on
the quality raw commodities and good taste in the food for the little ones. Christina herself had two small children at the time, but had never herself bought the jars of baby food and served it to her children. She had always made it herself. A lot of the mothers in her classes were always complaining about how time consuming it was to make the baby food themselves, which at first made Christina decide to star t her own blog, where she shared her recipes, making it a bit easier for others to make good and healthy food for their babies.
“I’ve always been a total foodie and was really interested in taking food pictures,” says Christina Hansen. At that time, around 2013, porridge had become a very popular food in Denmark and that was a big inspiration in Christina’s experiments with creating new recipes. She had become amazed at how good something made from such simple ingredients could taste so good, and started to wonder why on earth people were still serving such highly processed goop to their babies.
From food blog to super market products.
One day, as Christina was experimenting with porridge recipes in the kitchen, one of her friends stopped by. Her friend was really impressed after having a taste of the porridge and encouraged Christina to try and sell it. Although Christina was skeptical at first, the idea slowly began to grow on her. Soon after she started a process of installing a professional kitchen in her basement, making sure everything matched the regulatory requirements and standards. She set up a website, designed labels and came up with the name Smiley Rainbow. And soon she was selling out of her products online. “Logistically it was a bit difficult, because the fresh food had a short durability of only 5 days, so I was just sort of driving around Copenhagen and delivering it myself.” Christina had never expected that any super markets would actually be interested in her products, but being part of the Danish Organics Union, Økologisk Landsforening, she was invited to display her products to a big Danish super market chain called Super Brugsen in 2014. To Christina’s surprise two of the big stores in Copenhagen were interested in selling her products.
Lawyer clueless when displaying baby food
With a background as a lawyer, Christina would say she has had some advantages when starting her own company. She was able to read and understand all of the legal stuff that must be met when starting a food producing company. But when it came to presenting baby food to super markets, Christina didn’t have much clue about what she was doing. “I remember the man who represented one of the stores came up to me, took a look at the product and said; ‘These don’t have barcodes.’ I had never even thought about that. When he 16 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
asked about the price I was like; ‘I don’t know. What do you think?’ I had no clue at all. Luckily, I’ve learned a lot since then,” says Christina. Although the super markets gladly received Christina’s fresh baby porridge, it was still a problem with the short durability, so Christina decided to experience and work on ways to expand the durability. But she never got to that. Suddenly her powder porridge mix took off. It was easy to just mix with some water and the baby’s usual type of milk, and then you had fresh and tasty porridge. And so it became her focus point and with a durability of one year, it was also easier for the super markets to carry.
the label and saw that it mainly just consisted of wheat, so the food was just full of gluten, which Christina does not think is very healthy for the little ones, which is why she has also chosen to keep her products gluten free. “Babies are just such a tiny little new system that is under development and have never tried food before. They should not be fed with lots of overly processed stuff. They should have something simple and easy for the body to recognise.”
Interest from China
From Smiley Rainbow to Woodland Wonders
As the popularity of the Smiley Rainbow product for small babies grew, parents began asking Christina for more. Their babies were becoming too old for Smiley Rainbow’s finely blended porridge and needed something with more texture. This was when Christina developed the idea of Woodland Wonders for babies seven months or older. While Smiley Rainbow had been a ver y fruity porridge, Christina decided that Woodland Wonders should be more inspired by the food of the forest. With mushrooms, wild garlic, cocoa and delicious herbs among more, she wanted to create gourmet food for the bigger babies with even more taste and texture. Today she has merged the two brands and Woodland Wonders offers both the fine fruity porridge for small babies and the food for bigger babies. Christina still insist on keeping everything natural. Most of the product contain only five ingredients, oats, fruit, vegetables and herbs. And then some vitamin b, because that a legal requirement for baby food. For her, it’s important that the porridge is exactly what the label says it is. After once buying some millet porridge for herself, she looked at
Babies are just such a tiny little new system that is under development and have never tried food before. They should not be fed with lots of overly processed stuff. They should have something simple and easy for the body to recognise.
At a recent trade fair for organic food hosted by Biofach in Germany Christina’s products were discovered widely outside the Danish borders. Christina explains excitingly how all the Europeans countries have shown interest in distributing her product, but the first step will be China. Working together with the Danish organic dairy Thise on a new product, a Chinese owner of 7500 baby product stores all over China showed a big interest in Christina’s products. Because infant formula is so expensive in China, the Chinese customer only wants product which already contains milk powder so they will only have to add water. So Christina and Thise is working on developing the right product for them and expect it to be ready in April 2017. Although she does not expect to have her product out in Chinese stores before autumn. “There are strict laws for organic product in China. Everything organic impor ted to the Chinese market must be certified by the Chinese authorities. It should not be a problem, but it will take some time,” says Christina. Thise Dairy has worked with the Chinese customer before and have been exporting to the Chinese market for some time. Christina says she is very happy to be working with an experienced partner. “At this point I would not say I have experience enough to be able to do this myself.”
April 2017 • ScandAsia.China 17
Community
Karolinska seminar promotes Hong Kong as Asia hub
O
n Friday 24 February 2017 Business Sweden and InvestHK host a seminar in Stockholm Sweden: The Karolinska Institutet Node in Hong Kong, a springboard to Asia. In 2016 Karolinska Institutet’s Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine in Hong Kong was inaugurated. The seminar, held at the World Trade Center, features the following speakers and seminar highlights: Helena Storm, Consul General of Sweden gives open remarks on Sweden and Hong Kong relation and cooperation Ebba Hult, Head of Business Development Health Care & Life Science at Business Sweden introduces the Swedish government and industry initiative “SymbioCare-Health by Sweden”, established with the purpose to promote Swedish healthcare and life science internationally and to spur international collaborations. Van Hoang, Trade Commissioner and Country Manager to Hong Kong and Macau at Business Sweden shares the Swedish perspective on current and future business climate in Hong Kong; advantages and challenges in doing business 18 ScandAsia.China • April 2017
in Hong Kong.The most interesting markets in the region for Swedish companies having Hong Kong as a base and Asia hub are also highlighted. Professor Ronald Li, Director, Hong Kong node, Ming Wai Lau Centre, Karolinska Institute shares his experience of how Karolinska Institutet landed in Hong Kong and gives some insights about some of his game changing research initiatives. Dr Ola Hermanson, ‘Scientific Director, Ming Wai Lau Centre, Karolinska Institute and researcher at the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden explains the opportunities for collaboration with KI. Marian Gaultney, Head of International Collaboration & Business Development at HKSP, gives an over view on Hong Kong’s research and innovation initiatives, as well as the various programmes at the Science Park. Madelene Kornfehl, the Nordic Consultant of Hong Kong Trade Development Council tells you the services of Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Charles Ng, Associate Director General from Invest Hong Kong gives an update on how Hong Kong is becoming one of the
world’s fastest growing innovation and high tech entrepreneurship ecosystems and the support available for innovative enterprises looking to set up in the city and use Hong Kong as a laboratory, a showcase and a global launchpad. The life science sector has never been so global and there is an increasing need for international collaborations and entering high growth markets outside Europe. Seminar participants get to to learn about the exciting opportunities to grow and scale a profitable business in Asia leveraging on Karolinska Institutet’s Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine in Hong Kong. The successful set up of the centre at the Hong Kong Science Park (HKSP) is a strong commitment, and demonstration of Sweden’s determination to accelerate cutting edge research initiatives in Asia in the areas of stem cell biology, biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine. KI-MWLC-HK is expected to result in numerous new breakthroughs and innovations while at the same time strengthen the ties between Sweden and Hong Kong as well as open doors for collaborations in other parts of Asia.
ScandAsia means Business!
A
re you aware of our steadfast business section in ScandAsia? You may have noticed our strengthened focus - in print and online - on innovations, business solutions, joint ventures, star t-ups, trade etc. This is now further enhanced as Business pages in the magazines and with the dedicated ‘Business in Asia’ channel, along with adding business categories, online! The digital economy and the start-up scene, with business disruption coming with it, are having significant impact on all business sectors and trade, creating the economies of the future. As part of this, and in parallel, Southeast Asia’s economies are continuing to grow and taking significant steps forward and towards becoming developed countries. Investors and entrepreneurs from the Nordics are increasingly participating in this, setting up businesses here and targeting the region with their products and services. The type of businesses the Nordics are involved in now span across the board, much thanks to their innovative spirit and the very strong Scandinavian start-up scene. Also, the Nordic countries are shifting focus from developing projects to commercial support in connection to the Southeast Asian countries they have been active within. The developments and trends that define and shape the business climate are covered by ScandAsia. We award coverage to all stakeholders; introducing new start-ups and business concepts and portraying how larger corporations are adapting their businesses and preparing for the future, and also how the innovations, solutions and know-how from the Nordic countries can find markets and gain market shares in Asia. With this brief introduction we want to put the spotlight on the increasing importance of B2B and B2C for ScandAsia! Build awareness around your brand and product (s) through storytelling and engagement!
And did you know: • That ScandAsia is the only dedicated media reaching out and communicating all things of relevancy in connection to the Nordic countries - SEA/China? • That ScandAsia can assist your business in various ways by communicating news and events as well as other commercial messages (sharing news and events, republish PR, advertorial, email blast, print and e-magazine marketing, e-marketing…)? • That you can publish your own content marketing on ScandAsia.com?
• That you can have your complimentar y personal and company profile as one of our members on ScandAsia.com (with high-ranking result on Google) and that our web traffic is close to 100,000 readers monthly! • That you can get extra print copies of the magazine edition featuring your business for an affordable price?
For further information and prices, contact: Mobile: +66 (0) 89761 6701, Ph: +66 (0) 2943 7166, joakim@scandmedia.com, gregers@scandmedia.com
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