ScandAsia South East Asia - April 2015

APR 2015

Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Vietnam Cambodia Laos

New

Danish

Ambassador

sees big opportunities

in the Philippines

Theme: How to pick a school ScandAsia.dk

ScandAsia.fi

ScandAsia.no

ScandAsia.se

Coming Events

PNBC Norway’s Constitution Day, Manila Philippines Norway Business Council, in cooperation with Royal Norwegian Embassy, cordially invite you to celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day, Saturday 16th of May at the Shangi-La, Makati in Manila.

Norwegian Chef Markus P. Dybwad of the three Micheilin stars awarded restaurant The Fat Duck in London will prepare our savory four-course dinner.

RSVP 9 May 2015, Email: info@pnbc.ph

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine

Where: Shangri-La, Makati in Manila When: 16 May 2015, 7 pm – midnight

ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in South East Asia.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and Singapore.

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advanced Printing Services Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

Malaysia Norway Business Council Annual General Meeting 2015 The AGM for the year ending the 31 December 2014 will be held on the 4th of June 2015 at the Ambassador’s residence. All MNBC members are hereby invited to attend. Please note that the AGM is strictly for members only - no guests are permitted except your spouses. Refreshments will be served.

Please remember to confirm your attendance by notifying Bridget by email at: Bridget.Pereira@ mfa.no no later than 30th May 2015.

Where: Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence When: 4 June 2015

Norwegian concert in Kuala Lumpur: Ole Edvard Antonsen The Sound Of Nordic With Ole Edvard Antonsen - Musical Dinner & Musical Landscapes takes place at Ristorante CIAO in Kuala Lumpur, the oldest Italian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. There will be a cocktail reception where sumptuous savouries will be served as well as various choices of pasta dishes followed by dessert, coffee and tea. Included in the price will also be two glasses of wine (red or white) or two glasses of beer per person. Free flow of soft drinks, fruit punch and mineral water.

The whole package, including the concert, has been priced at RM 295.00 per person. – SGD 115.00. Any profit will be donated to charity.

Event sponsors: DiGi, Aker Solutions, DNV GL, Wilhelmsen Ship Management Sdn. Bhd., Yara International (M) Sdn. Bhd., Jordan Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd., Archer Well Company Sdn. Bhd., CIAO

Bar-Caffee Ristorante Sdn. Bhd. and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Tickets can be booked at http://zeg.li/oea. Seats are limited to 300 people. If any questions please do not hesitate to contact Jorgen Torp on H/P 0122832564 or e-mail j.torp88@gmail.com When: Tue 21 April 2015, 19.00 Where: Ristorante CIAO in Kuala Lumpur (www.ciao.com.my).

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25/03/15 14.25

News Brief

New Royal Norwegian Embassy Philippines inaugurated

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orway’s commitment to relations and trade with the Philippines has been strengthened as the new Royal Norwegian Embassy office was officially inaugurated on 9 March 2015 in its new location at the 12th Floor of the DelRosarioLaw Centre. Ambassador Erik Førner, Deputy Director General Nils Martin Gunneng of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-owner of the DelRosarioLaw Centre Atty. Ruben del Rosario took part in the cutting of ribbon to mark the official opening of the new office.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Førner took note that the new office promotes a more open environment, which creates an effective communication among staff.The office also offers the finest facilities, modern and new technology, spacious meeting rooms and better internet connection for a more efficient office operations and delivery of services.

“We are very proud of our new office. I think the most important thing we have achieved in the layout is the openness where the barriers between diplomats and staff are reduced significantly”, said Ambassador Erik Førner.

Mr. Gunneng said that the transfer of the Embassy to the Bonifacio Global City marks a new chapter in the longstanding and good bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Norway. He also noted that the investment in a new Embassy is another strong signal of Norway’s long term commitment to the Philippines, as well as to the ASEAN community.

The first full-fledged Embassy was established in 1967 in Damarinas Village. Since then, bilateral relations between the Philippines and Norway have continued to develop and strengthen with the maritime sector in full force and other areas of cooperation have grown.

“Norway has a long term perspective in the Philippines. As other countries may come and go, we remain,” said Ambassador Førner.

The ceremony incorporated the traditional ways of inauguration in the Philippines such as the blessing of facilities by a priest and the throwing of coins to signify continued success. Numerous guests were present to witness the inauguration such as Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, members of the diplomatic corps, Philippine and Norway business sector stakeholders and representatives from the government.

The Embassy transferred in its new location on 25 February 2015 at the 12th Floor DelRosarioLaw Centre located at the 21st Drive corner 20th Drive Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

Norwegian aquaculture producer Ewos increases in Vietnam

I

n its repor ting on the full year financial results Ewos, a leading supplier of feed and nutrition for the international aquaculture industry, reports that higher sales volumes combined with a declining Norwegian currency resulted in higher revenue and operating profit in 2014.

Ewos registered a 5.8% increase in sales volumes.

There has been strong growth throughout the year in Scotland, Canada and Vietnam. All regions except Scotland had strong revenue growth in the four th quar ter. Canada and Vietnam, in par ticular, increased volumes and revenues significantly in 2014 compared to the previous year. In Vietnam the market volume went up by approximately 10%.

Operating revenue in Vietnam rose 55.5% to NOK 255.3m, due to a strengthening of Ewos’ market share compared to the previous year, boosting sales volumes by 48.5% to 61,000t.

Ewos Vietnam continues significant volume increase due to market share gains and diversifying from sales of mainly one species to multiple species.

In Vietnam Ewos produces feed mainly for tropical species. The Norwegian company has produced fish feed since 1935, and today, we operate in all four of the world’s major salmon farming regions: Norway, Chile, Canada, and Scotland.

4 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

Handelsbanken opens Representative Office in Jakarta

T

he Swedish bank Handelsbanken’s new Representative Office in Jakarta was inaugurated on Mach 12 by Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Johanna Brismar Skoog.

Handelsbanken is the first Scandinavian Bank to open in Indonesia, taking its worldwide network of offices to 25, more than any other Nordic bank.

“We are obliged to follow our customers to different markets in order to always meet their requirements for financial ser vices, and we are very excited to now establish presence in the largest economy in Southeast Asia,” said Mr. Jan B. Djerf, Head of South Asia Pacific at Handelsbanken.

Mr. Erik Milfors, former Trade Commissioner for Sweden to Indonesia, is the new Chief Representative giving Handelsbanken a broad knowledge and insight of Indonesian business and economy.

“Foreign investments in Indonesia continue to

Mr. Erik Milfors, Chief Representative, Handelsbanken Jakarta

grow from our home markets. Handelsbanken’s new office in Jakarta confirms the importance of Indonesia for Nordic companies as well as businesses in UK and the Netherlands.” said Mr Milfors.

Handelsbanken is a full-service bank with a nationwide branch network in Sweden, UK, Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands.

The Bank regards these six countries as its home markets.

Since the early 1970s, Handelsbanken’s organisation has been strongly decentralised and operations are always based on the customer’s requirements. This means that all business decisions regarding individual customers’ relationships with the bank are taken close to the customer.

Handelsbanken is one of the most costeffective listed full-service banks in Europe and every year during the past 42 years has had higher return on equity than the average of peer banks.

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 5

News Brief

Finn’s Laos photo wins World Food Programme-EU competition

E

ducation specialist Ari Vitikainen are among the three winners announced in a photo competition by the World Food Programme-EU to raise awareness of the importance of ‘the family meal’ and its role in achieving Zero Hunger.

At the opening a WFP-EU photo exhibition titled:The Family Meal – What brings us together?, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Er tharin Cousin praised the photographers for highlighting the importance of food and nutrition in everyday life and the role families play in achieving Zero Hunger.

“These photographs inspire because they demonstrate the simple yet powerful role provided by sitting together and eating as a family in every country and all cultures around the world. Not everyone in the world can share this opportunity – 805 million people don’t have enough nutritious food to live a healthy and productive life. For this reason WFP and our partners are working together with the EU to end hunger and chronic malnutrition around the globe,” said Cousin.

The Finn, who has worked as an education advisor in South-East Asia in holistic development projects since 2001, won with the photograph ‘Khauchi Papa, a special meal in the highlands of Laos.’

“This picture shows Rshi people coming 6 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

together and having fun while preparing their traditional Khauchi PaPa, rice bread, as part of the New Year celebration. The picture also reminds me of the cool season on highlands of Laos, when we gather around the fireplace and Rshi mother serves the delicious Khauchi Papa that is made warm on an open fire,” says Ari. “Preparation of Khauchi Papa brings family and friends together. Skilful hands are turning the dough of sticky rice under a big wooden hammer, powered by bouncing and joyful youth.”

Vitikainen has worked closely with the ethnic community and has published a book about his experience in his native Finland.

In a statement made after he judged the competition, chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver said: “Ari’s colourful shot from Laos is a fantastic example of how important and fun it can be to prepare and share a meal with your loved ones. A family meal might seem like one of the most basic things in the world, but it’s easy to forget that this isn’t a given, and there are many people that struggle to do this. It’s a big issue, and I hope this competition will help to raise awareness of that.”

“I congratulate the three winners of the photo competition,” said European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides. “The winning contributions raise awareness of the everyday reality of mothers and fathers in humanitarian crises, struggling to provide food for their families. While they have

temporarily lost the ability to provide enough food to remain healthy and enable their children to grow to their full potential, the EU-WFP partnership has been able to help them.”

The exhibition and the competition are part of a campaign launched last year by WFP and funded by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).

The aim is to raise awareness among Europe’s citizens about the food assistance WFP and the EU provide to vulnerable families around the world and to highlight the fact that hunger can be eliminated in our lifetime.

The winner s can be viewed at www. familymeal.eu The three finalists is featured in the WFPEU family meal exhibition travelling throughout European countries until November 2015.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.

Q&A Saab Strengthens the Swedish Malaysian Innovation Initiative

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efence and security company Saab has announced that it will take a number of initiatives in order to strengthen the Sweden Malaysia Innovation Initiative (SMII). SMII is an effort to nurture innovations in Malaysia through a co-operation between The Swedish Embassy of Malaysia, Business Sweden and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM).

Sweden has been continuously ranked among the top countries renowned for innovation in the world. Saab is one of the founding members of SMII, which, for example, includes a seminar series on state-of-the-art defence technology.

One part of the Swedish-Malaysian innovation co-operation is to build relationships between academia, industry and authorities to develop the culture of innovation amongst the younger generation. Saab now invites officers, decision makers, governmental agency representatives, students and researchers to an Open Innovation Learning Week in Sweden in October 2015. One essential focus will be to link the Triple Helix model with aerospace and defence innovation to share with and inspire Malaysian partners. This is a concept successfully previous performed with Brazil.

“Saab’s long history of investing in research and development and turning new ideas into commercial success is something we want to spread to others. We have also very good experience from fruitful collaboration between academia, industr y and government that can inspire colleagues in Malaysia”, says Thomas Lindén, head of Saab in Malaysia.

The Sweden - Malaysia Innovation Initiative (SMII) was set up as a platform to foster relationships between Academia, Industry and the Government in a Triple Helix model to pioneer new innovative ideas, and to develop the culture of innovation amongst the younger generation.

The goal was to build a stronger relationship between the two nations and utilize the innovative strengths both Malaysia and Sweden possess.

In May 2011 the Embassy of Sweden Kuala Lumpur initiated the premier Sweden Malaysia Innovation Days. It was supported by the Swedish Trade Council, the Malaysian-Swedish Business Association (Masba), and the Go International Group (to showcase innovation in music).

Malaysia’s strive to become a more innovative country as declared by Prime Minister Najib Razak. Sweden, meanwhile, has a solid reputation for being one of the most innovative countries in the world and is viewed by many countries as a role model in creating a competitive and innovative economy, so here was an excellent common denominator.

Reader profile of the month

Torsten Edens

T

orsten Edens, 49, moved to Vietnam with his wife Mona and 16 year old daughter Sophia in January 2014 to work as Managing Director for Diethelm Travel.

Working in tghen travel industry, Torsten has overv the years lived in “around 20 countries”.

His daughter Sophia star ted at UNIS in Hanoi and is going for the IB program.

I decided to move to Vietnam... because it was a great opportunity and I instantly felt a great affection for the country and its people.

Runnning a travel agency in Vietnam has taught me... not to judge the book by it’s cover, the Vietnamese might not be smiling as much as the Thais but they are fantastic, have a great sense of humor and are hardworking and qualified.

In my spare time...

I try to see as much of Vietnam as I can, I do trail running wherever I can and that is a great way to get close to the nature.

It never ceases to amaze me... when I drive to work every morning in the traffic here in Hanoi and I don’t see accidents all over the place.The traffic is almost organic and every little piece of pavement is used.

I will never get tired of ... the old Quarter in Hanoi with its constant life and mixture of new and old.

The worst thing about doing business in Vietnam... is the constant change of rules and regulations which means that you are never completely certain of what the law says. Sometimes the laws that are passed makes absolutely no sense what so ever.

When I moved to Vietnam I wish I had known... how cold it gets in the winter here in Hanoi, actually it is usually colder inside the houses than outside.

Living outside of Scandinavia has made me realize... how narrow minded and fixated with 1st world problems we have become in Scandinavia. Live and let live and don’t worry too much about a bus that is 5 min delayed or if your internet connection is a bit slow. Your rights come with obligations and we become too much focused on our rights and do not want to contribute. It is a great shame and shows how petty we have become.

Since I became an expat... traditions like Christmas have become more about quality and less about quantity. I love that everything looks normal until 7 days before Xmas and it is all removed the day after Xmas.

We don’t over eat in sweets and Danish food and Xmas lunches with hangovers are - almost - a thing of the past.

Finding a school for my daughter... was relatively easy. In her age there was only two options and UNIS was by far the better choice, apart from that they have a great reputation worldwide and doors to further education will be open in all continents for her.

In Vietnam I have picked up the habit of.... smoking too much. But it kind of filters the dust in the air.

The Scandinavian community in Hanoi is... relatively small. Actually, we have not been seeking out Scandinavians so far.

To satisfy my social needs...

I go out for a Bia Hoi with my staff or run in the Hanoi Hash House Harriers I will return to Denmark when... not really. I am enjoying it too much here!

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 7

New

Danish

Ambassador

sees big opportunities

in the Philippines

The new Danish Ambassador to the Philippines has exchanged armored vehicles and amplified prayers from minarets as the Ambassador to Lebanon, with an eclectic view of Manila slum and skyscrapers. 25 years ago Jan top Christensen ran a UN refugee camp in the Philippines, but now he is back for business.

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t the top floor of a newly constructed office building, at the new Danish Embassy, Ambassador Jan Top Christensen can follow highrises shooting towards the sky, as competing with the latest economic growth in the Philippines. In 2002 Denmark closed its Embassy in Manila. Now 13 years later, in a time where the Philippines is the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia, the Embassy has re-opened.

Jan Top Christensen is no stranger to the Philippines. In 1987-1990 he was leading a UN camp for Vietnamese refugees. In an exclusive interview with ScandAsia, he said that he feels at home in the Philippines.

Denmark has opened an Embassy with a heavy focus on investments and exports. Even though the Philippines have high poverty rates, it is a middle income country and Danish development 8 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

policy is not aimed at wealth distribution. While Jan Top Christensen won’t hesitate recommend the Philippine government to fight inequality, he knows it is a long fight and that his voice will just be one in a larger choir. A much more outspoken goal of his is doubling the exports in Philippines during his time as ambassador.

“Our success depends on our own energy and professional handling of economic diplomacy, with all the instruments we have in that connection.

We already started in November, in Denmark, where I mobilized interest in the Philippines at a seminar with The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI). That is probably the reason we see a, for many, surprisingly big trade delegation visiting now,” Jan Top says.

And judging statistics presented by the ambassador himself, the numbers already look impressive, In 2013 Danish expor ts to the

Philippines were approximately worth DKK 1 billion, and in the first nine months of 2014 the exports increased by 155 percent.

Sick man or Shining Star A taxi drive through Manila gives a good image the contradictions of the fast growing Philippines.

The low paid taxi driver will most likely be able to speak English at a level that enables him to have political discussions, or at least complain about corruption. While new buildings are being constructed everywhere the different districts in Manila are poorly connected, the roads are overloaded and even the shor t trips can be prolonged with hours of waiting during rush hour.

Jan Top Christensen refers to the Philippines as “The Bright Shining Star of Asia”, despite its previous reputation as “Asia’s Sick Man”, troubled by corruption, terror and natural disasters.

There are opportunities for a broad range of sectors here, so to focus on only a few, having strategic sector choices, would be to miss opportunities elsewhere.

minerals, oil and natural gas. Secondly you have a population that is relatively well educated and has English as a second national language,” Jan Top Christensen says and adds that we can expect a 6 to7 percent growth rate in the coming years.

On the day of his ScandAsia inter view, Jan Top Christensen was presented with a daily newspaper with articles covering the corruption allegations towards the vice-president, a bombed transmission tower, active communist rebels and HSBC predicting lower growth rates because of the 2016 presidential turnover, but despite the concerning news content he was confident that the growth in Philippines has a strong foundation, referring to recent reports from IMF and the World Bank.

“The growth rate might go a bit up and down, but the economic growth is robust and the rates will continue to be high according to all serious international observers. It is due to the same factors you had in the 60’s, when the Philippines was called ‘The Bright Shining Star of Asia’. This is a country with significant natural resources, not only when it comes to agriculture, but also

us, but often Danish companies will be interested in getting a package solution in order to get started out here. Because of our access to public authorities, we are able to put together visit programs that could be interesting for Danish companies,” Jan Top Christensen says.

The Philippines offers opportunities in every sector

Not just a fairy tale

At the recently designed and newly constructed Danish Embassy everything from the grey carpets to wooden coat-hangers are impor ted from Denmark. The designer lamps are Danish and so are the adjustable desks. The Embassy in itself could basically function as a showroom in Danish design and innovation, and according to Jan Top Christensen there is not any limits to what type of Danish companies could have success in the Philippines. ”Here are opportunities for a broad range of sectors, so to only focus on a few, having strategic sector choices, would be to miss opportunities elsewhere,” he says.

According to Danish Minister of Trade and Development Mogens Jensen, around 100 Danish companies are already present in the Philippines; the biggest is Danish shipping giant Maersk but also smaller companies as Sonion that makes acoustics devices and Lindberg that produces designer glasses, are both present with factories in the country.

The recent opening of the Danish Embassy was attended by a large trade delegation with 18 Danish companies keen on learning more about the Philippine market. The delegation had a seminar with their Filipino counterparts. On this occasion you got a hint of what types of companies are interested in exploring opportunities in the Philippines. The seminar was split into three parts that focused on three different sectors; food and agriculture, healthcare and pharma and last but not least, sustainability regarding water, energy and environment. To Jan Top Christensen this seminar is an example of why it is important to be present with an embassy. ”One thing we can do as an Embassy that no one else is capable of, is creating direct access to high level officials. It is possible that someone would be able to offer a few of the same tools as

Even though Jan Top Christensen is confident that the growth has a strong foundation, he does not hesitate to mention that there are serious problems in the Philippines, both regarding business and from a humanitarian perspective.

Some problems can be seen from the windows of the embassy, the slow moving traffic is just one aspect of an overall inadequate infrastructure while scruffy shacks next to shining skyscrapers are reminders that the growth has not been inclusive. Less visible, the country still struggles with corruption even though they have made impressive progress on Transparency International’s corruption index.The energy prices are high, protection of intellectual copyrights is low and restrictions on foreign businesses ire slowing down investments.

The Danish Embassy opened on the 22nd of January 2015. The week following Pope Francis’ visited the Philippines and encouraged to fight poverty and inequality. Having experiences with humanitarian work in the Philippines and in the Danish Foreign Ministry, Jan Top Christensen too is concerned about what might not be the biggest challenge for the economy but still something he has described as an unethically large inequality. ”Fundamentally I consider myself a moral human, and I do not believe than people should live in poverty. All people should live in dignity.

When you can’t afford to send your children to school or give them prober food you get desperate - a life in poverty is without dignity,” Jan Top Christensen says and adds that at least there are good indications that the development is moving in the right direction.

“Inequality, poverty and corruption have to be fought. I have no illusion that the problem here will be solved in my five years, but my voice among others can help supporting the positive and constructive forces in the country.”

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 9

10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

How to pick a school

By Louise Bihl Frandsen

H

ow do you pick the perfect school for your children, when you move to another country? It might not be as easy as it sounds. During the years, more and more schools are established, and each institution offers different courses and has different ways of teaching. Many parents use social platforms like Facebook to get advices from other parents. But there will probably be no way around making your own inquiry into each avaible option.

Local vs international Are you looking for a local or an international school? In most countries in Asia, it is possible to sign your child into a local school – but it can be a challenge, if your child does not have Asian roots.

Local schools provide your child with a local environment and another benefit is that most of the local schools are more affordable than the international schools. One thing to be aware of though, is that psysical punishment has not been abolished in many Asian school systems.

If you go for an international school, consider that international students grow up in an environment that is much different to that of your own. Known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), they often develop a different attitude. They will develop other ways of thinking that might be very different from their schoolmates at home.

Once this is said, many expat families decide to go for the international school – at least through primary school up to grade 9.

A few suggestions As said before, many parents seek advices from other parents. But in the end, it is your choice and only you know what needs your child has.

First: Observe Visit the schools you are interested in during a regular school day. Ask to observe teachers in class so you can get a feel for how the adults treat the children, parents and one another. You don’t have to be an expert to get a good sense of what is - or is not - happening in a classroom when you visit.

Second: Distance Make sure the school is not too far away from your home. Have in mind that in most big cities, it is travelling time between your house and the school that matters. Will you be driving your

child to school yourself or how will your child be going there?

Especially in cities like Bangkok, the traffic is hectic and you can easily use hours stuck between cars, taxies and tuk-tuks.

Third: Reputation Use your network in the city. Ask as many as possible, what their experience with this school is. Do not listen to people, who have no children at the school themselves. And remember that 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 oneyear-old school.

Fourth: Courses The school’s courses and programs will most likely be listed in the school’s informations packages or on their website. They will talk about British Curriculum and American Curriculum and what most Scandinavians go for these days is the IB Curriculum.

The IB Curriculum is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate for students aged 3 to 12. Students are required to learn a second language during the programme.

Fifth: Supplementary courses More and more parents find it important that their children are receiving lessons in their mother tongue language. On some of the international schools, the different Scandinavian communities have organized mother tounge language lessons as a supplementary course.

It all depends on the needs of your child.

Many children already have a long day in school with lessons in Thai, English and other courses, so if the lessons are not included on the schedule, a normal day in school can all the sudden become very long and exhausting.

Stay involved As a parent you might wish there were some secret education-analyst methodology. No matter how hard you do your homework, stay involved with your child’s everyday life. Is your child happy and motivated or tired and introver ted? Talk with your child about how school is and spend more time together in the beginning. First period will probably be as exhausting for your child as for you – starting up your lives in a completely different country.

Copyright: Igor Yaruta / 123RF Stock Photo

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 11

Nyborg Gymnasium has stx, hf, IB and boarding school

International School of Bergen

Danish upper-secondary school environment with an international agenda.

Nyborg Gymnasium addresses the growing internationalisation with programmes, study streams and a boarding school, which makes the ‘international’ the order of the day.

The students at Nyborg Gymnasium have an eye open onto the world, and they are fully capable of exploring this in school. This happens, for example, if stay at the boarding school with other young people from all over the world, or if they are students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, where all subjects are taught in English.

Over recent years, Nyborg Gymnasium has expanded and rebuilt school facilities to ensure that the framework for the tuition is updated and inspiring.The latest addition to the school is a new building for the sciences, and a special ‘language’ zone. At the boarding school the students have their own rooms, a strong community, and a kitchen, with focus on organic cooking, providing the meals of the day.

Nyborg Gymnasium ….en route to the world

nternational School of Bergen (ISB) is situated on the west coast of Norway and offers an English language learning environment to students between the ages of 3 and 16. Our mission is to provide an internationally accredited education serving the business and Bergen communities.

The educational programme of the International School of Bergen (ISB) has been developed to help prepare its students for a successful future. ISB is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in addition to being authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer their Primary Years and Middle Years programmes.

A

NYBORG GYMNASIUM - an alternative to the Danish ‘Studentereksamen’

International School of Bergen Vilhelm Bjerknesvei 15, 5081 Bergen, Norway Phone: +4755306330 Fax: +4755306331 Website: www.isob.no E-mail: post@isob.no

• internationally recognized • gives admission to universities all over the world • taught in English You can stay at Nyborg Gymnasium’s boarding school.

Contact us for more information about theprogramme and the boarding school.

www.nyborg-gym.dk Tlf +45 65 31 02 17

ENGELSKSPRÅKLIG PRIVATSKOLE FOR BARN OG UNGDOM MELLOM 3 OG 16 Få elever i hver klasse Trygt læringsmiljø med god individuell oppfølging God kontakt med foreldre Internasjonalt godkjente og utfordrende læreplaner Utmerkede resultater i internasjonale og norske nasjonalprøver Sentral beliggenhet med bybanestopp rett utenfor døren Contact us for more information: www.isob.no eller post@isob.no 12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

Our students and staff All teacher s hold univer sity degrees and appropriate teaching qualifications. Classes are small, and 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 nearly 40 years of experience as an educational institution.

International Baccalaureate

• • • • • •

I

Saniya More

7 Reasons to ‘IB’ it Up

By Saniya More, Grade 12 at KIS International School in Bangkok, Thailand, Class of 2015

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KIS Students at a glance: • KIS students score on average 34-35 points on their IB Diploma, compared to the global average score of 29.8.

• On average 91% percent of KIS students taking the IB Diploma pass, compared to 78-79% worldwide.

• KIS students are accepted at excellent universities around the world, often with substantial scholarships.

s I come closer and closer to the end of senior year and graduation, I can’t help but look back on the last (almost) 8 years of my life- into the education system that I’ve been a part of since the fourth grade: the IB program.Two years ago, I began the IB Diploma Program- one of the most respected, most difficult programs in the world. We can all, as IB students, agree that the IB is no joke, because pulling all-nighters and finishing essays the day before they were due are just some of the skills we have. But honestly what are the benefits of this hellish program? Well, it’s me so here’s another list (once again).

It’s a challenge- making it through the IB program is no easy task because it is a very well rounded curriculum. To do well in the IB doesn’t mean just memorising a textbook of content or being able to list all the facts- you have to be able to apply what you know to new situations.

It helps you to develop excellent critical thinking skills- from the beginning of the IB program, we are pushed to have our own opinion on what is happening in the world, as well as attempt to understand the perspectives of the people around us. IB pushes us to question the world around us, and try to make sense of why everything is the way it is.

It transforms you into an independent learner- by carrying out independent research, writing many investigative essays, completing a personal project and writing an Extended Essay, IB helps you develop the skills you need to understand the world around you without

depending on anyone else.

It gives you your first taste of the real worldthree words: Creativity, Action, Service- for me, some of the best, more memorable parts of the DP program have come from my CAS activities.

Whether it be volunteering at a local shelter, or helping to host a yoga workshop for street children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (best spring break EVER!), CAS shows you that the world isn’t a perfect place, and there is a lot that we as individuals can do to help society move forward.

It impels you to be a well-rounded person with a wide variety of interests- throughout the program, we are encouraged to develop our talents, be able to express ourselves, but also write good essays and learn theories. We are exposed to a variety of subjects, and thus can discover our own individual interests.

It helps you to develop a holistic, accepting state of mind- most IB communities are international, and being open and appreciating about other cultures besides your own is definitely an IB value.

It makes you a part of a global elite (and very small) group of highly intelligent, talented individuals- Globally, there are only about 1 million IB students- it’s one of the smallest educational minorities. IB is tough, and it’s definitely not a program for the faint-hearted. But I’ve been a part of it for 8 years, and yes although at times it has been a real challenge, I definitely do not regret being an IB student.

For more information please contact: admissions@kis.ac.th, www.kis.ac.th April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 13

Going beyond nice and

By Joakim Persson

R

ikke Jar vad Netterstrøm, MD at Helikonia Advisor y in Malaysia, knows a great deal about corporate social responsibility issues and is a ver y experienced person to turn to for expertise within sustainability strategy, s takeholder engagement and management of issues.

Prior to starting up Helikonia as her own consultancy in 2008, she was responsible for environmental and social issues for two of the world’s sustainability leaders – The Body Shop International plc and Novozymes A/S, preparing strategies for over 50 markets globally.

She has also worked extensively throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas as an investment analyst and a public affairs consultant; providing advisory services to multinational companies within a range of sectors, including consumer goods, agrichemicals and financial institutions.

Rikke holds an MSc in International Business from Copenhagen Business School and postgraduate qualifications from Thammasat University, Thailand.

“I’m an economist,but specialised in developing economics; how international companies impact on newly developed countries,” she explains.

The Dane’s main focus today is on board-

level engagement to promote responsible business practices and disclosure at major Asian and international companies. Helikonia has been part of the CSR Asia network (which operates in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney) since 2008 with Rikke on its Board.

Their focus on Asian companies explains why she came over here in the first place: She played a role in the creation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil as an Executive Board member, and has served as Interim Secretary General of the organisation.

“Through my work at the Body Shop I got involved in the palm oil industry and really trying to work with the industry, who I felt were doing a lot of good things, but were not good at engaging with the international stakeholders. They didn’t really understand what the market in Europe needed; they didn’t know how to talk to their customers, or the international NGOs.” “I felt they could really use some help, so that’s why I decided to start up Helikonia. And after about a year I got in touch with CSR Asia, the biggest providers of sustainability services in Asia, who were very keen on having an office in Malaysia. And I decided to join forces with them.”

Training directors in Asian companies CSR Asia are leading advisors on strategic sustainability services.

“As a group we offer advisory services, with a lot of training, which we have done for thousands of directors of the Hong Kong stock exchange.

In Malaysia we also work with the Malaysian stock exchange Bursa Malaysia and here we probably reached about 500 company directors with training for so far.”

A lot of in-house board training is also performed for specific companies that need more internal training in confidential discussions where we facilitate such discussions on the sustainability aspect and non-financial risk management.

“Most of our business is still Asian, though we are starting to get more European businesses coming to us.”

Western companies new to Asia can certainly take a first contact with Rikke and her team.

“We see ourselves as a mission-driven business, so if you come to Malaysia and you want to get some good ideas what you should be looking out for and not our door is always open,” invites Rikke.

“A lot of European and American companies coming here think they’ve got everything under control. And then some turn to us a few years later when they have run into trouble.”

“I suppose a lot of European companies think they’re already perfect or they’re already at a much higher level than the local ones, and they don’t necessarily always understand the specific risks that they have here,” she adds.

There are plenty of pitfalls.

Rikke goes on to mention child labour, 14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

fluffy greenwashing bonded labour and biodiversity challenges as being different issues in different countries – that European companies often don’t see as such.

And political corruption issues are very different; sector and country-based.

“I think our strength both here at Helikonia in Malaysia and broadly in CSR Asia is that we understand the vast differences within the region.”

She mentions as a client example a very large foreign technology supplier that has struggled to implement its international labour standards in Malaysia, because of only using foreign workers locally.

“It’s a very tricky situation to make sure you comply with your own policies here, because of the legal framework for foreign workers.

Companies come unprepared for these kinds of things.”

Ways to learn about CSR CSR Asia also offers two main gateways for learning, the first being a network of companies in a membership group called CSR Asia Strategic Partners.

“That brings together companies from all over Asia and allows you to build a network with our companies where you can talk, confidentially, about your various challenges. I think that is very useful because, first it gives you access to our experts that you can always phone up and get some informal advice, second you also get a network of others within your industry. And I find that the most important thing for our members is that they feel there always somebody that they can rely on if they run into any kind of question or trouble. They can then find a company in either the same country or industry that they can connect with and share good ideas.”

It is also Rikke’s own experience, despite being a consultant herself, that she has learned a lot from other companies and these kind of groups.

Second, company representatives can attend the annual CSR Asia summit which gathers some 600 delegates from 30 countries to cutting-edge discussions on solutions and challenges related to CSR and sustainability.

“We always say to people who are new to Asia, and new to CSR: spend two days there and at least you’ll get an overview of what the issues are that one needs to be aware of. Who are the resources, experts and the best companies that I can perhaps benchmark myself against?

Which consultants are out there, if that’s what I need? Which NGOs are out there if I need such contacts locally?”

“It’s in my mind is by far the most interesting and forward-looking conference – it’s not just people talking about how wonderful they are, it’s actually a forum to discuss real problems and real solutions.” she says.

Stakeholder engagement in the DNA As for companies connecting with NGOs

(Non Government Organisations) this can play a key role.

“When we’re talking about company engagement it is with communities and NGOs who have skills and knowledge. That involves learning how to talk to NGOs who can perhaps help in finding solutions. Companies are good at innovations and making money, they’re not experts in how to engage with communities or on biodiversity. So they need to create these partnerships, whether it is with universities or NGOs or others, and they need to understand what people think about their business.”

This helps companies to allocate resources and guide initiatives to be most effective and establish better relations with key players affecting their business.

Helikonia states that stakeholder engagement should be in the DNA of every company, but advocates the use of third-party facilitators on a regular basis to ensure that stakeholders can express their views confidentially.

“We always say you cannot do CSR without Stakeholder engagement. If you don’t understand what your stakeholders expect from you then it is not social responsibility; it’s just what you want!”

“We use stakeholder engagement to make sure that whatever you do is much more strategic than just the low-hanging fruit.”

Their advisory services to the palm oil sector on sustainability reporting apply to all other sectors and clients, and include enhancing transparency and accountability; assisting companies in creating future-proof disclosure and strategies – helping to manage risk and create oppor tunities for sustainable growth.

“We focus on identifying what priority areas should be for each respective company, mapping out where they can actually generate business opportunities out of being sustainable.

Some of the companies that we work with have really created a brand for themselves as being a sustainable option, which gives them preferential treatment with their customers.”

These companies can over the years prove that they are worthy of their customers’ trust by having good relationships with the international NGOs and a proven track-record in having no conflicts and those sort of things, and the policies in place that their market/customers require.

A real mind-set change Some of the manufacturing industries, such as the IT sector, are also really stepping up their game, according to Rikke.

“There’s a huge amount of development in Asia. That’s part of why I came over here; when things start moving they move really fast. You see stock exchanges and regulators really coming on board with these types of issues. It’s fun to be part of a real mind-set change.”

And in driving CSR forward the stock exchanges are really playing a significant role.

“Bursa Malaysia really took the early lead,

as the first in the region to require companies to repor t on CSR within their annual repor t.

Then the Hong Kong stock exchange came on board with guidance for companies and the Thai stock exchange is developing requirements for reporting which are even stronger than we are having in Malaysia so there’s a bit of the race to the top within the local stock exchanges.”

The next step in Malaysia was the recent launch of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Index, developed in collaboration with FTSE as par t of the globally benchmarked FTSE4Good Index Series.

“The trick [with the reporting] is to do it in a way so it doesn’t just become a tick box. It’s very easy for companies to tend do a lot of write-ups – so it becomes what we call greenwashing. The ESG index is interesting as it sets indicators that companies will have to report on. So they have to actually report on their carbon emissions or their health and safety, which makes it trickier to just write nice and fluffy stories, as you have to actually prove your commitments.”

This development makes Helikonia/CSR Asia very busy.

“But we also see a lot of companies who want us to do PR, as a nice campaign for them to be able to say that they are green.”

Those companies going down that path don’t become her clients. But it’s clearly a trend out there, as feel-good factor for companies, believes Rikke.

“Unless they really have something very well documented to shout about, we always advice companies against these kinds of campaigns. I think you’re actually putting your company at risk if you are out there saying you are green, but you haven’t got a robust strategy behind it. And I would say that this represents a big propor tion of claims in the Asian market. It’s total nonsense!”

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 15

Sunquick Malaysia’s manufacturing success

By Joakim Persson

D

enmark is legendary for its dairy products and beer brands, but also other beverages such as fruit juices. From the island of Penang island comes Sunquick which is found in supermarkets from Singapore to Hanoi but only very few consumers know that this brand is in fact Danish. Because of the popularity of the brand, the factory in Penang is bigger than even the factory back in Denmark.

“We are the most expensive brand in this market but we still enjoy 42 per cent market share. That is due to our recognition as a high quality product,” General Manager Erik Lund proudly explains the success to ScandAsia in Penang.

In addition, the Penang plant has successfully managed to establish exports to a number of countries, including Brunei, Singapore and The Philippines as well as to the new virginal markets like Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

“With low production cost the company was able to compete with the brand owner’s own factory in China; the one meant to cover the export markets in Asia. We’re now operating at a fixed cost below 7 per cent and that is uncommon.”

Equipped for growth The company in question, Barkath Co-Ro, is a joint venture between Co-Ro Foods A/S and the local Penang-based company Kumpulan Barkath, which started marketing and selling Sunquick in Malaysia over 35 years ago. Local manufacturing was granted and by 2013 Sunquick Malaysia is fully modern and automated, employing 45 staff 16 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

Mr. Erik Lund General Manager

turnover has climbed each year since 1999 – the year Erik arrived to be the new man in charge representing the Danish mother company.

“It might seem a little bit optimistic but we’ll go for it!”

He expects Vietnam to grow the most. In Malaysia the Muslim population are the main consumers, while export yet account for only 7-8 per cent of the total production.

With the most recent upgrade of the manufacturing plant and the effective production process now implemented they are equipped for future growth.

“We can double from where we are today.”

To meet ever-increasing demand and the need for larger capacity a newer manufacturing plant was established back in 1993 and subsequently expanded further in 2014 with a new extension of the factory building, including a 4000 sq. metres new warehouse and office lot.

Work force the greatest asset and prepared for increased production (only half of its new capacity now utilized.)

Erik presents this successful transformation, which has lead to significant awards for him and his team, including the “Excellent Manufacturing Results” award from Co-Ro Food A/S as well as the 2013 The FMM (Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers) Excellence award for manufacturer of the year (category: SMIs.) Now Barkath Co-Ro aims for 20 per cent growth on the expor t market for year 2015, which is not overly optimistic given that sales

Some key factors have enabled turning this fruit juice plant into an effective hi-tech production.

Erik had realised soon after arriving that he would have to tear down the ‘big boss’ culture that is common in Malaysia: for every little detail employees ask their boss. Breaking down barriers was a must to achieve the corporate culture of efficiency and effective multi-skilled staff that he envisioned. Introducing a team and group culture had then been the method in order to achieve this; including teambuilding trips as a tool.

“The real knowledge lies with the worker on the floor so I decided to try and change things.”

Since then he always prompts the question to

his employees: ‘What do you think? Come back with a solution!’

“When they came back with different suggestions, we would discuss those and as it was their solutions, they took ownership.”

“In our creative groups our theme was productivity. And each idea was tested with Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, and those, which passed the test, were approved.

It was a very inspiring process and good ideas led to more good ideas.”

The processing system was computerised, the bottle rinser speeded up to 20 % above manufacturers top speed, the filling machine and labelling machine speed increased 20% above the manufacturers original top speed, the cardboard packing machine was rebuilt, the palletizing machine upgraded from semi automatic to fully automatic unit - the list of improvements are long and all-encompassing.

And in that process he discovered what he describes as the Malaysian work force’s greatest asset.

“I soon realized workers are very flexible compared to in Europe where we are all tied up with restrictions and are only allowed to do specific tasks directed by the unions. In Malaysia we are free to do what we want, which is beneficiary to all parties. And when you come with changes they are very open to go through those.”

“Part of our policy is that the staff is the most important asset we have. We train them to be multi-skilled and flexible. So all our factory personnel have a forklift license, for instance and are trained as machine operators. Here they can do anything, and they are very open to be

educated; to go into new fields and so on.”

A Capacity Utilization program was also developed and thanks to the flexible workforce the team can cross the 100 per cent capacity for a day. This is achieved by running the machines also during the breaks. The immediate incentive for workers is the extra salary they get.

The level of English skill can be a problem especially among younger staff. And those are sent on language training. Sourcing staff can also be a problem despite that Penang has a long tradition as a production hub.

There is also no logistic advantage to be based on this island. Neither does the abundance of fresh fruit in Southeast Asia play any role. The compound arrives by ship from Denmark.

“Fruit today is a commodity. A 100 per cent juice in the supermarket comes from the same source; most often from Brazil where the oranges are harvested.”

“There are a lot of product development issues here. We want to keep this and the recipes back in Denmark. That’s certainly not the cheapest but the safest way. A lot of companies are trying to copy Sunquick and they have not really succeeded yet.”

Erik recommends people to live there.

“Yes, for retirement I always recommend Penang.”

“We can see a lot of Scandinavians coming to Penang now, via the Malaysia My Second Home programme. And the major thing is that you can come here with your pension from abroad, and it’s tax-free. And you can even have a small job limited hours and do a bit of business if you want.

And you can own land on your own.”

“They choose Penang because they simply love it. It has everything: the jungle, the hills, the sea, and the wonderful restaurants and the heritage town, and shopping centres where you can get anything. And also good nightlife but more of the family-driven kind.”

Erik himself being a seasoned biker, he especially appreciates the nature on the island.

“I’ve been riding the bicycle here since I first came and we bikers were far and few between back then. Now Penang is becoming the biking island of Southeast Asia to enjoy its nature and riding up and down mountains. Visitors can also rent bikes downtown and it is really an easy way to get around and it’s much faster than the car in rush hour.”

Island life After so many years in Penang Erik is also the right person to ask about how life is on this island with its unique cultural heritage.

“It’s a wonderful place with fr iendly atmosphere, good food and reasonable prices,” he thinks. “And it’s been very reasonable to buy proper ty here, but I have seen the proper ty prices increase at least four times since I came.”

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 17

Treasure hunting

in gorgeous Georgetown

By Lasse Henriksen

A

fter one day in Georgetown I was fed up by the omnipresent streetartish murals. My hostel featured a quite beautiful painting and at first glance it seemed to bring the old idyllic streets a twist. It was picturing a old man standing with an oar in the stern of a wooden boat. The dim paint were beautifully melting into the once white house facade that had slowly grown grey like any other white wall in a tropic climate.

It did not take long, however, before a darker side of the painting was revealed. It was causing constant traffic jam and honking of horns.

Tourists in selfie-euphoria were putting their 18 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2015

lives at risk when they absently laid down in the middle of the road in front of Go-Pro cameras.

It was too much, this was not street art, just a commercial move from the local government to create a tourist trap. No better or less hazardous than a billboard with semi-naked models next to a highway.

I have always defined street art as something you did not need permission to make and mostly I have connected it with rebellion against “the system�, like a critic remark to the society we live in. What they have in Penang is none of that. It is made on the local governments initiative. It is pretty and polite and just to damn photogenic.

Trying desperately to get lost But I softened up. There is not that much to do in Georgetown and after walking from corner to corner, tasting the most incredible Chinese, Malay and Indian street food, a treasure hunt for the so called street art seemed unexpectedly edible. So I challenged my negativity and went to the streets armed with an alluring hand drawn map, that could sort of have looked like a pirates map if I burned the corners.

Walking through the small streets with a purpose felt nice. Even though I star ted my walking in the sweltering afternoon it was easy to forget that sweat was oozing out of every pore in my body and that the risk of catching

skin-cancer was accelerating. Old painted shop windows and small quirky ar t pieces were suddenly standing out, helped into focus by the determination to find beauty.

But I quickly got concerned. Maybe this was too easy. You basically just had to follow the clusters of tourist with stick- or handheld cameras.

Suddenly the only fun was photographing people photographing each other, a little to meta to be real fun and part of finding a treasure is that you are the only one finding it. Imagine entering Ali Baba’s cave and find the passengers from two large cruise ships dancing around.

I decided to look the map to find the most remote artworks.

Appreciate the aestethics!

Getting there was probably the best part.

Constantly finding unmapped ar t pieces and walking around in backyards of auto-mechanics.

Which is why I can only recommend to choose the worst map you can find. The more confusing the better. The search then quickly becomes an obvious reminder that it is not always the goal but often the journey itself that is most memorable.

Even in the more remote areas, it can difficult to take a photo without feeling like you are stealing someone else’s holiday photo.

But who cares. Not only do the paintings compliment the buildings they also sor t of

make the streets into a museum, showing you of what used to be here and what’s still here but may soon be gone. Like the painting of an old bicycle-taxi “trishaw” driver resting under an umbrella mounted on the bike. Like a cheesy metaphor the mural slowly crumbles away on the old facade, like the impermanence of the culture it portrays.

April 2015 • ScandAsia.South East Asia 19

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