DEC 2015
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Coming Events
Peer Gynt Open Tournament Where: Sentosa Golf Club When: Tuesday 15 December, Registration Start: 11:30am Norwegian Business Association Singapore Like last year, the Peer Gynt Open Tournament, hosted by Norwegian Business Association Singapore, will take place at Sentosa Golf Club, however the course being played this year is The Serapong Course, which has numerous awards i.e. “Best Course in Singapore” at the 2014 Asian Golf Monthly Awards and it was listed in Forbes’ Travel Guide as one of the 10 most elite golf courses in Asia. We are hoping for a great turnout to help celebrate the tournament’s 20th anniversary. Feel free to invite your colleagues, business associates, clients and spouses along and join us for an afternoon of golf and exciting games followed by dinner and award presentations.
Date: Tuesay 15 December 2015 Registration Start: 11:30am Tee-off: 12:14pm Dinner & Prizes: 7pm and onwards Participation Fee: Flight of 4 players: S$1,100 / Single player: S$290 Inclusive of green fee, buggy fee, dinner and drinks Handicap: Men: max 28 / Ladies: max 36 Registration: E-mail: admin@nbas.org.sg Please provide name, company, e-mail, phone, HCP and gender for all players in a flight (and Sentosa membership no. if applicable)
Julaften i Singapore 2015 Where: Norsk Sjømannskirke, 300 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore When: 24 December, 15:00 - 23:00
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Cover photo: Santa Claus and Finland’s Ambassador to Singapore, Paula Parviainen, at ITB Asia
Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia.
Get your own FREE copy: scandasia.com Publisher : ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. 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 Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com
Tradisjonen tro inviterer vi til julaftenfeiring på Sjømannskirken. Det blir julaftengudstjeneste først og deretter tradisjonsrik julekveldsfeiring med julebuffet og dessertbord, gaver til barna, juletregang, musikalske innslag, fellessang med mer. Gudstjeneste kl. 15:00 Tradisjonell julaftengudstjeneste for hele familien ved sjømannsprest Kristian Engelstad Kvalem. Gudstjenesten varer ca 45 minutter. I pausen før julemiddagen serveres setter vi på julefilmer for barna i 2. etg. mens vi rigger bord, stoler og dekker på og pynter nede til julemiddagen. Dette er en stor jobb som skal gjøres på kort tid, så vi setter veldig pris på hjelp fra gjester! Julaftenfeiring kl. 18.00 Julebuffet med ribbe, pinnekjøtt og tilbehør Egen buffetavdeling med svensk julemat Dessertbuffet
Musikalske innslag Fellessang Lucky Draw Julenissen kommer med pakker til barna Juletregang Masse hygge og julekos Julegaver: Alle som har med seg barn (0-14 år) må ta med en innpakket gave pr. barn til ca. SGD 15,-. Gavene gis ved ankomst og sorteres i tre aldersbestemte gavebokser. Kjøp gjerne noe som er relativt kjønnsnøytralt. Påmelding – mer info Send mail til singapore@sjomannskirken.no. Husk navn på alle deltakere og antall voksne, studenter, barn (3-14 år) og små barn (0-3 år). Man kan også skrive seg på påmeldingsliste som vil bli liggende på kirken. Hjertelig velkommen til å feire julaften på Sjømannskirken i Singapore!
Assistant Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Advertising : Frank Leong frank@scandmedia.com Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.
News Brief
Finnish travel promotion at ITB Asia
Norwegian Christmas at Changi Airport
C O
hristmas holiday is fast approaching and Changi Airport is now offering holiday-makers and travellers a Norwegian-themed Christmas display at Terminal 3 – including a winterland bouncy castle with a four-metre high slide, a ski slope, a ball pit and a climbing lighthouse! Be sure to stop by on your way home for Christmas.
ctober’s ITB Asia Travel Trade Show 2015 in Singapore attracted travel agencies and companies from all around the world. A networking reception for Finnish and Singaporean travel agency representatives and professionals was held at the residence of the Finnish Embassy. Some Finnish style food was served for light dinner and many thoughts of travelling to and from Finland was exchanged during the evening.
Source: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Singapore
Polar Explorers - Lecture and Exhibition in Singapore
T
he Fram Museum is a museum in Oslo, Norway telling the story of Norwegian polar exploration. A new temporary exhibition: ’Explore the Arctic – Past, Present and Future, at the Science
Centre’ from the Fram Museum, is open in Singapore exhibition covering a wide range of Arctic related topics such as people, animal and marine life, resources, climate change, and pollution. It also tells the story about the two well-known
Norwegian polar explorers, Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, and their contribution to polar research and expeditions to the Arctic. And last, but not least, the exhibition also explains why the Arctic is relevant for Singapore today. On 10 November, in conjunction with the launch of the exhibition the Science Centre Singapore, in par tner ship with The Royal Norwegian Embassy, arranged a special lecture and exhibition tour, titled “Polar Explorers”, by Mr. Geir Kløver. Geir is director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, and has edited 15 books on Norwegian polar expeditions, including the personal diaries of the crew members on Roald Amundsen´s expedition to the South Pole 1910-12 and the diaries of Fridtjof Nansen. Mr Geir Kløver presented the precautions that need to be taken for a successful polar expedition, stories about famous polar expeditions undertaken in the past, and the science, navigation and survival techniques that these Polar Explorers used to overcome the harsh Arctic conditions. The Fram Museum is a museum telling the story of Norwegian polar exploration. It is located on the peninsula of Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. Source: Norwegian Embassy in Singapore
4 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
News Brief
Danes host economic outlook luncheon in Singapore
O
n 17 November DABS - Danish Business Association Singapore, Nordea Markets in Singapore and the Danish Embassy hosted a joint lunch event at Singapore Management University on the global economic outlook. Flown in was Chief Economist Helge Pedersen from Nordea Danmark who shared his very interesting insights on the future of the global economy and the challenges we face. Source: Embassy of Denmark, Singapore
Statoil oil and gas market future market presentation
N
orwegian Business Association Singapore (NBAs), hosted a breakfast seminar with Statoil on 30 October at Fullerton Hotel. Eirik Wærness (Chief Economist and VP) and Olav Kolbeinstveit (Head of Market Analysis) captivated the audience on the current market situation and what may lie ahead in the future. The speakers gave their insights on the topics: Shor t Term Pain – Long Term Gain? Is the current market situation sustainable? Oil and gas are here to stay! Statoil’s Wærness and Kolbeinstveit explore the underlying factors behind the current low prices in oil and gas markets, including: Drivers for short-term change on the supply and demand side, focusing on shale oil and gas development, geopolitics, Opec strategy, Russia, LNG etc. Key uncertainties going forward Long-term demand for oil and gas in different scenarios for global energy developments Source: NBAS
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 December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5
Danes mobilizing against the haze in Singapore By Mia Sandberg Svenningsen
A
fter more than two months of choking haze, life has pretty much returned to normal for the people in Singapore. But it will all just repeat itself next year if nothing is done in the meantime, according to Mette Langebæk. Mette Langebæk is from Denmark but lives in Singapore and has experienced the haze at a close range. She is a member of World Forests and here she has written a blog entry in which she, among other things, explains the complexity of the search for the culprits to blame for the fires at Borneo and Sumatra. Mette Langebæk is also one of the founders of the Hazebusters Group. A group which on Facebook describes themselves as people “that tries to find ways in which we can influence the development towards stopping the recurring of the illegal burning of forests in South East Asia.” The group’s members consist of Danes residing in Singapore and at the moment the group has 55 members, but the number keeps growing. Hazebusters are trying to influence producers, retailers and consumers to change their policy and consumption towards avoiding products that are made on the basis of the burning. One way they did and still do this is by contacting manufacturers, make donations and sign various appeals. “We got in touch with other groups working parallel to our group through social media. We bombard all the media we can with our joint vision, but we also work individually with our own ideas. One has chosen to focus on making a collection for the reforestation of rainforest areas, another person writes for retailers and
6 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
manufacturers. One obtains personal contact with other groups, while one has chosen to focus on a possible art happening. And we gather all the new information about how the entire situation develops both physically and politically,” Mette Langebæk explains. As Mette Langebæk mentions, the Hazebusters Group is not the only example of people mobilizing against the haze. Another example is the even bigger group called Haze Elimination Action Team (H.E.A.T.), which consists of a group of volunteers who want to stop the haze by suing the companies and boycotting their products. This group has over 3,000 members with nationalities from all over the world. Both the Hazebusters and H.E.A.T. have the same end goal, and a few weeks ago when the haze was at its worst, Hazebusters managed to get through to the media. TV, newspaper articles and social media glowed, and people star ted asking the group what they should do to help and what to buy or not buy. “We think that it has an impact, and you can see that the whole Western world is focused on the issue now. Obviously we are not to blame for all this, as we are just a small player,” Mette Langebæk says. The members of the group are at the moment working in different areas. Mette Langebæk is trying to make an event with RED ORANGUTANGEN happen sometime in the early 2016, where an effort to try and raise money for reforestation and help towards orangutans who have lost their habitat will be made. Even though the haze has come to a halt, the Hazebusters will continue to
meet and spread both their message and the information about the products people should avoid. Mette Langebæk recently managed to get in touch with United Plantations, a palm oil producer and one of the businesses most committed to sustainability in the palm oil industry. United Plantations is at the moment working with Copenhagen Zoo on a new project, and a representative from both United Plantations and Copenhagen Zoo have expressed a great interest in coming to Singapore to speak to the Hazebusters Group. “My hope is that there is more awareness of the impor tance of preser ving the unique nature of Southeast Asia’s rainforests, and that we, although we are small players can help to do just a little bit so that our atmosphere is not destroyed completely. Our opponent is the great corruption and indifference, particularly in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is also paired with ignorance and avarice. We have no opportunities to influence these opponents directly, but we hope that our initiatives can help to influence in such a way, that it becomes more worthwhile for manufacturers to be sustainable,” Mette Langebæk concludes. The fires are calculated to so far have cost the Indonesian government more than US $30 and have placed Indonesia above China and US as the biggest global climate polluter. The Vice-President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, has stated that it would likely take the government five years to solve the forest fire problem.
News Brief
Christmas Bazaar at the Danish Seamen’s Church By Mia Sandberg Svenningsen
T
he Danish Seamen’s Church in Singapore held their annual Christmas Bazaar from 11 am to 4 pm on both Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, with the purpose of trying to bring classic Danish Christmas traditions to Singapore. The church, located on top of Mount Faber, had set op tents outside for the people to gather under while they socialized with each other and ate their selected pieces of Danish “smørrebrød” – that volenteers had been in the kitchen making since 7 am. Everyone were greated welcome by Posaunenchor Singapur who played all the known Christmas melodies. Inside the church was severeal booths of delicacies where it was possible to purchase Danish products and christmas food, and a group of volenteers in a decoration team had created a small pine scented corner where it was possible to buy pine-decorated advent candles. As something new this year the bazaar also has a stand with Danish designer brands such as Anne Black, Holmegaard, Södahl og Georg Jensen. Even Santa Claus popped by and spread some joy especially among the youngest. The Bazaar is an event, which is arranged by the church and its volunteers and the different stands and their preparations behind are handled by local danes. This did not go unnoticed and the Church wrote a thankful message on their facebook page after the bazaar was over. “Thank you to all of you who helped to create a fantastic Christmas Bazaar 2015. Thank you to all the volunteers – you are making a difference and without you it would not have been possible to make the Christmas bazaar.Thank you to all our generous Christmas sponsors – thank you for the gifts, prizes, food and especially the lending of hands. Thank you to all of you who chose to come by the Seamen’s Church during the weekend.Thank you for your willingness to buy, your good humor and last but not least support for everybody’s Seamen’s Church. Many grateful Christmas greetings from all of us at the Seamen’s Church,” the priest from the Danish Seamen’s Church, Kirsten H. Eistrup, wrote.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 7
News Brief
Finns in Singapore briefed on post-election Myanmar
O
n 23 November the Finnish community in Singapore was briefed on Myanmar post election, with three speakers sharing insights. The Finnish Business Council organised the seminar and networking event in collaboration with the Embassy of Finland, held at the Finnish Ambassador’s Residence. Jarmo Kuuttila, Charge d’Affairs, Diplomatic Mission of Finland in Myanmar presented ‘The Aftermath of Myanmar Elections; political landscape, longterm business implications’. Romain Caillaud, Senior Director in the Global Risk and Investigations practice of FTI Consulting gave an Analyst Outlook on Myanmar. Finally Arttu Salmenhaara, Director, New Equipment Business & Quality at KONE shared experiences in doing business in the country.
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Paula Parviainen back in Singapore - as Finland’s new ambassador By Mia Sanberg Svenningsen
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aula Par viainen has returned to Singapore after 15 years. In the period from 1996 to 2000 she was on her first posting as the Second Secretary and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland. Now she is back as the Ambassador of the Republic of Finland. “It’s a little bit like coming back home,” she says. But 1996 was not the first time her Excellency Paula Parviainen saw Singapore. From 1984 and up until she graduated the Diplomat course in Helsinki in 1995 she was a Flight Attendant. “My first visit in Singapore was already in the late eighties, where I was working for Finnair, so I already knew what I was in for.”
10 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
From Beijing to Singapore The Finnish embassy in Singapore consists of only five people, which nowadays is smaller than what it used to be, and considerably smaller compared to her previous workplace in Beijing, where approximately fifty people is employed at the Finnish embassy. Paula Par viainen has done several other postings than Singapore. From 2003 to 2007 she was the Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Finland in Paris, where she was following the French economy and EU policies. From 2007 to 2009 she was the Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations in New York. The latest posting was from 2011 and up until her arrival to Singapore in August, where she was the Minister and Deputy
Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in Beijing. “Beijing was a really good time and a really good job. As the deputy you have to cover it all; you’re the personnel manager, you have to do the budgeting and coordinate a lot. It was sort of a good university to become an Ambassador, because you need to do it all.” The Ministry for Foreign Affairs rotates the diplomats between different postings abroad and the Ministr y in Helsinki. So in between postings, she’s been back in Finland with her family where both her sons have decided to do their education. She now has four years as Ambassador in Singapore. “To have an Ambassadors post is what we aim for. So it feels good. But of course you can always be an Ambassador in a bigger or more important country for Finland,” she says but also stresses that Singapore was her first choice. “It’s like writing to Santa Claus, where we can hope for something when we have the open ambassador postings. This time I was lucky.”
Finland post-Nokia Singapore and Finland are both countries small by population and their ties have been blooming since they established their diplomatic relations in 1973. The most prominent fields of cooperation are within education, ICT, innovation policy and health care. “Finland was known in Singapore for Nokia and the IT. But the Singaporeans are interested in our education system. They’ve already done
“I think the business orientation goes for all embassies out here. Singapore is a business city, and we’re following their politics. Singapore is more ‘business first’ and is much bigger than its size in international politics as well,” she says. While we see a lot of cooperation with startup companies and education, it is not the new Ambassadors main area right now. “I’ve been here three months now, and I made it my first priority to learn everything about the health care and the elderly care,“ she explains. The population is aging very fast both in Singapore and Finland, and the need for health care services is growing. In just 15 years, Singapore will have the same demographic profile as Finland where one in five people are 65 years or older, and in both countries, the search for health care innovations and new technologies is on.
Connecting people
changes within equal opportunities and training of the teachers to a higher level and they’ve been going to Finland for twenty years to learn about our educational system,” Paula Parviainen says when asked to describe one of the successes by the previous administration at the embassy. Another sector that is showing great promise towards cooperation between Finland and Singapore is within the start-up enterprise sector, and especially the technology start-ups has seen a recent booming in Finland. “This is partly explained by the fact that we’re in the post-Nokia time now, and there are a lot of well-trained engineers with a lot of experience in international operations. We’re good at inventing and technology, so we see a lot of new start ups in Finland, and quite a few of the innovative solutions are within the health sector and well-being,” the Finnish Ambassador explains. With its business friendly environment and low taxes, Singapore is quickly becoming a startup hub, ideal for start-ups seeking to expand their business to the Asian market. A way in which the Finnish Embassy is trying to exploit this is through the Team Finland Network, which has the purpose to promote Finland’s external economic relations and country brand, to internationalise Finnish companies as well as foreign investment directed at Finland and to intensify cooperation between Finnish players in the mentioned sectors. “All the Nordics have these publicly funded institutions that try to help the companies to internationalise, and we realised that all these were basically doing their own things instead of a common effort. So in order to have a bigger
impact, we had to coordinate better, and all these institutions are now moving to the same place – a Team Finland House in Helsinki. This at the end also makes it easier for the companies, who want to internationalise their product.” The Team Finland network consists of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Culture, as well as the publicly funded organisations and overseas networks whose performance they oversee. More than 200 Finnish health care companies are already represented under the Team Finland umbrella. “Our embassy is getting an additional posting for three years, which is a Team Finland diplomat. This will make it easier to actually go deeper into carrying out the platforms and making these matches between the Singaporean needs and the Finnish offerings,” Paula Parviainen says.
Action plan for Southeast Asia A lot of the Finnish embassy’s focus is on the business sector, with Singapore being Finland’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and more than 80 Finnish companies based in the country. In a recent publication published by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, examples of how to deepen cooperation and how Finnish businesses could make use of the increasing opportunities in the region. The Plan covers eleven countries whereas Singapore is one of them.The publication is called Finland’s Action Plan for Southeast Asia and here Singapore is described as an important regional gateway to Southeast Asian markets and beyond in Asia and the Pacific.
Another initiative her Excellency is pushin for is a way to engage with the Finnish and Singaporean community, and a way to unite the two. “We want to star t an alumni association, and we’re in the very early stages of it. There are Singaporean students who study in Finland and then we loose touch with them when they return. But it would be great to link them with the Finnish Business Council, so the Finnish business, who wants to find someone who understands both the Finnish mindset and business, can look at this alumni of people who have studied in Finland,” she explains, and tells that the same was previously done in Beijing. “I’ve been in the ministry for twenty years now, and I always say that it feels like I’ve changed profession twenty times. All the jobs are so different,” she says when asked how much she can draw on her previous experience in this new position, and explains how some jobs have involved a lot of communication, others a lot of political knowledge. “Even if you do so many different jobs and are moving around a lot, it’s easy because you’re with the Finnish community and ministry everywhere you go. You’re not starting from scratch, because you will always have these support networks,” she says and further adds: “It’s lovely to see, that some of the people I knew twenty years ago is still working in the same sectors in Singapore. I’ve been reconnecting.” Besides building her network and joining the close cooperation with the other Nordic ambassadors in Singapore, Ambassador Paula Parviainen has a lot of plans for her next four years in Singapore. “We have our first brainstorming with the Finnish community as we’re in the process of planning the big century year of Finland 100 year anniversary of independence in 2017. And I think that could resonate really well here in Singapore when they’ve just had their 50-year anniversary and help make us more visible,” she says and stresses the impor tance of the Finnish brand being a known brand: “I think an important job for the embassy is to help the Finnish brand get stronger and better known, which also includes helping our companies with some background support.”
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11
Social media usage is very prevalent in our Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent used a mobile phone in Myanmar. Today that number is more than forty percent, and more than sixty percent of those use the Internet on the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in Thailand.
Telenor’s Asian
journey and future By Mia Sanberg Svenningsen
T
or Odland is head of corporate communications in Asia for Telenor Group, which is the largest mobile operator in the South East Asia region and one of the top ten operators in the world. He is responsible for building the Telenor brand across large markets such as India, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia. His role is furthermore to advise the national executive management teams on best practice communications strategy and issues management. 12 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
Tor Odland joined the Telenor Group as the Vice President of Group Communications in August 2011, but Telenor’s Asian journey started long before that. Nearly twenty years ago in 1996 the company representatives travelled across Asia and slowly began building the business by launching in Bangladesh – then in Malaysia and Thailand a few years later. Today, Telenor is present in six Asian markets, more than any other international telecom provider. Now Telenor’s global customer base is more
than 190 million, and the company are on the way to get 200 million people on the Internet by 2017 – most of these being users in Asia. When it comes to building a global footprint in these large and very populous markets, Telenor faces different challenges. “Operating in Asia can be unpredictable. You have to be prepared for the unexpected at all times. Part of my job is to help our companies be prepared on how to handle a variety of challenges,” Tor Odland explains.
Prior to Telenor, he was a Vice President of Corporate Communications at Opera Software from 2004. He received his Master of Science degree as The London School of Economics and Political Science and his Bachelor’s Degree from The University of South Carolina. He is now based in Singapore, from where he is building the Telenor brand across six different markets. The branding happens on both a local level and a global level. “On the one hand, we build our brand locally based on our global standards and policies, , but we also allow each company to do things that make them different. One of the key success factors is to have a customer-focused approach and to be best on value,” Tor Odland explains. While building the Telenor brand, he works more towards influencing the minds of what he calls “the informed elite” and less towards the minds of the end consumers, which is the responsibility of the local business unit. “The informed elite are the people who work in the government, international national organisations, human rights groups or in the media for example.The mobile industry is heavily regulated, and therefore it’s in our interest to help governments and large organisations to understand that Telenor is a large, responsible company with a long-term perspective. But ultimately our industry is all about winning the customers – everything is centred on that,” he says. And it seems that Telenor is doing just that. In 2013 Brand Finance - the leading global brand valuation agency - evaluated the 50 most valuable brands from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Telenor secured the fourth place. Furthermore, Brand Finance named Telenor as that year’s fastest riser, with a value growth of 55%. One of the tools Telenor use to build their brand is social media. Digital media and the internet have without a doubt transformed the telecommunications industry. Telecom companies now operate in an industry where there is a constant competition about who offers the best internet coverage at the best price. “Previously we made most of our revenue on SMS and voice calls. Now most of the growth comes from data – or the internet services we all constantly use on our phones. We have to figure out how to deliver fast data at the right price. We need to find the right balance,” Tor Odland says. Providing a ser vice that is so commonly used requires a direct, real-time access to the customers in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. This is why social media is largely used in the telecom industry to talk to the customers and respond to their questions, to update the customers and to promote products or services. According to Tor Odland, it’s becoming an integrated part of the telecom industry. “Social media usage is very prevalent in our Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent used a mobile phone in Myanmar. Today that number is more than forty percent, and more than sixty percent of those use the Internet on the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in Thailand,” he says.
We don’t know where the world of the Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years ahead for sure. It’s even harder to predict two years into the future. But I’m sure you will see Telenor developing more of its own services as well as partnering with the existing internet companies. We will take a more prominent position in the internet space.
This rapid development of Internet usage has also led to Telenor seeing the need to educate the consumers in how to behave responsibly on the Internet. They teach, among other things, about online bullying, how to avoid viruses and how to protect your personal data. “In some of these markets the internet is a new concept, so we try to teach them how to use it responsibly. We also train people to understand, that if you post a picture on the Internet it will be there forever,” Tor Odland says and gives an example of another decision made by the company relating to responsibility. “We have also implemented a child pornography filter in most of our countries. We don’t like to block stuff on the Internet in general, but when it comes to child pornography it is absolutely our job to contribute to curbing this problem.” Another aspect that social media has brought to the industry is within the field of customer service. People no longer have to wait in line at their local telecom store for help or to call a customer service agent. If a customer has an issue, he or she can tweet or post a message on Facebook to their service provider and receive an immediate response. “I think as an industry we have been on a
journey of increased transparency. And that’s a standard of how we operate. It’s everyone’s responsibility to take care of the customers. I think the industries in Asia are still on that journey.They are certainly interested in being profiled well, but have a different approach to being transparent. I think it’s a bit of a cultural difference,” Tor Odland says. Telenor’s policy of transparency became visible in a recent incident in Thailand. The consumption of Facebook in the country is huge, and on the 28th of May 2014, Facebook was briefly inaccessible to many users in Thailand. Tor Odland, told a Norwegian newspaper that DTAC had received instructions from Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) on that very same day to block access to Facebook in Thailand. This led to Telenor being criticised by NBTC’s spokesperson for whistle blowing. “Let me answer in principle. When the government reaches out to us and makes a request, we follow our established procedures. And this very often includes being open about such requests. We work systematically with trying to find a balance between the internationally recognized human rights and local regulations and interests,” Tor Odland says when asked to comment on what could be learned from the incident. When asked if anything would be done differently should such a request appear again, he says, that there would be an evaluation of the request, and Telenor would most likely be open about it again. When it comes to predicting the future and the Internet’s influence on the long-term prospects, nothing is certain. “We don’t know where the world of the Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years ahead for sure. It’s even harder to predict two years into the future. But I’m sure you will see Telenor developing more of its own services as well as partnering with the existing internet companies. We will take a more prominent position in the internet space.” Telenor has already developed a variety of services for different countries. In some countries they have launched music services and online learning tools and in other countries they have introduced shopping apps. In Asia, Telenor is a major provider of mobile financial services – where customers without a bank account get access to modern financial services such as money transfers and insurance.The company is also partnering with bigger companies such as Google and Facebook to collaborate on providing cutting-edge internet services to the mass markets of Asia. “We operate in ver y competitive and challenging markets. We have to be able to deliver word class services and also be seen as a positive corporate citizen.That’s very important, as we will often be seen as a foreign company in many of these markets,” Tor Odland concludes.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13
Danish team wins Singapore Airlines gourmet food competition
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n 5 November 2015 pots and pans were put to heavy use, when the final contest between the three Danish top restaurants, Kiin Kiin, Dragsholm Slot and Maarbjerg, had everything sizzling and bubbling at Gate Gourmet in Kastrup, Denmark. Which is also what the three chefs, who were competing on taste, did. In July, Singapore Airlines and Gate Gourmet invited a number of Danish top restaurants to participate in the competition. In August, Gate Gourmet held a workshop, where the restaurants got an insight into which requirements that are applied to airline food. The selected restaurants then had to submit ideas/recipes before the 5 October deadline. A panel of judges evaluated and chose the winning recipes and restaurants, and the selection of the restaurants, that moved on to the final, was announced two days later. The final competition was held on 4 November, where the three chefs presented their menus in public in front of the panel of judges, with an elected winner in the end: chef, Mikkel Maarbjerg, Mikkel Maarbjerg, who is the one half of “Kirk + Maarbjerg”, received the fine honor of creating the new in-flight meals for Singapore Airlines’ Economy Class and Business Class on their routes between Copenhagen and Singapore - on flights from March 2016 onwards. Mikkel Maarbjerg has earlier won great honors with his specialty for Danish cuisine and gastronomy, including a seventh place at the Bocuse d’Or in 1999, becoming the chef at the two-star restaurant Kommandanten, after which he himself opened Ensemble and got two Michelin stars there. Kiin Kiin and Dragsholm Slot also delivered ver y exquisite food, and it was not easy for the panel of judges to make the final decision.
14 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
The Danish Michelin-star restaurant Kiin Kiin is the only Thai restaurant with a star in the Michelin Guide and Dragsholm Slot deliveres delicacies from the acclaimed gourmet restaurant Slotskøkkenet. “There are a number of practical things, that you have to take into account, when you create airline food, because our palate is reduced in high altitudes, and simultaneously the airline food has to be able to be prepared hours ahead of takeoff and be reheated onboard. There are also a number of hygiene requirements that complicates the process. But today, all three chefs have served palatable food that were mouth-watering, they had been extremely perceptive of the challenges related to working in the airline kitchen, and it was margins, that lead to Maarbjerg carrying off with the prize”, says Casper Vedel Jensen from Gate Gourmet, which is also the airline kitchen that normally prepares the food for Singapore Airlines’ guests. Mikkel Maarbjerg was a very happy man, when it was announced, that he was the winner: “It has been quite interesting to participate in a competition about creating the best airline food for Singapore Airlines, and I’m very much looking forward to being part of the realization of it in collaboration with both the airline company and Gate Gourmet. It will be exciting to see how much we can raise the bar for airline food in general, and I’m proud of being part of the process”, says Mikkel Maarbjerg. “Singapore Airlines is already awarded for the food, that we serve our guests onboard, and with this competition, we wished to develop airline food to an even more palatable level. By choosing Maarbjerg we believe that we are aiming for the stars and Nordic gourmet food of the finest kind. It has been an exciting and worthwhile
process, and we are very much looking forward to hearing what our guests onboard the first flight from March 2016 are going to say”, says Tim Lee, Singapore Airlines’ general manager for the Nordics. The chefs in the competition got prepared for developing the most tasteful airline food.The first step was a workshop at Gate Gourmet back in September, where requirements and insight into airline food were assessed. Then the three chefs submitted recipes and menus that were evaluated by a panel of judges consisting of representatives from Singapore Airlines, Gate Gourmet and the gastronomic scene. In the long term, the dainties will perhaps be served onboard the airline’s other flights, but an exact plan for this has not been determined yet. Mikkel Maarbjerg will be present onboard the first flights, when the new food is served in the air. The challenges, that the three chefs have had to take into account, are amongst others, that loud noises block good taste. Studies show that sounds can block our ability to taste sweet and sour, whereas good music by way of example can create a more generous atmosphere for tasting. Likewise, the salty flavor is reduced up to 15 per cent due to the cabin air pressure, that effects the glands/taste buds.The umami taste is the only taste, that is immune to the suppressing effect of sound, including aircraft noise. This is why, so many enjoy a Bloody Mary in high altitudes. A lot suggest, that this is not a coincidental choice of beverage, even though the passengers might not be conscious of the reason behind their choice. A lot of knowledge and techniques have to be implemented, when you create food, that are consumed in the skies, and all three chefs managed to do just that in an elegant manner.
Crowne Plaza
Changi Airport Celebrates The Season Of Sharing
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rowne Plaza Changi Airport celebrates this coming season of sharing with dining options created to focus on great conversations and meaningful connections. Whether it is yuletide takeaways from the Lobby Lounge or buffet dining experience at the award-winning Azur Restaurant, the inspired fusion of flavours and menu items are sized to suit smaller, more intimate gatherings enabling a kind of communal dining that has never been cozier and warmer at Christmas time. For those planning to host the Christmas dinner party at home this merry season, do not fret about cooking for the occasion and instead, enjoy the convenience of the Yuletide takeaways with the proud highlight on the Roasted Texas BBQ Beef Short-Rib ($120+, 1 kg). Sous vide for 24 hours before being roasted in the oven, the beef short-rib falls straight off the bone. An alternative to the traditional turkey is the Roasted Turkey with Turmeric Coriander Spices accompanied by a rich and palate-pleasing Spicy Coconut Cream Sauce ($135+, 5 kg). Also throughout December, an array of Asian and Western buffet items awaits to be enjoyed by both the young and old. In the true spirit of Christmas, Azur Restaurant creates ample opportunities to connect by serving buffet in small portions and making round tables available for larger reservations to allow for more festive bonding and laughter throughout brunch, lunch and dinner.
Address: Crowne Plaza Changi Airport 75 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819664 Phone: 6823 5300
Celebrate the Season’s Best at InterContinental
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ask in the joy of the season with in the heart of the arts and cultural precinct of Bugis this Christmas as InterContinental Singapore presents an exceptional medley of festive delights served at the brand new restaurant, Ash & Elm, the charming Lobby Lounge and an enticing array of gourmet take-home yuletide treats. Ash & Elm, the latest addition to InterContinental Singapore’s dining venues has the freshest ingredients combined with classic traditions and a touch of culinary charm. From semi-buffet lunch, to indulgent lunch and dinner menus as well as exciting breakfast and brunch options, feast and make merry to satiate year-end celebratory cravings from Christmas to the New Year. The charming Lobby Lounge offers leisurely afternoon Christmas tea with a sublime pairing of sweet and savoury delights with a selection of TWG teas. Amidst delightful ‘live’ entertainment, freshly prepared crepes will also be served alongside a selection of fruits, berries and house-made ice cream at the “live” station. Home celebrations are heightened with an enticing array of gourmet take-home yuletide treats created by the InterContinental team. Debuting on the list of gourmet roasts this year is the Manuka Wood-Smoked Tom Turkey ($150+ for 5kg). The gift of joy to friends and family comes in two options of Christmas Hampers - Classic ($165+) and Luxe ($320+), a collection of the choicest handpicked treats that make for the perfect gift to show your appreciation to anyone.
Address: InterContinental Singapore 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966 Phone: 6338 7600 December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15
News Brief
Finnish Smart Gardens in Singapore
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innish innovative Plantui Smar t gardens is present at the Green Urbanscape Asia fair in Singapore. Minister of National Development Lawrence Wong learned more about Plantui smar t gardening from Plantui representatives Kari Vuorinen and John Cheah.
Nobel Prize Series debuts in Singapore
The picture is the Smart garden at the Finnish residence on harvest time! Source: Embassy of Finland in Singapore
Swedish Academic Collaboration Forum in Singapore 2015
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or the first time in Singapore “Nobel Prize Series” visited Singapore for a two-day seminar with discussions about “Future of Learning”. ”Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015” is produced by Nobel Media and the Nobel Museum in par tnership with Nanyang Technological University. On 5 and 6 November five Nobel laureates, Professor Sir Harold Kroto, Professor Stefan Hell, Professor Ada Yonath, Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Sir James Mirrlees, visited Singapore. With a common passion for learning they spoke about and discussed how students can be prepared for a rapidly changing knowledgebased economy. The President of Singapore, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, was the Guest-of-Honour and held a speech at the inauguration of “Nobel Prize Series Singapore 2015”. On the 6 November the exhibition “The Nobel Prize – Ideas Changing the World” opened at the Art Science Museum, and in the evening the Nobel Prize Series hosted a Nobel Dinner at the Gardens By the Bay at which Lars Heikensten, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation, gave an inspiring speech in the presence of Nobel laureates and other distinguished guests. The exhibition “The Nobel Prize – Ideas Changing the World” open between 2015.11.06 – 2015.01.24, tells the story about Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize, Nobel Prize Laureates and how Nobel Prize-awarded work has shaped and continues to change our world. For the first time ever, exhibition visitors are able to explore the life of Alfred Nobel and the history of the Nobel Prize through his will, in a digital experience based on the iconic document itself. By using TAG (Touch Art Gallery) technology on screens, the visitor can translate the document, zoom-in on images, get additional facts and stories, and take interactive tours.
16 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
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he first week of November 2015 was interesting for Swedish Research and Innovation in Singapore! Singapore was the host for The Swedish Academic Collaboration Forum (SACF), a consortium consisting of six of Sweden’s most prominent universities, i.e. Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, Linköping University, Stockholm University and Uppsala University. The aim of SACF is to strengthen existing research cooperation as well as to facilitate and initiate new collaborations between academic institutions in Sweden and five strategically
chosen countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, China and Singapore. Topics such as education, urban systems, materials, social development and aging were discussed during four sessions with participation from researchers from all the collaborating universities. The program was well attended by 70 visiting researchers from Swedish universities with over 500 people attending all the sessions. Source: Embassy of Finland in Singapore
INTRODUCING
The Australian International school’s
LAMDA Speech and Drama Program The Australian International School launches an enhanced curriculum for 2 - 5 year olds next month, building on years of childhood developmental research that shows the foundation of life-long learning is established in the early years. This specialist curriculum includes daily maths, Mandarin, and the Accelerated Literacy Program to advance reading, writing, and listening under the inquiry-based International Baccalaureate. Integral to the curriculum is a weekly Speech and Drama program starting at age 3 and using 150 years of proven experience from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Laying the foundation in Early Years Drama provides young children with the opportunity to improve understanding of the world around them, as a natural extension of their everyday lives, alongside the following benefits:
Better academics: Studies have shown a direct
link between drama and better academic achievement. Research, collated by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, demonstrated that students who participate in drama see better performance at school on many parameters, including higher standardized test scores, improved reading comprehension, and better attendance records than their non-arts counterparts.
Confidence: Children learn to be confident public
speakers with an enhanced understanding of language and gaining a rich vocabulary by using new words.
Communication skills: The performing arts help children become better communicators, encouraging them to listen carefully before forming and articulating a response.
In this manner, dramatic play through theatre promotes the use of speaking and listening skills in children.
Teamwork and Social Skills: Participating in dramatic play is a group activity, and it teaches children the value of working together towards a common goal and outcome.
Investing in the environment
Complementing this curriculum, AIS is building a new state-of-the-art campus complete with a 22m swimming pool, a large sports gym, 5 library and learning resource centers, 9 arts and language specialist classrooms in one centrally-located facility. The new campus will be an extension to the existing Lorong Chuan school, 10 minutes from Orchard, opening in 2017.
To find out more about AIS new Early Years curriculum launching next month book a personal tour or call +65 6653 7906.
Australian International School Pte Ltd is registered by the Council for Private Education. CPE Registration Number 199204405H. Period of Registration 6 July 2015 to 5 July 2019
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17
Nordic Golf Tournament 2015 last time at Jurong Country Club
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n September 30th, SBAS and DABS or ganized the 10th Nordic Golf Tournament at the beautiful Jurong Country Club. This was the last time that the Nordic Golf tournament as held at JCC before the course is turned into the terminal station of the high speed rail, linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. In spite of the prevailing, haze some 88 gentlemen and 8 ladies enjoyed a fun day at the golf course. JCC’s arrangement was excellent and the course was in top condition for the event. This year, we also offered a Golf Clinic. 9 budding golfers signed up for the clinic and we hope to see these golfers at next year’s Nordic Golf Tournament. Scoring format used was System 36 and Fredrik Lager was the lucky winner of the men’s trophy and Helena Ma of the ladies. The organisers extend a big thank you to all their sponsors who made this year’s event possible and a fond farewell to JCC.
18 ScandAsia.Singapore • December 2015
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December 2015 • ScandAsia.Singapore 19
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