Tag Archives: DEI

PR Newswire

Aboriginal Male Healing Centre’s Holistic Approach Breaks Cycle of Domestic Violence with Data-driven Case Management Solution Built in Western Australia

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>> ECINS works with Centre to custom build new client engagement module to establish rehabilitation program for domestic violence offenders with long-term successful outcomes

NEWMAN, Australia, Jan. 20, 2022 — The Aboriginal Male Healing Centre (AMHC), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making an impact on domestic violence and its effect on communities and families, partnered with ECINS, Australia’s most collaborative case management system, to record data, demonstrate results, apply for grants, attract socially enterprising investors, and receive more funding to grow their organisation and support more clients.

Solution built to meet challenges AMHC faced in Western Australia

AMHC’s efforts are focused in Newman, a Western Australian mining town with a large indigenous community. Financial inequality coupled with historical oppression has caused the people of Newman to become vulnerable to poverty, homelessness, alcoholism, drug abuse, and an extremely high incidence of domestic violence. Operating with limited resources, AMHC worked with ECINS to create a solution specifically for the challenges that the organisation was facing.

By deploying the ECINS Client Engagement Module – the mobile application developed in Western Australia – as part of their collaborative case management solution, AMHC recognised a significant increase in its impact.

Streamlining key to successful outcomes for rehabilitation program

"The Client Engagement Module streamlines the whole support process for the participants," said Devon Cuimara, the Chief Executive Officer at AMHC. "Clients are now empowered to take charge of their healing process. We knew if we could give the offender and the family support mechanisms, we could enable them to maintain vigilance."

Equipped with comprehensive statistical data demonstrating their program’s efficacy, AHMC has expanded its services to more people while developing an application for a $40 million government endowment to develop a residential facility to further their support offerings.

Cutting edge innovation helps AMHC secure funding for continued impact 

Cuimara continues, "Our partnership with ECINS gives us a competitive advantage and places us at the cutting edge of monitoring and evaluation. This is going to be a significant catalyst in our success in securing funding moving forward."

The results are already evident. The partnership positioned AMHC to enhance their offerings, including a new "walk-up" service that allows people to self-refer into the program.

"Supporting the whole person is essential to the organisation serving the client successfully," explains Thomas Pettengell, ECINS’ Australia Operations Manager. "Our Client Engagement Module was developed right here in Western Australia, and we are thrilled with the ways it’s already helping AMHC more effectively serve their community and expand their capabilities."

About ECINS

ECINS is a not-for-profit social enterprise looking to create a better society by encouraging a smarter, more collaborative way of working across the public and third sectors. ECINS serves Australia from its offices in Dunsborough, Western Australia, helping health and human services civil servants, government agencies, social entrepreneurs, charities, organisations and teams evidence their impact and empower their teams to make better, more informed decisions. Learn more by visiting ecins.com/au.

 

PR Newswire

Edufront Announces Partnership with Samvid Gurukulam

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NEW DELHI, Dec. 28, 2021 — The Edufront Foundation announced today the launch of its partnership with Samvid Gurukulam, a school founded by Sadhvi Ritambhara to exemplify an ethos of holistic education in Vatsalya Gram on the outskirts of Vrindavan.

The Edufront Foundation will be helping Samvid adopt a comprehensive technology platform to augment its existing approach to education.

The Ashraya Society (ashraya.co.in) will be funding the Samvid project, which will make use of technology developed by Edufront Technologies.

The Digital Learning Ecosystem of Edufront offers schools the advantages of automating key school management functionalities: an intuitive, easy-to-use and powerful operating system for learning is coupled to a comprehensive educational resource management system.

This helps schools organise all their activities in real time through a common platform while making effectual learning readily available to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Edufront offers solutions mapped to NCERT curricula for classes K to 12 with an eye to making learning more proactive, collaborative, and personalised. It also has content mapped to 29 state boards and can be adapted to the needs of school systems.

About Edufront

Edufront is engaged in the development and adoption of innovative solutions to augment and democratize school learning worldwide. Its solutions comprehensively address the problems that students and teachers face at the administrative and pedagogical levels, from ERP style administrative augmentation to AI based personalised learning modules.

On this occasion, Aastha Bhardwaj, Principal of Samvid Gurukulam, said:

"We are delighted to be working with Edufront, who have given us access to a quality of software and hardware not often seen in the region. Our students and teachers have been immediately excited by access to these tools and the possibilities created by our partnership."

Shantanu Jha, Founder, Edufront stated:

"We at Edufront are excited to move forward with our partnership with Samvid Gurukulam, and see how our technology can further enhance outcomes in a school with a unique and richly developed pedagogical approach."

Related Links 
https://edufront.co.in/ 

PR Newswire

NextSmartShip Releases Next-Gen AI-Powered Order Fulfillment SaaS for Global Shopify Brands

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SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 11, 2021 — NextSmartShip, the leading GLOCAL order fulfillment partner for DTC (Direct-to-Consumers) brands, released its next-gen AI-powered order fulfillment SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform "Fulfillship".

The brand-new system features a perfect integration with Shopify and a more flexible, user-friendly and smarter order fulfillment experience. It can auto-sync orders at milliseconds level, keep track of inventory levels across multiple warehouses in real-time, and allow even a starter to easily manage Shopify store orders at zero cost with no minimum order requirement.

"Lacking a powerful and simple order management system has been the Achilles’ heel for most Shopify stores. With a one-stop solution like Fulfillship, online merchants can now enjoy a hustle-free order fulfillment experience with much less investment of cash and time," said William Yu, the CEO and founder of NextSmartShip.

"We wouldn’t say it is a product solely developed by NextSmartship team, because as guided by our genes, we have involved many of our current clients throughout the development process and as a result Fulfillship was greatly improved with their valuable advice and ideas. This co-development process will become our norm and I believe it will bring Fulfillship to a new level very soon."

"LISTEN TO CLIENTS" has been one of the core philosophies at NextSmartShip. With this in mind, it launched a brand-new green packaging solution last month to help e-commerce merchants to shift towards a green journey, and held the very first free-entry virtual global summit on September 10th to share necessary knowledge and critical resources for sellers to survive and thrive in this post-pandemic era.

As Fulfillship set sail today, Shopify brands are now able to save much of their cost in shipping, ERP software, and heavy manpower for handling data calculation and analysis. NextSmartship will continue to harness its core technologies to activate new functions and serve clients’ growing needs towards winning the market.

What’s unique about Fulfillship

Easier

  • Easy to install, one-click in market places like Shopify;
  • Easy to learn in less than 5 minutes with FAQs, video tutorials and live-training;
  • Easy to use, multi-language and intuitive UI.

Smarter

  • Smart shipping options recommendation;
  • Auto order-sync at milliseconds level and smart order information review;
  • Complete and accurate delivery status track of each package;
  • Fully streamlined process enabling much higher processing efficiency and accuracy.

Ever-Evolving

  • More platforms and marketplaces to be supported;
  • Frequent integration of new features;
  • Continuous optimization.

To view more details of the next-gen order fulfillment SaaS – Fulfillship, or try it out now for free, please visit: http://fulfillship.nextsmartship.com

About NextSmartShip

NextSmartShip is a tech-centered GLOCAL logistic powerhouse that strives to help DTC brands of different sizes to elevate their e-commerce business into the next big thing.

With a short history from 2019, the company has been helping thousands of global DTC brands to gain exceptional growth via its professional, stable, and affordable fulfillment services. It now delivers over a million packages per year to international destinations.

For media inquiries, please contact: daniel.camilo@nextsmartship.com

PR Newswire

The Inaugural Hong Kong Science Fair Offers a Platform for Youth to Showcase Their Innovations

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HONG KONG, Oct. 4, 2021 — The inaugural Hong Kong Science Fair (‘Science Fair’) organised by Hong Kong Innovation Foundation (‘HKIF’) is opened for registration with an aim of encouraging schools, teachers, and students to think out of the box. Themed ‘Think Big Be Innovative’, the Science Fair welcomes creations that express students’ original ideas and their discoveries by applying their knowledge of science, technology and design. The Exhibition will be held in February 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and is now accepting applications from Primary 4 to Form 6 students in Hong Kong through their schools.

Founded in 2018, Hong Kong Innovation Foundation has been cultivating the spirit of innovation in our younger generation.
Founded in 2018, Hong Kong Innovation Foundation has been cultivating the spirit of innovation in our younger generation.

The inaugural Hong Kong Science Fair offers a platform for youth to showcase their innovations.
The inaugural Hong Kong Science Fair offers a platform for youth to showcase their innovations.

Mr Daryl Ng, Chairman of the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation says, ‘Hong Kong Innovation Foundation is committed to promoting an ecosystem of innovative technology and encouraging the younger generation to cultivate an innovative mindset. We are grateful to have this opportunity to organise the first Hong Kong Science Fair which serves as a platform to showcase their discoveries and creations. The imagination of our youth is boundless, I am always impressed by their creativity and aspirations for embracing technology. The continuous support by schools and teachers in supporting our younger generation has provided a solid foundation to assist students to realise their dreams. Thanks also to the Hong Kong Government for committing over HK$110 billion in innovation and technology, over the past several years, to provide opportunities nurturing the younger generation and well-place Hong Kong to grow into a global innovation hub.’

The launch of Hong Kong Science Fair has been made successful with the support of a number of organisations including Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node and University of Hong Kong. Through the participation in the Hong Kong Science Fair, students will learn to refine their creations and turn their ideas into reality. HKIF is also pleased to be collaborating with industry experts who will offer assistance and guidance to participating students to better express their creativity through their works and to provide professional advice during the development of prototypes.

The Hong Kong Science Fair judging panel will consider works based on their design concepts, creativity, innovation, feasibility and functionality, as well as students’ presentation skills or teamwork. The competition comprises ‘Primary’, ‘Junior Secondary’ and ‘Senior Secondary’ divisions, with a Gold, Silver and Bronze award in each category. Participants can join the competition on an individual or group basis with the leadership of a teacher. Winning students or teams will receive a prize of HK$10,000, HK$8,000 and HK$5,000 respectively as Student Development Fund, as well as a special ‘Teacher Leadership Award’ and ‘School Development Fund’ in appreciation of the support and leadership of their schools and teachers.

Every selected team will receive a Merit Award and participate in the exhibition which will be hosted on 19 to 20 February 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention Centre and to compete for the People’s Choice Award. All awards will be announced at The Hong Kong Science Fair Award Presentation Ceremony on 20 February 2022.

Founded in 2018, HKIF has been cultivating the spirit of innovation in our younger generation via its four key programme pillars – initiatives, sponsorships, innovations, and scholarships. HKIF provides free STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) courses to encourage students to explore the world of technology and innovation. HKIF has initiated a number of major programmes such as Go Code that has provided over 6,000 placements of free coding classes for students from less-resourced families; ‘One Laptop’ Programme which has offered over 1,000 laptops to help students from less-resourced families to cope with new learning arrangement during the COVID-19 restrictions; ‘Think Like Leonardo da Vinci – 500th Anniversary Exhibition’ that brought the world-class thematic exhibition to Olympian City, together with immersive and interactive experienced for the public, and more.

 

Related Links :

https://www.hkif.org.hk/

PR Newswire

New Oriental Announces Filing of Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2021

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BEIJING, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire-Asia/ New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. ("New Oriental" or the "Company") (NYSE: EDU and SEHK: 9901), the largest provider of private educational services in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2021 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on September 24, 2021, U.S. Eastern Time. The annual report can be accessed on New Oriental’s investor relations website at http://investor.neworiental.org as well as the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. New Oriental will provide a hard copy of the annual report containing its audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request.

The Company has also today published its annual report for Hong Kong purposes pursuant to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("HKEX"), which can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at http://investor.neworiental.org as well as the HKEX’s website at http://www.hkexnews.hk.

About New Oriental

New Oriental is the largest provider of private educational services in China offering a wide range of educational programs, services and products to a varied student population throughout China. New Oriental’s program, service and product offerings consist of K-12 after-school tutoring, test preparation, language training for adults, pre-school education, primary and secondary school education, education materials and distribution, online education, and other services. New Oriental is listed on NYSE (NYSE: EDU) and SEHK (9901.SEHK), respectively. New Oriental’s ADSs, each of which represents one common share. The Hong Kong-listed shares are fully fungible with the ADSs listed on NYSE.

For more information about New Oriental, please visit http://www.neworiental.org/english/.

Contacts

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Rita Fong
FTI Consulting
Tel: +852 3768 4548
Email: rita.fong@fticonsulting.com

Ms. Sisi Zhao
New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc. 
Tel: +86-10-6260-5568 
Email: zhaosisi@xdf.cn

Related Links :

http://english.neworiental.org

PR Newswire

CGTN: Tech, politics and ambition: How Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou stepped into a perfect storm between China and U.S.

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Meng Wanzhou’s release reveals Washington’s attempt to prevent its stiff competition with Beijing from veering into a conflict, but it’s far from being a reversal in bilateral tensions.

BEIJING, Sept. 26, 2021 — "I’m finally back home," Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou said when landing at the Shenzhen airport Saturday evening.

 

After nearly three years of being held under house arrest in Canada, Meng and her legal team reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department on Friday which allowed her to return to China. The moment marked the end of a prolonged legal and political saga which took place amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Shortly after the deal was reached, Meng boarded a charter Air China flight headed to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen where Huawei is based.

Meng, 49, has not pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Under the agreement, she will not be prosecuted further in the U.S. and the extradition proceedings in Canada will be terminated, according to a statement released by William Taylor III, one of the lawyers representing Meng.

"Facts have already proven that this is a political persecution against a Chinese citizen and its aim is to suppress Chinese high-tech companies," said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Saturday.

What happened three years ago?

On December 1, 2018, Canadian authorities arrested Meng at the request of the U.S. government which accused her of wire fraud and sought her extradition. The incident took place as the Trump administration adopted an aggressive approach in dealing with China on a variety of issues including trade and technology.

Four months before Meng’s arrest, the U.S. government fired the opening salvo against Chinese high-tech companies by issuing a ban on the federal government use of products by Huawei and ZTE – two leading Chinese providers of telecom equipment, citing security concerns. The following year, Huawei was added to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List, which effectively banned American companies from doing business with the Chinese tech giant.

Why now?

Over the past three years, Meng’s detention has been a thorny issue between Beijing and Washington. Tensions that were unfathomable years ago have taken an incendiary crescendo.

There are two factors that facilitated her release, according to Guo Changlin, a former senior diplomat at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S.

"U.S. President Joe Biden is looking to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the upcoming G20 summit in person. [Also] Justin Trudeau has just been re-elected as Canadian prime minister [by a narrow margin] and is eager to fling off Meng’s case, which after all has been a protracted bone of contention between China and Canada," Guo told CGTN during a phone interview.

Despite Washington’s hardline China policy, Biden himself developed a close relationship with Xi when the two were vice presidents. Biden has been to China four times and the two met 11 times in person, noted Li Cheng, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution.

"My point was that when I came back from meeting with him [Xi] and traveling 17,000 miles with him … – that’s how I got to know him so well," Biden remarked during a February town hall meeting.

"They have a personal friendship but how far Biden could go in light of nationwide anti-China sentiments remains to be seen," said Guo.

Li believes that Biden has to flex his muscles since the U.S. voter base is increasingly embracing the anti-China messaging. "He’s not that confrontational himself," he added.

What does Meng’s release mean to China-U.S. ties?

The release shows Washington’s attempt to prevent the stiff competition from spiraling out of control, but it falls short of being a reversal in bilateral tensions, according to Guo. The charges against Huawei remain in place, and the tech giant is still on the U.S. blacklist.

The tech war is brewing. The U.S. pioneered the third industrial revolution and it’s been at the very top of the pyramid over the decades. However, on the threshold of the 21st century, China and the U.S. have become fierce contenders in the fourth industrial revolution, which is dominated by chips and algorithms.

The White House listed China as "the only competitor potentially capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power" in its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance.

"The end of the engagement era could date back to 2010 when China became the world’s second largest economy," said Guo. When China’s GDP exceeded 60 percent of that of the U.S. in 2014, hostility further grew, with containment policies ranging from trade to human rights over the years.

Washington’s attempt to contain Beijing in the high-tech realm predates Donald Trump’s trade war and continues to this day. A hi-tech decoupling looks inevitable.

To view the original article, click HERE.

（https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-25/How-Meng-Wanzhou-stepped-into-a-perfect-storm-between-China-and-U-S–13QK0CBqAYE/index.html ）

Related Links :

http://www.cgtn.com

PR Newswire

CCTV+: Xi calls for global sci-tech innovation cooperation at opening of 2021 Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum

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BEIJING, Sept. 26, 2021 — Chinese President Xi Jinping called for global cooperation in scientific and technological innovation at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Friday.

 

Addressing the forum’s opening ceremony via video link, Xi said countries in the world should ramp up sci-tech opening-up and cooperation, and explore approaches and means to tackle pivotal global issues through concerted efforts in sci-tech innovation.

"It is more imperative than ever for all countries to ramp up sci-tech opening-up and cooperation, and explore approaches and means to tackle pivotal global issues through concerted efforts in sci-tech innovation. All countries should stand in solidarity to confront the common challenges of the times and jointly push forward the lofty cause of human peace and development," he said.

"China attaches great importance to sci-tech innovation and has been committed to global cooperation in this regard. Looking ahead, we will strengthen international sci-tech exchanges with a more open attitude, actively engage in the global innovation network, and join hands with other countries to promote basic research. We will promote the commercialization of research results, cultivate new impetus for economic development, enhance the protection of intellectual property rights, create a first-class innovation ecosystem, and foster the concept of ‘science and technology for good’ so as to serve the ultimate purposes of improving global sci-tech governance and bettering the wellbeing of mankind," said Xi.

"Zhongguancun is China’s first national pilot zone for independent innovation. The Zhongguancun Forum is a national-level platform for international sci-tech exchanges and cooperation. China supports Zhongguancun to start a new round of reforms, accelerate the building of a world-class sci-tech park, and make new contributions to global sci-tech innovation and cooperation. I hope the forum participants will have in-depth exchanges and pool wisdoms to offer insights on how to advance global sci-tech innovation and cooperation and how to build a community of shared future for mankind," said Xi.

This year’s forum is scheduled to be held from Sept 24 to 28. Themed "intelligence, health and carbon neutrality", it aims to demonstrate China’s resolve in promoting development through science and technology, building ecological civilization and enhancing international cooperation in climate change.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftSujLjG0sc

PR Newswire

HungryPanda Partners with Caocao Mobility to Launch Airport Transfer Service

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PARIS, Sept. 10, 2021 — Based on the 2020 annual data published by Campus France, overseas students still increased 5% even with the challenge of the pandemic. There are at least 30% overseas students who study in Paris. Furthermore, the number of Chinese students has surpassed 40 thousand and it expects dramatic growth in the 2021-2022 semester.

The Exclusive Partnership between HungryPanda and Caocao Mobility Paris
The Exclusive Partnership between HungryPanda and Caocao Mobility Paris

The surge in the number of students also brings new problems for the start of the school season. Many of the new students are leaving the country for the first time and coming to France to study. But with the impact of the pandemic, everything is much more complicated than before. In addition to preparing a ton of administrative documents, Chinese students have to get tested, get vaccinated, and keep an eye on the ever-changing entry policies.

After solving all those questions and landing in Paris, students face another problem, which is transport. Most Chinese would carry at least two big suitcases, preventing them to transfer by train, metro or bus. The awaiting taxi also has conflicting fame for their prices for foreigners.

HungryPanda, the leading Asian food delivery company, partners with Caocao Mobility Paris to provide the airport transfer service with a comfortable and safe experience. The airport transfer service will last to 25 September as the first step of the cooperation between these two companies. All Caocao cars prepare drivers who can speak Mandarin for more convenient communication. All drivers have been vaccinated and provide an ultimate experience for Chinese customers.

Caocao Mobility Paris is a new mobility platform offering elegant and spacious vehicles in Paris and its region, accessible to people with reduced mobility and eco-friendly. The company is a French start-up supported by the automotive group Geely and have served more than 30 million passengers.

Through the airport transfer service, HungryPanda aims to provide a one-stop service for overseas Chinese, from transport to food delivery. The exclusive partnership is also a whole new attempt for HungryPanda to expand with more business models. HungryPanda is dedicated to seeking new opportunities to provide premium lifestyle services for overseas Chinese, and establishing a leading platform to support the development of overseas Chinese communities.

PR Newswire

LittleLives and Global Embassy Partner to Instill Digital Transformation in Schools

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Aug. 27, 2021 — LittleLives, a school management system based in Singapore continues to partner with various organisations around the world to provide value and services to its schools and stakeholders. A key enabler of these capabilities is a strategic partnership with Global Embassy, an organisation consisting of a network of education professionals to empower schools to engage with digital transformation, enhance the quality of education and improve the welfare of teachers, parents and students.

With the ongoing lockdowns in countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, LittleLives has seen a tremendous growth in schools adopting new technologies to help with their operations in the new norm; from attendance taking at home to supporting online learning. With demands from parents to ensure undisrupted learning at home, LittleLives also provided various solutions and resources to enhance home-and-school relationships.

Sharing his vision for the partnership, Arjuna Raj, Chief Strategy Officer of LittleLives said, "We are excited to partner with Global Embassy to assist and digitally transform more schools in Vietnam, and continue to create meaningful partnerships with other companies."

This collaboration also marks a pioneering step in which LittleLives adapts its solutions such as facial recognition technology and multipurpose communications module to accommodate the unique needs and trends in Vietnam schools, but more importantly, creates a platform to further develop the early childhood education in Vietnam for the community to strive in a safe, responsive, resilient and nurturing environment.

As LittleLives continues to grow and produce valuable and cutting-edge technology for schools, it seeks like-minded companies and organisations to help change the way schools operate – to be more adaptable, efficient and effective – yet never neglecting the human touch in operational and administrative processes in schools.

LittleLives Media Contact
Bryan Koh
Partnerships
bryan@littlelives.com
+6010-2202655

About LittleLives
LittleLives is a school management software provider for over 1,400 preschools in 12 countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Brunei, Dubai, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines. In 2021, LittleLives expanded its reach to the USA and Dubai, and partnered with DBS to launch a digital cashless payment solution to preschools. Today, we serve over 25,000 educators, 250,000 parents and 180,000 children. LittleLives is currently valued at USD$25 million and plans to increase valuation to USD$100mill by 2024. Learn more at www.littlelives.com.

Related Links :

http://www.littlelives.com

PR Newswire

Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority’s WED Movement Engages Global Experts to Drive Innovation, Excellence in Early Childhood Development

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ABU DHABI, UAE, Aug. 17, 2021 — Abu Dhabi’s World Early Childhood Development Movement (WED Movement) has launched a new initiative bringing together global experts to develop innovative and actionable solutions advancing Abu Dhabi’s vision to be a leader in Early Childhood Development.

Cecilia Vaca Jones, Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Chair of the BWG
Cecilia Vaca Jones, Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Chair of the BWG

WED Movement was established earlier this year under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA). Under ECA, WED Movement is harnessing the expertise of a multidisciplinary group of 21 early child development experts representing a mix of academics, healthcare practitioners, policy influencers, children’s media and entertainment specialists, global business leaders and technical consultants. The experts come from several world-renowned institutions such as UNICEF, World Bank, UNESCO and Harvard University, as well as a number of global companies in technology and entertainment.

Participants are working in one of three Breakthrough Working Groups (BWGs), each focused on a unique and important aspect of how children’s mental, physical and cognitive abilities develop in the earliest years of life, from pregnancy to 8 years old. The BWGs are focused on Emotional Wellbeing & Social Interaction, Tech Humanity for Children, and 21st Century Lifestyle.

To date the BWGs have held nearly 100 strategic planning sessions and met with more than 65 parents, children, teachers and ECD experts in the UAE as part of their work towards creation of a series of innovative solutions that promote the holistic healthy development of Abu Dhabi’s young children. These solutions will also help parents and caregivers address some of the most common challenges faced during the earliest years of child growth and development. Outcomes from these sessions include policy recommendations, creation of specific programs and initiatives, development of products, as well as guidelines to address the identified issues.

Team members are coordinating directly with a range of government and social service entities, including Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge and Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination. They also have commissioned independent research on such issues as child screen time, technology use in the home, play time and social interaction. 

WED Movement and the work of the BWGs reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to deliver on its vision to invest in breakthrough innovation in early childhood development with the goal of nurturing a generation of conscious youth who have the knowledge and skills to adapt to rapidly changing societal challenges and contribute to building a better society. The BWGs aim to play a significant role driving the level of innovation needed while helping establish Abu Dhabi as a global role model for and contributor to excellence in early childhood development. 

The BWGs work under the guidance of Cecilia Vaca Jones, Executive Director of the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and Chair of the BWG, alongside His Excellency Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), and Co-Chair of the BWG.

Chair Cecilia Vaca-Jones said: "This Breakthrough Working Group approach enables us to tap into a global collection of world-class early childhood development experts with a single mission and focus: helping Abu Dhabi create the best possible environment to give our children the opportunity in life each and every one deserves. And these new programs, policies and initiatives that we pioneer here at home can become models for early childhood development that are adopted in nations around the world."

The BWGs are currently researching and assessing issues as well as exploring potential solutions related to the following themes:

  • Emotional Wellbeing and Social Interaction: Creating an ecosystem that can help reduce emotional strains on children, parents and caregivers while promoting continuous interactions with children that help them establish important social interaction skills at early ages.
  • Tech Humanity for Children: Looking at how to ensure that children are ready for the rapidly growing level of technology in their lives and are well aware of and protected from risks in order to best reap the many benefits these new technologies offer.
  • 21st Century Lifestyle: Fostering an Abu Dhabi-wide environment that promotes a better lifestyle at home, in school and across the community and facilitates positive physical and mental health of children.

Co-Chair H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash said: "These themes represent both challenges and opportunities for fostering early childhood development not only in Abu Dhabi but across the UAE and worldwide. Through this team of experts and the BWG approach, we will look to generate recommended programs, policies and initiatives that can have a positive impact across the early childhood development ecosystem on behalf of our children, including parents and caregivers, academia, government policymakers, social support groups and the private sector."

Dr. Nikki Martyn, Program Head of Early Childhood Studies at the University of Guelph-Humber and a member of the one of the BWGs said: "Being a part of WED Movement is a truly unique opportunity to take the learnings and experiences of early childhood development experts from around the world and develop initiatives and recommendations that can quickly be put in place to directly benefit the children of Abu Dhabi. Over the longer term, we hope to see the outcomes of WED Movement work benefitting children around the world."

 

Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Co-Chair of the BWG
Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Cultural Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Co-Chair of the BWG