If Sophia shed tears

Sophia, UNDP’s first-ever non-human Innovation Champion for Asia and Pacific and Mr Haoliang Xu of China, assistant secretary-general, assistant administrator and director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, at the Responsible Business Forum in Singapore. — Shahidul Alam/Drik/Majority World

THE lack of paper, meatless meals and complete recycling of waste, were refreshingly different, though not everyone appreciated the paperless culture. It’s a while to go before squinting at a small screen becomes the norm. The absence of pop up banners and local branding was also refreshingly more soothing for the eyes. Singapore does have a culture of putting people in a deep freeze. Not having to shudder in ridiculously cold temperatures in this equatorial country, because the air-conditioning was for once, not making things intolerably cold, was a delight in itself. I was still not expecting an event with a low ecological footprint. The ambitious agenda of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands’ first-ever ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ event promised just that. The Responsible Business Forum hosted by the United Nations Development Programme and Global Initiatives involved over 600 international business, government and NGO leaders inviting them to engage with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in at MBS from 22-24 November 2017. Continue reading “If Sophia shed tears”

Asia Journalism Fellowship 2013 opens for applications

Asia Journalism Fellowship 2013 opens for applications
The fifth round of the Asia Journalism Fellowship will run from 25 February to 17 May 2013. The fully-sponsored programme is accepting applications until 12 October 2012 from accomplished mid-career journalists.
The annual programme is an initiative of Temasek Foundation and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It brings journalists from across Asia to NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for three months.
Away from the deadline pressures of their jobs, Fellows pursue their intellectual interests in one of Asia’s leading universities. The semi-structured programme is designed to sharpen professional skills and deepen understanding of trends in media and communication at a time of rapid and sweeping change.
The Wee Kim Wee School is the home of the new WAN-IFRA Newsplex Asia, a prototype newsroom for developing strategies for getting the most out of media convergence. AJF?s 2013 programme will include workshops that take full advantage of this new facility.
AJF also provides access to key newsmakers in Singapore’s public sector, business community and civil society, offering insights into the challenges faced by one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan hub cities.
Applicants should have five years of experience and the potential to make a difference in their profession and their home country on their return. Journalists working in any news medium ? newspapers, magazines, television, radio or the web ? can apply. The programme is in English, but welcomes journalists from local-language media. Visit?http://www.ajf.sg?for details on how to apply or email?applications@ajf.sg?if you have queries.
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CHERIAN GEORGE
Associate Professor, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technlogical University, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore.?www.cheriangeorge.net