ScandAsia October 2018

OCT 2018 Business

Danish Business Minister in Singapore

Education

Jรถnkรถping University Cross-functional learning

Lifestyle

GM Anders Dimblad, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur

Trade

EU Business Avenues Southeast Asia

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Ce moment when your child

pense en deux langues at the same

temps

C’est possible!

CIS’s new French-English Bilingual programme* offers your child an excellent opportunity to become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural in both English and French. With equal exposure to both languages, your child will enjoy all the benefits of an IB PYP education taught by two qualified teachers - one fluent English speaker & one fluent French speaker. Your child will learn through hands-on activities that mirror the real world, ensuring they are always motivated to learn more.

50:50

French & English

*Grades 1 and 2 in 2018-2019

Learn more about our new French-English Bilingual Programme at our next open house or book a personal tour www.cis.edu.sg/french or call 6436 6622.

As an IB World School, CIS offers the PYP, MYP and IB DP. Canadian International School Pte. Ltd. CPE Registration No: 199002243H. Period of Registration: 8 June 2015 - 7 June 2019

October 2018

ScandAsia Community

56 Home of Grace 60 Pojanath Bhatanacharoen is the new TSCC ED 61 New Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam

40

Mr Roy Andersson Associate Professor Jรถnkรถping University

56

12 Preschool and Kindergarten theme

ScandAsia Business

44 Danish Business Minister in Singapore

Ramus Jarlov sign multiple bi-lateral deals

Mr Hans Henrik Pontoppidan

52

The Danish-Chinese Business Forum

60

46 EU Business Avenues Southeast Asia

Business internationalisation support programme

55 Diakrit leaves News Corp Founders buy out investor

62 Business & Trade events

Calendar of activities for the rest of 2018

64 Mr Anders Dimblad Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur

61

Editorial

World Culture Kids

M

oving out of your home country is exciting. It is a life changer. Also for your children.

Your children will never be the same. Some children say, later in life, that they miss having deep roots in people and places. They envy their cousins back home, who went to kindergarten together with other kids from the neighbourhood, who went on to primary school and highschool together, who partied together with the same crowd as teenagers, witnessed the growth and development of their local town together and eventually settled in that very same town working at a local factory or doing their own businesses.

While all that is probably correct, one thing that your children will learn from moving abroad is an increasingly important skill in the 21st century: tolerance, embracing diversity, finding common ground.

Planning for this issue, which focuses on finding the right kindergarten or pre-school for your child, I stumbled upon a website www.cmrubinworld.com with over 550 interviews and articles discussing a range of issues regarding bringing up our children in this rapidly changing world.

A recent ar ticle pointed out that the downside of moving children abroad can indeed be a ticket to the most useful skill of their life: learning how to cross cultural boundaries, finding benefits in diversity, working together regardless of ethnic boundaries, race, age, geography or other boundaries.

ScandAsia is a printed magazine and online media covering the people and businesses of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland living and working in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Who should subscribe:

ScandAsia subscribers are typically Nordic expats and companies from the Nordic countries living in and active in Asia.

Another group of subscribers are Nordic people living in the Nordic countries who subscribe to ScandAsia for personal or business reasons. We also have many Asian subscribers, who for a wide range of rea-

6 ScandAsia • October 2018

I am sure there are teachers back home in the Nordic countries who realise that they have their own biases and attitudes e.g. to immigrants and try not to pass on their own preconceived ideas of “us” as opposed to “them” to their students. But your children learn this incredibly useful skill of co-existence in real life.

Your children may miss the security of being rooted in a seemingly static world in the Nordic countries, but they get for free the skills and experience that we all need in the future of the globe to navigate cultural and human differences in a peaceful way.

I would say that’s a really good trade-off!

sons are following the activities of the Nordic expats and companies via a subscription to ScandAsia.

The ScandAsia magazine is produced every month and distributed to all print version subscribers via postal services and to all eMagazine subscribers via email. Subscribing to the eMagazine is FREE - simply sign up on the ScandAsia.com website.

Become a ScandAsia user/ get free digital ScandAsia magazine or paid subscription via

www.scandasia.com!

Gregers Moller Editor in Chief

Publisher : ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road 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 Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com

Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Frank Leong frank@scandasia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Production Manager: Sopida Yatprom Printing : Siam Print Co., Ltd.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 7

Opinion

Final Frontier Markets To Shine They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom For trying to change the system from within I’m coming now, I’m coming to reward them First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I

- Leonard Cohen, 1988 (I’m Your Man) n 1998, the Asian financial crisis ravaged like a wildfire through the capitals of Southeast Asia and some parts of East Asia. Investors were left holding hugely damaged por tfolios, local companies forced to shed assets and restructure and governments enacted various economic reforms prescribed by IMF and other international organisations.

A painful period that thankfully proved short-lived.

One salient factor occurred in December 2001 when China after nearly 20 years of negotiations was allowed to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO). China was able to fire up its growth engine and compete without much hindrance with the rest of the world.

The result was impressive.Stupendous economic growth catapulted China to factory floor of the world, allowed other Asian countries to become important part of the global supply chain.

Scandinavian companies which entered or increased their investments in China and Asian countries were handsomely rewarded.

In 2008, the great financial crisis proved to be a temporary speed bump and companies involved in the consumer and technology sectors proved to be the stars.

Recently, things are looking less rosy, prompted by president Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on Chinese goods sold to the US which could turn into a full blown trade war later this year.

It raises the questions what is the next in store for the region.

Beyond betting aggressively on technology investments, the shor t answer is increased pressure to find 8 ScandAsia • October 2018

alternative markets for their products and services.

Final frontier markets offers best bet. They offer rapid economic growth, untapped consumer demand and access to natural/energy needed to secure longterm geopolitical needs. For example 8 of the top 10 growing economies in 2018 are located in frontier markets, according to the World Bank (and the other two are India and Philippines).

The biggest Asian economies have started to plan for a massive ramp up in final frontier markets as evidenced by three flagship policies.

India and Japan has outlined an Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) consisting of four main components: development and cooperation projects, quality infrastructure and institutional c o n n e c t i v i t y, c a p a c i t y a n d s k i l l enhancement and people-to-people par tnerships. Concurrently, India has a Look East policy, which is an effort to cultivate economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia.

China has its Belt & Road initiative (BRI), which is aimed to re-enact trade and geopolitical links it had in ancient times with final frontier markets.

Approximately 60 countries are linked through land and maritime links, and various institutions and economic packages made available to ensure that it can gain momentum.

Without doubt these final frontier markets come with problems linked to environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) issues.

However that has not held up corporate Asia to deploy sizeable financial resources in these final frontier markets. Trade data from Asian frontier markets reveals that over the last

couple of years up to 80% of all foreign direct investments are from Asia. Africa is not much different where Asia-led investments also dominate.

There are also many positive changes taking places barely reported in Western media as they lack a clear Western angle (company/government).

Myanmar is a good case.

On 1 Aug, Yangon instituted a new Companies law which replaced the Companies Act of 1914, which allows companies to be up to 35% owned without being considered being a foreign entity. Moreover it has streamlined the investment commission and set up a system for companies to fill online applications.

Scandinavian companies can ill afford to ignore this new trend tapping the huge potential of final frontier markets in Asia and Africa.

First we take Yangon, then we take Nairobi…

Lars Henriksson, Co-Head, Frontier Asia Consulting, DaMina Advisors Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ScandAsia Publishing. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. Neither ScandAsia Publishing nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.

If you would like to share your thoughts and insights on this page contact Managing editor, joakim@scandmedia.com

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07/09/2018 12.04 9 October 2018 • ScandAsia

News brief

Hot dogs the way Scandinavians like it – with a twist!

A

Danish pølse and champagne (!) bar has opened in Singapore named Fung Kee Hotdogs. So; funky and with a Chinese twist, at last a true pølse bar for Scandinavian fans of hotdogs has entered the scene!

The Swede Knut Randhem, who is a well-known bartender from the bar scene in Bangkok and Singapore, and

Construction of new Norwegian Seamen’s Church Pattaya started

having worked in Denmark previously, is the brainchild behind this new concept The name is a symbol of Western and Asian hegemony: A Scandinavian hotdog place in Asia, with an edge.

The name 豐記 (Fung Kee) means prosperity.

The outlet offers three kinds of sausages, all specially handcrafted for Fung Kee: A Classic Pork sausage, made from premium pork. The Swiss Cheese option is pork based, flavored with selected cheeses. A Vegan sausage made from mushroom and soy. And of course the sausages come with bread and the Danish classic: remoulade!

Targeting night crawlers Fung Kee Hotdogs is situated inside Orchard Towers (with its iconic and notorious status in Singapore’s nightlife) open in the evenings and late into the night. So Scandinavians have a new pit stop on their entertainment map from now on.

“I’ve been missing a place for quality hotdogs done simply, but that are delicious, and with a great beverage offering,” says Knut. “Obviously with my bar and spirits background, I wanted to add a good beverage program to the menu. So we are serving a range of cocktails, good quality beers, and champagnes to accompany the dogs,” says Knut.

T

he constr uction of the new Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Pattaya has star ted as of mid September. Laying the foundation stone for their new church Chargé d’affaires a.i. Tor Haug from the Norwegian Embassy Bangkok visited Pattaya for the occasion, and attended the church ser vice followed by the foundation stone ceremony.

The new church is planned to be completed in April 2019.

Source: Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok

10 ScandAsia • October 2018

News brief

Marina Berg: Sweden’s new ambassador to Indonesia

M

arina Berg, the former Director, Deputy Head of Department for Development Cooperation is Sweden’s new Ambassador to Jakarta.

Previously she has ser ved among others at the Swedish Foreign Ministry’s department for the European Union as well as the depar tment for African affairs.

Ambassador Marina Berg. Photo: Kristian Pohl/Regeringskansliet

Thai Ambassador attended King Chulalongkorn Ragunda Commemoration

O

n 19 July 2018,H.E.Mr.Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum, Ambassador o f T h a i l a n d t o S we d e n , attended the 121st Commemoration of King Chulalongkorn’s visit to Ragunda on 19 July 1897, at Chulalongkorn’s Pavilion in Ragunda, Sweden.

Mr. Jonas Ander sson, Mayor of Ragunda, representatives from the Ragunda Municipality andTourism Board of Ragunda, Ms. Supatra Chirathivat, Executive Vice President, Office of Policy Management for Corporate and CSR, Central Group, representatives from the Thai – Swedish Foundation 1897, local people and representatives of the Thai community also attended the ceremony.

H.E. the Ambassador expressed appreciation to all par ticipants involved from the construction of the King Chulalongkorn’s Pavilion which symbolized the friendship and cordial ties between Thailand and Sweden for over a century and this year marks the 150th anniversar y of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

A fruitful meeting between relevant agencies was also held to discuss renovation and further development of the Pavilion and the surrounding area.

Source: Royal Thai Embassy Stockholm

October 2018 • ScandAsia 11

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

How to pick a kindergarten,

preschool or pre-prep school?

We all want an institution close to home or work and a place where your child is happy to spend time. That is very basic.

Below you can find inspiration for more criteria and questions to ask - and prepare yourself for the questions the pre-school might want to ask you!

12 ScandAsia • October 2018

W

h e n c h o o s i n g a pre - s c h o o l o r kindergar ten, many things can be checked from the website. Where is the institution located? Ask Google maps how traffic usually is at different times of the day. Is it based on a religion or an educational philosophy?

If you have moved to Asia recently, it’s a good idea to check if there is a Nordic association where you live. They often have mothers groups that can give you useful input for your choice.

Questions for your visit

When you have narrowed down your choice and you are ready to visit the place. What should you look for? Here are some ideas.

• Is it really international or just local with an international name?

• Do they have a part-time or full-day program?

• What time do sessions start and finish?

What do you get for your money? What does the tuition fee cover? Are field trips included? Is lunch included? What does the uniforms cost?

• What sort of activities do the children do?

• Do the children have a scheduled rest during the day?

• How many children do they have attending?

• How long have they been operating?

• Do they have outdoor and indoor areas for children to play and learn?

• What resources and equipment do they have to support children’s learning?

• Do they provide any additional help and support to under 5s with special education needs?

• Is the facility safe and clean?

• Where is the first-aid kit and do they know how to use it?

• Are there age-appropriate books and toys?

• Is there a safe outdoor play area with adequate shade?

• Does the classroom provide a variety of activities or “centers”?

• Is the atmosphere fun and inviting?

• Do the children seem happy?

• Do you yourself feel good here? Trust your gut!

Meeting the teacher is one of the most important aspects of choosing a preschool. If he or she answers your questions warmly and attentively, and you are happy with the feeling the teacher gives you, then it’s safe to say you found a good fit.

Teachers love knowing that you are ready to partner with them in your child’s education, so ask as many questions as you can.

Visit the Boss

Now, it is time to meet the director. Here’s a quick checklist of things you’ll want to talk to the director about when you visit.

• About the money, what are the payments and what you get for each fee? Is there an enrolment fee? Is there a separate application fee? What does the tuition fee cover? Are field trips included? Is lunch included? What does the uniforms cost? Make it clear that now is the time to be honest. If there are other costs that surface later, you will remove your child.

• How do they punish bad behavior?

• What are the safety procedures for dropping off and picking up children?

• How will the kindergarten or preschool communicate with you? (Newsletters, emails, apps, conferences?)

• Are they licensed or in other ways meet safety requirements and provides adequate staffing?

What the preschool may ask you

Most parents forget that the preschool may also have questions. It is a 2-way street.

• Many pre-schools will not take in children that are not toilet trained by the time they star t. Kindergar tens might be more relaxed and of course nurseries will be OK, but it is an issue the institution would like to ask you about.

• Separation anxiety is another issue. Can your child be left with others without their parents staying?

• How well does your child communicate verbally? This is especially important if they’re not feeling well and need to communicate the issue to the responsible teacher.

• Finally, discipline is an impor tant issue. The teacher might want to know how you scold your child at home when he or she behaves badly.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 13

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Emma Campbell and Hanna Tjernberg together.

Raising kids abroad requires a plan Moving abroad with young children forces parents to take deliberate choices about their child’s upbringing that parents not living abroad do not have to think about. Two parents being aware of this are Hanna Tjernberg and Emma Campbell from Sweden, who raise their preschool kids in Thailand.

By LÌrke Weensgaard 14 ScandAsia • October 2018

M

oving with kids to a new country can cause many new considerations to rise that fellow parents back in your home countr y do not have to think about. Two parents who packed their suitcases and had children thousands of kilometers away from their native country are Hanna Tjernberg and Emma Campbell.

Both of them are from Sweden and have lived in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, with their families for six years. Hanna Tjernberg has two boys at age 1,5 and five years old, while Emma Campbell has two daughters, one soon to turn one year old and another at age four, who just started school.

deliberate choices based on what they think their children will benefits from later on.The ones of their children already in school are enrolled in international schools, where they are taught in English. That means the children from an early age speaks English fluently.

“By having English as a fluent language, I think you open up for so many opportunities in the future,” says Hanna Tjernberg.

Emma Campbell does not know when the family will return to Sweden, while Hanna Tjernberg plans on moving back in a couple of years. She has no doubt that her children also will be enrolled in an international school in Sweden, because she wants them to maintain their English skills.

English in school

Speaking Swedish

To Emma Campbell there is no doubt about the importance of thinking about the future when bringing a child up abroad: “As a parent outside Sweden you need to have a bit of a plan for your children, so they actually have the opportunity to go back to Sweden, when they get older,” she says.

School is a subject where both mothers have made

The plans about school days in English has nothing to do with the children not mastering the Swedish language. Both Hanna Tjernberg and Emma Campbell’s children speak fluent Swedish and it is a priority to both of the families that they continue to do so.

“If you are Swedish, I think you should speak the language.

Both agree that moving abroad forces you to have a bit of a plan for your cildren.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 15

Right now, I think she is aware that she is Swedish-Canadian.

But as she gets older, I think she will get more and more aware that she is a citizen of the world

Emma Campbell and Hanna Tjernberg: There are certain things that you need to know if you are Swedish.

To me it is a part of who you are,” says Emma Campbell.

One of the ways their children are taught the Swedish language are in Saturday playgroups arranged by the Swedish school association of Bangkok. In the playgroups the young children can play with other Swedish children and in that way practice their language skills.

“I think it is a great way for the children to keep the Swedish language going, because they know that every week they will do something in Swedish,” says Emma Campbell.

The Swedish school association is not only about the Swedish language, but also about Swedish traditions. Things like Swedish food and Swedish Christmas carols help the kids to know what is considered typically Swedish.

“I think there are certain things you need to know, if you are from Sweden. I do not want my kids to go back to Sweden and be left out because they do not know persons such as Astrid Lindgren,” says Hanna Tjernberg.

Third culture kids

Speaking more than one language is one of the benefits that children who grow up abroad can enjoy. Children who spent most of their upbringing in a culture different to their 16 ScandAsia • October 2018

parents’ culture are called third culture kids. They are often the kids of expat families who move to one or several different countries.

Third culture kids’ definition of their own nationality might not be as clear as their peers who grow up in the same country that their parents come from. Are they Swedish, if they did not grow up or even were born in Sweden? Are they Thai when they grew up in Thailand, but have Swedish parents? For some third culture kids questions like these can lead to a feeling of not truly belonging anywhere.

That is a worry that sometimes crosses Emma Campbell’s mind. Her husband is British-Canadian, and his family lives in Canada, Spain and Nigeria. That means several nationalities are mixed into their children’s identities. Therefore, Emma Campbell tries to give her children strong connections to the countries by visiting regularly and stay in touch with the families.

For Hanna Tjernberg the situation is a bit different. Her husband is Swedish, and their two boys have parts of their Swedish family close by, since one grandmother, two uncles and three cousins live in Bangkok. That has made their bond to Sweden very strong: “My oldest son really feels he

Sometimes when one of my sons wants to see for instance Grandma now, it is hard to say “No, you will see her in eight months!”

is Swedish. Every time someone in school asks him where he is from, he answers Sweden. He also loves to wear the Swedish t-shirt in school when they play football”.

“Right now, I think she is aware that she is SwedishCanadian. But as she gets older, I think she will get more and more aware that she is a citizen of the world,” she says.

Home is where the family is

The future

Having a strong family core with family traditions is often considered one of the ways to prevent third culture kids from feeling rootless. In that way ‘home’ becomes more connected to the family than to a specific country.

The two mothers agree that spending time together as a family is a way to maintain the family core: “I think it is important to have as much family time as possible, where you do your own small family traditions together. For us, it is to have cosy Friday nights and go to the Swedish playgroup every Saturday,” says Hanna Tjernberg.

Even though her oldest son says he is Swedish, he also feels at home in Thailand: “He loves Bangkok and it is his home. But I want him to feel that Sweden also can be home and not just a place we go for holidays - if we decide to move back,” says Hanna Tjernberg.

Both of Emma Campbell’s daughters are born in Thailand, but the oldest calls both Sweden and Thailand home.

Hanna Tjernberg and Emma Campbell’s children might be young, but the mothers think the time spent abroad will benefit them in the future.

“When my kids grow up, I think they will have an opinion about where to live, because they have seen that there are actually other options than just staying in your parents’ country. I hope they will see the opportunities instead of being scared of them,” says Emma Campbell.

Sometimes living abroad is not only beneficial. Being 8.000 kilometers away from par ts of the family can be difficult for both parents and children: “Sometimes one of my sons say ‘I want to see my grandma or cousins in Sweden now!’.Then it is hard to answer ‘no, you will see them in eight months when we go back for holiday,” says Hanna Tjernberg.

At the moment, the benefits outdo the disadvantages, and the families stay in Bangkok for now.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 17

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Have a perfect start at Harrow Bangkok

T

he early years of education are a chance for children to play, let their imaginations take flight and explore their surroundings, while their curiosity is nurtured in a safe and happy environment.

Children are in our Early Years Centre (EYC) from 18 months until 5. There they travel through an intricately planned and structured curriculum which caters for their emotional and physical well-being and ensures they acquire the language and numeracy skills they need to transition smoothly to Infant School.

Children are surrounded by green playing fields and bright open, communal spaces. Classrooms are arranged cour tyard style around outdoor areas brimming with opportunities for them to use all of their senses.

The early days at school are an important time to learn about others. Children begin to experience the joy of collaboration and communication through imaginative role play, construction, movement and games. This interaction builds the foundation of special friendships that can last a lifetime.

18 ScandAsia • October 2018

At carefully chosen moments throughout the day, the children of each class gather together for ‘campfire’ time.

They sing songs and rhymes, develop their basic numeracy skills and play with letters and sounds, as they learn the foundations of reading and writing.

If this sounds like the perfect place for your little lion or lioness, call admissions on 02 503 7222 ext. 1128 or email: enquiry@harrowschool.ac.th Discover more about Early Years at Harrow Bangkok here: For e book version – use this Click here to discover more about Early Years at Harrow B a n g k o k h t t p s : / / w w w.harrowschool. ac.th/academic/lower-school/ early-years-centre

October 2018 • ScandAsia 19

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Mad Musicals Celebrates Ten Years of Creativity & Learning As of writing, Mad Musicals production Lost In Space will be published worldwide through Maverick Musicals!

S

tep into any school theatre around the world and you’ll likely see productions of Grease, The Wizard of Oz and other classics. What you won’t usually encounter is a group of talented educators who write, script and direct completely original musicals. NIST is for tunate to have exactly that in Mad Musicals, run by teachers with a passion for musical theatre such as Mark Bourgeois. Supported by audio technician Surasak Kerdsin and experienced band arranger Daniel Riley, the team has captivated the community by developing multiple productions over the past ten years. In that time the team has been expanded, with new members Stephanie Tan, Tina Mendoza and Khun Bell.

Ten years ago the first lyrics were penned for the original Mad Musicals show - The Time Travelling Tuk Tuk. In the decade since, the music and humor of the shows has fostered great enthusiasm among the elementary students, and around 250 performers choose to take to the stage to sing, dance and act together each year. Original productions of this scale are rarely seen in schools, and the students have even electrified audiences of over 1,000 at performances for regional education conferences. Beyond NIST, the musicals have also been performed over the past five years at schools in Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam.

Children immediately connect with the differing stories: vampires, zombies and witches in Creepytown, superheroes saving the earth in Supernova, and the space crew drifting among aliens in Lost in Space. But the true value of joining the cast lies in the creative journey. Students take par t in a collaborative, creative process with the writers as they explore songs in class, develop their own ideas for choreography, and create character profiles. This inclusive approach fosters a passion for the arts, leading students to willingly dedicate time after school to continue work on the shows, and an ongoing interest in acting and music as they grow. Many of the older students have fond memories of their time in NIST musicals.

20 ScandAsia • October 2018

Following a traditional theatre model, auditions take place for students who would like solo roles, but all students who want to be involved can take part. This can feel like a huge challenge for the students on audition day, but every year the auditions are full of passion, effort and hope! The shows created by Mad Musicals traditionally have 20 or more gender-flexible roles and a large chorus of four groups, each with its own personality, to allow students to play a part, grow into their roles and express themselves with imagination. Student confidence has grown immensely as a result of participation in the shows.

Developing performance skills is key to their overall life confidence, as well as perseverance, practice, singing, dancing and acting; the musical format is a great vehicle for so much wonderful learning.

Exposure to such an excellent standard of performance in elementar y school has seen strong middle school cohorts continue to follow their passion for performance.

Music and the arts hold tremendous potential to foster students’ creativity, improve academic performance and boost social-emotional development. Mad Musicals proves that students and the entire community can thrive and flourish when given the opportunity to imagine, collaborate and create together.

An exciting development for the Mad Musicals team that arose following the premiere of Creepytown was the acceptance for publication by Maverick Musicals, a company that promotes musicals for schools worldwide.

Currently Creepytown has been performed over 25 times by other schools. Seeing how other schools interpret the stories, props and music that NIST staff have created has been a highlight of the process. It is an ongoing goal to be able to offer the other eight musicals to schools around the world and begin to see these being performed also. With ten years now under their belt, the Mad Musicals team is just getting started.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 21

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

The First Steps On A Unique Learning Journey

S

hrewsbury International School is a leading British International School set over two campuses in the heart of Bangkok.

Since 2003, Shrewsbur y’s River side campus has established a reputation as one of the leading schools in the region. A through school for children aged 3-18 years which benefits from a stunning location on the banks of the Chao Phraya, Riverside’s academic performance is second to none, with IGCSE and A level results that are consistently ranked amongst the best in Asia and alongside the very leading schools in the UK. Building on this success, and leveraging 15 years of experience in Thailand, our newly opened City Campus is located in Sukhumvit-Rama 9. City Campus is designed exclusively for Primary aged children (aged 3-11 years), and aims to provide the best primary education in Thailand coupled with an assured pathway to Senior School education at Riverside.

At both campuses, our ver y youngest Early Years classrooms set the scene for the star t of Shrewsbury’s highly successful learning pathway. It is here, in these specially-designed Early Years environments, that the foundations for effective learning are established and where the School’s values are embodied through our “Active Learning” approach; a play-based learning methodology that is centred on the children’s own interests and learning styles for maximum engagement and enjoyment.

Under the supervision and guidance of experienced, specialist Early Years teachers, supported by two qualified assistants in ever y EY1 class, children are given the freedom to choose and independently explore a rich variety of resources and carefully structured play-based

22 ScandAsia • October 2018

learning activities. These are arranged throughout spacious classrooms that open out on soft play gardens, complete with splash pool, reading zones and sand pits; stimulating, safe spaces for children to explore, play and learn.

As children play, their progress is closely obser ved; information which teachers then use to devise new learning activities, resources and displays that reflect and fulfil the changing needs, interests and learning styles of every child.

This ensures that school is always a challenging, fun and engaging place for Shrewsbury’s young learners to be.

In addition to building fundamental understanding in ‘traditional’ subject areas – such as Maths, Literacy, and Science - Active Learning in the Early Years supports holistic development of ever y child; their personal, social and emotional development, their communication and language, and their physical development. Together, these form the characteristics of effective life-long learners, and for success in both Senior School and beyond.

A visit to Shrewsbury will confirm the sense of energy, purpose and enjoyment that our approach creates.

If you would like to find out more about our school, Active Learning, and how to become part of our vibrant international community, contact our Admissions Teams today. For Riverside contact us at admissions@shrewsbury. ac.th + 662 675-1888 ext. 1110. For City Campus contact us at admissions-city@shrewsbury.ac.th +662 203-1222 ext.

1300 or 1301.

Pre-school children and families can also tr y out our facilities, make friends and meet some of our own exceptional staff by joining us at one of our regular or PopUp playgroups. Ask our admissions staff for details.

PLAY Today Learn for

LIFE

Our creative, play-based Early Years curriculum, delivered by fully qualified specialists in carefully designed and resourced environments, nurtures creativity, imagination and a love of learning that sets the foundations for successful education at school and beyond.

Shrewsbury is now open for applications into Early Years 1 for August 2019 at both campuses, City Campus and Riverside.

Shrewsbury City Campus Call: 02 203-1222 Email: enquiries-city@shrewsbury.ac.th Website: http://city.shrewsbury.ac.th

Shrewsbury Riverside Call: 02 675 1888 Email: enquiries@shrewsbury.ac.th Website: www.shrewsbury.ac.th

Exceptional People • Outstanding Opportunities • Academic Excellence October 2018 • ScandAsia 23

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

How the Performing Arts can benefit your child

M

usic, dance and drama play a crucial role in enabling students to develop into intelligent, confident and well-rounded global citizens.

The performing arts are creative keys that can unlock your child’s imagination and significantly transform their education. Learning music, dance and drama has widereaching benefits for children, providing them with the tools to think creatively and innovatively. Studies show that students who participate in the performing arts achieve more academically, paying dividends in the classroom and preparing them for success now and in the future.

The performing arts have numerous benefits for children.

They are a medium for self-expression, encouraging children to explore their emotions, expand their imagination and help them develop their own, unique voice, engaging their brain, body and emotions in different ways to encourage confidence. Learning to appreciate and engage in music, dance and drama from different cultures, communities and traditions is an important component in helping children develop into true global citizens, promoting empathy and compassion. Alongside physical education, the performing arts help children with body control, awareness and fitness, encouraging positive lifestyle choices and help to reinforce the habits of health and wellbeing. Finally, the performing arts promote physical and personal development and help children find joy in self-expression.

Exposure to the performing arts from an early age can help children learn to communicate effectively and connect with others intellectually and emotionally acquiring skills such as poise, focus and overcoming anxiety, which best prepares them for presenting, communicating and leading in the future.

24 ScandAsia • October 2018

The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. Founded in 1905, Juilliard’s mission is to provide the highest calibre of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers and actors from around the world. St Andrews International School Bangkok, par t of the Nord Anglia Education family of schools, is proud of its collaboration with the Juilliard School and the benefits it brings to our students.

Teachers work together with Curriculum Specialists from Juilliard to enhance the way they teach the performing arts and promote excellence, inspiring your child to engage and connect with music, dance and drama at a deeper level through a first-class learning experience.

“The performing arts are able to touch the mind, the heart and the soul like nothing else. They inspire us and move us, as well as contributing to academic, social and personal growth. The arts develop in our students a wide range of the qualities and attributes needed to flourish in the 21st century and beyond,” said Andy Puttock, Education Director for Nord Anglia Education.

St Andrews was founded in 1997 on an attractive, conveniently located site, with excellent facilities and access to local transpor tation. Today we have approximately 1,900 students over two campuses, representing some 55 nationalities ranging from Foundation Stage to Year 13.

Schedule a visit to our Primary School at Sukhumvit 71 or our High School next to Ekkamai BTS to learn more about our exciting collaborations. www.standrews.ac.th

October 2018 • ScandAsia 25

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Finding the right balance

T

here is often debate around different learning and teaching methods in early childhood development.

What is the best model to suppor t learning and development at this young age? What do children need and how can a school and parents best support these needs?

At International School Bangkok (ISB), our early childhood curriculum is based on a combination of the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy and the studentcentered workshop model, as the school believes there is merit to both programs. This synthesis helps to maintain a literature rich environment, give the necessary structure and reflection that these young learners need, and also allow them to have the freedom to develop their ideas and the space for self-directed learning. The approach, along with all the curriculum practices in the school, is based on extensive research and global best practice.

In 2012, a diverse group of 68 educators from around the world went on a pilgrimage to the city of Reggio Emilia. As Principal of ISB Elementary School, Ms. Kelly Armitage joined this collection of classroom teachers, college professors and education consultants.

Reflecting on the experiences of their study visit, the group identified several key themes they believed to be essential to effective teaching and learning. They formulated some key foundational beliefs around the type of education they felt all children deserve, which have contributed to the development of ISB’s own philosophy behind early childhood learning. The overarching themes behind these beliefs aim to suppor t a positive and effective learning environment.

26 ScandAsia • October 2018

Firstly, the educators agreed that teachers should have a positive expectant view of the children in their care, helping them to understand their par ticular strengths and learn from their mistakes. They see teachers as researchers who have the ability to tailor their instructions according to what they learn by observing their students.

Furthermore, all children possess desire, and have the right to autonomy and choice in their own development for the future. Education should involve intellectual stimulation that connects students to their community and to the world.

Achieving this goal means developing joyful, compassionate and authentic relationships between students, teachers and families and children. From such a solid foundation, children are able to develop theories about the world around them through their social interactions.

These beliefs speak to the key philosophy that should form the foundation for early childhood learning and is one that proves successful at ISB. Children are born with boundless creative ability and potential for learning. It is our duty as parents and educators to provide a supportive and enriching environment to help them nurture their talents, explore ideas and learn more about themselves.

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Sala Time Machines

S h a d ow

Planet

My Perspect

ive

Developing Cognitive T oo often in schools, Ar t and Design is reduced to a craft activity. Children simply follow set lists of instructions to product one-off products. Such activities have no preparatory design or cognitive process leading up to them and offer nothing in terms of developing new art skills. These kinds of activities can be described as ‘anti-ar t activities,’ as they offer no oppor tunity for self-expression, critical thinking, problem-solving or skills development.

We need to provide children with oppor tunities to think like ar tists; to conceive visual ideas, to develop them through drawings, and explore and refine those ideas using taught skills in a range of materials and processes. We need to prioritise the process of being an ar tist - the thinking, problem solving, exploring and experimenting - over the development of ‘neat’ products. By teaching ar t not as a linear series of instructions to be completed, but as a process of development leading to a number of possible outcomes, we develop children as critical thinkers; as

28 ScandAsia • October 2018

communicators, striving to convey information visually; as risk takers, continuously developing new skills and experimenting with a broad range of visual media and as problem solvers. Perseverance and the willingness to fail, learning from mistakes, and applying new understanding are key. All this together with teaching formal drawing skills opens up new worlds of creative expression for students.

A series of art projects with Bangkok Patana School’s Key Stage 3 students is an example of this type of teaching.

Shadow Planet

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is a puzzle video game developed by Shadow Planet Productions.This game inspired Year 7 to go on a journey to create their own computer game character designs.They carefully investigated the style, mood, colours and characters of the game, before designing, developing and creating their own original character.

Tuk Tuks

Grotesques Don’t Feed th

e Plants!

Thinking Through Art My Perspective

After beginning with an investigation into one-point perspective drawing, Year 8 students went on to design and create their own three-dimensional letter, expressing a theme or idea that was meaningful to them.

Sala Time Machines

Year 9 invite you to travel through space and time in their Sala Time Machines. Students started their journey observing traditional Thai architectural forms and features. They then researched Steam Punk, exploring the art of subculture that imagines life without the discovery of electricity where all things are steam powered….even time travel!!

Grotesques

Year 9 students learned about the mysterious world of gargoyles. Firstly, they carried out an investigation into the meaning, function and purpose of these creatures. Students then went on to develop original designs, sculpt in clay and finally decorate their own Gargoyle-inspired grotesque masks.

Tuk Tuks

Year 9 have been weaving through the streets of Bangkok in popular culture style! These tuk tuks are Pop Art inspired and reflect the driver’s personalities. Students worked from direct observation of tuk tuks, making maquettes in paper before scaling up their designs using wood and found objects.

Don’t Feed the Plants!

Year 8 found their organic forms project led them to dangerous discoveries! Students had a great time responding to the Little Shop of Horrors movie by using mixed materials to create these elaborate triffid sculptures. They took great care, adding details to make the plants look realistic and full of character…. and hungry!!

Bangkok Patana School is Thailand’s original British international school. For more information on the wide oppor tunites within the curriculum, please contact admissions@patana.ac.th.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 29

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Learn, explore and play in a nurturing environment in the Early Years at KIS International School

Y

oung children are natural inquirers. They love to explore and ask questions.The EarlyYears programme at KIS International School builds on this natural curiosity. Our Early Years Programme has some of the best, most dedicated and experienced teachers who ask questions, promote inquiry and set up play scenarios and activities that challenge young children in their thinking and decision making.

Every classroom has areas for role play, water play, sand play, building, drawing, sculpting, reading and more. Each area is designed specifically to teach certain concepts such as the fundamentals of maths, science, phonics or creativity.

Children are able to use all the school facilities, including a dedicated library, pools, the playgrounds, the field and the sports halls and they may take a field trip into the secondary

30 ScandAsia • October 2018

school to visit the science labs too! Children have plenty of opportunity to play outside. Our Early Years Programme starts with a 1:5 teacher to student ratio to ensure that each child gets the best care and right amount of attention as they progress into Kindergarten.

The Early Years Centre at KIS provides a welcoming and safe learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, where children learn through play. Academic learning and social learning are integrated, helping children achieve independence, self confidence and a sense of responsibility.

With some of the best teacher to student ratios in Bangkok, your child will receive plenty of individual care and attention.

Your little one will learn to love to learn, which gives them a wonderful start for their lifelong journey of learning.

nspiring ndividuals

At KIS International School all students can shine. The midsize, caring community allows KIS students to be confident and to be appreciated as individuals. In our Early Years Centre the children enjoy exploring and learning through play. Our qualified and experienced Early Years teachers nurture children’s natural curiosity, develop their skills and promote independence in a caring, creative and open-minded environment. KIS is a full IB school, offering the International Baccalaureate Programmes for all age groups (IB Primary Years Programme, IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma).

At KIS, it’s all about Knowledge, Inspiration and Spirit.

Tel: +66 (0) 2274 3444 Email: admissions@kis.ac.th

“What’s good about being able to fly is that we don’t need a map!”

Yama and Xander, EY1.

1998-2018 October 2018 • ScandAsia 31

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Giving your child the best start at St Andrews International Schools –

an inspiring world of education “All teachers and staff work hard to encourage our children to improve themselves, both in their academics and by keeping in mind the whole child to reach their full potential.”

– Parent, St Andrews International School, Dusit For Early Years, our teachers are continually assessing the child’s progress through obser vation and conversation while building an essential, individual por tfolio for each child, to form the basis of discussion with parents. We are increasingly using technology such as Tapestry and Seesaw, to develop these close links between home and school, so the children’s progress can be followed day by day.

Nurturing creativity

A

t St. Andrews International Schools, we pride ourselves on providing an exciting and engaging environment for your child’s fir st steps into education. We achieve this by nur turing creativity and ensuring that they learn through discovery in our warm and caring community.

At each of our four campuses, we provide outstanding and spacious Early Years centres, where we lay the foundations for your child to become a confident and engaged learner.

First steps to success

We have highly experienced, dedicated and passionate teachers. Who are not only committed to striving for professional excellence, but also to lifelong learning, which we believe allows children in school to truly flourish.

“What makes our teachers stand out is their passion and belief in education.”

- Andrew Harrison, Head of School St Andrews International School, Green Valley We are fortunate to have an exceptional team of teaching staff, with a tremendous experience base and background, which is brought to ever y classroom. They are fully committed to encouraging students in becoming global thinkers and proactive learners, while following the English National Curriculum or the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP).

32 ScandAsia • October 2018

Our resources and facilities encourage children to explore their creativity in a nurturing and engaging environment, where each child is recognised as a unique learner. We follow the interests of each individual child, linking these to teaching and learning provisions, which suppor t and encourage. This is essential to rapidly build early social skills and develop children who are confident learners.

“We can’t be happier with how both of our children have progressed as individuals, carefully nurtured and taught by each of the teachers whose untiring effort can be seen through the years here.The true international student body at St. Andrews Sathorn has naturally encouraged cultural and social learning on a global scale, not only for the kids but also for the parents.”

– Parent, St Andrews International School, Sathorn

Learning through discovery

By providing the very best hands-on exploration every day in our Early Years centres, through structured play and interactive learning, the child can develop their inquisitive minds and their understanding of the world around them.

We care greatly about this stimulating environment as it encourages fine and gross motor skills, essential to a child’s cognitive development.

“It has been great to see our girls grow in such a warm and welcoming environment; the curriculum encourages independence as well as team learning experiences, allowing students to develop skills in these areas that are critical in further education and the work environment.”

– Parent, St Andrews Internationla School, Dusit

Caring community

We believe it is fundamental for children to be part of a strong, nurturing and inclusive community, where they are happy to come to school everyday. At the heart of our community are our parents; with their support we are able to provide a happy and secure environment where students love to learn.

“We, as parents, have been guided and supported, and really enjoy our time spent at school, during the different and various events. This experience has enriched all of us.

St Andrews is not only a school; it is a family and a world of opportunity.”

– Parent, St. Andrews International School, Green Valley

“We chose St. Andrew’s 107 because it is a small and very welcoming campus. In fact, it has made my boys more open minded in their thinking and behaviour. We feel that the school is amazing and this is down to the all-inclusive ethos the school lives by. From children to parents, teaching and admin staff – they all work hard to make the school a community where everyone is welcomed.”

– Parent, St Andrews International School, 107 Sukhumvit Please feel free to contact us at www.standrews-schools. com if you would like to join our St Andrews International School community.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 33

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Play-Based Learning in GESS

I

f you have ever wondered where play ends and learning begins in Pre-School, you might be surprised to know that GESS has a very different take on this!

Play-based learning is the way to go at the GESS PreSchool where the teachers believe in marrying both play and learning, and using young learners’ natural curiosities to teach them. Every child comes into class with their own observations and understanding of the world. Through purposeful play, GESS teachers guide the children to extend this understanding.

What exactly does play-based learning look like in practice though? Wipe away that image of a teacher coming into class and instructing all the students to participate in a pre-planned game or activity, with a single objective. Truth be said, a well-implemented play-based learning programme looks nothing like that!

It is all about authentic play without unnecessary adult interference. At GESS, teachers encourage students to initiate their own play and avoid imposing any form of strict structure (e.g. instead of asking all the students in a class to use the Lego pieces to build a house, they let each individual student explore and decide what they would like to build).

Even play requires some inspiration, and to facilitate that GESS has dedicated spaces like a Sensory Garden, Sensory Room, Maker Space and Light Atelier that have all been designed to be inviting for students to explore, play and learn at the same time.

34 ScandAsia • October 2018

Teachers also set up a variety of prompts, materials and objects in the classrooms and children can freely interpret and manipulate these according to their imagination. The setups change constantly to match the children’s evolving interests and to reflect the new ideas they bring into the classroom from their experiences in the outside world.

During play itself, teachers are around to observe how the children are playing, listen to their many languages and manners of communicating and provide prompts and questions in a timely manner to help them create meaning from their own play. This is all done in an enriching and respectful manner.

The beauty of it all is also that play-based learning reinforces the IB learner profile. For example, play creates the chance for children to take physical and emotional risks such as when they experiment with items for the first time or reach out to a peer and invite them to play too.

They ask questions about possibilities and limitations while playing and this builds them up as inquirers. Essentially, ideas and concepts that the students learn organically through play also stick better because they become more relevant, interesting and applicable.

If you are interested to learn more about enrolling your child in the GESS Pre-School, book a free guided tour and personal consultation: https://info.gess.sg/bookschool-tour.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 35

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

Enjoy the benefits of enrolling your child in CIS’ kindergarten Chinese-English bilingual programme

C

anadian International School (CIS) Kindergar ten is a popular choice for many parents in Singapore.

One of the reasons is our outstanding bilingual (Chinese-English) programme. Huali Xiong, our Principal for Chinese language and culture, describes the main features of the programme and why any concerns you might have about enrolling your child at such a young age, are surpassed by the huge advantages it promises to offer them.

CIS Chinese-English bilingual programme

Our bilingual programme, which was one of the first of its kind to be launched in Singapore, star ts in junior kindergarten and ends in grade 6. Key features include two qualified teachers per class (one Chinese speaker and one English speaker), inquiry based instruction fully aligned to the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) and equal exposure to both languages - classes are in Chinese one day and English the next.

We also place a strong focus on using authentic materials - such as songs and stories - and engaging our students in active, hands-on activities (eg our youngest learners love watching plants grow and playing with loose objects in our magical Outdoor Discovery Centre). All subjects including maths, are taught in both languages and students begin to learn how to recognise Chinese characters in junior kindergarten.

Benefits of enrolling your child in a kindergarten bilingual programme

The benefits of learning a second language are well 38 ScandAsia • October 2018

documented. Parents often worry however, that exposing their child to additional language at a young age, may cause learning and linguistic difficulties such as never fully mastering any language properly. However, ample research shows that these concerns are unfounded, and exposing children to an additional language from a young age is actually the best time for them to start!

1. Social, linguistic and cognitive benefits Bilingualism gives young children huge social, linguistic and cognitive advantages over their peers. These include being more skilled at correcting errors in language meaning and grammar, reading at a higher level, thinking more creatively, understanding the concept of numbers earlier, superior visual problem solving skills, being more tolerant towards people and cultures, and coping with change better.

2. No first language interference Young children don’t have the same foundation of grammar and vocabulary as a teenager, and therefore are unlikely to search for a comparable word or structure in their mother tongue.This encourages them to learn the meaning of a word in its own context rather than translating the word from their first language to their second in their head.

3. Less constraints Unlike teenagers and adults, young children are often very willing and eager to try out new words and phrases as they don’t have any concerns about getting things wrong and making embarrassing mistakes. They also have the opportunity to learn at their own pace without any external pressures or deadlines.

4. Better pronunciation Children who learn a language when they are young have a much better chance of speaking with a native accent.

Young learners are more skilled at mimicking and identifying subtle differences between sounds.

5. Self motivation and enjoyment Young learners don’t have to deal with any self motivation difficulties.When learning through fun and engaging activities like singing songs and playing games, they typically just want to jump in and participate and don’t even realise they are learning!

To find out more about CIS’ Kindergarten ChineseEnglish bilingual programme contact their Admissions Team on +65 6734 8088 or visit their website at www.cis.edu.sg/learning/bilingual-programme.

Theme: Preschool and Kindergarten

*Arts Kidz International*

integrates literacy and numeracy through the Arts and languages

T

he Arts Kidz International Education Group has been providing an enquiry and arts-based approach in their Preschools for 10 years. In the last decade, they have witnessed the success of building children’s creativity, confidence and flexible thinking.

With learning spaces designed for ar t, technology, science, music and more, children at Arts Kidz International Pre-schools are able to discover, explore and learn through play.

The child-centred and enquir y-based curriculum integrates the International Early Years Curriculum and the MOE Kindergarten Framework. There is also an extensive specialist arts and language programme where children can attend classes in areas such as arts, Chinese speech and drama, violin, mindfulness for kids and second languages.

Outings connected to topic themes are regularly organised for the children. At Ar ts Kidz Bukit Timah, Nursery children embark on monthly excursions to Bukit Batok Nature Reserve where they get up-close to nature.

Children can opt for full days, half days or threeday weeks. There’s also an After School Club that offers fun activities such as speech and drama, soccer and cheer leading. The school is also conducting adult accompanied Toddler PlayDay programme for children aged 8 to 18 months.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 39

Education

Professor Roy Andersson, Jรถnkรถping University

Jรถnkรถping University Cross-functional learning, international campuses, work placement 40 ScandAsia โ ข October 2018

P

By Joakim Persson romoting education in connection to the ‘Swedish Education & Career Days’ held in Bangkok, Jönköping University (JU) is not only one of Sweden’s most international universities but also one the most forward-looking globally.

The quite remarkable fact is that JU is almost alone in offering the studies and work placement combo.

“The uniqueness is that we combine studies with work experience, where the students conduct internships and graduation thesis work,” explains Associate Professor Roy Andersson, also responsible for JU’s international campuses of the School of Engineering.

Furthermore students can do their internship or thesis abroad, in collaboration with a company, and usually in combination with academic studies. Thus, they get the oppor tunity to try out their future profession through internships and projects.

“No other university does this in this obvious way, and we have also added it abroad and I do not know any university doing that for all engineering students!” comments Roy. Students (also open for the around 300 international paying ones) can spend up to a whole year of their studies abroad, including in Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, the U.S and soon also Mexico. Their Bangkok campus is welcoming nearly 40 students during 2018.

The uniqueness is that we combine studies with work experience, where the students conduct internships and graduation thesis work

COLLABORATE WITH JÖNKÖPING UNIVERSITY. Our talented students are ready to work for you for free, to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to your business that could change and improve the way it works.

We have students ready to offer their skills in these areas: • Business Administration • Industrial Engineering • Business Engineering • Computer Science • Mechanical Engineering In the last five years, over 100 students from Jönköping University have completed internships or thesis work at partner companies in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore. Our partners range from large multinationals such as Volvo, IKEA, Electrolux and Ericsson, to smaller domestic companies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION How to host a student and what they can do for you, visit JU.SE/EN/JTH-IC or contact Josefine Andersson at Josefine.Andersson@ju.se

October 2018 • ScandAsia 41

We must prepare our students for the market we have today and also for the one in the future

“And our students are handed a key to these markets where they have spent a period and thus become more attractive for employers. Companies are today international and they want to recruit graduates as new recruits with some experience in internationalisation – which is what we are trying to accomplish.”

“We must prepare our students for the market we have today and also for the one in the future, what it will look like within 10 – 15 years,” adds Roy. There should also be a possibility for JU to develop new partnerships in education and research with one or more partner universities.

JU’s par tner universities can also send students to Sweden, where the School of Engineering is deepening its cooperation with the partner universities by offering more courses suitable for exchange students coming to Sweden. JU offers a study experience where businesses, entrepreneurship, innovation and flexible learning are central, plus getting cultural insights about Europe and Sweden.

Internship Bangkok 2018 examples “One has the opportunity to study half a student year in Bangkok and then another six months somewhere else and get experience from two culturally diverse countries. Also if studying a Master at JU one can spend one year out of two abroad, doing an internship at one campus and at the same time one’s exam thesis at the company where one has done the internship, or choose to do that somewhere else in the world,” explains the Professor.

Through work placement (in Thailand including Aritco, Electrolux, Husqvarna and Volvo Trucks) students can bring fresh ideas to businesses (help with projects and analysis).

They come to good use and can build a network of contacts in the business world.

“This also contributes to that some companies in the region become more international as their employees are forced to speak English with our students. And Swedish students are more enterprising in general than local students or those from outside Europe; they are pro-active and really want to improve something and contribute with knowledge.

And that also makes it attractive for companies in this region to receive students as they usually get a mapping in a process that can become better and get a proposal how to improve,” says the Professor.

Engineering students can be out at practically any company as the tools and methods they learn fit just as well in the service sector as in in production companies.

JU’s international campuses must be attractive for the companies in terms of expansion and doing business.

“Bangkok was chosen as a potential market for Swedish industry and with important development going forward: an expanding market all over Southeast Asia with Bangkok a hub. We even have research going on with some companies in Bangkok and we are looking at sending doctor students,” adds Roy. 42 ScandAsia • October 2018

Heineken/ TAP Group (brewery) Industrial engineering & Management (logistics as major) students Charlotte Klingspor and Petter Nilsson

Charlotte Klingspor and Petter Nilsson, Internship at Heineken/ TAP Group

“T

he has been to define the connection between theory behind our course and the practical work in our internship. Our main occupation has been to analyse and come up with suggestions for improving their efficiency of their spare part storage but also to find areas of improvements of the whole site,” explained Charlotte.

Charlotte and Peter made a big project for the planning dept. concerning forecasting concerning what to produce when in the brewery.

“We have spent time listening to and analysing different depar tments so it has been perfect for us for learning,” thought Charlotte.

We even used some mathematical courses and we look at problems differently now prior to this, which I thought was very interesting,” Peter analysed.

Somboon Group, Somboon Advance Technology PLC. (Manufacturer and distributor of motor vehicle parts)

Rangsit University Machine Engineering, Product Development and Design students Carl Westfeldt and Jens Linde

Industrial engineering & Management students Ellen Andersson and Immaculytt Mumbi Gathoni

Internship at Rangsit University

Internship at Somboon Group

M

umbi had two main projects in the engineering dept.; to optimise a production line and an automation machine project.

Mumbi tried to find a solution and optimise this whole process and the motivation for this was to improve productivity, reduce the manufacturing cost and reduce the amount of invaluable time for the operator and the product.”

In the second project the company came up with a new concept, which was to replace the operator with a fully automated machine.

Ellen’s project’s purpose was that the employees wanted to stop using their own cars at the company compound and instead implement electric-driven transportation.

“We learned more about working on projects and the necessary activities we have done during that. And overall we’d like to say that this was an interesting experience that gave us a lot of insights,” Mumbi summarised.

T

hese students takes par t in a project at JU that stretches over several years: the JU Solar Team, tasked to improve their solar-powered car, ‘Solveig’ for the next Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in 2019. The JU team comprises a diversity of skillsets and have different tasks to do, according to the supervisor and Professor in Mechanical Engineering Kent Salomonsson.

At Rangsit University the student’s area was the mechanical engineering department.

Carl explained that their aim with doing the wind tunnel experiments that they prepared was to get as little turbulence flow around the car as possible.

“We learned a lot of useful things during our internship, it has been a very good experience and the connection to our programme has been excellent. Many of the coursers we have had back home have been useful for understanding how it is to work in a project.”

“We have done very advanced calculations, so very good experience in total,” added Jens .

Take an International Educational Programme at Stenhus Gymnasium International Programmes

Sports Colleges

The school offers the Pre-IB programme (year 11) as well as the highly recognized IB Diploma Programme (years 12 and 13).

Stenhus Gymnasium is recognized as an Elite Sports High School. We run Sports Colleges in the following sports: badminton, basketball, football, handball, and tennis.

Boarding School As an international student at Stenhus Gymnasium, you have unique access to our boarding school.

For further information, please see www.stenhus-gym.dk or contact our IB office at (+45) 59 40 09 46.

Stenhusvej 20 4300 Holbæk Denmark

October 2018 • ScandAsia 43

Business

Danish Ambassador, Dorte Bech Vizard (top left). The Danish Business Minister, Rasmus Jarlov (middle).

Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Andrew Tan (top right).

Partner Rainmaking Transport, Michael Pomerleau (bottom left) – and Senior Director at NUS entrepreneurship Centre, Prof. Wong Poh Kam (bottom right)

Danish Business Minister visited Singapore

M

Text and photo: Jonas Boje Andersen ajor deals were signed when the Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs Rasmus Jarlov in September visited Singapore. The prime focus was Maritime Innovation and Fintech.

During the three-day long visit to Singapore Rasmus Jarlov and his entourage initiated three new impor tant par tnerships between Denmark and Singapore. In the maritime sector an agreement was reached between the two countries’ innovation environment that not only will help big players and shipping companies but also small businesses find better growth opportunities.

In the fintech-field a new joint agreement was provided to bolster the fintech ties between the two nations. Under the name of “DanSing FinTech Bridge” the agreement provides a concrete offer to companies, including landing sites, networks, technology partnerships, data access and sandbox assistance. According to the Danish Embassy it will allow more Danish fintech companies to become part of the growth in Asia, but also bring Singaporean solutions to Denmark.

Finally, the Minister for Business launched a new international board leadership program that will strengthen the board work in both countries.

Both countries possess a lot of power and know-how within all three areas. According to Dor te Bech Vizard, the Danish Ambassador to Singapore, the visit from the Danish Business Ministry was a big success: “The Minister of Business visited Singapore to contribute to growth in the blue Denmark, strengthen the fintech sector, focusing on the UN’s sustainability target as an export tool and he

44 ScandAsia • October 2018

pulled several agreements across the finish line.”

The UN’s sustainability goals are one of the key focuses for the Danish Ambassador: “The common thread through the initiatives is that new technologies and forms of cooperation can contribute to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals. At the same time the goals save a huge business potential, and I look forward to the forthcoming work of translating the new agreements and the strong Danish-Singapore cooperation to sustainable growth opportunities for our companies,” Dorte Bech Vizard says.

Other members from the embassy also expressed enthusiasm about the amount of agreements that took place on the visit and expressed that it was extraordinarily many for one visit.

It is no coincidence that Singapore was his first choice of doing business abroad: “Singapore is absolutely one of the most impor tant places of doing business for Denmark and is a very important partner,” said Mr. Jarlov at the Block71 in Singapore where he signed and initiated the first business deal between Denmark and Singapore on his trip.

At Block71 – an innovative environment for maritime star t-ups in Singapore – Mr. Jarlov also addressed the interest of driving the maritime sector from a traditional rust belt industry to a digital innovator.

Mr. Jarlov also met with the Singaporean Minister of Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan and the Minister of Finance and Board Member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Mr Heng Swee Keat to discuss and promote ties between the two nations.

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Three reasons to join a professional peer networking group 2. Build a group of professionals

E

verything we thought we knew about networking has changed. Since the internet arrived in ever y office and home in the modern world, tapping into a large network has never been easier. The possibilities are ever expanding as more people join and the technology becomes more sophisticated. Now you have access to experts in your field immediately. The potential benefits are considerable. Especially for newcomers to a field or country who need to rapidly expand their network and find both local and international contacts. Let's explore three of the main reasons to join a professional peer networking group.

1. Learn From Others' Mistakes

Learning anything of real value to the marketplace is usually a long and complex process. Often it's a combination of two principles: Scooping up knowledge as you go; and experience. Acquiring knowledge is easy in theory. The problem is the timing. We often need to know the answer whilst under pressure. And we need to know that it comes from a source worth listening to. Then we need to try and apply the knowledge in practice. That's where experience comes in. We learn from our mistakes and move forward.

But what if you could reap the rewards of this process without actually having to make the mistakes yourself?

With peer networking you can reach out to a wealth of experience. You can tap in to the wisdom of experts who have already made the mistakes. Those who have been there before can guide you through challenges with valuable insights. With communities of professionals available in your field, you can bypass costly delays by harnessing the experience of others.

The benefits of this are multiplied when you add technology into the mix. Things change so fast in that there are too many variables to make first time successes every time. By joining an online global peer network, you reduce the risk of losing time and money due to avoidable mistakes.

There are few situations more stressful in the workplace than being pressed with questions you don't know the answers to. At the same time, nothing will see you secure in your career and favoured for promotion than being seen as the in-house expert.

You’ll be surprised at how many issues, problems and questions can be dealt with by turning to your network.

Tell your company: ‘I can probably find this out in less than 24 hours.’ Then ask your network and experience a knowledgeable and educated discussion on any topic.

This solution may be available offline and without a global peer network. But it will likely cost more time to find the resolution, or be less reliable. The advantage of having a global peer network is that it is an established and trustwor thy online relationship that’s ready to respond when you need it. The difference is that you have an open, honest discussion with people who know what it’s like in your shoes. Your peers are facing or have already overcome the same problems and challenges.

3. Make Your Career Development Measurable

How do you know how you currently stack up compared to the industry? With a global peer network you can reach out and talk to your peers to discover how they’re working and what is new in your field.

The benefits are several. You know how you compare.

And it also makes it easy to discover what you need to know and what to work on.

Success now belongs to those who have the quickest access to the most reliable, in-depth and credible information; who can borrow the experience of a network of peers and apply the knowledge and wisdom of crowds.

What’s a time when it would have been useful to be able to ask peers in a network questions about something you’ve been stuck on? Would it have been easier to get indepth insight and advice from peers who had already been through the situation themselves?

Join EGN Singapore which currently has 10 knowledge sharing peer groups in Singapore and more than 750 globally. EGN has 14,000+ members worldwide.

Contact details are: Nick Jonsson, Managing Director EGN Singapore M +65 8618 3872 T +65 6692 9166 nij@egn.com Web: sg.egn.com October 2018 • ScandAsia 45

Business

EU-funded support programme for SMEs: EU Business Avenues in Southeast Asia The EU-funded EU Business Avenues in South East Asia is tasked to help SMEs from EU countries with business internationalisation.

ScandAsia takes an in-depth look and talks to some Nordic companies who participated in one of their missions to Southeast Asia. How does it work? Who is it for? And is it successful?

By Joakim Persson

46 ScandAsia • October 2018

They thought our solution would fit in the program and had potential in the Asian markets

T

he origins of this business support programme stems from the EU Gateway Programme, which was launched as a pilot back in 1990 to deepen economic interaction and cooperation between Europe and Japan.

Up until 2007 that programme had organised 66 business missions, with in to total 3,369 European companies from 19 diverse business sectors participating. According to the programme these events act as entry tickets for European companies to a market with oppor tunities that can be difficult to penetrate due to business culture or regulatory constraints.

The South East Asia edition was launched as a pilot in 2014, replicating well tested previous EU-funded business missions to Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Since 2016 the programme has become a leading business platform establishing successful par tnerships between European and Asian firms in Japan, Korea, South East Asia - and China, which was added to the list of potential target markets as a pilot. Running between 2016 and 2020 a total of 56 EU-funded business missions will take place where the organiser aims to bring up to 1,000 European SMEs on targeted business missions to Southeast Asia to help them develop their businesses outside of Europe.

Built upon a concept of matchmaking and business suppor t ser vices, the Business Avenues programme helps European companies to forge long-lasting business collaborations in several markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.

A business mission to South East Asia always star ts in Singapore and also includes one other Asean country.

The following sectors are covered: Contemporar y European Design, Environment & Water Technologies, Organic Food & Beverage, Green Energy Technologies, Healthcare & Medical Technologies, and Information & Communication Technologies.

The progamme uses a competitive process to select the best candidates for the business missions.

“It all starts with an Expression of Interest (EoI) for a specific business mission, which is submitted online by a European company. The EoI includes basic information to help determine the eligibility of the company. Once submitted, it is reviewed by the Programme,” the organiser explains.

If a company is considered eligible, it is invited to finalise the application, which is then assessed by independent experts using established criteria that take into account the company’s business strategy, capacity and viability, as well as market potential of its products.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 47

“Up to 50 companies demonstrating the highest potential for establishing new business collaboration are selected for each business mission.”

Pre-arranged business meetings with local companies are accomplished through a well-planned process: “First, European companies gather in Brussels for a pre-departure meeting in preparation for a business mission. They meet with our team and help us get a better understanding of what each participant is looking for in Southeast Asia and what kind of business partners they hope to find. Based on this information we look for the best fit to the company ‘wish list’, and then physically schedule business meetings with local companies.”

The progr amme also states that through their stakeholder engagement they have wor ked ver y closely with chambers of commerce, trade associations, government agencies etc. Through these efforts they can tap onto those networks to fur ther enhance business matching efforts, as well as to generate greater awareness for the programme and the upcoming missions.

Third, the programme performs marketing efforts to promote each mission.

Finally, through participation in major tradeshows (such as ConnecTechAsia, one of the most established tradeshows for ICT sector) the organiser taps on a targeted audience and makes use of the tradeshow organiser’s business matching facility.

48 ScandAsia • October 2018

T

he ‘Information & Communication Technologies Business Mission to Singapore and Thailand’ brought European SMEs (including some Nordic companies) to ConnecTechAsia, followed by pre-arranged business meetings with local companies in Bangkok.

Rami Korhonen CEO & Co-Founder of IWA (provider of ‘rock-solid digital solutions’) says that IWA had been contacted the previous year too but had not felt ready then. However, this year they applied. IWA has presence in Thailand and has solutions that include using blockchain technology for the property industry.

With regards to matchmaking with prospects in Singapore and Bangkokv Mr Rami replied that the organiser did a relatively good job. “But so far it looks like the most potential meetings were walk-ins or arranged by us or Finnish Embassy in Singapore. Time will tell which ones end up being the best contacts.”

All in all he thought the participation in the Singapore trade show was very positive, though booth style and their location could have been better (more open style and closer to “hot spots”).

On the costs for his company to participate Rami says: “The EU sponsored most of the trip. Our company had to cover very reasonable flights and hotel costs for our other team member, plus some extra travel costs. I think in total we had to pay around $2000, which is very low considering the positive exposure we got. If we would have

We look for the best fit to the company ‘wish list’, and then physically schedule business meetings with local companies

Seluxit done everything we did by ourselves, the cost would have most likely been 5-10 times more than what we paid, which was great. We cannot thank the EU (tax payers) and the EU Gateway team enough.”

IWA was mainly looking for direct customers and potential sales/development partners.

“Singapore was a new experience for me. I knew that it is a very developed market and this was proven true. In that market I see most potential for us with blockchainrelated projects. Thailand is more familiar for us as we have had an office in Khon Kaen since 2010. However, so far we have done only small cases for Thailand-based clients and most business for us has been in Europe and Middle-East.

However, given the huge size of the Thailand market, and the serious potential in using digitalization in improving the conditions of its citizens, I think that over time we can help Thai organizations with significant digitalization projects. We have already done large ‘digital society’ development projects for example in Saudi Arabia and Finland,” comments Rami.

F

A Solutions was another Finnish company in the mission, promoting their transaction-based multicurrency investment management software.

Today over 100 clients (wealth managers, robo advisors, fund managers, family offices, and private banks) in highly regulated markets in Asia, EU, and the Middle East are users of this platform.

FA Solutions participated in EUBASEA already last year, having been approached. “Last year we concentrated on doing some more market research in the region, to get a good picture how our product and offering would suit the market, along with meeting with our existing clients in Singapore. This year we concentrated on finding a business partner to represent us and our product in the region,” Marketing Communications Manager Anni Salo tells ScandAsia.

“The EU Business Avenues team spent quite a lot of time and utilized their local contacts to reach potential partners and clients to meet us.”

“We met with both direct customers as well as business par tners. In terms of par tnerships, we were looking for companies that could represent our product both in sales but also in local customer projects and perhaps also customer support.”

“Basically, we pay for the flights and approximately half of the accommodation. We do not need to pay for participating in the programme, nor the exhibitions in the target countries,” she informs.

Standard services are fully funded by the EU (100% cofinancing of standard strategic and organizational services, plus up to € 1.000 co-funding of accommodation costs.

There is also 80% co-financing for customised strategic and organisational services up to € 1.000.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 49

Having a successful outcome depended on the company being heavily involved in the matchmaking pre-planning, steering EU Business Avenues’ matchmaking team towards the right kind of companies.

“And that was worth the effort. With good cooperation we ended up in a situation where all the meetings we had were really successful and relevant. The key to success was to combine our expertise about the industry we work in with the local networks and knowledge offered by the EU Business Avenues team,” explains Anni.

She points out the benefits of the programme as follows: 1) You’re not alone, but you have the support from the EU team as well as get to meet and work with other EU companies with the same growth initiatives. 2) EU Business Avenues has really good local teams on the ground in SEA to pitch us to local companies and book the meetings. They have local networks and they can introduce us to prospects with the local language, which increases the chance to get a meeting with them. 3) Financial support from the EU (e.g. participating in the actual trade show was totally free of charge for us).

FA Solutions view the opportunities in Southeast Asia as favourable: “We can see that the financial market is growing there, which means our market is growing too. We can serve newly grounded start-ups as well as digitalizing and automating the processes of established companies that are looking for new ways of efficiency and serving clients in the 50 ScandAsia • October 2018

digital world. We have the possibility to gain market share in Singapore, the wealth hub of Asia, as we are already familiar with working in a highly regulated environment.”

S

eluxit (Denmark), represented by Brian Boyles, promoted their services, especially their successful Internet of Things platform, joining EUBASEA for the second time “There are many good European programs that aim to help SMEs succeed. Over the years, Seluxit has participated in numerous projects, including a series of R&D projects such as H2020. This serves not only to help our business, but to create a space for activities that aren’t focused on generating business here and now, but which have more long-term business perspectives,” comments Brian.

Seluxit has created an IoT platform based on 12 years of existence and many IoT projects. “We are seeking to expand globally with a partner network that can use our IoT platform to solve their customers’ problems. Although finding partners was the primary concern for our trip, we also were able to contact some companies that we could work with directly as our own customers.”

Brian thinks the result was on a satisfactory level: “In Singapore, we participated in seven pre-arranged meetings and twelve relevant ‘walk-ins’. In Bangkok we had ten prearranged meetings and one walk-in. The quality of the meetings varied, but there was enough business potential

We cannot thank the EU (tax payers) and the EU Gateway team enough FA Solutions

IWA to put the possibility of a self-financed return trip in the fall of 2018 on the table.”

“The ASEAN mar ket is ver y attractive and the opportunities for providing tools for digital transformation along a long range of topics are clear. The difficulties loom large as well, for example language, but for us at this stage in the game, we feel we can come far with a partnership model where the difficulties are eased by the local knowledge of business partners. Who knows what that could ultimately result in? The ultimate success of this plan is yet to be seen, but the quality of the prospective partners and the ease of communication were high, so we have a positive view on the possibility of succeeding in the ASEAN market,” he furthermore comments.

A

nother platform comes from Prezentor (Denmark) – a ‘Sales Enablement platform’ that changes the way sales is done.

“Advanced technology automatically collects data about the customers’ needs and preferences during the sales meeting,” explains COO Sara Leander-Pehrson. The unique customer insight becomes extremely powerful big data and business intelligence “We were contacted by the EU Business Avenues after having participated in the Danish Pavilion at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. They thought our solution would fit in the program and had potential in the Asian

markets. We fully agree and although entering the Asian markets were not in our strategy until in one to two years we felt that this would be a great first step in a long term growth strategy,” says Sara, who adds they had a very good experience and felt suppor ted throughout the whole process.

“These kinds of initiatives from the EU and from individual nations are extremely important and supportive for small companies like ours. It helps us build networks and market knowledge faster, and to find new customers. We’re very happy and grateful for the opportunity. In this case the EU subsidies a larger portion of the costs than most national organisations,” thinks Sara.

“Exhibiting at a trade show is always interesting as you meet both have pre-arranged meetings and ‘spontaneous’ meetings. We definitely had some very relevant meetings with concrete opportunities coming out of it.”

At this point in time Prezentor is primarily looking for sales partners and re-sellers to support them in gaining the first foot hold in the markets.

“We have only scratched the surface to the both the understanding and the oppor tunities for Prezentor in Singapore and Thailand. We see a clear need and market readiness for our solution, with a high level of technological adaptation and a will to use and invest in digital technologies to work smarter.“ October 2018 • ScandAsia 51

Business

DCBF and blockchain:

Exporting Danish authenticity

52 ScandAsia • October 2018

Numerous scandals in the Chinese food industry have created a market for safe and secure products. The Danish-Chinese Business Forum (DCBF) plans to use blockchain technology to create profit from this situation.

By Henrik Vinther

I

n the recent years, China has been struggling with their domestic food supply. Stories of counterfeit baby formulas, of expired or fake meat sold on the shelves of the supermarkets, horrible hygiene and little regards for the customer’s safety have surfaced in the past decades.

In reality, China had more than three food scandals per year between 2003 and 2014.

And this is the foundation of a growing mistrust among the Chinese towards their food industry. How do they know that the food they eat hasn’t been neglected, that contaminated water isn’t used in the progress and that their children won’t get sick from consuming it?

Most likely they don’t, and therefore foreign products have become much more appealing for the Chinese consumers. And that creates a market for storytelling, and that market is an overlooked platform to use the newlycrowned technology that is blockchain.

To (block) chain products to a story

So what is this blockchain stuff?

To explain why this is a pretty good idea, it’s important to understand the idea behind blockchain. It’s beyond any doubt that all of our readers have come across the term blockchain within the past couple of years. As Bitcoin (and other crypto currencies) recently began to gain popularity following its launch in the early 2010s, so did the underlying technology, blockchain.

The core concept is simple – everything surrounding it isn’t – and extremely useful in situations where the authenticity of information is crucial: monetary transactions, land registration as a measure against corruption, accounting, or, in this case, verifying the supply chain.

The name can basically be broken down into the word’s two parts, ‘block’ and ‘chain’. The first parts are the blocks.

These are created to securely contain specific information.

In the case of DCBF’s blockchain authenticity project, this could be product information.

“The Chinese have very little faith in their national products, and that creates a hole that Denmark could take advantage of,” Hans Henrik Pontoppidan says. He is the Secretary General of DCBF, where he assists companies in entering and thriving in the Chinese market.

And currently DCBF is working on the project Verified Danish, a project using blockchain as a tool to tell the Chinese customers that the product they’re looking at is safe, where it has come from and where it has been: “We can use the blockchain technology to tell the consumers that the product they’re looking at is safe and that it meets the requirements of Danish products,” Pontoppidan says.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 53

We should be better at selling ourselves in Denmark, selling our story and showing the consumer our Danish inheritance and DNA.

When these blocks contain enough information, the chain enters the picture. Using encryption the block is chained to other blocks in the same chain, effectively locking the information in the sense that to change on part of the block, you would have to change the information in the following blocks as well.

This creates a line of information with an unmet level of security, generally promising its authenticity when looked upon by end-users.

Authenticity is key

So they began working on the Verified Danish project. The core concept of the project is that the Chinese consumer will be able to track the product all the way back to its beginning.

Using the properties described in the chapter above, blockchain would in this instance be used to ensure the Chinese customers that the information written on the package in their hands is consistent with what has actually happened to the product; where it was created, handled, transported, and distributed.

“As soon as the pig is born it is earmarked and registered, and from there on the consumer will be able to see the journey of the Danish sausage they’re holding in their hands,” Hans Henrik Pontoppidan says.

Denmark booming in China

And the Danish intake in the Chinese market is slowly growing: From 2010 to 2017 the export to China has risen with more than 16 billion Danish kroners (2,5 billion US$) with a total worth of 29 billion kroner (4,6 billion US$) being exported in 2017, according to Danmarks Statistik.

And looking at the food industry specifically, several Danish companies have made entrance to the market. In 54 ScandAsia • October 2018

2018 one of Danish Crown’s subsidiaries, Tulip, opened an entirely new plant in Shanghai and that is just one of many examples of Danish businesses opening in China.

And one of the reasons for this is that Denmark has a certain image in the world. The image of blissful fields filled with corn or happy cows and pigs under a clear blue sky. And although that may not entirely be the case, that certain picture can be worth a thousand bucks: “We should be better at selling ourselves in Denmark, selling our story and showing the consumer our Danish inheritance and DNA. The Chinese demand security in their products and Denmark, as a food nation, can provide that security along with other countries already big in China, like Australia,” says Hans Henrik Pontoppidan.

Sharing experiences

Par t of preparing the blockchain project is to gather and share experiences between companies interested in exploiting the revolutionizing technology. And that’s where the Danish-Chinese Business Forum comes into play.

“What we provide is a forum for our members, where they can share experiences and learn about B2C e-commerce in China. How to get entrance to the platforms, whether they are vertical or we’re talking about the large platforms like Alibaba or JD.com, or social media like WeChat,” Hans Henrik Pontoppidan says.

DCBF is a non-profit organization that provides the members with relevant courses, workgroups and networks.

It is meant as a service for businesses either preparing for the great Chinese e-commerce venture or those looking to expand and learn from others and has recently added Lego and Chinese Telecom Europe to the growing list of members.

Business

Diakrit founders buy out News Corp, entices entrepreneurial investors

By Joakim Persson

B

angkok-headquar tered DIAKRIT, a successful Swedish star t-up and the largest employer of Swedes in Thailand, has announced a change in ownership where the original founders are buying the majority shares from News Corp Australia.

This move happens only two years after the media giant invested and became Diakrit’s majority owner. The property marketing solutions developer and provider will now be majority-owned by its three original founders Fredrik Bergman (CEO), Dick Karlsson (Managing Director, Residential) and Mar tin Fritze (CTO), as well as Pontus Lindholm (Director, Sales Nordic), who will all continue to run the company together.

A new smaller group of international investors will also back the company, all of whom have vast experience and specialised skills in technology, international expansion and business development.

“News Corp. wants to focus more on News and Diakrit likes to continue developing the digital real estate arena,” CEO Fredrik Bergman explains the sudden move.

The introduction of their real estate ser vices on News Corp.’s market have gone well. “We have had great development in Australia and in New Zealand under the News Corp flag. We are now ready to stand on our own feet on those markets.”

One of the new investors is also Australia-based: Rickard Gardell, who is originally from Sweden but has a long history in the Australian finance sector and is the founder of the largest venture capital firm in Australia (Pacific Equity Partners).

He has expressed his excitement to be a part of their next chapter. “I obviously wanted to take par t in the oppor tunity to join the journey of a dominant Swedish

company taking their business global. It’s been very exciting to follow Diakrit, especially in Australia where the demand for their products has been very high, and where they’ve succeeded in positioning themselves as a leading player in only two years’ time,” states Rickard.

Another of the new investors is Niclas Kjellgren, angel investor with background from KTH and a portfolio of real estate, AR/VR and MedTEch. “In Diakrit I am seeing a unique opportunity since the company’s long history, leading market position, technique focus and high production volumes have enabled collecting a large amount of data telemetry regarding image processing, 3D visualisations, photos, retouch processes etc. This gives the best opportunities when it comes to successfully applying machine learning, since the key to success is to have access to as much historic data as possible,” concludes Niclas. ”We are really proud and happy over the interest shown in Sweden and internationally both from investors and within strategic competence. We view this as an excellent opportunity for the company to return to our independent, entrepreneurial roots after several years of majority ownership by banks, Private Equity/Venture Capital, and News Corp.,” says Fredrik Bergman.

“We were searching more for entrepreneurial investors and succeeded well with that,” he clarifies.

Diakrit intends to stake even further at AI development and view Sweden as being in the forefront as market for this.

“Sweden is a leader within AI and that is where we can see ourselves having the fastest development. We have already tested implementing AI components in part of our image processing and thereby manage to invested significantly in production efficiency,” says Fredrik.

They are looking forward to applying even greater understanding, coupled with the latest technology from overseas to the international real estate market to create better buying and selling experiences.

“We see Sweden as the benchmark for real estate across the world with their streamlined working processes and advanced technology such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and other leading software. We know other markets will greatly benefit from this and are ready for what the next level of home buying and selling looks like.” says Dick Karlsson.

While the new ownership structure means that the holding company will move from Hong Kong to Sweden the main operations will continue be in Bangkok.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 55

Community

Anne has assisted Khun Lek for the past six years at the Home of Grace

“Then the righteous will shine” - Bube and the Home of Grace Thailand does not always come easy on the poor and the conservative society is in many ways not suited for the struggles of single parents. Bube experienced this before she arrived to The Home of Grace, and she will most likely see it again, when she goes home.

By Henrik Vinther Nielsen

56 ScandAsia • October 2018

A

s Bube enters the room her newborn daughter rests heavily on her chest. Bube has that illfated look upon her face, the shadow that lies upon people who hasn’t seen the upside of life for a long while.

The newborn child, who right now senses nothing around her, has little to no knowledge of the struggle her mother went through to have her, nor the significance of the place where she is resting. But for the past nine months, her existence has been in constant jeopardy, her life always on the brink of being sabotaged, even from members of her closest family.

Here, at the Home of Grace, pregnant women in uncertain situations can stay before and after giving birth, a safe place for women and children unwanted or fearful of their families back home. Bube falls into that category and for the same reasons she has asked to remain anonymous and that is why we use a nickname for this article.

Then the righteous will shine…

“Every girl here has a story.”

The words are spoken by Khun Lek. She’s a Thai lady and the day-to-day head of Home of Grace. She speaks with a small, coarse voice and generally takes up as little room on the large couch as physically possible. Her t-shirt says: ‘Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father’; a bible verse from Matt 13:43.

“Some of the girls have been abandoned by their boyfriend; some of them are prostitutes who got pregnant with a client; while some others are afraid to bring shame upon the family or just scared of being pregnant and left with little to no help at home. People have a lot of reasons to come here,” Khun Lek says.

At the time of the interview, there are seven girls at the home, most of who have already given birth and are now resting with their children, preparing to get out in the real world again. They sit around the premise, laughing, talking or working on some kind of craft that they sell at the local market. Generally they seem like a – very strange – family.

Unplanned pregnancy

Family played a big role in Bube’s decision to go to the Home of Grace. Her story is a bit complicated but illustrates very well what can happen when you no longer have the support from your closest in a country where family and the surrounding values form the beacon around which you build your life.

The girl in Bube’s arms is her fourth child and she’s a bit older than the women at The Home of Grace usually are.

Some others are afraid to bring shame upon the family or just scared of being pregnant

The husband of her first two children left her with nothing but the kids; the second husband, the father of her third child, died and when she fell in love with a co-worker at the factory she works at, all hell broke loose.

“My family hated him, mostly because he was lower in the hierarchy than I at the factory. My mother didn’t want anything to do with him and banned him from our home.

But he was good to me and to my kids and I didn’t want to leave him,” Bube says.

“I started fearing for my child, that they would kill it after I gave birth, that they would drag it out of the house and shoot it”

October 2018 • ScandAsia 57

“When I discovered that I was pregnant I started crying.

I knew my family would be angry and I didn’t want to raise another child,” Bube says. But in the end she decided to keep the baby. Her family tried to convince her otherwise but Bube stood her ground, something the family later would take very drastic measures in stopping.

Preparing them for the world

According to Khun Lek, the idea behind Home of Grace is to prepare the women for the life after giving birth: “We try to show them the value in themselves and the child and give them their confidence back. To help them get a better life and better handle problems that might come in the future – to meet society in a more confident way,” Khun Lek says.

And when she speaks of the process, she highlights the initial meeting as a very important part of the time the women stay at the home.

“When they arrive, they are often in distress, so the first thing we do is sit down and talk; some cry and some are okay. Since family is very important in Thailand it can be hard for the girls to decide to go here, away from the family,” she says.

A Christian home in a Buddhist country

Home of Grace is run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand, of which the Norwegian Missionary Society is a partner and main supporter. It is also a Christian home: aside from Khun Lek’s t-shirts there are several posters with phrases like ’Jesus <3 U’ and similar and they have frequent visits from a nearby pastor, there are daily prayers and even weekly visits to the local church.

And when Khun Lek is asked to talk a bit about the

missionary work that they do, she speaks with a passion. It is clear that she herself is Christian and that the home itself is founded on Christian values. And though the women aren’t expected to be Christian or forced to convert, they are expected to take part in some of the daily and weekly rituals.

“We feel that the teachings of Christ can help empower the girls and add to their feeling of value. Sometimes they choose to convert but we don’t force them to and mostly they just participate in our activities,” Khun Lek says.

She assures us that they have never forced anyone to convert or rejected anyone on the basis of religion.

Troublesome existence for single mothers

But religion aside, Thailand is generally not a country suited for the single motherhood.

Statistics on the subject are generally sparse and quite unreliable, at least from the government’s side. But, according to the UN, the amount of single parents in Thailand is on a rise by number but declining when you take the population growth into consideration.

In 2013, 1.3 million households consisted of a single parent, which is an increase from 971.000 in 1987. Percentagewise this is actually a decline of 0.9 percent when you take the entire population into account.

And there are very few mechanisms in place to support single parents who have to raise a child on their own.

Currently Thailand has no direct means of welfare to support single parents and generally the husband is still seen as the primary earner according to the UN. Family is very important in Thailand and the nuclear family is the standard, leaving little to those outside the spectre.

The women at the home design crafts that they sell at the local market to make an ekstra dime 58 ScandAsia • October 2018

We feel that the teachings of Christ can help empower the girls and add to their feeling of value The women at the home design crafts that they sell at the local market to make an ekstra dime

Bube comes to the home

In Bube’s case, the family had a much different role and their effort to convince Bube to do abortion only grew in strength. Months went by and the family still showed no signs of acceptance towards neither Bube’s boyfriend nor her unborn child.

“I started fearing for my child, that they would kill it after I gave birth, that they would drag it out of the house and shoot it,” Bube says. But they didn’t wait that long: “One day when I came home from work my mother gave me some pills. She said it was vitamin, but I couldn’t keep them down.

I vomited the moment I swallowed. It wasn’t vitamins. They were trying to force me to take abortion pills.”

That’s when she decided to get out of there. Her boyfriend, the father of the girl in her arms, helped her find a place where she could have the baby in peace and safety from the family. And they found The Home of Grace: “They have helped me with everything. I came here in the ninth month and was almost instantly rushed to the hospital where I had a caesarean. I arrived here on the 27th of April and on the 2nd of May my beautiful girl was born.”

Bube says that they still don’t have the financial stability to provide for the child. She has been out of work from the factory since she got pregnant due to handling potentially harmful chemicals.

“I don’t like it, but we have decided to put her in foster care while I find a job back home again at the factory and save up money. I’m not sure how long she will have to stay there, but I hope we can get her back after six months,” Bube says.

Norwegian run

Both interviews during the day are translated by a Norwegian woman, Anne Storstein Haug. She herself works for several projects in Thailand, including two nursing homes in the Khlong Toey slums of Bangkok. At the Home of Grace, she is the advisor to Khun Lek and the additional staff.

She joined after the Diakonia, the chapter of the church taking care of the poor and misfortunate, asked for her assistance at the shelter.

“I was happy to help,” she says, and has been doing so for the past six years, having lived in Thailand for more than 18 years.

Through the years she has seen a wide variety of women come and go, all with the common denominator that they are in need of help. And Anne highlights the women’s personal growth: “To see these girls after giving birth, getting the strength to tell their family, and see the family accepting the new baby into the family is always touching,” Anne says.

But a certain group of women stands out: “[…] meeting girls who have been working as bar girls in Pattaya changing their work and lifestyle after getting their baby, because they want to take care of the baby themselves, is always great to experience. Like a girl who came to us some months ago.

She worked in Pattaya as a bar girl. When she came to us she planned to put her baby away for adoption, but after the baby got born she changed her mind and Home of Grace helped her to find an option,” Anne says.

Time goes by

At the time of writing, it has been more than two months since the initial interview took place. Women have left the home and new ones have joined. Babies are born and taken care of and Khun Lek still runs the show.

Not much has changed, but Bube has left. Just like she claimed, she went back home to take care of her other kids and her boyfriend. She’s back at the factory and she placed the baby in at a foster care home that Home of Grace found for her.

And hopefully her daughter will be back in Bube’s arms in six months, back with her mother, her father, her three siblings and – hopefully – a family that has decided to finally accept her.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 59

Community

Pojanath Bhatanacharoen is the new TSCC Executive Director

O

n September 3, 2018, the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce welcomed Dr Pojanath Bhatanacharoen, as its new Executive Director, taking over after Katarina Ekelund who has left the position after little over a year.

Dr Pojanath is Bangkokian by birth but grew up in Gothenburg, Sweden.

She moved to England to pursue her studies and received a PhD in Politics at Newcastle University in 2009. In 2010, she joined a multi-disciplinar y team at Durham University to conduct postdoctoral research on tipping points with par ticular focus on diffusion of innovation.

Pojanath explains fur ther what this research actally means: “Tipping points refer to both social and natural phenomena in which small changes over time lead to big and often irreversible s y s t e m i c c h a n g e s , fo r i n s t a n c e financial crisis, climate change or the popularization of ideas and products.

Our studies on diffusion of innovation examined how new ideas spread and become popular or reaching their tipping points.”

Pojanath per manently moved back to Thailand in 2015 to work for Chaturong Cooling, a Thai OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

During this time , she has gained experience in business development,

sales and mar keting as well as organisational management skills. She hopes her knowledge of the Thai business environment combined with her understanding of Swedish values and culture will further contribute to the work of TSCC. “As a collective network TSCC plays an impor tant role in providing a voice to protect and advance the interests of Swedish businesses in Thailand which in turn strengthens trade relations and benefits both countries. The Executive Director role represents a great opportunity to be a part of this process by acting as a bridge for different interests and cultures,” believes Pojanath.

Pojanath states that her biggest challenge will be how to best support the Board of Governors in addressing long-term structural issues affecting the Swedish business community, such as local bureaucracy, the lack of highskilled labour and other constraints put on Swedish companies working in Thailand.

Initially, her priority will be to continue the wor k of TSCC in proactively creating knowledge-sharing programs and networking activities which will help current TSCC members explore the opportunities in the Thai market and strengthen their position in the 4.0 economy as well as appeal to

TSCC President Eric Hallin; former Executive Director Katarina Ekelund; new ED, Dr Pojanath Bhatanacharoen 60 ScandAsia • October 2018

and attract new members.

“I ver y much look forward to working in a multi-cultural environment and collaborating with all the TSCC members, the Embassy of Sweden, Business Sweden in Thailand and local authorities. I’m also very excited about building on the excellent cooperation with the other Nordic Chambers and other joint chambers to widen the network. Any suggestions or advice from members of the Thai-Swedish business community and Team Sweden are most welcome.”

“My directors and I are very excited to have Dr Pojanath join the TSCC as our new Executive Director. She has an amazing background from Thailand, Sweden and UK which together with her fluency in all three languages will stand her good stead in her new job.

Also her experience from the private sector as well as her excellent academic background (specialising in European Union and political science) will be invaluable to TSCC. We see her as the right person to help us bring TSCC to 4.0. With her we expect to build on the excellent work of our previous Executive Directors to have TSCC reach yet another level to serve our members,” says President Eric Hallin.

New Norwegian Ambassador in Vietnam

T

he Norwegian embassy in Hanoi has welcomed Grethe Løchen as new Ambassador to Vietnam.

Grethe Løchen is cand.philol. and has been employed in the Foreign Ser vice since 2002. She ser ved as Minister of the Embassy in Kabul 20102012, Ambassador to Sri Lankan 20122015 and Senior Adviser in the Foreign Ministry from 2015 to 2018.

“Ambassador Grete brings with her extensive and cross-cultural knowledge and expertise. She is very committed and passionate about promoting Norwegian engagement with Vietnam as well as further boosting the decadeslong bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of

Community

mutual interest,” writes the Norwegian embassy on their facebook page.

Grethe Løchen looks forward to experience Vietnam and is happy to be in Hanoi, she writes on Twitter.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 61

Business & trade events

Business & Trade events China / Hong Kong China Int. Import Expo Finnish Delegation

Dates: 5-8 November 2018 Place: National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai Organiser: Business Finland Ministerial delegation and Finland national booth China is the second largest importer and consumer in the world. Governments and companies from over 60 countries will join the Expo. Finland will have a national booth of 160 sqm to promote our country and companies image in China.

Business Finland is in charge of organizing the national booth.

Food Hotel China 2018 Danish national pavilion

Dates: 13 - 15 November 2018 Place: Shanghai Web: www.di.dk Organiser: Confederation of Danish Industries Danish Agriculture & Food Council is organizing the Danish pavilion for the 6th time - with Confederaion of Danish Industries as co-organizers Confederation of Danish Industries at the FHC show in Shanghai.

The FHC show with its location in Shanghai and its concurrent events is attracting the right decision makers within retail/supermarket, hospitality and contract catering, manufacturing, consultants/management/ser vices. The FHC show is undoubtedly the right show for impor ted food and beverages in China. A total of 91,301 trade visitors attended FHC 2017, representing an increase of 24,740 visitors compared to 2015. FHC is exclusively for impor ted and top-quality product. With 43% of visitors coming from outside Shanghai, FHC really is the only international exhibition serving the China market, making it the benchmark for international companies looking to collaborate with markets in China an Asia.

Danish Cruise & Ferry Group business delegation to South China 2018 Dates: 02-06 December Places: Hong Kong, Xiamen, Guangzhou Organiser : Danish Cruise & Ferry Group/Danish Export Association China is the fastest-growing cruise market. Join the 62 ScandAsia • October 2018

delegation and direct access to key shipyards, leading cruise lines and business par tners. Demand in China has risen rapidly and China is currently the cruise industry’s fastestgrowing market. China is even said to have the potential to eventually overtake the US as the world’s largest cruise market. The growing Chinese cruise industry reflects both an overall increase in outbound travel from China, plus the rising interest in luxury leisure and entertainment. Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Costa and Princess are all expanding into the region.

The latest generation of vessels is built to satisfy the lavish tastes of this developing market, offering everything from go kart tracks and laser tag, to virtual reality simulators.

New business opportunities and export alliances Access new business opportunities in this burgeoning market and expand your network among key local contacts on a decision-making level. Get direct access to key authorities and business partners with focus on purchase and supply in the cruise sector in China. Participation can pave the way to export-alliances with the other participating Danish companies.

The 5-day program will include: • Seminars with presentations of the strengths of the Danish participants to key stakeholders in China within the sector.

• Site visits to ship yards and cruise lines.

• Business matching activities incl. individual meetings with local partners.

• Networking events with top level business contacts.

Malaysia Finnpartnership: Doing Business with Finland seminar, Kuala Lumpur and Penang

Dates: George Town Tuesday, 16 October and Kuala Lumpur Thursday, 18 October.

Place: Penang and Kuala Lumpur Organiser: Finnpartnership Join Finnpartnership’s Doing Business with Finland seminars in October and start expanding your business to Malaysia!

Arranged together with local Finnish embassies and Business Finland offices, the seminars provide an excellent oppor tunity for Finnish companies to get their business activities started in Southeast Asia. The two seminars in Malaysia are also organized in cooperation with Finnish

National Agency for Education, and therefore the main focus sector in these seminars is education sector, but also ICT (especially in George Town). The seminar brings together a large group of relevant local companies, business entities and government officials to meet Finnish companies.

Arranged since 2007, the Doing Business with Finland –seminars usually lead to dozens of promising business discussions and partnerships getting started.

Place: National Exhibition Construction Center, Hanoi Nordic participant: Finnpartnership Website: hanoigiftshow.com/index.php/en/ Hanoi Gift Show 2018 will have over 650 booths from over 250 enterprises in Vietnam and some from other countries in the world. This will be a good opportunity for buyers, business enterprises, organizations and individuals who are interested in the field of handicrafts to meet, exchange, identify potential par tner s, Vietnamese enterprises, manufacturers and some from other countries in the world.

VietWater Expo

EDUCA Fair 2018 Special Seminar by Finland

Dates: November 7-9th, 2018, Place Ho Chi Minh City Nordic participants: Finnish Water Forum + Royal Danish Embassy in Vietnam and the Confederation of Danish Industry Web: www.kaukointernational.com/meet-the-decisionmaker s-of-vietnam-water-sector-at-vietwater-expoin-6-9-11-2018/Danish contact: Danish Embassy in Vietnam, Bo Mønsted, Commercial Counsellor, bomons@um.dk

Educa is a platform where Thai teachers can meet and share their experiences, regarding teacher professional development, education, technology and innovation.

Special seminar by Finland: ‘Change is possible’ - Through Finnish Innovations in Pedagogy

Vietnam’s leading International Water, Wastewater and Industrial Wastewater Treatment & Purification Show. It is one of Asia’s most important and comprehensive water trade shows featuring innovative products and services.

Government officials, regulators, developers, manufacturers and leading industry exper ts attend the exhibition and conference.

Thailand Date: 17 – 19 October 2018 Place: IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Thailand Web: www.educathai.com Organiser: Team Finlad

Programme: Finnish Teacher Education and Training in the Thai Context

by Lead Expert, Tiina Malste, Educluster Finland.

Panel discussion on how Thai educational institutes have applied Finnish model in their institutes with Panyapiwat Institute of Management, Thammasat University and Kasetsart University.

Innovation in Education and Pedagogical Leadership with Director, Head of Transnational Operations, Dr. JanMarkus Holme and Head of Transnational Ecucation Dr. Kirsi Kettula, University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+.

How to use digital tools as part of kindergarten learning methodologies by Toby Murray, Fun Academy Finnish - Thai Cultural Differences in Education and Adaptation by Independent Scholar Kunthida Rungruengkiat, conducted in Thai.

Finnish Pavilion

VietWater is the most important and well-attended annual trade water exhibition in Vietnam. Interested in Vietnamese markets? Meet key stakeholders from the Vietnamese water sector at VietWater Expo, together with other Finnish companies. Win business economically by exhibiting at the Finnish Pavilion!

Finnish Water Forum organizes a Finland-Vietnam networking seminar with Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association on 6 November and a Finland Pavilion at the exhibition. The Finnish Pavilion has been a successful event at VietWater already for five years. In 2018 the event is being organized by KaukoInternational Oy and Finnish Water Forum. With strong experience of the market the organisers want to continue the success story and prepare way for Finnish companies to take part.

Danish pavilion

Vietnam Hanoi Gift Show

Dates: October 17 – 20th, 2018

join the Danish pavilion at Vietnam’s premier water trade show! The rapid urbanization in Vietnam cause serious challenges to development in the coming years. Larger cities and urban environments urgently need to create long-term solutions in water supply and sewerage. A demand that goes well in-hand with Danish expertise and technological innovation in water supply, water quality, network operation and water assets management.

October 2018 • ScandAsia 63

Lifestyle

Banyan Tree arrives with Swedish General Manager to Kuala Lumpur:

Anders Dimblad

E

Text and photos: Joakim Persson ven seasoned business travellers and other visitors to Kuala Lumpur who have not been there in the past few years are in for a surprise, not least when it comes to the abundance of new top-notch accommodation choices.

With only 55 rooms and a minimum size of 51 Sq m Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur stands out in the Malaysian capital’s now very hot and comprehensive five-star hotel scene. And with the arrival of Banyan Tree to the country (and with the launch of ‘Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur Managed by Banyan Tree’ in December 2018, and third proper ty named ‘Angsana Teluk Bahang’ on Penang due for 2019) Kuala Lumpur can also add a Scandinavian hotel manager back to its scene.

His name is Anders Dimblad, a hotel veteran who also is as Asian as a Swede can possibly be; born in the Philippines, where his Swedish father worked, and also married to an Asian, and with two children.

Anders’ hospitality career, which started in Hong Kong with Shangri-La Group, has also taken him to various places across the Asia Pacific as well as the Middle East. Anders worked with Shangri-La also in Singapore before he was recruited to Banyan Tree back in 2003.

“Banyan Tree Seychelles was my first experience with the brand. I used to joke because we always used to feel very busy in the Shangri-La hotel when we had 200 – 300 arrivals and depar tures in one day. Then in Seychelles we had 60 villas and everybody would get nervous if we had more than ten arrivals and departures. So, it was a completely different philosophy and way of running hotels, but equally challenging – and what a beautiful challenge!” states Anders over drinks in the Altitude restaurant on level 53 overlooking Kuala Lumpur.

Later Anders was also Resident Manager for Banyan Tree in Bangkok; well-known for its rooftop restaurant Vertigo but a rooftop bar version of it! And now in Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur has its very own Vertigo!

“The Vertigo bar will definitely be an icon in the city, once it becomes known, similar to the one in Bangkok – probably one of the most photographed bars in the world – if not the postcard view from it. We are very excited about it. But we also don’t want that to take away from the rest of the property which has its own uniqueness as well.”

64 ScandAsia • October 2018

The Vertigo bar will definitely be an icon in the city, once it becomes known, similar to the one in Bangkok - probably one of the most photographed bars in the world

And this “uniqueness” – which is also how the brand creates its differentiation – lies in the brand ethos. Anders describes it as he introduces the hotel and brand.

“We are a boutique proper ty and are obviously more known for our resor ts, which do not mean we have no city proper ties. For us here, we call it an urban resor t, or retreat, because we have the 55 keys and want to keep with the philosophy; a Sanctuar y for the Senses. From sense of place, sense of romance to sense of rejuvenations, we want to have all those touch points and we can achieve that with our urban resor t feel and the warmth of our associates. Without them we are nothing; the reality in today’s world is that you can go anywhere and somebody else will come up with a larger room or a newer concept but it’s the soft touches that count. People will always remember people.”

“We are truly blessed here with our team; very proud of them and the achievement that they’ve done so far, although we are at the very start of our journey for our guest experiences,” adds the GM. In this also lies his management style, which appears to be very much in tune with the Banyan Tree philosophy:

“For me the service that you offer is perhaps out of sight but never out of reach. For me it’s more the anticipation of the guest’s needs; that all our associates are there for our guests when they need them. And before guests need to ask they should be approaching and anticipating the guest’s needs and to be able to deliver on that - which of course is very easily said but I think it’s more about that we practice consistency and get to know our guests. That is to me the big difference; we really need to know who are our guests are.”

With 55 rooms they must be able to speak to all guests on a daily basis, and do it spontaneously, not as something scheduled. And that goes for all associates. “Everyone should feel: ‘There’s no excuse for why I cannot do it.’ And breaking the mould and never be afraid to try. Most of the time we learn from our mistakes and that’s also about speaking to products and their personal feedback is invaluable.”

“And if we can consistently maintain our high levels then I think guests appreciate that and that’s what they come back for.”

October 2018 • ScandAsia 65

We are truly blessed here with our team; very proud of them and the achievement that they’ve done so far.

Concerning the 55 rooms Anders says: “Most of our properties aren’t larger than 200 – 300 keys even in cities because we need to maintain that sense of place and wellbeing in every destination.”

And in fact, Anders will be overseeing many more rooms (325) soon when the neighbour hotel under Banyan Tree’s management opens – the Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur Managed by Banyan Tree, located on top of the Pavilion shopping mall. This will also enable guests a bigger range of choices.

Asked to present what they can offer business as well as leisure travellers he replies: “We offer the best of both worlds; we have all the latest business facilities and meeting rooms for our guests. And we can accommodate any private functions, and launches. Here at Altitude, I believe we have unbeatable views, whether for a product launch or cocktail reception, not to mention Vertigo on the rooftop or Horizon Grill on level 58, from a destination perspective and in terms of dining or events space I really believe we offer the business traveller everything.”

“For the leisure guest, going back to our ethos of being a Sanctuary for the Senses, our award-winning Banyan Tree Spa, our location attached to the Pavilion Mall and right the middle of Bukit Bintan, we have everything as well. If a couple is coming and one of them is on business and one on leisure it’s the best of both worlds.”

Anders also describes Kuala Lumpur as a beautiful city with its melting pot of cultures. “There are a lot of mixes and you can see that all around, and to me that’s a great to experience. When you are able to celebrate culture in a city and the diversity of it, it’s just a win. There are also still a lot of classical old buildings they’ve kept maintained.The beauty of it is also that you have a lot of greenery and with even more nature within close proximity of the city.”

66 ScandAsia • October 2018

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