02 October, 2017

Careem to Launch ‘Pitch and Sail’ Competition at Techne Summit



Careem will provide an innovative forum for startups to pitch to international investors

Cairo, Egypt, 28 September 2017 – Careem, the region’s leading ride-hailing app, is bringing an innovative entrepreneurial format to the Techne Summit at Bibliotheca Alexandrina from September 30-October 1 with the Careem ‘Pitch and Sail’ competition. With the rising market of the sharing economy and on demand services, Careem is inviting established startups to pitch on a boat in front of regional and international investors.

“Our unique ‘Pitch and Sail’ competition will give entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their talent for investors in a way they may have never imagined,” said Ramy Kato, Careem Egypt Managing Director. “In today’s sharing economy and ever-evolving on-demand services, what better way to demonstrate the best of both worlds than by providing a forum to share the skills, knowledge and passion of some of the country’s best and brightest startups. The Careem Pitch and Sail competition will get the entrepreneurs literally on deck to see if they can catch the wind in their sails as they chart the exciting waters of a startup company.”   

In addition to the Careem ‘Pitch and Sail’ competition, the company will also have a booth at the Summit and a representative from the company will speak at the event. Careem is a platinum sponsor of this year’s Techne Summit.

Careem, which began as a startup itself just five years ago, is a pioneer in the region’s ‘sharing economy’ phenomenon. Its mission is to make people’s lives simpler while creating millions of jobs in the markets where it operates. With a total of +250,000 Captains moving millions of people every day across the region, Careem supports economic growth and innovation across countries and in Egypt specifically, recently expanding its impressive footprint across Egypt, doubling its network from seven cities to 14 and steadily moving toward its target of employing 100,000 Captains in Egypt by end of 2017.

This is the second consecutive year Careem has participated in the Techne Summit, an international entrepreneurship technology event that first launched in Egypt in 2016, bringing together renowned global players in the technology industry from various countries.  The event concept is built on the themes of technology, innovation and talent, with the two-day summit serving as a platform for startups, entrepreneurs, industry experts and global players to share experiences, wisdom, observations, predictions and opportunities.

كريم تطلق مسابقة Pitch and Sail’’  خلال قمة  Techneبالإسكندرية

كريم تساعد في تُنظم منتدى مبتكر للشركات الناشئة بهدف استعراض أفكارهم أمام عدد من المستثمرين العالميين

القاهرة في 28 سبتمبر 2017 : تطرح كريم، الشركة الرائدة في حجز السيارات الخاصة عبر تطبيق الهاتف الذكي في المنطقة، شكلاً مبتكراً لدعم قطاع ريادة الأعمال في قمة Techne  التي تُقام في مكتبة الإسكندرية على مدار يومي 30 سبتمبر و1 أكتوبر. فخلال القمة، تنظم كريم مسابقة Careem ‘’Pitch and Sail’’. تعتمد المسابقة المبتكرة على النمو المتواصل الذي يشهده سوق الاقتصاد التشاركي والطلب على الخدمات، حيث توجه كريم الدعوة للمشروعات الناشئة كي تستعرض أفكارها أمام مجموعة من المستثمرين العالميين.

وتعليقاً على تلك المسابقة، يقول رامي كاطو – الرئيس التنفيذي لكريم مصر:" إن مسابقتنا الفريدة “’Pitch and Sail’’ التي ننظمها خلال قمة Techne ستمنح الفرصة لرواد الأعمال كي يستعرضوا مواهبهم ويقدموا أفكارهم للمستثمرين بطريقة مبتكرة وغير مسبوقة. ففي عالم اليوم الذي يشهد نمواً متواصلاً للاقتصاد التشاركي والطلب على الخدمات، لا توجد طريقة أفضل من إقامة مثل هذه المنتديات لتبادل الأفكار والمهارات والمعرفة والشغف الذي تتميز به المشروعات الناشئة في مصر. وتمنح مسابقةPitch and Sail  التي تطلقها كريم فرصة حقيقية لرواد الأعمال لكي يطرحوا أفكارهم، بما يتيح لهم الحصول على التمويل اللازم وإطلاق مشروعاتهم الناشئة."

وبالإضافة إلى مسابقة ‘’Pitch and Sail’’ التي تطلقها كريم، سيكون للشركة أيضاً جناح في القمة ومتحدث رسمي يشارك في جلسات هذا الحدث الهام، حيث أن كريم هو الراعي البلاتيني لقمة Techne هذا العام.

وتعد شركة كريم، التي بدأت كمشروع ناشئ منذ خمس سنوات، شركة رائدة فيما يسمى بالاقتصاد التشاركي في المنطقة، حيث يتمثل هدفها الأساسي في جعل حياة الناس أسهل مع توفير ملايين من فرص العمل في الأسواق التي تعمل بها. فمع الاعتماد على أكثر من 250,000 كابتن يقومون بنقل ملايين الناس كل يوم في جميع أنحاء المنطقة، تساهم كريم في دعم النمو الاقتصادي والابتكار في كافة الدول التي تعمل بها بشكل عام، وفي مصر على وجه الخصوص. قامت الشركة مؤخراً بالتوسع في السوق المصري عن طريق مضاعفة عدد المدن التي تعمل بها من 7 إلى 14 مدينة. في الوقت نفسه تمضي كريم قدماً في خططها الهادفة للوصول بعدد الكباتن في مصر إلى 100,000 كابتن بنهاية العام الحالي.  

جدير بالذكر أنّ كريم تشارك للمرة الثانية على التوالي في مؤتمر Techne الذي يُعد حدث دولي متخصص في مجال تكنولوجيا ريادة الأعمال وانطلق لأول مرة في مصر عام 2016. يجمع الحدث بين كبرى الشركات العاملة في صناعة التكنولوجيا من مختلف دول العالم. وتعتمد قمة Techne على استعراض الموضوعات المتعلقة بالتكنولوجيا والابتكار والمواهب، من خلال القمة التي تستمر على مدار يومين وتمثل منصة للشركات الناشئة ورجال الأعمال وخبراء الصناعة والشركات العالمية لتبادل الخبرات والرؤى والتنبؤات والفرص في هذا القطاع.

في حفل اطلاق عطر محمد علي كلاي ببرج العرب بدبي بحضور حشد من كبار الشخصيات


عبق افكاره الانسانية انتشر وفاح في دبي وعلى مركز راشد لاصحاب الهمم خاصة


تكريما لافكار ومسيرة الملاكم العالمي محمد علي كلاي الانسانية اقيم حفل حضره كبار الشخصيات في برج العرب بدبي لاطلاق عطر يحمل اسم محمد علي خصص جزء من ريعه لدعم المؤسسات الانسانية والخيرية في العالم.
الشركة المنتجة للعطر ومقرها لندن قررت ان يذهب جزء من ريع تسويق العطر في الامارات لصالح مركز راشد لاصحاب الهمم نظرا لما حققه المركز من انتشار وصيت عالمي ونظرا لجهوده الانسانية في خدمة اصحاب الهمم على مدى ربع قرن، ومن هذا المنطلق حضر حفل الاطلاق في دبي كلا من سمو الشيخ جمعه بن مكتوم ال مكتوم العضو المنتدب لمركز راشد لاصحاب الهمم وسعادة احمد هاشم خوري مؤسس المركز وعضو مجلس اداراته اضافة الى السيدة مريم عثمان الرئيس التنفيذي لمركز راشد لاصحاب الهمم حيث تسلموا قفاز محمد علي ايذانا باتمام الشراكة مع الشركة التي اطقلت عطر محمد علي عالميا كي يبقى عطر افكاره منتشرا وعبقا في انحاء العالم وخاصة دبي واسهامه في بناء مستقبل أفضل للأطفال من اصحاب الهمم.

كان محمد علي مقاتلا طوال حياته، داخل الحلبة وخارجها، في البداية وجد شهرته كملاكم، وبطل عالمي، لكن من الجميل ان نحتفل به باسلوب عصري، وغير تقليدي، تماما كما كان في حياته قبل وأثناء وبعد المعارك.
محمدعلي الكاريزما والانسان والالتزام بالقضايا الاجتماعية والسياسية تجاوز الملاكمة ليصبح واحدا من أشهر الناس على هذا الكوكب. حقا انه رمز ثقافي، شغفه والمهارة والذكاء أعطاه نداءا عالميا لا مثيل له، بين الشخصيات الرياضية الأخرى كما ألهم الملايين.

Peach, on the top of multi-lateral cooperation between Egypt and Greece



Cairo, Egypt – 28 September 2017, In light of the historical mutual economic ties and multi-lateral cooperation between Egypt and Greece, a delegate from European Union financed program “Peach Garden” organized a conference today at the Intercontinental Cairo City Stars Hotel. The conference aims at promoting the production and export of Peach to the Egyptian market.
The “Peach Garden” program offered a great opportunity to the Association of Imathia's Agricultural Cooperatives to meet representatives of remarkable companies and players from the Egyptian fruits sector aiming to discuss potential cooperation.
During the conference, Mr. Theodor Devetzis, the representative of the Consortium presented the objectives of the European program, and spoke about the quality of European peaches, especially those that are being developed in the privileged climate of Veria, Imathia, Greece.  
Commenting on the event Mr. Theodor Devetzis, said: “It is my pleasure to be part of this campaign and event in Cairo, as Egypt is considered one of our top target markets in the MENA region. We are keen to raise awareness about our initiative and products in this key market and we are looking forward to future collaboration and further market expansion.”
The Association of Imathia's Agricultural Cooperatives is the initiative of eight (8) of the largest Agricultural Cooperatives (Producers Organizations) to join forces and present themselves in the market as one. The Cooperatives, as well as the Association, are all located in the Prefecture of Imathia, Region of Central Macedonia, Northern Greece, an area with a wide tradition in the cultivation and processing of Fruits spanning over 88 acres of land.  
The core production of the Association is Peaches (Table and Industrial), which in 2014 accounted for about 30% of the Total Production of Peaches in Greece which is the third biggest producer of Table Peaches in EU and the first in Industrial Peaches.
During the event, well renowned nutritionist, Dr Maha Radamis discussed in a short speech the nutritional value of peaches and Greek peaches in the daily diet, highlighting that it is low in calories, and high in vitamins.
The event was attended by a number of high profile players in the Egyptian fruits market who enjoyed their Lunch and discussed the possibility of introducing the products to the market, in Cairo, since the Association has already developed a great Exporting activity worldwide.

The peach Producer Organizations involved in the implementation of this campaign, carry out checks on private laboratories in order to ensure the safety and quality of products delivered to consumers on the international markets, as the main objective of the European Union's food safety policy is to ensure a high level of protection of the health and consumer's interests.





IN A PUBLIC LECTURE: AUC DISCUSSES THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF BLENDED LEARNING IN EGYPT


October 1, 2017, Cairo – The American University in Cairo (AUC) in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE) and the American University of Beirut (AUB), is seeking ways to enrich its own educational approaches and spark dialogue on the benefits of online and blended learning across the region. Egypt’s Minister of Education and Technical Education Tarek Shawki, the associate dean of digital learning and executive director of J-WEL, Veejay Kumar, and CEO of AGFE, Maysa Jalbout discussed “Blended Education in Egypt: Opportunities and Challenges,” in a public panel organized by AUC and moderated by AUC provost Ehab Abdel Rahman. The event was sponsored by MBC Masr, Al Masry Al Youm Newspaper and Egypt Today.



In his remarks, Francis J. Ricciardone, AUC president said, “What AUC tries to do here in Egypt is explore new ways of learning, new ways of serving and new ways of advancing knowledge and its transmission.”

At the center of the discussion was an emphasis on “disrupting” current educational practices in Egypt and introducing a true “appetite” for learning. “We have to redefine what education is, establish the culture and the joy of learning,” Shawki said.
“I think the real potency is educational transformation,” opened Kumar, discussing the immense impact that online learning initiatives can have on education. MIT has witnessed the wide-reaching potential of its own online and blended learning projects.

Both Jalbout and Kumar view online and blended learning as a key step in widening access to education. Kumar noted that “widening access” does not only refer to an increase in the number of students who can access educational resources, but also signals a diversification of those that can be reached. “What I see happening through these efforts is that we are able to address the learning needs of different kinds of audiences in different ways,” Kumar added.

Jalbout similarly sees the potential of transforming access to education, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region. “We as a foundation, are focused on providing access to education to the highest achieving students in the region who don’t have access to resources to go to great universities like AUC and AUB,” stated Jalbout. “Necessity is the mother of invention, and online learning is definitely the invention that we need to be able to reach a wider number of students across the region.”

The benefits of online and blended learning are not limited to science and math courses, and the implementation of these strategies is not a question of choosing to study either completely online or face-to-face. Rather, Kumar notes that “combining on-site with online is much more valuable,” and the value of blending is rooted in the potential to customize for any type of course.

Sharing his personal experience with online learning, Ahmed Said, who is currently pursuing a MicroMasters in supply chain management at MIT, with an AGFE scholarship, added that he often sees online learning as a better option than traditional methods.

The MicroMasters program allows students to begin an MIT program of study online, earning academic credits that permit them to later apply for an MIT master’s degree. “It eliminates geographical distance, he said. “Learning with a big university like MIT became so easy with online learning.”

In searching for partners throughout the region, AGFE saw great potential in collaborating with AUC because of its investment in quality education and engagement in the use of technology in the classroom. “Given that AUC is a leader in Egypt, it can also be a leader in collaborating with other universities in the region,” said Jalbout.

Situating itself as a hub for creativity and innovation, AUC has made strides in enhancing its own implementation of online and blended learning approaches. Abdel-Rahman noted that the University recently announced the appointment of a new position, Associate Provost for Transformative Learning and Teaching, pointing to AUC’s commitment to exploring pioneering educational strategies.

AUC has already trained 68 faculty members in offering blended courses, and has designed and delivered four blended courses. Currently, the University is in the process of designing 15 additional blended courses, among the multitude of efforts being made to further incorporate blended approaches into the University experience. The Center for Learning and Teaching has played a major role in training faculty members and stimulating these efforts.


Shawki discussed several plans that the Ministry of Education has set in motion to completely revamp Egypt’s educational system. Among the many projects underway are the expansion of the Egyptian Knowledge Bank, a digital library consolidating a range of international content, and the introduction of a new online managing system.  At the core of this shift is a push to reshape the community’s perception of education.

Both Shawki and Jalbout have observed reluctance toward online and blended learning throughout the region. Many governments are not accrediting online learning, hesitant about the quality of this approach.

“The problem with Egypt is not technology, curriculum or assessment,” said Shawki. “It is just really redefining education. All of this will go nowhere, unless we really convince people that it’s all about learning.”

Another major challenge, added Shawki, is managing the enormous size of Egypt’s education system, made up of over 22 million children. Within such a large system, the challenges of implementing innovative strategies are numerous.

Jalbout also added the issue that most online content is produced in English, making it difficult to increase access as many students across the region do not speak English. Another hurdle is developing more access to technology for the underserved population. Jalbout, however, feels encouraged by the efforts currently being made to overcome these obstacles.

“We think that the challenges are plenty, but they are not insurmountable,” she asserted. “Technology is allowing us to dig deeply into where students are having challenges and provide them with support in real time so that they are able to overcome those learning challenges as opposed to being discouraged.”

The Egyptian government cannot be alone in promoting these major changes, added Shawki. He called on AUC and its creative community to propose suggestions for education improvement, particularly when it comes to teacher training and assessment. He also underlined the importance of collaborating with a network of private sector organizations as well as NGOs in order to bring about real change.

For more information about the university news and events follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/aucegypt

And Twitter @AUC

Distinction and Luxury crafts a refined experience


GROHE luxury designs compliment the modern Quasar Tower in Saifi, Lebanon
Providing the ultimate bathroom fittings has long been the job of GROHE - leading bathroom fittings manufacturer. The luxurious brand teamed up with the exclusive Quasar Tower, reflecting core values of minimalism, modernism and functional excellence to compliment a blend of ferocity and sophistication of this new architectural marvel.
Situated in charming Saifi, within the Beirut Central District, the tower stands valiantly – moments away from Beirut gems such as Gemmayze, Mar Mikhael, and Saifi Village. Designed by internationally renowned architect Bernard Khoury, recognized for his distinct and unique work, the Quasar Tower sits on a grandiose 1,604-square meter plot.

The tower’s spacious bathrooms were fitted with a selection of GROHE products, chosen from an extensive collection of faucet showers and accessories to compliment Quasar Tower’s sleek look. The GROHE Essence range uses balanced, modern styling to create space for inventive furnishing ideas and innovative technologies forms. Crafting an aesthetics oasis of wellbeing where classic lifestyle is gently interpreted without pretension. To provide the final finishing touch the Skate Cosmopolitan Flush Plate match all frames and internal systems as well as the dual-flush actuation of 6 liters and 3 liters – providing users significant water saving. Moreover, the bathroom fittings included a single-lever mixer and the Eurosmart Single - lever basin mixer.

GROHE’s collections can be found in a number of exceptional projects in Lebanon including The Bristol Hotel, Versace Tower, Plus Towers to name a few.

تجربة فخمة بحرف مميّزة وفاخرة
تألق تصاميم غروهي الفاخرة في برج قصار الحديث في منطقة الصيفي، لبنان

وضعت الشركة الرائدة في تصنيع تجهيزات الحمام غروهي والتي تعتبر من أفخر العلامات التجارية، لمساتها على برج قصار حيث تعاونت معها بمجموتها المميزة التي تمزج بين البساطة، الحداثة والتميز الوظيفي التي أضافت الأناقة والفخامة على هذه  الأعجوبة المعمارية الجديدة.

يقع هذا البرج التي تتضمن مساحته 1،604 متر مربع ومصممة من قبل المهندس المعماري المشهور عالمياً برنارد خوري، المعروف بعمله المتميز والفريد من نوعه، في منطقة الصيفي الفاخرة في وسط بيروت على بُعد دقائق من مناطق بيروت الرئيسية مثل الجميزة ، مار مخايل، و قرية الصيفي.

وقد تم تجهيز الحمامات التي تتضمن مساحة كبيرة بمنتجات غروهي، حيث تم اختيار مجموعة واسعة من صنابير للحمام واكسسوارات لإضافة الفخامة على برج قصار الأنيق. فمجموعة  Essence E  من غروهي تستخدم تصميماً متوازناً وحديثاً لخلق مساحة للأفكار المبتكرة للأثاث وأشكال التقنيات المبتكرة. وان صياغة واحة الجمال من الرفاهية حيث يتم تفسير نمط الحياة الكلاسيكية بلطف دون التظاهر. واخيراً لتوفير اللمسات الأخيرة النهائية وضعت   Skate Cosmopolitan Flush Plateحيث تتطابق مع جميع الإطارات والأنظمة الداخلية، ولا سيما  الصنابير المزدوجة من 6 لترات و 3 لترات  التي تساعد المستخدمين على توفير نسبة كبيرة من  المياه. بالإضافة إلى ذلك شملت تجهيزات الحمام خلاطات بذراع تشغيل منفردة من مختلف الارتفاعات وبنسخة جدارية.

يمكن العثور على مجموعات غروهي في عدد من المشاريع الاستثنائية في لبنان بما في ذلك فندق بريستول، برج فيرساتشي، أبراج بلاس على سبيل المثال لا الحصر.

=