92-Year-Old School to Become Sustainable Learning Centre After QFF Announces New Project

25 May, Doha – A 92-year-old abandoned wooden Japanese school is set to be transformed into a modern sustainable learning centre for children, initially in Japan but eventually worldwide, after the Qatar Friendship Fund (QFF) announced its support for an innovative project in Ishinomaki Ogatsu, Miyagi Prefecture. The ‘MORIUMIUS-LUSAIL’ centre, which was introduced at a signing ceremony held on 13 February 2015, takes its name from the historically significant Qatari city of Lusail, and will be managed by sweet treat 311, a Japanese public interest incorporation initially set up to provide sweets and food to the worst affected areas in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.  The school was originally built in 1923, and its restoration is symbolic of regeneration in Lusail. Home to the Lusail Fort, the city will be at the center of the 2022 Qatar World Cup as the Lusail Stadium will host both the tournament’s opening and final matches. As part of the agreement, QFF will provide a JPY500 million grant in support of the renovation of the school’s external structure, classrooms, and staff rooms at the old Kuwahama elementary school in Ishinomaki Ogatsu. The new-look centre is set to open in the summer. Following its refurbishment, the ethos of the centre will focus on the ‘stay, eat, experience’ concept and aim to serve the development needs 4,000+ children expected to use the facilities in the first year. In line with this theme, the classrooms and staff room are to be turned into eating, sleeping, and learning spaces. The project’s proponents have further expressed a desire for the centre to open its doors to children from throughout Japan – and indeed the world. Together, they hope that local children as well as the broader community will benefit greatly from communicating with and being exposed to international visitors. Speaking at a signing ceremony in which he was joined by sweet treat 311 Director, Mr. Gentaro Yui, Qatar’s Ambassador to Japan, His Excellency Youssef Bilal said: “This project will seek to build on your experiences here in Ogatsu. I hope that through this partnership, the local community can increase its interactions with not only Japan, but also the world. Our new agreement with sweet treat 311 is born out of our shared desire to build a brighter future, but while four years have passed since the earthquake happened, we must also ensure that we do not forget the tragedy. Our efforts must reflect your legacy.” Mr. Yui also took the opportunity to comment on the agreement: "For the children of Ogatsu, this project is an opportunity to send a message to the world, that the children of Ogatsu are growing up side by side. We hope to inspire the region to come together for the benefit of those areas affected by the earthquake, but also as a model case of Japanese resilience and determination. We also hope to promote the region to others around the world and extend an invitation for them to come and visit us,” he said. Reflecting the thematic focus of QFF, the core learning programme of the centre will feature training in critical areas such as fisheries. Other educational and vocational offerings will include manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, cooking and IT. The local economy and job markets are other benefactors, with classes set to source materials from local businesses. Five full-time jobs will be created with a further 20 part-time opportunities initially.

8 Women Recognized for UAE’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Achievements

Photo Caption: 2015 Graduating Class of Shamsa bint Mohamed Al Nahyan Fellowship

Abu Dhabi, 25 May 2015: Last week, the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation applauded the graduating class of 2013-2015 Shamsa bint Mohamed Al Nahyan Fellowship in ECD.

The Fellows displayed their project achievements and development in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi, during their Recognition Ceremony. The fellows then were awarded certificates for their diligence to advance and further the importance of early learning in young children.

Understanding the 0-3 years is a crucial period in human development cycle for cognitive, physical, behavioral and learning development, the goal of the Fellowship is to support the professional development of emerging leaders who work with or on behalf of young children in the UAE.

Asia’s largest banking forum to add another milestone to the Islamic banking industry

A powerful lineup of high-profile speakers to spur discussions on forging the next phase of Islamic finance

Singapore, 20 May 2015: More than 500 leading industry players, thought leaders and key regulators from the global Islamic finance community will be gathering from the 2nd to the 4th of June 2015 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore for the 6th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference: Asia Summit (WIBC Asia 2015).

WIBC Asia 2015 will be hosted under the official support of the Monetary Authority Singapore (MAS) and has teamed up with a leading news provider in the Arab world, Al Arabiya that will cover the flagship event as the Exclusive Media Partner. The forum will set the stage for high-level discussions that focus on exploring new growth areas in Islamic financing and forging stronger economic linkages between Asia and the Middle East. The strategic relationship between WIBC Asia and MAS has now successfully positioned the 6th Annual WIBC Asia as the leading annual platform for tapping into exciting growth prospects for Islamic finance in the growth markets of Asia and Middle East.

As an added feature, Thomson Reuters has chosen WIBC Asia as the platform to launch its renowned Global Islamic Asset Management Report. The Report will provide an analysis of the recent developments in the Islamic funds industry and where the growth opportunities lie.

Speaking ahead of the event, Toby O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Islamic Bank of Asia stated, “Key markets in Asia and the Middle East are witnessing rapid economic growth and expansion, which in turn brings the need for responsive investment banking and capital markets to appeal to a broader universe of investors, not only Muslims.”

A past partner of WIBC Asia, O’Connor reaffirmed the pivotal role of WIBC Asia: “The World Islamic Banking Conference: Asia Summit has over the last 6 years established itself as a combined platform for bringing together industry leaders from key regions to share their knowledge and experience to provide new insights into how Islamic finance can make the most out of exciting new cross-border opportunities”.

In addition to the large-scale international participation and high-profile keynote speakers, a pre-conference briefing on the 2ndof June will be facilitated by the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM). This session will be led by the organization’s CEO, Ijlal Alvi, together with key members of the IIFM Board and leading industry players and will provide new insights into the technical framework to boost the industry’s international growth.

During the Conference itself, a key highlight is a special CEO Power Debate on growth opportunities in Asia, bringing together top minds from preeminent global Islamic financial institutions. This session will be chaired by Mustafa Adil, Head of Research & Product Development – Islamic Finance from Thomson Reuters and will include high profile speakers from Standard Chartered Saadiq, CIMB Islamic, Arabesque Asset Management, OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad and the Islamic Bank of Asia Limited.

This year the key sponsors for WIBC Asia include Monetary Authority of Singapore, Islamic Bank of Asia, CIMB Islamic, Bursa Malaysia, Eiger, Thomson Reuters, Zawya Islamic, DDCAP, Moody's Investors Services, among others.

WIBC Asia will take place on the 3rd and 4th of June at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore.

Too Much Time Watching TV Or Playing Computer Games Can Hamper Under-Fives Development, Says UAE’s Ebdaah

Dubai Conference To Show How To Develop Toddler’s Social Skills and Avoid Conflict

Dubai, UAE May 25 2015: One of the UK’s top  educational psychologists and the consultant psychologist at Dubai-based specialist training and capacity building consultancy, Ebdaah, says the time children under five spend watching television or playing computer games should be kept to a minimum to help them develop social skills.

Dr Madeleine Portwood, the spokesperson for the British Psychological Society on Child Development, says too much TV and computer games stop children being active and developing physical skills, reduces the time they engage in imaginative play, reinforces stereotypical and inappropriate behaviour and restricted language abilities.

“Only through books and social interactions can a child be immersed in rich and descriptive language.  In short, more books, more time together and less time with the TV,” she advises.

Dr Madeleine was speaking ahead of her one-day conference - Help Children Reach Their Potential: Accelerating Child Development In The Early Years - being held in Dubai’s Knowledge Village Conference Centre on June 13.

During the conference, Dr Madeleine will outline how her proprietary Child Development Programme (CDP) can assist under-fives on the path to improved social behaviour, motor and communication skills.

UK studies have shown how, on average youngsters on the programme, which is validated as evidence-based by the UK’s Department of Education, made 13 months progress in just six months.

“Young children develop differently but if we can optimise chances and learning, then all children can benefit.  A child may have potential that isn’t being realised, so it is important to provide opportunities that will enable that to develop.  Why should we leave them to their own devices and say, ‘Let’s see if it’s going to come naturally?”

Dr Madeleine said children between three and four live in an almost completely visual world where experiences can have little meaning and rob them of any stored visual reminders leaving them struggling to answer questions even about recent happenings. This can lead to disruptive behaviour.

“They are unable to reason, and struggle to understand when there is too much choice or things don’t go their way.  The result is a tantrum, which doesn’t mean the parents are bad, it’s simply a developmental stage!”

Parents, said Dr Madeleine, are fundamental in helping children acquire a better understanding of how others think and feel, which helps the youngsters’ negotiating skills to develop.  

“It helps to provide limited choices,” she explained.  “Don’t say to your child, ‘What would you like to wear?’  The chances of ending up with a tantrum if your opinion differs from theirs is very high.  Instead say, ‘Do you want to wear the red or the blue trainers?’.  You are still giving a choice but one that is restricted.  The child has an opportunity to practise making choices where the outcome doesn’t matter.”

Another area of potential conflict, particularly if there are other children involved is: who goes first?

“The CDP helps parents train a child to understand the importance of turn-taking in a way that doesn’t lead to anger and screaming.  They need to begin to become more aware of their own behaviour and to regulate their emotions and frustrations when things don’t always go their way. They can learn to accept compromise without showing anger or aggression.  They can learn that it is ok to feel emotions such as angry, sad, frightened or excited, but know how to regulate their responses and develop ‘emotional intelligence’.”

Watching children at play, says Dr Madeleine, can identified their social skill level. The solitary child plays alone oblivious of other children. The parallel child plays next to another, and in a similar way the co-operative toddler will play with other children in a common scenario and take turns.

The social skills guidelines are part of Dr Madeleine’s CDP which allows pre-school teachers and parents to fast track the movement, thinking, language, communications and social skills of early years’ children.

The conference comes in the wake of UK evidence which shows that some pre-school children are lagging behind in the development stakes often because of a lack of specialised opportunity and activities. While in Dubai, Dr Madeleine will share with pre-school teachers and healthcare specialists how to measure and track children’s skills to their full potential. 

مؤتمر دبي يظهر أهمية تنمية المهارات الإجتماعية عند الأطفال

التلفاز والالعاب الالكترونية العدو الاول للأطفال دون سن الـ 5

دبي، الامارات العربية المتحدة،25 مايو 2015: إحدى اهم علماء النفس التربوي في المملكة المتحدة ومستشارة علم النفس التربوي  في شركة "إبداع"  التي تتخذ من دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة مقرا لها، وهي شركة استشارات وتدريب متخصصة في بناء القدرات، افادت ان على الاطفال دون سن الخامسة ان يقضوا الحد الادنى من الوقت في مشاهدة التلفيزيون او اللعب على جهاز الكمبيوتر وذلك  لمساعدتهم على تطوير المهارات الاجتماعية.

وافادت الدكتور مادلين بورتوود، الناطقة بإسم جمعية علم النفس البريطانية لتنمية الطفل، ان مشاهدة الكثير من التلفزيون والعاب الكمبيوتر توقف تطوير المهارات البدنية والنشاط عند الأطفال، وتقلل من وقت الإنخراط في اللعب التخيلي، ويعزز السلوك الغير مناسب ويقيد القدرات اللغوية.

ونصحت الدكتورة بورتوود قائلة، "يمكن للطفل ان يتقن لغة غنية وصافية فقط من خلال الكتب والانسجام الاجتماعي. وباختصارمفيد، ان قراءة المزيد من الكتب وتمضية وقت منتج مع الاطفال والابتعاد عن التلفاز والالكترونيات هو الاساس لبناء مجتمع سليم".

وادلت الدكتورة مادلين بحديث مسبقاً عن المؤتمر الذي سيعقد ليوم واحد في مركز مؤتمرات مدينة دبي للمعرفة في 13 يونيو/حزيران والذي  سيتمحور حول- مساعدة الأطفال للوصول لإمكاناتهم: تسريع تنمية الطفل في سنواته الأولى - وخلال المؤتمر سوف تشرح الدكتورة مادلين عن مدى اهمية برنامجها "برنامج تطوير الطفل" في مساعدة الأطفال دون سن الـ5 على طريق تحسين السلوك الاجتماعي والحركة والتفكير ومهارات الاتصال. وقد أظهرت الدراسات في المملكة المتحدة والتي تم التحقق من صحتها من خلال وزارة التعليم هناك على ان 6 أشهر من البرنامج أظهرت نجاحاً متقدم يعادل  13 شهرا.

"يختلف الأطفال الصغار من خلال النمو والتطوير، ولكن اذا كنا نستطيع تحسين الفرص والتعلم، ستعم الاستفادة على كل الاطفال.

قد يكون لدى الطفل الإمكانيات التي لم تستغل حتي الآن، ولذلك فمن المهم توفير الفرص التي ستظهر تلك التطوير.

لماذا نتركهم وشأنهم ونقول: "دعونا نراههم على طبيعتهم" ؟

وأضافت الدكتور مادلين ان الأطفال الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين ثلاثة وأربع اعوام يعيشون في عالم "البصرية" حيث إن الخبرات والتجارب لها المعنى الاقل.

وأوضحت "انهم غير قادرين على معرفة السبب، ويواجهون الكثير من الصعوبات من أجل فهم المسببات وخاصة عند وجود الكثير من الاختيارات التي لا تتماشى معهم والنتيجة هي نوبة غضب، وعلينا فهم انها مجرد مرحلة تنموية".!

واكدت الدكتورة مادلين ان أولياء الأمور هم الاساس في مساعدة الأطفال على فهم أفضل لشعور وتفكير الآخرين، والتي بدورها تساعد الشباب على تطوير مهارات التفاوض فيما بعد.

كما استطردت قائلة، "ان الخيارات المحددة قد تبعدك عن الخلاف مع الطفل. "لا تقول لطفلك:" ماذا تريد أن ترتدي؟ " ولكن اسأله، "هل تريد لبس القميص الاحمر أو الأزرق؟" في هذه الحال أنت لا تزال تعطي خيارا ولكن ضمن ضوابط. ان الطفل لديه فرصة لاتخاذ الخيارات والقرارات حيث لا يهم النتيجة".

ونجد صراعات محتملة عندما يأتي الامر الى طفلين وأيهما يبتدي او يذهب اولاً.

ويساعد "برنامج تطوير الطفل" الآباء على تدريب الطفل على فهم أهمية أخذ دوره بطريقة لا تؤدي إلى نوبة الغضب والصراخ. إنهم بحاجة ليكونوا أكثر وعيا في سلوكهم وتنظيم عواطفهم والإحباط عندما لا تسير الأمور حسب مبتغاهم. ويمكن أن يتعلموا قبول الحلول الوسط دون ظهور الغضب أو العنف. ويمكن أن يتعلموا أيضاً ان الغضب والحزن والخوف او الحماس ليست الا شعور، ولكن علينا معرفة كيفية تنظيم ردودهم وتطوير "الذكاء العاطفي".

وتضيف الدكتورة مادلين بأن مراقبة الأطفال في اللعب يساعد في تحديد مستوى مهاراتهم الاجتماعية. الطفل الانعزالي يلعب وحده بعيداً عن الآخرين. ونجد طفلاً يلعب مع قرينه الآخر، وبنفس الوقت نرى طفلاً متعاوناً يلعب مع اطفال اخرين في سيناريو مشترك ومتناوب.

المبادئ التوجيهية والمهارات الاجتماعية هي جزء من برنامج تطوير الطفل للدكتور مادلين الذي يسمح لمعلمي الحضانات والرياض وأولياء الأمور في تتبع الحركة والتفكير واللغة والاتصالات والمهارات الاجتماعية للأطفال في السنوات الأولى من عمرهم.

ويأتي هذا المؤتمر في أعقاب الأدلة من المملكة المتحدة التي تبين أن بعض الأطفال قبل سن المدرسة لا يزالوا متخلفين في حصص التنمية في كثير من الأحيان بسبب عدم وجود الفرص والأنشطة المتخصصة لهم.

ستقوم الكتورة بورتوود أثناء وجودها في دبي، بمشاركتها مع معلمين الحضانات والرياض والمتخصصين في الرعاية الصحية كيفية قياس

AUC ONLY COLLEGE NAMED OUTSIDE US, CANADA IN THE PRINCETON REVIEW’S 2015 GREEN COLLEGES GUIDE

May 21, 2015, Cairo – The American University in Cairo (AUC) is the only higher education institution outside of North America to be named to The Princeton Review’s 2015 Green Colleges Guide, which highlights the “most environmentally responsible ‘green’ colleges.” AUC is one of 353 colleges listed, where 347 are in the United States and five universities are in Canada.

Universities listed in the guide have demonstrated, according to The Princeton Review, the “most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives and activities.”

"In less than four years, we've gone from having no institutional sustainability capacity to speak of, to being listed in the prestigious Princeton Review's Green Colleges Guide. That pretty much speaks for itself," said AUC's Sustainability Director Marc Rauch.

For AUC, the “green facts” listed in the guide include having, bicycle plan, free or reduced price transit passes and/or free campus shuttle, telecommute program for employees, carpool/vanpool matching program, reduced parking fees for car and van poolers, 71% of food budget spent on local/organic food, formal, sustainability committee, 75% waste diversion rate, 3% of graduates required to take sustainability-related courses, public greenhouse gas inventory plan and a sustainability officer.

The Princeton Review selected the colleges listed in the 2015 guide based on a review of more than 2,000 colleges. It used data from its 2013 - 2014 survey of school administrators in 861 colleges, whereby it calculated a Green Rating score (from 60 to 99) based on information about the school’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. Universities or colleges with a Green Rating score of 83 or higher were included in the guide. 

AUC is also the first higher education institution in the Middle East and North Africa to calculate its own carbon footprint, the annual total of carbon dioxide and other significant greenhouse emissions emitted into the atmosphere as a result of daily activities and campus operations at AUC New Cairo. AUC has been releasing its annual carbon footprint report since 2012. This year, the report –– for the first time –– highlighted three-year trends. “By measuring the total greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as a result of our daily activities and campus operations, we understand the impact of these activities on global warming and we see the big picture of how we use scarce resources such as natural gas, electricity and water,” said Rauch. 

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