AUC AND ALEXANDRIA UNIVERSITY PARTNER IN CONSORTIUM TO LAUNCH CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN WATER

May 8, 2019, Cairo – The American University in Cairo (AUC) and Alexandria University are partnering to establish The Alexandria Water Resilience Center of Excellence, a USAID-funded Center of Excellence in Water. The Alexandria Water Resilience Center of Excellence will focus on three main components: education, research and exchange. This includes graduate and undergraduate courses, workshops and training programs; research grants and scholarship funding for applied research on water; and exchange programs between the U.S. universities and AUC, with more than 350 student participants. The center will focus on catalyzing long-term sustainable change in the sector by improving Egypt’s water resource management and developing effective policies to combat water challenges, aiding the government in its Vision 2030 to achieve sustainable development and improve quality of life.

The partnership between AUC and Alexandria University is within a consortium of four other American universities: Washington State, Utah State, Temple and California, Santa Cruz; four other Egyptian Universities: Aswan, Beni Suef, Zagazig and Ain Shams; a number of U.S. and Egyptian companies; and several public entities in Egypt, including the National Water Research Center, National Research Center, Desert Research Center, and Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute. The projects’ main stakeholders in Egypt are the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

"It is very important for AUC to lead this initiative. It is a golden opportunity to enhance higher education and research on this very important area in Egypt" explained Yasser Elshayeb, professor in the Department of Petroleum and Energy Engineering and chief of party of the Center of Excellence at AUC. "This will exemplify how AUC is an agent of development and positive change, especially because one of the greatest issues Egypt faces right now is water."

The initiative aims to reach more than 500 students, faculty members and researchers, with the goal of long-term sustainability within government systems. The project will take five years to implement. According to Elshayeb, the center will be physically set up by the end of the year.

About Egypt's Centers of Excellence

AUC, Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are the American universities selected to launch three Centers of Excellence in Egypt, fostering research, scholarships and education innovation in water, agriculture and energy. The three centers, worth a total of $90 million, are funded by USAID and will be conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

The Centers of Excellence will increase the capacity of Egypt’s higher education institutions and create public-private research links in agriculture, water and energy. They will also provide solutions to the country’s development challenges by solving local problems and driving innovation.

As Mark Green, administrator for USAID, noted during his inauguration of the three centers in Egypt, “These Centers of Excellence will not only help facilitate solutions to some of Egypt’s most pressing agriculture, energy and water challenges but also position the country to be a regional and global leader in the knowledge economy. Ideas generated through collaboration at these Centers of Excellence may be the spark that ignites the next big technology development, spurring new industries and prosperity all across Egypt."



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Moutai and Guizhou Big Show with Double Themes Stuns East Africa

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, May 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/Knowledge Bylanes -- "Moutai is the best product in China and we all will be the marketing ambassadors of Moutai," said the former Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda of Tanzania on the evening of May 9 of local time, when he attended the large-scale brand culture promotion activity of "Cultural Moutai•Colorful Guizhou" the "Belt and Road Marching into Tanzania" in the Murimani Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam.

At 18:00 on May 9, the activity was officially started in the most important seaport in East Africa; Cultural Moutai and Colorful Guizhou were hand in hand to present the big show with double themes.

Africa is the only mainland where Moutai held twice high-level brand promotion activities in succession in less than two years.

Moutai officially started to expand and develop in Africa in November 2017. At that time, Li Baofang, the secretary of the party committee of Moutai Group, led the team to successfully hold the large-scale brand promotion activity of "Meet Fragrant Cultural Moutai in Africa" in Capetown.

The senior management of Moutai, such as Li Baofang, all showed in different situations that "we need to follow the big picture for the areas along 'the Belt and Road' such as Africa, and we must harvest few years later as long as we insist on."

This travel in East Africa is a crucial brand promotion activity, aiming at the global market held by Moutai this year, after the South Africa promotion activity in April——Colorful Guizhou and Cultural Moutai light the passion under the line with brand-new creativity.

By report, since Moutai Group spent efforts for creation and development, Moutai and the series already covered 11 countries in the African market from zero. 2019 coincides with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tanzania. The appearance of Moutai struck a chord.

"Tanzania is the warmest and softest land in Africa. We learned that there is a Tazara Railway when we were still children, and we also saw the snow in Kilimanjaro and the lion running on the East Africa prairie from TV," Wang Yan, the deputy party secretary of Moutai Group, enthusiastically said. "From distant friends to face-to-face cooperation and common growth, nowadays African mainland is beyond the one-way narrative of Hemingway's time for Moutai people. Beautiful mountains and rivers of Kilimanjaro and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau have never been closer than that in today."

For Moutai's second visit to Africa, Wang Yan clearly showed wishes to deepen Moutai people's efforts here and actively respond to the building of "the Belt and Road," thus bringing more high-quality Chinese products to Africa.

Wang Yan also introduced that with booming tourism, there are also wine and tea and rich natural heritages in Guizhou, the hometown of Moutai, and also the first big data comprehensive experiment zone in China.

Gao Wei, the cultural counsellor of Chinese embassy in Tanzania, highly praised that Moutai chose Tanzania as the core site of second quality promotion in Africa on the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tanzania.

In the party, Yang Jianjun, member of the party committee and deputy general manager of Moutai Group, led all participants in a toast and celebrated meeting fragrant Moutai in Africa again. The elaborate Moutai wine tasting video was played synchronously on the big screen to let the guests know more about Chinese wine culture, and singers from Moutai Art Group performed folk songs and dances, integrating natural instincts of singing and dancing between African and Guizhou natives.

Followed by that, a group of African models wearing cheongsams of different colors, holding classical Moutai, including Aged Moutai, Kweichow Moutai, Five-star Moutai, as well as Chinese Zodiac Moutai, stepped toward the main platform, and the rich product design philosophy of Moutai was amazed.

Nathan Tibaigana, a Moutai fen from Tanzania, tasted Moutai on the scene for the first time, and "lovely," he said in excitement. Comparing the cocktail modulated from Moutai, Nathan Tibaigana preferred drinking Moutai directly, because it is more aromatic and tastes mellower.

Evonik Performance Materials receives Supplier Recognition Award

Evonik Performance Materials has received the SABIC Supplier Recognition Award in recognition of its overall performance and positive contribution for 2018.



The SABIC Supplier Recognition Program honors selected partners who sustainably support the strategy of SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) and achieve the best competitive advantage.



The award shows that the vision "Chemistry4People: Shaping the future of C4Chemistry together with our customers" has become part of the long-standing and trusting cooperation between SABIC and Evonik. While Evonik supplies an important comonomer for polyethylene production, SABIC contributes important raw materials for the C4 compound. This mutual relationship is important for the long-term importance of collaborative cooperation.



The awards ceremony took place in April in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Arnd Schade, Market Segment Manager Rubber & PE Monomers in the Performance Intermediates Business Line, accepted the award in person. "We are very proud to receive this award for our exceptional collaboration with SABIC. This motivates us to continue our strategy. Trust and reliability are important components of our mutual business relationships," said Arnd Schade. "Communication and personal interaction are essential to better position SABIC in its markets". In this case, even across national borders and cultural divides.



“We are creating the future of C4-chemistry together with our customers—and in an intelligent way, by helping customers be more successful in their markets,” added Dr. Dirk Höhler, head of Marketing & Sales in the Performance Intermediates business line. “This is a win-win-situation. The better SABIC positions itself in its markets, the better our long-term business with SABIC will develop.”



Company information

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-oriented innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2018, the enterprise generated sales of €15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.6 billion.



To know more about Evonik Middle East and Africa, please visit https://mea.evonik.com/

Sri Lanka Tourism takes effective actions to overcome the terrorism.

So strong and resilient Sri Lanka.

As Sri Lanka returns to normalcy after the tragic events of Easter Sunday that interrupted a decade of peace and prosperity in the island, Sri Lanka Tourism is illustrating what Sri Lankans are best at - moving forward. With authorities’ strategic operations carried out to contain the situation and the arrest of those responsible Sri Lanka is rapidly returning to normalcy and the industry is readying itself for what was to have been a record mid-season in what would have been a record year of growth for the tourism industry.



“Tourism is a strategically critical sector in Sri Lanka’s ever-expanding economy. It’s now the third highest revenue generator for the country and it is estimated that 500,000 individuals depend on it. From the fishermen, to the farmer to the tuk tuk driver to the king coconut seller on the roadside, they all benefit from the tourism industry. On the flip side, thousands of people are directly employed in the hospitality sector. Therefore, many Sri Lankans from various walks of life are stakeholders of the tourism industry. We have seen darker days but have always bounced back, better and stronger. Our resilience as a nation is unrivalled. This is our strength and we will show the world that Sri Lanka will once again be the top destination to visit,” explains a confident Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs, Hon. John Amaratunga.





Security first.

Ensuring security and safety for everyone in Sri Lanka has been the single focus of the government of Sri Lanka. In the immediate wake of the attack the full force of Sri Lanka’s highly experienced Tri forces were deployed across the island and it is confirmed that all the suspects of this small but deadly cell have been identified and apprehended proving again that the advanced capabilities of our military power must never be underestimated. This was an important message and Sri Lanka Tourism was committed to ensuring that the entire Tourism community both at home and across the world were able to hear it. To this end a joint industry press conference was organized on the 6th of May and a full security update was provided by a military spokesperson along with updates by Kishu Gomes Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism and the Presidents of the key industry bodies THASL and SLAITO.



Sri Lanka Tourism chairman led the panel and briefed the different stakeholders on the following;
Sri Lanka Tourism’s Emergency response protocol deployment
Information access & dissemination
New safety and security procedures that focus on training people, defining procedure and installing advanced security equipment
Crisis management process & procurement of services
Destination recovery acceleration through focussed and strategic marketing
Aggressive promotion strategies
Discussions on concessions and relief packages for the industry



As all Sri Lankans are reassured by the expert skills of our military forces in keeping the island safe from any future threat, so will Sri Lanka Tourism re-inspire confidence in what is Lonely Planet’s destination of the year 2019. ‘This is a journey governed by focus, clarity, maturity, experience and expertise’ asserts Gomes



Ensuring convenience and comfort amidst new security procedures

The Airport has been a primary focus in the government’s efforts to ensure complete control of the security of the island and we are grateful to Sri Lankans and visitors alike for understanding that these unprecedented incidents have resulted in some inconveniences at the Airport especially with respect to pick up and drop off. Sri Lanka Tourism is working with the Air Force and Airport authorities to minimize the inconvenience caused by these improved security procedures. In order to provide a more user-friendly and efficient experience during arrivals, the coach park at the Bandaranayke International Airport (BIA) is now open to permit holders, with 24hr prior confirmation to airport authorities. The terminal car park is now opened to park and pick passengers, with only the limitation of restrictions to the arrival lobby. A Shuttle service is still in operation to ensure convenient travel to the remote car park and a new road has been especially constructed to pick passengers at the arrival terminal. These improvements will reflect well given that Airport arrivals data indicates that we are welcoming an average of 1500-1800 daily arrivals since April 21st.



Onward and upward.



Echoing again the promise it made nearly three weeks ago, Sri Lanka Tourism will not be beaten, and we will not let down the millions of Sri Lankans that depend on the industry for their daily living. This message was delivered loud and clear at ATM 2 weeks ago and reaffirmed at 5th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in San Sabastian soon after.



We welcomed the President of the UFTAA’s (United Federation of Travel Agents Association and his arrival has inspired renewed confidence in the destination. This visit comes in relation to the organization’s planned mid-year meeting set to take place in Sri Lanka this year, where representatives from over 25 countries will attend.



In 2019, 34 road shows have been planned out of which 4 already completed. Sri Lanka Tourism will as custodians of the industry move forward with the other 30 as planned.

In addition to the road shows, Sri Lanka Tourism will lead the destination marketing efforts in 62 travel fairs around the world. It has already successfully positioned Sri Lanka as the world’s premier holiday destination in 38 fairs to date and will continue to do so with renewed vigor at the balance 24 fairs scheduled in the months ahead.



While international exposure for Sri Lanka is vital it is just one strategic pillar in the destination marketing strategy. Sponsorships and pre-planned event schedules will also move forward; as such the World Surfing League will still be held in June this year, bringing in a myriad of professional surfers from all around the world. The Amateaur Golf World Cup, set for the latter half of 2019, set to bring in participants mainly from Europe and Asia, expects to impact over 1 million golf-lovers around the world and establish Sri Lanka as a golfing destination. West Asia Baseball cup 2019 is another sporting activity year-marked for July 2019. Over 600 foreign participants and their families are expected predominantly from South Asia. Moreover, given Sri Lanka’s importance as a cultural destination, the Kandy Esala Perehera planned for August is expected to bring in travelers who seek out the historic and cultural aspects of the island’s travel experience. The 71st AIESCC International congress is also to be held in Colombo from 5th – 13th July where a large number of members are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka.



We have developed a number of ways in which to help the global tourism community, industry stakeholders and global travelers alike understand that the vast majority of the island was unaffected by the attacks of Easter Sunday and that while everyone is deeply shocked by the senseless tragedy and reassured by the heightened security presence, life on the island is as it always has been; warm, generous and deeply rooted in compassion.

One such initiative was a special program aimed at foreign travel journalists; five journalists from reputable media houses in Ukraine, Malaysia and Italy visited Kandy, Colombo and the Southern Part of Sri Lanka. Similarly, Sri Lanka Tourism has moved rapidly to ensure that Sri Lanka’s ground situation is readily accessible to those planning their itinerary, as current portals may not always carry specific information that tourists may be looking for, given the surplus of incident-specific news in the last few days. In this regard, apart from the planned portal, Sri Lanka Tourism is currently hosting a number of international travel bloggers in the island with reach in over 15 countries around the globe & a combined following of over 1.5 million. The bloggers who plan to do a one-week stay in Sri Lanka, are currently traveling through the island’s most popular destinations to give their audiences a real-time look at what traveling through the greater part of Sri Lanka looks like right now. ‘There’s so much of Sri Lanka to see, experience, and enjoy. It’s unfortunate if that gets overshadowed by these isolated events says blogger Jerre Stead from USA. This being a sentiment that is voiced by a number of tourists still flying in to the island. The bloggers toured Jaffna, Dambulla, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya before arriving in Negombo and itinerary specially designed by Sri Lanka Tourism aimed to better educate and promote lesser known attractions throughout the island. the social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram have been used by both groups extensively and in a extremely positive light to share what they experienced during their time in Sri Lanka.



In addition to bloggers coming into the island, Sri Lanka is set to participate at the international blogger conference in Italy in early June. The platform will provide maximum exposure to illustrate the Island’s experience and plans, as well as garner support to strengthen the island’s travel campaign for the coming months. It is expected that over 400 bloggers predominantly from the UK and other European countries would attend.



Global expertise and strategic recovery plans

Sri Lanka Tourism is focused on laying the right ground work for rapid recovery and is working with a team of senior international experts in destination reputation management & crisis recovery, this team have successfully worked to mitigate risk for Egypt Tourism, Lufthansa Germanwings among other famous brands. The phased out strategic plan includes 1) Channel management & rapid rebuttal 2) Scenario mapping & planning 3) Customized recovery strategies for key source markets based on global consumer research



‘We have already taken all possible steps to demonstrate that Sri Lanka’s response to the incident is effective and credible. We are now aggressively planning to reassure the world of our levels of preparedness and setting the groundwork for future reputational recovery work by reassuring tourists that all appropriate steps are being taken by the Sri Lankan Government to prevent any future incidents and ensure the continued safety of tourists within the country. As we do this we are developing a holistic reputation recovery plan based on data and research for each of the key markets, this will be followed by an intensive global marketing campaign to further accelerate the recovery process’ said Kishu Gomes Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panasonic reaffirms customer-centric strategy with 10th Regional Technical Olympics, annual CS Management Conference

Dubai, United Arab Emirates


Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa (PMMAF) continues to build on its customer-centric philosophy with the recent staging in Dubai of the 10th Regional Technical Olympics, a repair skills contest designed to improve the competencies of service technicians representing Panasonic’s Middle East Service Partner Companies.




Along with the skill-building initiative, the Japanese manufacturer also held the Customer Service Strategy Conference 2019, further highlighting the company’s strong commitment to a 'customer first' strategy.




Ryuji Nakatani, Director – Customer Service, PMMAF, said “Panasonic consistently aims to identify and realize our customers' needs not only by offering high-quality innovative products but by extending unmatched customer experience up until the delivery of excellent after-sales service through highly-skilled technicians and good customer service. These initiatives cumulatively allow us to create greater value for our customers. We at Panasonic will continue to invest in capability-building for our employees and partner engineers to ensure that we stay on top of the latest innovations”




The Technical Olympics involved four product categories – air conditioners, LED television, microwave ovens and door phones – and required participating repair service engineers from across the region to assess and repair the products to their optimal operating levels. In addition to completing the contest’s technical tasks, the participants also took the test for ‘Customer Care Manners During Home Service’ to further evaluate their customer care skills. A panel of judges, comprised of senior members from Panasonic’s Customer Service Department, was on hand to pick and hand out awards to the technicians who demonstrated the highest level of repair skills and competencies.




The Conference, meanwhile, saw participants from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Pakistan and Nigeria discussing customer service target and action plan for this year. Delegates from the Japan headquarters, as well as representatives from the CS Planning Office, Quality Environment Headquarters, Appliances Company, and Life Solutions Company, were on hand to lend support to the event.




The Conference concluded identifying ‘Enhancing CS Excellence’, ‘Action for Customer Wants’ and ‘APP for Premium Service’ as the key strategies for customer service this year.