Tuesday 12 February 2013
Inter fined for fans" racist chants about Balotelli
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Mark Carney, who will soon become the head of the central bank in football-mad Britain, revealed on Tuesday he is a supporter of English Premier League football club Everton. Carney, currently governor of the Bank of Canada, disclosed his allegiance to the club – known as the Toffees – when asked at a Canadian parliamentary committee whether he followed traditional heavyweights Manchester United or Chelsea. Everton, based in the northwest city of Liverpool, is sixth in the Premier …
Inter fined for fans" racist chants about Balotelli
Clan associations have crucial role in community bonding: President Tony Tan
Clan associations have crucial role in community bonding: President Tony Tan
By Imelda Saad / S Ramesh |
Posted: 12 February 2013 1719 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam has spoken about the important role clan associations in Singapore play in community bonding and nation building.
In a speech at the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) – Business China Spring Reception, Dr Tan said together with new immigrant associations, clan groups can build and sustain a “uniquely Singapore Chinese identity”.
He illustrated how in the early years, clan associations helped immigrants to secure accommodation and employment. This enabled the newcomers to gradually become rooted to what was once a foreign land, said Dr Tan.
As immigrants arrived here in greater numbers, he also noted how clan associations then began to run schools and hospitals.
“In the pre-war years, clan-based philanthropy became the predominant provider of social services and welfare. Beyond these key public services, clan associations were also committed to the preservation of Chinese heritage and promotion of Chinese culture,” said Dr Tan.
Dr Tan said Singapore’s clan associations have displayed the ability to recognise pressing needs of the Chinese community and stay relevant in changing times.
Today, he said, the promotion of Chinese culture and heritage should remain a priority for such associations. He added it is important to engage younger generations, to ensure rejuvenation and continuity of traditions.
Dr Tan said that clan-run schools are well-known for their emphasis on values-based education and character development, which sets a strong foundation for building a gracious society.
He said: “Clan-run schools are well-known for their emphasis on values-based education and character development. These virtues are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and set a strong foundation for building a gracious society.”
The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations is already looking into the challenges that will come with the projections spelt out in the Population White Paper.
In his speech, the SFCCA president, Chua Thian Poh, said the sustained population growth in Singapore may pose further integration and assimilation issues.
He said: “On the integration part, we have to worry very hard (on how) to bring in the new immigration into our local society.
“As a clan federation, we have been organising the new events to integrate immigrants into our local society. We’ve also organised local knowledge competitions for new immigrants, and we have organised sharing sessions about the local Chinese community with the new immigrants.”
Mr Chua also revealed that the location of the proposed Chinese Cultural Centre, which was mooted on 2012, has been confirmed.
If all goes well, he said the building will be ready in about four to five years’ time.
Mr Chua said he believes this will be a social and cultural project with significance.
Currently, there are about 200 Chinese clan associations in Singapore.
-CNA/ac
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Clan associations have crucial role in community bonding: President Tony Tan
Sunday 10 February 2013
Shopping for digital data in Singapore
Singapore is seen as a test-bed for consumer research
Imagine walking past a shirt shop with two friends and glancing at the garments in the window. Suddenly your mobile phone pings with a message. Buy two shirts from the shop, runs the text, and you will receive a 20 per cent discount; buy three and the discount will be 30 per cent.
This kind of personalised promotion is the bread and butter of a consumer initiative called LiveLab, now hitting the streets in Singapore and the brainchild of professors at Singapore Management University. The country’s consumers are invited to opt into the service using their mobile phones in three locations – Orchard Road, Singapore’s most famous shopping street, Changi airport and Sentosa island, home to visitor attractions such as Universal Studios.
Combining personal data with location is key, says Steven Miller, dean of the school of information systems and vice-provost for research at SMU.
“It is something they [consumers] will find helpful in that context. It’s going from location-aware to context-aware. That’s where a lot of the smarts are.”
Meanwhile, a few miles across town, Columbia Business School marketing professor Bernd Schmitt is working with another Singapore business school, at Nanyang Technological University. He has set up the Institute of Asian Consumer Insight, which is spearheading both academic and corporate consumer research.
One of the latest pieces of research from the institute is trying to understand how people shop. “It’s about how values are changing in Asia and how that affects behaviour,” says Prof Schmitt.
His decision temporarily to swap New York for Singapore has been spurred by a real corporate thirst for information on Asian consumers. Academic research has traditionally compared behaviour across continents, between North America, Europe and Asia, he says.
Case study
Nanyang’s Institute of Asian Consumer Insight has attracted the attention of one large consumer goods company, Unilever, which commissioned research on the changing concepts of Asian beauty. The FT put some questions to Unilever.
What was the challenge?
Unilever already sells well-known brands such as Fair and Lovely in India, Pepsodent in Indonesia and Omo in Vietnam. The challenge for the company now is to understand the fast-evolving consumer market better.
Why was this important for the company?
It would be a misnomer to think of Asia as a unitary entity because from a demographic, societal, affluence or lifestyle perspective there are a multiplicity of smaller, distinct “Asias”.
Were the results predictable or unexpected?
There were many additions to Unilever’s knowledge and some surprises as a result of the work.
Did the research use Unilever data?
No. Unilever wanted the ACI team to start with a clean slate.
How much did the research cost?
Confidential.
Is there more work to do?
Unilever is working on a number of projects for 2013 with ACI.
“That is just not enough any more. Companies are interested in specific markets. We need comparative studies. There is almost nothing [in this field].”
These days, he stresses, there is a real sense that Asia is where the action is. “The engine of the world economy for the next few decades will be Asia,” he says. “It will not be America. It will not be Europe.”
It is no coincidence that both these consumer initiatives have been established in Singapore, which is exercising a real pull for business researchers. It is a discrete multicultural urban centre with high-quality infrastructure and as such it can act as a test bed for consumer research, says Prof Schmitt. “It is great for preliminary findings that you can go out and test in other markets.”
It is also located between India and China, with strong links to both, as well as strong relationships with Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines
But perhaps the biggest draw is the cash. “I could not do this in the US any more,” says Prof Schmitt. “They just don’t have the money.”
Key to the establishment of both the NTU and SMU experiments has been the financial support of the Singapore government. Nanyang’s Institute on Asian Consumer Insight is jointly funded to the tune of S$77m (US$62m) over five years by the Singapore Economic Development Board and NTU. Meanwhile, Singapore’s National Research Foundation, through its Interactive Digital Media Programme, has invested S$9.94m over five years in SMU’s LiveLabs, subject to further funds being raised from industry.
The Singapore government is also investing a further S$26m in a separate research project at SMU, the Living Analytics Research Centre (Larc) which is run jointly with Carnegie Mellon University. It has been set up to develop Singapore as one of the world’s leaders in “live” data. This will enable researchers to observe how large numbers of users behave by observing their digital traces – from mobile phones, for example. They will be able to see how behaviour evolves over time or how people react in certain situations.
Following huge investments in communications and education by the Singapore government – business schools Insead, Essec and Chicago Booth have campuses there, for example – information is the next stage of the government’s long-term strategic plan, says Prof Schmitt.
“I think it is a smart way to invest in intellectual services.”
For Prof Miller, the two projects at SMU put the fledgling university in the big league.
“We’re not aware of anyone in the world that is doing things on this scale,” he says. “We’re building a larger ecosystem than anyone else.” And he dismisses any concerns about data privacy. The data protection laws on the use of personal information are as strong in Singapore as they are in the US, he says.
At the heart of the ACI’s research will be the development of traditional analytical tools but also those relating to ethnography to help companies better differentiate between consumers.
This will use big data sets using data from large corporations, such as telecoms companies and banks, as well as data collected by researchers.
“Big data sets will allow us to find out how specific markets behave,” says Prof Schmitt.
He is not stopping there. The next subject for research at ACI will be the Asian home – how Asians live, from what their home decorations are like to what kitchen utensils they buy, for example.
“The future Asian home will look like a western home [from the outside],” he believes.
“But will there be Asian elements? Will there be fusion? Or will there be a distinct Chinese or Indian style?”
Shopping for digital data in Singapore
Singapore Food Promotion in Japan back by popular demand - eTravelBlackboard
Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore is once again partnering with Royal Park Hotel, Japan, in a joint Singapore Food Promotion to bring back authentic Singaporean cuisine in Japan, from 20 February to 31 March 2013.
Driven by the success of last year’s cross cultural exchange brought together by Summit Hotels and Resorts™, a brand of Preferred Hotel Group™, both hotels are all set to renew their collaboration this year. During the previous promotion, Japanese guests have given a thumbs up for the Singaporean flavours while Singaporeans living in Tokyo have expressed that they have enjoyed the tastes of home.
Chef Kelvin Ho and Chef Alf Lee will be bringing the different flavours of Singaporean cuisine to the table this year with a variety of local favourites to present yet another refreshing gastronomic experience.
“The partnership presents a great opportunity for us to learn from our Japanese counterpart and deepen our understanding of each other’s culture. Culinary art serves as a platform to foster stronger ties between the two countries in this joint partnership. It was heartening to see the chefs break through the language barrier and bond over their common passion for food,” said Abraham Tan, Culinary Executive Chef of Royal Plaza on Scotts’ award-winning buffet restaurant, Carousel.
Guests can look forward to indulge in menu highlights such as the famous chilli crab, Hainanese chicken rice, nasi lemak, satay, sweet and sour fish and laksa. Enticing desserts such as muah chee, chilled poached pears with white fungus and red dates as well as steamed yam paste with gingko nuts can be enjoyed during the promotion.
Singapore’s local delights can be sampled throughout the joint Singapore Food Promotion during the dinner buffet from 5.30pm to 9pm daily. The promotion is available at ¥5,250 per person for adults, ¥4,725 per person for senior citizens (above 65 years old) and ¥3,150 per person for children (between 4 to 12 years old).
Singapore Food Promotion in Japan back by popular demand - eTravelBlackboard