Day: June 27, 2024

ABU DHABI: Under the directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (The Mother of the Nation), Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the 18th UAE-Japan Friendship Committee for Women (FCW) forum with the theme A Sustainable Future: Integrating Technology and Diversity was held in Abu Dhabi.

The forum focused on empowering women to contribute to a sustainable energy sector, while encouraging aspiring female leaders to pursue energy-related education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The forum also highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration, best practices and policies that support women’s empowerment in the energy sector.

The event gathered distinguished attendees, including Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State and FCW Chairwoman; Tsuyoshi Nakai, CEO of the Japan Cooperation Centre for Petroleum (JCCP);
Yasser Al Mazrouie, ADNOC Executive Director of People, Commercial and Corporate Support; and Fatema Al Nuaimi, ADNOC Executive Vice President of Downstream Business Management.

Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi conveyed the greetings of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, and stressed Her Highness’ support for the committee, and her strong desire to review the results of the workshops and the progress made towards their stated goals. She also emphasised H.H. Sheikha Fatima’s dedication to advancing the role of women in leadership, supervisory and executive positions, enhancing cooperation and partnership between the UAE and Japan, and supporting women’s capabilities and development in both countries.

Dr. Al Shamsi said, ‘With the acceleration of scientific and technological progress, and developments in collaborative areas within the energy sector, sustainability has become a common concern for all countries, whether exporters or consumers. Women form an important part of the workforces that oil and gas companies seek to
attract. Supporting these women through training, providing advanced technological practices, offering guidance programmes and developing their leadership skills are essential steps toward creating an inclusive work environment that provides equal opportunities for all employees.’

Workshops and discussions were held around best practices and policies to support women’s well-being. Attendees explored topics such as technology, wellbeing and sustainability, underscoring women’s pivotal role in leading the transition towards a more sustainable energy sector.

Tsuyoshi Nakai said, ‘The 18th forum underscored the importance of promoting inclusive practices to empower women in the energy sector. The FCW enabled us to develop our mutual effort to overcome the challenges that face women in the industry and will continue to strengthen bilateral strategic ties between the UAE and Japan; unlock women’s potential and help further their development.’

The forum also celebrated diversity and inclusion, while encouraging c
ross-sector collaboration to better understand and address challenges faced by women in the energy sector. The FCW aims to overcome barriers and create a more inclusive and diverse workforce by providing necessary platforms for cooperation and increased knowledge.

Yasser Al Mazrouie said, ‘I would like to thank the FCW for their remarkable work in fostering cross-cultural dialogue, collaboration, and friendship between the two countries. At ADNOC, we are committed to empowering and enabling our female employees to reach their full potential and to play an active role in shaping the future of the energy sector.’

ADNOC and the JCCP have held FCW forums in the UAE and Japan since 2015, driving the importance of women’s contributions across the energy industry.

Fatema Al Nuaimi, ADNOC Executive Vice President of Downstream Business Management, said, ‘Over the years, the FCW has been a great reflection of our robust partnership with Japan, a country that has been at the forefront of progress in the energy secto
r alongside us. The principles of efficiency and sustainability are not just operational buzzwords but are deeply embedded in every facet of ADNOC’s organisation. Together we are committed to forging a more sustainable, inclusive, and technologically advanced future.’

The renewed partnership continues to drive societal transformation and advance women’s roles and opportunities in the energy sector, emphasising their impact and importance across various fields and wider society.

Source: Emirates News Agency

SEOUL: The Republic of Korea will integrate two kinds of educational institutions for preschool children as early as 2026, the Ministry of Education said Thursday, as part of the efforts to narrow social disparities.

The government will come up with detailed procedures for the integration of kindergartens and childcare centres by the end of this year, Korean news agency Yonhap reported. At the moment education and health ministries are separately supervising the kindergarten and childcare centres respectively.

Childcare centres usually accept children who are aged several months to 5 years, while kindergartens usually accept children from 3 years old to around preschool age. As the first move in preparation for the integration, the two organisations will be put under the supervision of the education ministry alone, beginning Thursday, due to the enforcement of the revised government organisation law.

New third institution

In the next step, the ministry said it plans to create a third institution that will
merge the two, noting that the new entity may be called either “infants and young children school” or “young children school.” It will push for the enactment of the integration law next year after taking public opinions on the merger.

If the law passes the National Assembly in 2025, the integrated institution will be created as early as 2026. By 2027, there will be about 3,100 pilot integrated institutions, which are approximately 10 percent of kindergartens and childcare centres, the ministry said. It added that all infants and young children will be allowed to use the pilot institutions for up to 12 hours a day.

In addition, the teacher-to-infant ratio for infants under 1-year-old at childcare centres will be lowered from the current 1-to-3 to 1-to-2, the ministry said.

Free education, which is currently applied to infants under 2 years old, will gradually be expanded to 3- to 5-year-olds by 2027, it said, making all preschool children eligible for free education and child care by then.

Source: Emirate
s News Agency

CHONGQING: The second Belt and Road International Skills Competition concluded in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), the event recognised a total of 18 gold, silver, and bronze medallists, along with 41 additional prize recipients representing 36 countries and regions.

The three-day event, sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, attracted nearly 600 skilled professionals from 61 countries and regions.

The competition aims to provide a platform for talented young individuals to communicate and exchange skills, as well as promote international exchange and cooperation in the field of vocational skills and to further advance the Belt and Road Initiative.

Source: Emirates News Agency

FUJIAN: China’s first offshore wind farm with the largest single-capacity wind turbines in east China’s Fujian Province was connected to the power grid on Thursday, marking a new milestone in the country’s development of large-scale offshore wind power.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), the newly established offshore wind power project, developed by China Three Gorges Corporation, is situated in the marine zone adjacent to Zhangpu County in Fujian, approximately 30 kilometres offshore.

The offshore wind farm has an installed capacity of 400 megawatts and is China’s first to utilise super large single-unit capacity wind turbines of 13 megawatts and above. Specifically, it includes six offshore wind turbine units, each with a capacity of 16 megawatts.

Currently, China’s operational offshore wind farms mainly use wind turbines with capacities of five and eight megawatts for power generation.

Turbines with capacities exceeding 10 megawatts are considered “super large capacity” units. For instance,
a 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine can produce 34.2 kilowatt-hours of electricity with each rotation, nearly double that of a 10-megawatt turbine.

After the project starts operating, it’s expected to generate 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity each year. This amount of electricity can power about 680,000 households annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 1.36 million tons.

Source: Emirates News Agency

SHARJAH: H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued an Emiri Decree renaming the Sharjah Police Science Academy.

As per the Decree, the “Sharjah Police Science Academy” shall be renamed the “Sharjah Academy of Police Science” in all legislative, administrative, financial, and legal contexts.

Source: Emirates News Agency

SKOPJE: Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of the Republic of North Macedonia, received Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Jarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, and his accompanying delegation at the presidential palace in the North Macedonian capital, Skopje, where they discussed cooperation and joint work in promoting tolerance and peace.

The North Macedonian President welcomed Al Jarwan, highlighting her full support for the Council.

During the meeting, Al Jarwan shared details about the Council’s role in aligning international efforts in various fields to support tolerance and peace.

They also discussed holding future meetings to organise a conference aimed at leveraging the economy to support tolerance and peace, and establishing developmental economic partnerships. The talks also covered education and the possibility of North Macedonia hosting an international academy to train leaders in tolerance and peace.

Source: Emirates News Agency