Grant Dennis Obstacles for ASEAN and Vietnam Fifty years after its establishment, the ASEAN has become one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic regions in the world. The region is still expected to outperform average global growth and is estimated to expand by 5.3 per cent in 2018, led by emerging economies such as Vietnam, which is projected to grow by 6.9 per cent, according to the Economic Outlook by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, new technologies such as the Internet of Things, advanced robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) could threaten this growth story in the longer term – unless ASEAN markets start preparing themselves for the shift. The ASEAN’s core value proposition, low labour costs, will fade away over the coming decades, as protectionist sentiments and new technologies rise. These factors will keep more production within the shores of the developed parts of the world. Moreover, there is still a gap … [Read more...] about Keeping your business ahead in the digital age
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Sending your kids overseas to study is possible
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This can be an option for parents with the means to pay, but is this an option for the ordinary Vietnamese family? The answer to this question is a resounding ‘yes’, it is very possible. But why would parents even consider overseas university education? Is higher education in Vietnam inferior in some way? The answer is a definite ‘no’; Vietnamese University education has made great strides particularly during the past decade. Is higher education in the rest of the developed world superior to that of Viet Nam? Well that generally isn’t the case. There is now a trend for parents worldwide to send their children overseas. Increasingly parents in the UK, EU, USA, Canada and other countries worldwide send their children overseas for study for various non-academic reasons, including life experience, cross cultural exchange, language proficiency and of course the choice of obtaining the very best education in their children’s given subject. So how can … [Read more...] about Sending your kids overseas to study is possible
Open your heart to children with autism
Van Minh Duc, Ha Dinh Chi, Pham Binh Minh (from L) are reknowned autistic artists from Hanoi. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – No official survey has been conducted to count the number of autistic children in Vietnam yet, but the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs estimates that some 200,000 children in the country are living with autism. The figure would reach 500,000 according to the standards of the World Health Organisation. Open your heart to children with autism “If you open your heart to children with autism, you will see they are not mentally disordered. In fact, many have a higher level of intelligence than the average child and some have extraordinary capabilities in different fields, such as memory, maths, art and physics,” said Pham Thi Ngan. Pham Thi Ngan and her husband co-found Tohe Social Company (Source: VNA) Ngan and her husband were inspired by the capabilities of those on the autism spectrum after they volunteered for … [Read more...] about Open your heart to children with autism
How your diet could influence the age of your menopause
A diet high in carbs could bring on an earlier menopause, a study suggests. Eating lots of pasta and rice was associated with reaching menopause one-and-a-half years earlier than the average age of women in the UK of 51. However, the University of Leeds study of 914 UK women, also found that a diet rich in oily fish and peas and beans may delay natural menopause. But experts say many other factors, including genes, influence timing of the menopause. It's not clear how big a contribution dietary choices might make and women should not worry about changing what they eat based on the findings, they add. Food findings The research was published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health and the women were asked what their typical diet contained. A diet high in legumes, which includes peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas, delayed menopause by one-and-a-half years, on average. Eating lots of refined carbs, particularly rice and pasta, was linked to menopause coming earlier by … [Read more...] about How your diet could influence the age of your menopause
Why spending time outdoors could help your child’s eyesight
Kids seem to spend endless hours on smartphones, games consoles, computers and tablets these days. Playing on electronic devices certainly doesn't help their waistlines, but do you ever wonder what regular device use is doing to their eyesight? Children’s addiction to smartphones is believed to cause tic disorder. — Photo baodanang.vn (Illustrative image) While there isn't much research out there yet about the impact of screens on eyesight - after all the iPhone was first unveiled by Apple in only 2007 - experts are concerned about growing levels of short-sightedness in children. And they suggest the best thing parents can do to prevent it is to encourage youngsters to spend more time outdoors in the sunlight. How short-sightedness is on the rise There has been a massive rise around the globe in short-sightedness - or myopia as it's officially known - over recent decades. "We know that myopia or short-sightedness is becoming more common," says Chris … [Read more...] about Why spending time outdoors could help your child’s eyesight