November 10, 2021

The University of Hong Kong Offers Entrance Scholarships for International Students to Realise Dreams

HONG KONG, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Offering generous entrance scholarships that recognise students’ remarkable achievements, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) empowers students from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams and develop their ambitions towards shaping a promising future. The HKU entrance scholarships may cover full tuition fees and accommodation and general living allowance.

Aleena Khalid, recipient of HKU HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarship

Growing up in the northern city of Pakistan, Peshawar, Aleena Khalid had to tolerate criticism from her extended family for wanting to study abroad because of her gender. Aleena’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, so it was Aleena’s dream to go into the biomedical research field to contribute to drug development and clinical validation, to help patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It was the HKU HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarship (HeforShe Scholarship) that turned her dream into reality. Being awarded the scholarship, Aleena pursued a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences HKU and graduated with flying colours. “The HKU HeforShe Scholarship not only allowed me to chase after my dream, but also enabled me to voice out for girls who have been silenced. I’m now pursuing a PhD degree in Hong Kong and I can proudly say that HKU paved the path towards my research career to contribute to the biomedical field by providing me with the scholarship.”

From another corner of the world, Martin Kibiru received the HeforShe Scholarship, bade farewell to his home country Kenya and embarked on his journey at HKU. Possessing a deep-seated passion for building things, Martin aspires to be an engineer and is now pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering). “I find it incredible that in just about two years’ time, my dream of becoming an engineer will come true. And it is thanks to HKU for offering me the scholarship and allowing me to do the things I love, and in a beautiful city that I’m proud to call home,” said Martin.

Martin Kibiru, recipient of HKU HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarship

To Hanie Luong, receiving the Vietnam Van Thinh Phat Scholarship (VTP Scholarship) is a life-changing opportunity. Hanie, who lived most of her life on a remote highland of Vietnam, is now a 4^th year Accounting and Finance student at HKU. When asked about how she felt being a scholarship recipient, she said, “Neither attending an international school nor communicating in English on a daily basis back in my home country, I had never imagined studying abroad possible. It is the VTP Scholarship that gives me the opportunity to study at one of the best research-led universities in Asia and the world.”

When asked about their life at HKU thus far, both Hanie and Martin said that it has been an incredibly fulfilling and transformational journey. As scholarship recipients, they have been given the opportunities to join cultural exchange, study and internship programmes in different countries to meet like-minded students worldwide.

Hanie Luong, recipient of Vietnam Van Thinh Phat Scholarship

Professor Bennett Yim, HKU’s Director of Undergraduate Admissions and International Exchange said, “HKU is committed to nurturing future global talents who are able to make valuable contributions to the world and pursue their dreams at the same time. We believe that our supportive scholarships enable students to enjoy and live their university lives to the fullest by going on exchange, launching start-ups, competing in international competitions and by interacting with the diverse community on campus.”

To empower students to realise their dreams, the HKU Future Leaders of the Year Scholarship (FLY Scholarship) was established in 2020 for students who aspire to launch their own start-ups and make their mark in the future. Recipients of the scholarship will be awarded an amount to use as s start-up fund or to engage in start-up-related activities. In addition, recipients will have the opportunity to be coached by HKU tutors, alumni or entrepreneurs in iDendron, HKU’s dedicated centre for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“In an era where information is at your fingertips, it is more important to know how to integrate creativity and innovation. With the support of the HKU FLY Scholarship, the innovative ideas put forward by talented students can be more easily realised, thereby creating a positive impact on the community and offering value to society,” Professor Bennett Yim added.

The HKU Admissions Office will organise an online Scholarships Info Session on 12 November, 2021 for prospective international students to learn about HKU scholarships for undergraduate admissions. The scholarships that will be covered in the session include HKU Belt and Road Scholarship, HKU HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarship and Vietnam Van Thinh Phat Scholarship. Please refer to the details below and register to secure a place for the info session.

HKU Scholarships Info Session

Date: 12 November 2021
Time: 4pm – 5pm (HKT)
Register now: https://bit.ly/HKUscholarships2021

Undergraduate Admissions 2022

HKU is now accepting online applications for the 2022-2023 academic year that will commence in September 2022. Students who wish to be empowered to pursue their dreams at university are encouraged to submit an application for our first-round evaluation by 17 November, 2021. Applicants will automatically be considered for HKU entrance scholarships. Please submit an online application with this link: https://bit.ly/ApplytoHKU

Virtual Consultation Sessions

Students who are interested in learning more about HKU are invited to register for an individual virtual consultation session with our admissions representatives. Please sign up with this link: https://bit.ly/HKU-consultation

About the University of Hong Kong
HKU is a world-leading, research-led, comprehensive university. With distinguished excellence in research and outstanding performance in teaching, HKU brings together bright minds from around the world and wins a respectable reputation in renowned international rankings. HKU has been ranked 1^st in Hong Kong and 22^nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2022, and the Most International University in the World by Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.
https://hku.hk/

About HKU Belt and Road Scholarship
As stated by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam during her 2018 policy address, Hong Kong is a prime platform and key link for the Belt and Road Initiative. With the government’s full support, HKU is gearing up to groom and nurture graduates with the expertise and commitment to build lasting links between their home communities and Hong Kong. The scholarship supports students from countries under the initiative for the duration of their studies at HKU.
https://admissions.hku.hk/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/belt-and-road-scholarship

About HKU HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarship
In 2015, HKU became the first university in the world to launch the United Nations’ HeForShe initiative on campus – the global solidarity movement that campaigns for gender equality. Addressing barriers to social mobility in less developed countries, the HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarship gives talented students who’ve risen above gender inequality access to a world-class education at HKU.
https://admissions.hku.hk/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/HeForShe-IMPACT-Champion-Scholarship

About Vietnam Van Thinh Phat Scholarship
In February 2012, Mr Chu Nap Kee and Ms Truong My Lan of Van Thinh Phat Group Holdings generously donated a sum to HKU for the establishment of the Vietnam Van Thinh Phat Scholarship to attract outstanding talents from Vietnam to study undergraduate programmes at the University.
https://admissions.hku.hk/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/vietnam-van-thinh-phat-scholarships

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684237/Aleena_Khalid.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684234/Martin_Kibiru.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684236/Hanie_Luong.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684235/HKU_Eng_Logo.jpg

November 10, 2021

LONGi achieves new milestone for Hi-MO 5 module shipments

XI’AN, China, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As of early November, LONGi’s Hi-MO 5 (72C) modules had been supplied to some 600 clients in 57 countries, with cumulative shipments now exceeding 10GW.

The Hi-MO 5 module is designed for utility-scale PV plants, and its dimensions are the result of in-depth analysis of industry chain, product value and lifecycle reliability, with the latest shipment milestone confirming that the module’s design concept has been widely accepted by global customers.

LONGi’s Hi-MO 5 series modules exceed 10GW of global shipment.

Shipments of the Hi-MO 5 module are based on a reliable packaging method to maximize use of container capacity while also leaving enough space for loading and unloading, significantly reducing shipping costs. The module is also fully compatible with brackets, inverters, and other PV plant equipment under a variety of application scenarios, reducing BOS costs. In wind tunnel, hail, and dynamic mechanical load (DML) testing the Hi-MO 5 has shown outstanding performance, ensuring reliability in extreme meteorological conditions throughout its full lifecycle.

Milestone review of the LONGi Hi-MO 5 module:

June 29, 2020 – technical specification released.
August 8, 2020 – module showcased at SNEC Shanghai.
September 15, 2020 – first shipment contract signed.
April 28, 2021 – recognized with awards at “All Quality Matters” Solar Congress.
May 31, 2021 – wind tunnel testing results released.
July 21, 2021 – recognized with award at Intersolar Europe.
September 18, 2021 – analysis of performance in hail impact testing released.
October 29, 2021 – dynamic mechanical load (DML) testing results released.
November 5, 2021 – global shipments exceed 10GW.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1684143/LONGi.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/781516/LONGi_Solar_Logo.jpg

November 10, 2021

International Space Station to Maneuver to Avoid Satellite Junk

The International Space Station will perform a brief maneuver on Wednesday to dodge a fragment of a defunct Chinese satellite, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

The station crewed by seven astronauts will climb 1,240 meters higher to avoid a close encounter with the fragment and will settle in an orbit 470.7 km (292 miles) above the Earth, Roscosmos said. It did not say how large the debris was.

“In order to dodge the ‘space junk’, (mission control) specialists … have calculated how to correct the orbit of the International Space Station,” the agency’s statement said.

The station will rely on the engines of the Progress space truck that is docked to it to carry out the move.

An ever-swelling amount of space debris is threatening satellites hovering around Earth, making insurers leery of offering coverage to the devices that transmit texts, maps, videos and scientific data.

The document reaffirms the goals set in Paris in 2015 of limiting warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, with a more stringent target of trying to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) preferred because that would keep damage from climate change “much lower.”

Highlighting the challenge of meeting those goals, the document “expresses alarm and concern that human activities have caused around 1.1 C (2 F) of global warming to date and that impacts are already being felt in every region.”

Small island nations, which are particularly vulnerable to warming, worry that too little is being done to stop warming at the 1.5-degree goal — and that allowing temperature increases up to 2 degrees would be catastrophic for their countries.

“For Pacific (small island states), climate change is the greatest, single greatest threat to our livelihood, security and wellbeing. We do not need more scientific evidence nor targets without plans to reach them or talking shops,” Marshall Islands Health and Human Services minister told fellow negotiators Wednesday. “The 1.5 limit is not negotiable.”

Separate draft proposals were also released on other issues being debated at the talks, including rules for international carbon markets and the frequency by which countries have to report on their efforts.

The draft calls on nations that don’t have national goals that would fit with the 1.5- or 2-degree limits to come back with stronger targets next year. Depending on how the language is interpreted, the provision could apply to most countries. Analysts at the World Resources Institute counted that element as a win for vulnerable countries.

“This is crucial language,” WRI International Climate Initiative Director David Waskow said Wednesday. “Countries really are expected and are on the hook to do something in that timeframe to adjust.”

Greenpeace’s Morgan said it would have been even better to set a requirement for new goals every year.

In a nod to one of the big issues for poorer countries, the draft vaguely “urges” developed nations to compensate developing countries for “loss and damage,” a phrase that some rich nations don’t like. But there are no concrete financial commitments.

“This is often the most difficult moment,” Achim Steiner, the head of the U.N. Development Program and former chief of the U.N.’s environment office, said of the state of the two-week talks.

“The first week is over, you suddenly recognize that there are a number of fundamentally different issues that are not easily resolvable. The clock is ticking,” he told The Associated Press.

Source: Voice of America

November 10, 2021

Australian Firm Recalls Over 2 Million US Covid Tests

An Australian medical tech manufacturer has recalled more than 2 million at-home COVID-19 tests shipped to the United States after finding an increased chance of false positives.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Wednesday that the company, Ellume, had recalled 2.2 million tests since the issue was detected last month.

A false positive test result indicates that a person has coronavirus when the person does not.

“The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall,” the agency said in a notice. “Use of these tests may cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The FDA said it had received 35 reports of false positives and no deaths to date.

In early October, Ellume announced a voluntary recall of 195,000 tests after false positive results were reported in some product batches at higher-than-expected rates.

At the time, the firm had shipped about 3.5 million tests to the U.S.

Ellume said Thursday that the recall was expanded after additional lots were found to be affected.

“Ellume has investigated the issue, identified the root cause, implemented additional controls, and we are already producing and shipping new product to the U.S.,” it said in a statement.

“We have and will continue to work diligently to ensure test accuracy, in all cases.”

Ellume’s rapid at-home coronavirus test last year became the first to receive emergency use authorization in the U.S.

Among the tests recalled were those provided to the Department of Defense for distribution to community health programs.

Source: Voice of America

November 10, 2021

President João Lourenço returns home

Luanda – Angolan President, João Lourenço, returned this Wednesday to Luanda, from Cape Verde, where he witnessed the inauguration of President José Maria Neves.

Accompanied by the First Lady, Ana Dias Lourenço, at “4 de Fevereiro” International Airport the Angolan statesman was welcomed back by the Vice President of the Republic, Bornito de Sousa.

While in the Archipelago, President Lourenço met with the new President of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, after his investiture, with whom he discussed issues of bilateral interest.

Still in Praia city, João Lourenço received in audience the former President of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires, a historical figure in the struggle for the liberation of the Cape Verdean people against Portuguese colonialism.

Angola and Cape Verde have strong cooperation ties, with agreements in areas such as visa waiver, education, defense, oil, diplomacy, agriculture, transport, finance and administration, among others.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

November 10, 2021

President’s speech on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the National Independence

Luanda – Message to the Nation from the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the National Independence.

Angolans

Dear fellow countrymen

When, in the dawn of November 11, 1975, the late President António Agostinho Neto solemnly proclaimed, on behalf of the Angolan People, before Africa and the World our National Independence, a new country was born and the hope of a whole People was sacred.

That night, together we celebrated with jubilation the culmination of a long and difficult journey. By proclaiming our Independence, we became free and equal, masters of our own destiny, we became, finally, proud ANGOLANS.

From that dawn onwards, our Flag floated high in the concert of nations and our Anthem, the anthem of freedom and hope, echoed loud and clear.

The colonial occupation was the first great test of our capacity for resistance, our fearless ability to fight for our rights and objectives, our unwavering unity in the face of great challenges and our firm will to win. United we fought and won the challenge of Independence.

This is therefore a moment to acknowledge and thank all those who, from the earliest days of colonisation, fought, sweated, shed their blood and gave their lives so that from the darkness of the night, the light of freedom would be born.

The achieved dream of Independence was, however, a means, so that the ultimate goal of building a prosperous society could be achieved.

DEAR COMPATRIOTS

Unfortunately, the joy hailed by National Independence was postponed soon after its inception. The dream proclaimed on 11 November 1975 of building a prosperous society for all was postponed.

The prolonged war shattered the lives of many Angolans, destroyed our country and prevented us from fulfilling the dreams of our Independence, postponed the country, jeopardised the future of several generations and delayed the fulfilment of our yearnings.

In this area too, our capacity for resistance, struggle, unity and strong will to overcome challenges were put to the test, but once again WE WON!

We achieved peace, maintained national unity and, with sincere forgiveness on the faces and in the souls of every Angolan, we reconciled the nation.

Indeed, the challenges of maintaining the conquests of peace, building national unity and building a reconciled nation are permanent and must be part of our daily lives.

DEAR COMPATRIOTS

In the almost 20 years of peace, together we have travelled a path that we should be proud of. The country has been rebuilt; we have built and rebuilt ports, airports and railways, we have invested in education and health by building and rebuilding schools and hospitals throughout the country and recruiting thousands of teachers, doctors and nurses.

We have increased the supply of housing, we have reduced the illiteracy rate, we have increased the number of scholarships at all levels of education, we considerably increased the number of hospital beds, means of diagnosis and treatment in the national healthcare system, we considerably increased investment in the production, transportation and distribution of electricity and drinking water on a national scale.

The achievements of National Independence and peace are indelible milestones of our history, which fill each one of us with pride and encourage us to face the long path ahead, to overcome the challenges of our time.

We have a past that makes us proud and drives us to build a better future. Making Angola a prosperous Nation is the main challenge of our time, it is possible and it is within our reach.

The road is long and complex, but I am sure that together we will succeed if we all work to maintain political and social stability, continuing to build and consolidate a democratic society based on the rule of law and respect for the Constitution and the Law.

To overcome today’s challenges we need to continue investing our time, our knowledge and our resources in changing the economic structure of Angola by diversifying our economy.

Exploiting all the potential we have is crucial to relaunch and diversify the economy, encourage private national and foreign investment, promote growth, generate employment and make the social state sustainable.

In order to overcome today’s challenges, it is essential that we continue to invest in the moralisation of society and in building a nation whose foundational pillars are moral values. We need to continue to mobilise every Angolan so that we take part in the fight to prevent and combat corruption.

DEAR COMPATRIOTS

The COVID-19 pandemic still does not allow us to celebrate our Independence as we would like, forcing us to continue with the biosecurity measures recommended by the health authorities and to massively adhere to the vaccination posts, so that we may more quickly create the conditions to return to normal life.

But despite this, today is a day of celebration, a day of victory, of hope and of glory, a day to reflect on our glorious path, and on how much we have ahead of us to overcome the challenges of our time.

As in the past, this is a time to believe, to fight and to work hard, to win the battle of development.

HONOUR AND ETERNAL GLORY TO THE HEROES OF THE MOTHERLAND!

LONG LIVE ANGOLA!

Source: Angola Press News Agency