Governor-General of Australia Ms. Bryce Visits Sichuan University and Investigates Australia Cochlear Cochlea Project in West China Hospital, Sichuan University

CHENGDU, China, October 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — On the afternoon of October 22, a delegation led by the Governor-General of Australia Ms. Bryce paid a visit to Sichuan University to investigate the Australia Cochlear cochlea project in West China Hospital. Executive Vice-President of Sichuan University Professor Li Hong met the delegation in the reception hall for foreign guests in the administration building on the medical school campus of the hospital. Secretary of the hospital Ms. Jing Jing, Vice Director of the hospital Mr. Gong Qiyong as well as Professor Zheng Hong and Professor Zheng Yun in the E.N.T. department joined the meeting and the investigation.

Secretary of West China Hospital Ms. Jing Jing welcomes the Governor-General of Australia Ms. Bryce. (PRNewsFoto/West China Hospital of Sichuan University)
Secretary of West China Hospital Ms. Jing Jing welcomes the Governor-General of Australia Ms. Bryce. (PRNewsFoto/West China Hospital of Sichuan University)

Executive Vice-President of Sichuan University Professor Li Hong welcomed Ms. Bryce and the delegation on behalf of the university. He gave a brief introduction on the history, size, personnel cultivation, foreign exchanges and cooperation and other aspects of university, especially the developments of West China Hospital in recent years. He hoped the visit of Ms. Bryce could further promote the exchanges and cooperation between West China Hospital and Australia in related fields, establish more high-level institutions like “West China Clinical Medical School – Australia Cochlear Cochlea Research Center” and bring about more cutting-edge achievements such as cochlear implantation to benefit mankind.

Ms. Bryce expressed her gratitude for the warm reception of Sichuan University, the pleasure to visit the university of such a splendid history, and also the great admiration and congratulations for the remarkable achievements acquired by West China medical personnel. She stressed that in the current world, the developments in the education, science and other areas could not prosper without the extensive cooperation among the countries. She hoped that China and Australia could work together not only to impel the developments of the two countries, but also to provide more positive achievements to benefit people worldwide.

After that, Ms. Bryce visited the “West China Hospital, Sichuan University – Australia Cochlear Cochlea Project.” The Cochlear Cochlea Implant Center, which was established through the cooperation between Cochlear company of Australia and West China Hospital, has been one of the cochlear implant centers of the “Hearing Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Program” project since 2007. By adopting the advanced technology of international standards, it is aimed at assisting the hearing-impaired patients and enabling them to hear the sound of the world. During the investigation, Ms. Bryce also visited the Cochlear cochlea debugging equipments with the explanation by Professor Zheng Yun and the operation demonstration by the technician Mr. Tao Yong. And then, she listened to the report on this project presided over by Secretary of the hospital Ms. Jing Jing and p resented by Vice-Director of the hospital Mr. Gong Qiyong. She also appreciated the drawings and the poetry reading of three kids with hearing rehabilitated after the successful cochlear implantation. After the show, Ms. Bryce approached the children and gave them dolls of koalas and kangaroos representative of Australia as presents. She told that she was greatly moved by the endeavors of the research staff, the medical staff and the related workers for the hearing rehabilitation of the children. She said emotionally, “I want to express my sincere happiness and gratitude for the devotions of the researchers of both China and Australia on the investigations and practice of the project. Thanks for you all and I’ve spent a memorable afternoon.”

Education Ministers at WISE Explore Innovative Practices in Policy Making

DOHA, Qatar, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Education Ministers from across the globe met at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar, to discuss best practices and the importance of promoting innovation in education.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63498-wise-education-innovative-policy-making

Chaired by the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Qatar, H.E. Mohammed Bin Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi, the inaugural Ministers Session included 16 leading policymakers from territories including: Burkina Faso, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, European Union, Ghana, Japan, Moldova, Niger, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, Yemen. The informal meeting was a transnational effort to share best practices in education from policymakers around the world who discussed a variety of ideas – from fostering innovation through curriculums, to innovative funding mechanisms.

The session was hosted by the Chairman of WISE, H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., who said: “WISE was established to bring education to the top of the global agenda as a key to building secure and thriving societies. This meeting, in which the education ministers discussed their ideas on innovative and effective policy-making, is a step toward achieving that goal.”

He added: “WISE is a multisectoral platform where decision-makers interact directly with a great variety of education stakeholders, providing rich opportunities for partnerships with the goal of putting the best, most effective practices into action.”

The Ministers Session took place on the opening day of fifth the annual Summit. The Session provoked questions about how Ministries of Education from around the world have managed to make innovation a reality, whether the role of a policymaker is to implement policies developed to foster innovation or replicate best practices from the field, and how forums like WISE facilitate in the sharing of these practices.

Qatar Education Minister, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahed Ali al Hammadi said: “The Ministers Session at WISE has provided us with a platform to discuss experiences from around the world, allowing us to explore new approaches and share different methods of working. In Qatar, we need to develop the education sector in the country in order to promote individual performance and productivity. Innovation in education is key to support the realization of Qatar’s overall national development goals and position Qatar as a leading knowledge economy, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, who participated in the session, said: “Education is one of the European Union’s top political priorities and international collaboration forms an essential part of this. Europe must be open to the world. It is through education and culture that different peoples begin to understand each other and develop closer relationships.”

China Distance Education Holdings Limited to Report Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2013 Financial Results on Wednesday, November 20, 2013

BEIJING, October 31, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — China Distance Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: DL) (“CDEL”, or the “Company”), a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education, today announced that it plans to release unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2013 ended September 30, 2013, after market close on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. The earnings release will be available on the investor relations page of its website at http://ir.cdeledu.com.

Management will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time the following morning on Thursday, November 21, 2013 (9:30 p.m. Beijing Time on November 21, 2013) to discuss financial results and answer questions from investors. Listeners may access the call by dialing:

US Toll Free: 1-855-298-3404
International: 1-631-5142-526
China: 400-120-0539
Hong Kong: 800-905-927
United Kingdom: 44-(0)20-3078-7622
Passcode: CDEL or DL

A telephone replay will be available shortly after the call until November 28, 2013 by dialing:

US Toll Free: 1-866-846-0868
International: 61-2-9641-7900
China: 400-184-2240
Hong Kong: 800-966-697
United Kingdom: 0800-169-7301
Replay Passcode: 9067309

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.cdeledu.com.

About China Distance Education Holdings Limited

China Distance Education Holdings Limited is a leading provider of online education in China focusing on professional education. The courses offered by the Company through its websites are designed to help professionals and other course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue careers in China in the areas of accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering, and other industries. The Company also offers online test preparation courses to self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees and to secondary school and college students preparing for various academic and entrance exams. In addition, the Company offers online foreign language courses and offline business start-up training courses. For further information please visit http://ir.cdeledu.com.

Contacts:

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Lingling Kong, IR manager

Tel: +86-10-8231-9999 ext1805

Email: IR

Investor Relations:

Bill Zima

ICR Inc.

Tel: +1 646-328-2550

Teachers Invited to Join Astronaut Training & Development Opportunities

Honeywell Annual Scholarship Program Delivers Effective Teaching Techniques Designed to Inspire Students’ Interest in Science and Math

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Teachers of mathematics and science around the world, including Indonesia, are now invited to apply for the 2014 Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program, a simulated astronaut training and professional development program of Honeywell (NYSE: HON) at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy (HE@SA), created in partnership with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in 2004, is designed to address the trends in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by providing teachers with new technical skills and teaching techniques that help motivate students around the world. Since the program’s inception, Honeywell and its employees have sponsored more than 1,700 teachers from 45 countries and all 50 U.S. states to participate in the Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy program.

Earlier this year, the program accepted applicants from Indonesia for the first time – Boyke Ramdhani from Darul Hikam International School and Mala Rejeki Manurung from Bogor Raya School, who then joined the training in the U.S. in June 2013 and returned with “full excitement” about the program.

“HE@SA provides valuable opportunities for teachers to approach advanced technologies and innovative training methodologies. So we would like to see more Indonesian teachers join in this program and benefit from it,” said Alex Pollack, president of Honeywell Indonesia. “More importantly, we would like to see these experiences to be applied in their classes to further inspire Indonesian students’ interest in science and math.”

Qualified applicants must be secondary school teachers of math, physics, chemistry, geography or information technology who can understand English.

Each successful applicant will receive a full scholarship following a rigorous and lengthy application and selection process involving competing teachers from around the world. Scholarships include tuition for the five-day program, roundtrip airfare, meals, accommodations, program materials, and flight suits, all sponsored by Honeywell and contributions from Honeywell employees.

Honeywell Educators will participate in 45 hours of professional development, as well as an intensive educator curriculum focused on space science and exploration. Activities include classroom, laboratory, and field training exercises linked to international science and math teaching standards. Each teacher will also undergo simulated astronaut training including:

  • A high-performance jet simulation
  • Scenario-based space mission
  • Land and water survival training
  • Interactive flight dynamics programs

“Honeywell is making a substantial STEM contribution by targeting teachers,” said Dr. Deborah Barnhart, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and former VP of Space Exploration for Honeywell. “Recent Congressional testimony noted that educating teachers in technology is the most effective way to increase student interest in STEM. As in all of their business endeavors, Honeywell is leading the way in STEM as well!”

The application deadline for the 2014 Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy is Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Applicants will be assigned one of the two sessions: June 11 – June 17, 2014 or June 18 – June 24, 2014.

For more information on the program and application details, please visit http://educators.honeywell.com/.

2013 WISE Prize for Education Awarded to Ms. Vicky Colbert

DOHA, Qatar, Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The 2013 WISE Prize for Education, the first distinction of its kind to recognize an individual or a team for an outstanding, world-class contribution to education, has been awarded to Ms. Vicky Colbert of Colombia. Founder and Director of Fundacion Escuela Nueva, Ms. Colbert is co-creator of the Escuela Nueva education model, widely known for its effectiveness in improving the quality and relevance of basic education in underprivileged schools across Colombia and beyond.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

The Prize was presented by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, at the Opening Plenary Session of the fifth World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, Qatar, before more than 1,000 experts from diverse fields and over 100 countries.

The WISE Prize for Education was established in 2011 to enhance the status of education by giving it similar prestige to other areas for which international prizes already exist, such as literature, peace and economics. The Laureate receives an award of $500,000 (US) and a specially minted gold medal.

Initiated in 1975 in rural Colombia, the Escuela Nueva model began as a bottom-up approach by bringing together a team of experienced rural teachers to transform education at the highest level. Leading this approach, Ms. Colbert created important links between communities, families, teachers, research institutions and policy makers. This unique pedagogical model became a national policy in Colombia in the 1980s and was replicated in various regions around the country. It has since been adapted by a number of countries around the world and recognized as one of the most successful public policy reforms among developing countries by organizations including the World Bank and the United Nations.

In congratulating the 2013 WISE Prize for Education Laureate, H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., Chairman of WISE, said: “Vicky Colbert has dedicated her life to revitalizing education through effective and relevant student-centered pedagogical methods that involve families and entire communities as well as teachers in the process. Her work has had a significant impact in Latin America and beyond, greatly expanding access to affordable quality education for the less-privileged.”

Ms. Vicky Colbert said: “I am very honored and humbled to receive the 2013 WISE Prize for Education. This Prize recognizes that bringing education to all children and empowering them for lifelong learning is an important foundation for human development, and it is something that can be achieved when teachers and children are given the right tools to lead change.”

Despite the political conflict that has plagued the country for several decades, Ms. Colbert has worked tirelessly as a quiet revolutionary to develop real opportunity through education. To date, Escuela Nueva has been implemented throughout Latin America – including Brazil and Mexico – in the Caribbean, East Timor and Vietnam reaching more than five million children around the globe.

HFI Partners With De La Salle Philippines Leading University to Launch UX Certification Programs

SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Human Factors International (HFI) announced today its partnership with The Human Factors and Ergonomics Center of De La Salle University under the Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE) to deliver a joint certification program on Usability and User Experience (UX).

The partnership aims

  • To foster highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ability in the field of Usability and UX for the design community and corporations at large, across Philippines.
  • To provide lifelong education to professionals in key areas of UX competencies
  • To upgrade the knowledge and skills of practitioners and professionals, and help, transcend UX practice into a professional and dynamic career.
  • To help understand the strategic role of the profession, build the confidence needed to meet challenges and master opportunities across sectors.

Dean Dr. Rosemary R. Seva, said, “We are excited about this partnership to develop UX skillsets in the Philippines. Filipinos have made their mark in the world of design and our joint effort is to equip students with practical skills in the field of user experience to be competitive in this profession.”

HFI pioneered the first of its kind “Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)” program focused on imparting UI skillsets to the design and development community leveraging its extensive knowledge from consulting practice. HFI recently launched an advanced user experience certification program called “Certified Experience Analyst (CXA)”.

Mary Michaels, User Experience Strategist & Director of Training at HFI, said, “I am delighted about this partnership. Together, we will be able to provide high quality training in the field of user experience to professionals in the Philippines design community. The training will enable usability practitioners to upgrade their skills and knowledge, and be positioned to strategically guide organizations on their journey of offering improved user experience.”

Learn more about Certified Usability Analyst (CUA) program
Learn more about Certified Experience Analyst (CXA) program

Jones Day Foundation Donates RMB 5 Million to Peking University Faculty Development Project

BEIJING, October 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The Jones Day Foundation, a non-profit organization funded by donations from Jones Day attorneys and staff, today announced it will donate RMB 5 million to establish the Peking University – Jones Day Institute for Globalization and Rule of Law. This second donation marks a new round of cooperation with the Peking University Law School further to last year’s RMB 5 million donation to establish the Peking University – Jones Day Chair Professorship for Globalization and Rule of Law. Mr. Stephen Brogan, Managing Partner of Jones Day, will formally present the donation to Peking University officials and faculty at Peking University on October 29 in Beijing.

“This gift from Jones Day to Peking University Law School is intended to make the law school a center of scholarship devoted to the study of the impact of the authentic development of the rule of law on economic advancement in a globalized world,” said Mr. Brogan. “Jones Day is on the front lines of advising clients on that issue and the Firm seeks to encourage thoughtful discussion in the academy of why the rule of law is so critical to realizing the benefits of globalization for the largest number of people across the world. We look forward to our ongoing efforts to partner with the University with respect to all of the issues implicated by this subject.”

“Top academic talent is the lifeblood of any world-class institution,” said Prof. Zhang Shouwen, Dean of Peking University Law School. “The support of the Jones Day Foundation has been instrumental in helping us to attract internationally recognized professors to Peking University Law School, to promote communication between legal scholars from China and abroad, and to facilitate the process of globalization of legal education in China.”

“As we’ve grown to become one of the largest law firms in the world, our sense of social responsibility has grown apace,” added John Kao, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Beijing office. “With four offices in Greater China, and a substantial presence throughout Asia, the Jones Day Institute reflects the particular sense of pride, community, and duty our Beijing office shares with its host city, and the even brighter future of the region.”

About Jones Day

Jones Day is a global law firm with 40 offices in the major centers of business and finance throughout the world. Ranked among the world’s best and most integrated law firms, and perennially ranked among the best in client service, Jones Day acts as principal outside counsel to, or provides significant legal representation for, approximately half of the Fortune 500, Fortune Global 500, and FT Global 500.

About Peking University Law School

Established in 1904, Peking University Law School (PKULS) is the oldest continuously operating law school in modern China. The School has cultivated generations of accomplished students who are dedicated to furthering China’s development. The faculty, consisting of both senior and younger professors, brings sophisticated experience to its scholarship and education, infusing the institute with a strong spirit of innovation. Foreign scholars contribute their expertise to PKULS during frequent visits and each year more professors and students maintain academic exchanges with scholars across the world.

BI Places in Financial Times Global EMBA Ranking

SHANGHAI, Oct. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — BI Norwegian Business School has for the first time been given a place in the prestigious Financial Times (FT) ranking of the world’s best part-time MBA programmes. The result has been published on Monday, 21 October.

54th place
As a partner institution with Fudan University, one of China’s leading universities, BI is now included in the FT list. Our EMBA programme places as number 54 among business schools and universities around the world, and BI is with in the select company of the 100 best educational institutions globally. In China, the programme is ranked as one of the ten best in the market.

– It is great to see BI and Fudan University on the list of the world’s best EMBA programmes. This is a ranking of the best educational and research institutions in the world, and the result confirms that we deliver a relevant education of high academic quality, says Tom Colbjornsen, president of BI Norwegian Business School.

– Important to succeed in China

BI has cooperated with Fudan University since 1996, and all in all about 2,000 Chinese middle managers have an Master degree from BI. Since our partnership began, there has been a steep increase in competition from other providers of EMBA education in China.

– It is important for BI to succeed in China. With increasingly strong international competition, it is particularly good to see that we are ranked ahead of strong educational institutions in Europe. Our goal is to be the foremost partner school for businesses in Norway and certain other countries. We are proud of what we have achieved in cooperation with Fudan University in Shanghai, Colbjornsen concludes.

Some of the factors that determine the ranking of EMBA programmes are the students’ career development, salary developments and the school’s academic profile.

Facts

– BI Norwegian Business School was the first educational institution in the world to have an international MBA approved in China.

– FT has five different rankings, and BI is now part of four of them. The fifth ranking is for schools with full-time MBA programmes, something BI does not offer.

ATA Schedules Fiscal 2014 Second Quarter Financial Results Release for November 7, 2013, Conference Call on November 8, 2013, at 8 a.m. ET

BEIJING, October 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — ATA Inc. (“ATA” or the “Company”, Nasdaq: ATAI), a leading provider of advanced testing technologies and testing-related services in China, today announced that it will release its financial results for the fiscal second quarter ended September 30, 2013, after the close of the stock market on Thursday, November 7, 2013. The Company will discuss those results in a conference call at 8 a.m. ET on Friday, November 8, 2013.

Participant Dial-in Numbers
U.S. & Canada (Toll-Free): +1 (888) 339-2688
International (Toll): +1 (617) 847-3007
Toll-Free Local Access
China (Netcom): (10 800) 713 1756
China (Telecom): (10 800) 130 1713 (400) 881 1629
Participant Passcode: 96355980

Webcast

The call will also be simultaneously broadcast over the Internet. To access the live webcast, please visit the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://www.ata.net.cn, or click the following link: http://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/274/2478.

The Company will also have an accompanying slide presentation available in PDF format prior to the conference call at the investor relations section of ATA’s website. For those unable to listen to the live webcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call at the investor relations section of ATA’s website (http://www.ata.net.cn).

About ATA Inc.

ATA is a leading provider of advanced testing technologies in China. The Company offers comprehensive services for the creation and delivery of assessments based on its proprietary testing technologies and test delivery platform. ATA’s testing technologies are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology services, banking, teaching, securities, insurance, and accounting. As of June 30, 2013, ATA’s test center network comprised 2,810 authorized test centers located throughout China. The Company believes it has the largest test center network of any commercial testing service provider in China.

ATA has delivered more than 50.0 million billable tests since ATA started operations in 1999. For more information, please visit ATA’s website at http://www.ata.net.cn/.

For more information on our company, please contact the following individuals:
At the Company Investor Relations
ATA Inc. The Equity Group Inc.
Lucy Ma, Associate, Investor Relations Carolyne Yu, Senior Associate
+86 10 6518 1122 x5517 415-568-2255
maxiaopeng +86 10 6587 6435
cyu
Adam Prior, Vice President
212-836-9606
aprior

BioNano Genomics Announces The Purchase Of The Irys System By The Chinese Academy Of Sciences And Tel Aviv University

Epigenetics and comparative genomics will be studied with Irys to advance biomedical research

SAN DIEGO, BEIJING, and TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — BioNano Genomics announced today the purchase of two IrysTM Systems to be placed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and the School of Chemistry at the Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel. These new placements are designed to run the recently released high-throughput chip, IrysChipTM V2, which supports human genome analysis.

“Our new high-throughput chip shows the Irys System can scale to large complex genomes, which is critical to its utility throughout human genomics and epigenomics,” said Han Cao, Ph.D., founder and chief scientific officer of BioNano Genomics. “The Irys System is a versatile and sensitive single molecule imaging platform that allows researchers to rapidly identify structural information over long-range distances with minimal alteration of the native genomic samples. This ability enables them to assemble de novo genomes containing complex, highly variable regions, as well as map epigenomics patterns using various labeling schemes, which are currently in advanced development.”

This purchase marks the first academic order of the Irys System in Asia, and Bin Liu, Ph.D., will be the principal investigator leading the adoption of Irys for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He heads the Center of Systematic Genomics at Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography and Institute of Oceanology. Dr. Liu’s team will use the Irys System for a wide variety of applications to study eco-systems and bioresources in marine sciences and in arid desert lands, where highly complex genomes are found.

Dr. Liu stated, “We have followed the development of the next-generation of physical mapping technologies closely. Integration of short-read, next-generation sequencing with long-range physical maps has long been the standard of genomics. Today, Irys has started the last step of genome characterization in a way that researchers and practitioners originally envisioned. Most of these are in a category of de novo non-model species. We will not settle for anything less than the complete picture.”

At Tel Aviv University, Dr. Yuval Ebenstein leads the NanoBioPhotonics Lab and will oversee the adoption of Irys. His team is advancing technologies to directly visualize the individual epigenetic modifications in an individual genome. Epigenetics is the study of how gene expression is regulated, via proteins, methylation and other modifications, without altering the underlying DNA sequence. By creating genome maps from individual DNA molecules, up to 1 million base pairs in length, they are unlocking important genetic and epigenetic information about how genes are activated or silenced. Knowing how and why genes are turned on and off is significant to understanding many aspects underlying basic biology, including development, evolution and human disease.

“Next generation sequencing is advancing the genomic exploration in all fields of biology, but it fails to extract the full range of information associated with genetic material,” said Yuval Ebenstein, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University. “By directly visualizing DNA, we are able to get important insights into genome structural variation and epigenetic marks that are not accessible through sequencing or DNA arrays.”

The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Tel Aviv University are among the latest to adopt the Irys System. Others include the New York Genome Center, who are using their Irys for human and cancer genomics, UC San Francisco, for genomic investigations of a range of species from viruses to humans, and Kansas State University, for the i5k Insect and other Arthropod Genome Sequencing Initiative.