Media OutReach
PolyU School of Nursing hosts Healthy Ageing Conference 2025, experts from 15 countries and regions join forces to promote healthy ageing
Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, stated that the conference provides a platform for policymakers, the healthcare industry, academics, and stakeholders to jointly promote healthy ageing. He said, “With PolyU’s extensive experience in the education of healthcare professionals, we have submitted a forward-looking and innovative proposal to the Government for the establishment of Hong Kong’s third medical school, aiming to leverage the University’s robust capabilities in medical science, medicine and engineering integration, and AI-driven medicine to nurture a new generation of medical doctors who are socially responsible and technologically proficient.”
Ms Xinjie QI, Second Class Counsel (Deputy Director-General Level) of the Department of Ageing and Health, National Health Commission of the People‘s Republic of China, stated in her speech that China and the WHO have conducted a series of collaborations on integrated medical and elderly care, the establishment of age-friendly medical institutions, and the development of geriatric medicine, achieving positive results. She expressed willingness to strengthen exchanges with other countries and share innovative experiences. She also emphasised that advancing the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a national strategy, and the National Health Commission will continue to enhance exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao in areas such as healthy ageing.
Dr Libby LEE, the Acting Secretary for Health of the Government of HKSAR, stated that the HKSAR Government is actively reforming the healthcare system, including enhancing the primary healthcare services. As outlined in the Primary Healthcare Blueprint released in December 2022, the Government’s strategy adopts a prevention-focused, community-based approach. It aims at supporting and equipping people to lead a healthy life in the community, thereby improving the overall health status of the population. This conference serves as a valuable platform for knowledge exchange across healthcare disciplines, experience sharing, partnership building, as well as innovative solutions exploration. It definitely will contribute to the enhancement of the wellbeing of older persons in Hong Kong and beyond.
Dr Hiromasa OKAYASU, Director of the Division of Healthy Environments and Populations at the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO), reaffirmed that the conference offered an exceptional platform for policymakers, stakeholders, practitioners, researchers, and academics to come together and address the pressing trends and challenges related to population ageing in the region. He stated, “PolyU’s School of Nursing made significant efforts to facilitate a wide range of discussions, encompassing research and practical ideas, all with the aim of enhancing healthy ageing.”
In 2019, WHO introduced the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework, transitioning from a disease-centred approach to one that assesses the intrinsic capacities of older adults—encompassing both physical and mental abilities. This comprehensive, person-centred model is designed to identify early signs of decline in intrinsic capacity, enabling timely interventions to mitigate, halt, or reverse frailty and dependence in older individuals. Building on expert feedback and the latest research, WHO has recently launched ICOPE 2.0, featuring the following key enhancements:
- Inclusion of Three Essential Factors in Ageing: In addition to evaluating six intrinsic capacities—cognition, mobility, nutrition, vision, hearing, and mental health—ICOPE 2.0 now incorporates “urinary incontinence management”, “social care and support”, “carer support” and vaccination advocacy, thus providing a more accurate representation of older adults’ health status and quality of life.
- Introduction of Three Filter Questions: To streamline the assessment process for cognitive, hearing, and vision capabilities, a rapid screening system has been established. If an older adult responds “yes” to any of these questions, they will be referred directly for a comprehensive evaluation.
- Provision of Immediate Recommendations and Interventions: Following the completion of the ICOPE 2.0 assessment, the responsible assessor is equipped to offer tailored health advice and community support based on the individual needs of the older adult.
Prof. Angela LEUNG, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services, remarked, “ICOPE 2.0 enhances the entire assessment and intervention process, facilitating the early identification of older adults in need of support and care. This approach helps to mitigate or slow the decline in quality of life associated with ageing. Additionally, the HKSAR Government has been actively reinforcing support for caregivers in recent years, which aligns seamlessly with the inclusion of caregiver elements in ICOPE 2.0. This underscores the importance of recognising that caring for older adults involves not only the individuals themselves but also the necessity of bolstering support for caregivers, as this is crucial for sustainable solutions.”
To enhance the understanding of ICOPE 2.0 among healthcare professionals and stakeholders in elder care, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services has developed comprehensive online and offline educational materials for ICOPE 2.0, with a training video premiered at the conference. The video not only elucidates the ICOPE 2.0 framework but also demonstrates its application through real-life case studies. Additionally, the conference featured an ICOPE Community Practice Workshop which attracted experts from various countries to explore the updates in the new version, share insights, and discuss community application strategies. This initiative aims to benefit older adults globally and foster cross-regional knowledge sharing and technology transfer.
Beyond promoting the implementation of ICOPE 2.0 in communities, the conference addressed a variety of topics related to healthy ageing, including policies on elderly health, technological innovations, and the latest developments in community care. Key areas of focus encompassed geriatric medicine, mental health, and smart ageing technologies, while also highlighting the latest research findings and practical examples of ageing studies from the Western Pacific region.
Prof. Leung envisioned that the conference and resource-sharing initiatives will inspire more community organisations, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to actively promote healthy ageing initiatives. The School of Nursing at PolyU will continue to uphold its leadership role as a WHO Collaborating Centre, driving the development and implementation of innovative solutions for elder health, thereby making a significant contribution to the global goal of achieving healthy ageing.
Hashtag: #HealthyAgeingConference2025 #WorldHealthOrganization #WHO#HealthyAgeing #PolyU #SchoolofNursing #Elderly #ICOPE2.0 #WHOCollaboratingCentreforCommunityHealthServices
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services at the School of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Since December 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the School of Nursing of Hong Kong Polytechnic University as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services (WHO CC). Committed to advancing the WHO’s mission, the School actively promotes evidence-based community health services, aiming to enhance health outcomes at local, regional, and global levels.
In 2023, the School was redesignated by WHO, with a focus on key indicators related to ageing and health. It is dedicated to promoting and implementing the WHO’s Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) guidelines, while also providing a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration to foster initiatives in healthy ageing.
About the Healthy Ageing Conference 2025
The theme of the conference is “Progressing the Healthy Ageing Agenda: Translating and Implementing Healthy Ageing Programmes and Initiatives in Our Communities.” Organised by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Health Services (WHO CC) at the School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, this event is strongly supported by the Title Sponsor, AIA Hong Kong.
The conference aims to unite stakeholders, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and other relevant individuals from around the globe to collaboratively advance the healthy ageing agenda. By translating and implementing healthy ageing programs and initiatives across the region, the conference aspires to contribute to the United Nations’ Decade of Healthy Ageing goals. For more information, please visit the official conference website: 
https://events.polyu.edu.hk/hac2025.
Media OutReach
Woodfibre LNG Marks 2025 as a Year of Construction Progress, Environmental Stewardship and Community Partnership
Over the past year, the project advanced from planning into visible, on-the-ground execution. Major construction milestones included the pouring of foundations for key modules, continued progress on marine piling, and further implementation of modular construction techniques designed to reduce on-site footprint while accelerating delivery timelines.
These advancements were achieved through close collaboration with project partners, suppliers and contractors, and in partnership with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
In 2025, Woodfibre LNG, a member of the RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, continued to operate its floatel workforce accommodation solution, designed to minimise pressure on local housing and community services. As of November, two floatels were in active operation, providing high-quality, safe and comfortable living conditions for the project workforce while supporting construction efficiency.
Environmental protection remained a central focus throughout the year. The project’s Marine Mammal Monitoring Programme, which includes hydroacoustic monitoring, exclusion zones and shore-based observation posts, delivered measurable outcomes by enabling real-time operational decisions, including pauses to marine activities when marine mammals entered exclusion areas.
In parallel, remediation of legacy materials from the former pulp mill site continued, with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of historical waste removed. These efforts have contributed to improving site conditions for both local communities and marine and terrestrial ecosystems in Howe Sound.
Woodfibre LNG’s Operator Training Programme, delivered in partnership with the Squamish Nation Training and Trades Centre and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), progressed throughout the year. The programme’s first cohort of graduates transitioned into full-time roles, supporting the development of long-term, skilled local employment opportunities linked to the project.
Through its Community Partnership Programme (CPP), Woodfibre LNG continued to invest in local communities across the Sea-to-Sky corridor. In 2025, the programme surpassed $1 million in total grants since its inception, supporting initiatives in sports, healthcare, emergency services, arts and culture, and youth development.
Luke Schauerte, CEO of Woodfibre LNG, said, “2025 has been a year of significant progress for Woodfibre LNG. We are proud of what our team and partners have accomplished together and look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.”
With more than half of the project’s development now complete, Woodfibre LNG remains focused on advancing construction safely and responsibly, while maintaining strong partnerships with Indigenous communities, local stakeholders and regulators.
As the project looks ahead to 2026, Woodfibre LNG continues its work toward delivering lower-carbon, responsibly produced Canadian energy to international markets.
Hashtag: #RGE #PacificEnergy #PacificCanbriamEnergy #WoodfibreLNG #LNG #environment #partnerships #LNG #liquefiednaturalgas #energy #sustainability
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Woodfibre LNG
The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned by Woodfibre LNG Limited Partnership, owned 70 per cent by Pacific Energy Corporation (Canada) Limited and 30 per cent by Enbridge Inc. The Woodfibre LNG facility is being built on the site of the former Woodfibre pulp mill site, which is located about seven kilometres southwest of Squamish, B.C. Woodfibre LNG will source its natural gas from Pacific Canbriam Energy, a Canadian company with operations in Northeastern British Columbia. Pacific Canbriam is an industry leader in sustainable natural gas production. Woodfibre LNG and Pacific Canbriam Energy are subsidiaries of Pacific Energy Corporation Limited. Woodfibre LNG is the first industrial project in Canada to recognise a non-treaty Indigenous government, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), as a full environmental regulator.
Media OutReach
New Opportunities in Southeast Asia’s Digital Shift: Thailand Emerges as the New ASEAN’s AI Hub
The expansion of AI and data centers (DCs) in Thailand is driving several transformative trends:
- Changing data traffic patterns. As DCs multiply in Bangkok, Chonburi, and beyond, Thailand is evolving from a traditional data “transit point” into a regional “convergence hub.” East-west digital traffic is accelerating, with Thai DC clusters increasingly meeting the computing demands of Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific.
- Optimized data routing. Data flows that once relied on submarine cables via Hong Kong and Singapore are gradually shifting to land-based digital corridors linking China, Laos, and Thailand. This route reduces data transmission latency from southwestern China to Southeast Asia.
- Elevated business expectations. Demand is shifting beyond “sufficient bandwidth” toward “high-quality experience.” Thailand sits in a “latency sweet spot” for key Asia-Pacific markets, with latencies to Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia falling within an optimal range—a crucial advantage for latency-sensitive sectors like autonomous driving, telemedicine, and fintech.
New opportunities inevitably bring new challenges, and Thailand also addresses the following three challenges:
1. Massive traffic impacting existing networks: Compared with mature hubs like Singapore, Thailand has insufficient international submarine cables. A large volume of cross-border data still needs to be transmitted through detours. Meanwhile, as DC investments continue to accelerate, traffic will keep rising. Analysis shows that by 2029, Thailand’s DC capacity may reach 2000 MW, with cross-region traffic surging to 630 Tbps. The current network architecture is no longer capable of supporting such heavy traffic.
2. Latency advantages not fully realized: Despite its geographic advantages, Thailand’s network latency performance has yet to reach its full potential. Routes to key markets, like China, still require third-party transit. What’s more, traditional network scheduling lacks intelligent route selection capabilities, making it difficult to provide deterministic assurance for latency-sensitive services like financial transactions and real-time AI interactions.
3. Potential risks in network reliability: Thailand’s network reliability faces structural challenges. Single points of failure have previously caused hours-long interruptions to critical services, directly undermining enterprise users’ confidence.
To overcome these challenges, Thailand can take a systematic approach to upgrading its digital infrastructure, aiming to build next-generation AI-ready networks.
1. Building ultra-high-bandwidth “sea-land” connectivity. By actively introducing new submarine cables, Thailand can significantly enhance its connectivity with the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Meanwhile, accelerating the construction and expansion of key terrestrial cable routes—such as China-Laos-Thailand and Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore—will transform Thailand’s geographic advantage into a tangible connectivity advantage.
2. Optimizing network routes to create a regional low-latency core. Strengthening the Kunming-Laos-Thailand terrestrial cable route will continuously reduce transmission latency between China and Thailand, meeting the needs of real-time applications. In addition, the introduction of autonomous networks will enable automatic selection of the optimal, shortest route, shifting from “best effort” to “deterministic low latency.”
3. Designing a “never-interrupted” high-resilience architecture. Deploying active-active DC networks with millisecond-level switchover capabilities ensures the continuity of core services. Meanwhile, AI-driven intelligent O&M can reduce fault detection and diagnosis from hours to minutes.
Thailand’s booming AI and DC industries are driving rapid growth in regional and cross-border business demand. In this trend, network infrastructure construction centered on DCs is the core engine that drives AI transformation, propelling Thailand toward its vision of becoming the new AI hub for ASEAN.
Hashtag: #huawei
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
MyRepublic Launches Card Sub, Singapore’s First Subscription Service for Trading Card Game Fans
Hashtag: #CardSub, #MyRepublic #MyRepublicCardSub #CardSubSG #TCG #GeeksUseUs
https://myrepublic.net/sg/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/myrepublic
https://x.com/myrepublic
https://www.facebook.com/MyRepublicSG/
https://www.instagram.com/myrepublicsg/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
MyRepublic
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking7 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn