Tag: news

STB’s Virtual Assistant Alma Redefines How Travelers Explore Slovenia

by jezzabellemente, posted in Uncategorized

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia, Dec 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —TheSlovenian Tourist Board (STB) is strengthening Slovenia’s position as a digitally advanced, user-focused destination with Alma, an AI-powered virtual travel advisor that has rapidly become one of the country’s most innovative tourism tools. Integrated into the national tourism portal slovenia.info, Alma enables visitors to access personalised and up-to-date travel information in real time, marking a major step in the STB’sdigital transformation efforts.

Launched in May 2024, Alma engages users in conversational, intuitive exchanges across seven languages, providing tailored guidance, inspiring stories and practical tips for exploring Slovenia. Named after traveller and writer Alma M. Karlin, the assistant is built on advanced OpenAI technology and sources information from the slovenia.info database and more than 60 curated tourism websites and API integrations.

Since its introduction, Alma has gained significant recognition. It earned silver in the Tourism category at the 2024 Websi Awards, praised for its intelligent integration with the website’s search engine and for enhancing user interaction on a national tourism platform. More recently, Alma won the prestigious Travel Tech Project of the Year at the 2025 Game Changer Awards, underscoring Slovenia’s leadership in developing responsibly designed, user-friendly digital solutions for the future of travel.

MSc. Maja Pak Olaj, the Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, emphasised: “Alma represents an important step towards modern, intelligent and personalised services that make exploration of Slovenia easier. The award recognises our efforts toward innovation and confirms that thoughtful use of technology can create greater value for tourists, partners, and the entire Slovenian tourism sector.”

Alma’s impact is reflected in its strong adoption figures. In August 2025 alone, users asked nearly 12,000 questions, with English, Italian, German and Slovenian speakers representing the largest share. The assistant achieved an 88% positive rating that month, rising to 91% in October and November, reflecting high satisfaction.

Travellers increasingly rely on Alma to plan multi-day itineraries, discover lesser-known regions, choose family-friendly activities, explore culinary and cultural events and access sustainable mobility options. Continuous upgrades – including a redesigned mobile interface, dynamic suggestions and multilingual adaptation – further strengthen its role as a digital companion. Looking ahead, the STB is developing “Admin Alma” to allow destinations to enrich the assistant with local insights, and plans to evolve Alma into a real-time voice guide supporting visitors throughout their journey.

More information: 
https://www.slovenia.info/en/business/content-digital-marketing/alma-slovenian-ai-travel-guide

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at 
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/614ec2a1-ff5d-4362-8310-12fcdb6c12ae

press@slovenia.info

SOURCE: Slovenian Tourist Board

–BERNAMA

GLOBAL WEALTH MIGRATION DRIVEN BY RISING PRIVATE HEALTHCARE COSTS – HENLEY & PARTNERS

by jezzabellemente, posted in Uncategorized

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 (Bernama) — A sharp acceleration in global wealth migration in 2025 is colliding with rapidly diverging private healthcare costs worldwide, making the availability and price of reliable private care a key factor for high-net-worth families deciding where to live, invest, or secure residence and citizenship.

New data released by Henley & Partners confirms record demand for cross-border planning and highlights healthcare cost exposure as a critical “hidden variable” shaping long-term destination choices for globally mobile families.

The firm in a statement said it has received applications from 92 nationalities this year and supported demand across more than 50 residence and citizenship programmes and has assisted applicants from 136 nationalities over the past five years.

Comparing the first three quarters of 2024 with the same period in 2025, Henley & Partners reported a 43 per cent increase in applications, underscoring intensifying cross-border mobility among affluent households.

To support destination planning, the firm is referencing the newly published SIP Health Cost Index (HCI) 2025—a benchmark of the true cost of private healthcare across 50 key countries, based on International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI) premiums.

While Henley & Partners focuses on residence and citizenship advisory, the Index provides a complementary view into how private healthcare costs can materially affect a destination’s long-term affordability and suitability, especially for families with children, ageing parents, or elective cross-border medical needs.

The Index identifies familiar high-cost markets, with the United States ranking as the world’s most expensive private healthcare market, with an average annual IPMI-based cost of US$17,969 per person, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore. (US$1 = RM4.11)

However, unexpected shifts are emerging beyond traditional hubs. Several markets in emerging Asia—including China, Thailand, and Taiwan—have now entered the global top 12 for private-care costs, driven by strong demand for premium hospitals and rising inpatient expenses.

Europe shows one of the widest spreads, with the United Kingdom (UK), Greece, and Spain among its most expensive markets, partly due to Insurance Premium Tax in the UK and Greece. In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates ranks 10th globally, reflecting expanding high-end healthcare infrastructure and medical-tourism ambitions.

As global wealth migration continues to rise, Henley & Partners said private healthcare cost exposure is becoming a first-order consideration in residence and citizenship planning. The SIP Health Cost Index provides a practical comparison tool to help families anticipate long-term healthcare budgets and avoid hidden high-cost risks when choosing a home, second residence, or multi-base lifestyle.

— BERNAMA

Thai vocational education representatives visit Guangxi Financial Vocational College, jointly discussing a new blueprint for vocational education

by jezzabellemente, posted in Uncategorized

Teaching Building of the Digital Economy Modern Craftsman College at the Kuala Lumpur Campus of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Technology, Malaysia

NANNING, China, Nov. 10, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ — 

Recently, Minister Tanapat Saengchan of the Vocational Education Commission of Thailand visited Guangxi Financial Vocational College. This exchange is an important opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two sides, and it is expected that through pragmatic communication, in-depth collaboration in the field of vocational education between the two countries will be promoted.

Guangxi Financial Vocational College adheres to building a highland for open cooperation and innovation in vocational education in Guangxi facing ASEAN, actively explores new models of integration of production and education, helps the high-quality economic development of the ASEAN region, and constantly polishes the golden brand of “Modern Craftsmen” in international exchanges and cooperation.

Four-Party Collaboration Between Schools and Enterprises to Enhance the Ability of Vocational Education to Serve Industries

Focusing on the construction of the “China-Malaysia Digital Economy Modern Craftsman College”, the school has established a regular communication mechanism with Malaysian national universities and enterprises, forming a “school-school-enterprise-enterprise” co-construction model. It has jointly built a “1+1+N” production-education integration innovation and development carrier with “one industry community, one modern craftsman college, and N demonstration enterprises and branch colleges” as the core. Relying on the background of the digital economy industry, it serves the overseas expansion of products of Chinese enterprises and increases the output value of enterprises by about 13 million yuan.

Co-construction of Overseas Platforms to Promote In-depth Collaboration in China-ASEAN Vocational Education

The school has successively established foreign exchange projects such as the China-ASEAN Business Technology Innovation and Vocational Education Cooperation Center (Indonesia), Cooperation Center (Cambodia), and the overseas “Silk Road Finance College”, forming an all-round and sustainable pattern of vocational education exchanges. Relying on the intellectual resources of the “Zhongguancun Artificial Intelligence Large Model Industry Agglomeration Area” in Tsinghua Science Park, it has built 1 overseas digital intelligence center, 2 exchange centers, 3 technical service platforms, and 2 cross-border production-education integration bases. It accurately meets the technical and talent needs of enterprises in ASEAN countries and further promotes China-ASEAN vocational education collaboration.

Cross-border Ecological Integration to Empower the Training of “Modern Craftsmen”

With the help of the Modern Craftsman College project, schools and enterprises have built an international talent training matrix integrating “teaching, training, competitions, research, conferences, and exhibitions”. It has co-constructed and shared 6 standards, 4 international courses, 1 bilingual textbook, and 8 international training resource packages, and developed 6 teaching equipment. It has carried out 49 domestic and foreign skill training sessions, covering 8,251 participants. It has held 2 international skill competitions for ASEAN, attracting 303 teams from 7 countries to compete. The school also held the “2024 China (Guangxi)-ASEAN Vocational Education Development Exchange Conference”, jointly carried out research projects and exhibition activities with universities and enterprises in ASEAN countries, explored the “AI+X” compound talent training model, transported high-quality applied talents for the development of Guangxi’s digital economy and China-ASEAN artificial intelligence industry cooperation, and wrote a new chapter in vocational education serving the local economy.

Source: Guangxi Financial Vocational College

Eyexora Establishes Co-Headquarters in Singapore to Accelerate Growth Across Asia-Pacific

by jezzabellemente, posted in Uncategorized

SINGAPORE, Nov 6 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Eyexora, a biotech company pioneering innovative therapies for ophthalmic diseases through a hub-and-spoke model, today announced the establishment of its co-headquarters in Singapore, marking a major milestone in the company’s global expansion and deepening its commitment to advancing eye health worldwide. Eyexora’s seed financing was led by ClavystBio, a global life sciences investor based in Singapore, and its initial programs have been in-licensed from the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI).

The new Singapore headquarters will serve as a gateway to Eyexora’s growing activities across the Asia-Pacific region, supporting clinical development, research collaborations, and regional partnerships. This expansion further strengthens Eyexora’s collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), a long-standing partner in ophthalmic innovation.

Eyexora’s Singapore operations will be instrumental in driving the company’s mission to develop transformative, accessible treatments for patients with vision-threatening diseases, while advancing scientific collaboration in one of the world’s most dynamic healthcare innovation hubs.

“Singapore has become a global center for ophthalmic research and innovation, and we are proud to deepen our presence here,” said Theresa Heah, M.D., M.B.A., Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair of the Board, Eyexora. “This new co-headquarters positions Eyexora at the heart of Asia-Pacific’s biomedical ecosystem and strengthens our collaboration with SERI. Together, we are accelerating the development of breakthrough therapies that can improve vision and quality of life for patients around the world.”

“This milestone reflects our vision to build a truly global ophthalmic company,” said William J. Link, Ph.D, Chairman of the Board at Eyexora. “Singapore’s strong research infrastructure and commitment to innovation make it an ideal base for expanding Eyexora’s partnerships and advancing the next generation of eye care solutions.”

“Eyexora’s new co-headquarters are a testament to Singapore’s leadership in ophthalmology research and clinical delivery, and position as a global life sciences hub,” said Khoo Shih, Ph.D, CEO, ClavystBio. “At ClavystBio, we are excited to partner seasoned leaders like Theresa, William and their team to accelerate meaningful innovations and make global health impact.”

Last month Eyexora announced the launch of its second spoke company, Y.ora Vision, Inc., focused on developing next-generation ophthalmic medical devices for glaucoma. The company’s creation, complementing initial spoke company, Serenora Therapeutics, Inc., underscores Eyexora’s commitment to building a global ecosystem of specialized ventures that advance innovation across key therapeutic areas in ophthalmology.

Eyexora’s Singapore co-headquarters complements its U.S. base in New York, and will anchor the company’s Asia-Pacific operations, including clinical, scientific, and strategic functions, as it continues to grow its global footprint.

About Eyexora

Eyexora is a global ophthalmology company pioneering a hub-and-spoke model to accelerate innovation in eye care. By centralizing scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial expertise, Eyexora advances a diversified pipeline of therapies and devices through focused subsidiaries, to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and scale impact. Founded by leaders with decades of ophthalmology experience and a track record of more than 30 successful company and product launches, Eyexora partners with clinician-scientists and research institutes worldwide to bring transformative eye care solutions to patients faster and smarter. For more information, visit www.eyexora.com.

About ClavystBio

ClavystBio is a life sciences investor and venture builder established by Temasek to accelerate the commercialization of breakthrough ideas into health impact. We invest and partner with founders and entrepreneurs to launch and grow global companies from Asia. Our focus spans therapeutics, digital health and medtech, with an emphasis on first-in-class science and technology. Our collaborative space, Node 1, provides plug-and-play spaces for ventures that have graduated from incubators to progress to their next milestones. By bringing startups together, we foster a vibrant and supportive community. For more information, please visit https://www.clavystbio.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI)

Established in 1997, SERI is Singapore’s national research institute for ophthalmic and vision research. SERI’s mission is to conduct high-impact eye research that prevents blindness, low vision, and major eye diseases common to Singaporeans and Asians. Over the last decade, SERI has conducted landmark research projects that have led to tangible outcomes, patient benefits, and success stories. It has paved the way for significant improvements in how eye diseases are treated and prevented, not just for Singaporeans or Asians, but on a global scale.

At its inception, SERI saw a national remit in ophthalmic and vision research, and till today, SERI ensures that its facilities and resources are open to researchers across Singapore so that the greatest benefit may be obtained from what is a relatively small clinical ophthalmology catchment area in Singapore.

SERI has grown from a founding team of five in 1997 to a faculty of more than 253 staff, encompassing clinician scientists, scientists, research fellows, PhD students and support staff. This makes SERI one of the largest research institutes in Singapore, as well as the largest eye research institute in the Asia Pacific region. SERI has also over 255 adjunct faculties from various eye departments, biomedical institutes, and tertiary centres in Singapore. SERI has published an impressive array of 5,942 scientific papers and has secured external peer-reviewed competitive grants worth more than $473 million. As of December 2024, SERI’s faculty has been awarded with more than 1,425 national and international prizes and filed 188 patents.

As the research institute of the SNEC, and directly affiliated to the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, as well as the Duke-NUS Medical School, SERI undertakes vision research in collaboration with local clinical ophthalmic centres and biomedical research institutions, as well as major eye centres and research institutes throughout the world.

SERI ranks first globally in terms of eye publications per capita, far ahead of the US, UK, and Japan. With its impressive publication track record, SERI is comparable to renowned eye institutes, both regionally and internationally. Please see www.seri.com.sg.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251104717799/en/

Contact

Media Contact
Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917-291-5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com

Source : Eyexora

PROFESSOR SPYRIDON FLOGAITIS HONOURED WITH 2025 GLOBAL CITIZEN AWARD

by jezzabellemente, posted in Uncategorized

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) — The prestigious Global Citizen Award has recognised distinguished legal scholar and advocate for public governance, Professor Spyridon Flogaitis for his lifelong commitment to strengthening democratic institutions, upholding the rule of law, and expanding legal access for vulnerable communities.

The annual tribute is presented by leading international residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, in partnership with the Swiss non-profit humanitarian organisation Andan Foundation.

“Professor Flogaitis has demonstrated how the law can be a transformative force for peace, dignity, and inclusion. His commitment to justice, democratic resilience, and cross-border collaboration exemplifies what it means to be a global citizen,” said Henley & Partners Chairman and Andan Foundation Founder, Dr Christian H. Kaelin.

Presented at a gala reception during the 19th annual Global Citizenship Conference in London, the award honours individuals who show exceptional courage and commitment towards improving and supporting the global community.

Professor Flogaitis received the Global Citizen Award for his tireless work in advancing public law, legal education, and institutional reform, particularly in regions facing democratic fragility and post-crisis recovery.

As Director and President of the Board of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), he has led groundbreaking initiatives to improve local governance, train civil servants, and expand access to justice for marginalised groups.

His efforts have had a lasting impact in Southeastern Europe and beyond, fostering legal frameworks that uphold human rights and enable civic participation, Henley & Partners said in a statement.

The Global Citizen Award selection process is based on a majority decision of the Global Citizen Award Committee. The award comprises a bespoke sculptural medal designed by Italian artist Antonio Nocera, an award certificate signed by the Committee Chairman, and a monetary prize of US$20,000 to support the recipient’s humanitarian work. (US$1 = RM4.19)

Henley & Partners also commits to a year-long collaboration with the recipient to raise awareness and amplify their impact through its global network of more than 70 offices.

— BERNAMA