Dr. Joshi in International Who's Who USA 2005

Manama - April 2 2005 Dr. P.L. Joshi, a distinguished Professor of Accounting, University of Bahrain, has been honoured by listed in INTERNATIONAL WHO's WHO, USA (2005) for his international exemplary achievements and distinguished contributions to the academic and business community. International Who's Who is a high profile and highly esteemed publication. Dr. Joshi has also been shortlisted for final inclusion in Marquis Who's Who is in the World, said a statement.

Dr. Joshi has been with the University of Bahrain for the last 14 years. Previously Dr. Joshi also worked at National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Mumbai, Bilkent University, Turkey and University of Nairobi, Kenya. He has published more than 58 research papers in the refereed International Accounting Journals all over the world and 45 articles and papers in non-refereed professional journals/magazines. for this accomplishments, he is considered a history creator in Indian accounting. Currently, he is the first non-American Indian founder Editor-in Chief of International Journal of Accounting Auditing and Performance Evaluation, published by Inderscience Enterprises. UK. He is the author of six books and one of his books in Financial Accounting is a text book in all government schools in Bahrain. Dr. Joshi has travelled to 70 countries in connection with conferences, consulting and other academic pursuits, the statement added..

Professor Joshi (main promoter) is currently forming World Accounting Forum (WAF) on a massive scale. Distinguished and prominent Accounting Professors from USA, UK, Australia, South Africa, Taiwan, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Canada, Malaysia, India and Middle East are involved in the formation of the forum. The mission of WAF: "The broader missions of the World Accounting Forum (WAF) will be to promote and recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of accounting thought and practice, by accounting scholars, globally and regionally through awards and documented recognition in order to enhance the academic status of this field".

Shell experts to address iddle East Petroleum & Gas Conference

Region's major annual energy conference to take place at Al Bustan
Rotana, Dubai, from April 3 to 5, 2005

April 2, 2005 Three senior Royal Dutch/Shell Group (Shell) experts will deliver key addresses at the 13th Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference (MPGC), which will take place at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai, from April 3 to 5, 2005. The Shell-sponsored conference is to be held under the theme, "Changing Cycles or a New Plateau: A Dramatic New paradigm in Middle East Oil".

Rob Routs, Executive Director, Downstream (Oil Products and Chemicals), will present a keynote address on the second day of the conference on "Delivering Downstream Profitability in Changing Markets.John Darley, Director Exploration & Production Technology, will address the forum on the role of upstream technology, as part of the Chief Executive Panel on the opening day of the conference.

Charles Watson, Gas & Power Director for Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, will lead the Middle East Gas and LNG Roundtable at the second day's plenary session, in which regional players will provide insights into the key issues of natural gas, with the focus on, "The Changing Face of The Gas Business in the Middle East."

"As the leading regional conference on oil and gas, MPGC provides an important forum for Shell to project its strategies and network with the industry's leading players," said Michael Megarry, VP External Affairs for Shell. "We are delighted that three of Shell's most senior executives will be making such a significant contribution to this event. The conference will help highlight Shell's growing role in all aspects of the oil and gas business across the region."

17th GETEX to Host a Dedicated Section on Education Technology

March 31, 2005 A dedicated section on Education Technology, Equipment and Supply will debut at the 17th GETEX (Gulf Education & Training Exhibition), which is to be held from April 5 to 8, 2005, at Dubai International Exhibition
Centre. This is the first time that manufacturers and suppliers of educational support materials in the Middle East have a consolidated forum to display their products to regional and international educational institutes, as well as interact with their fraternity from across global markets."For the fact that educational materials and supplies is one of the most vibrant market segments in any country, it is amazing how rarely it is placed under spotlight. Whether it is the ubiquitous student's table and chair or the whiteboard versus blackboard debate, interactive eLearning resources or inducting Information Technology in the art course - there is a wealth of issues that deserve to be highlighted," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organisers of GETEX.

"We have a strong commitment to supporting the regional education community in every one of their requirements. Our decision to invite education technology innovators to participate in GETEX stems from the realisation that educational material can often play a crucial role in the integrated learning environment. We expect this segment at this show to grow and diversify in the future," added Godinho.Leading the line-up of exhibitors at the GETEX Supply and Equipment Segment will be SunGard SCT, leading global providers of software and services for higher education and architects of 'The Unified Digital Campus' vision. The US based company set-up its Middle East Operations at the Knowledge Village, Dubai in 2003. One of their leading projects in the region has been the deployment of its e-Education solutions by the state-of-the-art
campus of the American University in Kuwait.

At the exhibition, SunGard's solutions to be showcased will include Administrative Solutions that bring together information, services, departments, and even multiple institutions; Portal, Collaboration and Community Solutions
that unify access to campus-wide information and services, anytime and anywhere; Information Access Solutions where improves access will mean better strategic decision making; Content Management Solutions for creating, managing
and presenting online content; Academic Solutions for assimilating resources to improve learning, teaching and research; and Integration Solutions that deliver seamless unity of data systems, applications and processes.

Besides showcasing their solutions at the stand, SunGard will also conduct seminars to demonstrate technologies for Portals Infrastructure that governs how users view and access the Unified Digital Campus; Application Infrastructure that provides services for institutions' constituents relating to learning, teaching, administration, research, collaboration, and community
involvement; and Enterprise Data Infrastructure to ensure manageability and consistency in data storage, reporting, and business analytics.

Also at GETEX will be Canada's Famic Technologies Inc. with the 'Automation Studio' software solution, the worldwide standard for teaching fluid power and automation technologies. Automation Studio offers powerful and
user-friendly schematic design, sizing and simulation capabilities, and multiple new tools for teaching and learning of hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical and other such technologies. The extensive simulation capabilities of the software allow educators to save time since they can quickly draw circuits, prepare animated course material and perform virtual demonstrations. The software's multi-technology environment also exposes students to a wider range of technologies and
reinforces their understanding of the interaction between the various electrical, automation and fluid power technologies.

In addition, by using schematics, cut-away animations, dynamic and realistic simulation, and data monitoring, Automation Studio becomes an indispensable tool to explain equipment and controls operation from the component up
to the system level, and increase students' and trainees' knowledge retention.The Supply and Equipment segment at the 17th GETEX will feature over 40 exhibitors from 15 countries.

The Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) is the largest education fair in the Middle East region. Organised by International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), GETEX held under the patronage of the UAE
Ministry of Education as well as the support of Dubai Knowledge Village, the region's biggest ensemble of institutes of higher education, and the British Council in Dubai.

In the 17th successive year of showing, GETEX is providing a forum to educational and training institutes from almost every region of the world. The 16th GETEX, held in April 2004, attracted 365 institutions from 30 countries and an audience of 23,500 students, parents, teachers and education professionals. The 17th GETEX is expected to grow by an estimated 40 per cent.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP TO REVISE MEDICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

The Centre is to set up a Curriculum Committee to revise the medical curriculum in the next one or two years. This was stated by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in response to certain suggestions by private and Government medical and dental college representatives in a meeting here today. He pointed out that there was a need to revise the curriculum not only to include newer courses and more practical oriented education but also to make it socially oriented and rural oriented.

In the first meeting of its kind, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry today invited more than 200 representatives of medical and dental college management to discuss issues relating to medical education.

Reacting to a suggestion that the retirement age of teachers in medical colleges should be raised from 65 to 70, he said the matter will be looked into. In order to boost medical healthcare on availability in rural areas, the Minister said that they are deliberating a proposal to make a rural stint necessary before either getting a Graduation Certificate or before applying for a Post-Graduate course.The Health Minister exhorted the participants to increase medical colleges in backward areas. He said, of the 229 medical colleges in the country, 143 were in the four southern states and Maharashtra and Gujarat. Of the 229 medical colleges, 104 were in the private sector.

Reacting to a suggestion for regulating pay structures of doctors, the Minister said that the Government was planning to set up a Medical Grants Commission on the lines of the University Grants Commission. He said, there was a need to start courses on family medicines and public health and in order to maximize the technical experience, there was a need to network. He said, the Pharmaco Vigilance Committee which was set up recently was a network of 229 pharma departments across the country and was done with the aim to maximize the available resources and even explore possibilities of funding research. The Minister said that a stringent view will be taken of excess admission in the colleges as well as proxy teachers.

The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi said that the aim of the meeting was to bring quality education into the medical arena. She said that the Government was committed to transparency and any participant was welcome to come to the Ministry to discuss any grievance.

UAE authorities issues stern warning against the use or sale of pirated software.

Arrest follows the seizure of two PCs and 10 CDs with pirated software in raid on a computer company

April 02, 2005 The UAE authorities once again reaffirmed their commitment to combating the illegal use of pirated software, by raiding a computer store in Dubai recently. The raid, conducted by Dubai Police in coordination with the Arabian Antipiracy Alliance (AAA), led to the seizure of two PCs and ten CDs containing illegally copied softwares and the detention of an employee of the store. The move is in line with the UAE's persistent campaign against software piracy through stringent laws and punishment for violators of intellectual property rights to protect the national economy in general and the IT industry in particular.

"The recent raid sends a strong message to companies and individuals selling or using pirated software, that the UAE will act tough with violators of antipiracy laws," said Scott Butler, Chief Executive Officer of AAA. "The UAE has rightly emerged as a regional model for effectively reducing software piracy through stringent legislation.""Apart from affecting end-users, software piracy has a negative impact on local and international business software solution companies, stunts the economic growth of a country," added Butler. "The technology and IT industries are suffering losses running into millions of dollars, forcing specialised software manufacturers to reduce investments in Research & Development, severely impacting the growth of the sector."

Butler said software piracy leads to imbalance and instability in the economic cycle of nations. This practice also affects end-users because pirated software products produce poor performance and affects data integrity."Anti piracy campaigns help created an environment conducive to IT investments and balanced economic growth. They also serve to energise the IT industry locally and globally and support Arab economies by attracting new investment in the local IT markets," concluded Butler

SUPPLIERS GET $2 BILION TENDER CHANCE FOR NEW DOHA AIRPORT

US giant Bechtel uses Airport Build & Supply Exhibition to expose Qatar mega project to international bidders

Dubai, UAE, 30 March, 2005: Tenders worth up to US$2 billion for work on Qatar’s New Doha International airport will be up for grabs when leading suppliers assemble at the Middle East’s foremost airport industry event in May. US giant Bechtel Aviation, which is managing construction of the region’s only greenfield airport, one that is built from scratch, will use the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition in Dubai to expose the $2.6 billion mega project to the maximum amount of bidders. “So far, we have awarded contracts worth about US$600 million for site mobilization, land reclamation and rubbish landfield removal work,” said Rudy Vercelli, Bechtel’s Director, Global Strategic Development. (Caption: The Airport Build & Supply Exhibition will give airport suppliers a unique chance to tap into Qatar’s New Doha International Airport - Scroll down to get detailed view)

“Our priority in the coming months will be finding the most advanced and qualified airport equipment suppliers in the market and our needs cover a vast range of goods, from runway lighting to baggage scanning and handling systems.” Addressing an international audience of airport suppliers at the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition, taking place from 23-25 May at Dubai’s Airport Exp, Vercelli will detail Bechtel’s needs and demands for the project, as well as the airport’s tendering procedure. With business worth around $2 billion still at stake, he is certain to have a captive audience. “Our goal is to open lines of communication with as many contractors and suppliers as possible, as this will ultimately ensure we tap the best companies in the marketplace and obtain the most competitive prices,”said Vercelli.

Situated approximately four kilometers east of the existing airport, the New Doha International Airport will feature two runways mostly constructed on reclaimed land. The project’s master plan lays out a development in three stages, with Phase One scheduled for completion by late 2008 or early 2009. By the time it is fully developed, the airport will have 80 contact gates with a capacity to handle over 50 million passengers per year.

“With a total area equivalent to more than a third of the size of the city of Doha, the New Doha International Airport is one of the most challenging and ambitious projects in the world at the moment and Mr. Vercelli’s presentation will be a great help for exhibitors who want to be a part of this project” said Nick Webb, director, Streamline Marketing, organisers of the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition.

Now in its fifth year, the event attracts a targeted audience of regional departments of Civil Aviation, government officials, VIPs and Middle East-based consultants and contractors behind many of the region’s airport development projects.Held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai and chairman of Emirates Group, the exhibition also enjoys the support of the French Airport & ATC Technology Trade Association (PROAVIA), which represents the interests of 40 major French manufacturers. There will be dedicated pavilions representing German Airport Technology & Equipment (GATE), British Airports Group and Netherlands Airport Technology (NAT). All exhibitors have pre-arranged meetings with the relevant project manager, engineer or architect in the Dubai DCA and/or their consultants, enabling them to discuss Dubai International Airport's expansion as well as the new Jebel Ali Airport.

March 30 2005

Russian Lady Repeatedly Stabs Lover to Death, Indian Women found Dead in Sharing Accommodation

DUBAI - A few days after an Indian beautician was found dead in her apartment near Al Rigga following her reported separation from a temporary Pakistani partner, a Russian lady has repeated stabbed her temporary lover, another European, instantly killing him. According to Police sources, the Russian lady who has been living with the Swiss-German origin lover has been arrested by the police, after she informed police about the murder. The sensational murder by the Russian lady in the Jumeirah area added one more case to the growing list of crimes involving "living partners" The city has many single man and woman who develop temporary affinity and romance that end up in illicit relationship and living together system.

The Russian lady is being questioned by Dubai police. The young Indian lady who had been living with a Pakistani businessman was found hanging from the ceiling of a sharing accommodation in Al Rigga area of Diera, a center of sex trafficking related crime. As the lady disappeared from the common kitchen for a few days, other ladies suspected some foul play and informed the concerned authorities. The lady who was working in a "beauty saloon" was reported to be missing for two days by her employer. Later on police discovered the decomposed body of the woman hanging from the ceiling fan.

The body was discovered two days after her death and the Pakistani life partner disappeared from the scene. Police reports insist that the death was not a murder as the room in which the dead body was found. According to the police version, the lady committed suicide after her Pakistani lover who lost in a business deal decided to leave her alone. It was only a few days ago that the media reported about the illicit affair between an Indian and Sri Lankan that resulted in the birth of two children who do not have any nationalities.

There are many "rent a families" in which temporary love affairs between men and women of different nationalities are bonded into temporary family life. Married and single man and women who end up as lovers live together in apartments. In some parts of the city, earmarked for family residents only, there are many ad hoc families who enter into a marriage of convenience to get "family accommodation" without any hassles. -Watch this space.

March 29 2005

Good Lesson for Cheat Gulf Malayali Husbands and Wives

Father of "Nation less" Children Seeks help to get Passport

By V.M.Sathish

Umm al Quaim: Two expatriate children who live in a small rented apartment in Salma near here with their Indian father are facing an unpleasant situation due to the uncertainty surrounding their nationality. Born to Indian father and Sri Lankan mother, the two children have no nationality to claim as their parents did not follow relevant rules. Without a passport, they cannot attend school or travel outside the UAE for education. Five years old Dhanush and three years old Shyni are definitely born to an Indian father and Srilankan mother but due to the peculiar situation that united and separated the Indo-Sri Lankan family, the issue has become quite complex, which social workers say needs to be tackled with a humanitarian approach.

Thankappan Babu, an Indian citizen from the South Indian State of Kerala has been parenting the two children, born to his Sri Lankan wife Anusha Kumari who hails from Colombo. Speaking to KM, Babu who was already married with two children back home said: "It was a love affair that ended up in our marriage. The marriage was held in Colombo Sri Lanka. I met her in Sharjah and when I was sick she was very helpful. Our first son who is five years old ow was born in a Sharjah hospital and the birth was reported to the health department. However, we did not report the birth of second child, three years old Shyni because my wife had some problem with her visa."

"Our marriage took place in Sri Lanka and the children were born in Sharjah and Ajman. I could not take a passport for them because the Indian consulate wanted a No Objection Certificate from my first wife," he added. Since it was an illicit love affair which was later legalized through a marriage kept secret from his legally married wife, fixing the nationality of the two children has been difficult. The problem was complicated further when the Sri Lankan mother had to leave UAE after she was caught by the UAE authorities for living without proper documents. "One year back my wife who was working as a beautician in an adjacent beauty shop had a quarrel with another lady and the issue ended up in police station. She was deported as she was overstaying here without visa," he added. Now he lives with the children and his brother in a small apartment. He also helps his brother to run a laundry.

Babu who has been running a laundry business in Ajman for the last 13 years is now feeling guilty about having a second marriage, but does not want to leave his two children born to the Sri Lankan wife in the dark. "My wife and children in Varkala, Kerala are not fully aware of the second marriage or about the two children. I want to get their passports and take them to India," he added. "They will live with my other two children," he added.

The first child who was born in Al Khasmi Hospital Sharjah, the second child was born in the house itself. "As my wife did not have proper visa, we did not go to the hospital. Now the children have reached school going age and somehow we should get their passports," he added. The two children born to the Indo-Sri Lankan couple have to lead a difficult life for no fault of theirs. According to Babu, his wife who lives in Colombo lost her passport in the recent tsunami waves and she is unable to return to the UAE due to economic reasons. His immediate priority is to get passport for his two children and send them to school. According to social workers who are trying to help the family, this is not an isolated case. The problem facing Babu and his two "nation less" children should be an eye opener too. Unlike many unwanted and abandoned children born out of wedlock the issue of such children without nationality should be properly addressed.

IIT-BOMBAY AND NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE INK A DEAL TO OFFER JOINT MASTERS AND DOCTORAL LEVEL PROGRAMMES

In a landmark development the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay and the National University of Singapore (NUS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Singapore today to establish a joint degree programme at the Masters and Doctoral levels. The MOU provides a framework for both NUS and IIT-B to work on programmes leading to a joint Masters and Ph.D degrees in Advanced Engineering Materials, training human resources relevant to a number of industrial sectors in both countries.The MOU was signed by Prof. Ashok Mishra, Director, IIT-Bombay and Prof. Shih Choon Fong, President of NUS, in the presence of the Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Arjun Singh and the Minister of Education of Singapore, Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

The programme in Advanced Engineering Materials covering Nanostructures, hybrids and composites, micro-fabrication and micro devices, biomaterials, electronic materials, chemical engineering materials, building materials, aims to increase the depth and breadth of engineering materials, for tomorrow’s consumer and environment. The programmes will draw heavily on existing NUS and IIT-B infrastructure and course modules, greatly reducing the cost of mounting such a joint programme, cost of IIT-B or MHRD. Both IIT-B and NUS professors will participate in joint teaching and supervision of projects, in Singapore and in India, and via teleconferencing. With funding support from the Singapore Economic Development Board and the Ministry of Education, the partnership is expected to yield some 40 MS and eight Ph.D graduates annually. Under the programme, IIT-B expects to further develop its “smart” classroom facilities for course delivery to Singapore, which can also be used for furthering the distance education programme within India. The programme is expected to attract students from top engineering schools in India and from top schools in China, Singapore and other ASEAN region. Selection would be based on GATE (IITs Graduate Admission Test in Engineering), GRE, TOEFL (where applicable) scores and an interview. Some two-thirds of student intake would be expected to have engineering background, with the balance coming from a science background. The programme emphasizes three elements, namely, education, research and industry relevance.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Arjun Singh expressed the hope that the students of this pioneering programme between India and Singapore will go out with a wide inter-disciplinary technical background as well as the appreciation of working as part of a globally integrated work force.Mr. Shanmugaratnam said that the involvement of IIT in this joint masters programme will further enhance Singapore’s image as an education hub in the world. He said that the programme will provide an enlarged campus of talent, promising greater innovation, stronger branding and creation of environment that would attract some of the best brains in this region.

MOU SIGNED BETWEEN C-DOT AND ALCATEL TO ESTABLISH BROADBAND WIRELESS GLOBAL RESEARCH CENTRE IN INDIA

Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), premier telecom research and develop centre of Government of India and the French telecom major, Alcatel have signed an MOU for the establishment of a joint global Research and Development Centre in India to undertake R&D work in the field of Broadband wireless access. The MOU was signed here today by Mr. Vijay Madan Executive Director, C-DOT and Mr. Ravi Sharma, President Alcatel south Asia, in the presence of Minister of communication & Information Technology, Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Shri Nripendra Mishra, Secretary DOT and Mr. Etienne Fouques President mobile communication group of Alcatel.

The MOU is pursuant to the discussion held by Shri Maran at Cannes, France during 3GSM world congress with various international telecommunication organizations for establishing telecommunication research, development and manufacturing facilities in India to address both Indian and global markets by taking advantage of Indian skills and favourable investment environment. Various short term and long term projects in the field of wireless access technologies are proposed to be taken up in different phases by the centre.

The first R&D project to be implemented jointly will be related to WiMAX technology based on emerging IEEE 802.16e standard and its evolutions. In particular it will be an excellent alternative initially to Indian rural broadband requirements and will also be compliant to Indian broadband business user needs and spectrum allocation. The solution will also cater to volume global markets.

WiMax 802.16 based systems are expected to provide mobility, high data rates and long distance coverage. While the presently available WiFi technology mainly caters to short distance hot spots the WiMAX technology can be deployed both in the wireless backbone and the mobile access networks. Apart from the development of latest wireless technologies, the partnership also envisages industrialization and volume production of the WiMAX Solutions in India finally assisting the telecom manufacturing sector as well.

The present Agreement will also push forward Government of India plan of bringing the advantages of broadband services to urban subscribers as well as to rural masses. The joint project will also provide an appropriate platform for tele-education, tele-health, e-information and e-governance apart from fulfilling the telecommunications service needs of the mobile users.

New Doha International Airport