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Finance minister seeks to keep Serbia in FDI spotlight

Serbia’s minister of finance, Siniša Mali, explains why the country is one of Europe's economic stars, and how its FDI levels have risen on the back of this.




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Spotlight: Serbian free zones

Serbia’s 15 free zones are driving forward an ongoing flurry of foreign investment in the country’s buoyant manufacturing scene, especially in automotives.




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Europe’s wind potential is 100 times higher, could power the world

Europe can potentially generate 100 times the current amount of energy generated, and produce enough power to power the world until 2050, if it were to maximize land use for onshore wind capacity.




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Event Focus: SolarVision highlights Asia renewables potential

Southeast Asia is poised for a long-overdue and much-needed boom in solar.




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Three strategies for building solar and wind energy systems on potentially contaminated lands

Building solar and wind energy projects on potentially contaminated lands can be a golden opportunity, both effective and cost-effective, for developers. The 120-acre Reilly Tar & Chemical Corporation Superfund site was recently redeveloped with a utility-scale solar farm and is a prime example of the reuse potential inherent in thousands of Superfund sites, brownfields, retired power plants, and landfills.




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Fulfilling the Potential of Biogas in Spain

Biogas is a resource that has enormous potential in Spain and beyond. Biogas technologies convert organic wastes into renewable energy, clean transport fuel, and nutrient-rich natural fertiliser, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy and food security and air quality. A recent study commissioned by Naturgy, Spain’s largest natural gas distributor, showed a potential for 26,684 gigawatt hours (GWh) of biogas in the country, enough to cover the energy demand of 40% of Spain’s households.




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An irrigation network in Japan offers more than 1.4 MW of potential generation

The addition of hydropower generating capacity to an irrigation network in northern Japan is one step closer to completion. Several sites have been identified for the installation of VLH turbines, with a total capacity of 1.433 MW.




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Studying the potential to improve performance of the Brazeau plant through turbine upgrades

One or two new runners for the units at the 355-MW Brazeau Power Station in Alberta, Canada, would allow owner TransAlta Corp. to better optimize revenue and provide valuable ancillary services. Modeling of the various upgrade options allowed the utility to arrive at the most valuable solution.




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Potsdam hydroelectric project has rehabilitation and new construction goals

According to the Federal Register, potential power is presently unutilized at the 800-kW East powerhouse and proposed 700-kW West powerhouse for the Potsdam hydroelectric project on the Raquette River in Lancaster County, New York. The proposed West powerhouse received a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission exemption from licensing in 1981.  




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22 million GWh of pumped hydro energy storage potential identified worldwide

There are a total of about 530,000 potentially feasible pumped hydro energy storage sites worldwide, with a total storage potential of about 22 million GWh. These astonishing numbers come from a report recently released by Professor Andrew Blakers and other researchers with Australian National University’s RE100 Group.




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Energy Infrastructure Development in East Africa: Big Potential Meets Big Roadblocks

Power infrastructure in the East African countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda is inherently connected to their economic growth. As urbanisation and industrialisation fuel the need for electricity in cities, the demand for electricity in East Africa is expected to grow at approximately 5.3 percent per year until 2020. To meet these requirements, generation capacity would have to increase by 37.7 percent in Uganda, 96.4 percent in Kenya, 75.3 percent in Tanzania and 115 percent in Rwanda. The government, in conjunction with development partners, must build a more favourable business environment to facilitate growth.




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A Grand Vision of a Potential US Energy System

If all energy production channels were employed, the United States has sufficient resources to eliminate all coal, gasoline and diesel combustion in all demand sectors and replace them with natural gas, wind and solar electricity firmed and shaped with both grid-scale and distributed energy storage. I believe that we can reach a zero-air-pollution, coal-free, crude-import free, all-electric low-cost energy future. We have energy rhetoric and technology to get there; do we have leadership and will?




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The Big Question: Where Do You See Renewable Energy Growth Potential in 2015?

The annual outlook issue of Renewable Energy World magazine is our attempt to predict what will happen within the renewable energy industry over the course of the year. To do this, we went straight to the top of major renewable energy companies, asking CEOs and presidents to tell us where they are devoting their company resources in order to capitalize on some of the market growth that they expect to see in 2015.




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The Caribbean’s Untapped Renewable Energy Potential

The global strategy for mitigating climate change is no secret. Most countries have embarked on an initiative to transition to clean energy sources. According to a study by scientists from the universities of Oxford and Utrecht, we will almost certainly pass a point of no return for dealing with global warming if governments worldwide don’t transition away from fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, towards renewable energy by 2035. This would mean that renewables would need to see their total share of power generation increase by at least two percent per year.




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Three strategies for building solar and wind energy systems on potentially contaminated lands

Building solar and wind energy projects on potentially contaminated lands can be a golden opportunity, both effective and cost-effective, for developers. The 120-acre Reilly Tar & Chemical Corporation Superfund site was recently redeveloped with a utility-scale solar farm and is a prime example of the reuse potential inherent in thousands of Superfund sites, brownfields, retired power plants, and landfills.




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Spotify's new new 'Daily Wellness' playlist is worth a try but has a few flaws

With all the stress in the world — you know, a deadly, terrifying global pandemic — Spotify dropped a new service: a daily, personalized aimed at wellness. Fittingly, it's called Daily Wellness and I gave it a try. 

OK, first, let me drop my biases: I can be a cynical person and I'm pretty high energy — like hyper hyper — which has made meditation difficult for me. I can get both mentally and physically uncomfortable while trying anything resembling meditation or therapy or sincere reflection.

That being said, amid the pandemic — and battling some, let's say, serious anxiety — I've been taking active steps to try to improve my mental health. Therapy, meditation, exercise, whatever else, it all seemed like a good idea to help me get through the day. Read more...

More about Spotify, Meditation, Playlists, Self Care, and Coronavirus




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Africa to Quadruple Renewables on ‘Huge Potential,’ Irena Says

Africa’s renewable energy capacity is expected to quadruple to about 120 gigawatts by 2030 if investors dedicate “substantial flows” of funds to the region, the InternationalRenewable Energy Agency said.




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Brazil's Cosan Sees Potential to Triple Biomass Power Generation

Billionaire Rubens Ometto’s Cosan SA has the potential to triple its power generation by burning sugar-cane leftovers if the government offers power-purchase contracts for biomass producers.




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Canadian Spotlight

The latest hydropower industry news from Canada




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EWC50 Spotlight: 'Going Green' at the EWC: Student Fellows Lead the Way for Environmental Sustainability

EWC50 Spotlight: 'Going Green' at the EWC: Student Fellows Lead the Way for Environmental Sustainability

Sustainable EWC initiative volunteers help manage the Center’s recycling efforts.

"It is my firm belief that change comes from our own community--recycling in the EWC community is an example of this,” stated Mariko Miyahira, EWC Participants’ Association (EWCPA) Sustainability Co-coordinator. “By collecting bottles, paper, and other recyclables, EWC participants are putting their beliefs into practice, and we are making change within our community."

 




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EWC 50 Spotlight: Educators from Nine Nations Explore the Multiple Histories of the Pacific War

EWC 50 Spotlight: Educators from Nine Nations Explore the Multiple Histories of the Pacific War

Workshop participants show appreciation for the presentation by civilian survivors of the Pacific War.

Different ‘voices’ and multiple perspectives shed new light on the impact World War II had on the Pacific, when 75 college professors from nine nations participated in workshops as part of the East-West Center’s Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP).

 




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EWC Spotlight on Education: EWC Welcomes 167 New Students from 33 Countries

EWC Spotlight on Education: EWC Welcomes 167 New Students from 33 Countries




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Spotlight on Alumni: EWC Pays Tribute to Alumnus Mau Piailug, Master Navigator of the Pacific

Spotlight on Alumni: EWC Pays Tribute to Alumnus Mau Piailug, Master Navigator of the Pacific

EWC Alumnus Mau Piailug (photo by Monte Costa).

The East-West Center expresses its deep sympathy to the family and friends of Mau Piailug as we mourn his recent passing. Piailug, a humble, traditional navigator from the Micronesian island of Satawal in Yap, is hailed as the catalyst for launching the cultural renaissance in the Pacific.   

 

In 1976, Piailug sat at the helm of the replica ancient Hawaiian voyaging canoe, the Hokule‘a, as it completed a historic journey, sailing 2,300 miles between Hawai‘i and Tahiti without modern-day navigational instruments.

 




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EWC 50 Spotlight: EWC Alumni in Okinawa Celebrate Obuchi Program’s 10th Anniversary and Center’s 50th Anniversary

EWC 50 Spotlight: EWC Alumni in Okinawa Celebrate Obuchi Program’s 10th Anniversary and Center’s 50th Anniversary

Robert Nakasone, EWC Obuchi program coordinator, speaks about the program at the recent 10th anniversary Obuchi symposium.




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EWC 50 Spotlight: EWC Arts Program Introduces Diverse Audiences to Traditional Japanese Music

EWC 50 Spotlight: EWC Arts Program Introduces Diverse Audiences to Traditional Japanese Music

photo by Eric Chang




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EWC 50 Spotlight: Follow the EWC International Media Conference Online

EWC 50 Spotlight: Follow the EWC International Media Conference Online

More than 250 journalists and media experts from across the Asia Pacific region and the U.S. gathered in Hong Kong April 25-28 to discuss the latest news and media-industry issues in the region.




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EWC 50 Spotlight: East-West Center’s ‘Priceless Legacy’ is Revealed in 50th Anniversary Commemorative Video

EWC 50 Spotlight: East-West Center’s ‘Priceless Legacy’ is Revealed in 50th Anniversary Commemorative Video

In honor of the East-West Center’s 50th anniversary, the commemorative video, “A Priceless Legacy,” was featured at the recent dinner launching the year’s celebrations.  In the video, the Center’s history unfolds through a series of interviews with key leaders and current East-West Center participants who share their reflections.  




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EWC 50 Spotlight: Tongan King Plants Tree in Honor of Center’s 50th Anniversary

Tongan King Plants Tree in Honor of Center’s 50th Anniversary

Tonga’s King George Tupou V (left) plants a tree at the East-West Center accompanied by EWC President Charles E. Morrison (center) and Board of Governors Chairman Puongpun Sananikone.

His Majesty King George Tupou V of the Kingdom of Tonga recently visited the East-West Center, meeting with leaders from the Center and planting a native Hawaiian ‘Ohia tree in the Center’s courtyard as part of the 50th anniversary year celebration. His Majesty was joined by East-West Center President Charles E. Morrison, who noted the Center’s close ties with the Kingdom through the EWC’s Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP).




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EWC 50 Spotlight: International Graduate Student Conference Addresses Global Challenges

EWC 50 Spotlight: International Graduate Student Conference Addresses Global Challenges

Conference co-coordinator Vandana Krishnamurthy welcomes the audience to the International Graduate Student Conference. Seated in the front row ( L to R) are Beryl Yang, the other co-coordinator, EWC President Charles E. Morrison, keynote speaker C.H. Tung, EWC Board of Governors Chairman Puongpun Sananikone, Mr. and Mrs. John K. Tsui, and Jean Ariyoshi.

 




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EWC 50 Spotlight: East-West Center Launches 50th Anniversary Celebrations at Dinner Honoring the Founders

EWC 50 Spotlight: East-West Center Launches 50th Anniversary Celebrations at Dinner Honoring the Founders

At the dinner honoring EWC founding leaders and launching the Center’s 50th Anniversary, Maya Soetoro-Ng, sister to President Obama and daughter of EWC alumni Ann Dunham and Lolo Soetoro, speaks about the Center’s importance to her family.




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Spotlight on Journalism Fellowships

EWC Journalism Programs Expand Offerings, Participation

A strong growth area at the East-West Center in recent years has been the Center’s journalism fellowships and exchanges. Since 2005, the range of EWC programs for journalists has doubled, to 10 programs serving about 100 participants per year, with many more attending the biennial international media conferences.




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EWC 50 Spotlight: A Vision Is Born

EWC 50 Spotlight: A Vision Is Born

EWC groundbreaking ceremony, May 1961. Left to right: University of Hawai‘i President Laurence Snyder, UH Board of Regents Chairman Herbert Cornuelle, first Center chief executive Murray Turnbull, future Hawaii Gov. John A. Burns, then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.




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Spotlight on the EWC Arts Program: Textile Exhibit Provides Insights into Lao-Tai Indigenous Culture

Spotlight on the EWC Arts Program: Textile Exhibit Provides Insights into Lao-Tai Indigenous Culture

Patricia Cheesman, guest curator, giving a tour of the exhibit.

Master weaver Dalounny Phonsouny “Aire” Carroll demonstrating traditional Lao weaving techniques in the EWC gallery.

These photographs are from the Cosmic Creatures exhibit featuring Lao-Tai women wearing traditional textiles. -- Grandmother Lasa, 2004 (Patricia Cheesman).




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Spotlight on Public Events: Microfinance as a Tool for Community Development

Spotlight on Public Events: Microfinance as a Tool for Community Development

EWC Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Program participant Kalpana Sankar, CEO of Hand in Hand in Tamil Nadu (India), speaking on microfinance initiatives.

 

Kathleen Stack, Vice President of Freedom from Hunger and a participant in EWC’s 2009 Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Program, speaking on her NGO’s microfinance projects.

 

 




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Spotlight on East-West Center in Washington: The ASEAN Commission on Human Rights and Beyond

Spotlight on East-West Center in Washington: The ASEAN Commission on Human Rights and Beyond

EWC Visiting Fellow Dr. Hao Duy Phan discusses human rights mechanisms in Southeast Asia.




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Spotlight on Education: New Environmental Stewardship Program Cultivates Action-oriented Leaders

Spotlight on Education: New Environmental Stewardship Program Cultivates Action-oriented Leaders

USIE participants with Representative Mazie Hirono (D-HI) on Capitol Hill

 




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Spotlight on Alumni: Alumna Encop Sopia Blaizes the Trail for Indonesian Women in Politics

Spotlight on Alumni: Alumna Encop Sopia Blazes the Trail for Indonesian Women in Politics

EWC Alumna Encop Sopia at the 2008 EWC International Conference in Bali.




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Spotlight on Education: EWC Students Develop Leadership Skills by Organizing Cultural Festival

Spotlight on Education: EWC Students Develop Leadership Skills by Organizing Cultural Festival

East-West Fest logo designed by Imon Chowdhooree, an EWC degree fellow from Bangladesh.


Vietnamese students performed a dance from the Central Highlands of Vietnam.


Truna Jaya, or "victorious youth," a traditional dance from Bali, Indonesia.


East-West Center students from Indonesia.




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Spotlight on Pacific Islands Development Program: EWC Coordinates Election Observation in Micronesia

Spotlight on Pacific Islands Development Program: EWC Coordinates Election Observation in Micronesia

The election observation team members and institutional collaborators.

 




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Spotlight on Alumni: Nepal Chapter Raises Funds for Tsunami Survivors, Street Children, and Fosters International Ties with Alumni

Spotlight on Alumni: Nepal Chapter Raises Funds for Tsunami Survivors, Street Children, and Fosters International Ties with Alumni

Between raising funds for victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami, helping support educational programs for street children, and forging a sister-chapter relationship with alumni in Australia, the EWCA Nepal Alumni Chapter in Kathmandu has been busy carrying out the Center’s mission in South Asia.




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Spotlight on Education: EWC International Graduate Student Conference Attracts Global Participation

Spotlight on Education: EWC International Graduate Student Conference Attracts Global Participation

Click the audio icon to listen to the keynote address by EWC Non-resident Senior Fellow Marcus Noland.

 




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Spotlight on Alumni: EWC Alumna Ann Dunham— Mother to President Obama and Champion of Women’s Rights and Economic Justice

Spotlight on Alumni: EWC Alumna Ann Dunham— Mother to President Obama and Champion of Women’s Rights and Economic Justice

S. Ann Dunham (Soetoro) as an EWC degree fellow in 1975.

 

 




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Spotlight on Alumni: Rose Nakamura’s selfless service attracts national honor



Spotlight on Alumni: Rose Nakamura’s Selfless Service Attracts National Honor

Rose Nakamura

After 25 years of devoted service as a program officer and participant services officer assisting East-West Center’s international students, Rose Nakamura didn’t slow down.  Her retirement from the Center in 1989 opened up new avenues of service.  As Hawaii’s senior population continues to grow and many are isolated, living far away from family on the U.S. mainland, Nakamura saw a need in the community to create a program that provides volunteer assistance to homebound frail elderly and disabled persons to ensure their independence and dignity.




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Spotlight on Seminars: Hong Kong Journalism Fellows Explore Post-Olympics China

Spotlight on Seminars: Hong Kong Journalism Fellows Explore Post-Olympics China

Hong Kong Journalism Fellows interview Tibetan monks at the Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery in Shangri-La, Yunnan, China.




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Spotlight on Publications: East-West Dialogue Discusses the U.S. Role in Fostering the ASEAN Economic Community

Spotlight on Publications: East-West Dialogue Discusses the U.S. Role in Fostering the ASEAN Economic Community

In the latest issue of the East-West Dialogue, How (and Why) the United States Should Help to Build the ASEAN Economic Community , EWC Senior Fellow Michael Plummer calls for ambitious new initiatives, leading to a U.S.-ASEAN Economic Space that would develop a framework for expanding FTAs and a U.S.-ASEAN Partnership Fund to deepen civic and cultural ties. These ideas are elaborated on in commentaries by Scot Marciel (U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN), Kishore Mahbubani (former Singaporean Ambassador to the UN), and Chalongphob Sussangkarn (former Thai Minister of Finance).




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Spotlight on Publications: Senior Policy Seminar 2008 Report

Spotlight on Publications: Senior Policy Seminar 2008 Report--Shifting Currents of U.S. and Asia Pacific Economics, Resources, and Security

Wendy Dobson (right), professor and director of the Institute for International Business at the University of Toronto, and EWC Senior Fellow Shabbir Cheema (far left) at the EWC Senior Policy Seminar 2008.




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Spotlight on Education: New EWC Student Fellows Welcomed

Orientation 2008 group photo. Click image to enlarge.

 




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Spotlight on Seminars: U.S. and Asian Muslim Journalists Explore Each Other’s Worlds

Spotlight on Seminars: U.S. and Asian Muslim Journalists Explore Each Other’s Worlds

 




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Spotlight on News & Information



Spotlight on News & Information

EWC Annual Report Available Online

 
The East-West Center’s most recent Annual Report, for calendar year 2007, is now available for download online.




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Spotlight on Research: EWC Fellows Discuss Asia’s Energy Future on Capitol Hill

Spotlight on Research: EWC Fellows Discuss Asia’s Energy Future on Capitol Hill

As gas prices soar in the U.S., concerns about energy security take center stage in the international dialogue on economic development. Editors of “ Asia’s Energy Future: Regional Dynamics and Global Implications ,” EWC Senior Fellows Fereidun Fesharaki and Kang Wu, examined this issue in light of Asia’s sharply increasing energy demands, during an EWC briefing in late April on Capitol Hill.