DUBAI // Indian schoolchildren are expected to take part in a talent search that will reward the most gifted pupils with the chance to go on summer programmes provided by some of the world’s top educational institutes.
The Asset (Assessment of Scholastic Skills through Educational Testing) Talent Search will begin in test centres across the UAE and India at the end of November.
The top pupils will be able to participate in three-week residential summer courses from US universities such as UC Berkley, Northwestern and Purdue.
“The Asset Talent Search provides participants a platform for gifted children to stimulate and challenge themselves at the level of their peer group, with the aim to realise their true potential,” said Srini Raghavan, chief executive of Educational Initiatives, which organised the competition.
“Educational Initiatives works with schools to deploy the Asset Talent Search to hand-pick such children.”
He said Indian pupils offered a “treasure trove” of talent, which the search aimed to uncover.
Last year, 30 schools in the UAE took part in the event and a similar number are expected this time.
In all, more than 6,320 pupils across 573 schools in 150 cities in India and the UAE were involved last year.
The initiative was launched to study the learning abilities of students.
This was based on research done by Educational Initiatives across India that proved that children accustomed to rote learning failed to answer unfamiliar or application-based questions because of a lack of conceptual clarity.
The talent search aimed to identify academically talented pupils from Grades 5 to 8 and then provide them recognition, guidance and opportunities to help them to reach their true potential.
Only those who score 90 per cent and above in Asset at their grade level or are in the highest 10 per cent of their grades in mathematics, science and English can participate in the Asset Talent Search.
Last year, more than 12,000 children qualified to be a part of the Asset Talent Search across India.
The residential courses are designed to nurture teamwork, creativity and leadership. The testing will take place in edu-cational centres in the UAE on November 27.
Eligible pupils can register online at www.ei-india.com.
nhanif@thenational.ae
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners