— December 2015 —

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December 29, 2015

New York's Times Square 2016 New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Photo: NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31, 2015: New York Countdown during New Year’s Eve celebrations at Times Square on December 31, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for TOSHIBA CORPORATION. © 2015 Getty Images).

• This countdown event was the biggest in the world, with over a million people gathered in Times Square and a television audience around the globe of more than a billion. The 1-million-strong crowd chanted out in a deafening roar as “Happy New Year” appeared on the screen with the final “0” of the countdown, climaxing with confetti exploding into the air.

Photo: NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31, 2015: World Capitals Countdown. New Delhi, India, New Year’s Countdown (in Hindi language) at Times Square on December 31, 2015 in New York City. The message appeared on the TOSHIBA screen as soon as it was 12 O’Clock midnight In India. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for TOSHIBA CORPORATION. © 2015 Getty Images).

Photo: NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31, 2015: World Capitals Countdown. New Delhi, India, New Year’s Countdown (in English) at Times Square on December 31, 2015 in New York City. The message appeared on the TOSHIBA screen as soon as it was 12 O’Clock midnight In India. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for TOSHIBA CORPORATION. © 2015 Getty Images).

Photo: NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31, 2015: Demi Lovato performs during New Year’s Eve celebrations at Times Square on December 31, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for TOSHIBA CORPORATION. © 2015 Getty Images).

Photo: NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 31, 2015: Demi Lovato performs during New Year’s Eve celebrations at Times Square on December 31, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for TOSHIBA CORPORATION. © 2015 Getty Images).

Photo: December 28, 2015. Two giant, seven-foot-tall numerals - the “1” and “6” in 2-0-1-6 - arrive in Times Square. Like the “20,” the “16” is illuminated by Philips outdoor bulbs. Image Credit: Countdown Entertainment, LLC.

Photos: Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. The Times Square Ball is a time ball located on a roof at the New York City’s Times Square. The ball descends 141 feet (43 m) in 60 seconds down a specially designed flagpole, beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET, and resting at midnight to signal the start of the new year. Image Credit: Countdown Entertainment, LLC.

New York, NY — December 29, 2015 — Toshiba corp. will liven up a global countdown event as the official sponsor for the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration. The 60-second countdown to midnight will be enhanced by audio and pyrotechnic effects on the TOSHIBA VISION screen, located directly below the world famous Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball.

The screen will feature New Year’s Eve content and entertainment for the more than one million-plus expected revellers. In addition, about one billion viewers around world are expected to watch it.

The New Year’s Eve at the symbolic center of New York City has become more than just a celebration - it’s a global tradition. Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31, the eyes of the world turn once more to the dazzling lights and bustling energy of Times Square. Anticipation runs high. The world holds its breath, and cheers as the clocks strike twelve.

Photos: December 28, 2015. Confetti Wishes at the Wishing Wall in Times Square, New York. Every wish submitted from anywhere in the world is printed on a piece of confetti and included in the 3,000 pounds of confetti released at midnight over the one million revellers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Images Credit: Countdown Entertainment, LLC.

New Year’s Eve | 2016 Virtual Wishing Wall — Your wishes will be added to the confetti that flutters down in the heart of Times Square on New Year’s Eve!

The Wishing Wall is on Times Square’s Broadway plazas, between 42nd Street and 47th Street, every day until December 29. For those who can’t make it to Times Square, wishes are being collected online at the Times Square New Year’s Eve Virtual Wishing Wall.

Every wish submitted - via the Wishing Wall in Times Square, or online - will be printed on a piece of confetti and included in the 3,000 pounds of confetti released at midnight over the one million revellers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

“Writing down a wish is a great opportunity to look back and reflect on the past year while looking forward to a brighter future,” said Tim Tompkins, President, Times Square Alliance. “We anticipate tens of thousands of people from across the world will submit wishes as we countdown the final days of 2015.”

“Having the Wishing Wall in Times Square and online creates an opportunity for everyone to participate in our global celebration,” added Jeff Straus, President, Countdown Entertainment. “It’s magical having wishes from around the world floating down on the million revellers in Times Square as we greet the New Year.”

“We are thrilled to be part of this worldwide celebration and encourage everyone to join in on the fun and submit their wish for 2016,” said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. “There’s no better way to jumpstart the New Year than with a wish or a goal for the year ahead.”

MAKE YOUR WISH FOR 2016

|GlobalGiants.Com|

“Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light.”

— The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Edward Fitzgerald Translation).

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:22 AM | View the original post

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December 25, 2015

Ferrari Inaugurates its New Showroom in Mumbai

Photos: Ferrari 458 Speciale has been voted “Best Sports Cars of 2015” by the readers of the German automotive magazine, Sport Auto, and has also received a 5-star award from Autocar magazine. (Images provided by & Copyright © Ferrari S.p.A., Maranello, Italy).

The new Ferrari showroom opened in Mumbai, India, following the recent appointment of Ferrari Dealer, Navnit Motors Pvt. Ltd. The new showroom becomes Ferrari’s only official dealership in Mumbai and signals the Italian sport car brand’s ambition to expand its sales and service operations in India. The state-of-the-art Ferrari showroom is approximately 4000 square foot and is located at G2, Platina Building in Bandra Kurla Complex.

Present at the exclusive opening of the showroom, Enrico Galliera, Senior Vice-President, Commercial & Marketing, Ferrari SpA, said: “We have many loyal owners and Ferrari fans in Mumbai and this new showroom will help them get even closer to the iconic brand.”

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:55 AM | View the original post

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December 12, 2015

The Branding of Universities: What is Your University's "Global Brand Value" ?

Photo: University of Michigan Commencement 2015. Image Credit & Copyright © University of Michigan.

Photo: Harvard University Commencement 1982, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard University has replaced the University of Cambridge at the top of the global ranking that measures how universities perform on graduate employability. Photographer, Image Credit & Copyright © Paul.

Nowadays, students, whatever their nationality, are increasingly choosing to apply to universities with strong brands over electing a university because it is in their own country or a specific other. That is to say, a student will choose for instance Harvard (US) or McGill (Canada) because they have become strong international brands recognised everywhere by recruiters, thus guaranteeing employability.

Which universities stand out in preparing graduates for the job market?

To answer the above question, the Global Employability University Survey and Ranking 2015 was designed and commissioned by French human resources consulting agency Emerging and carried out by the German market research firm Trendence.

Created from the combined votes of 2,200 recruiters and 2,400 managing directors of international companies across 20 countries, the Global Employability University Ranking differs from other rankings in that it doesn’t take into account academic criteria; it only seeks to represent the point of view of the market.

The Global Employability University Ranking 2015 Results - Top 150

Rank — Institution — Country — Score

1. Harvard University — United States — 662
2. University of Cambridge — United Kingdom — 633
3. University of Oxford — United Kingdom — 609
4. California Institute of Technology — United States — 597
5. Yale University — United States — 575
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology — United States — 571
7. Stanford University — United States — 552
8. Columbia University — United States — 531
9. Princeton University — United States — 509
10. University of Toronto — Canada — 483
11. Technical University of Munich — Germany — 411
12. University of Tokyo — Japan — 398
13. Ecole Normale Superieure — France — 386
14. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology — Hong Kong — 378
15. Imperial College London — United Kingdom — 369
16. Peking University — China — 363
17. National University of Singapore — Singapore — 360
18. Duke University — United States — 348
19. University of California, Berkeley — United States — 333
20. Indian Institute of Science — India — 332
21. McGill University — Canada — 319
22. Mines Paris Tech — France — 308
23. University of Edinburgh — United Kingdom — 296
24. University of Manchester — United Kingdom — 288
25. HEC Paris — France — 278
26. Tokyo Institute of Technology — Japan — 273
27. IE University — Spain — 270
28. Johns Hopkins University — United States — 263
29. New York University — United States — 262
30. University College London — United Kingdom — 261
31. Boston University — United States — 249
32. Australian National University — Australia — 243
33. University of Melbourne — Australia — 242
34. Fudan University — China — 240
35. Centrale Supelec — France — 238
36. Ecole Polytechnique — France — 236
37. ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich — Switzerland — 235
38. Cornell University — United States — 228
39. University of British Columbia — Canada — 223
40. Heidelberg University — Germany — 222
41. LMU Munich — Germany — 220
42. University of Sydney — Australia — 219
43. King’s College London — United Kingdom — 218
44. University of Montreal — Canada — 216
45. London School of Economics and Political Science — United Kingdom — 215
46. Boston College — United States — 212
47. Goethe University Frankfurt — Germany — 208
48. University of California, Los Angeles — United States — 205
49. Ghent University — Belgium — 203
50. London Business School — United Kingdom — 202
51. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne — Switzerland — 201
52. University of Copenhagen — Denmark — 199
53. Kyoto University — Japan — 197
54. University of Chicago — United States — 195
55. University of New South Wales — Australia — 194
56. Monash University — Australia — 192
57. Shanghai Jiao Tong University — China — 191
58. University of Navarra — Spain — 190
59. Tsinghua University — China — 189
60. Chinese University of Hong Kong — Hong Kong — 188
61. University of California, San Francisco — United States — 187
62. KU Leuven — Belgium — 185
63. Dartmouth College — United States — 183
64. Ecole de Management de Lyon — France — 182
65. ESSEC Business School — France — 180
66. Stockholm University — Sweden — 178
67. Humboldt University of Berlin — Germany — 176
68. University of Zurich — Switzerland — 175
69. Brown University — United States — 175
70. Indian School of Business — India — 174
71. University of California, San Diego — United States — 173
72. University of Helsinki — Finland — 172
73. University of Pennsylvania — United States —169
74. University of Bristol — United Kingdom —168
75. Delft University of Technology — Netherlands — 165
76. Michigan State University — United States — 165
77. Carnegie Mellon University — United States — 164
78. University of Nottingham — United Kingdom — 163
79. Georgetown University — United States — 162
80. University of Birmingham — United Kingdom — 161
81. University of Sao Paulo — Brazil — 160
82. Frankfurt School of Finance and Management — Germany — 158
83. University of Hong Kong — Hong Kong — 157
84. Lund University — Sweden — 155
85. Erasmus University Rotterdam — Netherlands — 154
86. McMaster University — Canada — 153
87. University of Gottingen — Germany — 151
88. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology — Korea Republic — 149
89. Northwestern University — United States — 148
90. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay — India — 146
91. University of Washington — United States — 144
92. Hebrew University of Jerusalem — Israel — 143
93. Technical University of Berlin — Germany — 141
94. Bocconi University — Italy — 138
95. University of Lausanne — Switzerland — 135
96. National Taiwan University of Science and Technology — Taiwan — 133
97. Case Western Reserve University — United States — 130
98. Ohio State University — United States — 129
99. University of Southern California — United States — 127
100. KTH Royal Institute of Technology — Sweden — 126
101. University of Texas at Austin — United States — 125
102. University of Bern — Switzerland — 125
103. Eindhoven University of Technology — Netherlands — 124
104. Leiden University — Netherlands — 123
105. Pierre and Marie Curie University — France — 122
106. ESADE Business School — Spain — 121
107. Polytechnic University of Milan — Italy — 120
108. Texas A&M University — United States — 119
109. Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education — Mexico — 118
110. Getulio Vargas Foundation — Brazil — 117
111. Rice University — United States — 116
112. Pohang University of Science and Technology — Korea Republic — 115
113. Technical University of Denmark — Denmark — 115
114. University of Groningen — Netherlands — 114
115. Paris-Sud University — France — 113
116. Brigham Young University — United States — 113
117. Seoul National University — Korea Republic — 112
118. Nanyang Technological University — Singapore — 112
119. Purdue University — United States — 111
120. University of Alberta — Canada — 111
121. Trinity College Dublin — Ireland — 111
122. Osaka University — Japan — 110
123. National Autonomous University of Mexico — Mexico — 110
124. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey — United States — 109
125. Karolinska Institute — Sweden — 109
126. Nanjing University — China — 109
127. Zhejiang University — China — 108
128. University of Florida — United States — 108
129. Lomonosov Moscow State University — Russian Federation — 108
130. University of Michigan — United States — 108
131. Georgia Institute of Technology — United States — 108
132. Keio University — Japan — 107
133. Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa — Italy — 107
134. University of Basel — Switzerland — 106
135. Technion Israel Institute of Technology — Israel — 105
136. Sciences Po — France — 104
137. Yonsei University — Korea Republic of — 103
138. National Taiwan University — Taiwan — 101
139. University of Wisconsin-Madison — United States — 99
140. University of Auckland — New Zealand — 98
141. University of Oslo — Norway — 96
142. Saint Petersburg State University — Russian Federation — 95
143. University of Geneva — Switzerland — 94
144. National Tsing Hua University — Taiwan — 93
145. City University of Hong Kong — Hong Kong — 89
146. Tel Aviv University — Israel — 87
147. University of Science and Technology of China — China — 78
148. Bauman Moscow State Technical University — Russian Federation — 78
149. University of Vienna — Austria — 74
150. King Saud University — Saudi Arabia — 73

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:16 AM | View the original post

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December 11, 2015

47 cities join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network

Photo: Starstruck. Austin, Texas. Austin has just been designated UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts. Photographer, Image Credit & Copyright © Thomas Hawk.

Paris, 11 December 2015 - UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, has announced the designation of 47 cities from 33 countries as new members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The results of this year’s Call bears witness to the Network’s enhanced diversity and geographical representation with 22 cities from countries not previously represented.

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network has welcomed the following cities within its seven creative fields (Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music):

1. Adelaide (Australia) - Music
2. Al-Ahsa (Saudi Arabia) - Crafts and Folk Art
3. Austin (United States of America) - Media Arts
4. Baghdad (Iraq) - Literature
5. Bamiyan (Afghanistan) - Crafts and Folk Art
6. Bandung (Indonesia) - Design
7. Barcelona (Spain) - Literature
8. Belem (Brazil) - Gastronomy
9. Bergen (Norway) - Gastronomy
10. Bitola (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) - Film
11. Budapest (Hungary) - Design
12. Burgos (Spain) - Gastronomy
13. Denia (Spain) - Gastronomy
14. Detroit (United States of America) - Design
15. Duran (Ecuador) - Crafts and Folk Art
16. Ensenada (Mexico) - Gastronomy
17. Gaziantep (Turkey) - Gastronomy
18. Idanha-a-Nova (Portugal) - Music
19. Isfahan (Iran [Islamic Republic of]) - Crafts and Folk Art
20. Jaipur (India) - Crafts and Folk Art
21. Katowice (Poland) - Music
22. Kaunas (Lithuania) - Design
23. Kingston (Jamaica) - Music
24. Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Music
25. Liverpool (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - Music
26. Ljubljana (Slovenia) - Literature
27. Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) - Crafts and Folk Art
28. Lviv (Ukraine) - Literature
29. Medellín (Colombia) - Music
30. Montevideo (Uruguay) - Literature
31. Nottingham (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - Literature
32. Obidos (Portugal) - Literature
33. Parma (Italy) - Gastronomy
34. Phuket (Thailand) - Gastronomy
35. Puebla (Mexico) - Design
36. Rasht (Iran [Islamic Republic of]) - Gastronomy
37. Rome (Italy) - Film
38. Salvador (Brazil) - Music
39. San Cristobal de las Casas (Mexico) - Crafts and Folk Art
40. Santos (Brazil) - Film
41. Sasayama (Japan) - Crafts and Folk Art
42. Singapore (Singapore) - Design
43. Tartu (Estonia) - Literature
44. Tongyeong (Republic of Korea) - Music
45. Tucson (United States of America) - Gastronomy
46. Ulyanovsk (Russian Federation) - Literature
47. Varanasi (India) - Music

For the very first time, two Indian cities — Varanasi and Jaipur — have joined UNESCO Creative Cities Network. This is a historic first for India in this elite global compact.

Launched in 2004, the Network now comprises 116 cities worldwide. It aims to foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.

By joining the Network, cities commit to collaborate and develop partnerships with a view to promoting creativity and cultural industries, to share best practices, to strengthen participation in cultural life, and to integrate culture in economic and social development strategies and plans.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:14 PM | View the original post

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December 5, 2015

Create World Class Universities through Collaboration, Cooperation, and Communication — President of India

Photo: Clock Tower at the Main Building of Moscow State University. Image Credit: Nickolas Titkov.

New Delhi, India - December 3, 2015 - The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, addressed the delegates of the Times Higher Education BRICS and Emerging Economies’ Universities Summit, 2015 at Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace) in New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that in today’s era of globalization, which rests on the pillars of Collaboration, Cooperation and Communication, there are ample opportunities to use these “3Cs” to create many world class universities. The combined strength of the five BRICS nations can develop an educational eco-system for their citizens as well as for the world citizens.

The President said that the quality of education has a direct co-relation with inclusive growth and development. Emerging economies facing the challenge of meeting the developmental aspirations of their citizens must build an educational system comparable to the best in the world. A serious discourse on how to address the quality concerns in higher education should therefore begin at the earliest.

• The President emphasized that the higher education sector in India must align itself with the global education sector. A world class university in today’s time is one that can address the global problems of society having the entire world as its constituency.

The President said that to meet bench-marks, institutions need to provide greater emphasis on quality research that is recognized globally. This would help in their efforts to become world-class. What is needed further is for such aspiring universities to reach out, communicate, exchange and encourage mobility of persons and ideas across the globe. Adopting a world-view would help an institution getting accepted by the global community of higher education. Over and above a focused attention on cutting-edge research and an international orientation, world-class universities must possess other enviable features. Some of them are high quality faculty members, meritorious students, an encouraging teaching learning environment, a high level of resource availability, sound infrastructure, and existence of considerable autonomy and robust governance structure. Presence of these elements in an institution would automatically reflect in higher international rankings.

On the occasion, the President received the first copy of Times Higher Education BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2016. The report was released by Mr. Phil Baty, Editor, Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The 2016 rankings include 200 institutions from 35 countries. China dominates the rankings, with its institutions occupying first and second places, half the Top 10 and 39 places in the Top 200.

BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2016 Results: Top 10

1. Peking University — China
2. Tsinghua University — China
3. Lomonosov Moscow State University — Russian Federation
4. University of Cape Town — South Africa
5. National Taiwan University — Taiwan
6. University of the Witwatersrand — South Africa
7. University of Science and Technology of China — China
8. Zhejiang University — China
9. University of Sao Paulo — Brazil
10. Shanghai Jiao Tong University — China

Universities from India

Institution — BRICS Rank

• Indian Institute of Science — 16
• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay — 29
• Indian Institute of Technology, Madras — 36
• Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi — 37
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur — 45
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee — 48
• Jadavpur University — 80
• Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati — 83
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur — 95
• Panjab University — 121
• Savitribai Phule Pune University — 127
• University of Calcutta — 137
• Aligarh Muslim University — 150
• University of Delhi — 154
• Amrita University — 181
• Andhra University — 193

|GlobalGiants.Com|

• The President of India’s observation above coincides with our corresponding one below:

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:58 AM | View the original post

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December 4, 2015

Miss Universe 2015 Contestants in Las Vegas

Photos: Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach wins Miss Universe 2015 title. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach [EDITOR’S PICK, see below], Miss Universe Philippines 2015, is crowned the winner at the conclusion of The 2015 MISS UNIVERSE Telecast airing live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on FOX Sunday, December 20. Congratulations Pia!
Images provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographers: Richard D. Salyer, Patrick Prather.

Photo (EDITOR’S PICK): Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss Universe Philippines 2015, poses for a photo inside Planet Hollywood on Wednesday December 9th. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Matt Petit.

Photo: Ariadna Gutierrez, Miss Universe Colombia 2015, is announced as a top 10 finalist in Yamamay swimwear during The 2015 MISS UNIVERSE Telecast airing live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on FOX Sunday, December 20. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo (EDITOR’S PICK): Flora Coquerel, Miss Universe France 2015, poses in her evening gown upon arriving at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Matt Petit.

Photo (EDITOR’S PICK): Sarah-Lorraine Riek, Miss Universe Germany 2015, poses in her evening gown upon arriving at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filminbg, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Matt Petit.

Photo (EDITOR’S PICK): Laura Spoya, Miss Universe Peru 2015, poses in her evening gown upon arriving at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Matt Petit.

Photo: Exotics Racing Event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Flora Coquerel, Miss Universe France 2015, poses for a photo at Exotics Racing on Wednesday December 9th. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Darren Decker.

Photo: Giada Pezzaioli, Miss Universe Italy 2015, poses for a photo at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on Monday, December 7th. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Matt Petit.

Photo: Comedian/Writer Nick Teplitz introduces the 2015 Miss Universe contestants during the Welcome Event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Monday December 7th. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Matt Petit.

Photo: Olivia Jordan, Miss USA 2015, is interviewed during registration at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 5th, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo: Sarah-Lorraine Riek, Miss Universe Germany 2015, poses during registration at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 4th, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo: Mariana Jimenez, Miss Universe Venezuela 2015, poses during registration at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 3rd, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo: Yun Fang Xue, Miss Universe China 2015, poses during registration at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 1st, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo: Cecilie Wellemberg, Miss Universe Denmark 2015, and Martine Rodseth, Miss Universe Norway 2015, pose during registration at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 2nd, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo: Toria Nichole, Miss Universe Bahamas 2015, arrives at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 1st, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

Photo: Marthina Brandt, Miss Universe Brazil 2015, poses during registration at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on December 3rd, 2015. The 2015 Miss Universe contestants are touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the DIC Crown in Las Vegas. Tune in to the FOX telecast at 7:00 PM ET live on Sunday, Dec. 20, from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas to see who will become Miss Universe 2015. Image provided by & Copyright © The Miss Universe Organization, New York. Photographer: Richard D. Salyer.

THE 2015 MISS UNIVERSE CONTESTANTS

• ALBANIA — Megi Luka
• ANGOLA — Whitney Houston A. Shikongo
• ARGENTINA — Claudia Alexis Barrionuevo
• ARUBA — Alysha Boekhoudt
• AUSTRALIA — Monika Radulovic
• AUSTRIA — Amina Dagi
• BAHAMAS — Toria Nichole Fanakos
• BELGIUM — Annelies Sven D. Törös
• BOLIVIA — Romina Rocamonje
• BRAZIL — Marthina Brandt
• BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS — Adorya Rocio Baly
• BULGARIA — Radostina Borislavova Todorova
• CANADA — Paola Nunez
• CAYMAN ISLANDS — Tonie Maria Chisholm
• CHILE — H Maria Belen Jerez Spuler
• CHINA — Yun Fang Xue
• COLOMBIA — Ariadna Guiterrez Arévalo
• COSTA RICA — Brenda Castro
• CROATIA — Mirta Kustan
• CURACAO — Kanisha Sluis
• CZECH REPUBLIC — Nikol Svantnerova
• DENMARK — Cecilie Wellemberg
• DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — Clarissa Molina
• ECUADOR — Francesca Keyko Cipriani
• EL SALVADOR — Fatima Idubina Rivas
• FINLAND — Rosa-Maria Ryyti
• FRANCE — Flora Coquerel
• GABON — Ornella Fanny Obone Mbomeyo
• GEORGIA — Janet Kerdikoshvili
• GERMANY — Sarah- Lorraine Riek
• GHANA — Hilda Akua Frimpong
• GREAT BRITAIN — Narissara Nena France
• GREECE — Michaela Eleni Fotiadi
• GUATEMALA — Jeimmy Tahiz Aburto
• GUYANA — Shauna Andrea Ramdyhan
• HAITI — Lisa Elizabeth Drouillard
• HONDURAS — Iroshka Lindaly Elvir
• HUNGARY — Nikoletta Nagy
• INDIA — Urvashi Manvar Singh Rautela
• INDONESIA — Anindya Kusuma Putri
• IRELAND — Joanna Cooper
• ISRAEL — Avigail Alfatov
• ITALY — Giada Pezzaioli
• JAMAICA — Sharlene Dayowi Radlein
• JAPAN — Ariana Miyamoto
• KOREA — Seoyeon Kim
• KOSOVO — Mirjeta Shala
• LEBANON — Cynthia Roger Samuel
• MALAYSIA — Vanessa Tevi Kumares
• MAURITIUS — Sheetal Khadun
• MEXICO — Wendy Esparza
• MONTENEGRO — Maja Cukic
• MYANMAR — May Barani Thaw
• NETHERLANDS — Jessie Jazz Vuijk
• NEW ZEALAND — Samantha Sarah Lesley McClung
• NICARAGUA — Daniela Torres
• NIGERIA — Debbie Collins
• NORWAY — Martine Rodseth
• PANAMA — Gladys Brandao Amaya
• PARAGUAY — Myriam Arevalos
• PERU — Laura Vivian Spoya
• PHILIPPINES — Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach
• POLAND — Weronika SzmajdziÅ„ska
• PORTUGAL — Emília Araujo
• PUERTO RICO — Catalina Morales
• RUSSIA — Vladislava Evtushenko
• SERBIA — Dasa Radosavljevic
• SINGAPORE — Lisa Marie White
• SLOVAK REPUBLIC— Denisa Vysnovska
• SLOVENIA — Ana Halozan
• SOUTH AFRICA — Refilwe Mthimunye
• SPAIN — Carla Barber Garcia
• SWEDEN — Paulina Brodd
• TANZANIA — Lorraine C. Marriot
• THAILAND — Aniporn Chalermburanawong
• TURKEY — Asli Melisa Uzun
• UKRAINE — Anna Vergelskaya
• URUGUAY — Bianca Sanchez
• USA — Olivia Jordan
• VENEZUELA — Mariana Coromoto Jimenez
• VIETNAM — Huong Pham

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:32 AM | View the original post

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December 1, 2015

QS World's Best Student Cities 2016

Photo: Dance Students in Paris, France. Image Credit & Copyright © Lieven Soete.

Photo: Nursing Student in Paris, France. Image Credit & Copyright © Manuel.

Photo: Art Student in Paris, France, copying an original work of art at the Louvre, one of the world’s largest museums. Image Credit & Copyright © Regan Wright.

LONDON, December 1, 2015 — Paris, the French capital, has again topped the QS Best Student Cities Rankings. It is followed by Melbourne, again second, and Tokyo in the third place.

London stands behind Sydney and ahead of Singapore, with the high cost of living in London being the primary reason it does not feature higher.

QS Best Student Cities 2016

1. Paris, France
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Tokyo, Japan
4. Sydney, Australia
5. London, United Kingdom
6. Singapore, Singapore
7. Montreal, Canada
8. Hong Kong, Asia
9. Berlin, Germany
10. Seoul, South Korea
11. Munich, Germany
12. Zurich, Switzerland
13. Toronto, Canada
14. Vancouver, Canada
15. Boston, Massachusetts, United States
16. Vienna, Austria
17. Canberra, Australia
18. Auckland, New Zealand
19. Brisbane, Australia
20. New York, New York, United States
21. Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe, Japan
22. Madrid, Spain
23. Taipei, Taiwan
24. Stockholm, Sweden
25. Beijing, China
26. Adelaide, Australia
27. Amsterdam, Netherlands
28. San Francisco, California, United States
29. Copenhagen, Denmark
30. Barcelona, Spain
31. Chicago, Illinois
32. Buenos Aires , Argentina
33. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
34. Helsinki, Finland
35. Perth, Australia
36. Manchester, United Kingdom
37. Dublin, Ireland
38. Milan, Italy
39. Shanghai, China
40. Prague, Czech Republic
41. Brussels, Belgium
42. Los Angeles, United States
43. Moscow, Russia
44. Coventry, United Kingdom
45. Washington DC, United States
46. Lyon, France
47. Christchurch, New Zealand
48. Philadelphia, United States
49. Santiago, Chile
50. Mexico City, Mexico
51. Ottawa, Canada
52. Lisbon, Portugal
53. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
54. Gothenburg, Sweden
55. Quebec , Canada
56. Hsinchu, Taiwan
57. Nottingham, United Kingdom
58. Pittsburgh, United States
59. Atlanta, United States
60. Oslo, Norway
61. Rome, Italy
62. Daejeon, South Korea
63. Sao Paulo, Brazil
64. Glasgow, United Kingdom
65. Warsaw, Poland
66. Birmingham, United Kingdom
67. Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
68. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
69. Gold Coast, Australia
70. Valencia, Spain
71. Baltimore, United States
72. San Diego, United States
73. Brno, Czech Republic
74. Toulouse, France
75. Monterrey, Mexico

Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, said: “Paris is proud to be ranked as the best world student city. Our youth reflect our greatest strength… We will continue to support students by offering them opportunities in an open, dynamic, and creative city.”

The United States is the most represented nation, with eleven placed cities. Boston (=13th) and New York (20th) are in the top twenty. It is followed by the United Kingdom (eight cities) and Australia (seven). The expanded rankings shine the spotlight on a series of new cities, such as Oslo and Monterrey.

The ranking are based on five key pillars:

1. University Rankings
2. Student Mix
3. Quality of Living
4. Employer Activity
5. Affordability

To be included in the ranking, each city must have a population of over 2,50,000, and must be home to at least two ranked institutions in the QS World University Rankings. 122 cities in the world qualified on this basis, and 75 have been ranked.

The QS Best Student Cities rankings are designed to provide students and parents with a detailed comparison of the various merits of university cities worldwide.

|GlobalGiants.Com|

Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:27 AM | View the original post

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