Fellowship for RI women scientists

JAKARTA: In a bid to boost women's interest in science, the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO is inviting women here to apply for the UNESCO-L'Oreal Women in Science fellowship, an international program specifically designed for women.

Sri Hargyanto Suryoprayudo, head of the science and technology section of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO of the Ministry of National Education, said over the weekend that the fellowship was expected to encourage young women scientists to pursue research projects in the field of their choice.

Those eligible for the program are women scientists aged 35 years and under who have finished or are still taking their doctoral degree. They must also arrange with foreign schools where they want to conduct their research and the timetable of their research work.

Sri Hargyanto said women scientists vying for the fellowship must send their application to the National Commission for UNESCO, which, together with L'oreal, will screen the applicants. The final decision, however, still lies in the hands of a special Selection Committee at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.

Jointly sponsored by UNESCO and international cosmetics company L'Oreal, the fellowship offers US$20,000 to each winner.

Since its introduction in 2000, the program has benefited 45 young scientists from five continents.

The UNESCO-L'Oreal for Women in Science also offers L'Oreal- UNESCO Awards worth US$100,000 each to five outstanding women researchers representing the five continents.

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Hamzah visits sick mother

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz visited his ailing mother Zainab in Pontianak, West Kalimantan on Sunday, after being told that she was in a critical condition.

The sudden visit was made after Hamzah received a call from a relative on Saturday evening that his mother was seriously ill.

West Kalimantan deputy governor Laurensius Herman Kadir said that there was a possibility that the vice president would bring his ailing mother to Jakarta for further treatment.

"We expect that she will be taken to Jakarta today (Sunday) or tomorrow if her condition improves tomorrow," he told reporters.

Hamzah usually visits his mother, who is almost 80 years old, whenever he conducts a working visit to the province.--Antara

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Togean declared ecotourism center

WAKAI, Central Sulawesi: Minister of Tourism and Culture Putu Ardhika declared the Togean islands in Tomini Bay a national marine ecotourism center on Saturday.

Ardhika said during a visit to Wakai that Togean islands were rich in coral reefs and marine life.

He was accompanied by Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Rochmin Dahuri, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Bernard Ken. Sondakh, senior officials from the Central Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and North Sulawesi administrations, and a number of businesspeople.

Antara reported that between 2,000 and 3,000 foreign tourists visited the Togean islands to see the reefs every year. --Antara

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No school holidays during Ramadhan

JAKARTA: The Ministry of National Education announced on Saturday that there would be no school holidays during Ramadhan, which will start later this month.

"Nothing will change. It will be the same as last year, with students going to school as usual," education minister Abdul Malik Fadjar told reporters on Saturday.

Malik said the government would only allow two days off, one day before Ramadhan and the first day of the fasting month.

But he said schools would be allowed to adjust the schedule for their students to study during the fasting month, including cutting short school hours.

"For example, if a school usually starts at 8 a.m., it will be allowed to start at 8:30 a.m. but will finish the classes at the usual time," he said.

He suggested schools create productive activities and avoid wasting time during the fasting month. --Antara