News from GMSARN
From left: Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Ms. Thelma Kay,
Dr. Ruben Umaly, Prof. Hisashi Kurokura and Prof. Chongrak Polprasert.
Environmental Workshop on GMS Capacity Building for Sustainable Development
The Greater Mekong Subregion Academic and Research Network (GMSARN) and the ASEAN Foundation (Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund) held the Environmental Workshop on GMS Capacity Building for Sustainable Development on April 3-4, 2003 at AIT. The workshop marked GMSARN's third activity this year. It served as a platform for the further development of concept proposals that were presented at the GMS Environmental Forum for Sustainable Development, which was held in November 2001, also by GMSARN and the ASEAN Foundation.
Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon delivering the opening remarks.
Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, GMSARN Director and AIT Provost, and Dr. Ruben Umaly, Executive Director, ASEAN Foundation, presided over the opening ceremony on April 3.
The principal keynote address was delivered by Mr. Surendra Shrestha,
Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Keynote speeches on the first day
were presented by Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Member of the GMSARN Council of Advisors and Programme Officer, Fisheries Programme, Mekong River
Commission; Ms. Thelma Kay,, Chief of Gender Development Section, Emerging Social Issues Division, UN-ESCAP; and Prof. Hisashi Kurokura, Professor, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo.
Participants from the GMS countries and AIT
At the parallel sessions, the workshop participants discussed the following
concept proposals: Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity in the GMS
Countries; Impact of Promoting Border Trade Among GMS Countries on the
Well-Being of the Local People; Establishment of a Cleaner Technology
Clearing House for SMEs; Identification of Professional and Institutional
Needs for Applying Market-Based Environmental Management Measures in the
GMS; and Social, Economic and Environmental Impact of the Urban System
Emerging from Border Trade in the GMS.
On the second day, keynote addresses were delivered by Prof. Urs Weismann,, Head of IP1, NCCR North-South, Center for Development and Environment,
Institute of Geography, University of Bern; Mr. U Win Myint, Director,
Urban and Regional Planning Division, Department of Human Settlements &
Housing Development; and Prof. A.T.M.N. Amin, SERD faculty member.
At the closing ceremony, Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, GMSARN Chairman and AIT President, extended warm greetings to the participants and invited them to
view a video presentation on AIT.
Fourth Joint Meeting of the GMSARN International Board and Council of Advisors
On April 5-6, 2003, GMSARN held the fourth joint meeting of the
International Board and Council of Advisors. The two-part meeting was held
at the main campus of Khon Kaen University and at the National University
of Laos in Vientiane. The idea to hold the Joint Meetings in the premises
of GMSARN member institutions, on a rotating basis, is in line with
GMSARN's goal to familiarize the Board and Council with the academic
offerings and facilities of the member institutions. The meeting included a
visit to the Nong Khai campus of Khon Kaen University.
Among the major recommendations reached at the meeting was the
establishment of flexible working groups to work on specific activities
within GMSARN's four focus areas: environmental management, information
technology, small and medium size enterprise development, and
infrastructure planning and management. The working groups will be composed
of representatives from the GMSARN member institutions.
Prof. Jean-Louis Armand (second from right), GMSARN Chairman and AIT
President, is seen with, from left, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Son, Vice Rector of Ho
Chi Minh City University of Technology; Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, GMSARN
Director and AIT Provost; and Dr. Pisan Sirithorn, Vice President for
Research and Academic Service Affairs, Khon Kaen University.
From left: Mr. Kazu Sakai, Deputy Director General of the Operations
Coordination Division, ADB; and Dr. Tuyen Dongvan, Vice President of the
National University of Laos.
From left: Dr. Tong-In Wongsothorn, Chairman of the GMSARN Council of
Advisors and President of Sukothai Thammathirat Open University; and Prof.
Vanchai Vatanasapt, Member of GMSARN Council of Advisors and Director, Center for Peace and Governance, King Prajadhipok's Institute.
From left: Mr. Masato Abe, Economic Affairs Officer, Trade and Investment
Division, UNESCAP; and Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Program Officer of the
Fisheries Program, Mekong River Commission.
Lecturers at the Nong Khai campus of Khon Kaen University, led by Mr. Grid Rangsungnoen, extreme left, welcomed the GMSARN Board and Council.
From left: Prof. Pe Win, Rector of Yangon Technological University, Dr.
Nguyen Thanh Son, Vice Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology;
Mr. Masato Abe, Economic Affairs Officer, Trade and Investment Division,
UNESCAP; and Prof. Gang Deng, Director of the Division of International
Cooperation, Kunming University.