AIT President Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai confirmed last week that AIT will
co-organize and host a regional conference on science and climate
change in Bangkok which will be co-funded by French Cooperation. The
event is expected to take place in mid-year and will be focused on
ASEAN countries and other countries in the region.
Mr. André de Bussy, France’s Regional Counsellor for Development in
ASEAN based at the French Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, led a
six-member delegation of French officials to AIT on July 25 to discuss
preliminary details for cooperation on the event with the AIT President
and senior institute officials. The initiative is seen as a springboard
for developing new partnerships and long term friendship, officials
said.
The global COP 21 forum hosted by France offers hope to the world on
tackling climate change, explained Mr. de Bussy, indicating that a goal
of the Bangkok conference would be to enhance the participation of
ASEAN scientists and policy-makers at the crucial Paris meeting.
Informing that Germany and the United Kingdom have agreed to
participate, and that UNDP, UNEP and UNESCO were confirmed as event
partners, Mr. de Bussy emphasized that the conference will be
positioned as a European and Asia event, rather than a solely French
initiative.
“We are interested to create a major platform or bridge for dialogue
between regional scientific solution finders and mid to high level
government representatives and decision-makers to the COP 21 forum,” he
said. “The conference will build on existing networks and can be the
start of an important new network, which AIT can play a key
role.”
Both sides agreed to set up an international steering committee to
include diplomatic representatives, ASEAN Secretariat, and UN agencies.
A task force made up of AIT, IRD and CIRAD will also guide overall
planning. “Let’s be ambitious,” Mr. de Bussy enjoined AIT
officials.
Emphasis will be placed on garnering high level visibility, and
President Worsak informed that AIT could assist in attracting a
well-known keynote speaker to headline the conference. Creative public
communications and media outreach will also be of high importance to
influencing public opinion and assisting advocacy efforts, Mr. de Bussy
explained.
At the first planning meeting, Mr. de Bussy was accompanied by Ms.
Philomène Robin, Technical Assistant, UNESCO, Jakarta; Dr. Jacques
Berger, Representative for Thailand and India, Institut de recherché
pour le developpement (IRD); Mr. François Robinne, Director, Research
Institute of Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC); Ms. Marine de
Molinier, Scientific and Higher Education Cooperation, Embassy of
France, Bangkok; and Ms. Paola Clerino, Project Officer, AFD-French
Development Agency, Bangkok.
AIT was represented at the meeting by Prof. Kanchana Kanchanasut, Vice
President, Research; Prof. Voratas Kachitvichyanukul, Interim Dean,
School of Engineering and Technology; Prof. C. Visvanathan, Interim
Dean, School of Environment, Resources and Development; Dr. Jonathan
Shaw, Director, AIT Extension; Prof. M.S. Babel, Director, Center for
Sustainable Development in the Context of Climate Change; Prof. Nitin
K. Tripathi, Director of Special Degree Programs, and Mr. Shawn Kelly,
Senior Media Specialist, Media and Communications Unit.
A photo gallery from the visit is available at these links:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152610731764709.1073741954.102952369708&type=1
Google+
https://plus.google.com/photos/113705895909660110340/albums/6041383901556430849
