RTG-AIT initiative recognized by ASEM
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an entity of regional cooperation to
strengthen collaborative relations and to promote common development and
prosperity between Asia and Europe. The current ASEM membership consists of
the 15 European Union member states, the European Commission along with
that of Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South
Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
At the Third Asia-Europe Meeting held on 20-21 October 2000 in Seoul, South
Korea, ASEM countries proposed a total of twenty-six new initiatives of which
sixteen have been endorsed and seven have been noted. The initiative entitled
'Seminar on Asia-Europe Cooperation on the Applications of Information
Technology to Human Resources Development in the Mekong Sub-region'
which was jointly proposed by the Royal Thai Government (RTG) and AIT was among
those noted. The noted initiatives are to be further developed, particularly by those
members which have a strong interest in them.
The ASEM meeting recorded that AIT has taken a pioneering role in the
introduction and development of the Internet in Thailand and in the region and
that it is currently involved in the establishment, in cooperation with other
organizations, in the region and abroad, of a Distance Education Center (DEC),
which could be viewed as the prefiguration of an on-line virtual university
adapted to the needs of the region. AIT's experience and expertise, as well as the
linkages it has established with many ASEM institutions, qualify it to organize
this groundbreaking seminar.
The seminar will take place at the AIT in the first half of 2001. The discussion among
participants will focus on the establishment of linkages between universities, organizations
and IT industry of ASEM partners in order to address the challenges and seize the opportunities
offered by this concept, as well as on the feasibility of an ASEM on-line virtual university.
This most welcome initiative presents an opportunity to further strengthen AIT's
continued commitment towards human resource development in the Greater
Mekong Subregion and to reaffirm its internationality.
Jean-Louis Armand
President