From left: Mr. Noritada Morita, President, Asia Strategy Forum Co. Ltd.; Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, GMSARN Director and AIT Provost; Dr. Tong-In Wongsothorn, Chairman of the Council of Advisors and President Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University; Dr. Bhanupong Nidhiprabha, GMSARN Co-Director and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Thammasat University; and Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Director, Environment Division, Mekong River Commission.
Development of Working Groups' Framework Tops GMSARN's Phase 2 Priorities
The Ninth Meeting of the Council of Advisors of the Greater Mekong Subregion Academic and Research Network (GMSARN), held on February 25, 2004 at AIT, identified priority activities for the network.
High on GMSARN's agenda is the development of a framework for the network's newly-formed Working Groups. The Working Groups are composed of representatives from GMSARN's eleven member institutions.
Among other responsibilities, they will develop activities in GMSARN's four focus areas namely, infrastructure planning and management, information and communications technology, environmental management and small and medium size enterprise development.
Other priorities identified at the Ninth Meeting were preparations for the Sixth Joint
Meeting of the GMSARN International Board and Council of Advisors, to be held in Kunming, China, and hosted by Kunming University of Science and Technology. The Joint Meeting will be held in June 2004. Members of AIT's Academic Advisory Panel will be invited to attend as observers.
GMSARN Chairman and AIT President, Professor Jean-Louis Armand, attended the meeting together with Dr. Tong-In Wongsothorn, Chairman of the Council of Advisors and President Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University; Professor Mario T. Tabucanon, GMSARN Director and Provost, Asian Institute of Technology; Dr. Bhanupong Nidhiprabha, GMSARN Co-Director and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Thammasat University; Mr. Noritada Morita, President, Asia Strategy Forum Co. Ltd.; and Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Director, Environment Division, Mekong River Commission.
From left: Ms. Lilita B. Pacudan, Program Specialist, AIT-ADB Networking Project; Mr. Noritada Morita, President, Asia Strategy Forum Co. Ltd.; Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, GMSARN Chairman and AIT President; Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon, GMSARN Director and AIT Provost; Dr. Tong-In Wongsothorn, Chairman of the Council of Advisors and President Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University; Dr. Bhanupong Nidhiprabha, GMSARN Co-Director and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Thammasat University; Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Director, Environment Division, Mekong River Commission; Ms. Teresita Padilla, Coordinator, Academic Networking Support and Ms. April Conui
Dr. Tong-In led the Council members in conveying their gratitude and good wishes to Ms. Teresita M. Padilla, outgoing GMSARN Coordinator for Academic Networking Support, and in welcoming Ms. Lilita B. Pacudan, who will be assuming duties at the GMSARN Secretariat in addition to her function as Program Specialist, AIT-ADB Networking Project Office.