Fifth Annual Conference and General Meeting, Bangkok, 10 - 13 August 2006
The Fifth Annual Conference and General Meeting took place from 10 - 13 August 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand.
ASEFUAN organized this event in co-operation with the Centre for European Studies, Chulalongkorn University and the conference was supported by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asia-Europe Foundation .
The ASEF University Alumni Network held its Fifth Conference and AGM in Bangkok, Thailand, from 10 - 13 August 2006. The event was co-organised by ASEFUAN and the Centre for European Studies at Chulalongkorn University (http://www.ces.chula.ac.th/) and supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation (http://www.asef.org), Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.mfa.go.th) and the Delegation of the European Commission to Thailand (http://www.deltha.cec.eu.int/en/).
The theme of the conference was Sustainable Development in International Perspectives: Regional and Interregional Collaboration. ASEFUAN members engaged in a lively panel discussion with Senator Panat Tasneeyanond, Member of the Thai Senate for Tak Province, Dr Charit Tingsabadh, Director of the Centre for European Studies at Chulalongkorn University, HE Mr Friedrich Hamburger, Ambassador of the Delegation of the EC to Thailand (above right), and Dr Dechen Tsering of the United Nations Environmental Programme.
Puspa Delima Amri from Indonesia was elected President of the Executive Committee for 2006-2007 and the new Vice-President is Jussi Lehmusvaara from Finland. The other four members of the EXCO are Nadia Karavias from the United Kingdom, Sungjin Kang from Korea, Nick McIlroy from Ireland and Dinesh Sathisan from Singapore.
Bangkok: AGM Host City 2006
Fascinating, vibrant, colorful, and at times even mind-boggling…
Welcome to Bangkok, where gleaming skyscrapers grace the skyline alongside dazzling, historical temples. Where a wrinkly garland maker plies her trade outside a posh five-star mall. Past, present and future live harmoniously together. Indeed, Bangkok has it all; it’s a sensory thrill that never ceases to delight. Bangkok was established as Thailand's capital in 1782. Over the next two centuries, it developed in many ways reflecting the modern dynamism; however, its ancient glories were well maintained, especially in the old areas around the Grand Palace. Today, Bangkok has become the principal gateway and prime tourist attraction for both domestic and international travellers. Bangkok occupies a total area of 1,568 square kilometres on a flat alluvial plain divided by the Chao Phraya River. Composed of about 50 districts, it is home to one-tenth of the country's population. Thon Buri, a former capital, is now a district under the administration of the Bangkok Metropolis. Bangkok used to be a city connected by canals, and was once known as the Venice of the East. Due to population congestion in recent decades, many of the canals have been filled in to serve as roads.
Centre for European Studies at Chulalongkorn University
The AGM 2006 in Bangkok is co-hosted by the Centre for European Studies at Chulalongkorn University (CES) and supported by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asia-Europe Foundation. The CES was established in 1997 by the council of Chulalongkorn University as an upgrade of the Chulalongkorn University European Studies Programme funded by the European Commission since 1993. Aiming to provide an academic excellence in European Studies in Thailand and the ASEAN region, the CES held the 6th ASEF University and recruited almost all participants from Thailand for each AU.
Programme
The theme of this year is "Regional and Inter-regional Collaboration Towards Sustainable Development: New Perspectives?". Sustainable development, in its most positive context, has been considered an approach to economic planning to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Yet, the debate rages on such issues as how and to what extent technology should be developed vis-à-vis the search for renewable energy, advances in medical research, climate change, as well as the utilization of resources for commerce. Up to what point can business, political, economic and civil society sectors converge to offer feasible solutions to global challenges to sustainable development? What role could an inter-regional dialogue platform such as the Asia-Europe Meeting play?