BANGKOK, 7 March 2022 – Mahidol University of Thailand, in collaboration with Kyushu University of Japan, held ASEAN in Today’s World (AsTW), a two-week online programme attended by 40 students from ASEAN Member States (AMS), Japan, China and Pakistan.
Taking place from 7-18 March, the programme offered university students, mainly from AMS and Japan, to deepen their knowledge about ASEAN, East Asia affairs, as well as Asian languages and cultures.
The opening ceremony started with a welcome address by Prof. Tatsuro Ishibashi, President of Kyushu University, and Prof. Banchong Mahaisavariya, President of Mahidol University. In his address, Prof. Ishibashi announced the awarding of Young ASEAN Scholarships, which was participated by 26 ASEAN students.
In his remarks, Ekkaphab Phanthavongo, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community highlighted that ‘’as citizens of the region, understanding the diversity, strength and potential of ASEAN in today’s world is fundamental in enabling us to support ASEAN community building effort and maximise its potential in the future.’’
He further encouraged participants to maximise the opportunities of the event, not only to learn about ASEAN, but also to foster friendships and learn from other participants from across the region.
Dr. Roger Y. Chao Jr., Head of Education, Youth & Sports Division of the ASEAN Secretariat kicked off the event with a 3-hour Special Lecture, introducing an overview of the development and initiatives that advances the ASEAN Community-Building Project.
He further highlighted key initiatives that the ASEAN Community undertook to address various challenges the region faces, such as the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development for a Changing World of Work, ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, and the ASEAN Digitalization Masterplan 2025.
AsTW students also had the opportunity to discuss with Dr. Chao on various issues related to ASEAN and ASEAN Community building.
Since its launch in 2009, the ASEAN in Today’s World has been conducted annually by Kyushu University in collaboration with a consortium of universities from ASEAN and Japan, namely Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Ateneo de Manila University, Mahidol University, Universiti Malaya and Fukuoka Women’s University.
The AsTW programme contributes towards advancing ASEAN studies at the higher education level through cross-border mobility. More information is available on: https://isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/astw/
