BANGKOK, Nov 13 — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) together with the European Union (EU) joined in a conference on science and technology with an aim to strengthen cooperation in the sector between both regions.
Thai Minister of Science and Technology Pichet Durongkaveroj, and EU Ambassador to Thailand Jesus Miguel Sanz and other EU representatives in Thailand, along with scientists, academicians, as well as EU, ASEAN, and Chinese businesspersons have joined in the conference to promote cooperation in science, technology and innovations between the EU and ASEAN.
The Thai Ministry of Science and Technology was assigned by the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology to organise the forum to provide a platform for research exchanges between both sides, setting up a concrete cooperation framework, as well as creating a network between international scientists.
The Science and Technology minister said the two regions have been always worked together, and currently, both sides face a state of change. While the EU faces another round of economic crisis, it has not reduced research budgets, but increased them 35 per cent, believing that innovations can help pull the region through the crisis.
In the meantime, ASEAN will become the ASEAN Community (AC) late next year and has been setting up new directions for developments in science and research for the first time, to include exchanging personnel between ASEAN member states for the fullest benefit of the whole region.
Agendas at the conference include energy and food stability, biological diversity, public health technology and innovations, and how to draw in youth to become more interested in learning science. The conference is being held today and tomorrow in Bangkok.
