Bandar Seri Begawan - The Minister of National Education, Republic of Indonesia, Prof Dr Bambang Sudibyo made a one-day official working visit to Brunei yesterday and visited the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH) to gain information on its mandate.
Prof Dr Bambang Sudibyo is also the current president of SEAMEO (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation) Council and it was part of a series of visits to all SEAMEO centres that he has made since taking up his presidency a year ago.
During the visit, the regional centre`s director gave a briefing that focused on the relevance and interactivity of ICT.
"A major event that we are finalising at the moment is the WE Research and Networking 2008 - an international conference that we - SEAMEO VOCTECH and MONE, Indonesia - are harmoniously organising," he said. This event is scheduled to be held over two days from July 6, 2008.
In addition, another project will be held in February - a seminar on Environment Management System in collaboration with the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry.
In his speech, Prof Dr Bambang Sudibyo said that SEAMEO is an organisation that has a dynamic, self-reliant, strategic policy driven and internationally recognised entity that strengthens regional understanding as well as cooperation in education, science and culture for the betterment of life quality.
He said, "SEAMEO has an important role to play in developing the people of Southeast Asia to, meet challenges of the future and to further boost the ties among Southeast Asian countries in education, science and culture.
"Each of the 15 SEAMEO centres, focusing on different areas of specialisation, is like a hub of experts in a reservoir of knowledge. By providing training in their respective fields, the centres together have contributed to the overall development of people in Southeast Asia," he added.
He further stated that Asean leaders have been committed to develop their countries as a solid community, under three pillars - economic community, security community and socio-cultural community.
Therefore, it is agreed that all SEAMEO centres will function as facilitating agents for developments in the Asean region, also as a socio-cultural community.
Source: www.brudirect.com (11 Januari 2008)
