Thailand affirms support to SEAMEO College

In a speech, Dr Sombat Suwanpitak, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Thailand stated that SEAMEO College is a timely initiative that provides opportunity for high-level discussions on forward-looking issues and concerns that will help prepare education in Southeast Asia for the challenges of the future, thus directly supporting the ASEAN community.

He added that much attention has been invested on building the ASEAN Community, not only in economic and political spheres, but also on socio-political aspect and in strengthening human resource development in Southeast Asia. œFor the past years, our efforts have been focused on preparing our people, our workforce and our resources for the challenges that lie ahead in forging an integrated society in our region , he said.

SEAMEO College is one of the SEAMEO initiatives in the SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2011-2020. It is a platform for high-level discussions on forward-looking issues, and consists of a series of forums and research and development activities. The project was unanimously approved by the SEAMEO Member Countries in January 2013 and was launched on 20 March 2013 during the 47th SEAMEO Council Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam.

SEAMEO College will be implemented for two years beginning July 2013 until June 2015 with the participation of SEAMEO Member Countries and stakeholders. It is supported by the Asian Development Bank through a grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction. The SEAMEO Secretariat serves as executing agency while the SEAMEO Centres are the implementing agencies.

Dr Sombat Suwanpitak, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Thailand and Ms Leah C Gutierrez, Director, Human and Social Development Division, Southeast Asia Department, ADB sign and exchange notes on the implementation of SEAMEO College. Dr Witaya Jeradechakul, Director, SEAMEO Secretariat and Dr Yasushi Hirosato, Principal Education Specialist, Human and Social Development Division, Southeast Asia Department, ADB look on as witnesses.

Officials from the Ministry of Education, Thailand, ADB and some SEAMEO Member Countries join the SEAMEO Centre
Directors and the SEAMEO Secretariat Directorate and staff in a group photo after the signing ceremony.