The AUN/SEED-Net Coordinator Meeting has been held annually since 2007 as a venue for coordinators who are deeply involved in AUN/SEED-Net program implementation at all MIs to meet and discuss operational problems and share experiences among each other. For 2009 the meeting was held on May 22, 2009 in Bangkok, with 45 participants from Member Institutions (MIs), JICA Headquarters and Thailand Office, AUN Secretariat, and AUN/SEED-Net office attending. Main agenda included graduate program promotion, progress and plan of supporting programs, interdisciplinary activities, alumni activities, and joint activities from MOU.

For Graduate Programs promotion, the meeting agreed to have Affiliated Institutions joining the programs and to adopt direct PhD and PhD upgrade schemes under the PhD Sandwich Program from next year. To improve supporting programs and interdisciplinary activities, MIs proposed to have a forum where they can share information and good practices as well as connection to industries, and to work on accreditation system taking into consideration the Erasmus Mundus model. The Secretariat might also survey alumni’s feedbacks on alumni activities provided by the Project to find any room for improvement/adjustment.

For the topic of joint activities from MOU, the meeting discussed extensively on journal and academic society establishment, and finally requested the Secretariat to discuss with any interested MIs on the journal issue.

Year 2008 was the beginning of the second phase of the AUN/SEED-Net Project. Many programs were modified while some programs were newly introduced to respond to demands of the network members.

Last year AUN/SEED-Net awarded 92 scholarships in total, comprising 52 master’s, 15 PhD Sandwich, 18 PhD in Japan, and 7 PhD in Singapore. The master’s scholarships were awarded more than the original quota due to remaining slots from the PhD Sandwich Program. Top application senders for the master’s level were Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC), National University of Laos (NUOL), and Gadjah Mada University (UGM); while top senders for the doctoral level were NUOL, UGM, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT).

Until the end of the fiscal year 2008, the AUN/SEED-Net Project has given a total of 537 scholarships to ASEAN students. As of March 2009, 271 scholars completed the study whereas 248 are still on the course, including three master’s students in Singapore who were upgraded to PhD level. In 2008 two students were terminated unfortunately, resulting in 15 termination cases altogether. Research publications by our scholars have amounted to 544 papers so far, mostly in form of international proceedings.

Collaborative Research (CR) support for students enrolling in 2008 onwards has been adjusted to USD 3,500 per master’s student per year and USD 5,000 per doctoral student per year, as a result of reduced budget. However, as many as 124 CR projects involving 105 master’s and 51 doctoral students still enjoyed the support of USD 618,673 last year. And importantly, the scope of CR in Phase II has been extended to cover five interdisciplinary areas which are identified as the region’s critical issues; namely, (1) Biotechnology, (2) Disaster Mitigation, (3) Global Environment, (4) Natural Resources and Materials, and (5) New/Renewable Energy.

In Phase II, field-wise seminars have upgraded to regional conferences or workshops with larger number of participants and wider scope of topics covering regional agenda. One regional conference/workshop for each fundamental field or each interdisciplinary area would be held annually in various ASEAN countries. In 2008, 13 regional conferences/ workshops were arranged, attracted almost 1,400 participants and 600 papers. From these, 10 conferences were supported by ASEAN Foundation and three by JICA.

Master's Applicants & Scholars

PhD Sandwich Applicants & Scholars

PhD in Japan Applicants & Scholars

PhD in Singapore Applicants & Scholars

Status of AUN/SEED-Net Students

The Project attempts to promote collaboration within the region as well as between ASEAN and Japan, and at the same time to sustain the academic network. Especially from 2008 on, the CR Program requires staff of non-host institutions to be co-advisors in order to strengthen academic network in ASEAN. Many programs have been utilized to facilitate research collaboration and network strengthening. In 2008 Japanese professors were dispatched to ASEAN for 92 times under the Japanese Professor Dispatch Program and the Faculty Staff Dispatch Program. Sixty-eight came under the quota of nine fundamental fields whereas 24 came under the quota of five interdisciplinary areas, mostly to join regional conferences. In contrast, only five faculty staff from the member institutions visiting other member institutions under the Short-term Training/Research Program in ASEAN and the Faculty Staff Dispatch Program.

Mr. UMEMIYA Naoki ended his service term in the position of Program Coordinator for the AUN/SEED-Net Project in June 2009. His duties have been taken over by his successor Mr. OHASHI Yuichi since July 2009.

Left: Mr. UMEMIYA Naoki

Right: Mr. OHASHI Yuichi

Previously the AUN/SEED-Net Project had an activity called Promotional Trip Program, which supported host institutions (HIs) to travel to member institutions (MIs) to promote graduate programs and scholarships. After five years the name AUN/SEED-Net and the HIs have been more well-known among staff and students at the MIs, resulting in more applications coming to the HIs whether or not through the AUN/SEED-Net channel. However, because of limited budget in Phase II, this activity was discontinued and the Project needed to think of a more cost-efficient way for network promotion and student recruitment.

Top & right: Open houses at NUOL and HCMUT crowded with students and staff interested in pursuing higher degrees
Below: Alumni at HUT and ITC sharing their experiences to open house attendants

“AUN/SEED-Net Open House” was initiated in 2007, originally for utilizing alumni as a resource to promote AUN/SEED-Net. After the pilot open house at National University of Laos (NUOL) in November 2007 turned out successful, owing to active cooperation of the university and the alumni, the activity has been suggested to be a substitute of the promotional trip. Unlike the promotional trip, however, it is organized on valuntary and cost-sharing basis by the MIs.

In 2008, six MIs in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam were encouraged to host the open houses. Despite the first time for them except NUOL, the events were carried out successfully with considerable number of attendants due to great effort and contribution from the organizers, the joining HIs, plus the alumni. Now the open house becomes a forum where staff and students keen on pursuing higher degrees can acquire comprehensive information about AUN/SEED-Net scholarship programs through experiences of the alumni and presentations from the HIs. It also provides a chance for prospective candidates and the HIs to meet face-to-face and interview.

Effects of 2008 open houses were obvious at Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) and NUOL, of which applicants to Master’s Program for 2009 increased by 40% and 26% respectively when compared to last year. On HI-side, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) could improve the number of master’s applicants to fill up five slots under AUN/SEED-Net and seven extra slots under the Indonesian Government Scholarship Program.

From the past success, the Project stimulates the MIs to hold open houses during October - December each year, which is the optimal period for graduate program promotion. Some open houses may take place back to back with other activities of AUN/SEED-Net to facilitate participation of the HIs. Schedule and invitations would be settled 2-3 months in advance for the organizers to promote the event and the HIs to prepare for traveling.

Track the open house schedule from AUN/SEED-Net web site at http://www.seed-net.org/calendar.php.