Invitation to Conference
“UNESCO Conference on Capacity-building in Life Science”
“Workshop of the UNESCO Regional Network in Microbiology and Biotechnology”
Sponsored by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan, the long-running successful human resource development (HRD) programs in the field of biotechnology, namely ”UNESCO International Post-Graduate University Course in Microbiology” (1973-2003) and “UNESCO Postgraduate Inter-University Course in Biotechnology” (2004-2007), trained as many as 459 young researchers from Asian countries, who are now playing active and leading roles in current biotechnology research and education in the region.
After the operation for more than 33 years, the biotechnology HRD program in the region has come to a turning point to be reviewed and re-designed, with a view to delivering a new program in response to evolving needs of regional standpoints where the biotechnology capacity should be greatly improved and the new global challenges have been emerging, such as food security, energy security, environmental conservation, infectious diseases and climate change.
Under the circumstance, sponsored by UNESCO through the Japanese Fund-In-Trust of MEXT, we have come to hold the UNESCO Conference Series on Capacity-Building in Life Science, starting in Bangkok (Thailand), then in Hanoi (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines) and Yogyakarta (Indonesia) from October 2009 through April 2010. Furthermore, the Workshop of the UNESCO Regional Network in Microbiology and Biotechnology is scheduled in September 2010 as a wrap-up meeting of the Conference Series.
The objectives of the Conference Series and the Workshop is to design and launch next-generation HRD program in the field of life science through the need for sustainable development in the biodiversity-rich Southeast Asian region, addressing the visibility of the program, its attractiveness and usefulness from a regional standpoint, and sustainability.
You are cordially invited to attend the events and/ or nominate the member(s) of your institution. Your attendance, ideas and proposals based on your knowledge, experience and insight are very welcome and appreciated to promote in-depth debate for developing the next-generation program. The upcoming events also provide excellent networking opportunities among the participants playing an active role in the current biotechnology field.