APRU Thematic Conference Initiative

1. APRU Thematic Conference Initiative Presented by Dr Christopher Tremewan Leader, APRU Thematic Conference Working Group

2. Working Group Participants • Sudaporn Luksaneeyanawin, Chulalongkorn University • Evi Fitriani, University of Indonesia • Tang Wenqing, Fudan University • Ken McGillivray, University of British Columbia • Zita Wenzel, University of Southern California • Toshio Nagashima, University of Tokyo

3. Presentation Agenda • Objectives behind thematic conference series • Recommendations • Discussions

4. Objectives • To explore possible themes for the APRU Thematic Conference Series. • To scope existing APRU conferences to identify areas for development. • To identify key success factors for creating and sustaining a conference series that would be of esteem and impact. • To convey our recommendations on the thematic conference series.

5. Objective 1 - Possible Themes • Environmental management in Asia/Pacific • The future of higher education in Asia/Pacific • International Relations and Human Security of the Asia Pacific region • Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy – Challenges of the “War on Terror” • The role of universities in conflict resolution: Understanding the politicization of Christianity and Islam

6. Theme 1 - Environmental Management • The environment should be understood in the widest sense. • Topics can be multidisciplinary drawn from biology, botany, ecology, economics, environmental law, management science, politics, geography and other fields of academic interest.

7. Theme 2 - The Future of Higher Education • Tertiary education’s contribution to economic development – UNESCO, OECD, World Bank, ADB, etc • What will the role of APRU universities be as part of this agenda? • Topics can be multidisciplinary covering the commercialization of knowledge, access to higher education, diversity in higher education among others

8. Theme 3 – International Relations and Human Security • Governance: promoting democratic and accountable government as well as effective public administration • Globalisation: assisting developing countries to access and maximise the benefits from trade • Security: strengthening regional security by enhancing partner government’s capacity to prevent conflict, enhance stability and manage trans-boundary challenges

9. Theme 4 – Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy: Challenges of the “War on Terror” • How does the “War on Terror” impact on academic freedom? • Do these social, political and cultural transformations threaten universities’ mission? • While these problems are not easily resolved, can APRU member universities play a key role in the quest for solutions?

10. Theme 5 – The role of universities in conflict resolution: Understanding the politicization of Christianity and Islam • An examination of political activism in Christianity and Islam and the challenges this presents. • Can be approached from various political, sociological, historical and cultural perspectives.

11. Recommended Theme(s) • There was a strong consensus in the working group that the first Thematic conference should either be on Environmental management in Asia Pacific or Thefuture of higher education in Asia Pacific. • It was further noted that member universities should report about their work related to the 5 proposed themes. • This would allow APRU Secretariat to assess the level of interest a possible theme will get from member institutions before taking a proposed conference theme to the outer circle.

12. Objective 2 – Existing APRU Conferences • APRUNet Distance Learning Partnership Project’s (DLPP) objective is to get international high school students to work in collaborative teams with expert faculty members at APRU institutions. • It was expressed to the working group that it would be good to have the DLPP student conference take place in parallel to an APRU research conference. • The chosen theme for the next DLPP is marine and ocean biology. This topic will align nicely with environmental management as a topic for the thematic conference.

13. Objective 3 – Key success factors for creating and sustaining a conference series • The need to encourage participation from government/NGOs and the business community at large. • The need to have different levels of meeting. One within the academic community and the other where what has been discussed at the academic conference can then be raised with government/NGOs and the business community at large.

14. Objective 3 – Key success factors for creating and sustaining a conference series • The needfor a publication strategy to get academics interested in the conference series. • However, the aim of the conference series is not to be yet another academic conference but to make an impact in the international arena.

15. Objective 3 – Key success factors for creating and sustaining a conference series • Having different levels of meeting can help resolve this issue. While a publication strategy will be useful for the academic meeting, the policy implications coming out of the best paper proceedings can then be brought to the wider community’s attention. • Whether the conference series would be based on APRU membership or open to others. A closed conference will reinforce the exclusivity of APRU membership

16. Objective 3 – Key success factors for creating and sustaining a conference series • When to hold the conference series? • Holding them in conjunction with APRU Presidents meeting will give the conference the required attention in the international arena.

17. Objective 4 – Recommendations • Recommended Theme for the first thematic conference: Environmental management in Asia/Pacific • This topic fits in nicely with the DLPP’s theme of Marine and Ocean Biology. • Linking these two conferences together should allow APRU to create a conference series that would be of most esteem and impact.

18. Objective 4 – Recommendations • The wider government/NGO and business community should be involved in the conference series.

19. Discussion Items The following items need to be addressed by APRU Senior Staff: • Proposed theme • Whether to make the conference series internal to APRU institutions only. • Whether to encourage participation from government/NGOs and the business community and whether to accommodate this via two levels of meeting.