Brief Introduction of Asian University Presidents Forum
Asian University Presidents Forum originates from the friendly association between the institutions of higher learning of China and those of Thailand in December 1999. In order to establish a mechanism through which the university presidents of China and Thailand can interchange information and exchange management experience of the institutions of higher learning frequently, Zhung Mingying, president of Chaoshan College at that time and Sumonta Promboon, president of Srinakharinwirot University jointly put forward the idea of establishing cooperation conference of university presidents of China and Thailand. The conference will be held once a year and will be extended to the whole Asia.This idea was approved by Xu Zhenhua, president of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and Pornchal Mongkhonvanit, president of Siamese University of Thailand. On November 30,2000 ,the president of Chaoshan College in Guangdong province, Zhuang Mingying made a special trip to Thailand to consult with Sumonta Promboon, president of Srinakharinwirot University, about the matter and achieved identical views:
1.We proposed that the four schools, Srinakharinwirot University of Thailand (state-owned), Siamese University of Thailand (private-owned), Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China(state-owned), ChaoshanCollege, Guangdong, China (private-owned) be regarded as initiator units and other universities which have visited each other or have had cooperation relationship be taken as basic members. Then we gradually extend the membership to other Asian universities
2.The first forum should be prepared and hosted by Srinakharinwirot University and the participants for the first forum should be invited by both of our universities.
3.Zhuang Mingying, president of Chaoshan College drew up the constitution of Asian presidents forum and it was named as “the constitution of nongovernmental cooperation between universities of China and those of Thailand’’ in 2002.We revised the name as ”the constitution of Asian presidents forum” in 2003. The constitution was passed through discussing and signing by all the participant presidents attending the forum.
When the first forum was held by Srinakharinwirot University in 200,we called it < cooperation conference between universities of China and those of Thailand> because only the universities both in China and in Thailand attended the conference .When the second forum was held by Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China, the participants have extended to six Asian countries. Therefore it was named as <Asian University Presidents Forum>.
From 2002 to 2009, we have held eight sessions all together. Each session has its new ideas. Institutions of higher learning participating the forum from various countries and regions have increased and expanded. The contents for exchange are becoming wider and wider. Many universities have established fixed communication relationship among them through the bridge of the forum ,making the forum play more and more active role. Now the forum has achieved the goal of ”communicating with each other ,interchanging information ,exchanging experiences and common development”.
The universities holding each of the forum work very seriously. In accordance with the requirements of the constitution of the forum, they make full preparation and arrangement for the forum. They invited the superiors in charge of higher learning to attend the forum. According to the forum theses put forward by the host institutions, the participant presidents prepared their papers in advance and this made the forum successful.
At the eighth forum held in Jakarta University of Indonesia in 2009, the constitution of the forum was revised and supplemented according to practical experiences we have got from the forum, making the forum progressively perfect. It can surely play an active role in holding the forum in the days to come.
