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This year’s Asia Research Center Directors’ Workshop marks the fourth annual gathering since the first workshop organized by the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in 2003. Subsequent workshops, organized in 2004 and 2005 by the National University of Mongolia and Chulalongkorn University respectively, were a great success, and provided a venue where directors and board members could discuss the practical aspects of operating the centers and effectively planning support activities.
Within the last few years, the number of Asia Research Centers has grown to encompass fourteen leading institutions of higher learning in seven countries across the Asian region. Not only did the number of the centers increase, but the number of scholars and research teams supported through those centers has also grown, resulting in notable academic research findings and publications. In addition, scientific exchange and communication were strengthened through various conferences and symposia. A growing sense of community among the centers has also become more pronounced, as each has increased its participation in and contributions to the annual workshop.
During this workshop, all participants will be asked to think about what goals we should aim to achieve by this yearly meeting, and in particular what each Asia Research Center must define as its role within the academic institution it serves and the country where it is located. With members of the global community becoming increasingly more interconnected, and given that the rise of the Asia-Pacific region greatly affects world economy and culture, a vast need for research and knowledge is becoming necessary in order to understand the dynamics of international trends and foresee the future of Asia. The Asia Research Centers seeks to play a pivotal role in activities ranging from facilitating the communication of research findings and scholarly achievements to promoting collaboration on research and various other academic activities to accelerating regional development. Through these efforts, it ultimately aims to bring about a more prosperous tomorrow.
With the administrative competence and overall efficiency of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and its Asia Research Center, as well as the leadership of President Dao Trong Thi, I have every confidence that the fourth directors’ workshop in Vietnam will be a wonderful and memorable experience. On behalf of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, I wish to congratulate and thank VNU for hosting this year’s event.
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