U.S. launches cooperative education program in APEC<\/p>\n
The United States has launched a new program under the Asia
\nPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) umbrella with the goal of
\nexpanding cooperation in higher education within the Asia-Pacific
\nRegion.<\/p>\n
The APEC Study Centers Consortium developed from a proposal
\nmade by the U.S. at the APEC Summit held in Seattle, Washington,
\nin 1993. The charter for the consortium was signed at the U.S.
\nState Department in Washington, D.C. in August of this year.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, along with Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand,
\nand Thailand, has indicated it will pursue the study center
\nconsortium, according to Desaix Anderson, the APEC coordinator at
\nthe State Department.<\/p>\n
The U.S. initiative called for \"an investment in our future
\ngenerations by establishing an APEC education program to develop
\nregional cooperation, study key regional economic issues, improve
\nworker skills, facilitate cultural and intellectual exchanges,
\nenhance labor mobility and foster understanding of the diversity
\nof our region\".<\/p>\n
The APEC study centers will be interdisciplinary, policy-
\noriented centers for research at the advanced or graduate level,
\nwith scholars from several APEC member economies jointly
\nexamining such issues as trade and investment liberalization,
\nenvironmental pollution, energy requirements and APEC's
\ninfrastructure. The U.S. response also includes scholar exchanges
\nunder the Fulbright program.<\/p>\n
Solutions<\/p>\n
The original proposal noted that because over two billion
\npeople make up the Asia-Pacific market, the founding of the
\nconsortium will establish a center to discuss \"cooperative
\nsolutions to the challenges of our rapidly changing regional and
\nglobal economy\".<\/p>\n
It is also hoped that the consortium will heighten American
\nunderstanding of the Asia-Pacific region, both from the point of
\nview of its cultural aspects and the business opportunities to be
\nhad in APEC.<\/p>\n
Most of the founding members of the consortium have extensive
\nconnections with Asian universities, as well as Asian study
\ncenters and Asian regional studies.<\/p>\n
The universities in the consortium are the East-West Center in
\nHawaii; the University of Hawaii; the State University of New
\nYork, Buffalo; Michigan State University; North Carolina State
\nUniversity; University of California, San Diego; Washington State
\nUniversity; Washington University; Rutgers University, New
\nJersey; New Jersey Institute of Technology; Columbia University;
\nand Texas A and M.<\/p>\n
Each university grouped in the consortium will have its own
\nfocus of study. At Washington State University, natural
\nresources, environmental studies, food safety and food production
\nwill be at the top of the agenda.<\/p>\n
The University of Hawaii and the East West Center are studying
\nthe prospects of establishing early career and mid-career
\nexecutive training programs.<\/p>\n
Other APEC members will have their own versions of the APEC
\nStudy Center concept. \"Our hope is that each member study center
\nwill be very much in touch with the other study centers around
\nthe Asia-Pacific and that their research projects will involve
\nseveral numbers; that's the goal,\" says Anderson. \"And the goal
\nis also that they will work together on key policy issues, and
\nthat they will continue to work together ... to develop common
\npolicies.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-launches-cooperative-education-program-in-apec-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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