【SATU Presidents’ Forum facilitates multilateral exchange via a wide range of activities】

As an international exchange platform, the SATU Presidents’ Forum strives to facilitate multi-lateral collaborations among institutions in Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan, through organizing a wider range of activities. The Forum conducted the 2023 Sustainability Webinar Series during July 17 to August 4. The 6-session series featured six research teams matched via the 2022 SATU Joint Research Scheme matching platform as speakers, sharing their research outcomes and how the outcomes could help to achieve SDGs. It was recorded a registration number of 537 in total, mainly academic members and students from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Thailand, and Brunei. Participants were very interested in the research projects. Great interactions were maintained among the speakers and the participants.

Enhancing local outreach of the member countries is also one of the SATU’s missions. Co-organized by the SATU Presidents’ Forum International Secretariat and Mapua University in the Philippines, the Local Chapter Workshop was held on August 24, 2023, with the theme "Smart Engineering for People and the Planet", to explore the application of artificial intelligence technology in promoting sustainable development. The first physical event to take place after the pandemic, the workshop was kicked off by the remarks by President Dr. Dodjie S. Maestrecampo of Mapua University and the Associate Vice President for International Affairs Prof. Kevin Chao-Hung Lin of the National Cheng Kung University. What followed was an introduction of the SATU Presidents’ Forum, highlighting the opportunities to facilitate international collaboration and exchange via events for scholars and students. The sharing sessions featured project presentations made by National Cheng Kung University and Mapua University, under two sub-themes, namely "Ocean and Renewable Energy" and "Resource Management." In the afternoon, speakers and participants were divided into 6 groups, each with different topics on sustainability, to explore potential research collaboration opportunities. The event was well received by over 50 participants from a total of 11 institutions, six (6) of which were non-SATU member institutions. It enabled participants to get to know each other and explore opportunities for collaboration. It also provided participants with information about activities conducted by the SATU Presidents’ Forum, which can be served as useful resources in making connections with like-minded scholars in Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan.