The TDLC is pleased to announce that it has become the official collaborator for an innovative new venture: The Nissan Leadership Program for Innovative Engineers (LPIE). Supported by the Nissan Science Foundation, established in 1974 by NISSAN to provide grants for research in the field of natural science, the LPIE is an initiative by 2 of Japan’s most prestigious universities -Tokyo University and Kyoto University -to nurture leaders on a global scale, capable of creating next-generation business models through a profound understanding of science and technology and its relationship to diverse social needs.
The World Bank’s latest East Asia Update was delivered on March 30, 2006 with Mr.Homi Kharas, Chief Economist for East Asia and Pacific speaking via video conference from Sydney. Connected to hear his report were the TDLC as well as sites in Canberra, Singapore and Phnom Penh, where economists, journalists and academics gathered for a lively question and answer session following the report.
Mr. John Hegarty, Manager of Financial Management for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank spoke on “Institutional Foundations for Sound Finance in Developing Countries: The Importance of Financial Reporting” at a WB Public Seminar held on March 29, 2006. Over 50 participants gathered at the TDLC with Kobe University and Hiroshima University joining the session via videoconference.
Prospects for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the Philippines became the focus of attention at a videoconference connecting Tokyo and Manila on March 27, 2006. The full spectrum of relevant government and private sector organizations in Japan including the Ministry of Environment, JICA, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) gathered at the TDLC for a rare opportunity to hold an interactive discussion among stakeholders on opportunities for cooperation in the Philippines.
“An International Accounting Seminar on Public Sector Issues” was held by the Japan Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA) on March 24,2006. Organized in conjunction with a meeting of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board held in Tokyo, JICPA incorporated videoconferencing for the first time, connecting 8 countries in Asia. The TDLC provided technical support for the seminar in recognition of the significance of accounting issues for developing countries, and hopes to continue to support such efforts by JICPA as a valuable opportunity for development learning.
The Asian Development Youth Forum, an organization of students based in Tokyo interested in development issues, held its third videoconference on March 24, 2006, facilitating exchanges between student counterparts in Japan and Vietnam.
Mr. John Wilson, the World Bank’s Lead Economist for the Development Research Group, gave a video presentation titled “APEC’s Role in Trade Liberalization” contributing to discussions at an APEC International Symposium on the “Catalytic Role of the APEC Process: Behind the Border, Beyond the Bogor Goals”.
The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) conducted a 3-day seminar on the Toyota Production System (TPS) from March 6-8, 2006. This program is a culmination of cooperative efforts between the APO and the TDLC since 2004 to incorporate GDLN videoconferencing services into its training programs, and is fully funded by the APO. The first of 3 phases, national productivity organizations in Mongolia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam connected via the GDLN. The APO will conduct the same course in May and August with different members participating, resulting in an Asia-wide program spanning 13 countries.
A JICA-Net Workshop “How to Moderate and Present in Videoconference” sponsored by JICA Tokyo International Center was held on March 2, 2006, connecting JICA Tokyo, JICA Headquarters and JICA Okinawa by videoconference. TDLC Instructional Designer Jiping Zhang facilitated the workshop as part of a program sharing effort envisioned in a cooperation agreement between the TDLC and JICA-Net.
