Research institutions in Japan, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Turkey joined forces on November 22-23, 2006 connecting to each other from the TDLC for the “Tokyo International Workshop 2006 on Earthquake Disaster Mitigation for Safer Housing”.Organizers including the Building Research Institute of Japan have launched a new collaborative research project with Asian institutions, and are incorporating videoconferencing to share knowledge and strengthen the network.
Students in Sri Lanka and Japan connected via videoconference on August 29, 2006 to conduct a joint “Home Room” session, participating in an activity to identify the most important things in life and share their perspectives.Facilitated with the cooperation of Takushoku University, over a dozen students from Hoya Junior High School assembled at the TDLC to interact with their peers in Sri Lanka.
The third “Training of Trainers Course on Microfinance” (MFToT) began at the TDLC on August 3, 2006, incorporating new approaches to broaden its impact on building training capacity in Asia. Newcomers India, Pakistan and China joined Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan for the opening videoconference session connecting via the GDLN, with Beijing bridging to the China Development Bank’s national network to further expand the course’s reach. The session was also webcast live through the internet for the first time. See full story to access an archived version of the webcast.
Hitotsubashi University’s Asian Public Policy Program (APPP) held a virtual “reunion” on June 16, 2006 via the GDLN. The first of two sessions planned for this year, over 30 current master degree students, PhD candidates and faculty gathered at the TDLC to connect with alumni in Beijing, Manila, Jakarta and Hanoi for discussions on recent policy issues in Asia. Waving to each other across the screen, the event provided an enjoyable new opportunity to strengthen ties and exchange information within the region’s alumni network.
The Second “Training of Trainers Course on Microfinance (MFToT) gave accreditation to 32 new microfinance trainers from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka at a ceremony moderated from the TDLC on April 12,2006. The course, a blended distance learning program which combines various technologies, aims to build microfinance capacity in Asia, and will be delivered for the third time later this year.