Thai delegation visits campus

Posted: June 22, 2012 6:00 a.m.

Suwit Mangkhala, First Secretary, Division IV, Department of ASEAN Affairs, Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand gives presentation that promoted awareness and visibility of ASEAN in Canada, focussing on emerging agreements and various initiatives endorsed by ASEAN and Canadian Foreign Ministers in recent bilateral dialogues.
Suwit Mangkhala, First Secretary, Division IV, Department of ASEAN Affairs, Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand gives presentation that promoted awareness and visibility of ASEAN in Canada, focussing on emerging agreements and various initiatives endorsed by ASEAN and Canadian Foreign Ministers in recent bilateral dialogues. Photo: Arturo Segura and Werner Beylefeld, UR International

The University’s Global Learning Centre was the site of a special presentation by a delegation from the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand on June 20. The delegation was in Regina, in part, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the relationship between Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“Thailand has been proactive as the country coordinator of ASEAN-Canada relations in the past three years,” said Nopakhun Luichant, first secretary to the Royal Thai Embassy in Ottawa. “The main objective of the visit was to promote awareness and visibility of ASEAN in Canada, focusing on those regions where Canadians may not be as familiar with ASEAN.”

According to Luichant, the U of R was one of only three universities the delegation visited during a cross-Canada tour. He says part of the mission of the delegation was to lay the groundwork for the establishment of an ASEAN studies centre at a Canadian university.

“The delegation was in Canada also exploring the possibility of developing scholarships, especially for English language training for students from ASEAN member states,” said Luichant.

ASEAN is an organization in the southeast Asian region that aims to accelerate the regional economic growth, regional peace, social progress and cultural development. ASEAN member states include Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam. ASEAN also enjoys long-standing and close relations with 10 dialogue partners – Canada, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Russia, and the European Union.