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  • Association AffairsPacific Science Association

Activities

Science Council of Asia (SCA)

PSA Secretary General Nancy Lewis and Executive Secretary Burke Burnett represented the Pacific Science Association at the 4th Science Council of Asia Conference "Globalization of Asian Economy and Role of Science for Sustainable Development" held at the Westin Chosun Hotel, Seoul, Korea, May 13-15, 2004. The meeting was organized by the National Academy of Science, Republic of Korea and co-organized by the Science Council of Japan.

The conference consisted of Board meetings and the General Assembly of the Science Council of Asia and two scientific symposia that were open to the public. The first symposium," Globalization of Asian Economy", was chaired by Professor Man Woo Lee. Professor Dr. Dong Ki Kim, a member of the National Academy ROK and Professor Emeritus, Korea University delivered the keynote lecture "Globalization of Asian Economy: With Special Reference to the Experience of Korea". This was followed by two invited lectures, "Globalization of Asian Economy and Role of Sciences: Japan Perspectives" by Professor Dr. Yasuhiro Sakai, member of the Science Council of Japan and Professor, Shiga University, and "East Asia After the Financial Crisis" by Professor Dr. Mohamed Ariff, Executive Director, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) (read in absentia).

The second symposium focused on "Frontiers in Chemical Research", chaired by Professor Dr. Eun Lee, Professor, Seoul National University and Professor Dr. Hitoshi Ohtaki, member of the Science Council of Japan and Professor, Ritsumeikan University. Professor Dr. Ryoji Noyori, President, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Japan, Professor, Nagoya University and 2001 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry delivered the keynote address, "Asymmetric Catalysis: Science and Opportunities", followed by two invited lectures, "Organo-metallic Chemistry: A Venerable Tool for the Development of New Materials" by Professor Dr. Youngkyu Do, Professor, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and "Chemistry of the Martine Bisisoquinoline Alkaloids, Renieramycins as the New Froniter Anticancer Agents" by Professor Khanit Suwanborirux, Professor Chulalaongkorn University, Thailand. All the addresses were very wll received, and it was notable that there were many students in the audience.

The Science Council of Asia was established in May 2000 with the following purposes: to exchange information on the current status of science among Asian countries; to promote collaboration and cooperation in a wide range of fields of science in the Asian region; and to advance mutual understanding and trust among scientists in Asia. The 1st SCA Conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2001. Drs. R. Gerard Ward, then PSA President, and Secretary [End Page 637] General Nancy Lewis gave a presentation at that meeting, "An Overview of Pacific Sustain-ability: Challenges for People and Institutions" which has been revised and is included in the second issue of the new journal Fiji Studies. The Pacific Science Association has been represented at the subsequent meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2002) and Denpasar, Indonesia (2003). Given the similarity in the goals of the two organizations it is appropriate that they work closely together, although the countries represented by PSA and SCA differ to some extent.

Progress reports on two SCA joint projects were presented. One by Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman, Senior Fellow, Academy of Sciences of Malaysia, "Knowledge for Sustainable Development: Science and Technology for Sustainability" and the second by Dr. Montri Chulavatnatol, Vice-President of the Thai Academy of Science and Technology, "Sustainable Development Indicators: A Progress Report". Mongolia joined China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam as the 11th member country on the approval of the General Assembly. It was announced that the 5th SCA meeting would be held in Hanoi in May 2005; India will host the 6th and Japan the 7th. It was announced that this latter meeting would be held in conjunction with the Pacific Science Association's 21st Pacific Science Congress in Okinawa.

The Science Council of Asia meeting provided the opportunity for several of the members of the PSA Executive Board and Council to meet to discuss PSA affairs. In addition to Lewis and Burnett, these included Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, PSA President (and Secretary-General for the Science Council of Asia and President of the Science Council of Japan...

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