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Welcome greeting by Caroline Benton, University of Tsukuba

Good morning every one and welcome.

1. As the representative from the University of Tsukuba I have the honor
to account with so many distinguished guests in the University. I would
like to thank you for coming all the way to Tsukuba but also to Japanfor this event.

2. Yesterday for many of us [people attending the SEAMEO symposium] it
was a day of intensive mutual learning and discovery during thesymposium co-organized by the University of Tsukuba and SEAMEORIHED to celebrate the launching of the AIMS (ASEAN InternationalMobility of Students) Programme in Japan.

3. Today we gather at the heart of the university, with a somewhat
overlapping audience but with a different goal: promoting educational
cooperation between Southeast Asia and Japan.

4. The University of Tsukuba, as an affiliated member of SEAMEO, isproud to have gathered all SEAMEO CENTERS’ Directors and SEAMEO
Secretariat for this Symposium organized under the name of Bridging
the ASEAN Community and Japan through Education.

5. 2015 will be the kick off year of the ASEAN Community; governmentsin region are working towards the creation of a more integrated
framework that goes beyond free trade agreements and the free flowsof goods and services.
6. Within this context the Southeast Asian Ministries of Education
Organization (SEAMEO) has taken a leading role in fostering theintegration process through its contribution in education.

7. At the same time Japan is constantly looking for ways to further
develop cooperative linkages with the region in order to promote
friendship and sustainable development.

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8. Within this context, University of Tsukuba, as an Affiliate Member ofSEAMEO, represents a unique platform where existing relations canfurther consolidate; and it works as a strategic knot where innovative
forms and areas of cooperation can be discovered and developed.

9. The university is a comprehensive research institution that accounts
with some 11,000 undergraduate students and approximately 6,000
postgraduate students and researchers.

10. Imagine the future the University’s motto closely relates to thevision that SEAMEO has of itself as an agent of change towards a morebrilliant and prosperous future.
11. With this in mind and in the context of a knowledge-based society,this symposium has been conceived to:a. reate opportunities to bridge ASEAN and Japan and to deepen
mutual understanding among SEAMEO Centers and educational
institutions in the University and Japan as a whole.
b. Enhance sharing and networking among educators, education
practitioners and researchers in Japan and Southeast Asia.

c. Promote the development of education and lifelong learning in thecontext of the ASEAN integration;d. Share initiatives, experiences and challenges in response to various
drivers of change and shifting trends in education in Southeast Asiaand Japan;
e. Provide links between institutions in Japan and Southeast Asia for
more effective and sustainable networking; andf. Extend collaboration between SEAMEO Centers and CRICED to thewhole University of Tsukuba and other institutions in Japan.

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12. I would like then, to invite you to share your experiences, interestsand goals, and to think of ways in which we can produce synergetic
encounters as the outcome of this symposium.

13. Lastly I would like to express my most sincere gratefulness forcoming all the way not only to Tsukuba but also to Japan. Very special
thanks go to:- The representative of MEXT Japan, Director of Overseas Cooperation
International Affairs Division Mr. Yoshiaki Sato
- The Director of SEAMEO Secretariat Dr. Witaya Jeradechakul,- The Deputy Directors of SEAMEO Secretariat: Dr Tinsiri Siribodhi andDr. Handoko- To all SEAMEO Centers’ Directors, and- To Ms. Abigail Lanceta Cuales-The same gratitude goes to the representatives from universities andother educational institutions and to all participants.

14. I am certain this is a precious networking opportunity that shouldbear important fruits by creating synergy and complementation; assuch I invite you to engage in the activities planned for the day and toparticipate actively.
15. Once more thank you very much and have a productive day!