HCM CITY — Global environmental issues in Southeast Asia were discussed by 72 scientists from eight countries during a two-day conference that ended yesterday in HCM City.

The second regional conference, under the collaborative research programme of the ASEAN University Network/South East Asia Engineering Education Development Network (AUN-SEED-Net) project, was organised by the HCM City's University of Technology.

"The conference serves as a forum to discuss global environmental issues through technical papers and exchange of research experiences," said the rector of the university, Dr and Prof Vu Dinh Thanh.

The regional conferences are organised to publicise research works done under the AUN/SEED-Net Project and to maximise the outreach of the AUN/SEED-Net network.

Faculty members in member institutions and Japanese supporting universities reviewed the progress of research carried out by graduate students of AUN/SEED-Net and member institutions under the Collaborative Research Programme and discussed related activities for further research.

The conference was also a venue to collect and disseminate the most updated technology and the research of regional issues and public concerns, in an aim to contribute to the community and draw support from the industrial and the governmental sectors.

Held annually by the member institutions on a rotational basis, and with the University of the Philippines Diliman acting as host institution, the first regional conference on Environmental Management Practices in the ASEAN Region was held in February in Manila last year.

This year, the second regional conference on the global environment was organised in HCM City to discuss the latest methodologies, innovative technologies and global environmental governance for sustainable development in the ASEAN region.

The event also promoted research and applications in the fields of environmental engineering and management for sustainable development in the region, and enhanced co-operation among universities, research institutions, industry and technology transfer related to global environmental problems facing Asia. — VNS