News Release

UNC chancellor, delegation to visit Singapore, Bangkok
programs; Moeser to take part in university roundtable

CHAPEL HILL -- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser will this week lead a delegation of university officials on a visit to Singapore and Bangkok, where he will visit UNC programs and participate in a historic university presidents’ roundtable.

"The world is increasingly global, and UNC must continue to explore meaningful international collaborations in order to truly benefit our students and our state’s economy. I look forward to speaking with a variety of leaders during this week and gaining insights that will help us in future international collaborations," Moeser said.

"Our global partnerships have informed our research on some of the world’s most pressing challenges and have enabled discoveries that would not have been possible otherwise. The knowledge our researchers gain and share will improve the lives of people in our state and beyond."

Moeser is scheduled to arrive in Singapore on Wednesday (June 29) and will attend a UNC-sponsored reception with National University of Singapore (NUS) key administrators and faculty that evening. UNC alumni and Singapore Summer Immersion Program students also will attend.

UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences is planning a new joint-degree program between UNC and NUS, possibly to begin in fall 2006.

The Singapore Summer Immersion Program (soon to be renamed the Carolina Southeast Asia Summer Program), based in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences and designed for students at the end of their first year, is a seven-week academic program in Southeast Asia. Now in its third year, the program is made possible through a gift by alumnus Alston Gardner, a 1977 UNC history graduate, providing scholarships covering all program costs.

Each year, 25 first-year students are chosen to receive full scholarships for the summer program. Seventy-five have participated thus far.

Thursday’s (June 30) activities will include a tour of the NUS campus for Moeser and the UNC delegation, given by UNC students in the Singapore Summer Immersion Program. Gardner also will attend, and the UNC delegation will have an informal discussion with the students about their experiences. Earlier that day, NUS leaders will host a luncheon for Moeser and the UNC delegation.

That evening, Moeser will attend a welcoming reception and dinner with university leaders representing the Association of American Universities and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and participating in a roundtable – a first such event for Asia. Dr. Richard Brodhead, Duke University’s president, also is scheduled to participate in the roundtable.

S.R. Nathan, president of Singapore and chancellor of the National University of Singapore, will host the event for the roundtable delegates at the Istana, the official residence of the president of Singapore.

Hosted by the National University of Singapore, the roundtable will address global developments in university research and education. More than 50 leaders will attend, representing areas including Canada, Chile, the United States, China, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

After a full day of roundtable discussions Friday (July 1), Moeser will arrive in Bangkok on Saturday (July 2). That evening, he will attend a reception with alumni and UNC students.

On Sunday (July 3), Moeser will visit the campus of Thammasat University and have dinner with Kenan Institute Asia trustees. Khun Anand Panyarachun, former prime minister of Thailand and current Kenan Institute Asia chairman, will host the dinner.

The Kenan Institute Asia, or KIAsia, was established in 1996 with an endowment provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Royal Thai Government and the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. KIAsia is affiliated with the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, based in UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

A key objective in forming KIAsia was to create a private nonprofit foundation that would continue the mutually beneficial relationship between Thailand and the United States on development issues after the end of the bi-lateral USAID program in Thailand.

KIAsia and its partners have launched the "Tsunami Recovery Action Initiative," focusing on providing development assistance for the hardest-hit communities in southern Thailand.

On Monday (July 4), Moeser will spend more time at KIAsia, discussing activities and meeting with senior Thai university officials who have worked with the program and with UNC in the past. Moeser leaves on July 5.

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UNC News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine@unc.edu