The first Governing Board Meeting of SEAMEO CELLL was held on 14-15 September 2015 on the Centre’s premises in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

The Governing Board is the governing and policymaking body of each SEAMEO Regional Centre and the Meeting is convened once a year, between August and October. The Board Members are nominated representatives from the Ministry of Education or related ministries of the Member Countries.

As this is the first meeting, the meeting is of paramount importance – the Centre Director’s nomination was approved, the Centre’s operational policies were established, and the proposed programmes and budgets were examined and endorsed by the Governing Board. 

Participants in the meeting included eight of the Governing Board Members (GBM) and representatives, guests, officials of SEAMEO CELLL, and a representative from the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training. The Indonesia GBM was elected Chairperson, the Philippines GBM Vice Chairperson and the Singapore GBM Chief Rapporteur.

Dr. Gatot Hari Priowirjanto, SEAMEO Secretariat Director

The five sessions of the meeting were conducted successfully with constructive comments and feedback from the Board Members, noticeably among which was the suggestion of forming a division responsible for fundraising activities. The Governing Board also stressed the central role of SEAMEO CELLL in promoting lifelong learning and coordinating inter-governmental efforts in the field.

During the stay in Ho Chi Minh City, the participants also enjoyed a short trip to the famous historic tunnels of Củ Chi which are a complex network of tunnels used during the Vietnam War.

At the end of the meeting, the Centre Director expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Governing Board Members and guests as well as SEAMEO CELLL staff for their hard work and dedication. The second Governing Board Meeting of the Centre will be held in early September 2016.