From October 22nd to 26^th, 2013, the KDI School, being GDLN Korean Center, hosted the annual conference of GDLN Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting. 60 participants including World Bank GDLN Managers and delegates from 16 countries across South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific region participated in the conference. It was the second regional meeting in 2013 after the successful meeting held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in January.

The main purpose of the GDLN Asia-Pacific region meeting was to discuss about the forthcoming guide for the development of GDLN, to share about the GDLN programs for the upcoming year 2014 and also to join the workshop on E-learning and Blended Learning program Quality Assurance. In addition, during the meeting, GDLN partners also presented and shared their successful and introduce new programs at the programs marketplace, which helps in better understanding the demands of partner countries.

From the first day of GDLN Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting, Ju-Ho Lee, the former Minister of Education Science and Technology, presented about the positive changes for fostering human development. Sungchul Chung, former president of Science and Technology Policy Institute, shared experiences on the topic of science, technology, innovation policy and Korean development from learning to creating as the best practice of Korean development. These two lectures were the keys for GDLN partners who participated in the meeting because they learned Korea’s experiences in order to adjust and apply in their own countries. The first day of the workshop was finished by the updating GDLN Asia Pacific program and membership followed by knowledge exchanges by South-South members.

The second day of the meeting focused more on GDLN Asia-Pacific’s new programs and governances by discussing about governance committee membership rotation, global board representation rotation, action plan for update to GDLN Asia-Pacific charter, Secretariat function and the future directions for the upcoming year, 2014.

Apart from the first and second day meeting, the third day sessions were training sessions on Blended Learning and E-learning which were held at the KDI School. This training was conducted via a combination of GDLN tow-ways interactive videoconference and webinar, and the participants were connected from Seoul, Tokyo, Washington DC, and GDLN Asia-Pacific sits like China, Indonesia, and other sites. The purposes of this training was to enhance the understanding of global E-learning trends and opportunities for GDLN members, receive an exposure to the use of Webinars as a mode for synchronous and interactive deliver of learning programs, learn to apply major pedagogical principles when designing and delivering blended learning programs as well as to understand key requirement to assure that the quality of learning program is well delivered.

In the closing remarks, all participants evaluated the meeting as imperative and fruitful since they learned new aspects shared by different partners, and they all committed to stick together to find the ways for better networking of GDLN.

By Sopheana BRONH (2013 MPP, Cambodia)