Geninfo

DESIROUS of attaining the benefits of peace, prosperity and security through an enlightened citizenry,
RECOGNIZING the forces and the challenge of change in the contemporary world, ANXIOUS to provide for constructive direction to these forces of change,
and
RESOLVED upon joint and cooperative efforts for regional educational development,
HAVE, through our Governments, adopted hereby this Charter of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.”

Signed in Singapore on February 7, 1968 by the original Member States - Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the Republic of Vietnam.

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), founded in 1965, is a chartered international organization for the promotion of regional cooperation in education, science, technology and culture.

Associate Members are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and The Netherlands.

The Council of Ministers representing the aforementioned countries, acts through a High Officials body, which meets annually to review the accomplishments, new directions and initiatives undertaken by the organization. SEAMEO’s executory functions are performed by the Secretariat located in Bangkok, Thailand. SEAMEO's educational programmes and activities are carried out in 11 autonomous Regional Centres and the SEAMEO TROPMED Network. The responsibility for operational policies, programme quality and evaluation rests on a Governing Board each for SEAMEO Regional Centres and the Network, consisting of representatives from respective Member Countries.

SEAMEO TROPMED Network is a regional cooperation network established in 1967 for education, training and research in tropical medicine and public health under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization. The mission of SEAMEO TROPMED is to promote health and to prevent or control diseases, thus improving the living conditions of people through relevant programmes and services. The Network aims to develop the capacity of individuals and institutions in delivering quality healthcare. The Network operates through the Regional Centre for Community Nutrition in Jakarta, Indonesia; Regional Centre for Microbiology, Parasitology and Entomology in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Regional Centre for Public Health in Manila, Philippines, and Regional Centre for Tropical Medicine in Bangkok, Thailand. These Regional Centres are affiliated with academic and research institutions which provide the physical facilities, faculty and technical support staff in these host institutions. SEAMEO TROPMED is unique insofar as no other similar organization exists in the developing world that serves as a focal point in higher education and research, thereby maximizing the benefits to be gained from North-South and South-South collaborative efforts.

The other SEAMEO Centres and respective areas of specialization are: BIOTROP (Tropical Biology) in Indonesia; CHAT (History and Tradition) in Myanmar; INNOTECH (Educational Innovation and Technology) in the Philippines; RECSAM (Science and Mathematics) in Malaysia; RELC (Language) in Singapore; RETRAC (Regional Training Centre) in Vietnam; RIHED (Higher Education) in Thailand; SEARCA (Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture) in the Philippines; SEAMOLEC (Open Learning Centre) in Indonesia; SPAFA (Archeology and Fine Arts) in Thailand; and VOCTECH (Vocational and Technical Education) in Brunei Darussalam.