On Friday, November 25^th, the First ASEM-DUO Alumni Meeting was organized by Royal Embassy of Denmark, Embassy of the Republic of France, Embassy of the Republic of Singapore, Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and the Secretariat at the French Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea.  Ninety ASEM-DUO Fellows, representatives of embassies, universities, and business from 16 ASEM countries gathered in the Meeting. Organizers took this opportunity to show sincere appreciation and offer a networking session for ASEM-DUO Fellows, ASEM member officials, and businessmen.

Welcoming remarks were made by Royal Danish Ambassador Poul Hoiness, French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud, and Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development Director, Dr. Kye-Young Lee. After a message from Dr. Il-Yong Chung, Vice-President of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Director General of the Secretariat for ASEM-DUO Fellowship Programme, Dr. K. J. Sung had a brief overview of current ASEM-DUO progress and encouraged ASEM members’ wider participation. Also, ASEM-DUO Fellows had opportunities to share their experiences of the Programme; the presenters include Professor Kwang-Ok Kim (Ewha Womans University, Korea), Professor Mane Hoe (Pusan National University, Korea), Ms. Vaiva Bardzinskyte (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania), Mr. Patrick Hofmann (Bucerius Law School, Germany), and Mr. Juho Maanpaa (Helsinki School of Economics, Finland).

The Secretariat for ASEM-DUO Fellowship Programme is funded by the ASEM members.  It is a fellowship-granting program for university students and professors in ASEM member countries who wish to go to Asia or Europe for further study, research or joint lecture.

The program was established in 2001 to contribute to enhancing reciprocal academic exchanges between students and professors of the European Union and those of Asian member countries in the framework of ASEM.  In this respect, it provides financial supports to university students and professors only who are or will be in engaged in two-way educational exchanges between Asian and European institutions. So far, the Programme has assisted over 1,000 professors and students for exchange.  This accomplishment, in turn, contributed to endorsement on extension of the program for the second phase of 2006-2010 from ASEM V in Hanoi, Vietnam last year.