The 7th General Conference of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP): “Towards an Asia-Pacific Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education” jointly organized by the University of Macao and AUAP will be held on 21 and 22 October at STDM Auditorium of the University Library of the University of Macau. 90 representatives from AUAP member universities will attend the conference to share their professional experiences.

The theme of the 7th AUAP General Conference is “Towards an Asia-Pacific Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education”. Keynote speeches about academic quality assurance will be presented by Prof. Bao Lang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Prof. Richard Braddock, University of Macquarie, Australia and Prof. Sven Caspersen, President Emeritus of IAUP and Rector Emeritus of Aalborg University, Denmark. There are also panel discussions with speakers coming from Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines and Bangladesh.

AUAP held its 22nd Board Meeting yesterday in the Senate Room at the University of Macau. Various issues on the activities and future development plan were discussed.

AUAP was established in 1995 and UM is one of the founding members. UM has been actively participated in the association as board member, the Treasurer and recently the Vice-President. At the end of the 7th General Conference, Prof. Iu Vai Pan, Rector of the University of Macau, will take office of President of the AUAP for the next two years. The primary objective of AUAP is to provide the mechanisms whereby universities of the Asia Pacific Region (as defined by UNESCO), could discharge more effectively their responsibility of providing higher education and training, to contribute actively to the well being of the community and to develop human resources, etc. and thus to serve the cause of socio-economic development and peace through its various programmes and activities. At present, AUAP has 218 regular members from 19 countries and territories.