Bangkok, Thailand – On March 7-8, 2016, the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) hosted the first Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) under the Agreement Related to Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, signed in 2013.
The JCM, co-chaired by Weerapong Pairsuwan, the Thai MOST Permanent Secretary, and Judith Garber, the U.S. Department of State’s Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment, and Science, brought together U.S. and Thai scientists and policymakers to discuss scientific collaboration on issues of mutual importance, including biodiversity; energy; health; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; and water. The two delegations also addressed science policy issues, including science and technology priorities and the role of science and technology in fostering innovation-driven economic development.
“Science and technology cooperation is a cornerstone of the U.S.-Thai partnership,” said Glyn Davies, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand. “The Joint Commission Meeting facilitates collaboration between U.S. and Thai scientists to expand knowledge and foster innovation. These exchanges build relationships and nurture people-to-people ties between our scientific and educational communities.”
The U.S. delegation to the JCM consisted of more than twenty scientists and policymakers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Departments of Agriculture, State and Energy; the National Science Foundation; Oak Ridge National Laboratories; the U.S. Agency for International Development; the U.S. Army Medical Department; and the U.S. Geological Survey. Professor Geraldine Richmond, the U.S. Science Envoy to the Lower Mekong countries, also participated.
