To the AUN family and partners,
As the situation with COVID-19 continues to develop, we would like to provide a message to the entire AUN family about the Secretariat’s responses so far and the course of action for the AUN.
The well-being of our Member Universities, their staff, their students, and their families, as well as all of our partner organizations is our top priority. Following the advice and guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the governing authority on public health of each ASEAN Member State, all of our activities and events have been postponed, cancelled, or reorganized to reflect this priority.
Even before the situation became an outright pandemic as declared by the World Health Organization, the AUN Secretariat took the emerging health situation very seriously. Weeks before our activities took place in early February, the AUN Secretariat was already preparing precautionary measures and adapting the program flow of our activities to reflect the changing circumstances. Two of our activities had to undergo significant changes to include precautionary measures to ensure the safety of all our participants. These two activities are:
1. ASEAN Student Leaders Forum - February 3-7, 2020 at Chiang Mai University
2. 174th AUN-QA Program Assessment - February 4-6, 2020 at Mahidol University
At these two activities, participants were informed of good hygiene practices during outbreaks prior to their arrival. Upon their arrival, they were provided medical masks and sanitary gels free of charge. Throughout the activities, participants’ body temperatures were constantly monitored by the organizing team. Additionally, the AUN Secretariat recommended all participants to use the laundry services available to disinfect their clothes. These measures were only made possible through the close cooperation and assistance of the organizing universities.
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Chiang Mai University and Mahidol University for their cooperation and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all our participants.
As of April 2020, most of the world has employed social distancing and work-from-home strategies to combat further spread of COVID-19. This has proven to be a challenge for work of any kind. In an effort to thrive in these new circumstances, the AUN Secretariat has looked to innovative examples from our most proactive colleagues and from the world at large.
Our thematic networks and the AUN Secretariat are still alive and as productive as ever.
The link below will lead you to our revised calendar. We have rescheduled or reformatted our
activities to reflect the changing COVID-19 situation. Please note that this calendar will be
constantly updated based on the information and recommendations provided by the World
Health Organization and Ministries of Public Health (or their equivalent) in ASEAN member
states.
https://bit.ly/2RRgpZz
We understand that many people in the world today are anxious for the state of the world to return to normal. The AUN Secretariat understands that returning to situation normal will be a gradual process, not an abrupt one. As part of our situational planning, we are carefully and diligently monitoring the COVID-19 situation. We are maintaining close contact with all our member universities, thematic networks, and partners to consult the feasibility of organizing each event as well as scheduling.
These are challenging times for the whole world. As members of the ASEAN higher education sector, none of us are strangers to challenge. The AUN’s 25 years of experience is marked with nothing but challenges. But with our experience, we are prepared to handle the slow, gradual, and cautious return to normality that is vital to controlling the pandemic whenever that may be. Every challenge is an opportunity to rise up and improve. And this one will be no different.