S&SE ASIAN UN holds anti-epidemic webinar

Representatives of member universities share opinions on anti-epidemic measures during the webinar. [Photo/ynu.edu.cn]

The secretariat of the South & Southeast Asian University Network (S&SE ASIAN UN) held an anti-epidemic themed webinar at Yunnan University (YNU) campus on May 20.

Representatives of 12 member universities from China, Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and other countries attended the webinar and made speeches.

Prof. Li Chenyang, executive secretary-general of S&SE ASIAN UN and vice-president of YNU, told the webinar that, as universities play a key role in the global fight against the epidemic, the secretariat will carry out a series of anti-epidemic themed activities with member universities.

University representatives said that the webinar was an example of sharing resources and helping one another during the epidemic. Member universities should attach importance to teaching and research while also preventing and controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.

The representatives also shared their anti-epidemic measures such as establishing testing labs, analyzing model predictions of the epidemic's development, managing the epidemic on campuses, online teaching, application of big data and internet technology, and helping teachers and students to develop new working and studying habits.

The epidemic brings challenges to universities, such as inequality in online education in some developing countries, quality control and supervision of online teaching, inadaptability of some science and engineering majors to online education, and more.

But despite the challenges, the epidemic also brings opportunities, such as making universities change traditional teaching models and adapt to the new era, allowing education resource sharing to reduce education inequality, and showing the necessity of enhancing digital infrastructure.

The webinar is an important part of S&SE ASIAN UN's anti-epidemic activity program, and of the implementation of the Statement of the South & Southeast Asian University Network on Joining Efforts in Fighting against COVID-19. More activities will be organized shortly.