Silliman University President Dr. Ben S. Malayang III is one of select academic leaders invited to the Conference on East Asian Development (CEAD) hosted by the World Bank (WB) on March 21 to 22 in Singapore.
Dr. Malayang will join around 250 senior policy makers and representatives of think tanks, academia, private sector, civil society and media all over East Asia in a high-profile event that is expected to set off what will be an annual series of WB-organized flagship conferences in the region.
Four topics have been identified as relevant to East Asia’s development agenda: (1) East Asia: Rising to the Challenge; (2) Regional Integration as a Development Engine; (3) Skills and Education to Support Innovation; and (4) The Future of Green Growth (including climate change).
Three of the confirmed speakers are His Excellency Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, His Excellency Korn Chatikavanji, Minister of Finance of Thailand, and His Excellency Gita Wirjawan, Chairman of the Indonesian Investment Coordination Board.
Considered as one of the country’s notable environmentalists, Dr. Malayang’s areas of interest include environmental governance and climate change. He has also been involved in several projects funded by international development organizations in the Asian region.
Dr. Malayang also holds leadership positions in academic organizations. He is the Philippine representative in the seven-country Executive Committee of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia. He also sits as Chairman of the Coordinating Council of Private Education Associations, which is composed of five academic associations in the Philippines: Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, and Technical Vocational Schools Associations of the Philippines.