Bangkok--18 May--IIE Southeast Asia
The Institute of International Education (IIE) celebrated 50 years of operations in Southeast Asia with a gala dinner in Bangkok on May 17, 2012. At that event held at the InterContinental Hotel in Bangkok, Vice President for International Development and Operations Melanie Sanders-Smith thanked the many organizations that have sponsored and supported IIE’s educational activities, including representatives from leading Thai universities, NGOs, international organizations, and private donors. U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Kristie A. Kenney, who also spoke at the dinner, commended IIE for its efforts to advance educational opportunities in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
Vice President Sanders-Smith also took the opportunity to welcome James Warren as IIE’s new Regional Director for Southeast Asia following the retirement of Dr. Chalintorn Burian, who led the office for 15 years. Mr. Warren comes to IIE with nearly 20 years of experience working in Asian countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
IIE President and CEO Allan E. Goodman recently remarked that “through this office in Bangkok, IIE has been able to launch new projects, reach out to other countries in times of difficulty and transition, and pave the way to build entirely new organizations and approaches to develop the capacity of those in Asia to create the next generation of scholars and specialists in the region." He also added that “the Institute is grateful for the dedicated support provided by the organizations attending this dinner, and for the half-century of presence that IIE has been able to maintain in Bangkok thanks to the openness of the people of Thailand.”
Headquartered in New York, IIE is a private, non-profit educational organization that works to foster international education exchange and advancement with the mission of “opening minds to the world.” It is the oldest and largest agency for educational exchange in the United States. Since its founding in 1962, IIE Southeast Asia, Bangkok has been engaged in activities related to standardized testing, advising and scholarship administration, as well as managing training and education capacity-development programs.
For more information please contact:
Mr. James Warren (Jim)
Institute of International Education/Southeast Asia
Tel: 02-652 0653
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.iiethai.org