We have brought together large networks of the best persons we know for the AUSN endeavor from USA and globally, and will bring further colleagues on board to our projects. During the past month we have continued signing collaborative agreements with other institutions around the world and co-organised a number of conferences overseas. In this news report a few of these are highlighted.

Collaborative agreement between AUSN and Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

AUSN is proud to sign a broad Academic Cooperation Agreement with UGM. The previous Academic Cooperation Agreement with the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), has been widened to university-wide. UGM is the oldest university in Indonesia, and plays a central role in development of medical curriculum and biomedical sciences and bioethics across Indonesia. UGM is in Yogyakarta, and has 56,000 students and 4 thousand faculty. The first concrete activity of the new agreement was holding a Joint Conference on 3 September 2013 (See the Conferences Section).

Photo of a dinner at the University Club at UGM, including Prof. dr. Iwan Dwiprahasto, M.Med.Sc., Ph.D., Vice Rector, Academic and Student Affairs, UGM; Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., Vice Rector, Cooperation and Alumni, UGM; Prof. Umar Jenie, Chair, Indonesian National Bioethics Commission and former Director of Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI); Prof. Darryl Macer, Provost of AUSN; Ms. Ananya Tritipthumrongchok, Managing Director, Eubios Ethics Institute, Thailand; Professor Yati Soenarto and Professor Soenarto Sastrowijoto, Faculty of Medicine, UGM and Visiting Professors of AUSN; and other UGM staff.



Six Youth Peace Ambassador International Conferences
Sixth Youth Peace Ambassador International Training Workshop (YPA6)
25 May – 2 June, 2013, Bangkok and Kaeng Krachan, Thailand.

Organised by Eubios Ethics Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, American University of Sovereign Nations, the Fulbright Academy of Law, Peace and Public Health and International Peace and Development Ethics Centre @ Kaeng Krachan, Thailand.

YPA6 was joined by 70 participants from 18 countries. The co-organizers were Eubios Ethics Institute, International Peace and Development Ethics Centre, Center for Ethics of Science and Technology at Chulalongkorn University, American University of Sovereign Nations, with cooperation from Loxley International and Oran Patana Foundation. The details of the 40 action plans developed by the participants can be downloaded from http://www.eubios.info/conferences

Joint Workshop on Bioethics Teaching
31 August 2013, Purwokerto, Indonesia
Organised by: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED), Indonesia; American University of Sovereign Nations; Eubios Ethics Institute, Bangkok, Thailand

The general objectives included: introduction to Eubios Ethics Institute and Asian Bioethics Association; Introduction to American University of Sovereign Nations Degree and Certificate Programmes; Analysis of the bioethics curriculum in different faculties at UNSOED; Discussions on the importance of bioethics teaching for students’ character building, and major challenges in bioethics teaching in Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (resources, material, capacity building, etc.). After a fruitful discussion, it was decided to hold a further detailed curriculum forum early in 2014.

Indonesian Youth Community and Peace (YPA and LBD network) Workshop,
3 September 2013.
 Venue: UGM and JSU, Jogyakarta, Indonesia.
Organised by University Gadja Mada (UGM); Jogyakarta State University (JSU); American University of Sovereign Nations; Eubios Ethics Institute, Bangkok, Thailand.
This forum on 3 September was held at the beautiful UGM Main Building (designed by the first President of Indonesia). This brought together youth from across Japan who have been involved in the Youth Peace Ambassadors International programme started in 2010 that included the collaboration between Eubios Ethics Institute and Fulbright Academy of Law, Peace and Public Health; and the Youth Looking Beyond Disaster programme of Eubios Ethics Institute. The Youth Peace Ambassadors International (YPA) and Youth Looking Beyond Disaster (LBD) programme is run by Eubios Ethics Institute, and is now in cooperation with AUSN. The day long programme was a chance for many YPA and LBD trainees to present the results of their action plans, as well as learning how to link this to community service efforts of UGM and YSU. Among the 50 participants over 25 were able to receive certificates as Youth Peace Ambassadors, or Youth Looking Beyond Disaster Ambassadors. There was analysis of how to integrate community service programs between universities and local communities.

Collaborative agreement between AUSN and University Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia

University Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, IndonesiaAUSN is proud to sign an Academic Cooperation Agreement with University Jenderal Soedirman. On 1 September 2013 a Collaborative Agreement was signed for “cooperation in the fields of education, academic research, global studies, public health and medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and other allied health sciences, bioethics and peace” between AUSN and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED), Purwokerto, Indonesia.
UNSOED is “named after the Great Indonesian Commander, General Soedirman who held the following philosophies: persistence, optimism, wisdom, integrity, courage, faith, aspiration, unity, candor, and common sense.” A joint workshop between AUSN, UNSOED and Eubios Ethics Institute was held to detail training in bioethics in all 7 degree programs of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Professor Darryl Macer, Provost of AUSN has been asked to return early in 2014 to further develop the bioethics curriculum in these and further faculties including Biology.

Photo of the signing of the Agreement at the villa of Dr. Retno Widiastuti, Dean of the Faculty, with Dr. Retno Widiastuti (Centre), Dr. Amalia Muhaimin (Chief of Bioethics Department, UNSOED and Visiting Professor, AUSN) and Dr. Darryl Macer, Provost of AUSN.

 University of Hyogo – Eubios Youth Looking Beyond Disaster Forum (LBD3)
8-11 September 2013, Kobe, Japan
Organised by University of Hyogo, Kobe, Japan; Eubios Ethics Institute, Bangkok, Thailand; American University of Sovereign Nations; and Sakura-Net, Kobe, Japan.
This 4 day intensive workshop was held with 90 participants at the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institute, University of Hyogo, Kobe, Japan, from 8-11 September 2013. Participants were welcomed by Dr. Masayoshi Kiyohara, President, University of Hyogo and Dr. Darryl Macer, Provost of AUSN, and Director of Eubios Ethics Institute. Dr. Michiko Banba, the co-organiser of LBD2 and LBD3 together with Dr. Macer, is an engineer who is also Visiting Professor at AUSN.

The LBD3 participants
The 25 new action plans developed at the workshop by youth around the world for rebuilding communities and disaster prevention at available on the LBD website of Eubios Ethics Institute (http://www.eubios.info/youth_looking_beyond_disaster_lbd/lbd3_in_kobe_2013). There was also presentation of some past action plans and awards of over 20 certificates to Youth Looking Beyond Disaster Ambassadors. The discussions included experiences from across the world, with a dozen youth from North Eastern Japan who have been assisting in recovering of communities from the Tepco Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and the Great East Japan tsunami. There were also more than 50 foreign youth from many countries including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand and UK.

AUSN is lifelong learning in a global community, as illustrated by some of the conferences and agreements. We are committed to educating students that will be global citizens with ethical integrity able to guide policy that will lessen the gaps that exist between the health and life outcomes of the populations of the privileged and those who are not. Global responsibilities for promotion of a good life for all (not only humankind) are necessary for our sustainable future. Let’s mold the future for equity, sustainability and justice together.