The Nation :: Electronic libraries in the works
...The government wants to develop a network of e-libraries with the ambitious goal of creating an information and knowledge bank for students nationwide. Marasri Boonroj and Patcharee Lueng-uthai report.
For years, government leaders have complained that Thais don't have the reading habit. Public and private organisations have lined up to attack this problem and implement campaigns through the nation's school libraries, but it is less clear what commitment is being shown at the national level. As information technology proliferates, the government is promoting e-libraries as a vital tool to stimulate learning.
In March, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered three ministries - Information and Communication Technology, Education and Culture - to establish a National Knowledge Institute to provide overall management for the library system. ... No one disputes the need to bridge the knowledge gap by moving libraries into the digital world, but experts raise concerns that many elements might be overlooked...
wkforum :: World Knowledge Forum, Oct. 14-17, Seoul
...Business leaders will remember 2003 as a year of well-founded worries. An omnipresent terrorist threat, the war in Iraq, the SARS outbreak, and North Korea's nuclear issue aggravated a situation already darkened by a protracted economic recession.
Yet as the year unfolded, the clouds had begun to dissipate. The vanquishing of SARS, the rapid overthrow of a hostile regime, and a gradual return of business confidence have all brightened moods in boardrooms around the world. Signs hint at a recovery in Europe following definite recovery in the United States, and heads of state of Northeast Asian countries are actively seeking ways to promote economic cooperation in the region.
Of course it is still too early to say that the dark days are behind us - outcomes in both the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East are still very uncertain, and there are many who warn that Europe and even the U.S. may succumb to the deflationary forces that have hurt Japan.
But there is much to be hopeful about, and many who wish to share hopeful signs. For them, there are many venues for discussion of the right path to global prosperity. What's missing from many of those venues, though, is the crucial mix of business insights, survival strategies, and diagnostics of present status and future trends.
In Asia, the World Knowledge Forum offers that vital mix. Hosted by Maeil Business Newspaper and sponsored by the Financial Times, Nikkei, CNBC Asia and Bloomberg, Reuters and SBS, the fourth World Knowledge Forum welcomes all business leaders, political leaders, and thought leaders to a discussion of a new future...
WIPO/PR/2003/363: 2003 Session of WIPO Assemblies Conclude
...The Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) concluded on Wednesday following a review of activities over the past year and agreement on the agenda of the Organization for the next year. The meetings of the Assemblies, which bring together the 179 member states of the Organization as well as representatives of a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, were chaired by Ambassador Bernard Kessedjian, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva. Ms. Dorothy Angote, Registrar-General, Department of the Registrar-General, Attorney-General's Chambers of Kenya and Mr. Wang Jingchuan, Commissioner, State Intellectual Property Office of China served as Vice Chairs.
The highlights of the meeting that took place from September 22 through October 1, 2003, include:
The General Assembly approved by consensus the 2004-2005 program and budget, which proposes a slight decrease as compared to 2002-2003 owing to the completion of major infrastructure projects in the area of information technology and buildings during that financial period. Member states approved a budget amounting to 638.8 million Swiss Francs (SFr), which reflects a decrease of 30 million SFr or 4.5 % as compared with the revised budget for 2002-2003 of 668.8 million SFr. ... The plan affirms that the economic health of a country and its success in meeting development challenges such as bridging the knowledge divide and reducing poverty will depend on an ability to develop, utilize and protect its national creativity and innovation...
K-Collector