On 17 February 2012, Mr. Chalermpol Thanchitt, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with Dr. Kua Wongboonsin, Vice President of Chulalongkorn University, Ms. Ana Maria Ramirez, Argentine Ambassador to Thailand and Ms. Judith Cefkin, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy, jointly presided over the International Symposium: “(Un) anticipated Futures”, one of the activities under the Thai - US Creative Partnership organized after the successful seminar on “Green Building and Design” held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 September 2011.
This international collaboration started by the Design and Social Development Program of the three universities, namely, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, The New School in New York and University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The symposium brought together historians, social researchers, and designers in a context of unprecedented economic and ecological uncertainty. As financial crises and environmental disasters appear around the globe, cross-disciplinary and international approaches are urgently needed to address design and development in urban landscapes increasingly in flux. The Design and Development program focuses on the intersection of design and social science in an effort to identity innovative ways of interpreting urban phenomena.
The symposium turned out successfully through the exchanges of knowledge, experiences and best practices of the three cities; Bangkok, Buenos Aires, and New York. 170 distinguished attendees included Diplomatic Corps in Thailand, government and private sectors, scholars and students in urban design field. This Symposium will continue next year in Buenos Aires and the year after in New York.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th