Message from Prime Minister of Thailand
It gives me great pleasure to welcome the delegates to Bangkok andtheAsiaPacific Student Services Association Conference. For over one hundred years, the Ministry of Education here in Thailand has been improving the educational services of the country in order to improve the quality of life for all people. This is a goal shared by countries around the world and it is this goal which has brought you here. Educational institutions around the world require the support of state and local governments, the local community, and the foresight and knowledge of academic professionals, hi our increasingly coi: plex world, the problems and solutions of education are also complex. Creativity and new ideas are the foundation of educational reform and this conference will go a long way in establishing relationships that will allow ideas and information to be exchanged in a collegial manner. The challenge for us is not here at the conference, but lies in the local contributions that each of us can make to improve the lives of students and the educational systems in our respective countries. The theme for this conference is the "Power of Youth: Developing Professionalism, Cooperative Learning and Social Responsibility." We must understand that the students who are the beneficiaries of education can also be great contributors to the process. They have an eagerness and energy that, if harnessed and directed in the right manner, will aid the improvement of educational structures in society. Educators, governmental officials, parents, and society in general must become involved in the development and maintenance of our students' emotional, mental, and physical well-being. I urge everyone who is participating in the Asia Pacific Student Services Association Conference to utilize this forum to engage with other concerned professionals and take the information they gain from these exchanges back to your local communities and educational institutions and implement new, innovative ideas. Only through our hard-work and dedication to developing quality student services can we expect students to show the same hard-work and dedication to their own development. Finally, I would like to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to organize this conference. I hope that you all will enjoy the conference and the hospitality of Thailand. H.E.
Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra
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