SEAMEO RECFON’s Governing Board approved three new activities of the Centre during its 13th annual meeting held on 19-21 September 2023. These new activities are the Southeast Asian Youth Forum on Food and Nutrition (SEAYFFN), Regional Training Course on Management of School-Based Nutrition Programs (MSBNP), and the Second International Conference on Food and Nutrition (ICFN).

The SEAYFFN aims to serve as a regional platform for a structured and open dialogue among the youth in Southeast to articulate their needs, opinions and ideas on food and nutrition-related challenges affecting them to help shape government planning directions and policy decisions. It will be held annually via virtual mode.

The MSBNP training course is meant to empower school heads to effectively carry out and sustain a school-based nutrition program for the improvement of their student’s well-being and academic performance. This one-week training will be an annual offering of the Centre via face-to-face mode.

Both the SEAYFFN and the MSBNP are supporting activities of the Centre’s flagship program on Nutrition Goes to School which aims to develop active, well-nourished, and smart school children and adolescents by acquiring proper nutrition habits. The NGTS program is currently being implemented in 83 schools in various educational levels in Indonesia and in four technical-vocational schools in Cambodia.

The 2nd ICFN is envisioned to provide a venue to enhance the understanding on the challenges, gains, and opportunities associated with environmental nutrition in Southeast Asia in terms of research, programs and policies.

As regional centre, SEAMEO RECFON has Governing Board (GB) Members which has been appointed from the 11 SEAMEO countries, representing the official from the Ministry of Education or related ministries. GB Members has mandates as steering committee, as well as strategic policy and decision maker of a SEAMEO Centre and held the Governing Board Meeting (GBM) annually.

“The Governing Board Meeting is an important activity for us in monitoring the progress of program implementation and discussing new ideas in achieving the vision, mission and goals of the institution,” said Dr.Zainun Misbah, as Acting. Director of SEAMEO RECFON.

The opening of GBM this year was conducted online on September 19, 2023 and attended by the Acting Director of SEAMEO RECFON, Representatives from SEAMEO Secretariat, Secretary of the University of Indonesia, and Acting Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In his remarks, Garry Pawitandra Poluan, M.A., SEAMEO Secretariat representative, appreciated the commitment and efforts made by various parties in implementing SEAMEO RECFON’s flagship program.

“I would like to thank the program implementers, policy makers, and academic partners for their contribution and commitment in implementing NGTS and ECCNE programs in their respective regions,” said Garry.

Dr. Agustin Kusumayati, as Secretary of the University of Indonesia, said that SEAMEO RECFON can strengthen its role and contribution at the national and regional levels.

“SEAMEO RECFON’s contribution is very meaningful to Indonesia. In the future, as a regional center, SEAMEO RECFON must be able to have a greater impact and contribution at the regional level,” said Dr. Agustin.

As the ministry responsible for coordinating SEAMEO Centers in Indonesia, remarks from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology were represented by Prof. Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie, as Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology. In her speech, Prof. Tjitjik invited the Government and academic partners to work together to overcome nutrition problems in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

“I invite the government and academic partners to work together to address malnutrition in Indonesia, as well as in Southeast Asia,” said Prof. Tjitjik.

The 13th SEAMEO RECFON’s Governing Board Meeting has been conducted along with the awarding ceremony of the implementation of Early Childhood Care, Nutrition, and Education Program (ECCNE Awards) for the district government in Indonesia and appreciation for the school which has implemented Nutrition Goes To School (NGTS) Program in Institutionalization Stage.