Annual Report 2007: FY July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007
Asia Pacific Region
The following is an activity review for the first half of 2007.
Distinguished Lecturer Craig Shipp visited West Malaysia, Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Herman Darman, a participant in the Visiting Geoscientists Program (VGP) visited Perth and organized a field trip for University of Malaya, Malaysia. Geovani Christopher (VGP) visited two universities in China; Syed Tariq Hasany (VGP) visited one university in Pakistan; and Peter Lloyd (VGP) in Indonesia visited about nine universities in Indonesia.
In February, Asia Pacific region sponsored Lee Chai Peng, president of the Geological Society of Malaysia, an affiliate society of AAPG, to attend the AAPG Leadership Conference. AP Region President Herman Darman was invited to contribute an opening letter for the PAPG – SPE Pakistan Conference held in March. AAPG displayed a poster in the conference. At the SEAPEX conference in Singapore, which took place in April, AP Region President Darman gave an award to Richard Lorentz, SEAPEX past president, for his support on AAPG student chapters (SC) in Indonesia. SEAPEX donated $10,000 for the AAPG SC in Indonesia. AAPG displayed a poster in an exhibition booth. Also in April, an Asia Pacific region executive committee meeting was held to discuss various issues. AP Region sent our delegates to attend Advisory Council and House of Delegates meetings at the AAPG annual meeting in Long Beach, California. The delegates were led by Mick McWalter (region secretary) and John Kaldi (past president). In May, AAPG sponsored four students to join the IPA conference in Jakarta, Indonesia. The AAPG student chapter opened an exhibition booth to display their activities.
AAPG Student Chapters in the Asia Pacific region were very active. They organized workshops, field trips, and lectures. They prepared mid-year reports, which are available online. Three new student chapters were formed in China and two new student chapters were formed in India. Australia is incorporating PESA student chapters, which will be treated the same as AAPG student chapters. The Philippines and Pakistan are each preparing one student chapter. The AAPG SC of University of Indonesia received an award from AAPG as the Outstanding AAPG Student Chapter- International for 2007.
Agus M. Ustad is the new volunteer helping to maintain the AAPG Asia Pacific Web site.
Asia Pacific region will actively support the AAPG Cape Town Conference in 2008 by organizing sessions to cover India-Pakistan-Bangladesh and Southeast Asia-Pacific regions.