Organization and constitution

ASEAN Medical Education Alliance has been established on Thursday 18 May 2017 by a group of medical school leaders in ASEAN. The Alliance is aimed to be a collaborative network for mutual benefit on improving the quality of medical education among medical schools in ASEAN. The objectives of the Alliance are to promote the development of medical education, thereby improving medical education at all levels. To accomplish the objectives the Alliance will

  1. Promote good practice in medical education, focusing on  the international benchmarks  and ASEAN contexts.
  2. Foster communication among medical educators and medical schools in South East Asia and beyond
    1. Calling periodic conferences on aspects of medical education deemed of importance.
    2. Stimulating the exchange of best practice in teaching and evaluation materials among member countries, through trainings, meetings, journals, guidelines, other publications or by using modern information technology.
    3. Promoting the exchange of medical educators/ experts among member countries.
  3. Encourage and support medical educational research collaboration among member countries.
  4. Promote the collaboration and synergy between health system and medical education along with the context of each individual member country.
  5. Recognition and sharing of the best medical educational practices among the member countries.

Organization and Constitution

There is an Executive Committee of the Alliance. The Executive Committee members will be selected from the General Assembly

The first Executive Committee members are from the first Inaugural meeting of the Alliance during the occasion of the 1st ASEAN Medical Education Conference (AMEC2017) at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

List of Executive committee members, 2017-2019

  1. Professor Suttipong Wacharasindhu (Thailand) (President)
  2. Diantha Soemantri (Indonesia)
  3. Ketsomsouk Bouphavanh (Lao PDR)
  4. Professor Vishna Devi Nadarajah (Malaysia)
  5. Professor Tin Tun (Myanmar)
  6. Melinda M. Atienza (The Philippines)
  7. Dujeepa D Samarasekera (Singapore)
  8. Associate Professor Tuan Diep Tran (Vietnam)

List of supported staff for the Alliance

  1. Professor Pongsak Wannakrairot (Thailand)
  2. Associate Professor Nantana Sirisup (Thailand)
  3. Associate Professor Jitladda Deerojanawong (Thailand)
  4. Associate Professor Unnop Jaisamrarn (Thailand)
  5. Danai Wangsaturaka (Thailand)
  6. Myo Nyein Aung (Thailand)
  7. Vorapol Jaroonvanichkul (Thailand)
  8. Pajaree Yenbutra (Thailand)

On the 3rd Executive Committee meeting via teleconference, Prof. Suttipong Wacharasindhu was nominated to be President of the Alliance for another year.

On the 4th Executive Committee meeting via teleconference, the committee agreed to have Professor Vishna Devi Nadarajah (Malaysia) to be the new President of the Alliance. The secretariat office will be at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University.

List of Executive committee members, 2021-2022

  1. Professor Suttipong Wacharasindhu (Thailand) (Past President)
  2. Professor Vishna Devi Nadarajah (Malaysia) (President)
  3. Diantha Soemantri (Indonesia)
  4. Ketsomsouk Bouphavanh (Lao PDR)
  5. Professor Tin Tun (Myanmar)
  6. Melinda M. Atienza (The Philippines)
  7. Dujeepa D Samarasekera (Singapore)
  8. Associate Professor Tuan Diep Tran (Vietnam)

List of supported staff for the Alliance

  1. Professor Unnop Jaisamrarn (Thailand)
  2. Professor Pongsak Wannakrairot (Thailand)
  3. Associate Professor Nantana Sirisup (Thailand)
  4. Associate Professor Jitladda Deerojanawong (Thailand)
  5. Assistant Professor Danai Wangsaturaka (Thailand)
  6. Vorapol Jaroonvanichkul (Thailand)
  7. Thanapob Bumphenkiatikul (Thailand)
  8. Pajaree Yenbutra (Thailand)

The Constitution for ASEAN Medical Education Alliance

  1. Name

The name of alliance shall be called “ASEAN Medical Education Alliance”.

  1. Vision

To be a collaborative network for mutual benefit on improving the quality of medical education.

  1. Missions

The Alliance’s objectives are to promote the development of medical education, thereby improving medical education at all levels. In furtherance of this the Alliance shall:-

  • Promote good practice in medical education, focusing on the international benchmarks and ASEAN contexts.
  • Foster communication among medical educators and medical schools in South East Asia and beyond
    • Calling periodic conferences on aspects of medical education deemed of importance.
    • Stimulating the exchange of best practice in teaching and evaluation materials among member countries, through trainings, meetings, journals, guidelines, other publications or by using modern information technology.
    • Promoting the exchange of medical educators/ experts among member countries.
  • Encourage and support medical educational research collaboration among member countries.
  • Promote the collaboration and synergy between health system and medical education along with the context of each individual member country.
  • Recognition and sharing of the best medical educational practices among the member countries.
  1. Membership

Members of the Alliance are interested medical schools in ASEAN.

(1)   Medical schools and health sciences schools recognized by national authorities

(2)   Faculties related to health professional education such as nursing and health sciences schools recognized by national authorities within ASEAN and Asian region

  1. Organization

There shall be a General Assembly and the General Assembly shall elect the Executive Committee members.

  • General Assembly
    • A General Assembly shall take place during the – Annual Conference or annual teleconference.
    • All members are qualified to participate in the meeting with full speaking and voting rights.
    • The General Secretary shall give members at least three months’ notice of convening the General Assembly and the Agenda shall be issued not less than one month before the General Assembly.
    • Items for the Agenda should reach the General Secretary not less than two months prior to the General Assembly.
    • Agenda items for the General Assembly shall include:
      • Activity Report of the Executive Committee
      • Financial Report of the Executive Committee
      • Election of the Executive Committee
      • Election of appropriate working groups or office bearers
      • Presentation of the budget for the following year
      • Review of programme of activity for the following year
    • Executive Committee
      • There shall be the Alliance’s Executive Committee of: The President and one          representative nominated from each country, comprised up to 10 members, and four experts as other members nominated by the executive committee and ratified by the General Assembly.  The committee term is 2 years.
      • Members will be invited to put forward nominations for Executive Committee members not less than eight weeks before the date of the General Assembly. Election will take place at the General Assembly either by physical presence or teleconference.
      • The Executive Committee nominates a President and Vice president. The President will also appoint a secretary who will support the President in all of the activities of the Alliance and a treasurer.
      • The Executive Committee shall be able to employ, research and clerical staff at its discretion within the set budget.
  1. Changes in the Constitution

Changes in the Constitution may be made only at the General Assembly.

  1. Rules of the Alliance
    • Subscriptions
    • Powers of the Alliance
      • To receive, administer, invest and expend donations, subscriptions, fees, grants and other budgets.
      • To publish or to sell publications relating to medical education.
      • To organize international conferences in member countries and elsewhere
      • To represent ASEAN medical educators and teachers in supranational bodies
      • To undertake other activities consistent with the purposes of the Alliance.
    • Office of the Alliance
      • The office of the Alliance normally shall be based in the country where either the President resides, or in any country which offers its services for such a purpose and whose offer is accepted by consensus.
    • Voting rules and Quorum
      • In the General Assembly (physical or electronic) each institutional member can be represented by one delegate, having one vote for each country
      • In the Executive Committee all members have one vote. In order for a vote to be valid, a minimum of 50% of the Board members must vote.
      • Amendments to the Rules of the Alliance and any other decisions, on which a vote is required in the General Assembly (physical or electronic) and the Executive Committee shall require a simple majority of the votes cast.
      • On occasions when electronic ballot is done, a decision shall be taken by the majority of votes received. In case that the votes are equal, the final decision shall be given by the chairman.
      • The ASEAN Medical Education Alliance’s President shall serve as chairman of the quorum. In case the President cannot perform this duty, the vice president shall act as Chairman of the quorum. If both cannot perform this duty, the quorum shall select one committee member as chairman of that particular quorum.
      • In case that the member of Executive Committee cannot be present for the General Assembly, he/she can send the substitute with written mandate.
  1. Limitation of Liability

Officers of the Alliance and the staff employed by them shall not be held personally responsible for debts incurred by the Alliance.

  1. Winding up

The Alliance shall be a non-profit-making body.