APEC VIRTUAL CENTRE FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION - INFORMATION PAPER

APEC Virtual Centre for Transportation Research, Development and Education

Background

The concept of establishing a transportation research, development and education centre was one of the six initiatives from the first APEC Transportation Ministers' meeting in Washington DC in June 1995. Indonesia took on the role of lead economy for the initiative.

At the 11^th TPT-WG meeting in Seattle in April 1997, it was agreed to first identify the current status of transport research and education institutions within the member economies. This phase was completed and the results were reported to the 13^th TPT-WG meeting in Mexico in April 1998.

Indonesia also undertook an initial investigation of the feasibility of establishing a 'Virtual Centre'. This study, incorporating the results from the questionnaire, recommended the centre be established in website form. This was agreed at the 13^th TPT-WG meeting. It was also agreed that the website would initially be self-funded by participating economies, and that development of the centre as a website would be evolutionary in nature as usage develops and linkages with other sites are identified. Australia offered to assist Indonesia in establishing the website.

In subsequent consultations between Indonesia and Australia it was agreed that Australia would establish the Virtual Centre website, building on developmental work carried out by Indonesia. Australia has established the website and will maintain the site during 1999. Management arrangements post-1999 will need to be determined during this year.

The website address is http://www.dot.gov.au/apec.

Objectives

The Virtual Centre is aimed at:

• providing information on research and development work and courses offered by universities and training institutions;

• promoting the sharing and exchange of on-line information on transport research, development and education between APEC member economies;

• enhancing productivity, skills, entrepreneurship, and efficiency of labour and management in the transport sector;

• facilitating international transport technology transfer between APEC member economies; and

• minimising gaps in technology, human resources development and competitiveness among APEC member economies.

These aims address objectives stated by Ministers in 1995.

Features of the Website

The website has been established by Australia's Department of Transport and Regional Services, building on original work undertaken by Indonesia.

The site includes information received from institutions and agencies from a number of economies ie Australia; Canada; Chile; Chinese Taipei; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Mexico; Singapore; the United States.

The site is principally designed to be straightforward and user-friendly. In brief, the site provides a contact point for institutions and researchers working in transport research and development and education. E-mail addresses allow ease of access to individual researchers and hyperlinks to institution home pages which will guide users to a range of transport-related sites. Through these hyperlinks, users will be able to access papers, course information, details of conferences etc.

The site also provides access to other related website links such as the TPT-WG website, universities and training institutions.

The site will be progressively expanded upon receipt of information from institutions and agencies.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that member economies:-

• note the establishment of the Virtual Centre for Transportation Research, Development and Education as a website (http://www.dot.gov.au/apec);

• promote the site to relevant institutions/agencies and users;
  
• encourage their institutions and agencies to continue to provide information to the website manager;
  
• note that Australia will be looking to other economies to take over management and further development of the website from the beginning of 2000.

This page was last updated on 15 February 2000