SEAMEO BIOTROP and its sister centre, the Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (VOCTECH) entered into a  3-year collaborative agreement on 28 January 2011 at VOCTECH’s headquarters in Brunei Darussalam.

The memorandum of agreement (MOU) was signed by Dr. Bambang Purwantara, BIOTROP Director and Dr. Alias Haji Abu Bakar, VOCTECH Director.  Witnesses to the signing were Dr. Irdika Mansur, BIOTROP Deputy Director for Resource Management and Communication, and Dr. Paryono, VOCTECH Deputy Director for Professional Affairs.

From 2011 to 2013, the two Centres are expected to undertake the following areas of collaboration: (1) staff exchange and visit; and (2) joint implementation of research, training and information exchange  programmes, projects and other related activities whenever and wherever feasible opportunities present themselves.

The MOU is in line with SEAMEO’s objective to strengthen inter-Centre collaboration.