Building toward a culture of peace
BusinessMirror, November 28-29, 2007

NOBEL Laureates will visit the Philippines and Thailand to participate in the 1st ASEAN-wide series events under the banner "Bridges-Dialogues Toward a Culture of Peace.” The aim of “Bridges” is to facilitate and strengthen dialogue and communication between societies in Southeast Asia with their multiple cultures and faiths, as well as with people in the other parts of the world.

In the Philippines “Bridges” is mutually chaired by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman and CEO of Ayala Corp., and Washington Sycip, founding chairman of the SGV Group and the Asian Institute of Management.

The series is facilitated by Vienna-based International Peace Foundation and locally hosted in cooperation with various universities. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is also part of the program.
The Nobel Laureate win visit the country separately to conduct public lectures, seminars, workshops and dialogues hosed by local institutions during a continued period of six months. Launched in November 2007, "Bridges" will last untilApri12008.

Prof. Robert Alexander Mundell, the 1999 Nobel Laureate for Economics came to the Philippines last month. He spoke on economic development and global currency at the De La Salle University and Ateneo de Davao. Next year six more Nobel Laureates will visit the country.

On January 9 Prof. David Jonathan Gross the 2004 Nobel Laureate for Physics will speak on “The Coming Revolutions in Fundamental Physics" at the University of the Philippines Diliman and at the Department of Science and Technology.

Prof. Finn E. Kydland the 2004 Nobel Laureate for Economics, will be in the country from February 6 to 8. 2008. He will speak on "Peace and Economic Development in the Age of G1obalization" at the Asian Institute of Management on February 6, at Ateneo de Manila University on February 7, and at the University of San Carlos in Cebu on February 8.

The two professors and other Nobel Laureates will speak in local universities and other institutions in Southeast Asia to establish long-term relationships that will result in common research programs and other forms of collaboration. All “Bridges” events are open and free of charge for the public.