APAN 41 Manila - Fellowship Summary Report

First of all I would like to thank APAN, especially the Fellowship Committee headed by Dr. Basuki Suhardiman, for awarding me a fellowship. I doubt that I will be able to attend such a meeting without a fellowship.

(Some Photos)

The main reason why I want to attend an APAN meeting is of course because I am very interested in the topics that will be discussed in the technical sessions, as well as the opportunity to network.  The workshops on cloud computing, network engineering, network research testbeds, and other co-located events are very much related to my research area and I learned a lot from attending them. I have a few blog entries that summarize some of the talks I attended.

The main realization that I came up with in this meeting is to never underestimate the value of COLLABORATION. The advances in research and education networks cannot be achieved without collaboration. I am amazed that majority of the presentations end with a slide having the logos of collaborating institutions and partners!

Unlike academic meetings that I frequent, the APAN meeting has a relatively informal and light atmosphere. Everyone seems to be at ease with each other and the senior members are very kind, accommodating, and generous. 

Attending this meeting also made me realize that my country, Philippines, is behind in terms of network infrastructure and capacity compared to its neighbors. I think improving this is just not a priority of the government as of the moment. It is great that DOST-ASTI is participating in this kind of activities that puts Philippines on the map. I also hope to be able to contribute, perhaps submit a research paper or join a working group to organize some workshops during the technical sessions. Interestingly, APAN publishes proceedings.

Since the APAN 41 Meeting is an international event, I also learned to appreciate the culture of people from other countries, particularly the other fellows. Talking to them gave me new perspectives in looking at things, not just on technical matters but also on other aspects of life. 

I believe that the APAN Fellowship was able to achieve its objectives and I hope that APAN will continue to support this program. I highly encourage others, especially the young ones, to participate and contribute to future APAN meetings.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO.