At this meeting, the trustees elected Professor Neil Quigley as the inaugural Chair of the GMSTEC Trust and Mr Jeff Howe was appointed Executive Director. Key items of progress included agreement on a draft MOU for co-supervision of Ph.D. degrees and endorsement of a proposal to develop a joint Masters programme within GMSTEC focused on meeting human resource needs for GMS development. King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi was also confirmed as a new member of the GMSTEC Trust.

The participants in this meeting included:
• HE Malcolm McGoun, New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam
• Professor Nguyen Dinh Phan, Vice Rector, National Economics University, Hanoi
• Dr Kasem Nantachai, Vice-President for Research and International Relations Khon Kaen University
• Professor You Qingzhang, Vice-President, Yunnan University
• Professor Pham Van Nang, Rector, University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Professor Tran Vo Hung Son, Dean, Faculty of Development Economics, University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City
• Dr Dech Budcharoenthong, Dean, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi,
• Professor John Raine, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), University of Canterbury
• Professor Ian Young, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Commerce), Adelaide University
• Professor Neil Quigley, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International and Commerce), Victoria University of Wellington, Professor Pit Chamnan, Rector, Royal University of Phnom Penh
• Mr Ngo Bunthan, Vice-Rector, Royal University of Agriculture
• Mr Bounseng Kannhavong, Director, International Affairs Office, National University of Laos
• Professor Le Cong Hoa, Vice Rector, Hanoi University of Technology
Associate Professor Sumeth Kaenmanee, Dean, Faculty of Management Science, Khon Kaen University
• Dr Zhang Jiansheng, Acting Director, International Exchange Programmes, Yunnan University
• Dr Tran Tho Dat, Deputy Dean of the Postgraduate Department, National Economics University, Hanoi
• Mr Nguyen Thanh Ha, Head, International Relations Department, National Economics University, Hanoi
• Dr Pravate Tuitemwong, Associate Dean for Research & International Relations, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi
• Dr Nitaya Ketkaew, Associate Dean for Academic, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi
• Mr Tanavich Chindapravist, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi
• Mr Jeff Howe, Director, International Projects, Victoria University of Wellington

In opening the meeting, HE Malcolm McGoun (New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam) expressed his strong support for the GMSTEC Trust. He said that from a strategic point of view, education links and intellectual collaboration were more important in relationship building than any other single activity. "A meeting of minds leads to a better understanding of each other and out of understanding comes security and opportunities for development of greater prosperity," he said. He also noted that New Zealand and Australian universities have a lot to offer to the GMS region through GMSTEC but in turn unique values and intellectual resources will flow back to New Zealand and Australian societies.