The seventh meeting of GMSTEC was hosted by the National University of Laos in Vientiane, Lao PDR, from 13-15 September 2005.

This meeting was also the 3rd Annual General Meeting of the GMSTEC Trust. A range of projects and project opportunities were reviewed and discussed including a new initiative from King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi to offer training courses related to development in the GMS on analysis of food, drinking water, and pollution. Opportunities to contribute to future learning programmes under the Phnom Penh Plan were also discussed including the Social Protection Learning Programme. At this meeting Massey University was welcomed as a new member. This trustees meeting was held in conjunction with the Development Degrees Workshop on 14-15 September 2005. The purpose of this workshop was to explore ways to facilitate cooperation between development studies programmes among GMSTEC members.