The 61st APAN conference (APAN61) takes place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 26–29 January 2026, bringing together the Asia-Pacific research and education networking community to share experiences and shape future collaboration. APAN continues to be an important forum for dialogue across regions, and NORDUnet is pleased to take part in this year’s meeting.
NORDUnet’s participation in APAN61 focuses on strengthening Nordic–Asia collaboration around education services. In recent years, NRENs in both Europe and Asia have taken on a stronger role in supporting digital and remote education, creating new opportunities for shared development and knowledge exchange.
Building on the joint Asi@Connect project, which delivered remote education facilities across the region and established strong relationships between NRENs, NORDUnet is now exploring opportunities for the next phase of collaboration. This includes how European developments such as eduMEET can help further strengthen and expand the remote education service portfolio developed through Asi@Connect.
“APAN has long been a key place for connecting communities across regions,” says Erik Kikkenborg, Chief Collaboration Officer at NORDUnet. “We see real potential in building on the trust and experience from Asi@Connect and combining it with ongoing European work on education services, to support education communities in Asia and beyond.”
Erik Kikkenborg will represent NORDUnet at APAN61 and contribute to the session “Emerging NRENs: Opportunities, Challenges and South-South & North-South Collaboration” on Wednesday 28 January, as part of a wider discussion on how Nordic–Asia collaboration can continue to evolve through shared services and long-term partnerships.
