CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC SCHOOLS IN THAILAND AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. Phathana Phavanantha, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Thai and regional crystallographic schools established as regular university organisations, or as held in conjunction with other major crystallographic events will be discussed with respect to their benefits, diffulties encountered, possible solutions, and suggestions.

Regional crystallographic schools within national universities are organized with prime objectives of pursuing academic excellence, producing competitive graduates, and answering the region's needs in R&D and training for industry and general public.

Crystallographic interest and teaching in the region coincide with central research themes of each institute based generally on natural products, small molecules, minerals, and industrial or pharmaceutical compounds.

Small crops of Thai crystallographers have been trained locally and/or abroad typically at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and in the U.K. since three decades ago. Support received by crystallographic schools is strongly reflected by the number of graduates wishing to enter the field, and fluctuates somewhat with ongoing situations.

Investment on standard equipments which is out of tune with manpower production and community need invariably hampers development, and cor-recting attempts appear to be successful. As Thai scientific community is bent on preparation for 1st-generation synchrotron radiation source to be donated from Japan, local schools and crystallographers must arise to this challenge.

Collaboration between crystallographic centres in- and outside the region e.g. Bangkok, Kualalampur, Perth, Songkla and Uppsala has brought much sustainable progress which is to be admired, and their co-operation observed.

Crystallographic Schools on Gems and Computing supported by IUCr, AsCA, CrSJ and TCrA were held as satellites of AsCA'95 meeting of Asian crystallographers at Chulalongkorn University. The schools were fully attended and proven very benefitial to regional participants to learn directly from many international experts during this short period. Firm and early commitments by all main organizers based on verifiable block agreement with mutual understanding is much recommended for such regional schools now being expected triannually.