8th AsRES Conference update –
Conference going Virtual for the First Time

The Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that NUS will provide a web-based virtual conference platform.

All the accepted conference papers will be put online, and discussants will be invited to put their comments online. The platform allows audio-visual presentations of the papers. It also provides a forum function where questions and responses can be posted and viewed by all participants. The virtual conference will open on July 21 and remain open for one month.

NUS will host meetings for AsRES board members and those who choose to come to Singapore for the conference on July 21 at the Pan Pacific Hotel. This arrangement will provide continuity in AsRES organizational functions as well as a venue for face-to-face discussions by the conference participants. A small number of sessions will be arranged for those attending to present and discuss their papers.

Please be informed that RICS Foundation and ARES Foundation have kindly agreed to extend the best paper awards sponsorship (1,000 pounds and US$1,000 respectively) for the virtual conference. The RICS Foundation award will be for the best paper on sustainable development in Asia. In addition, NUS will sponsor the Gerald R. Brown best paper award (S$1,000) for the best paper on real estate investment and finance in honor of the late Gerald Brown who was supposed to be the current AsRES president. Participants who submit their completed papers to the virtual conference by July 7 will be eligible for the best paper awards. Awards will be announced at the close of the virtual conference on Aug 21, 2003.

If you would like to participate in our Virtual Conference, please send an email to Ms Rebecca Er (rstbox1@nus.edu.sg) to request for an UserID and password.

Effective from 31 May 2003, The World Health Organization has removed Singapore from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. For more information about SARS in Singapore, please see http://www.sars.gov.sg or http://www.moh.gov.sg/sars/