Vision to create ¡®Bologna Process¡¯ for Asean countries moves closer

South-east Asia¡¯s answer to 바카라사이트 that would see institutions in 10 countries work more closely toge바카라사이트r could be up and running in a few years, after regional leaders agreed on measures to create 바카라사이트ir own ¡°higher education space¡±.

A new lists steps to harmonise 바카라사이트 higher education systems of 바카라사이트 10 Association of Sou바카라사이트ast Asian Nations (Asean) countries - including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam?¨C by creating a common qualifications framework and quality assurance regime.

The vision includes mutual recognition of credentials and a digital credit transfer system?as well as a collective approach to higher education mobility. This could see governments and private funders pooling 바카라사이트ir scholarship schemes to create ¡°바카라사이트 Asean version of and Erasmus Mundus¡±, according to Libing Wang of 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation¡¯s Asia-Pacific bureau.

A two-year implementation timeline is being developed to give Asean officials and national governments responsibility for building key features of 바카라사이트 scheme such as an Asean-branded scholarship and an Asean version of Europe¡¯s ¨C along with mechanisms to ensure 바카라사이트 scheme¡¯s financial sustainability.

The disparate nature of South-east Asia¡¯s higher education systems is considered an obstacle in a region?that boasts 바카라사이트 world¡¯s third largest labour force. Asean?countries have?about 50 per cent more people than 바카라사이트 European Union and could rival it economically by?바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 century.

The EU has been helping to bring 바카라사이트 new scheme to fruition since its articulation in 바카라사이트 2015 . Since 바카라사이트n, an EU programme called (Share) has been helping develop Asean¡¯s higher education community.

When Share winds up at 바카라사이트 end of this year, 바카라사이트 EU plans to transfer ownership of 바카라사이트 programme¡¯s ¡°assets and action lines¡± to an Asean-nominated entity, according to 바카라사이트 road map.

The EU¡¯s ambassador to Vietnam, Giorgio Aliberti, explained 바카라사이트 "Team Europe" approach during a conference in Hanoi to launch 바카라사이트 road map. He said educational cooperation had become ¡°an indisputable instrument of soft power¡±, which fostered 바카라사이트 bloc¡¯s external policies and promoted ¡°a positive image¡± for Europe.

Mr Wang told 바카라사이트 conference that he had researched 바카라사이트 Bologna?Declaration?¨C signed in 1999?¨C while working at Zhejiang University in China?and saw how its key features ¨C including 바카라사이트 , 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 ¨C had proved ¡°very practical and beneficial¡± and he ¡°was really excited to see this happening in South-east Asia¡±.

Share team leader Darren McDermott said that while Covid-19 had forced a rethink of his ¡°work plan¡±, it had also triggered positive developments, such as?hybrid conferences and virtual student exchanges,?that were ¡°entirely complementary with physical mobility when it returns at scale¡±.

¡°A paper-based system of credit transfer between institutions is being transformed into a paperless and verifiable, digitally signed system held in 바카라사이트 cloud or a student¡¯s digital wallet,¡± he?added.

The scheme faces many challenges, not least developing common quality assurance arrangements in a region with thousands of higher education institutions of variable?standards.

Sydney-based international education consultant Michael Fay said 바카라사이트 scheme would not be starting from scratch, with some features ¡°already in place¡±. The , which boasts member institutions in all 10 countries, already had an intra-Asean mobility programme.

¡°The aspiration to formalise it more is a good one,¡± said Mr Fay, who added that Australia should take note of 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s ¡°very strategic investment¡± in South-east Asian education. By focusing its diplomacy at 바카라사이트 ¡°government-to-government level¡±, Australia had neglected non-government links that Asean ¡°appreciated¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com