The SHARE Newsletter - January 2022
Looking Back and Looking Forward
As we look back on 2021 and look forward to 2022, we have the opportunity to reflect on some of the milestones and achievements of the SHARE Programme during the past year.
2021 was another year in which Covid-19 dominated the news cycle and unfortunately saw Southeast Asia become the epicentre of the pandemic, despite having contained the virus more effectively than much of the world in 2020.?
And it was yet another year in which education institutions, their staff, and students the world over needed to adapt and innovate to ensure the continuity of education. This adaptation and innovation was most evident in the internationalisation of education community as borders remained closed and the disruption and emergency responses of 2020 were replaced by more effective and sustainable solutions.
The potential of freer movement across Southeast Asia in 2022 is welcome news for a region that has implemented among the tightest border restrictions anywhere in the world since March 2020.
The SHARE Programme, under the aegis of the Delegation of the European Union to ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat through its community of?higher education institutions, partners, practitioners, and alumni maintained its role a catalyst for a sustainable, collaborative, inclusive and resilient higher education space in Southeast Asia.?
Let's take a look back at some of the memorable developments the SHARE Programme initiated and contributed to in 2021.?
The Launch of the SHARE Programme Extension?
The SHARE Programme resumed its work as the European Union’s flagship higher education programme with ASEAN from 27 February 2021 through an agreement between the EU and ASEAN which extended the programme up to the end of 2022.
The programme was officially launched by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, the Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN, H.E. Igor Driesmans and the representatives of the SHARE Consortium partners.
“This two-year extension is testament to the EU’s steadfast support towards ASEAN’s community building efforts, particularly in enhancing the quality, regional competitiveness and internationalisation of higher education in the region.”
H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN
Strategic Policy Workshop on Quality Assurance
The first in a series of Strategic Policy Workshops between the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN) and, SHARE Consortium partner the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), was initiated on Wednesday, 28 April 2021.
Members of the AQAN Executive Committee, AQAN Technical Advisory Committee and ENQA board members engaged in strategic discussions regarding the role of AQAN in the ASEAN region, its financial sustainability, the implementation of the ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF), the agency review scheme, as well as the realisation of AQAN's Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and the AQAN Constitution, adopted in November 2020. The series of workshops also aims to support AQAN in taking full ownership of SHARE's results in Quality Assurance by the end of the SHARE Extension phase.
Celebrating Europe Day with SHARE Alumni
On May 9th SHARE alumni from across the region took part in a video to celebrate Europe Day and to reflect on what the EU motto "United in Diversity" means to them as members of the ASEAN Community.
The ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021 - 2025
At their meeting on 31 May this year, ASEAN member state ministers for education adopted the new ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021-25. The higher education components of the new Work Plan are delineated under:
The development and implementation of the Work Plan’s activities are led by the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) chair , administered by the ASEAN Secretariat’s Education, Youth and Sports Division (EYSD), and supported by regional partners including the ASEAN University Network, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat, the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (RIHED), the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN), UNESCO and the SHARE Programme.
Publication of the ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF) Guidelines
Finalised in 2020 and published in June 2021 by the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN), with the support of the SHARE Programme, the AQAF Guidelines form the backbone of quality assurance in the ASEAN region.
To harmonise and enhance quality (and quality assurance) of higher education in ASEAN, AQAF was proposed in 2011 which led to the establishment of a task force. The first draft AQAF for Higher Education was endorsed in 2013 and confirmed as AQAF in 2014.
The AQAF document has two key parts, i.e. the Quality Assurance (QA) principles expressed in 4 related quadrants, and a brief guideline for agency review. With the support of the SHARE programme, ASEAN and European experts developed a complete set of guidelines for agency review under AQAF. These guidelines provided guidance for the training of agency staff in the preparation of self-assessment report (SAR) by addressing the AQAF principles using a standard template; training of the reviewers/assessors in the AQAF principles and report writing; and the management of the reviews by AQAN and agencies using a joint team of ASEAN and European experts.
The AQAF Guidelines can be downloaded from the SHARE website at the following link: https://share-asean.eu/news/asean-quality-assurance-framework-aqaf-guidelines-2020
SHARE Partner University Engagement
In May, June, and July a series of information sessions and focus group discussions were held with practitioners from SHARE partner universities across Southeast Asia. The sessions aimed to gain insights on how SHARE could sustainably support the institutions in their internationalisation initiatives in the context of Covid-19.
These workshops led to initiation of a SHARE workshop on Communities of Practice led by SHARE Experts, Mr. Andy Gibbs and Dr. Azirah Hashim.
A steering group comprised of members of SHARE partner universities was formed to carry forward the development and expansion of the SHARE Higher Education Harmonisation Community of Practice to ensure ownership and sustainability of the region's internationalisation initiatives amongst the region's higher education practitioners.
The 12th SHARE Policy Dialogue: "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable ASEAN Higher Education Space"
SHARE held its 12th Policy Dialogue Webinar Series between 27 - 29 July. Under the main theme “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable ASEAN Higher Education Space,” the series provided a valuable opportunity to engage with key stakeholders from the ASEAN higher education sector.
Designed in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat’s Education Youth and Sports Division (EYSD), the Policy Dialogue continued discussions on furthering the region's higher education cooperation and internationalisation, including the transfer of ownership of SHARE’s programme outcomes to regional entities following prior to the conclusion of the programme at the end of 2022.
Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN, H.E. Igor Driesmans, and the Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, H.E. Kung Phoak, officially opened the three days of sessions.
“Education has always been at the heart of the EU-ASEAN partnership. The SHARE programme, our higher education flagship programme, contributes to people-to-people connectivity between our two diverse regions and to student mobility within ASEAN”
H.E. Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN
The?ASEAN Working Group on Higher Education Mobility 2025?was also officially launched at SHARE’s 12th Policy Dialogue. The Working Group is expected to support efforts on strengthening ASEAN’s higher education system, through developing strategies to realise the region’s Higher Education Space, for greater people-to-people connectivity and knowledge transfer across ASEAN. The working group will receive technical and operational advisory support from SHARE Programme.
The 54th ASEAN Day
On 8 August 2021, ASEAN celebrated the 54th anniversary of the signing of the ASEAN Declaration by the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in Bangkok in 1967.
Originally conceived as a peace-building project, ASEAN has gone on to unite 10 Southeast Asian countries under a banner of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”, with the signing of the Declaration of the ASEAN Community by ASEAN leaders at their 27th Summit in Kuala Lumpur in November 2015.
The 4th ASEAN-EU Cooperation and Scholarships Day 2021?
The 4th ASEAN-EU Cooperation and Scholarship Day was hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat and the EU Delegation to ASEAN on August 12 and 13.
People-to-people connectivity through education and research to address shared challenges is central to the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership and development cooperation. SHARE Consortium representatives and alumni participated in this event to present scholarship opportunities for ASEAN youth.
EU Delegation to Singapore Study in Europe Virtual Fair
The SHARE Programme participated in the EU Delegation to Singapore’s Study in Europe Virtual Fair on 25 September. On this occassion, SHARE took the opportunity to introduce its work with ASEAN partners and upcoming intra-ASEAN student exchange scholarships for ASEAN students.
The Singapore Study in Europe Fair has been held for fifteen years in a row to connect international students to universities, research, and scholarship opportunities offered across Europe.
In his welcoming remarks, EU Ambassador for ASEAN, H.E. Igor Driesmans mentioned that?"Higher education and students have always been an important part of our relationship with ASEAN. We would like to ensure that youth and women are included, empowered, so that no one is left behind."?
SHARE Follow-up Seminar for ASEAN External Quality Assurance Agencies
Between October 7 and 8, SHARE held a follow-up seminar for 4 external quality assurance agencies (EQAA) in ASEAN, namely MQA of Malaysia, BAN-PT of Indonesia, PAASCU of the Philippines & ONESQA of Thailand.
Coordinated by ENQA, DAAD and the AQAN Secretariat, the seminar evaluated the agencies' post-2017 AQAF review progress and provided peer-support to participants.
Developing Virtual Exchange / Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) Capacity
The SHARE Programme held a series of Capacity Building Workshops on Developing Virtual Exchange/COIL Programmes between 16 September and 6?October 2021.
Conducted through weekly live (synchronous) check-in sessions as well as asynchronous sessions, participants could learn at their own pace through video lectures and assignments.??The workshops?aimed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to develop VE/COIL programmes in their institutions, thus encouraging the growth of VE/COIL partnerships among ASEAN HEIs.
SHARE Experts Dr. Keiko Ikeda, Vice-Director of Institute for Innovative Global Education (IIGE) at Kansai University, and Dr. Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Director of the International Relations Centre at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Global were the facilitators of these workshops. They are also the lead researchers in the SHARE study on "Mapping and Identification of Virtual Exchange Schemes in ASEAN".
Capacity Development on Digital Credentials Recognition
Concurrently with the VE/COIL Workshops and in line with the digital transformation agenda in higher education, SHARE held capacity building workshops on developing Digital Credentials between September and the end of October.
Led by Anthony Camilleri & Dr Sintho Wahyuning Ardie, 47 participants from across Southest Asia augmented their knowledge of this nascent development in higher education and mapped strategies to increase the acceptance rate of digital credentials and recognition within and between their respective institutions.
16th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED)
The Open Session of the 16th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) was held on 29 September 2021. Attended by Senior Officials of the Education Ministries from 10 ASEAN member states, the European Union (EU) Delegation to ASEAN and SHARE were invited to the meeting.
The EU Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Igor Driesmans and SHARE Team Leader, Mr. Darren McDermott, attended the meeting to present the key milestones and achievements of the SHARE Programme and to update on the progress of the programme's implementation.?
On the same occasion, SHARE participated in two other agenda items, namely the presentation of the ASEAN Working Group on Higher Education Mobility (AWGHEM) 2025 and the proposal on the Intra-ASEAN Scholarships Programme.
SHARE at the Philippines' European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) 2021
On the 2 October, the SHARE Programme took part in the Philippines' European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) 2021. SHARE held a session on the second day of the event to introduce its work with its partners and the intra-ASEAN student exchange scholarships for ASEAN students.
The theme of this year's EHEF Philippines was "Go Higher with EU”. The EU Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Luc Veron stated in his greetings:?"EHEF 2021 promotes the diversity and excellence of higher education in the EU."?He later emphasised that this event provided information about the different mobility initiatives and higher education programmes available for Filipino students.
SHARE at the European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) Indonesia 2021
SHARE was pleased to participate in the 13th European Higher Education Fair Indonesia on 12 November.
SHARE Consortium representatives and alumni presented opportunities for ASEAN students to participate in intra-ASEAN Virtual Exchange (VE) and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Scholarships.
Capacity Building Workshops on Advancing Inclusion in International Higher Education
SHARE in collaboration with the Singapore-based Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) collaborated on a series of capacity building workshops on 'Advancing Inclusion in International Higher Education' between November 15 and?December 17.
The workshops conducted over five weeks were attended by 33 higher education practitioners from ASEAN. They enabled participants to understand the added value of inclusion in higher education internationalisation; expand knowledge on different strategies related to advancing equity and learn about good practices in from universities in Asia and Europe.
"We hope to sustain a community of practice, where they can discuss their progress, challenges, etc, over time". Ms. Leonie Nagarajan, Director, ASEF Education Department
Each session offered the opportunity to learn from both leading experts and peers in a collaborative format.
“The internationalisation process is all about collaboration not domination of any particular party. I see more benefits of collaboration between Europe and Southeast Asia on a regional basis.”? Dr. Romyen Kosaikanont Centre Director, SEAMEO-RIHED
Professional Development and Employability Workshops for SHARE Alumni
SHARE, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore's Centre for Future Ready Graduates (CFG), held virtual workshops on Professional Development and Employability for 50 SHARE Programme alumni and university students from 10 ASEAN countries.
Facilitated by expert trainers, the two-day workshop focused on youth capacity building through interactive participation, and touched on three main topics: (1) ASEAN awareness and identity building, (2) current workforce trend and demand, and (3) young professional adaptability.?
“The workshop aims to familiarise participants with the current trends and demands of the ASEAN job markets and prepare them to thrive in a rapidly changing workplace. More importantly, the workshop encouraged participants to build an international profile and inclusive network with youths across the regions.”
Ms Joan Tay, Director of the Centre for Future-ready Graduates, National University of Singapore
“This workshop has been beneficial, because it provided updates on current trends in the job market, so we can better prepare for our employment. The knowledge learned from the workshop will help us to advance our skills after being hired with the aim of reaching better positions”
Youheng Sim, SHARE Programme Batch 3, Alumnus, Cambodia
“Ensuring Quality during Challenging Times” The SHARE - National University of Singapore Hybrid Seminar
The SHARE-NUS “Ensuring Quality during Challenging Times” hybrid seminar, in collaboration with the NUS Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning (CDTL), took place over the course of 22-23 November 2021 at the National University in Singapore (NUS) and simultaneously online via Zoom. It was the first hybrid seminar?conducted by the SHARE Programme since the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation in March 2020.
The seminar, engaged higher education stakeholders across??the ASEAN region and in Europe to discuss scientific cooperation to overcome the challenges of??the pandemic, innovations by??universities and external quality assurance agencies, and the post-pandemic outlook for??teaching and learning as well as international collaboration.?seminar was opened by H.E. Iwona Piórko, Ambassador of the European Union to Singapore, and NUS President, Prof. Tan Eng Chye, both of whom emphasised the continued need??for cooperation??through the augmentation of??trust between institutions.
One of the highlights of the seminar was the “Presidents’ Dialogue” between Prof Tan Eng Chye (NUS President) and Prof. Dr Joybrato Mukherjee (President of DAAD and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen) who joined virtually, which was moderated by Dr Dujeepa Samarasekera (NUS). Both Presidents emphasised the need to transition into new modes of learning by harnessing technology and adopting a more collaborative approach to global challenges like climate change through strengthened international scientific cooperation and experimental modes of co-creation, such as team-teaching.?
The seminar also provided an opportunity for participating representatives of Singaporean higher education institutions to engage in lively exchange with their ASEAN counterparts, particularly on the necessity of a national qualifications framework in Singapore, and the challenge of building a common understanding of the concept of quality.
The 13th?SHARE Policy Dialogue: “University and Employer Engagement to Enhance Graduate Employability in ASEAN”
SHARE held its 13th?Policy Dialogue between 23 - 25 November 2021. Focusing on “University and Employer Engagement to Enhance Graduate Employability in ASEAN,” the series brought together?alumni, higher education and private sector representatives to discuss?strategies to enhance graduate employability in ASEAN.
The Policy Dialogue was officially launched by the Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN, H.E. Igor Driesmans, Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, H.E. Ekkaphab Phanthavong on Tuesday, 23 November 2021. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Igor Driesmans stated,
“Education and training has been one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic. More than 90% of the world’s students were unable to attend school at the height of the health crisis. In this context, improving graduate employability has become even more important. That’s why we need to improve partnerships between higher education institutions and the private sector in the region.”
H.E. Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN
?Cognisant of the evolving demands of labour market and the urgency??to transform education system to address skills gap, Deputy Secretary General Ekkaphab Phanthavong emphasised that
“University and employer engagement is not just an option, but a necessity to produce a competitive and future-ready workforce.”
H.E. Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
The SHARE Higher Education Harmonisation Community of Practice (CoP) was also officially launched in conjunction with this Policy Dialogue.
This CoP is a practitioner led platform for stakeholders from across Southeast Asia to work together on addressing the opportunities and challenges in the harmonisation and internationalisation of the region’s higher education. It is envisaged the SHARE CoP will work collaboratively to develop strategies and exchange good practice to augment international education provision across the region. It is also a forum for practitioners to give voice to their views on the region’s higher education policy discussions and decision-making processes.
The Policy Dialogue brought together policy, practical and professional perspectives to contribute to the discussion on the correlation between the internationalisation of higher education and the employability of the region’s graduates.
The three days also explored what steps can be taken to improve intra-ASEAN mobility programmes’ contributions to graduate employability in the Industry 4.0 context.?
The dialogue heard from SHARE Scholarship alumni on their views on the contribution of SHARE intra-ASEAN mobility programmes to their employability.
The Policy Dialogue introduced the results of the three recent studies conducted by SHARE and its experts, namely:?
The Baseline Study of Internationalisation in ASEAN:
The Study of Virtual Exchange Schemes in ASEAN:
The Study on Digital Credentials Recognition:?
In 2022, the SHARE Programme continues its commitment to support the future readiness of ASEAN higher education through the implementation of digital modalities of internationalisation such as Virtual Exchange (VE), Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and Digital Credentials. Through this, we aim to contribute to ASEAN’s sustainable human development as set out in the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resources Development for the Changing World of Work 2020-2030 and the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021-2025.
We at the EU Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE) Programme would like to wish our friends and partners an enjoyable 2022 ahead. We look forward to continuing our work together!
Commissioner @ PH Commission on Higher Education | Chair, TWG on Lifelong Learning
2 年Thank you for helping the Southeast Asian region EU SHARE! Happy new year!