On 1 December, ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Nations, adopted an action plan for collaboration in higher education, a symbolic move to strengthen the ‘third pillar’ of ASEAN, Socio Cultural Community. The conclusion of several follow-up studies conducted by ASEAN member countries for the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation’s Regional Centre for Higher Education (SEAMO-RIHED), the action plan covers five cores areas:

• Asean Quality Framework and Core Curriculum Development: aimed at creating mutual recognition and accreditation programmes between different Asean countries;
• Student Mobility Development, aiming to create an Asean credit transfer system;
• Asean Research Clusters in Sciences and Technology: aimed at connecting research centres and higher education institutions across the region;
• Leadership Training Programme;
• E-learning and Mobile Learners Programme.

Asean, a regional union committed to economic growth and social progress, has been in existence since 1967 and is now comprised of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia. All of its members have universities in the AUN, the Asean University Network, and hope to increase their education cooperation and development.

Asean
AUN