Moves to boost education cooperation ahead of AEC
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Meetings in vientiane to coordinate networking
MINISTERS from the 10 Asean states held talks at the 8th Asean Education Ministers Meeting (8th ASED), held in Vientiane from September 8-13.
The ministers’ discussions focused in “Future Considerations on the Post-2015 Vision”, in which they identified priorities for the next five-year plan 2016-2020.
The move is aimed at further narrowing the development gap on education and human-resource development among Asean countries, notably between older and newer member nations.
Education is one of the key components of Asean Post-2015 Vision, in which Asean leaders are working to draw up a guide for the regional bloc after the Asean Community is established at the end of 2015.
Asean education ministers identified four priorities that Asean cooperation on education would address, namely: Awareness among Asean citizens, particularly youth; strengthening Asean identity through education; building Asean human resources in the field of education; and strengthening Asean university networking.
To this end, various projects and activities have been and are being developed to fulfil the directives.
The 8th ASED also reviewed and evaluated the progress made in implementing the five-year Action Plan (2010-2015) on education cooperation.
Five related meetings were held on the sidelines, including the Asean+3 Education Ministers Meeting, in which Asean ministers held talks with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea. The Asean 9th Senior Officials Meeting on Education, and the second East Asia Summit Education Ministers Meeting was also convened.
Delegations from 18 countries and four organisations participated in the forum, from Asean nations, dialogue partner countries, EAS member countries, Asean Secretariat and the Secretariat of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation.
The organising committee said Laos was well prepared to host the six-day conference.
Asean cooperation on education is overseen at the ministerial level by the Asean Education Ministers Meeting, which is held annually.
Education lies at the core of Asean’s development process, creating a knowledge-based society and contributing to the enhancement of Asean competitiveness.
The organising committee described the 8th ASED and its related meetings as important and meaningful events for drawing up a future roadmap and reviewing cooperation over recent years.
The meetings are seen as a significant contribution to further narrowing the development gap in education and human resource development among Asean countries, notably between the older and newer member nations.
Five related meetings will be held on the sidelines of the 8th ASED. These include the Asean Plus Three Education Ministers Meeting when Asean education ministers will hold talks with the education ministers of the three dialogue partners (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea).
The Asean 9th Senior Officials Meeting on Education, and the second East Asia Summit (EAS) Education Ministers Meeting will also be convened.
Deputy Minister of Education and Sport Ms Sengdeuan Lachanthaboun said hosting the meetings, coupled with the fact that Laos assumes presidency of the Asean education ministers forum from 2014-2016, will raise Laos’ profile in the international arena.
Delegations from 18 countries and four organisations are expected to attend the meetings.
The delegations come from the Asean member countries, the three dialogue partner countries, EAS member countries, Asean Secretariat, and the Secretariat of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation.
Asean education ministers have identified four priorities that Asean cooperation on education would address. These are: promoting Asean awareness among Asean citizens, particularly youth; strengthening Asean identity through education; building Asean human resources in the field of education; and strengthening Asean University Networking.
