ASEAN, EU HOLDS 14TH SHARE POLICY DIALOGUE TO ENSURE AN INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE AND QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
Jakarta, 25 March 2022 – The European Union’s Support to Higher Education in ASEAN Region (SHARE) Programme has placed a high priority on partnerships of higher education stakeholders in the ASEAN region. SHARE Programme will hold its 14th Policy Dialogue in a hybrid format from 29 March to 31 March 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. The theme of this year’s dialogue is ‘The Contribution of Higher Education Partnerships in Southeast Asia towards the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030’.
Aligned with the theme, the Policy Dialogue explores how partnerships amongst higher education stakeholders can multiply impacts to achieve the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG4, to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
The SHARE Policy Dialogue 14 is designed in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat’s Education Youth and Sports Division (EYSD), SEAMEO RIHED, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, the ASEAN University Network and their partners. The event will bring together key stakeholders to share information, exchange views, and propose strategies for further higher education partnerships towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development focuses on 1) The power of youth in partnership for the goals; 2) Research-driven sustainable development and research partnerships for the goals; 3) Higher Education Institution partnerships for the goals; 4) Community of Practice development for the goals, and 5) Partnerships and synergy for the goals.
H.E. Mr David Daly, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Thailand stated that “Higher education and students have always been an important element in the EU’s relationship with ASEAN and its member states. They play essential roles in the future of our two regions. The SHARE programme is the EU’s flagship programme in the field of higher education with ASEAN, in addition to the Erasmus Plus programme. The SHARE Policy Dialogue 14 is an avenue to showcase the EU to the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Dr Romyen Kosaikanont, SEAMEO RIHED Centre Director, remarked, “The Policy Dialogue presents an important regional platform to explore how partnerships in higher education can drive impacts towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Considering the current challenges of climate change, the disruptions being brought to the future of work as well as the prioritisation of health security and rapid digital and technological advancements, successful partnerships in higher education need a common and shared vision—a vision of not only how to achieve inclusive, equitable and quality higher education partnerships but also ensure that these partnerships lead to enhanced regional sustainability and resiliency. The potential for successful partnerships in higher education is clear and presents a most impactful and meaningful contribution for the region to realise together.”
Mr Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO Bangkok, stated, "Higher education should prepare all learners to be groundbreakers, world citizens and creative thinkers. It must serve to build sustainable, peaceful societies. The upcoming SHARE policy dialogue provides an interactive forum for stakeholders in the higher education sector to assess these issues and our progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in preparation for the 3rd World Higher Education Conference (WHEC2022), organised by UNESCO this coming May. The upcoming events will help partners in Southeast Asia to define their paths for a new era of higher education systems and institutions under the 2030 Agenda and looking at the futures of education.”
Over the course of three days, the Policy Dialogue will cover a series of essential discussions in the higher education sector in the region. Starting the series, topics on ‘Role of Higher Education Partnerships in Promotion of the Goals’ and ‘the Future of Sustainable Region’ will be presented on day one. While day two will cover more on ‘International Higher Education Partnerships and the UN Sustain Development Goals (SDG)’ and ‘Inclusion as a Precondition to Higher Education Partnerships to Achieve the SDGs’. And on day three, the Policy Dialogue will discuss ‘Women in Science and Research: Minding and Bridging the Gap’ and ‘EU-ASEAN Gender-Responsive Best Practice Sharing’. In addition, the topic of Student mobility initiatives for the SDGs will be discussed on the third day.
Mr Darren J. McDermott, SHARE Programme Team Leader, conveyed, “Through SHARE Policy Dialogue 14, in partnership with SEAMEO RIHED and UNESCO, we are ensuring the most inclusive approach to engaging stakeholders from the regional higher education community. In the spirit of partnership, we are charting a way forward on sustainable development.”
As a result of the Policy Dialogue, participants will be able to explore how higher education can be a catalyst for strengthened partnerships towards realising the 2030 Agenda In collaboration with the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, policy briefs and other outputs from the policy dialogue will be consolidated and shared during the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference in May 2022.
SHARE Programme invites the public, especially journalists, academia, private sectors and civil society organisations, to attend the Policy Dialogue 14. Registration is open via bit.ly/SHAREPD14 until 29 March 2022. Follow @shareprogramme on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and website share-asean.eu for more information. (***)
