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REPORT OF THE VISIT TO INDONESIA IN CONNECTION WITH THE FIRST EAST ASIA SUMMIT SR. OFFICERS AND EDUCATION MINISTERS
MEETING HELD DURING JULY 2-5, 2012 AT YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA The first East Asia Summit (EAS) of Senior Officers Meeting and First East Asia Summit Education Ministers Meeting was held at Indonesia from 2nd to 5th July, 2012 at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Indian delegation for the above Conference consisted of the following members:
(i) Hon’ble MoS HRD Dr. D. Purandeshwari (ii) Shri Gurjit Singh, Ambassador of India to Indonesia and the ASEAN (iii) Dr. R. Govinda, Vice-Chancellor, NUEPA, New Delhi (iv) Ms. Radha Chauhan, Joint Secretary, MHRD, New Delhi (v) Dr. K. Gunasekaran, Additional Secretary, UGC, New Delhi (vi) Shri Nikhilesh Giri, First Secretary (ASEAN), Embassy of India, Jakarta
The EAS Education Action Plan 2011-15 provides details of all the 13 projects identified at the Bali Meeting for EAS Cooperation as well as the Nalanda University as a pan-EAS project to be led by India. On 3rd July, 2012, the First East Asia Summit Senior Officers meeting was held in which the following 3 proposals from Indian side were presented:
(1) EAS Regional Leadership Development Programme (2) Regional Interoperability of National Qualification Framework (3) Facilitating TVET Teacher and Student Mobility
A copy of the Work Plan with regard to Projects at Sl. No. 1 and 2 is given in Annexures-I & II respectively. Projects at Sl. No. 1 is to be directly coordinated by UGC. Sl. No. 2 is to be coordinated through NAAC. An Area Study Centre dealing with EAS countries or a University needs to be identified by the UGC to be the Coordinating Agency for the project under Sl. No. 1 above. Many countries have expressed their willingness to participate in this Project. The participating countries from EAS countries may spend the required amount from their own budget while participating in the programme. The Projects needs to be monitored by UGC from time to time so that during the first review of the Projects
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which will take place in July, 2014 a good progress of work done may be presented. This meeting will be followed by EAS meeting of Education Ministers wherein the Projects will be further reviewed. So far as project on Regional Interoperability of National Qualification Framework (Sl.No.2) is concerned, it will be coordinated by NAAC, Bangalore which may need to be monitored by UGC from time to time. Many countries in the region have expressed willingness to participate in the National Qualification Framework. The Director, NAAC, Bangalore may be requested to take necessary further steps in this regard so that sufficient progress in the project could be shown before the review meeting to be held in July, 2014. So far as the Project on Facilitating TVET Teacher and Student Mobility is concerned, it is being coordinated by NUEPA, which will be reporting directly to the MHRD. On the margins of the EAS EMM, the Hon’ble MoS HRD also held bilateral meeting with the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Mohamamd Nuh; Minister of Education of Australia, Hon’ble Christopher Evans; Minister of Education of New Zealand, Hon’ble Steven Joice; and the US Deputy Secretary for Education, Senator Anthony Wilder Miller to review progress in bilateral cooperation in the field of education. They also exchanged notes on the approaches of the respective countries on future plans for educational cooperation under the EAS framework. India and Indonesia also held their second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Education on 4th July, 2012. Both sides agreed on concrete plans for exchange of students and faculty under various scholarship schemes; research collaboration; and twinning arrangements with the respective universities. A copy of the EAS Summit Education Ministers Plan of Action 2011-15, as adopted at the First EAS Education Ministers Meeting is given in Annexure-III. A copy of the Terms of Reference of EAS Education Ministers Meeting is at Annexure-IV. A copy of the Joint Statement of the First EAS Education Ministers Meeting held on 5th July 2012 is at Annexure-V. A copy of the Statement made by Hon’ble MoS HRD Dr. D. Purandeshwari at the First EAS Education Ministers Meeting held on 5th July, 2012 is at Annexure-VI.
*****
It is proposed to establish a fellowship programme for Regional Leadership Development
in the EAS. The objective of the programme is to provide access to higher education for a
generation of future leaders in the areas of regional importance. The chosen subjects in
the first phase are: Education, Environmental Science, Trade, Languages and
Energy Studies. Based on the success in the initial phase, the subjects to be included
may be enlarged.
The proposed programme will have components like online education, a study
programme in an EAS country and an internship at a regional institution in another
EAS country. Also, the fellowship fun<1ingwill be offered to the fellows and not to the
institutions or countries.
UGC has already established 11 Area Study Centres to work on various focused areas.
All the 11 Area Study Centres have already been requested to work out a programme on
the Regional Leadership Development programme. Based on the proposals received from
two universities, the following action plan and timelines are suggested:
SI.No. Activity Detailed Action Plan Timeline1. Preparation of a concept All the other nine Area Study October, 2012
paper for the proposed Centres and other University!
Regional Leadership Agency will be requested to
Development Programme formulate a programme which
will be fmalized with the help
of an Expert Committee
Development of an online
platform
A Working Group consisting
of Experts from participatingcountries shall be constituted
to finalize the specifications-for an online platform to carry
out the work.
3. Preparation of the The chosen Agency Nov 2012 -January
Leadership Training !University shall prepare a 2013Module detailed training module to be
framed along with monitoring
and evaluation techniques
4. Selection of Fellows Each participating country Jan-Mar 2013shall select the number of
fellows following the criteria
to be worked out
5. Induction of the selected All the selected fellows - Apri12013
Fellows atleast two each from each of
the participating country -
will be invited to participate in
an induction programme to be
held at the venue of the chosen
University/Agency
6. Participation of 3 months Depending upon the subject in May-July 2013EAS Regional Leadership which the F~lIows would likemodule to have R.egional Leadership
module to be trained, the
Fellows will be attached to the
major regional organization
and/or institution such asASEAN Secretariat for 2
weeks induction programmewhich will be followed by
/ '- LllJ -,/
virtual learning environment4
covering history and progress
of EAS, effective leadershipand management training and
analytical writing, inter-
cultural and problem solving
skills in regional context.
7. Admission to a The Fellows will be admitted July 2013 to JulyPostgraduate Degree to a 2 years Postgraduate 2015
programme m an Degreeprogramme
institution under EAS
8. Midterm Evaluation of the At the end of one year, all the April 2014programme Fellows shall be called for a
Mid-term Evaluation of the
course so as to make necessary
changes. Placement of Fellowsat an Institution of their choice
shall also be decided at that
Based on their choice, already September, 2014made, Fellows shall be placed
at an Institution.
the All the Fellows will be called July 2015
for a meeti~. at the institutionso as to get their feedback
about the programme and
likely changes they would lik~
to make it· for the future
batches.
/--/
Upon completion of their academic programmes they would become future leaders in theareas of regional importance in the chosen field.
Proposal No. 10 : Regional Interoperability of National Educational Qualification
Framework
Objective The National Qualification Framework (NQF) is aimed at improving quality of higher
education and training through recognizing and accrediting qualifications offered by
different institutions. It identifies different levels to which the qualifications offered in
the entire higher education sector are included and helps to interpret qualifications and
judge the relative value of a qualification. It helps in vertical mobility in higher education
and encourages lifelong learning by identifying access to different qualifications. It also
helps in evaluating national and international recognition of qualification offered in a
country and helps in evaluating the qualifications obtained from overseas institutions.
A recent study of NQFs in APEC countries collected information from 12 EAS found
that seven of these EAS countries have an NQF viz. Australia; Malaysia; New Zealand;
Singapore; Thailand; the Philippines; and Vietnam. Korea is in the process of
implementing an NQF, and Brunei and Indonesia is developing one. Among the EAS
countries with an NQF there are differences in the sectors covered and even where all
sectors are covered, there are differences in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education
Training) and higher education.
India which has expressed its interest in linking their NQF to some form of regional
development. It can not only develop its own NQF by interactions and discussions with
the EAS countries and other countries which already has a well developed Framework,
but can also play a larger role in the EAS region by simultaneously collaborating with
other agencies in the region in developing an NQF for the region, which can be a
voluntary reference point against which other countries could benchmark and align their
own NQFs.
The NQF structure basically sets out the level at which a qualification can be recognized.
This can help stake holders and employers see how qualifications compare and how one
type can lead on to another. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) developed
for qualifications in England, Wales, Namibia and Northern Ireland has nine levels. The
Malaysian Quality framework sets out 8 levels and the Sri Lanka Qualifications
framework has 10 levels. As a first step National Assessment and Accreditation Council
(NAAC) has initiated the process of collecting the structure of Qualification Framework
of different countries and plan to strengthen the understanding of the process of
developing the quality framework by interactions with agencies associated with Quality
framework in various countries. The focus of interactions begin with the EAS member
countries and to facilitate the process the protocols for sharing of information through
mutual visits can be formulated in the Ministers’ meet in the month of July 2012.
Action Plan and Timelines
Sl. No.
Activity Detailed Action Plan Timeline Remarks
1. Preparation of a
background framework
for collecting the
required information
Pooling up the NQF
details from Australia,
Malaysia, New
Zealand, Singapore,
Thailand and
Philippines through a
specific format to be
devised.
October,
2012
To be coordinated by India (NAAC) and Australia
2. Organizing a Workshop
involving nominated
experts from
participating countries.
All the countries
which are willing to
participate in the
above work shall be
invited to attend a
Workshop so as to
devise a methodology,
identify a Nodal
Agency in each
country and
accordingly Agency
shall coordinate and
Oct-Dec
2012
The venue to be
decided at the
EAS meeting
draw upon deadlines
for providing the
required data.
3. Convene country specific
meetings
The Nodal Agency in
each country identified
shall organize
meetings in their
respective country to
collect the required
data.
Jan-Mar,
2013
The country
concerned shall
organize the
meetings
4. Collation of the Reports
of individual countries in
a Workshop
The Nodal Agency
will provide the
relevant information
April 2013 Venue to be
decided
5. Preparation of final
report to be submitted to
the second EAS
Education Ministers
meeting
General Framework of
Interoperability of
National Qualification
Framework will be
submitted before the
EAS-EMM meeting to
be held in 2013.
May-Dec
2013
Expected Outcome Agreements among EAS participating countries to establish an organizational mechanism
to constantly work on Regional Interoperability of National Qualification Framework to
ensure students mobility and also to ensure qualification recognition has to be put in
place by every participating country so that whenever action is required to be taken it
could be done with greater speed. Also, a nodal person for each country is to be
identified.
*****
Proposal No. 12 : EAS Regional Leadership Development Programme
Objective
It is proposed to establish a fellowship programme for Regional Leadership Development
in the EAS. The objective of the programme is to provide access to higher education for a
generation of future leaders in the areas of regional importance. The chosen subjects in
the first phase are: Education, Environmental Science, Trade, Languages and
Energy Studies. Based on the success in the initial phase, the subjects to be included
may be enlarged.
The proposed programme will have components like online education, a study
programme in an EAS country and an internship at a regional institution in another
EAS country. Also, the fellowship funding will be offered to the fellows and not to the
institutions or countries.
The above programme is proposed to be coordinated by UGC, India.
UGC has already established 11 Area Study Centres to work on various focused areas.
All the 11 Area Study Centres have already been requested to work out a programme on
the Regional Leadership Development programme. Based on the proposals received from
two universities, the following action plan and timelines are suggested:
Action Plan and Timelines
Sl.No. Activity Detailed Action Plan Timeline
1. Preparation of a concept
paper for the proposed
Regional Leadership
Development Programme
All the other nine Area Study
Centres and other University/
Agency will be requested to
formulate a programme which
will be finalized with the help
of an Expert Committee
October, 2012
2. Development of an online
platform
A Working Group consisting
of Experts from participating
countries shall be constituted
to finalize the specifications
for an online platform to carry
out the work.
November 2012
3. Preparation of the
Leadership Training
Module
The chosen Agency
/University shall prepare a
detailed training module to be
framed along with monitoring
and evaluation techniques
Nov 2012 – January
2013
4. Selection of Fellows Each participating country
shall select the number of
fellows following the criteria
to be worked out
Jan-Mar 2013
5. Induction of the selected
Fellows
All the selected fellows –
atleast two each from each of
the participating country –
will be invited to participate in
an induction programme to be
held at the venue of the chosen
University/Agency
April 2013
6. Participation of 3 months
EAS Regional Leadership
module
Depending upon the subject in
which the Fellows would like
to have Regional Leadership
module to be trained, the
Fellows will be attached to the
major regional organization
and/or institution such as
ASEAN Secretariat for 2
weeks induction programme
which will be followed by
May-July 2013
virtual learning environment
covering history and progress
of EAS, effective leadership
and management training and
analytical writing, inter-
cultural and problem solving
skills in regional context.
7. Admission to a
Postgraduate Degree
programme in an
institution under EAS
The Fellows will be admitted
to a 2 years Postgraduate
Degree programme
July 2013 to July
2015
8. Midterm Evaluation of the
programme
At the end of one year, all the
Fellows shall be called for a
Mid-term Evaluation of the
course so as to make necessary
changes. Placement of Fellows
at an Institution of their choice
shall also be decided at that
time.
April 2014
9. Placement of Fellows Based on their choice, already
made, Fellows shall be placed
at an Institution.
September, 2014
10. Evaluation of the
programme
All the Fellows will be called
for a meeting at the institution
so as to get their feedback
about the programme and
likely changes they would like
to make it for the future
batches.
July 2015
Expected Outcome
Upon completion of their academic programmes they would become future leaders in the
areas of regional importance in the chosen field.
*****
Adopted at the 1st EAS EMM
1
The East Asia Summit Education Plan of Action (2011 – 2015) We, the Education Ministers of the East Asia Summit(EAS) participating countries, have met to address the issue of education, with the objective of improving education quality, broadening access and advancing mutual understanding.
We recognise the diversity of cultures, traditions, and practices within the education systems and values in the EAS Regionconstitute an exceptional resource.
We understand the importance of education in improving people’s productivity and prosperity which will further strengthen peace based on mutual respect and understanding in the region.
We note that EAS Leaders emphasised at their Second Summit the need for education cooperation to strengthen collaboration to improve mutual respect and understanding between peoples. At their Sixth Summit, the Leaders “highlighted the crucial role of education in promoting human resources development, enhancing regional competitiveness, sustained economic development, as well as building friendship among people in the region. EAS Leaders supported the development of an EAS Education Cooperation Plan of Action to provide direction and momentum to education cooperation and to promote more comprehensive cooperation based on the principle of unity in diversity.”
We recall prior work undertaken within the EAS on education, including the 2009 formation of an Education Cooperation Taskforce which conducted workshops in Jakarta and at Phuket in 2010; the outcomes of the Jakarta and Phuket workshops in 2010; parallel work by ASEAN, notably the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and the ASEAN 5-Year Work Plan on Education (2011-2015); and the theme announced for the 2011 Informal EAS EMM, namely Improving Education Quality through Regional Cooperation and the theme of the 2012 1st EAS EMM, Strengthening Global Partnership for Education and Humanity.
We recognise that regional cooperation aims in the first instance to raise quality and enlarge access and opportunity, not to impose uniform practice; that education for mutual understanding promotes respect for diversity; and that educational exchange and free movement of labour require consistency and compatibility in education systems, particularly in the tertiary education sector where the growth in mobility is most marked.
We emphasise the importance of ensuring that young people have a strong foundation of skills and knowledge, that they are oriented to being lifelong learners, and that they are equipped to meet the challenges of rapid change, to participate effectively in a globalised environment, and to understand and respect regional diversity. High quality education for all is at the heart of these goals.
Adopted at the 1st EAS EMM
2
We further recognise that there remain great disparities between levels of educational opportunities between, and within, the EAS participating countries, and that the EAS should add value to existing processes wherever it can do so.
We reaffirm that the EAS needs strong mechanisms to facilitate regional cooperation and harmonization, as appropriate, so that experts can discuss findings from activities as they emerge; that the diversity of EAS policy approaches offers great potential in this regard (for example, reforms to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to improve relevance to labour market needs); and that as EAS participating countries are at different stages on this journey, periodic policy dialogues involving officials, experts, education providers and industry could be highly beneficial.
WE HEREBY AGREE:
1. That the overarching objective of cooperation within the EAS until 2015 will be on improving the quality of education, harmonizing education systems, as appropriate, and promoting student mobility in the EAS participating countries and across the region. Key aspects include identifying avenues for developing appropriate human resources and increasing collaboration aimed at strengthening mutual respect and understanding of education frameworks.
2. To support this objective, we have adopted three strategic priorities to frame our cooperation
a. Systems – to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning through regional collaboration, supporting capacity building systems that sustain quality, and enlarging access to educational opportunities;
b. Community – to enhance mutual understanding among the peoples of the EAS, and to develop networking and the sharing of good practice in education; and
c. Connectivity – to facilitate the mobility and interaction of students, academics and providers among the EAS participating countries in order to expand educational benefits and opportunities supported by information and telecommunication technology and the use of open education resources.
3. To help drive results in improving the quality of education, we have agreed upon the projects listed at Figure 1 as priority areas for cooperation up to 2015. This list includes the project proposals contained in the March 2011 Report on the East Asia Summit Education Cooperation Taskforce Workshop 2and noted by EAS Education Ministers at the Informal EAS meeting in Bali in 2011 and by EAS Leaders at the sixth EAS as well as the Nalanda University initiative and other projects aimed at strengthening education on a regional basis. The projects are grouped under the three strategic priorities as mechanisms that aimto improve quality, build community and increase connectivity. Different countries are planning to participate in different projects as appropriate. We endorse all projects and agree to initiate cooperation, subject to the resources of participating countries, on:
Adopted at the 1st EAS EMM
3
Systems
a. A regional TVET quality assurance framework project;
b. Examine and evaluate options for an EAS teaching standards framework;
c. Afeasibilitystudy on an EAS regional facility for assisting with education quality assessment.
d. Harmonisation of national qualification frameworks to assure their interoperability and facilitate student and people mobility in the region;and
e. Examine and evaluate options for harmonisation of regional credit transfer system.
Community
f. An EAS regional leadership development program;
g. A project on second language teaching in the EAS;
h. A teacher mobility study;
i. An EAS teaching resources website;
j. Development of a network of TVET providers in the EAS;
k. Support to Nalanda University as a centre for study of Asian heritage, and for the promotion of regional peace and vision;
Connectivity
l. Capacity building for ratification of the UNESCO Convention on Qualifications Recognition in Asia and the Pacific;
m. Facilitating TVET teacher and student mobility;
n. A feasibility study of a register of TVET providers in the EAS; or capacity building for education systems; and
o. Through enhanced collaboration between EAS universities including in quality assurance and through students and staff exchanges.
4. We propose achieving these objectives through research, information, knowledge sharing and capacity building:
a. Regional forums based on the Strategic Priorities
b. Strengthening and extending existing networks and collaborations at bilateral and multilateral levels
Adopted at the 1st EAS EMM
4
c. Reviews of key policy developments and research findings in the EAS region, relevant to the Strategic Priorities
d. Case studies of particularly effective policy initiatives;
e. Capacity building of systems, officials, and institutions;
f. Reports of the results of the EAS projects relating to the Strategic Priorities;
g. Publishing and widely disseminating papers and proceedings of policy dialogues;
h. Promoting staff exchange and student mobility;
i. Strengthening collaboration between National research and education networks in the region;
j. Promoting the use of open education resources (OER); and
k. Harmonizing national qualification frameworks and quality assurance system, as appropriate.
5. We requested the EAS Senior Education Officials to develop a funding mobilisation plan, taking into consideration existing funding mechanisms and resourcespledged by the EAS participating countries, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, international funding agencies and other possible sources to support the timely implementation of the Plan of Action.
6. We assess that the next steps to implementing a program of work under this Plan of Action shall be:
a. To make provision for the ASEAN Secretariat to take carriage of the execution and monitoring of the Plan;
b. To arrange regular meetings of EAS Education Ministers and the EAS SOM-ED as well as working level meetings over the lifetime of the Plan to provide continuing input, strategic oversight and guidance, receive reports and progress updates, approve the commissioning of new projects, and provide strategic oversight and guidance; and
c. To review and revise the plan prior to the 3rd EAS EMM in 2016 with the objective of developing a 2016-2020 plan for endorsement by Ministers at that meeting; and
d. To hold policy dialogues on each of the Strategic priorities at times to be agreed by the EAS SOM-ED.
Adopted at the 1st EAS EMM
5
Figure 1: Overall Objective, Strategic Priorities and Actions
ActionsStrategic Priorities
Overall
Objective
Improving Education
Quality
Systems
1. Regional TVET quality assurance framework -
feasibility study2. EAS teaching standards
framework
3. Regional credit transfer system harmonisation
4. EAS regional facility for education quality assessment
5. Regional interoperability of national qualification
frameworks
Community
1. Support for Nalanda University
2. Second language teaching in the EAS
3. Teacher mobility study
4. Development of a network of TVET providers in the EAS
5. EAS regional leadership development program
6. EAS Teaching Resources Website
Connectivity
1. Capacity building for Ratification of the UNESCO
Convention on Qualifications Recognition in Asia and the
Pacific
2. Facilitating TVET teacher and student mobility
3. Register of TVET providers in the EAS - feasibility study
4. Enhanced Collaboration between EAS Universities
1
TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE EAST ASIA SUMMIT EDUCATION MINISTERS MEETING
(EAS EMM)
A. MISSION 1. To highlight the crucial role of education in promoting human resource development,
enhancing regional competitiveness, achieving sustained economic development, as well as building friendship among people of the region, and cognizant of the support expressed by East Asia Summit (EAS) Leaders in the Chairman’s Statement of the 6th East Asia Summit for a “cooperation among EAS participating countries on education and training initiatives which contribute to advancing ASEAN’s integration goals and improving the lives of its people”.
B. RULES OF PROCEDURES
B.1 Participating Countries 2. The EAS Education Ministers Meeting (EAS EMM) shall comprise of Ministers
responsible for education from ASEAN Member States, Australia, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. Secretary-General of ASEAN shall also be of attendance in the meeting to provide support for the discussion. B.2 Other Participants
3. The ASEAN University Network (AUN) Secretariat shall be invited to provide an update of the work of the AUN, inter alia, the work related to the EAS education cooperation, to the EAS EMM.
4. The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat shall be invited to attend the EAS EMM as an observer.
5. With the approval of all participating countries, other relevant institutions may be invited as and when necessary and appropriate.
B.3 Chairmanship and Frequency of Meeting
6. The EAS EMM shall meet once every two years, back-to-back with the ASEAN
Education Ministers Meeting (ASED) and ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers Meeting (APT EMM). Ad hoc meetings shall be held as and when necessary to discuss matters of common concern and interest.
7. The EAS EMM shall decide on the date and venue of its meeting.
2
8. The Chair of the EAS EMM shall follow the Chair of ASED.
9. The East Asia Summit Senior Officials Meeting on Education (EAS SOM-ED) and working level meetings shall be convened prior to the EAS EMM meetings and other times as necessary to serve as the preparatory forum for the ministerial meetings as well as to coordinate the implementation of the various cooperation and promotion programmes under the EAS EMM framework.
C. MANDATE AND FUNCTIONS C.1 Strategies 10. To facilitate policy guidelines, establish and/or strengthen networks and collaborations
in education among the EAS participating countries, as well as with relevant regional and international organizations.
C.2 Scope of Activities 11. Implement directives and priorities emanating from the EAS Summits for effective
collaboration in the field of education on a voluntary basis. 12. The EAS EMM, with the support of the East Asia Summit Senior Officials Meeting on
Education, shall address international and regional issues on education relevant to the common interest and concern of the participating countries.
13. The EAS EMM shall review the progress of the implementation of the EAS education cooperation under the agreed Action Plan and provide guidance accordingly.
D. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE 14. The EAS EMM shall report to the East Asia Summit through the report of EAS Foreign
Ministers.
15. The EAS EMM, upon the recommendations of EAS SOM-ED, shall also establish appropriate working groups, technical groups and/or special task forces with strictly defined Terms of Reference and duration as and when the need arises.
E. SUPPORT FOR MEETING 16. The Chair of ASED shall prepare the draft Agenda for the EAS EMM with the assistance
of the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEAN Secretariat shall provide and keep a summary record of discussions as well as monitor and review the implementation of the projects and the Plan of Action.
3
17. The country hosting the EAS EMM shall provide the necessary administrative
services/support, the arrangements of facilities, documentation and hospitality. F. OTHER MATTERS 18. These Terms of Reference shall be adopted at the First EAS EMM.
19. These Terms of Reference are open for review from time to time and may be amended
as necessary. Such amendments shall be made by consultation and consensus among EAS Participating Countries.
************
JOINT STATEMENT
OF THE FIRST EAST ASIA SUMMIT EDUCATION MINISTERS MEETING
(1st EAS EMM)
“STRENGTHENING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION AND HUMANITY”
Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 5 July 2012
1. The First East Asia Summit Education Ministers Meeting (1st EAS EMM) was
convened on 5 July 2012 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Meeting was preceded by the 1st EAS Senior Officials Meeting on Education (1st EAS SOM-ED) held on 3 July and the 7th ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (7th ASED) and 1st ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers Meeting (1st APT EMM) held on 4 July 2012.
2. The Meeting was chaired by His Excellency Prof. Mohammad Nuh, Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, and was attended by the Education Ministers or their Representatives from ASEAN Member States, Australia, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States of America, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat.
3. The Ministers warmly welcomed the establishment of EAS EMM to strengthen EAS efforts to advance its common endeavors in education.
4. The Ministers recalled the 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit to establish the East Asia Summit as an open, inclusive, transparent and outward-looking forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia; to promote community building in the region that will be consistent with and reinforce the realisation of the ASEAN Community; and to strengthen global norms and universally recognised values with ASEAN as the driving force, working in partnership with the other participants of the East Asia Summit.
5. The Ministers also recalled the Leaders statements at the 2nd EAS in Cebu,
Philippines in 2007, the 5th EAS in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, in 2010, and the 6th EAS in Bali, Indonesia in 2011, which underscored the importance of education, and agreed to enhance quality and adaptability of education through, inter alia, promotion of
education exchange, networking and innovation and welcomed cooperation among EAS participating countries on education and training initiatives which contribute to advancing ASEAN’s integration goals and improving the lives of its people.
6. Having regard to the Declaration of the East Asia Summit on the Principles for
Mutually Beneficial Relations adopted at the 6th EAS in Bali, Indonesia in 2011, the Ministers agreed to focus education cooperation on the enhancement of mutually beneficial cooperation in the EAS and with other regional fora. The Ministers further agreed, consistent with the Declaration of the 6th East Asia Summit on ASEAN Connectivity, on the need for education cooperation to promote greater engagement and cooperation in people-to-people connectivity initiatives, including those relating to education and life-long learning, human resource development, innovation and entrepreneurship, cultural exchanges, and tourism.
7. The Ministers recalled their commitment at the Informal EAS EMM of 2011 to
prioritize education quality improvement in their future cooperation and reiterated the pivotal role of education, not only in promoting human resources development, but also as a means for bridging development gaps, enhancing regional competitiveness, achieving sustained economic development, and promoting friendship and mutual understanding among people in the region. The Ministers used the meeting as a forum to share views and experiences, as well as to discuss future education cooperation between EAS participating countries.
8. The Meeting welcomed the report by His Excellency Prof. Mohammad Nuh, Minister
of National Education of the Republic of Indonesia on the implementation of the projects recommended by the Education Cooperation Task Force (ECTF) to foster closer education cooperation among the EAS participating countries.
9. The Ministers welcomed the success and achievements of the UNESCO conference
hosted by Japan in November 2011 to adopt the revised UNESCO Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific. This conference followed the EAS education cooperation project led by Australia in 2011 to promote awareness and understanding of the revised UNESCO Convention. The conference viewed the revision and adoption of the revised convention as a major step towards improved qualifications recognition arrangements in the Asia-Pacific. The conference also called upon parties and donors to work together to strengthen national information centres in support of that Convention.
10. The Ministers welcomed with appreciation the progress of Australia’s project to
develop a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) and noted that a TVET QAF has been developed in consultation with many EAS participating countries and was now moving to in-country workshops
in five EAS countries to identify capacity building needs. The Ministers noted the great need for capacity building of TVET systems in EAS participating countries as well as continuing inter-country dialogue and information sharing on skills recognition systems and qualifications frameworks, to ensure the benefits of a regional framework were achieved. The Ministers noted that Australia would shortly commence its feasibility study on a regional facility for education quality assessment.
11. The Ministers reaffirmed the importance of promoting and assuring high quality
student exchange as well as university exchange in higher education among EAS participating countries. In this regard, the Ministers welcomed Japan’s initiative to promote cooperation among EAS universities and appreciated the successful holding of the “International Symposium on Exchange among Universities with Quality Assurance in East Asia Region” hosted by Japan in September 2011.
12. The Ministers noted the progress in India’s initiative to establish Nalanda University
in collaboration with EAS participating countries. The Ministers further noted that the university will shortly commence academic activities in the Schools of Historical Studies and Ecology and Environment. The Ministers also welcomed gracious commitment and financial support made by the governments of Australia, China, Lao PDR and Thailand as well as other independent donors.
13. In order to provide direction and momentum to education cooperation and promote
a more comprehensive cooperation based on the principle of unity in diversity the Ministers adopted the EAS Education Action Plan (2011-2015) developed by the 1st EAS SOM-ED and urged participating countries to support the education cooperation projects identified under the Action Plan or otherwise in support of strengthening education systems, building a community based on mutual understanding and supporting connectivity through the elimination of barriers to the mobility of students, academic and education providers within the EAS in order to expand educational benefits and opportunities.
14. The Ministers welcomed the commitment by several EAS participating countries to
lead and to collaborate in the implementation of specific projects on a voluntary basis.
15. The Ministers welcomed additional commitments made by Australia and Korea to
work together in relation to developing a network of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) providers in consulted with EAS participating countries.
16. The Ministers recognised the positive contribution made in promoting EAS Education Cooperation by Australia in relation to building capacity in quality assurance in higher education.
17. The Ministers acknowledged the importance of mechanisms to facilitate regional
cooperation, and encouraged discussions and policy dialogues among officials, experts, education providers and industry. The Ministers also expressed their hope that the outcomes of this cooperation would not be limited to projects, but also at the senior policy-making level, for more effective use of sharing of knowledge, experience and best practices among the EAS participating countries.
18. Reaffirming their strong commitment to strengthen regional cooperation on
education by convening the EAS Education Ministers Meeting (EMM) on a biennial basis, in conjunction with ASED and ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers’ Meetings, the Ministers agreed on the Terms of Reference of the EAS EMM which provide for effective coordination with relevant regional and international organizations including the ASEAN University Network and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation.
19. The Ministers welcomed the advice of the Minister for Education and Sports of the
Lao PDR that the 2nd EAS EMM will be held in July 2014. 20. The Ministers agreed to report the outcomes of the 1st EAS EMM to the 7th East Asia
Summit which will be held in Cambodia, in November 2012. 21. The Ministers expressed their appreciation to Indonesia for the warm hospitality
extended to the delegates and the excellent arrangements made in hosting the 1st EAS EMM. The Ministers also expressed their appreciation to the ASEAN Secretariat for its valuable contributions to the meeting.
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