Key Factors for Sustainable
International Collaborative Higher
Education Programs
Dr. Chantavit Sujatanond, Centre Director
SEAMEO RIHED
NIAD-QE research project Webminar on“QA for Sustainable International Collaborative Higher
Education Programs”
5 February 2019

Overview on Higher
Education in SEA
Policy Sharing: CLMVFocus
SEAMEO RIHED Worksand Initiatives
Success and Sustainablefactors

Southeast Asia:
DIVERSE COMMUNITY
Historical Background
Population Density
Diversity
Education
CulturePolitics

Language
Income and GDP

Diversity of Southeast Asia
• Current population ~ 659 million as of Jan 2019
• SEA population = 8.59% of total world population

Population size in million
300
250
200
150
100500Source: http://www.worldometers.info/worldpopulation/south-eastern-asia-population/

GDP Growth rate, 2018

Diversity of SEA: Higher Education
Brunei1%

No. of Students (approx)

TimorLeste0%

Cambodia1%

Total: 13 Million++
No. ofStudents(approx)

Vietnam12%

Total number of HEIs student population in SEA in 2014. No of HEIs
Thailand17%

Philippines
19%
Singapore
1%

Indonesia
33%

Malaysia
8%
Myanmar
7%

Brunei

111,698

9 (by 2017)

Cambodia

217,840

121 (by 2017)

Indonesia

4,790,000

3,308 (by 2018)

Lao PDR

79,75880 (by 2018)

Malaysia

1,100,000

612 (by 2018)

Myanmar946,134134 (by 2018)

Philippines

2,777,548

1,906 (by 2018)

172,100

13 (by 2017)

2,400,000

156 (by 2018)

Lao PDR
Singapore
1%

Thailand

Timor-Leste 63,727

15 (by 2017)

Vietnam

235 (by 2018)

1,767, 879

http://www.elementaleadership.co.uk/knowledgeportal/pdf/Higher%20Education%20in%20South-East%20Asia%20%20A%20Policy%20Digest.pdf, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-20877-0_15, SEAMEO RIHED
Regional Forum Country Presentations and various sources.

Timor-Leste

Cambodia

Malaysia

Lao PDR

Indonesia

Brunei Darussalam

Philippines

Source: http://uis.unesco.org

MyanmarVietnam

Total
Population
by AgeGroup,2016
Singapore

ThailandSource: adb.org

Shifting ofdemographic

However, as a region, more than 50% of population in Southeast Asia isunder 30 years old (compared to 39% of East Asia’s and 34% of Europe’s)
Source: gointernationafinland.com

Policy Sharing
CLMV Focus

 BackgroundCambodia
Key Challenges
and Policies••••

The 1980s – Reborn Period, establishment & rehabilitation
The 1990s – Reforming/Restructuring/Development;
1996-1997 – Privatization in HE and Private HEIs
The Early 2000s – Growth of Private HEIs
• Since 2010: addressing skill gap and internationalisation
 Absence of key Strategies, Policies and Support

 Policy for Research collaboration
 Policy on students and faculty mobility
 Budget allocation to promote internationalization
 Few academic programs conducted in foreign languages
 Student Visa policy Selected Policies and Strategies
 HE vision 2030 and HE Mid-Term review (2015-2018): twinning
programs and networking (local and international) Cambodian Higher Education Roadmap 2030 and Beyond to pushinternationalization
 HigheratEducation
ProjectSource: Cambodia’s Country Presentation
the SEAMEOImprovement
RIHED’s The Internationalisation
and Cross‐Border Education
Workshop I (as part of the Supportfor Capacity Building of the GMS‐UC Project (Phase 1)) on 10‐11 October 2018 inPhnom Penh, Cambodia

Myanmar

Source: National Education Policy Commission , 2018

Current internationalisation activities in the Higher Education Sector in Myanmar• Students and Staff Mobility : still limited but increasing progressively• Institutional linkage: (91) MoUs/MoAs with some universities (mostly withAsian universities)• Research Collaborations: in HEIs like Yezin Agricultural University,
Mawlamyaing University, University of Yangon, University of Mandalay• Regional Connectivity with SEAMEO RIHED, AUN, and etc.
• Policy: National Education Strategic Plan (2016-2021) and forwardTrends and Opportunity• Moving toward Autonomy: Academic, Administrative, Staffing & Financial• Established National Quality Assurance body ( National Accreditation andQuality Assurance Committee) link with international HEIs and QA agencies• Rectors’ Committee will be playing the main role in IZN in HE• National Institute for Higher Education Development ( NIHED )technicalsupport from British Council, Myanmar and with collaborations withinternational agencies such as EU SHARE, CEU, Irrawaddy Policy Exchange (UK)Lao PDR
Strategies for the development ofHE up to 2020 (targets)

Strategies for the development:
Six Strategic Thrusts

1. 200,000 students study at HEIs both publicand private (5 universities under MoES expect
to have 45,000 students) by 2020.
2. At least 45% of Female studying in HEIs
3. 5 professional curricula in foreign
languages.
4. % of graduates who get jobs reaches 85%.
5. Build one technology university and one
private university.
6. Upgrade lecturers at each course at ratio
1:6:3.
7. Internal and External QA in all HEIs
8. All necessary legislation is available.
9. Research papers are published in national
and international journals.

1. HE Development to meet therelevance labor market and nationalsocioeconomic development
2. Improve the quality of HE
3. Promote the research, technology
development and academic service
to meet the needs forsocioeconomic development
4. Improve the quality assurance
system
Improve the Governance andManagement of HE
5. Promote the national andinternational cooperation

Source: Lao PDR’s Country Presentation at the SEAMEO RIHED’s The Internationalisation and Cross‐Border Education
Workshop I (as part of the Supportfor Capacity Building of the GMS‐UC Project (Phase 1)) on 10‐11 October 2018 in PhnomPenh, Cambodia

VietnamVietnam places emphasis on the fourth industrial revolution and theneed to prepare students for the future.
The reform agenda includes:•Greater Autonomy for institutions•Improving teaching and learning quality•Ensuring that the graduates are employable.
•Engaging with industry more closely.

Source: British Council, 2018

There is significant investment from overseas industry mainly fromJapan and Korea.

Trends &Opportunity
Source: MOET, 2018

• Profound changes in pedagogy for student learning and businessmodels for programs and institutions.
• Demand for higher education and international student mobility;
technologies supporting online courses and growth ‘blended’
learning; government pressure to cut the cost of course provision;and more partnerships between different kinds of institutions.

SEAMEO RIHED
works andinitiatives

Promotes the harmonization and creation of acommon space in higher education for the regionof Southeast Asia
SEAMEO RIHED

SEAMEO RIHED’s 4 Key Areas

Alignment&Development

Cooperation&Synergy• CurriculumStructure• ACTFA(Credit Transfer)• e-Learning• QualityAssurance• Etc.

• Policy Platforms• Leadership &Development• Collaborative Partners• University Networks(AIMS, GMS-UC, ACNETEngTech, ACACA, ACAPHEI)• University & Community
Engagement

Research(policy-driven)

As a regional hub
for HE information
dissemination,with a focus onpolicy-oriented
researchInformation
PortalAims to develop aHE information
portal in responseto the need in theregion

SEAMEO RIHED: address challenges, promote alignment &bridge the gaps
✓ Bridging gaps across the region withcapacity building and giving priorities
to those in need
✓ Serving as a gateway to other regions andstrengthening international cooperation
FutureToday✓ Promoting alignment and development ofhigher education systems and structure ata regional level✓ Playing a stronger role in connecting Govt/HEIs/sub-systems
within Higher Education together physically and digitally

Regional Efforts
SEAMEO RIHED

Policy Platforms:
SEA-HiEd & GBM

The Centre’s regional
engagement in HE takes
place through two formal
platforms where RIHED is
guided by the collective
decisions of membercountries & works
towards region-wide
implementation ofpriorities for theharmonisation of HE

The AIMS
Programme

Academic Credit
Transfer Framework
For Asia (ACTFA)The AIMS
Programme
provides a regional
platform for both 8+
national governments
and 69+ participating
HEIs to promote andenhance mobility ofmore than 4100+
students (2018)

Support for Capacity
Study Visitst
Building of the1 RIHED—JANU
GMS-UC (Phase 1) Study Visit and Seminar

The development To enhance the& piloting of aalignment andcommon credit
development of atransfer framework common space in HEwith broadfor the region byapplicability toengaging selectedenhance mobility universities of the& regional human GMS-UC in capacity
resourcesbuilding activities.

On 23-29 June
2019, incollaboration withJANU, RIHED willconduct the 1st
Study Visit andSeminar to Japan(Kyoto, Kobe,Osaka) to promoteand enhancecollaborations
among HEIs in SEAand Japan

The GMS University
Consortium (GMS-UC)
SEAMEO RIHED facilitated theestablishment of the GMS-UC with
24 universities nominated bytheir respective governments

Leadership Forum• Strengthen and accelerate cross-bordercollaboration• Capacity building, credit transfer, exchanges• Foster HE harmonisation in GMS countries
and beyond

Academic Credit Transfer
Framework for Asia (ACTFA)

Curriculum Design Workshop

The GMS University
Consortium (GMS-UC)

Due to the rigid
formula of CT at bothregional andinternational levels, aframework is neededthat canaccommodate thismultiplicity,
recognising thediversity ofapplications in higher
education institutions(HEIs) across theregion.

Academic Credit Transfer Framework
for Asia

ASEAN Plus Three(working group)

ACTFA

ASEAN+3

T h e 6 th S H A R E C T S C a p a c i t y B u i l d i n g W o r k s h o p , Y a n g o n ,Myanmar, 28-29 March 2018

Draft ACTFA Publication Outline

In progress

ACTFA Reference Table

T h e 6 th S H A R E C T S C a p a c i t y B u i l d i n g W o r k s h o p , Y a n g o n ,Myanmar, 28-29 March 2018

Overview of GMS countries

T h e 6 th S H A R E C T S C a p a c i t y B u i l d i n g W o r k s h o p , Y a n g o n ,Myanmar, 28-29 March 2018

Project on Support for Capacity
Building of the GMS-UC (Phase 1)• In order to continue to engage the members of the GMS‐UC in key
issues of regional higher education,• SEAMEO RIHED currently implements the Project on Support forCapacity Building of the GMS-UC (Phase 1) during 2018 and 2019with the support from the ASEAN-Secretariat (ASEC) under theframework of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
• 22 selected universities of GMS-UC from Cambodia, Lao PDR,Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam participate in the project.

Project on Support for Capacity
Building of the GMS-UC (Phase 1)
Outcomes we aspireManagementleadership

Phase 1 of the project (20182019) is planned to enhance
the harmonisation anddevelopment of a common
space in higher education for
the region of Southeast Asia
through capacity building
activities in the areas of :Research

MultiplierinInternationali-sation/
Harmonisation

a long-run
Teaching

Cross-bordereducation

Key Milestones, Achievements
1) The First meeting of the regional andinternational core expert team on 1920 March 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand
2) The Kick-off of the Project on
Support for Capacity Building of theGMS-UC and the 1st Rectors Forum on
20-21 July 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand
3) The Management Leadership
Development Workshop I on 15-16
August 2018 in Yangon, Myanmar.

Key Milestones, Achievements
4) The Teaching and Research
Capacity Development Workshop I
on 3-4 September, in Vientiane,
Lao PDR.

5) The Internationalisation andCross-Border Education Workshop
I on 10-11 October, in Phnom
Penh, Cambodia.

Activities Plans (2019)
The second half of the phase 1 activities already/will be further
conducted:
Year 2 / 2019
17-18
January
2019

Mid-Term Review Meeting (Done)- Mae Fah Luang University and Chiang Rai Rajabhat
University VisitChiang Rai,Thailand

11-13March2019

Management Leadership Development Workshop ll- University Visit

Yangon,Myanmar17-19
June2019

Teaching Capacity Development Workshop &Research Capacity Development ll- University Visit

Hanoi,Vietnam

14-16
August2019

Harmonisation Workshop & Cross-border Education
Workshop ll- University Visit

Vientiane,
Lao PDR

1-3
October2019

2nd Rectors Forum- University Visit

Bangkok,ThailandKey Factors for Success andSustainable
International Collaborative
Higher Education

Big Picture

Involvement ofGovernment“HE System”“all connected”“Alignment”“Sustainable”“Blessing”“Endorsement”“Ownership”

Reciprocity

Flexibility“Win-Win”“accommodate“Balanced”

differences”“Base on thereadiness ofboth sides”“no one size fitsall ”

Playing video clip