Recognition in Higher Education in SouthEast Asia : Current Situation, Challenges, and
Prospects
Prof. Dr. Supachai Yavaprabhas
December 6-7 2010
Mediterranean Beach Hotel
Limassol, Cyprus
ASEM Conference : Quality Assurance and Recognition in Higher Education:
Challenges and Prospects on Regional Cooperation and Cross Border
Collaboration in Higher Education
Outline
1. Facts about HE Landscape in ASEAN region?
2. Recognition in higher education : Current situation
3. Recognition in higher education : Challenges
4. Recognition in higher education : Prospects
ASEAN
is a region of diversity
Population
Size
Religion
Political
System
Economic
ASEAN Countries
Area: 4,523,000 km2
Countries: 10
Regional GDP per capita: $1,584
ASEAN Countries
From Small countries such as
Brunei and Singapore to a very
large countries like the Philippines
and Indonesia
ASEAN Countries
From Landlocked countries like Laos
to a country of more than
17,500 islands like Indonesia
ASEAN Countries
From Military Dictatorship
to
Presidential Democracy ,
Constitutional Monarchy ,
Parliamentary System.
From Unitary State to Federation
System
ASEAN Countries
From Buddhist countries like Myanmar,
Lao PDR, Thailand, and Cambodia
to
Muslim Countries like Brunei, Indonesia,
and Malaysia
and to
big Christian Country like the
Philippines, as well as those mixed
religions like Singapore and Vietnam
ASEAN Countries
From the very poor country
to the very rich country
in the world
ASEAN Countries
Total population is 584 million.
Total student population is 12 million
with Indonesia as a biggest-3+ million,
the Philippines-2.6 million, and
Thailand-2.0 million.
ASEAN Countries
Total number of HEIS
is more than 5,000.
3,000+ HEIs in Indonesia,
1,800+ HEIS in the Philippines
and 580 HEIs in Malaysia.
ASEAN Countries
Literacy rate is more than 90%
in most countries,
except Lao PDR and Cambodia
ASEAN : Higher Education Landscape
In the region,
Higher Education systems range
from very centralised and highly
regulated by the Ministry,
to the highly autonomous, and also a
mix of both within one country
ASEAN : Student Population
Total population is 584 million.
Total student population is 12+ million
with Indonesia as a biggest 3+ million,
the Philippines 2.6 million,
Thailand 2.0 million,
and Malaysia 1.8 million
Southeast Asia
is a region of diversity in
different aspects including
higher education system
Common Challenges in Higher Education
in ASEAN
• Geographic spread and diversity of
HEIS
• Ensuring equitable access for all students
• Lack of qualified faculty staff
• Limited experience of quality assurance
processes
• Limited research expertise
Southeast Asian
Ministers of Education
Organisation
SEAMEO Centres
SEAMEO 19 specialist institutions
:-To enhance regional
understanding, cooperation, and
networks
Language
Open and Distant
Learning
SEAMEO SEAMOLEC
Science
SEAMEO QITEP
SEAMEO QITEP
Mathematics
SEAMEO QITEP
Tropical Biology
SEAMEO BIOTROP
History and
Tradition of SEA
Education
Training
SEAMEO RETRAC
SEAMEO CHAT
Science and
Mathematics
SEAMEO RECSAM
Language
SEAMEO RELC
Vocational and
Technical
Education
SEAMEO VOCTECH
Agriculture and
Development
Higher Education
Development
SEAMEO SEARCA
SEAMEO RIHED
Education Innovation
SEAMEO INNOTECH
Cultural
Development
SEAMEO SPAFA
Tropical Medicine
SEAMEO TROPMED
(Network, Indonesia, Philippines,
Malaysia, Thailand)
SEAMEO RIHED’s MISSION
‘To assist member countries in
promoting efficiency and
effectiveness in higher education
policy planning and development.’
Outline
1. Facts about HE Landscape in ASEAN region?
2. Recognition in Higher Education : Current situation
3. Recognition in higher education : Challenges
4. Recognition in higher education : Prospects
If recognition means…………..
An acceptance by national authority,
of demonstration of compliance
with requirements-generally
a substantial equivalence
It’s more on case by case basis
Public Service Authority / HE Authority
If recognition means…………..
An agreement between
two organizations to recognize
each other’s processes or
programmes
It’s also on case by case basis :-University to
University agreement /Programme to
programme arrangement
If recognition means…………..
A formal acknowledgement of an
individual’s professional status
and right to practice a profession
It’s also a profession to profession
agreement /G to G agreement /
or an ASEAN Agreement
Outline
1. Facts about HE Landscape in ASEAN region?
2. Recognition in Higher Education : Current situation
3. Recognition in Higher Education : Challenges
4. Recognition in Higher Education : Prospects
KSFS for “Recognition” of “Degree” :
M-I-T Experience
Visible and transparent information on higher
education system, degree system, QA system
and CTS are essential.
HE and
Degree
System
QF and
Quality
Assurance
System
Credit
Transfer
System
"Pilot" project on regional student exchange with
credits being transferred called M-I-T Initiative has
been perceived in 2009 and being launched in 2010
Agriculture
Language
/Culture
Hospitality
and
Tourism
Food
Science
and
Technology
International
Business
M-I-T Pilot
Project
Internal and External
QA in each country
Regional
Harmonization in
SEA
Status of NQFs in the Asia-Pacific Region
Complete
33
Complete but not
yet unified
Partial
In
development
Not developed
Or no information
Australia
Hong Kong
Fiji
Bhutan
Banglagesh
New Zealand
Philippines
India
Brunei
Maldives
China
Singapore
Pakistan
Cambodia
Japan
Laos
Sri Lanka
Samoa
Macau
Malaysia
Thailand
Mongolia
Indonesia
South Korea
Source : DEEWR. (March,2008) p.16
VietNam
QA:-AQAN has been formulated and
gradually established
SEAMEO RIHED and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency
(MQA) have been coordinating to establish the ASEAN Quality
Assurance Network (AQAN) from early 2008.
SEA Credit Transfer System:
What to do together?
SEAMEO RIHED : Southeast Asia Forum
UTCS International Conference, 2010
Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok
29-30 June 2010
Stage of National CTS
Beginning Stage
Indicate each
country stage of
National CTS
aiming to measure
the readiness to
cooperate at
regional level
Cambodia
Implementing
Stage
Indonesia
Myanmar
Malaysia
Lao PDR
The Philippines
Thailand
Overlapping of
UCTS and ACTS
Possibility to
bridge the
existing CTS in
the region
Bilateral
Agreement
on CTS
preferred
Agreed Criteria for Transfer of study Credit
40
1. To use for transfer credits in higher education program
2. To Transfer credits for courses or groups of courses in
higher education program or equivalent
3. Grade is not lower than C or 2.00 score level or
equivalent for Bachelor degree
Agreed Criteria for Transfer of study Credit
41
4. Contents covering not less than three fourths of
individual courses or groups of courses to be equated with
5. Not more than one third of the total credits of the study
program into which to transfer
6. Will not be included in the calculation for the cumulative
grade point average. (optional)
Agreed on
30th July
2010
Degree Systems: Current Nature of
Higher Education Diploma Supplements
• A new idea in Southeast Asia
• Limited understanding of
HEDS
• No specific policies
• No broad implementation
Potential for Future Development
• Vietnam interested as part of
internationalisation strategy
• Also acknowledges benefits of fitting
qualifications into global labour market
• Malaysia considers it a HEI rather than
government responsibility
• Myanmar believes that current transcript
provides adequate information
Diploma Supplements:
Specific Issues Faced
• Awareness of the notion and role of HEDS
• Commitment of Institutions to put HEDS in
development plans
• Diversity of universities in the region, in
government run HEI’s would be quite simple. ..
• Compatability with existing academic systems
and transcripts
Outline
1. Facts about HE Landscape in ASEAN region?
2. Recognition in Higher Education : Current situation
3. Recognition in Higher Education : Challenges
4. Recognition in Higher Education : Prospects
4. Recognition in Higher Education : Prospects
Toward
HEDS
RQF
Proceed on
CTS
Expansion of
M-I-T and
LEARN!
Strengthen
AQAN
UG
Promote
ASEAN
Citation Index
ASEAN 2015 : SEA of Knowledge
Where graduates of
any nations can be
employed in other
countries within the
region
THANK YOU
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