JAKARTA, 25 March 2022 – European Union’s Support to Higher Education in ASEAN Region, SHARE Programme, will hold its 14th Policy Dialogue online from 29 – 31 March in Bangkok. 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’.
This Policy Dialogue will explore how partnerships amongst higher education stakeholders can multiply impacts to achieve the 17 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. The agenda focuses on; (i) the power of youth in partnership for the goals; (ii) research-driven sustainable development and research partnerships for the goals; (iii) Higher Education Institution partnerships for the goals; (iv) community of practice development for the goals, and (v) partnerships and synergy for the goals.
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.”
Further, RIHED Centre Director Romyen Kosaikanont, SEAMEO noted that, “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. The potential for successful partnerships in higher education is clear and presents a most impactful and meaningful contribution for the region to realise together.”
‘’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,” said Shigeru Aoyagi, Director, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO Bangkok.
Over the course of three days, the Policy Dialogue will cover a series of discussions on various issues in the higher education sector. The discussion will kick off focusing on the ‘Role of Higher Education Partnerships in Promotion of the Goals’ and ‘the Future of Sustainable Region’. On day two, stakeholders from ASEAN and Europe will discuss on how higher education partnerships could contribute to the achievement of the SDG 2030.
Lastly, the third day will discuss the importance of equal gender participation in science and research, including sharing of gender responsive best practices from European Union and ASEAN. In addition, the session outline on student mobility initiatives for the SDGs on the third day will also provide a space for brainstorming on how higher education partnerships could achieve the SDGs in Southeast Asia.
SHARE Programme Team Leader Darren J. McDermott, mentioned that “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.”
At the policy dialogue, participants are expected to understand the role of higher education as 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.
Registration is open via bit.ly/SHAREPD14 until 29 March. Follow @shareprogramme on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and website share-asean.eu for more information.
