Harmonizing Higher Education in ASEAN

Generating trust in light of internationalization and Integration

Prof Alex B. Brillantes, Jr., PhD
Commissioner, Commission on Higher Education
Office of the President, Republic of the Philippines
(on secondment from the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance)

Notes for Presentation and discussion at the 2 nd Share National Workshop on

the Impact of Qualifications Frameworks , Cambodia and Learning Outcomes in
ASEAN, 19-20, Siem Reap
Gratitude is expressed to Dr Susanne Lierman, SHARE Project Manager, DAAD
Regional Office, Jakarta for the invitation to be part of this important event.
Gratitude likewise to Commissioner Dr Cynthia Bautista, Atty Lilly Freida T.
Macabangun-Milla Director of the International Affairs Staff of the Commission

TOR as Panelist: Address the

following areas:
Generating and sustaining trust between and
among ASEAN members states in the Higher Education
Sector
Benefits of a better harmonized ASEAN Higher
Education Landscape
Expectations regarding harmonized Higher Education
Urgent needs and possible next steps to move forward
with harmonizing ASEANs HE landscape

Key Messages
1. It is imperative to recognize that regional governance and
institutional mechanisms in place
ASEAN since 1967: about to celebrate 50 years of ASEAN!
AEC since 2016
Unity in Diversity: Bhinneka Tunggal Eka
ASEAN identity in place: Own experience: SSEAYP in 1976
2. It is imperative that we continue to develop and adapt and
shift paradigms and perspectives within the context of the ASEAN
community:
GLOCALIZATION: Think Global Act Local
COOPETITIONS: Cooperation and Competition

3. Build on upon existing institutional infrastructure in the HE Sector that have

been in designed and in place the past decades AND ALIGN NATIONAL HEI
PROGRAMS to them
Supachai: Globalization has helped transform higher education and
necessitated adaptive responses from national governments. Regional
harmonization of higher education policies and practices was highlighted as the
primary means to respond to the phenomenon.
a) Mobility / Credit Transfer
b) Research
c) Quality Assurance
d) Qualifications Frameworks

a) Mobility / Credit Transfer

ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS): 12 HEIs in
Philippines participating in AIMS
ASEAN University Network (30 HEIs with 3 Philippine Universities)
AUN SEED-Net : Southeast Asia Engineering Education
Development Network : 26 members, 14 Japanes with 3
universities from Philippines part of AUN
University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) association of
government and no-government representatives of HEIs in the
region

b) Research
ASEAN Citation Index (ACI) since 2013
Dedicated to forming a regional research citation index,
the ACI will be a database to compile national journal
databases in ASEAN countries.

c) Quality Assurance
ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN)
Philippine members: CHED, Accrediting Agency of
Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines
(AACUP), Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools,
Colleges and Universities (PAASCU)
AUN Quality Assurance

d) Qualifications Frameworks
The AQRF aims to promote the recognition of
qualifications, facilitate lifelong learning, credit transfer
and learner mobility, among others. (referencing)
Earlier on before AQRF, Mutual Recognition
Arrangements (MRAs) were set off aiming at enabling
qualifications of professional service suppliers to be
mutually recognized. Areas include engineering,
nurnsing, architecture, surveying, medical practitioners,
dental practitioners and accountancy

4. Recognize the role of international partners and

work with them.
a. EU Share
b. ASEAN Plus Three (APT)
APT Working Group on Mobility of Higher Education
and Ensuring Quality Assurance of Higher
Education among APT Countries was established to:

Share information

Promote capacity building

Expand networks and increase communication

Propose and implement collaboration projects

Finally, issues and Concerns for

Consideration
(support from ASEAN)

Short Term immersion programs in the educational

system and in the communities
Medium Term: one semester, credit transfer
Long Term consortium arrangements; degree
programs; twinning
Leadership development: Higher Education Career
System

I end with an indicative governance reform framework

that we have been using and may be applicable to
higher ed towards a common vision of harmonized

Val
Applying an Indicative
Policy
ues

Pyramid
AS
EA
N
ide
ntit
y;
Policies:
ASEANTR
and AEC
US
T
Programs: HEI
harmonization,

Projects: mobility, credit transfere

ASEAN citation index
Activities: university and HEI levels

Institutional
Encourage
mechanisms and
innovative leaders
process in place at
Role of Champions
the regional an
in the University: Dr
Kalaya of
national level:
Chualungkorn U and
outcomes based;
Outcomes based.
quality assuranceReform
Institutio
Develop leadership
accreditation;
ns ,
among HEIs
quality
(PhilHECS)
Structure Leadersh
frameworks
s and
ip
Tri-focalized
Processe
VISIO
structure
s
N
In the Philippines Reform
Active
Mindsets,
Town and gown
Citizens'

Paradigm
Develop Outcomes
s and
based mindsets
Behavior
(CMO 46 since 2012)
vs CU in 2008
ASEAN mindset of
Glocalization and
Coopetition
Academic Freedom
NOT related at all.
Role of government:
enabler to regulator

Engagem
ent

Continuing
engagement of
stakeholders
Martin Valcke and
Stefan Hell who
emphasized role of
stakeholders,
employers, alumni,
students

To summarize
Policy and institutional mechanisms in place
ASEAN mindsets in place within the context glocalization and
coopetition
Zeroing in on higher education concerns, we need to build upon
and align our HE agenda and reforms in the following areas

Mobility / Credit Transfer

Research
Quality Assurance
Qualifications Frameworks

Reform is a continuing process. Need to be sustained. Build on four

areas: institutions, mindset, leadership and people engagement
Continued communication and information exchange: ASEAN
provides framework and individual countries align their programs
and projects to the broad agreed upon regional policies