Malaysia leads exchange of expertise in Asean

Region set for better quality education through The Asean Quality Assurance Network (Aqan).

Moving towards the implementation of holistic education through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 – Higher Education, the country is finally prepared to share experiences and practices in quality of higher education with Asean members.

The Asean Quality Assurance Network (Aqan) will be the platform that would enable the sharing of expertise and practices according to Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the Higher Education Minister.

Additionally, Aqan paves the path for a major project known as Asean Quality Assurance Framework (Aqaf).  “Through Aqaf, Asean member countries will learn from each other, support each other, and grow stronger together as an Asean higher education space with quality courses, taught by quality faculty, at quality institutions,” said Idris.

There are plenty of benefits in creating a higher education space in the region because such space encourages student mobility, access to broader fields of education and expertise, improves research and academia through collaboration and joined programmes, enhances knowledge sharing and the exchange of human capital. All this would not only improve the quality of education in the region and attract foreign investment, but it has the potential to create an identity that attracts and creates global talent.

Other benefits of Aqan are embedded in the fact that quality education is absolutely important in creating a sense of belonging and citizenship among various Asean communities.

The establishment of Aqan was agreed upon during the inaugural Asean Quality Assurance Agencies Roundtable Meeting that was held in 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Qualifications Agency (MQA) accepted the registration and recognition of Aqan as an international association network in 2014.

This initiative was announced yesterday during the ceremony of the Fourth SHARE Policy Dialogue organised by the European Union (EU) to support Higher Education in the region.

The dialogue was born via the collaboration of the Higher Education Ministry, Asean and the EU. The event had brought some 130 high-level education officials from universities,  various academic fields, and students to focus on Aqan and the issues associated with it.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching, Asean Deputy Secretary General for the Asean Socio-Cultural Community Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, President of Aqan Wachara Karunyavanu and European Union (EU) Ambassador to Asean Francisco Fontan.