Panel Discussion and Commentary on Post‐2015 Agenda in Southeast Asia and

the Role of SEAMEO College

“SEAMEO College as a Regional Platform on Innovations in Education and Human Resource Development for Competitiveness towards on

Integrated ASEAN Community”

Yasushi Hirosato, Ph.D. Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University

Radisson Blu Plaza, March 2015

SEAMEO Regional Meeting-Workshop on Post-2015 Education Agenda

Outline of the Presentation

1. ASEAN’s Common Challenge: - Narrowing Development Gaps - Overcoming Middle Income Trap 2. Labor Market Prospects in ASEAN and Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) 3. Innovations in Education 4. Linkages of SEAMEO Regional Centers

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Singapore Malaysia Thailand Indonesia Philippines Vietnam Lao PDR Cambodia Mynamar

GNP per capita [US$](2006)

28,730 5,620 3,050 1,420 1,390 700 500 490 --

Adult Literacy Rate

（M／F）94

（97／91）92

（94／89）94

（96／92）91

（95／87）93

（93/94）90

（94/87）72

（80/66）76

（86/67）90

（94/86）

NER, Primary（M／

F）--

（--／--）100

(100/100)94

（94／94）96

（97／94）91

（90/92）88

（--／--）84（86/81）

90 （91/89）

100 （99/100）

Survival Rate, Primary （M／F）

-- （--／--）

99 （--／--）

-- （--／--）

79 （78／81）

70 （66/75）

92 （--／--）

62 （62/62）

55 （54/57）

72 （71/72）

GER, Lower Secondary （M／F）

-- （--／--）

90 （89/91）

98 （96／100）

78 （77／79）

86 （83/90）

88 （90/86）

52 （58/46）

54 （59/49）

56 （56/56）

GER, Upper Secondary （M／F）

-- （--／--）

53 （48/58）

59 （55／64）

51 （51／50）

73 （66/80）

59 （58/60）

35 （39/29）

21 （25/16）

35 （35/36）

Education Indicators in Southeast Asia

Source: UNESCO (2010). EFA Global Monitoring Report, cited by Yuto Kitamura, “Collaboration of Higher Education Systems in East and Southeast Asia, a presentation at the Education Community of Practice, ADB, 24 January 2011.

GER in Higher Education 1980-2013

1980

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2011 Remarks

Cambodia 0.1 0.3 0.6 1.3 2.1 3.6

Lao PDR 0.4 0.8 1.2 2.0 2.8 7.9

Vietnam 2.6 2.7 2.8 6.1 9.5 16.0 25.0UNESCO Institute

of Statistics

Indonesia 3.8 6.1 8.4 11.4 14.4 17.0

Myanmar ー ー ー ー ー ー 14.0 UNESCO Institute

of Statistics

Philippines 24.1 24.3 24.5 27.5 30.5 28.0

Malaysia 4.1 5.7 7.3 16.6 25.9 28.6

Thailand 10.2 13.4 16.5 25.8 35.2 46.0

Japan 30.6 29.8 29.1 38.2 47.4 55.3

S. Korea 12.4 24.9 37.3 57.9 78.4 91.0Note: a. 2004 data. Source: UNESCO (2010). EFA Global Monitoring Report, cited by Yuto Kitamura, “Collaboration of Higher Education Systems in East and Southeast Asia, a presentation at the Education Community of Practice, ADB, 24 January 2011.

Comparison among CLMV

Cambodia Lao PDR Myanmar Vietnam

Population (2013)

14.7 million 6.64 million 61.6 million 89.7 million

Population in Capital City

More than 2 million

About 1.1 million

About 4 millions

More than 7 million

GDP per capita US$1,040 (2013)

US$1,534 (2012)

US$869 (2013)

US$1,902 (2013)

GPD per capita in capital city

US$2,000 - - US$4,500 (HCMC)

Real GDP growth rate (2013)

7.5 % 8.1% 7.5% 5.4%

Foreign Direct Investment (2013)

1. China 2. Vietnam 6. ROK 9. Japan

1. China 2. Thailand (No official stat)

1. Singapore 2. ROK 3. Thailand 7. Japan

1. ROK 2. Singapore 3. China 4. Japan 5

Common Challenge (I): To Narrow Development Gaps in ASEAN

• Should ASEAN wish to develop more resilient and inclusive economic community, ASEAN needs to narrow income gaps (i) between middle income and lower income ASEAN countries (such as CLMV-Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam); and (ii) inside a country (urban-rural disparity).

• There would be income disparities and wage differences needed for dynamic economic activities. However, nobody defines what level of disparity would be acceptable. Should disparity be further widened, ASEAN would be politically, economically, and socially unstable. 6

AEC: Structural Components and Implementation Progress

PILLARS CORE ELEMENTS Implementation Rate (2008-

2011)I. Single Market and Production Base

Free Flow of Goods Free Flow of Skilled Labor Free Flow of Services Free Flow of Investment

65.9%

II. Competitive Economic Region

Competition Policy Consumer Protection Taxation Intellectual Property Right

67.7%

III. Equitable Economic Development

Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Initiative for ASEAN Integration

66.7%

IV. Integration into the Global Economy

Coherent Approach toward External Economic Relations Enhanced Participation in global supply networks

85.7%

Implementation Rate 67.5%7Source: ILO (2014). The Road to the ASEAN Economic Community. Bangkok:

ILO, p. 9.

• Free flow of skilled labor under ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) beyond 2015:

• What does it really mean for ASEAN as a whole, and especially lower income countries in ASEAN?

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Prospects in an Integrated ASEAN Labor Market

• When the free flow of skilled labor would be achieved, this would bring many opportunities for narrowing the development gaps between CLMV and middle income ASEAN countries, and pose challenges, simultaneously.

• Opportunities: CLMV can develop their labor force with enhanced skills who may obtain improved salaries abroad. Their labor force may return home years later with money and skills to set up new business, or send remittance to families back home, increasing consumption and reducing poverty.

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Challenges• 15-20% of the skilled labor force from CLMV

would leave their home countries to seek jobs with higher wages and a better working environment, making the wave of brain drain more serious for CLMV.

• Increasing competitive pressure for labor market in CLMV: Around 5-10 % of the labor force in CLMV could come from other middle income ASEAN countries and other countries, making pressure on labor forces in CLMV more severe.

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Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs)

• ASEAN’s MRAs provides the main mechanism by which equivalent skills can be recognized and ultimately be certified across the ASEAN after 2015.

• Eight (8) MRAs are already in place (signed). - Engineering Services - Architectural Services - Surveying Qualifications - Nursing Services - Medical Practitioners - Dental practitioners - Accounting Services - Tourism Professionals

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However…,• MRAs don’t guarantee the free movement of labor and market

access (They are not yet effective, and even if they would become effective): Based on ILO and ADB estimates, only about 1% of ASEAN labor force would benefit from MRAs (ILO and ADB. ASEAN Community 2015, Managing Integration for better jobs and shared prosperity, 2014)

• Policies and regulatory framework that constraints and impede skilled labor mobility, including: – Requirements and procedures for employment visas and

employment passes

– Policies that impose numerical caps on foreign professionals and skills in sectors and occupations

– Licensing regulations of professional associations

– Language barriers, etc.

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What needs to be done? (I) • Accelerate efforts in eliminating constraints

and impediments to promote skilled labor mobility.

• Start from professional skills where possible, for example, in the medical fields – Proposed initiatives by SEAMEO RIHED, and SEAMEO TROPMED Network.

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What needs to be done (II)• To narrow human resource gaps in

ASEAN：In particular, higher education and TVET intuitions in CLMV need to develop skilled labor force with high quality and competencies, by developing higher education and TVET institutions at the country level, as well as by strengthening networks at the regional/sub regional levels (ASEAN University Network, proposed GMS University Consortium to be administered by SEAMEO RIHED)

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Common Challenge (II): To Overcome Middle Income Trap in ASEAN

• Middle income ASEAN countries need to overcome so called middle income trap, by greatly investing in R&D and TVET/higher education, and enhancing the quality of education (learning outcomes), and hence, must bring about innovative solutions on education and HRD issues.

• Education should not only contribute to narrow development gaps, especially human resource gaps, but also seek excellence and innovations.

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Defining Innovations in Education:(OECD, Measuring Innovation in Education: A New Perspective. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2014)

This definition can be applied to education with small modifications: “Education organizations (e.g., schools, universities, training centers, education publishers) introduce

(1)new products and services, e.g., new syllabi, textbooks or educational resources,

(2)new processes for delivering their services, e.g., use of ICT in e-learning services,

(3)new ways of organizing their activities, e.g., ICT to communicate with students and parents, and

(4)new marketing techniques, e.g., differential pricing of postgraduate courses.

Typology: Innovations in Education Financing (“Innovative Financing for Education” by Nocholas Burnett and Desmond Bermingham

(Working Paper Series, Open Society Institute)

Objective Domestic InternationalResource mobilization-public

Many Many

Resource mobilization-private

Many Some

Raise profiles of education

Very few Few

Improve effectiveness/efficiency

Many Some

Improve equity Few Very few

Support conflict-affected countries

None None

Stimulate innovation in education

None None

Typology: Innovations in Education Delivery (OECD, Measuring Innovation in Education:

A New Perspective)

• Innovation in teaching style • Innovation in instructional practices • Innovation in classroom organization • Innovation in the use of textbooks in class rooms • Innovation in the methods of assessment used in classrooms • Innovation in the availability of computers and the internet in the

classroom • Innovation in the use of computers in the classroom • Innovation in the provision of special education in school • Innovation in the extent of teacher collaboration in schools • Innovation in feedback mechanism in schools • Innovation in evaluation in schools • Innovation in schools’ external relations • Innovation in measuring learning outcomes

How Innovative in the Education Sector? (according to OECD)

• Education has one of the highest shares of innovative jobs for tertiary graduates of all sectors of the economy in Europe, and a higher proportion than in other public sector areas such as health and public administration.

• Innovation in knowledge or methods is the most common form of innovation, with education outperforming all sectors of the economy.

• Within education, higher education is much more innovative than the primary and secondary levels – and is one of the most innovative sectors of the economy in terms of innovation in knowledge or methods.

ASEAN Education Fund• An Idea inspired at SDEM held in Vientiane in

September 2014

• Facility in support of innovative approaches and programs in education financing and delivery to address equity and quality issues simultaneously.

• Facility in support of implementing post-2015 education agenda in ASEAN.

• SEAMEO College Modules, especially SDEM, could address the need for establishing ASEAN Education Fund, in collaboration with key partners in and outside ASEAN.

Linkages among SEAMEO Regional Centers as Integral Constituents of SEAMEO College

• Ensuring/enhancing Synergies among 4 modules ⇒ a big challenge, but must be addressed.

• Strengthening E-connectivity across SEAMEO Regional Centers based on online work collaboration among SEAMEO regional centers (online meeting and conferences)

• Establishing SEAMEO Regional Centers’ Community of Practice with knowledge sharing and learning websites

• Building a network for research and development of education innovations in Southeast Asia

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Thank you for your kind attention.

Sophia ASEAN Hub Center: Public-Private-University Partnership Model

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Government (National,

Regional, and International

Agencies (OHEC, UNESCO, SEAMEO, RIHED,

JICA, etc.)

Universities and University

Networks (AUN, GMS

Univ. Consortium,

etc.)

Industry (Firms, Firm Associations, NGOs, Civil

Society, Sophia Alumni Groups)

Sophia ASEAN Hub

Center

Sophia’s Overseas Offices (Europe, U.S.A., Egypt, Cambodia, India, and China)

Sophia University

(Tokyo)

Overseas Partner

Universities

Appendix

Sophia ASEAN Hub Center: Mission 1. Develop human resources who could

contribute to an Integrated ASEAN Community, by providing education and training opportunities;

2. Collaborate with key stakeholders towards a more harmonized higher education and strengthened university networks in ASEAN;

3. Help universities in ASEAN, especially CLMV, to improve their management, academic/teaching and research capacity, and hence to narrow human resource gaps in ASEAN.

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Roles and Functions of Sophia ASEAN Hub Center (I)

A. Education and Training Activities: 1. Recruiting students from ASEAN through Sophia

AIMS (SAIMS) Program and other programs such as “Top Global University Project.”

2. Providing learning support to Japanese or foreign students who study aboard.

3. Developing study tours, internship programs, and service learning, etc.

4. Delivering cross-border programs (including double/joint degree programs).

5. Conducting staff development (SD) programs

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Roles and Functions of Sophia ASEAN Hub Center (II)

B. Research Activities: 1. Functioning as a research activity base

for joint research programs with partner universities, national, regional and international agencies.

2. Developing double/joint degree programs. 3. Initiating overseas institutional research

(IR) activities.

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Roles and Functions of Sophia ASEAN Hub Center (III)

C. Public Relations and Social Contributions: 1. Liaising with offices of Japanese universities in

Bangkok, JSPS, JASSO, universities in ASEAN/GMS including university networks, national, regional and international agencies, the private sector, and civil society, etc.

2. Conducting symposium and seminars on common issues to be addressed jointly by ASEAN/GMS countries.

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