ACC Participated in the SEAMEO Congress

From 21 to 22 October 2014, the SEAMEO Congress was held in Bangkok, Thailand with the theme “Southeast Asia in Transition: Re-Thinking Education Science and Culture for Regional Integration”, setting up 18 plenary-panel sessions, concurrent sessions and parallel sessions. The Ministers and Vice Ministers of Education from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as over 400 participants from government organizations, education institutions, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and relevant industries and businesses of ASEAN countries, China, Britain, Canada and Australia participated in the Congress. Mr. Wang Daoyu, Deputy Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and Ms. Sun Xuejing, Education Officer were among the participants.

As the supporting partner of SEAMEO Congress, ACC has provided significant support and been actively involved in the agenda setting of Congress, information promotion and forum organizing last year. At the opening ceremony, the Vice Minister of MOE, Thailand, on behalf of the Committee of the SEAMEO Congress, expressed his gratitude and presented a token of appreciation to ACC and five other organizations. Mr. Wang Daoyu, on behalf of ACC received the token.

During the Congress, ACC organized a Technical and Vocational Education and Training Forum. The President of Would Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP), Ms. Denise Amyot of Canada was invited to chair the forum. Dr. Yang Jin, Director-General of Central Institute of Vocational and Technical Education, MOE, China, introduced the reform and development experience of vocational education in China. Almost 100 representatives participated in the forum, shared the reform and development models and experience of vocational education in Southeast Asia, Britain and China, and warmly discussed the role of Southeast Asian vocational education, the impending innovation and reform against the backdrop of the regional integration.

ACC also setd up an exhibition booth, disseminated ACC’s printing materials, introduced to the participants ACC’s efforts in promoting ASEAN-China education cooperation and exchanges, and highlighted a series of projects and activities in cooperation with SEAMEO, which was paid high attention by the participants.

After the Congress, ACC organized a visit for Mr. Liu Baoli, Vice Executive Secretary-General of the Secretariat of China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW) and Ms. Gong Ning, Deputy Counsel of Guizhou Provincial Department of Education to Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and had a meeting with the leaders of AIT. The two sides hoped that through the support of ACC and CAECW, they could launch extensive cooperation in the areas of student mobility, joint courses, as well as teacher exchanges.

ACC worked closely with the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education and SEAMEO during the CAECW. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of SEAMEO in 2015, a series of activities will be organized.