ACC Participated in 2015 SEAMEO Centre Directors Meeting (CDM)

The ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) participated in the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Centre Directors Meeting (CDM), which was held in Bangkok on 8-10 June 2015. The SEAMEO CDM 2015 was attended by more than 80 participants, comprising the Centre Directors and key officials of the SEAMEO Centres/Networks, ASEAN countries, representatives of SEAMEO Affiliate Members from Australia, Japan, ROK, China (CEAIE) and Germany.  The ACC delegation were Mr. Tri Purnajaya, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division (ECTD), and Ms. Sun Xuejing, Education officer. The 3-day Meeting was chaired by the Director of SEAMEO Secretariat, Dr. Gatot H. Priowirjanto.

The objectives of the Meeting were to have an in-depth discussion and get updates on the works of the Centres/Networks and new proposals to promote the development education exchanges in the Southeast Asian region. The Meeting  provided some guidance with regard to the upcoming 50th anniversary of SEAMEO in November 2015, as well as SEAMEO’s future plans beyond 2015. It was also an important forum for building networks, exchanging views between SEAMEO Centres and its Affiliate Members/Partners and discussing on possible future collaboration.

During the Meeting, ECTD Director updated the Meeting on ACC’s recent and ongoing collaborations with SEAMEO and other regional Centres, including the Southeast Asia-China Education Network, the SEAMEO-ACC Sports Education Innovation Award, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Network, the Network for engineering and technology universities, the ASEAN universities study visit to China, and students mobility programs, and major achievements to promote ASEAN-China education exchanges through ACC’s major platforms and networks, including the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW).  ECTD Director also highlighted several ACC initiatives to support the students mobility goal, by facilitating more scholarship programs for ASEAN students to study in China.

During the Networking Session, several regional Centres, namely Tropical Medicine (TROPMED), Archaeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA), Regional Centre of Higher Education and Development (RIHED) and Quality Improvement of Teachers and Education Personnel (QITEP), proposed collaborative activities involving ACC in a number of fields. ACC would work with these partners to promote exchanges of institutes in ASEAN and China in the fields of medicine, arts education, and continue the collaborative projects in higher education.

ACC has established official partnership with the SEAMEO Secretariat with the MoU signed on 12 August 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. The two sides consider each other as "a gateway" to promote cooperation and exchanges between China and ASEAN in education, and had conducted a series of collaborative activities in the last two years.  SEAMEO has supported the CAECW since 2013.  ACC also collaborated with SEAMEO Regional Centres such as RIHED , SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC) and Vocational and Technical Education and Training Centre (VOCHTEC)  on several projects.

The education officer of ACC also visited Panyapiwat Institute of Management and met with the Executive Director of the Institute and Director of International Affairs. The two sides would start cooperation in promoting students exchanges between Thailand and China.