Southeast Asia-China Education Research Network Started the Second Phase Cooperation

From 5 to 6 September 2016, the 3rd Meeting of Southeast Asia-China Education Research Network (SEA-CERN), co-hosted by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), the secretariat of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), National Institute of Education Sciences (NIES ), Ministry of Education, PR China, the Ministry of Education of Thailand and the Office of the Education Council (OEC) of Thailand, was held in Bangkok, Thailand.

This meeting marks the 1st phase cooperation project has been nearly to the end and the 2nd phase cooperation is starting. The network has completed the compilation of the Guidebook to Education Systems and Reforms in Southeast Asia and China in the first phase cooperation, which will be published soon. The second phase cooperation will focus on country studies on the theme of college enrollment system.

Representatives from China, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam made their countries reports on college enrollment systems respectively, discussed on frame, writing criteria and schedule of the 2nd phase cooperation and exchanged views on the future cooperation, such as teacher training policy, the 4th SEA-CERN arrangements, and etc.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Sun Jianhua, Deputy Director of Education Culture and Tourism Division of ACC, said that SEA-CERN had a great significance on promoting education reform and development in the region. It was quite necessary to convene a regular meeting. The meeting successfully started the 2nd phase cooperation of the Network, many constructive suggestions were put forward by the participating experts. It was expected that the Network Members could join hands to promote future cooperation and achieve positive outcomes. As one of the facilitators of the network and co-hosts of the meeting, ACC would, as always, support the Network. 

Dr. Kamol Rodklai, Secretary-General of the OEC of Thailand, Dr. Ethel Agnes P Valenzuela, Deputy Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, and Dr. Liu Jianfeng, Vice President of NIES, in their closing remarks, said that the success of the meeting could not be achieved without sincere cooperation among the organizers and great efforts of exports. SEA-CERN focused on the common regional issues on education in 21st century, expects from each country had been conducting joint research, devoting their intelligence to government decision-making. It was convinced that the Network would have much greater development and contributions to the regional education cooperation.