From 23-24 September 2021, the Ministry of Education of Thailand; the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand; the Department of European Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand; the ASEM Education Secretariat; in partnership with the European Union Delegation in Bangkok, the British Embassy Bangkok, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED) and the British Council, will organised the ASEM Workshop on Youth Learners’ Mobility in an Agile World: an SDG14 ‘Life Below Water’ Learning Programme as Case Study. As the hosts of the upcoming 8th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEMME8), Thailand aim for the outcomes of the Workshop to feed into the Meeting.
ASEF’s Director for Education, Ms Leonie NAGARAJAN, was invited to speak in a Panel entitled ‘Session 1 – Learning Mobility in an Agile World’. Other panellists included Ms Pornthip KANJANANIYOT (Special Advisor to SEAMEO RIHED and Former Executive Director of Fulbright Thailand), Mr Adrian VEALE (Policy Officer – Asia, International Cooperation Unit, DG for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission), Associate Prof Nomura NAKAO (Regional Director for SE Asia and Taiwan, Office of Global Initiatives, Director for Division of International Exchange Support, University of Tsukuba, Japan), & Dr Nina KEUL (Group Leader of European University of the Seas (SEA-EU). The Panel was moderated by Mr Darren MCDERMOTT (EU-SHARE Team Leader).
The goal of the session was to draw the views of youth and experts in the field of higher education internationalisation for the mobility of the future in an agile world. Youth and experts would cover the various elements of futuristic learning mobility including (1) learners’ expectation from a learning mobility experience, (2) the goals and objectives of international mobility and how to achieve those goals, (3) virtual exchange design to achieve intercultural competencies and recognition, (4) integration of educational technology to maximize the benefits of virtual exchange.
During the discussions, Ms NAGARAJAN emphasised that to ensure the success of a ‘futuristic mobility’ in Higher Education – especially in the virtual context – requires more non-formal education approaches in the formal education space.
Other programme elements also featured youth representatives from the 4th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS4).
