Higher Education Managers  Advance Inclusion in International Higher Education in ASEAN

The ASEF Capacity Building Workshop was done in cooperation with the EU-SHARE Programme to promote the advancement of inclusion in the international activities of ASEAN universities. The 5-week online learning journey brought together 34 higher education managers, academics and researchers interested in advancing inclusion in international activities of their respective universities. The Capacity Building Workshop took place from 15 November 2021 – 17 December 2021. Its concept was inspired by the outcomes of the 8th ASEF Regional Conference on Higher Education (ARC8).

The Capacity Building Workshop had four key objectives:

• To increase participants’ knowledge of the concept of inclusion in higher education and tools to improve it
• To facilitate the exchange of good practices among universities in Asia and Europe
• To inspire participants to take action in their home institutions
• To build a network of practitioners sharing a joint mission to keep improving equity in higher education

WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP?

34 Participants

The Capacity Building Workshop brought together 34 University Managers, Academics and Researchers who were in a position to influence university policy and take action in promoting inclusion in universities within the ASEAN. These included roles in international relations offices, admissions and career guidance, student guidance and support services, digital transformation of teaching activities, and curriculum development and programme design. To learn more about the participants, view the Participants Booklet Here.

Leading Experts

Experts on inclusion in international higher education were engaged to discuss key areas on the topic and answer questions by the participants. View the presentations given by experts in the links below:

• Activities and Resources to Increase Inclusion in International Activities
  Dr Baiba PETERSONE, Director of the International Department of Riga Stradines University, Latvia
• Activities and Resources to Advance Inclusive International Higher Education
  Dr Keiko IKEDA, Vice-Director, Institute for Innovative Global Education, Kansai University, Japan
• Building Alliances To Promote Inclusion in International Activities
  Assoc Prof Dr Yazrina Yahya, Deputy Director of the Higher Education Leaders Academy (AKEPT), Indonesia
• Mapping Stakeholders: The Student Perspective
  Ms Olivia Parczyk, Liaison Person for Asia, Erasmus Student Network
• Inclusion and Impact: How to Grasp the Ungraspable
  Mr Uwe BRANDENBURG, Director of the Global Impact Institute, Czech Republic
• Inclusion in ASEAN: Outcomes and Impact
  Mr Charlton LIM, Assistant Manager of the Global Relations Office, National University of Singapore

You can view the playlist of the recorded presentations by the experts, click here.

Facilitators

The workshop series was co-facilitated by Dr Nopraenue Sajjarax DHIRATHITI, Vice President for International Relations and Corporate Social Communication at Mahidol University, Thailand; and Dr Chang Da WAN, Chief Operating Officer of the HEAD Foundation, Singapore.

Young Reporters

Two ASEF Young Reporters covered the Capacity Building Workshop, writing articles and a report to engage youth and a broader audience beyond higher education professionals. These reporters were Ms Paundria DWIJASTUTI, Indonesia; and Ms Tashryn Mohd Shahrin, Singapore.

Ms Paundria DWIJASTUTI, Alumna of the SHARE Mobility Programme, Indonesia
Article 1: Towards an Inclusive International Higher Education —Why is it important and where to start?
Article 2: Student-Centred Programmes to Ground Inclusion in HEIs Internationalisation

Ms Tashryn MOHD SHAHRIN, Alumna of the 9th Model ASEM, Singapore
Article 1: Increasing Inclusion in International Activities: Activities and Resources to AidKey Actors/Stakeholders
Article 2: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education: A Boost for the Inclusion and Internationalization Agenda in HEIs

WHAT WAS THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORKSHOP?

The workshop series took place entirely online and utilised both Synchronous and Asynchronous methods:

• Weekly Synchronous Lessons
  Sessions took place every Monday from 7.00 to 9.00 UTC (Time Converter). These facilitator-led sessions featured leading experts from across Asia and Europe. Sessions were designed for knowledge sharing and provided time for collaboration.
• Asynchronous Lessons and the ASEF eLearning Platform
  The ASEF eLearning Platform provides the option for self-paced study which includes literature, educational videos, and case studies.

The weekly breakdown of topics discussed are:

Week 1 | Target Group and Value Proposition
Week 2 | Activities and Resources
Week 3 | Stakeholders
Week 4 | Measuring Outcomes and Impact
Week 5 | Summary and presentation of action plans

To learn more programme, click here.

WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES

24 Action Plans

By the end of the Capacity Building Workshop participants had developed 24 Action Plans that would create more inclusive international higher education in their home institutions. To view the Action Plan Booklet, click here.

Participants were featured in the Insights Videos which highlight their takeaways from the learning journey with ASEF. To hear from the participants themselves, watch all the Insights Videos below: