On 9-10 November 2016, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea hosted the 1st ASEM Education Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in Seoul, Korea, in preparation for the 6th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM ME6). Following the ASEM Intermediate Senior Officials’ Meeting on Education (ASEM ME6 ISOM) in Moscow, the Russian Federation, on 13-14 April 2016, this meeting focused on the topic of “Collaboration for the Next Decade: From Common Perspectives to Effective Fulfilment”.
The 53 ASEM partners were invited to contribute to discussions on how best to collaborate effectively when responding to the challenges and opportunities during the coming decade. In doing so, ASEM partners and stakeholders deliberated on how to cooperate and support the 4 priority areas of the ASEM Education Process: quality assurance and recognition; engaging business and industry in education; balanced mobility; lifelong learning including technical and vocational training.
ASEF presented its achievements over the past year, emphasising its focus on entrepreneurship and youth employment under projects in the ASEF Education Policy Programme and the ASEF Young Leaders Programme. The presentation highlighted ASEF’s contribution to ASEM ME6, most notably, through the 5th ASEM Rectors’ Conference and Students’ Forum (ARC5), which is an Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting. During this ASEF project, the ARC5 stakeholders developed policy recommendations on youth employment, which were personally received by Professor LEE Young, Vice-Minister of Education of the Republic of Korea.
ASEF will continue its engagement in the ASEM Education process ahead of ASEM ME6, and, over the coming years, will focus on the topic of access to education and youth employment.