The ASEF Regional Conference on Higher Education (ARC) is the “Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers Meeting (ASEMME)” and the only bi-regional multi-stakeholder dialogue platform for university and student leaders, policymakers and ministers to discuss higher education issues and shape the education landscape in Asia and Europe.
What is the ARC programme?
For the past 15 years, ARC continuously evolved and contributed with various outputs (policy recommendations, research, and events) to the ASEM Education Process, and created opportunities for key Asian and European stakeholders to connect. ARC’s role as a valuable dialogue partner was reiterated in all ASEMMEs, and its outcomes and outputs helped to sustain a dynamic ASEM Education Process. Take a look at the previous editions here.
The ARC programme cycle covered two years and was aligned with the timeline of the ASEMMEs. Its results, including research, and policy recommendations, feed into the preparations for ASEM Education Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOMs) and the ASEM Education Ministers’ Meetings (MEs), which ARC experts are invited to attend.
Having concluded its tenth cycle, ARC’s objectives were ►
Knowledge Exchange
Inform Policy
Background of ARC10
ARC10 revolved around the future of higher education in Asia and Europe, given the trends and developments that higher education must cope with. Climate change, geopolitical disruptions, inequalities and disparities on various fronts, digital transformation, and the possibility of failing to meet the SDGs. Guided by ASEM’s directives and priorities on Education that stand as ASEF’s guideposts, our work in ARC10 answered the call to explore substantive changes to reinvent higher education given its key role in transforming our collective future.
The two-year project concluded its 2024 activities with a series of policy dialogue and debate webinars, and released three narrative reports on pressing topics of digital transformation, equity & access, and recognition & balanced mobility.
ARC10, guided by our programme objectives, hoped to provide spaces at various levels where higher education stakeholders and partners can come together to build a collective vision of the future.
In the project’s first year, we have made progress in achieving the intended outcomes and impacts. See our highlights below or read more about ARC10 Year 1 here.
ARC10 in 2025: Year 2
ARC10’s second year focused primarily at facilitating the work of the ASEM Education Expert Group on SDGs and Education (EG1), where ASEF served as co-chair along with the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority and the Ministry of Education of Thailand. In 2025, the EG had three virtual meetings and the ARC10 Policy Dialogue which was held as a side-event of the ASEM Education 1st Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) in Bucharest, Romania in November 2025.
With the UN Agenda 2030 fast approaching, ARC10 explored global topics about the future of education. As an overarching theme, it examined whether education systems can still be reshaped to align more closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among others, it tackled the challenge of making higher education more inclusive and equitable across the ASEM member states, and whether Learning Cities have the potential to serve as comprehensive ecosystems that support lifelong learning for modern, diverse populations. Through the flagship ARC10 Policy Dialogue in Romania, our wide range of participating stakeholders looked ahead to the next global education agenda and addressed emerging challenges and evolving societal needs.
March – September 2025 | Online
ASEF serves as a Co-Chair of the ASEM Education Expert Group on SDGs and Education (EG1), which provides a platform for representatives of ASEM member states and stakeholder organisations for quarterly meetings and discussions on best practices and experience about key topics at the intersection of education and Sustainable Development Goals as outlined by the UN Agenda 2030.
Quarterly Meeting 1: Setting the Direction for ASEMME10, 26 March 2025
The first meeting of 2025 hosted education stakeholders and representatives from ASEM member countries to develop a comprehensive Work Plan and Terms of Reference covering the EG’s work up until the 10th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEMME10). The event brought together policymakers, academic leaders, and international organisation delegates to define priorities for enhancing cross-regional cooperation in education. The Group identified five topics of strategic interest to be tackled in the upcoming period with the vision of forming a final white paper presented to ASEM Education Ministers.
Quarterly Meeting 2: Rethinking Educational Equity, 22 May 2025
The second meeting of the Expert Group on SDGs and Education in 2025 was centred on the theme “Rethinking Educational Equity: From Access to Real Inclusion.” The session began with stage-setting presentations from selected partner and stakeholder organisations, showcasing how they addressed barriers to accessible and equitable education within their specific contexts. These inputs provided a foundation for deeper discussions on tackling disparities across different levels—macro-regional, national, and institutional. Discussions touched upon selected areas of interest for the Expert Group, such as strategies for mobilising and creating funding sources to promote equitable education for all and good practices for developing inclusive policies in higher education.
Quarterly Meeting 3: Learning Cities of the Future, 10 September 2025
The third meeting was conducted jointly between the Expert Group on SDGs and Education (EG1) and the Expert Group on Lifelong Learning and TVET (EG3) under the theme “Learning Cities of the Future: Building Inclusive and Equitable Learning”. The session explored how Learning Cities can foster green and digital transitions, support reskilling and upskilling across all age groups, and cultivate a culture of continuous learning. Discussions also examined how urban learning ecosystems can help identify and prioritise new skills for the post-2030 agenda, strengthen foundational learning, and expand access to alternative pathways such as micro-credentials. The meeting strengthened synergies between the two Expert Groups, providing cross-sectoral dialogue and collaborative discussions on approaches to shaping future education agendas.
20-21 November 2025 | Bucharest, Romania
As ARC is the Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEMME, we aligned with complemented the programme of the ASEM Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM) co-organised by the ASEM Education Secretariat and Romania’s Ministry of Education and Scientific Research to conduct an ARC10 Policy Dialogue a side-event of the ASEM Education 1st Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) held on 18-19 November 2025, where ASEF proudly shared its work.
With the theme “Reimagining SDGs and Education Post-2030”, we brought together 29 policymakers, academics, university officials, and student leaders, a multisectoral cohort to engage in dialogue on issues, challenges, good practices, and policy suggestions key in driving the current SDGs forward and developing a successor agenda for education.
The event also covered the fourth quarterly meeting of the ASEM Education Expert Group on SDGs and Education with an in-depth discussion on best practices in SDG-related policies and an impressive lineup of speakers.
The dialogue continued with an intergenerational dialogue panel, a series of lightning talks from our diverse participant cohort, intensive brainstorming and interactive workshops. These conversations highlighted shared and context-specific challenges in sustainable development, alongside innovative practices and policy frameworks shaping national education systems. These insights will feed into the collaboratively developed communiqué, which ASEF will present at the 10th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting in 2026.
Read more about the successful policy dialogue and our contribution to the ASEM SOM1 here.
What’s Next in 2026?
Q1 to Q3 2026 | Online
ARC10 activities in 2026 will primarily focus on implementing the Work Plan of the ASEM Education Expert Group on SDGs and Education to collate policy insights and good practices. Upcoming meetings will address topics such as the Global Citizenship Education (GCED), civic engagement, inclusion and AI in education, and others.
25-26 November 2026 | The Philippines
The 10th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEMME10) is scheduled to take place in the Philippines in November 2026. ASEF aims to contribute to the event through a communiqué on “Reshaping Education for a Sustainable Future: Reflections on SDGs and the Post-2030 Agenda”. This document, created together with the participants of the Policy Dialogue in Romania, will synthesise key observations and insights from the work of the ASEM Education Expert Group on SDGs and Education, outlining practical recommendations for achieving the SDGs in education and providing insights on the next iteration of Agenda 2030.
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