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 has 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 has been reiterated in all ASEMMEs, and its outcomes and outputs helped to sustain a dynamic ASEM Education Process. Take a look at the past editions here.
The ARC programme cycle covers two years and is 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.
Now running on its tenth cycle, ARC’s objectives are ►
Knowledge Exchange
Inform Policy
Background of ARC10
ARC10 will revolve 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 will answer the call to explore substantive changes to reinvent higher education given its key role in transforming our collective future.
For the next two years we will work through debates, webinars, policy dialogues, and a publication under the theme “[Un]debated Ways of Rethinking Higher Education” which will have four sub-themes that will explore what the ASEM Education Space hopes to achieve by 2030 and beyond where deeper global conversations are needed.
By focusing the discussions on these subthemes, we will explore questions such as:
► Does the introduction of AI to higher education outweigh the challenges or benefits?
► Shall flexible learning pathways be created top-down or bottom-up?
► Is free higher education more equitable? Which policy tools work better in increasing equity?
► How to increase ethics, transparency and integrity in transnational education?
ARC10 Timeline of Activities
ARC10’s first year will have two main components: the Thought Leaders’ Webinar Series towards the latter half of 2024, and Policy Dialogue Sessions that we hope to integrate into major affiliate events at the end of the year.
October-November 2024 | Online
Thought leaders, subject matter experts, and representatives of key stakeholder groups will be invited to share their perspectives on the future of higher education on a given sub-theme. We hope to produce thematic papers anchored in these discussions that will capture a collective vision of how a key area of higher education will evolve in the coming years. Join the discussions on the following dates:
Session 1: Rethinking Digital Transformation, 17 October 2024
Session 2: Rethinking Lifelong Learning, 30 October 2024
Session 3: Rethinking Equitable Access and Success, 07 November 2024
Session 4: Rethinking Recognition and Balanced Mobility, 28 November 2024
18-22 November 2024 | Bangkok, Thailand
As ARC is the Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers, the policy dialogues are well expected to align with the ASEM Education Intermediate Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM) to be hosted by Thailand in the fourth quarter of 2024, back-to-back with the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development’s (SEAMEO RIHED) 2024 Inter-regional Research Symposium.
In line with the Symposium’s theme and priority areas, two of the ARC10 sub-themes will be also introduced in interactive panel discussions and/or workshops. Furthermore, select experts will be invited to present the highlights of the Thought Leaders’ Webinar Sessions conducted throughout the year.
The launch event for the ARC10 report is also planned to take place during these events.
Throughout 2025 | Online and Onsite
Based on the outputs of 2024, ARC10 activities in 2025 will primarily focus on a series of policy dialogues to bring the ARC10 report consisting of the thematic papers closer to ASEF’s partners and stakeholders. Through these policy dialogues, we will work in close collaboration with the Expert Groups of the ASEM Education Process and gather policy recommendations with the aim of forwarding these to the ASEM Education Ministers.
The main target groups for consultation are student and youth leaders, ASEM education policymakers, and university managers.
In addition to capacity-building and dialogue opportunities, ASEFEdu will also participate in various events in Asia and Europe and present the highlights and milestones of the project.
Mid-2026 | Asia
ARC, as the Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers, will provide inputs to the policymakers discussions and for the deliberation of the Ministers.
ARC10 Outcomes and Impacts
ARC10, guided by our programme objectives towards the foregoing outcomes and impacts, hopes to provide spaces at various levels where higher education stakeholders and partners can come together to build a collective vision of the future.
This webpage will carry announcements and feature milestones from the project as we progress with its implementation. Follow us on social media through the links below or subscribe to the ASEF Newsletter to stay updated on our events!
