Page 48 - EU_ASEN Relations: Perspectives From Malaysia

a catalyst for economic integration that depends on human development and

more so, for people-to-people connectivity. Regionalisation and harmonisation
of ASEAN Member States’ higher education systems are crucial for the

creation of this common space to facilitate mutual understanding and promote
regional identity. An increased growth in intra-ASEAN collaboration among

universities, international mobility within and beyond ASEAN, and knowledge

exchanges with the EU to tackle global challenges, are some significant
impacts that are benefiting the ASEAN region tremendously.

The ‘ASEAN Vision 2020’ (1997) and the ASEAN Charter (2007) have
highlighted the importance of education integration for human capital

development and empowerment to strengthen the ASEAN Community.
Education “permeates through all the three pillars of ASEAN Community in

enhancing competitiveness of individual member states as well as ASEAN as

a region” (ASEAN Secretariat, 2009)—in particular, the ASEAN Socio-
Cultural Community Blueprint (ASCC) 2009 has outlined several important

goals to nurture human resources to achieve sustainable development in a
harmonious and people-centred ASEAN. The ASEAN Senior Official Meeting

on Education (SOM-ED) and the ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting

(ASED) manage various actions that are relevant to education as stipulated in
this Blueprint.

As indicated by the Cham-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Roadmap for the
ASEAN Community (2009–2015), the education sector has a pivotal role in

“ensuring the solidarity and unity among the nations and people of ASEAN”
(ASEAN Secretariat, 2009). Therefore, regional cooperation in higher

education is very much encouraged and promoted during this period.
Internationalisation of education and the external dimension akin to the EU’s

Erasmus+ programmes is further explored within the ASEAN 5-Year Work

Plan on Education (2011–2015). Subsequently, the KL/ASEAN Declaration
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