On 24 October 2024, a delegation from the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) as well as diplomats from ASEAN Member States visited the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI). The delegation included H.E. Mr. SHI Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ACC; Mr. Hadi Tjahjono, Director of the Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ACC; Ms. LIU Xiao, Deputy Director of the Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ACC; and other officials from ACC, as well as diplomats from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Prof. JIN Li, Director of UNESCO-ICHEI and Vice President of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech); Prof. LIANG Jiansheng, Executive Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI; Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI; and other representatives from UNESCO-ICHEI, engaged in discussion with the delegation and diplomats. Mr. CHEN Hao, Executive Deputy Director of SUSTech Global, also participated in the meeting.

Prof. JIN Li highlighted that in recent years, UNESCO-ICHEI and SUSTech have made significant strides towards higher education development and innovation. Moving forward, UNESCO-ICHEI and SUSTech hope to expand multilateral partnerships with ACC and ASEAN Member States to promote the effective integration of AI and higher education and advance the digital transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Southeast Asia, so as to realise quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Prof. JIN Li, Director of UNESCO-ICHEI and Vice President of SUSTech

H.E. Mr. SHI Zhongjun introduced ACC’s founding history and mission, stressing that education is one of the six key areas for ACC to advance friendly exchanges and practical cooperation. He noted that in recent years, the number of international students between China and ASEAN has seen a steady increase, and educational exchanges and cooperation have been progressing smoothly. ACC hopes to further explore collaborative opportunities with UNESCO-ICHEI and HEIs in Southeast Asia to jointly enhance the quality of higher education and promote its digital transformation.

H.E. Mr. SHI Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ACC

Ms. BI Xiaohan and Mr. SIT Fung introduced UNESCO-ICHEI’s flagship projects, including the IIOE platform and its partner network, IIOE Micro-Certification Project for Higher Education Workforce Digital Competency Building (IIOE Micro-Certification Project), high-level regional policy dialogues, and Smart Classrooms. In Southeast Asia, UNESCO-ICHEI is committed to establishing a policy dialogue mechanism and creating a supportive environment for higher education policy-making. Additionally, the IIOE National Centre mechanism plays a pivotal role in the customisation and localisation of IIOE courses, aligning UNESCO-ICHEI’s resources and services with the strategic needs of HEIs in Southeast Asia. UNESCO-ICHEI has collaborated with international and regional organisations such as ASEAN, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), and the UNESCO regional offices in Bangkok and Jakarta, to expand the higher education network in Southeast Asia. UNESCO-ICHEI looks forward to future collaborations with more stakeholders in areas such as curriculum development, teacher training, and policy recommendation.

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI

Mr. SIT Fung, Head of IIOE Management Centre

Mr. CHEN Hao introduced SUSTech’s development strategy, international student programmes, and overseas admission policies. He highlighted that, leveraging its strengths in education and research, SUSTech has successfully cultivated outstanding international students. Looking ahead, SUSTech amis to further deepen and expand international collaboration and industry-university cooperation to promote talent exchange in Southeast Asia.

Mr. CHEN Hao, Executive Deputy Director of SUSTech Global

UNESCO-ICHEI engaged in in-depth discussions with ASEAN diplomats, exploring the current situation and prospects of digitalisation of higher education in Southeast Asia. Diplomats from Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Thailand, and other ASEAN Member States expressed that, leveraging the advantages of the IIOE platform and its digital resources, they plan to mobilise more HEIs in Southeast Asia to join the IIOE partner network. Based on the IIOE Digital Competency Reference Framework for Higher Education Workforce, they suggest the enhancement of curriculum co-development to empower teaching personnel and the promotion of collaborative research with HEIs. In addition, ASEAN Member States diplomats hope that all parties will increase the sharing of information and resources in the future and build collaborative bridges with UNESCO-ICHEI and SUSTech, so as to advance higher education development and innovation in Southeast Asia. After the meeting, the delegation visited the IIOE AI Lab.

The visit is part of the 2024 "TVET Exchange Trip to Guangdong for ASEAN Education Officials in China" series, hosted by ACC and China Education Association for International Exchange. It marks the beginning of enhanced collaboration in the digital transformation of higher education for multiple stakeholders. Moving forward, all sides will work together to enhance the digital and AI competencies of the higher education workforce in Southeast Asia, promote industry-university cooperation and multilateral cooperation, and explore new ecosystems for higher education cooperation to support the achievement of SDG4. UNESCO-ICHEI will strengthen its collaboration with HEIs and government agencies in Southeast Asia, and support HEIs in realizing their digital transformation strategies by promoting the retraining and upskilling of university faculty through flagship projects such as the IIOE Micro-Certification Project.

the delegation visiting the IIOE AI Lab