On 12 May 2016, the 10th Meeting of Directors-General/Secretary General/Commissioner of Higher Education in Southeast Asia was held in Mandalay, Myanmar. The Meeting was an annual review meeting for Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED). It was participated by the representatives from ASEAN countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Representatives from SEAMEO RIHED partners including ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and European Union Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE) were also invited to attend the meeting.
Dr. Soe Win, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Education, Myanmar and Dr. Ethel Agnes Pascua Valenzuela, Deputy Director of SEAMEO Secretariat made remarks at the opening ceremony. Dr. Chantavit Sujatanond, Centre Director of SEAMEO RIHED briefed the Meeting on the 1st-9th DGs/SG/CHE Meetings and the efforts made by SEAMEO RIHED to promote regional cooperation in 4 key ares aiming at the harmonisation of higher education in Southeast Asia.
Mr. Tri Purnajaya, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division represented ACC briefed the meeting on ACC’s efforts and achievements in the area of education including the collaboration with SEAMEO RIHED in 3 key initiatives, among them were the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW), SAMEEO RICHED-ACC Study Visit Progmamme to China and the ASEAN-China Network for Cooperation and Exchanges among Engineering Technology Universities (ACNET-EngTech). He emphasized that 2016 marks the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations and the Year of ASEAN-China Educational Exchanges, therefore ACC seeks to strengthen its collaboration with SEAMEO RIHED to promote the cooperation and partnership between ASEAN and China in the area of higher education. He also informed the Meeting on the 1st ASEAN-China Youth Summer Camp, which will be hosted by ACC in July 2016 in Beijing and Tianjin.