From 27 to 29 July 2016, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) participated in the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Centre Directors’ Meeting (CDM) held in Bangkok. The Meeting was attended by more than 90 participants, comprising SEAMEO Secretariat, directors and officials of the SEAMEO Centres/Networks, representatives of SEAMEO Associate Members, Affiliate Members, Partners and Observers from Australia, Germany, China, Japan, ROK, Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR. The Director of SEAMEO Secretariat, Dr. Gatot H. Priowirjanto chaired the 3-day meeting. ACC attended the meeting on invitation as one of the partners of SEAMEO.
During the Meeting, the representative of ACC briefed on ACC’s mandate and its main activities in the area of education, including recent and ongoing collaborations with SEAMEO Secretariat and its Regional Centres, as well as major achievements to promote ASEAN-China education exchanges through ACC’s major platforms and networks. He said that 2016 marked the Year of ASEAN-China Educational Exchange and ACC had conducted a series of colourful activities on educational exchange, which were highly praised by the public. During the 9th China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW) to be held in the beginning of August 2016 in Guiyang, China, ACC would co-host and support several activities and expect a deeper cooperation with the relevant SEAMEO Regional Centres.
During the Networking Session, several Regional Centres, namely Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (TROPMED Network), Higher Education and Development (RIHED), Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC) and Vocational and Technical Education (VOCTECH), proposed collaborative activities involving ACC in a number of fields and discussed on possible future cooperation with ACC participation.
Representatives of the Meeting highly applauded ACC’s work, expressed their willingness to promote cooperation and exchanges in collaboration with ACC on more projects, and contribute to ASEAN-China functional cooperation on education.
