DIES ASEAN –QA ASSESSOR TRAINING WORKSHOP, MANILA OCTOBER 2012 “RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN QUALITY ASSURANCE IN ASEAN” Zita Mohd Fahmi AQAN Executive Secretary Trainer Malaysian Qualifications Agency

Recap: Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)  Main Objective –ASEAN Economic Community- Integration to a single Market (free flow of commodities, services, investment and qualified quality workforce)  10 full members and 1 observer member  Highly diverse region  Full liberalisation : 2015  Initiatives taken by professional services sector-12 services (AFAS)  How to support mobility of students and workers?

ASEAN

SEAMEO RIHED & AUN  15 SEAMEOs  SEAMEO RIHED- Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation for Higher Education and Developments  Empowering higher education institutions  Harmonisation of HE  Cultivating globalised Human Resource  Advancing knowledge frontier in higher education  Promoting University Social responsibility  ASEAN UNIVERSITIES NETWORK (AUN) focuses on internal quality assurance and conduct assessment at programe level of universities

PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH NETWORK FOR QA BODIES  ASEAN MINISTERS MEETING  ASEAN - SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING 2007 (SOMED)  Initiated by SEAMEO RIHED former director

Influences and Various Initiatives  Influenced by increasing globalisation, CBHE, international developments – Bologna Process, Accords, UNESCO Revised Regional Convention for Recognition of Qualifications for Asia Pacific  ASEAN and trading partners (EU, EAS, + 3, USA, India, Aus/NZ)  National initiatives to improve education and training-all aspects  Student Mobility Programme ( MIT + V)  Collaborations between agencies and HEIs  Proposal ASEAN Higher Education Space/a call for ASEAN TVET Framework  Higher education space- structured by QF  Quality assurance for confidence

Blueprints of Education and Training. Development of EQA and NQF. A simple matrix of EQA/NQF.

MemberEQANQF BruneiBrunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council (BDAC) BQF-2011 CambodiaAccreditation Committee of Cambodia (IA)Pending IndonesiaBadan Akreditasi Nasional (IA and Progrmme)IQF (2012) LaosESQuality assurance Center(Ministry) 2012Developing MalaysiaMalaysian Qualifications Agency (Programme and IA) MQF (2007) MyamarDepartment of Higher EducationNot yet The PhilippinesCHED-(5 accreditation agencies) IA and Programme) PQF ThailandOffice of National Education Standards and Assessments (ONESQA) (IA) TQF SingaporeHigher Education Quality Assurance Section(CPE) Not yet VietnamGDETA-National Accreditation CouncilDeveloping Timor LesteQA-IANQF

Kuala Lumpur Declaration 2008 Formation of AQAN

AQAN Declarations  Kuala Lumpur Declaration 2008 – formation of AQAN  Seri Bengawan Declaration 2011  Adoption of AQAN Constitution “It has big dreams that include the development of an ASEAN Qualifications Framework and a regional higher education space in the mould of Bologna that would harmonize systems and processes and ease recognition and mobility.” (AQAN President, 2010)

The aims and purposes of the AQAN are: i. To enhance and sustain the higher education system in the Southeast Asia region through quality assurance practices; ii. To seek closer harmonization of the national quality assurance frameworks of the member countries; iii. To promote and share good practices of quality assurance in higher education in the region; iv. To collaborate on capacity building of quality assurance in higher education in the region; v. To share information on higher education and facilitate exchanges and mutual recognition of qualifications within the region and between it and other part of the world; and vi. To ensure effective association with other international quality assurance networks and higher education organizations.

PROPOSED ASEAN QUALITY FRAMEWORK  This brings benefits to countries throughout the ASEAN region and beyond. “The employment aspirations of ASEAN peoples depend on the recognition of their skills and qualifications, and qualification frameworks enable this. The economies of ASEAN nations will benefit through the development of a more highly skilled and versatile workforce, and the project will therefore contribute to improved productivity, economic development and poverty reduction.”

President  Dato’ Dr. Syed Ahmad Hussein, Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), Malaysia Vice President Mr. Ekaphong Lauhathiansind, Deputy Director, The Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA), Thailand Elected Executive Members  Mr. Awang Adinin Md. Salleh, Acting Executive Secretary, Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council (BDNAC), Brunei  Prof. Dr. Eduardus Tandelilin, Board Member,National Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (BAN-PT), Indonesia  Dr. Pham Xuan Thanh, Deputy Director General, General Department of Education Testing and Accreditation (GDETA), Vietnam Executive Secretary Prof. Zita Mohd. Fahmi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), Malaysia

ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN) Roundtable Meetings  Kuala Lumpur, 6-8 July 2008:  Country reports: presentation of respective quality assurance systems  Inaugural Roundtable Meeting of QAA in ASEAN Region.  Kuala Lumpur Declaration: Establishment of ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN)  Bangkok, March  Theme: Assessors: Current Practices and the Next Step, Looking Forward to Common Practices and Development  Second Roundtable Meeting.  Jakarta, July  Theme (Seminar-Workshop): Interface between IQA and EQA  Policy Dialogue: AQAN, SEAMEO-RIHED, AUN, NIAD-UE, NZQA  Third Roundtable Meeting.  Bandar Sri Begawan, 4-6 October 2011  Theme: Building Regional Confidence towards Harmonizing ASEAN Higher Education  Election of the AQAN Executive Board  AQAN is to undertake a project to develop ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework in Higher Education  Kuala Lumpur, October 2012  Theme: Building Regional Confidence towards Harmonizing the ASEAN + 3 Higher Education

 July 2010, Jakarta: AQAN Seminar-Workshop and 3 rd Roundtable Meeting  3-4 November 2010, Kuala Lumpur: Curriculum Development for Joint Quality Assurance Capacity Building Project in ASEAN Countries 2011  4 July 2011, Bonn: AQAN Signed MoU with Partners for the DIES ASEAN-QA Project  4 October 2011, Brunei: AQAN Executive Committee Meeting No. 1/2011  5-6 October 2011, Brunei: 2011 AQAN Seminar and Roundtable Meeting  October 2011, Bangkok: DIES ASEAN-QA Training Course – External Quality Assurance Track (Phase 1)  8 November 2011, Kuala Lumpur: AQAN Signed MoU with Universal News 2012  2 March 2012, Cambodia: AQAN Executive Committee Meeting No. 1/2012  March 2012, Potsdam: DIES ASEAN-QA Training Course – Internal and External Quality Assurance Track (Phase II)  19 April 2012, Melbourne: INQAAHE Regional Network Meeting  June 2012, Kuala Lumpur: 1 st Meeting of the Task Force to develop ASEAN QA Framework in Higher Education  9 October 2012, Kuala Lumpur: AQAN Executive Committee Meeting No. 2/2012  October 2012, Kuala Lumpur: 2012 AQAN Seminar and Roundtable Meeting

Seminar-Workshop on Interfacing IQA, EQA and Professional Bodies RECOMMENDATION to 2010 AQAN ROUNDTABLE MEETING  Internally driven quality assurance is an essential factor in the advancement of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in ASEAN countries  There is a need to develop National Qualification Framework (NQF) in each ASEAN countries as one of the instruments of interaction among HEI  It is imperative to build trust and mutual recoginition among HEI, QA agencies, and professional bodies in ASEAN countries  QA agencies should actively seek inputs from professional bodies in developing standards and mechanism for accreditation

AQAN Collaborations  Internship programmes  Annual Roundtable Meeting and Seminar  ASEAN QA Project  Drafting ASEAN Quality Framework

Initial Findings ASEAN Quality Framework Development of NQF Learning outcomes, credit system, pathways, levels, sectors Register Capacity building IQA guidelines Capacity building EQA processes Will be further expanded Capacity building EQA-Brief guidelines Capacity building Principles for EQA establishment Principles for EQA Processes Principles for Qualifications and learner centeredness Principles for Institutional IQA Fundamental to understand the changing landscape of education and training Purpose referencing /not binding

The Future? Who knows?  ASEAN Quality Framework  ASEAN Regional Qualifications Framework  ASEAN Credit System  ASEAN (Certified) Reviewers  ASEAN Recognition Scheme?  ASEAN Discipline Standards?  Referencing initiatives Others? Inter-regional framework- Transnational Framework?

CHALLENGES CHALLENGES  Diversity, different phases of higher education, quality assurance and qualifications frameworks development between countries including the system employed in quality assurance  Constraints on finance and resources – currently operates on cost-sharing basis  Building a regional quality framework requires affirmative actions by all stakeholders-all agencies-government/policy makers/SEAMEO RIHED, AQAN/EQAs and higher education institutions. The Challenges  Creating a common language/ currency for accreditation/recognition across sectors  Harmonisation of qualifications in terms of the National Framework (Malaysian Qualifications Framework)  Developing a meta Qualification Framework for ASEAN  Mutual Recognition Agreements  Developing support and commitment under regional caucus – ASEM (ASEM Framework), APQN, AQAN and AQAAIW 

Thank You.