Connecting Across Cultures: Building Multinational Education Partnerships in the Mekong Basin Presented by Professor Roberto Rabel Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) Victoria University of Wellington ‘Going Global 2012’ London, United Kingdom 14 March 2012

Challenges of Capacity Building for Developed World Multiple pressures on contemporary universities in developed world: teaching, research, equity, service, innovation, economic growth, social transformation, international outreach. Resource limitations—more with less. Internationalisation vs. ‘export education’ as competing paradigms. Is international capacity-building still appropriate for universities in rapidly changing global environment? If so, how to develop institutional strategies and mobilise resources?

Challenges of Capacity Building in Emerging Economies Multiple pressures on contemporary universities in emerging economies: teaching, research, equity, service, innovation, economic growth, social transformation, international outreach. Resource limitations—in spades! Challenge of English as lingua franca of academe and business. International capacity-building imperative but how to develop institutional strategies and mobilise resources?

Collaboration as a Response One response is multinational collaboration on basis of genuine partnerships. Offers mutual benefits, shared burdens, more appeal to third parties for funding. Raises prospects of multiple synergies if developed creatively, especially the nurturing of long-term connections among universities in developed and emerging economies. Perfect fit for universities with integrated internationalisation strategies which include equity and international development objectives, such as VUW.

Greater Mekong Subregion Tertiary Education Consortium GMSTEC is a charitable trust and multinational network established in 2002 with a mission of: 1.Sharing knowledge and building cultural understanding; 2.Advancing the quality and diversity of programmes offered among GMSTEC members; 3.Expanding learning and research opportunities available to staff and students in GMS, New Zealand and Australian universities; 4.Mobilising academic and other resources to assist development of the Greater Mekong Subregion. GMSTEC has contributed to capacity building by combining local and international expertise to provide a unique perspective on challenges for higher education in the Mekong Basin and to deliver university-led solutions to these challenges.

GMSTEC Members New Zealand: Victoria University of Wellington Australia: The Australian National University Thailand: Khon Kaen University King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi Cambodia: Royal University of Phnom Penh Royal University of Agriculture Lao PDR:National University of Laos Vietnam: National Economics University, Hanoi University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City Hanoi University of Science and Technology Can Tho University China: Yunnan University

GMSTEC Achievements (1) Capacity building programmes in Lao PDR and Vietnam on: Managing Network Infrastructure; Social Protection; and, Strategic Human Resource Management. Capacity building in English language training; Royal University of Phnom Penh. Teacher Development Workshops in Thailand Workshop on Development studies in the Mekong Region. Training needs analysis for government officials in the GMS. Text books for Cambodian Universities campaign.

GMSTEC Achievements (2) International conference on Sustainable Development for the GMS in Bangkok in GMSTEC Research Fellowship Programme. GMSTEC Research Grant Programme Two planned GMSTEC Symposia for 2012 on Climate Change Impacts in the GMS and China’s engagement with the GMS. Planned Mekong Study Abroad programme for 2013

Conclusion: GMSTEC as Case for Multinational Capacity-building (1) Challenges of using multinational networks for capacity-building include: Cross-cultural communication; Managing diverse academic cultures, resources and interests; Institutional vs. individual/faculty buy-in & commitment; Sustaining momentum as ‘coalitions of the willing’; Amassing concrete achievements; Justifying opportunity costs and funding.

Conclusion: GMSTEC as Case for Multinational Capacity-building (2) Benefits of using multinational networks for capacity-building include: Research collaboration to facilitate academically informed contributions to GMS development challenges; Enhanced English, research and teaching capacity for GMS universities; Innovative networking opportunities; Multidimensional and multinational interactions amongst partners rather than narrowly focused, bilateral interactions; Profile-building and other opportunities in GMS for VUW and ANU, such as VUW campus in Vietnam in cooperation with the University of Economics-HCMC. Above all, ventures such as GMSTEC create platforms and frameworks for capacity- building in emerging economies while facilitating the enduring multinational partnerships among universities that will increasingly characterise the globalised international education era we are entering.