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Higher education integration in ASEAN: ASEAN university network case Rezasyah, Teuku; Konety, Neneng; Rifawan, Affabile; Wardhana, Wahyu

Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article

Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Rezasyah, T., Konety, N., Rifawan, A., & Wardhana, W. (2017). Higher education integration in ASEAN: ASEAN university network case. Journal of ASEAN Studies, 5(1), 51-59. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168- ssoar-63235-8

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1 Higher Education Integration in ASEAN

Higher Education Integration in ASEAN: ASEAN University Network Case.1

Teuku Rezasyah Padjadjaran University, Neneng Konety Padjadjaran University, Indonesia Affabile Rifawan Padjadjaran University, Indonesia Wahyu Wardhana Padjadjaran University, Indonesia

Abstract

Higher education has an important role in the region’s economic growth, with talents and ideas developing in the process. ASEAN University Network (AUN) is the institution that facilitates cooperation among ASEAN universities and beyond. This research attempts to describe the role of AUN in enhancing regional integration in the higher education sector in ASEAN. This research uses qualitative method to get depth information and the bigger picture in the governance of AUN’s role and mechanism in regional integration of higher education system. The results of this research showed that AUN helped enhancing regional cooperation.

Key words: AUN, regional integration, higher education, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

.1 This article was originally presented in The Fifth International Conference on Business, International Relations, and Diplomacy (ICOBIRD 2016) at Bina Nusantara University.

Journal of ASEAN Studies, Vol. 5, No. 1 (2017), pp. 51-59 DOI: 10.21512/jas.v5i1.962 ©2017 by CBDS Bina Nusantara University and Indonesian Association for International Relations ISSN 2338-1361 print / ISSN 2338-1353 electronic

52 Higher Education Integration in ASEAN

Introduction competitiveness and capability of human resources. Education is one of the sectors that have a crucial role in regional integration. The cooperation in the education It is a backbone for development and sector in Southeast Asian level particularly regional integration, as it has been proved, higher education has been established in Western Africa, which helped to further since 1956. Mustajarvi and Bouchon (2014) regional integration (Guannu, 2010). This explained it narratively with the first research argued that such experience is establishment of the Association of also relevant in ASEAN. Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) in 1956, followed with ASEAN integration process has the Ministers of Education shown its greater importance following the Organization (SEAMEO) in 1965 establishment of ASEAN Economic (Mustajarvi & Bouchon, 2014). Thirty years Community (AEC) in late December 2015. later, the ASEAN University Network The integration process consists four (AUN) was established in 1995. Mustajarvi pillars of economic integration; single and Bouchon also described the market and production base, competitive comparison later compared the higher economic region, equitable economic education integration in Europe and development, and integration of the global ASEAN. The pattern of higher education economy (ASEAN Secretariat, 2015). This integration in ASEAN more likely suitable integration has proceeded with a new with neo-functionalist approach and phase after ASEAN Charter in 2008. With accompanied with legal formal and the new phase of integration in the political initiatives. economic sector, hopefully, it will begin to advance in integration and boost Research Question and Methodology development in a region. The fact is ASEAN has not yet In ASEAN today, only eight fulfilled the complete integration among occupations received mutual recognition stakeholders of higher education. agreements among ASEAN countries Although the stakeholders such as policy (Fukunaga, 2015). Therefore, there is a makers and institutions have established demand to produce more capable skilled the regional organization, in the process, labor to increase or maintain its education has not involved all universities in sector quality and contribute to regional ASEAN, or at least the state universities. integration with an equal and fair standard. The purpose of this research is to highlight the regional integration of The regional integration process in ASEAN in higher education sector. It uses EU countries could be a set of an example the theory of regional interdependence for of regional integration in the education regional integration. This theory is sector for ASEAN. In Europe, the Bologna originated from interdependence theory Process helped to support the which developed as a critique of realist modernization of education and training theory in the 1970s and emphasized non- and helped to better integrate the countries state actor in international relations inside EU (Papatsiba, 2006). It shapes (Wilkinson, 2010). The term of regional European values and knowledge that form interdependence is more familiar with European identity also increase economic development in a region. The

Journal of ASEAN Studies, Vol. 5, No. 1 (2017), pp. 51-59 DOI: 10.21512/jas.v5i1.4155 ©2017 by CBDS Bina Nusantara University and Indonesian Association for International Relations ISSN 2338-1361 print / ISSN 2338-1353 electronic

Journal of ASEAN Studies 53

non-state actor has bigger role in regional higher education governance in integration and economic prosperity. has put the main policy maker in one institution that is the Commission The questions that arise in this on Higher Education (CHED) which was article are: established in 1994. It is an autonomous 1. How is the quality of the higher institution that has authority on higher education sector in ASEAN education policy in Philippines. The countries? unique thing about the higher education system in the Philippines is that the quality 2. How can AUN contribute in assurance or accreditation based on an regional integration in the higher internal request and then to be accredited education sector? by the external auditor and the higher education institution pays the accredited The method of this research uses agents. The regional cooperation of the descriptive analytical method, and get data higher education institution in Philippines incorporate primary data coming from is very extensive but mostly only located in ASEAN Secretariat, and secondary sources five best universities in Philippines. coming from academic journals dealing with the development of AUN. Indonesia

This research is divided into two Indonesia has 3,000s higher parts. The first part is to describe the education institution until 2013, and the overview of higher education in ASEAN majority is college type campus countries. Each of ASEAN countries will be (Moeliodihardjo, 2014). Recently, in 2014, described in this part. The second part is to the new administration has established a discuss regional integration process of new ministry dealing only with research higher education sector in ASEAN and advance education, with its own particularly AUN and analyze how AUN budget. Before that, the higher education contribute for regional integration of the was put merely under the directorate higher education sector. general level, under the Ministry of Education and Culture. Today, the higher The Overview Condition of Higher education in Indonesia has begun to show Education in ASEAN Countries greater trends to conduct extensive Nowadays, with the introduction international networks. In terms of regional cooperation, every university has of AEC in 2015, ASEAN tried strongly to its own policy with so many association narrow the gap among ASEAN countries, proved with the growth of the higher and organization but in this part, only education system in ASEAN. Here is the AUN that been described. brief overview of higher education in ASEAN Countries. With 600 higher education Philippines institutions in 2011, Malaysia has proved itself to become an advanced institution of There are 2,060 higher education higher education sector in Southeast Asia institutions until 2008 in Philippines (ICHEFAP, 2011). Most of them are (Arokiasamy, 2011). Public institutions in this country received massive support satellite campus. The political structure of from the government, and later developed

54 Higher Education Integration in ASEAN

themselves to becoming international of higher education system and reputed universities. Earlier on, Malaysia paid attention to the use of English as the operated a system called National Higher medium of communication. Education Strategic Plan (NHESP). In 2014, NHESP was in phase 2, with the merging Darussalam of two ministries, focusing on Brunei currently has 18 higher internationalization, to become a hub for learning institutions (Ministry of international higher education. The Education of Brunei Darussalam, 2015). existing activities in internationalization The public institutions are predominantly among others are international mobility in Brunei and administered by the Ministry program, international service learning, of education of Brunei, aiming to educate and international cooperation in education its citizens. Most of Brunei citizen are and training, and boosting and trust to studying in tertiary education abroad and Malaysia partners (Knight, 2013). prefer to choose advance education in advance APEC. In internationalizing its higher learning institutions, Brunei With only six universities, provided scholarships for foreigner to Singapore has the best higher education study in Brunei’s universities. institution in ASEAN (Ministry of Education of Singapore, 2015). Two of them are Nanyang Technological Vietnam is developing countries University and National University of with rapid growth in the economy and Singapore is the major reputed global needs progressive advancement in the university and even the best in Asia. The higher education sector to support its Ministry of Education is the major policy economic growth. There are 498 maker of higher education institution in institutions of higher Singapore. The country has successfully (Nguyễn & Vũ, 2015). The main utilized its long national stability and administrator of higher education sector in economic growth, and successfully Vietnam is the department of higher integrated and centralized all areas of education under the authority of Ministry education. The universities in Singapore of education and training. Vietnam is have also maintained enormous improving and restructuring its internal cooperation with world class universities quality. such as Harvard, Cambridge, and made themselves the global hub of education in Southeast Asia. Laos began its commitment to Thailand developing its higher education in the early 1990s (Ogawa, 2008). Previously, the Thailand had 645 higher education government focused on improving the institutions in 2000 (Kirtikara, 2001). The primary education sector. Until 1995, the Ministry of Education holds the authority country had only 10 public higher in running the education system. education institutions. Today, it has grown Following the Second 15-year Long Range to 91, including the rapid number of Plan on Higher Education and the 11th private institutions (Lie, Kaur, & Sirat, Higher Education Development Plan, the 2014). The rapid development of private country conducted an internationalization

Journal of ASEAN Studies 55

institution was driven by decree of Education holds main authority in ruling government that allows private the higher education, focusing on the institutions to be established. The Ministry improvement and enhancement of its of Education holds the power to govern internal quality. Specific attention had higher education sector in Laos. The focus been given to, in reaching young of Laos is the internal quality improvement generation to participate in tertiary within the late development of higher education. Like Laos and , education sector. Considering the need to also preferred to attract foreign support international student mobility, the sources to develop its higher education Ministry of Education continued to send system. the local students overseas to study, aiming to come back to the country to The Role of AUN in Integration of improve the quality of education in Laos. Higher Education in ASEAN However, Laos also accepted international In November 1995, AUN was student from abroad. established. Following the development in Myanmar 1997 to 1999, the membership of AUN was expanded in line with the increasing The transition from the military member of ASEAN. Today, AUN regime to a more democratic regime in incorporates 30 universities (AUN 2011 helped to reform the higher education Secretariat, 2016) (Table 1). system in Myanmar, with government launched a comprehensive review of the AUN establishment was based on education system in 2014 (Win, 2015). That the ambitions of the leaders of ASEAN and review aimed as a foundation for the the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Education betterment of higher education sector in (ASCOE) in establishing ASEAN Myanmar. Nationally, there are 164 of universities. But the idea failed due to higher education institution in Myanmar, constraints of cost, location, and with 96 institutions located in Mandalay leadership. Therefore, in 1994 ASEAN and (McCord, Simon, & Weil, initiated began initiated ideas leading to 2013). The main authority in ruling higher the establishment of networks between education sector is the ministry of universities in ASEAN so that cooperation education, visioning international in the field of education can be improved. cooperation for Myanmar higher In 2000, the AUN Secretariat set up in education system mainly focusing on aid , Thailand (Beerkens, 2004). While preferably coming from overseas to most of AUN member are public improve the local education quality. At the universities, only two universities are same time, Myanmar also sends the local private, namely and student abroad to transfer the knowledge Ateneo de University. and practice in Myanmar’s education.

Cambodia

Soon after the end of the Khmer regime in 2009, the new government in Cambodia began to improve the qualities of the local 134 educational institutions (Kitamura et al., 2016). The Ministry of

56 Higher Education Integration in ASEAN

Table 1. AUN Members in ASEAN

Mandalay University of Brunei Ateneo de Manila Royal University of De La Salle University Darussalam University University

Royal University University of the Airlangga Nanyang Gadjah Mada of Law and Philippines University Technological University Economics University

National University of Singapore Institute Management of Technology Singapore University

National National University of University of University of Malaysia University Malaya Laos

Mahidol Universiti Putra Prince of Songkla University of Vietnam National University Malaysia University Science, Malaysia University,

Universiti Utara Vietnam National Yangon Institute of University of Malaysia University, Ho Chi Economics Yangon Minh City

The objective of AUN is the wish schemes initiated through South East Asia for the establishment and strengthening Engineering Education Development solidarity networks between universities Network (SEED-Net) helped to strengthen in ASEAN. So far, the cooperation the Japan-ASEAN Summit in 1997 and the involved the exchange of staffs and ASEAN+3 Summit (Watanabe et al, 2006). students respectively to increase the skills, This brings considerable benefits in knowledge, and ability of Human utilizing geological potential in Southeast Resources (HR) at each university (AUN Asia, as well as exchange of students and Secretariat, 2016). AUN also managed to staff. Another example in social sciences establish cooperation with universities issues, AUN has the positive impact on its outside ASEAN such as EU, Japan, South member by the enhancement of the Korea and China and invited them as an Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies observer in meetings of the AUN. Network (SEAHRN). It involves other universities which are not AUN member. For example, in the fields of geology, AUN and cooperation between Learning from the ideas of Thomas universities in Japan conducted research Friedman which highlighted the greater on the potential development of geology in importance of globalization following the the area. Research and development of year 2000, it can be asserted that the products successfully developed in this increasing development of AUN, run in collaboration. Based on research tandem with the ASEAN’s path by conducted by Koichiro Watanabe et al, establishing the what so called the ASEAN shows the AUN and Japanese cooperation Community in 2015 (Friedman, 2005).

Journal of ASEAN Studies 57

In fact, AUN continued to highlight scheme. In the membership issue, it is not the importance of human resources, easy to integrate quickly in adding the new manifested in the completion and member. Such difficulties can be overcome innovation. In the process, universities if every member of AUN play a role in inside ASEAN had begun to better interact, practicing AUN mechanisms, and share with experts and academics working their expertise to their fellow partners at together to improve the education qualities the national level. AUN enhancement in in various countries inside ASEAN at the SEAHRN could be the good model for same time (Ratanukul, 2009). collaboration beyond AUN member in ASEAN. In the same way, AUN can share At the level of regional cooperation its best practices in supporting the local and the establishment of AUN is also governments inside ASEAN’s provinces to attractive because it can improve the better deal with globalization issues, such relationship between ASEAN countries. as finding the best ways to achieve all Education has been utilized as a tool of targets stipulated in the Sustainable foreign policy, with member benefitting Development Goals (SDGs). By doing this, from permitting their universities to better AUN’s role will further strengthens interact with their partners inside ASEAN. ASEAN’s path towards achieving all goals In addition, education is a part of people to stipulated in the ASEAN Community 2015 people diplomacy by doing international and raise the reputation of its members at mobility student. Nowadays, there are 12 the global level. programs of scholarship that available for AUN member and will increase along with Conclusion the capacity enhancement of AUN member (AUN Secretariat, 2016). AUN has a network which runs in line with the ideas of ASEAN Community. In line with the findings of Josef T. In addition, AUN has a capacity to Yap, universities inside ASEAN had improve the quality of education and benefitted from the exchange of people, universities in ASEAN, especially transnational education, information changing the mind of universities which exchange, regulatory reform, and are outside the top 400 universities in the development cooperation. In this research, world. Yap mentions that the AUN and ASEAN Quality Assurance Network had played an Acknowledging there is a big gap important role in furthering the on one hand between universities in importance of ASEAN (Yap, 2012). Even Singapore and Malaysia, and universities though the ideas of quality of assurance in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. On the and accreditation is yet to come, but other hand, it is advisable that AUN to integration processes inside ASEAN tend better focusing on strengthening the to work along this direction. internal cooperation using all frameworks inside ASEAN. There is a lot of potential of Even though, AUN alone currently AUN to contribute in the regional covers only 30 universities from thousands interdependence of ASEAN. By doing this, of universities in Southeast Asia. There are AUN will help to narrow the current gap still a lot of universities inside ASEAN that already exist, which will in the long run have the potential, to take advantage of this help to increase the sense of belonging and

58 Higher Education Integration in ASEAN sense of identity as an internal part of http://www.aunsec.org/scholarships.p ASEAN. hp.

About the Authors AUN Secretariat. AUN member universities. Retrieved from Teuku Rezasyah is a lecturer at http://www.aunsec.org/aunmemberun Department of International Relations, iversities.php. Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Padjadjaran University. He can be AUN Secretariat. AUN’s history and contacted by e-mail background. Retrieved from [email protected]. http://www.aunsec.org/ourhistory.ph p. Neneng Konety is a lecturer at Department of International Relations, Beerkens, H.J.J.G. (2004). Global Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, opportunities and institutional Padjadjaran University. She can be embeddedness; higher education consortia contacted by e-mail [email protected]. in europe and southeast asia (PhD Dissertation). Enschede: Cheps/UT Affabile Rifawan is a lecturer at Department of International Relations, Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, brief history of the twenty-first century. Padjadjaran University. He can be New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux contacted by e-mail Fukunaga, Y. (2015). Assessing the [email protected]. progress of ASEAN MRAS on Wahyu Wardhana is a non- professional services. ERIA Discussion permanent lecturer and researcher at Paper, No.21, pp. 1-43. Department of International Relations, Guannu, J. (Ed.). (2010). Nation-states and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, the challenge of regional integration in Padjadjaran University. He can be West Africa: The case of Liberia (Vol.13). contacted by e-mail Paris: Karthala Editions. [email protected]. Kirtikara, K. (2001). Higher education in References Thailand and the national reform Arokiasamy, A. R. A. (2011). An analysis of roadmap. Invited Paper presented at the globalization and higher education in Thai-US Education Roundtable, 9 Malaysia. Australian Journal of Business (January). and Management Research, 1(9), 73. Kitamura, Y et al. (Eds.). (2016). The political ASEAN Secretariat. (2015). A blueprint for economy of schooling in Cambodia: Issues growth ASEAN economic community of quality and equity. Springer. 2015: progress and key achievement. Knight, J. (Ed.). (2013). International : ASEAN Secretariat. education hubs: Student, talent, AUN Secretariat. ASEAN scholarship. knowledge-innovation models. Retrieved from Springer Science & Business Media.

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