DOCUMENT RESUME ED 134 107 HE 008 588 AUTHOR Muhammadi, Ed. TITLE Development Strategies and Manpower Needs: The Response of Southeast Asian Universities. Proceedings of the Workshop held in Vientiane, Laos, 15-17 December 1974. INSTITUTION Regional Inst. of Higher ?Alncation and Development, Singapore. PUB DATE 76 - NOTE 131p.; For related studies, see HE 008 588-590 AVAILABLE FROM Regional Institute of Highvr Education and Development, CSSDI'Buildin4, Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 5 ($7.50) EDRS PRICE , MF-$0.83 Plus Postage. HC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Asian Studies; *College Graduates; Conference Reports; *Developing Nations; Educational Objectives; *Employment; *Foreign Countries; Higher Education; *Manpower Needs; Manpower Utilization; National Programs; Political Issues; *Universities IDENTIFIERS *Asia (Southeast); Indochina; Indonesia; Malaysia; Singapore; Thailand ABSTRACT The report of the Regional Institute of Higher Education and Development Workshop held in Vientiane, Laos, December 1974 is presented. The workshop focused on three main issues: national development strategies and high-level manpower needs; the responses of universities of high-level manpower requirements; and the employment of university graduates in Southeast Asia. (Author/IBH) ************************************************4c********************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished *materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort* *to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of:marginal * *reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * *of the microfiche and hardcopy reproduFtions ERIC makes available * *via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not *responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions* *supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. * *********************************************************************** or _ DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND MANPOWER NEEDS: THE RESPONSE OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN UNIVERSITIES Proceedings of the Workshop Held in Vientiane, Laos 15 to 17 December 1974 Edited by Muhammadi Regional institute of Higher Education and Development Singapore 1976 3 - © Regional Institute of Higher Education and Development, 1976 Third Floor, CSSDI Building Heng-Mui Keng Terrace Singapore 5 4 Printed in Singapore by Eurasia Press CONTENTS Preface vii Welcoming Address by Dr. Amnuay Tapingkae ix Director, RIHED Opening Address by His Excellency Leuam Insisienmay Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Fine Arts, Youth and Sports, Laos PART I DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND HIGH-LEVEL MANPOWER NEEDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 1. Development Strategy and Manpower Needs in Singapore 1 Koh Watt Seng 2.Economjc and Social Development Strategies and High-level Manpower Needs in Thailand 13 Vallabha Chartprasert 3.Technical Paper: Policy Issues on Population Manpower and Employment 20 Lamduan Pawakaranond PART II THE RESPONSES OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN UNIVERSITIES TO HIGH-LEVEL MANPOWER NEEDS 1.The,Response of the Thai University System to Highe.-: Manbower Needs Apichai Puntasen 2. An Economic Perspective of Universities and Manpcvvnr Development " 39 Pang Eng Fong 5 vi PART III THE EMPLOYMENT OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 1. The Employment of University Graduates in Malaysia 49 Mohd. Ghazali bin Haji Abdul Rahman 2.The Employment of Graduates of Tertiary Institutions in Singapore 77 Philip Limb 3.The Employment of University Graduates in Indonesia 83 Muhammadi Siswo Sudarmo 4.Employment of University Graduates Thailand's Experience 88 Nikom Chandravithun PART IV CONCLUSIONS 1. Summary of Discussions 109 Diana Fussel and Andrew Quarmby Programme of Workshop 119 _Listaf_ParticOants-and-Observers--------- 122 PREFACE The university is considered the breeding ground for future leadersand high-level manpower persorinel for the various sectors of nationaldevelopment. However, it is not certain whether a proper mechanism has hithertoexisted which effectively coordinates the supply and demand for the various categories ofuniver- sity graduates with the various sectors of national development. It isalso not certain ivhether the university system has been responsive to themanpower requirements projected by manpower planning agencies. In the Southeast Asian countrieswhat usually happens is that the university and the development. agencies oftentimes work independently of each other. To utilize resources more effectivelyfor national development, the university and the developmeht agencies must work closelytoge- ther Nith coordinated efforts and the university must be brought intothe national development efforts. As national development progresses, the need for such a cooperation iseven more urgent, since the demand for high-level manpower intensifies. The univer- sities should be in the position to know the various branches ofthe sciences, the professions and other disciplines in which personnel are in demand,and therefore plan the size, the enrolment of each discipline. and the curriculum development according to the needs of the changing society. The economies of most Southeast Asian countries are, however. still at an early stage of development andthe demand for university graduates is increasing. Thus, whilst most of the universitygraduates are being absorbed by government agencies, including public corporations and oftentimes without due regard to their academic background, there remainsa large residue of university graduates who form the unemployed and underemployed. This problem will increase with time in the absence of a mechanism to correlate univer- sity enrolment with national development needs, especiallyas business and public organizations seek individuals with specific skills and training. As all countries in Southeast Asia are committed to development, it isessen- tial that a bridge an institutionalized oneif it is deemednecessary between the university and the development agencies be created. In fact the universityshould be accepted as an integral part of development resources, functioningas a breed- -ing-ground-iormuch-needed-hIgh-tevermanpOVWCAtithorities and personnel on both sides of the bridge should therefore have a common platform and objectiveto work from, and they must be constantly in close contact and be aware of each other's needs. In contemplating further this aspect of a closer and more effective cooperation between the university and national development agencies in Southeast Asian countries, particularly in connection with the role of the university asa breeding ground for high-level manpower needs for national development, the Regional Insti- tute of Higher Education and Development had the privilege of being in a position to convene a workshop on 'Development Strategies and Manpower Needs: The Res- -0-6-ridi-Of Southeast Asian Universities', whereby knowledgeable authoritiesrepre- senting the national development agencies. and scholars representing the univer- sity commumties from RIHED member countries, as well as from other regional and international agencies, could bring their experience and insights into this problem. The workshop was held in Vientiane. Laos from 15 to 17 December 1974. Thirty-nine participants from eight Southeast Asian countries, viz. Cambodia, Indo- nesia, Laos. Malaysia, Singapore, South Vietnam. Thailand, and the Philippines.as 7 viii well as representatives from Hong Kong, Asian Institute of Technology (Alp, Inter- national Council for Educational Development (ICED), Institute of International Education (11E), Interhational Development Research Centre (IDRC) were present in Vientiane. Laos for these deliberations. This report oftthe proceedin7- of the workshop comprises papers written or presented in the workshop. The discussions in the sessions are summarized in Part IV. Due to lack of space, some of the papers presented in the workshop are not published in this report. January 1976 Muhammadi 8 WELCOMING ADDRESS BY DR. AMNUAY TAPINGKAE DIRECTOR, RIHED On behalf of the Regional Institute of Higher Education and Development,may I extend my warmest welcome and appreciation to you for your presence at the opening ceremony of the Regional Workshop on 'Development Strategieland Man- power Needs: The Response of Southeast Asian Universities'. RIHED, which isan inter-governmental organization in the Southeast Asian region, was established to stimulate and facilitate cooperation among universities and governments of the countries of Southeast Asia. and to enhance the contributions of higher educationto the social and economic development of the countries in the region and of the region as a whole. To achieve such objectives, RIHED, among many other activities and programmes. sponsors workshops and seminars, both on the national and regional levels. In bringing together' scfiolars, administrators, and government offi- cials in agencies responsible for decisions affecting higher education development, it is our hope that meaningful exchange of ideas on problems of development will take place. It is in the spirit of cooperation and promotion of better understanding that this workshop is organized. In the past four years. R1HED has convened regional workshops in Singapore. Malaysia, and Thailand. and has sponsored national seminars in Cambodia. Thai- land. Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia. This workshop is the first regional gathering to be held in Laos. The university has a primary mission of educating able students beyond the secondary level