Higher Education Institutions and ASEAN: Current Trends and Implications for Future Innovation and Change

Abstract

Regionalism and fragmentation of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Southeast Asia (SEA) is potentially disruptive to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Centrality. ASEAN often relies on the export of Southeast Asian students to countries outside of ASEAN, and students are exchanged to acquire skills that can be gained in the region. In this chapter the authors examine how, and to what extent, an intra-regional organization such as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) can lead to establish the foundation for a strong, vibrant culture of HEIs in SEA. In this chapter the authors submit that high-demand skills in fields such as science and technology ought to be a long-term vision of how HEIs can become leaders of research and innovation. They further suggest that academic leaders and policy makers serving universities should ensure that research is a core mission of their HEIs and that national and regional (ASEAN and SEAMEO) funding, coordination, and preparation of faculty and students ought to be strengthened in order to ensure that a rigorous culture of research is prioritized.