EU and ASEAN convene policy dialogue to strengthen Higher Education and Skills Development
EU and ASEAN convene policy dialogue to strengthen Higher Education and Skills Development
Kuala Lumpur, 14 October 2025 – The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) today opened the third EU-ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Higher Education in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and the EU, the dialogue aims to enhance talent and skills development through internationalisation and deepen regional cooperation in higher education.
The Policy Dialogue was implemented through the Sustainable Connectivity Package - Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) programme. Supported under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the €9 million initiative promotes academic collaboration, mobility, and people-to-people connectivity between the two regions.
The two-day event brings together education ministers, senior officials, and leaders from higher education and vocational institutions across ASEAN and the EU to strengthen strategic cooperation and develop actionable pathways for a future-ready workforce.
Opening remarks were delivered by Dr Suthep Kaengsanthia, Chair of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Thailand; H.E. Dr Shirley C. Agrupis, Minister for Higher Education and Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Philippines; H.E. Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN; and H.E. San Lwin, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN (via video message).
The Keynote Address was delivered by H.E. Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Malaysia’s Minister of Higher Education, who underlined Malaysia’s long-standing commitment to advancing higher education cooperation in ASEAN. “We stand ready to work with our ASEAN Member States, the European partners, and with all stakeholders to ensure that talent and skills development through internationalisation becomes not just a vision, but a lived reality,” said Dr Kadir.
In his opening address, H.E. Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN, highlighted the strategic importance of investing in people and skills. “People-to-people connectivity in higher education is central to the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership (2023-2027). The EU reaffirms its commitment to sustaining a robust partnership with ASEAN in the domain of higher education. Programmes such as SCOPE Higher Education, Erasmus Plus, and Horizon Europe demonstrate the EU’s active support for higher education across ASEAN and beyond,” saidH.E. Sujiro Seam, the EU Ambassador to ASEAN.
Since 2014, the EU-funded Erasmus+ programme has supported more than 15,000 students and scholars from ASEAN to pursue short-term study, master’s degrees, teaching or training opportunities in Europe. In turn, 7,500 European students and scholars have engaged in similar exchanges across ASEAN. EU Member States also continue to provide a wide range of additional scholarships to students from the region.
In the field of research, between 2021 and 2024, the EU awarded 90 grants under its flagship research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, supporting 109 institutions across ASEAN with a total EU contribution of €10.6 million.
The Policy Dialogue forms part of the EU–ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package, implemented through the Sustainable Connectivity Package - Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) programme. Supported under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the €9 million initiative promotes academic collaboration, mobility, and people-to-people connectivity between the two regions.
The dialogue focuses on strengthening leadership in higher education, advancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a driver of growth, and fostering sustainable international partnerships, and mobility framework. The dialogue aims at formulating policy recommendations for the Kuala Lumpur Policy Brief which will contribute to next ASEAN Work Plan on Education (2026–2030) and guide future cooperation.
SCOPE-HE
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About ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 and constitutes ten Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. On 31 December 2015, the ASEAN Community was formally established, encompassing the political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars. The ASEAN Headquarters is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
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About the EU
The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States with a population of 470 million. Together, the EU has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the world's largest trading bloc, and the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally. The 27 Member States of the EU (in protocol order) are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
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About SCOPE-HE Programme
The EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education Programme (SCOPE-HE) is a collaborative initiative funded the European Union (EU) and approved by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), running from February 2024 to January 2028 with a budget of 9.3 million euros. Implemented by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), SCOPE-HE builds upon the successes of previous programmes like EU Support for Higher Education in ASEAN Region (SHARE) and ERASMUS+.
The SCOPE-HE programme focuses on enhancing exchanges and connectivity in higher education, research, and technical and vocational education and training within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the EU, with particular emphasis on the green transition, digital transformation, and the blue economy. Key activities include facilitating student and academic mobility, strengthening university networks to foster research collaboration, and improving graduate employability by connecting vocational education institutions with the private sector. Through these efforts, SCOPE-HE aims to create a more connected and dynamic higher education landscape, empowering future generations and strengthening the economic and social fabric of the region.
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