The ASEAN Policy Forum on Higher Education 2024 that took place on 11–12 November at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Vientiane, Lao PDR has represented the key platform for discussion of perspectives on a future higher education system for Southeast Asia. The event was organized by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and UNESCO together with the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education Programme (SCOPE-HE), implemented by Nuffic and DAAD.

Themed “Moving Higher Education Forward Together: Building Resilience and Flexibility by Connecting and Including All, the forum convened policymakers, academics, industry leaders, and international organizations from ASEAN and beyond for cooperation in building stronger higher education systems to meet the challenges of technological revolution and economic and environmental pressures. Topics discussed focused on resilience, adaptability, and inclusiveness as part of improving regional frameworks for education.

This forum is the start of six policy dialogues in the next four years that aim to bring ASEAN and the EU closer together in dialogue. It will discuss issues like employability, digital skills, and sustainable education. Thee first dialogue laid the groundwork for a sustained exchange of ideas, emphasizing the importance of a shared approach to higher education transformation.

The opening session featured keynotes from influential figures, including Prof. Dr. Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports of Lao PDR, and Soohyun Kim, Regional Director of UNESCO. All speakers emphasized the importance of interregional cooperation in transforming the landscape of ASEAN’s higher education. Soohyun Kim mentioned that in order to achieve SDG4 “Quality Education” – inclusive, equitable, and quality education is one whose provision must be an integrated effort involving the public and private sectors.

Veerle Smet, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Lao PDR, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to strengthening ties with ASEAN, emphasizing initiatives such as the EUR 9.3 million SCOPE Higher Education Programme, Erasmus Plus, and Horizon Europe.

The forum underlined Laos’ contribution to enhancing regional cooperation as chair of ASEAN: internationalization, student mobility, and digital transformation in higher education. The dialogues will serve as a basis for producing actionable policy recommendations that will influence the future of ASEAN’s education sector in accordance with the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021–2025 and the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership.