Status of Human Resource Development in BIMP-EAGA
BIMP-EAGA's 5 Key Strategic Pillars: Socio-Cultural and Education
Status of Human Resource Development in BIMP-EAGA
Bo-Kyung Gu (Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies, Busan University of Foreign Studies)
In 2017, the BIMP-EAGA adopted a prioritized development strategy with Connectivity, Food Basket, Tourism, Environment, and Socio-cultural and Education, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to build an integrated cooperation framework. Particularly, the education sector emphasizes the significance of producing competent talents based on demand and fostering mutual growth through knowledge sharing, skills development programs, and personnel exchanges in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
EAGA is a region characterized by over 200 indigenous groups who use their native languages and various dialects, each with its own unique culture. To enhance cohesion and exchange among these diverse communities and to foster talent, a Human Resource Development (HRD) cooperation strategy has been formulated. And EAGA regional governments and the private sector are actively expanding partnerships in this endeavor.
The main HRD cooperation initiatives of BIMP-EAGA consist of three key components. Firstly, the organization hosts TVET forums and education summits. Secondly, it focuses on establishing networks for TVET and Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Lastly, it drives the BIMP-EAGA Entrepreneurship Camp to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the region.
TVET Forum
&
HEIs
Summit
Exchange of expertise and core competencies among educational institutions, with regular events
∙1st BIMP-EAGA TVET Youth Tech Camp, 2004
∙1st BIMP-EAGA TVET Leaders Forum, Davao, Philippines, 2014
∙1st BIMP-EAGA TVET Forum, Davao, Philippines, 2016
∙1st BIMP-EAGA TVET HEI Summit, Sabah, Malaysia, 2017
∙2nd BIMP-EAGA TVET Forum and HEIs Summit, Palawan, 2018
∙3rd BIMP-EAGA TVET Conference, Kuching, Malaysia, 2023
TVET, HEI
Network
∙Solidarity between TVET and HEI
∙Strengthening partnerships between academia and industry for education development aligned with AQRF
∙Facilitating technology and research transfer and labor mobility through teacher and student exchanges
∙BIMP-EAGA Conference hosted by Palawan State University and Sabah University, 2023.
BIMP-EAGA Entrepreneurship Camp
∙For 30 TVET and HEI students only. Focusing on fostering entrepreneurial spirit, leadership skills and knowledge, cultural awareness, and enhancing creative and critical thinking abilities.
∙1st BIMP-EAGA Entrepreneurship Virtual Camp, 2021
∙1st BIMP-EAGA Entrepreneurship Competition, 2022
Tourism Expert Training
∙"Tourism" sector is one of the core development areas within BIMP-EAGA, necessitating strengthened efforts in training and developing experts to enhance the tourism industry in EAGA.
∙Development of education and training programs adhering to ASEAN tourism standards.
∙Implementation of pilot projects to dispatch tourism professionals of equivalent positions within EAGA.
Source: BIMP-EAGA, BIMP-EAGA TVET, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, BIMP-EAGA VISION 2025
At the 2nd TVET Forum and HEIs Summit held in Palawan, Philippines in 2018, discussions revolved around HRD cooperation measures, focusing on "① Project Management Inspection ② Public Awareness Enhancement ③ Strengthening Competency-Based Education Responsive to Knowledge-Based Society ④ Improvement of Monitoring and Evaluation Management." Additionally, China and the Northern Territory Government of Australia proposed various collaboration methods, including the expansion of sharing higher and technical education aligned with the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF).
The 1st BIMP-EAGA Entrepreneurship Camp, hosted by the Brunei government in 2021, brought together students and graduates from TVET institutions and HEIs, as well as industry stakeholders, to discuss topics related to "Entrepreneurship in the Era of COVID-19." Discussions focused on leadership skills, entrepreneurial knowledge development, and technology entrepreneurship activation.
In 2022, as an extension of the Entrepreneurship Camp, the "BIMP-EAGA Entrepreneurship Competition" was organized as a pilot program. Targeting Bruneian students, the competition featured free discussions on various topics such as agricultural technology artificial intelligence, digitization, food and beverage, and waste management. It was assessed to have positively impacted human resource development by enhancing students' entrepreneurial awareness and strengthening their capabilities.
In 2023, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Research (MEITD) of Sarawak State and Sarawak Skills, a government-supported technical education and training institution, jointly organized a TVET conference. The conference provided a platform for sharing the status of education and technical programs among educational institutions and strengthening partnerships. Participants discussed various subtopics such as innovation and technology, human resource management and prospects, green TVET, and enhancing partnerships between BIMP-EAGA TVET and HEIs, based on the demand in the rapidly changing job market. They presented case studies and shared best practices to discuss improvement strategies.
BIMP-EAGA TVET Conference 2023
Source: BIMP-EAGA, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=514981780817838&set=a.163778919271461
BIMP-EAGA's higher education cooperation adopts the existing ASEAN program, the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF). Led by universities such as the University of Sabah Malaysia (UMS) and the University of Sarawak (UNIMAS), a total of 35 higher education institutions are collaborating. Key activities include student exchange programs between universities (ASEAN International Mobility for Students, AIMS), the ASEAN Credit Transfer System (ACTS), and quality assurance guidelines for higher education (AUN AQ Guideline, UNESCO APQN Toolkit). These initiatives not only promote academic exchanges within BIMP-EAGA but also expand international regional networks.
AIMS, initiated as a pilot project by the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre specialising in Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED) in 2009, has now evolved into a key educational cooperation program within ASEAN. BIMP-EAGA utilizes the AIMS program to foster the development of globally competent talents while encouraging international student exchanges to mitigate disparities in educational environments.
AIMS Virtual Regional Orientation
Source: AIMS, https://aims-rihed.net/story-posts/aims-virtual-regional-orientation/
Recently, there has been a call to reassess the existing Human Resource Development (HRD) strategies in response to the technological innovations and advancements that have emerged in the EAGA following the pandemic. With the onset of the digital transformation era, it is imperative to discuss concrete measures to support digital education, ensuring that human resources can adequately adapt to market demands and crises.
2024.09.12