Kuala lumpur: ASEAN's higher education leaders and institutions have to take the lead in driving transformation towards achieving the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, urged ASEAN secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn. He said while ASEAN had laid down strategic blueprints across its community pillars, higher education must move beyond alignment and assume a leadership role in shaping the region's future.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan designates education as a driver for equity and sustainable development. Its agenda calls for enhancing access to quality education, promoting lifelong learning, and integrating green skills into curricula. Dr Kao delivered these remarks in his keynote address at the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (FOI) 2025.
Kao stated that the forthcoming ASEAN Education Work Plan 2026-2030 would articulate the foundation for regional cooperation in education, with a focus on mobility, digital transformation, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The ASEAN secretary-general outlined six 'guiding stars' for higher education transformation, encompassing adaptability, research impact, emerging leadership, artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, planetary health, and TVET leadership.
He emphasized the need to move from rigid curricula to adaptive learning and values-based education, advocating for agile, resilient learners capable of unlearning and relearning. Higher education and TVET should advance hand in hand by aligning with industry needs and embracing lifelong learning. Kao also highlighted the necessity for moral grounding, integrating ASEAN Charter principles into teaching to produce responsible ASEAN citizens and ethical leaders.
Focusing on research, Kao urged a shift from publication metrics to delivering real-world solutions like sustainable agriculture, affordable healthcare, and green technologies for ASEAN communities. He mentioned the Joint Declaration on the Common Space in Southeast Asian Higher Education, adopted in August 2024, which aims to harmonize regional systems and foster mobility. Malaysia is set to chair the inaugural meeting of its Steering Committee in April next year.
For leadership, he called for cultivating pathways for emerging scholars and moving away from a 'publish or perish' culture that stifles innovation. Regarding AI, Kao stressed the importance of leading higher education in the AI era, calling for ASEAN-centric AI governance frameworks and critical digital literacy. He cited the 'AI Ready ASEAN' initiative, supported by a USD5 million grant from Google.org, to boost AI literacy across the region.
On planetary health, Kao advocated for its integration across all academic disciplines. He also emphasized the importance of elevating and transforming TVET leadership, noting its central role in economic vitality in the age of AI and digital transformation.
Kao concluded by stating that these six guiding stars require bold action, stressing that ASEAN's strength lies in its unity and shared commitment to 'One Vision, One Identity, One Community.' He warned that inaction could result in losing ASEAN's best talent and leaving graduates unprepared for future challenges.