The 39th AUN Board of Trustees (AUN-BOT) Meeting Reviewed Success and Set in Motion Future AUN Initiatives and Development

The 39^th AUN Board of Trustees (AUN-BOT) Meeting was organised by the AUN Secretariat on 19 July 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting united the members of AUN Board of Trustees for discussion and exchange on the progress and direction of the ASEAN University Network between July 2023 to June 2024.

This year, the Meeting highlighted AUN’s commitments to its 2023-2024 priorities of driving youth and academic collaborations through flagship AUN youth platforms and Thematic Networks; enhancing the capacity of institutional key ‘drivers’ and ‘enablers’ through the development and implementation of tools, frameworks and innovation; and the expansion of networks and engagement with external partners.

The Meeting welcomed a total of 17 members of the Board of Trustees together with 66 accompanying officers and resource persons from AUN Member Universities.

Participating members included:

Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI), Thailand

• Mr. Permsuk Sutchaphiwat; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, Thailand; Chairperson of the AUN Board of Trustees

ASEAN Secretariat

• Roger Yap Chao Jr, Assistant Director/Head of Education, Youth and Sports, the ASEAN Secretariat

SEAMEO Secretariat

• Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director, SEAMEO Secretariat

Brunei Darussalam

• Dr. Hazri bin Haji Kifle, Vice Chancellor and President, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

• Prof. Chet Chealy, Rector, Royal University of Phnom Penh

Indonesia

• Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, Vice Rector for Education and Learning, Universitas Gadjah Mada

Lao PDR

• Asst. Prof. Thongsouk Keomany, Vice President, National University of Laos

Malaysia

• Professor Dato' Seri Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Abu Osman, Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Malaya
• Professor Dato' Gs. Dr. Narimah Binti Samat, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International), Universiti Sains Malaysia

Myanmar

• Ms. Cho Cho Thein, Pro-Rector, Yangon University of Economics

The Philippines

• Br. Bernard S. Oca FSC, President, De La Salle University
• Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez, President, University of the Philippines

Singapore

• Professor Lee Pooi See, Vice-President (International Engagement), Nanyang Technological University
• Prof. Tan Eng Chye, President, National University of Singapore

Thailand

• Prof. Wilert Puriwat, D. Phil., Acting President, Chulalongkorn University

Viet Nam

• Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Minh Tam, Vice Chancellor, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

ASEAN University Network

• Choltis Dhirathiti, Ph.D., AUN Executive Director

Mr. Permsuk Sutchaphiwat; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, Thailand

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Permsuk Sutchaphiwat; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, Thailand; Chairperson of the AUN Board of Trustees, expressed his appreciation to all Board members for their participation in the 39^th AUN Board of Trustees (AUN-BOT) Meeting, demonstrating the spirit for ASEAN collaboration and solidarity of leading higher education institutions in the region. 

He emphasised the importance of collaboration between ASEAN Universities in the face of rising global issues and challenges such as climate change, economy, social development, the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), digital transformation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) which are reshaping the way we work and live. ASEAN University Network, with its priorities in the areas of youth development, academic collaboration, institutional capacity building, and networking collaboration offers robust enhancement for the region’s higher education institutions in solidifying its institutional foundations for the changing world.

Mr. Sutchaphiwat expressed his sincerest appreciation to the Board members and the AUN Core Member Universities for their continuous support and contributions in AUN projects and declared the official opening to the 39^th AUN Board of Trustees Meeting.

Following the opening remarks, the AUN Board of Trustees were updated with the progress and results of platforms, activities, and projects of AUN, its Thematic Networks, as well as member universities and external partners during the span of July 2023 to June 2024. The updates included some highlighted initiatives and collaborations such as:

The Organisation of the Inaugural AUN Summer Programme: the AUN Secretariat, together with 11 AUN Member Universities, recently launched the inaugural AUN Summer Programme, with 9 summer camps scheduled to take place across the period of June to September 2024 in 7 ASEAN countries. The programme; now with 5 campsites concluded, 2 ongoing, and 2 coming up in September; successfully recorded over 1,000 students involved from 14 countries including 10 ASEAN members, China, Japan, India, and South Korea.

• Read more about AUN Summer Programme

The organisation of the AUN-QA International Conference 2024: Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, was unveiled as the next host for the AUN-QA International Conference 2024 set to take place later this year in December.

• Read more about AUN-QA International Conference 2023

The return of AUN-QA Institutional Assessment: Following the approval of the Guide to the AUN-QA Assessment at the Institutional Level Version 3.0 by the AUN-BOT in 2023, the AUN-QA Institutional Assessment made its grand return at Lac Hong University, Viet Nam in June 2024. 7 more universities are already scheduled for upcoming AUN-QA Institutional Assessment across the period of September 2024 to April 2025.

• Read more about AUN-QA Institutional Assessment at Lac Hong University

The Next Phase of AUN/SEED-Net (continuation of cooperation beyond March 2026): Following AUN/SEED-Net’s evident importance in enhancing science, technology, and innovation through its exemplary consortium-based model for collaboration; JICA intends to continue its support for AUN/SEED-Net under AUN from March 2026 to March 2031 to ensure that the network, under AUN’s operation, becomes a sustainable platform for international brain circulation in the engineering fields between ASEAN and Japan.

Catalysing Growth: State of ASEAN University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Report 2024: This report, produced by Singapore Management University under the AUN-UIE Thematic Network, highlighted the landscape of the ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, as well as identifying shared needs and challenges, harnessing synergies, and collectively formulating strategies and collaborations to nurture the ASEAN I&E ecosystem.

• Download the full report here

AUN Sustainability Blueprint: An outcome of the 11th ASEAN+3 Heads of International Relations (IRO+3) Meeting on 24-25 April 2024, the AUN Sustainability Blueprint is set to facilitate universities’ collaboration on SDGs-related initiatives and provides guideline for the alignment of universities’ initiatives and the UN’s 17 SDGs. The blueprint is currently being drafted and developed by the AUN Sustainability Taskforce led by Prof. Dr. Wan A. K. Mahmood, FASc, FMIC, Special Advisor to AUN Exec. Director ASEAN University Network and 12 members held from six AUN Member Universities.

Together with these highlighted initiatives and events, the AUN Secretariat also provided the Board of Trustees with updates on its flagship initiatives and collaborations to enhance universities’ key drivers and enablers such as the successful conclusion of the Measuring and Comparing Achievements of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education in Asia (CALOHEA) Project and possible follow-up initiatives, the collaboration with Australian Higher Education Sector for institutional English language capacity building in AUN Member and Associate Member Universities, and Collaboration with Times Higher Education and possible line-up for 2024 THE Masterclass Webinar for THE Impact Ranking. The Board of Trustees was updated on the AUN Secretariat’s participation in the Global University Associations Forum (GUAF) and engagement with Association of Indian Universities (AIU) as well.

Apart from the updates, the Board of Trustees was also presented with proposals for new initiatives, framework, and line-up of hosts for AUN’s flagship platforms and events including:

The Organisation of Key AUN Youth Platforms by ASEAN+3 Universities under the ASEAN+3 University Network (ASEAN+3 UNet): Universities from the ASEAN+3 countries have been participating in AUN youth platforms since 2011. The AUN Secretariat proposed to the Board of Trustees the possibility of AUN youth platforms to be hosted outside the ASEAN region, specifically in China, Japan, and South Korea by ASEAN+3 UNet member universities, following the established rotation system.

The AUN Internal Quality Assurance System (AUN-IQAS) Model: Following the “AUN Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) System Design and Development Workshop” in Viet Nam in April 2023, the AUN-QA Council established the AUN-QA IQA Taskforce to continue the result of the workshop and lead the development, improvement, and revision of the AUN-QA IQA Model. Throughout late 2023 and early 2024, the meeting called multiple extensive meetings to revise and draft a finalised AUN-QA IQA Model. The revised AUN-QA IQA Framework and Model was approved by the AUN-QA Council Meeting on 25 June 2024 and presented to the 39^th AUN-BOT Meeting for the endorsement of the framework and the encouragement for the framework’s implementation.

The Establishment of AUN Quality Master Awards: The AUN Quality Master Awards was proposed as an honorary award to commemorate distinguished individuals for their high-impact contributions to the work of the ASEAN University Network. The nominees who are approved by the AUN Rectors’ Meeting and endorsed by the AUN Board of Trustees will be presented with the AUN Quality Master Awards at the annual event of AUN-QA International Conference in December 2024.

The Establishment of ASEAN University Network-Digital Transformation (AUN-Dx): Since 2022, Prince of Songkla University, together with ISEM and 52 AUN Member, Associate Member, and non Member Universities from 9 ASEAN countries, has been spearheading the development of AUN ICT Framework to integrate best practices from widely used ICT standards for more streamlined management of ASEAN universities’ ICT organisations. The proposed AUN-Dx Thematic Network will serve as an enabling mechanism for deeper cooperation on the AUN-ICT Framework and other digital transformation-related collaborations among higher education institutions in ASEAN.

The Establishment of ASEAN University Network Gender Justice and Inclusion (AUN-GJI): University of the Philippines proposed the establishment of a new AUN Thematic Network under the name “ASEAN University Network Gender Justice and Inclusion (AUN-GJI).” The new network will aim to create an academic network that promotes understanding, awareness, research, and action on gender-related issues and to drive positive change within academic institutions and society.

The proposed initiatives, framework, networks, and line-ups led to a fruitful discussion and decision from the AUN Board of Trustees. More detailed coverage on the matters arising at the 39^th AUN Board of Trustees Meeting will be available soon in the subsequent articles of the AUN website. Stay tuned to our website or our e-newsletter for the latest update.