The AUN Quality Master Awards

The AUN Quality Master Awards was conducted at the AUN-QA International Conference (IC) 2024 to honor distinguished individuals for their lifetime contributions to the ASEAN University Network (AUN) with awards to signify the high impact of the outcomes of their contributions. The nominees were endorsed at the 39^th AUN Board of Trustees Meeting and approved at the 15^th AUN Rectors’ Meeting. After endorsement and approval from the AUN Rectors and Board of Trustees in July 2024, it was agreed upon that the best time to have the award ceremony conducted would be at AUN-QA IC 2024, where all official AUN-QA Assessors along with QA experts and management around the world would have the opportunity to celebrate a momentous occasion in the history of AUN.

The two nominees selected by the AUN Secretariat were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Kay Chuan and Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, who have proven throughout the decades their commitment and dedication to quality improvement and development in ASEAN higher education. They have distinguished themselves through comprehensive involvement in AUN-QA operations, from formulating and implementing activities to providing expert advice to higher education institutions (HEI) within and beyond the AUN-QA scope.

In the afternoon of the AUN-QA IC 2024, the AUN Secretariat had the honor to conduct the award ceremony to officially designate Dr. Kay Chuan and Mr. Johnson as AUN Quality Masters. This event will also be marked as an important milestone to represent how far AUN-QA has come since its beginnings through not only vital contributors such as Dr. Kay Chuan and Mr. Johnson, but all of the QA experts, management, practitioners, and stakeholders in the decades of the network’s lifetime.

For such a monumental event in the history of AUN, Dr. Choltis Dhirathiti, AUN Executive Director representing Chairman of the ASEAN University Network Board of Trustees, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nantana Gajaseni, Former AUN Executive Director and Former Chairperson of AUN-QA Council, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanapan Laiprakobsup, Deputy Executive Director of AUN, had the honor to adorn the honorary suits and present the AUN Quality Master Medals to Dr. Kay Chuan and Mr. Johnson.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Kay Chuan

AUN Quality Master, AUN-QA Technical Expert, and Chief of Quality Officer to the AUN-QA, National University of Singapore

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan Kay Chuan has been a key personnel of AUN activities and in the development of the AUN-QA network ever since 2002, sent by NUS to support the operations of AUN-QA, he has been involved in many core facets of the network. The AUN Quality Master award commemorated over two decades of his invaluable partnership and contributions to AUN and AUN-QA. As one of the Founding Members of the Council Members AUN-QA, AUN-QA Experts, and Technical Experts, Dr. Kay Chuan has been a pioneer for many of the network’s activities and projects through direct involvement that goes up to leading the formulation and implementation stages of such initiatives.

As for the aforementioned initiatives, Dr. Kay Chuan was part of the First Generation of drafters for AUN-QA Guidelines, which have significantly enhanced the quality assurance processes and standards across ASEAN higher education institutions, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with global best practices and has been involved in every revision since its implementation. Following this, he was also responsible for drafting the first iterations of the AUN-QA Training Workshop Materials by designing training programs to better equip quality assurance practitioners with updated knowledge and skills, as well as fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Beyond publications, he was among the First Generation of Trainers for AUN-QA Training Workshops that have been essential to producing quality AUN-QA personnel and nurturing the next generations of QA practitioners for ASEAN Higher Educations. Furthermore, Dr. Kay Chuan was one of the first of AUN-QA personnel to conduct QA assessments and invited Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin to join in supporting the development of AUN-QA in 2006.

In the two decades since Dr. Kay Chuan onboarded with AUN-QA, the remarkable amount of his contributions in the vast majority of the network’s initiatives places him firmly as a shining example of a passionate QA practitioner. In total, he has partaken in over 50 batches of AUN-QA Training Workshops for AUN-QA Programme Assessments, Accomplishing Programme Assessment, and Accomplishing Institutional Assessment primarily as the lead coach. Stepping beyond Training workshops, he has also been involved in a total of 76 AUN-QA Programme Assessments and 7 AUN-QA Institutional Assessments primarily as the Chief and Lead Assessor throughout his career at AUN-QA.

Dr. Kay Chuan's exemplary leadership and unwavering dedication continue to inspire and guide others towards achieving higher standards of educational quality and accountability in ASEAN higher education. His visionary approach has been pivotal in driving strategic initiatives that promote innovation and excellence in higher education, making a lasting impact on the academic landscape of the region.

Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin

AUN Quality Master, AUN-QA Expert, and Founder and Principal Consultant of Education Quality International (EQI)

Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, sent by NUS to join AUN-QA in 2005, has since become a cornerstone of the network through his unwavering commitment and dedication to enhancing the quality of ASEAN higher education. He was among the first group of AUN-QA Experts appointed by the Secretary-General of the Office of Higher Education Commission and the Chairman of the AUN Board of Trustees since 2012. Furthermore, he is a founding member of the AUN-QA Council (February 2013 to March 2015) and the AUN-QA Technical Team (since April 2015). The expertise Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin brings to the table in regards to Education Quality has made him one of the most valuable AUN and AUN-QA personnel. His initiatives such as the currently ongoing AUN-QA CLM Community project is one of many that has brought high impact to the QA culture in ASEAN. As such, the AUN Quality Master Award aims to honor the long-standing partnership between Mr. Johnson with AUN and AUN-QA and to commemorate his contributions to the network.

In regards to Mr. Johnson's contributions to the AUN-QA, he was part of the First Generation of drafters for AUN-QA Guidelines, which have significantly enhanced the quality assurance processes and standards across ASEAN higher education institutions, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with global best practices and has been involved in every revision since its implementation. Continuing from publications, he was also responsible for drafting the first iterations of the AUN-QA Training Workshop Materials by designing training programs to better equip quality assurance practitioners with updated knowledge and skills, as well as fostering a culture of continuous improvement. He also stands among the First Generation of Trainers for AUN-QA Training Workshops that have been essential to producing quality AUN-QA personnel and nurturing the next generations of QA practitioners for ASEAN Higher Educations, as well as being one of the first of AUN-QA personnel to conduct QA assessments.

Mr. Johnson has been at the forefront of many AUN-QA Capacity Building Programmes, driving the growth and development of the AUN-QA network. He has been the lead coach for AUN-QA Training Courses for Accomplishing Programme Assessment, as well as the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) and Self-Assessment Report (SAR) Training workshops which have significantly bolstered the capabilities of educational institutions across ASEAN, ensuring a lasting impact on the quality of education throughout the region. So far, he has been the lead coach for over 40 AUN-QA Training Course for Accomplishing Programme Assessment, 3 OBE workshops, and 6 SAR Training workshops. In addition to leading workshops, he has also participated in 44 AUN-QA Programme Assessments, primarily as the lead assessor.

His dedication to the mission of enhancing the quality of ASEAN higher education can be exhibited through his contributions in the multitudes of AUN-QA initiatives and even beyond. As the founder of Education Quality International (EQI), Mr. Johnson has also been able to approach the mission beyond the scope of AUN-QA initiatives through another dimension by directly providing consultation to HEIs seeking to enhance their quality. His comprehensive approach to capacity building and quality assurance has solidified his legacy as a visionary leader in enhancing the quality of ASEAN HEIs and an invaluable asset to the AUN-QA network.