Description of the Project
The ASEF Rectors’ Conference and Students’ Forum (ARC) is the only bi-regional multi-stakeholder dialogue platform for university and student leaders, policy makers, and business representatives to discuss higher education challenges of mutual concern in Asia and Europe.
ARC is recognised as the Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers Meeting (ASEM ME). Its results, including policy recommendations and research, feed into the preparation of ASEM MEs. Moreover, ARC is contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and it is one of the initial commitments to the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
ARC takes place on a biennial basis alternating between Asia and Europe. Over 299 universities from 51 Asian and European countries have been represented at the ARC conferences since 2008.
Below we focus on the ARC6, ARC7 and ARC8. For more information about the earler ARCs, please visit ASEF’s website.
Aims and objectives
ARC6:
- focused on “Future-ready Universities and Graduates: Quality Education Beyond the Horizon”;
Spin-off activities of ARC6:
- Foster mobility of academic staff and students
- Raise awareness and contribute with good practices and handbook/recommendations towards a more inclusive and sustainable education environment
ARC7:
- deals with “Higher Education Taking Action Towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Perspectives from Asia and Europe”
- Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM MEs by providing policy recommendations on pressing HE issues to ASEM Ministers
- Official side-event to the ASEM ME7
- Multi-stakeholder platform to enhance higher education collaboration that connects students, rectors and ASEM policy makers,
ASEM Partners and Stakeholders involved
ASEF as main organiser, supported by stakeholders ASEM partner country
Progress and achievements
ARC6 and Spin-Off activities
- ARC6, 9-13 October 2017, Singapore
- For a comprehensive overview of results, visit the ARC6 Project page
- spin-off activities in 2018:
- *ASEF Support to 1st World Access to Higher Education Day Conference, 28 November 2018, Birmingham, UK
- ”Flexible Learning Pathways: Asia-Europe Conference on Lifelong Learning and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, 13-14 December 2018, Hanoi, Vietnam
Achievements of ARC7
- ARC7, 11 to 15 May 2019, Bucharest, Romania
- For a comprehensive overview of results, visit the ARC7 Project page
Status
Plans and expected outcomes
ASEMME7: Chair’s Conclusion 30
- Organise various spin-off activities along the subthemes of ARC in form of capacity building workshops or seminars
- Continue the ARC project series in the coming years with ARC8 at ASEM ME8 to be held in 2021
- Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM MEs by providing policy recommendations on pressing HE issues to ASEM Ministers
- 5-day multi-stakeholder platform to enhance higher education collaboration that connects about 250 student and university leaders and ASEM policy makers from 51 ASEM partners, plus capacity trainings
The initiative contributes to:
