SEAMEO CALLS FOR STRONGER SUPPORT TO EDUCATION AS MILLENNIUM CAMPAIGN ENDS
Education ministers from SEAMEO member countries are calling for stronger support and increased focus on education-related Millennium Development Goals and on the education agenda post-2015. The call was made during the 47th SEAMEO Council (SEAMEC) Conference held in March 2013 in Hanoi, Vietnam, hosted by its Ministry of Education and Training.
During the conference, the education ministers signed a resolution urging SEAMEO regional centers to work together and combine their expertise in initiating activities supportive of the education goals of their host countries and, thus, help achieve regional development goals. The ministers have defined several strategies to make this collaborative effort possible and these are expected to be concretized further when the SEAMEO Center Directors meet in July 2013.
In related stories, SEAMEO formally welcomed the United Kingdom as an affiliate member. It signed the legal documents for the establishment of the SEAMEO Center on Lifelong Learning (CELLL) based in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. It also formally launched its flagship project, the SEAMEO College, which introduces “a platform for high-level discussion on forward-looking issues and concerns” of the region.
The 47th SEAMEC Conference also featured a policy forum on lifelong learning that showcased country experiences and perspectives on implementing lifelong learning initiatives.
Elected SEAMEC president for this year is Vietnam’s Minister of Education and Training, Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Luan. He was preceded by Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Education, Pehin Abu Bakar Apong.
More than 200 participants from 18 countries joined the conference. His Excellency Mr. Truong Tan Sang, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam addressed the conference delegation comprised of education ministers, high-level government education officials, and representatives of international organizations from SEAMEO member countries, associate members, affiliate members, regional centers, and development partners.
Beginning this year, the conference will be held biennially. Thailand will host the next SEAMEC Conference in 2015.
To learn more about the events during the 47th SEAMEC Conference, log on to its official website: http://seamec47.com
Ms. Nora Cabatian, an associate of the Learning and Training Development Unit of the Center, receives her plaque as a SEAMEO Service Awardee from SEAMEC President and Vietnam Minister of Education and Training Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Luan.
