I.

Introduction: The Association of the Southeast Asian Nations

A. The ASEAN Community 2015: One Vision, One Identity, One Community

The Community
2015

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on August 8,

1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on January 8, 1984, Vietnam
on July 28, 1995, Laos and Myanmar on July 23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999,
resulting in a ten-nation cooperation framework.
During the 9th ASEAN Summit in 2003, leaders of member countries resolved to
establish the ASEAN Community. It aims to develop a place where all the ten countries come
together to build a better place to live for everyone. In 2007, at the 12th ASEAN Summit, the
Heads of States affirmed their strong commitment to establish the ASEAN Community by
2015.
It has three pillars forming the roadmap or ASEAN Community 2015:
ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC). Deals with the building of a
peaceful, democratic and harmonious ASEAN community
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Refers to the free movement of goods,

services, investment, skilled labor, freer flow of capital.

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ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). It aims at yielding of people-oriented

and socially responsible ASEAN.
B. Challenges for ASEAN Community 2015
ASEAN countries are rich in culture, diverse in language and religion but have one
common goal, to be united as one. Mostly, the language barrier has always been a constant
problem among the people of the member countries. This is a great challenge to the ASEAN
Community to further create programs on how to address this issue. The increase of usage of
English language is one of the focal areas to be considered.
Regardless all those differences, these ten countries share a similar emphasis on
human resource development as a key in developing the whole nation to enter the
knowledge-based economy and global environment. It is realized that we are moving fast
forward the situation in which all nations operate in a global market environment.
No country can grow in isolation. We are facing unprecedented challenges, brought
by the convergent impacts of globalization, the increasing importance of knowledge as a
principal driver of growth and the ICT revolution. Education, as a fundamental human right,
is considered very important and strategic for developing their human resources. The right to
education imposes an obligation upon countries to ensure that all children and citizens have
opportunities to meet their basic learning needs. Promoting Quality and Equity in Education
is a common policy for countries in Southeast Asia region regardless of their different levels
of development.
II. Challenges in Education for ASEAN Community 2015
In terms of Higher Education, a broader strategic objective of ensuring the integration
of education priorities into ASEANs development, the Education Objectives aim to advance
and prioritize education and focus on:

creating a knowledge-based society

achieving universal access to primary education
promoting early child care and development
and enhancing awareness of ASEAN to youths through education
activities to build an ASEAN identity based on friendship and cooperation

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The status of integration of education in ASEAN are being studied and promoted by
SEAMEO RIHED and the ASEAN Universities Network (AUN). The aim is to promote
education networking in various levels of educational institutions and
continue university networking and enhance and support student and staff exchanges and
professional interactions including creating research clusters among
ASEAN institutions of higher learning. Further actions are envisaged to strengthen
collaboration with other regional and international educational organizations to
enhance the quality of education in the region.
Education is viewed as a major engine of economic development; however,
governments can no longer keep up with demand, and provide free education.
Increasingly students are being asked to seek study loans to contribute in furthering
their studies.
Other common higher education challenges in Southeast Asia are:
Lack of qualified faculty staff, declining academic community
limited experience of quality assurance processes
lack of equitable access for all students
lack of infrastructures
geographic spread and diversity of universities
facility of the usage of English
limited research expertise.
III. Emerging Trends and State of Higher Education (HE) in ASEAN Countries
(SEAMEO RIHED) and OECD Indicators
ASEAN
Countries
Philippines

Description

The government put primacy on the

efficient use of resources through
the collaboration of stakeholders.
This is to attain productivity,
focused national direction,
alignment of objectives,
harmonization of procedures,
approaches and a coherent
financing arrangement for higher
education sector.
The Commission on Higher

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Innovations

Embarking on rationalizing
the countrys existing quality
assurance processes and
procedures for higher
education sector both
program and institutionbased
Increasing access to quality
higher education,
improvement and
expansion of government

Education, Philippines commits its

support in facilitating and in taking
its role, responsibilities and duties
in facilitating the requirements and
necessary steps in improving the
countrys higher education sector,
specifically, implementation of
reforms that enable acquisition of
knowledge, development of skills,
values and attitudes, which will
enhance productivity, globalization
and competitiveness of
graduates.
Brunei
Darussalam

Cambodia

3 Higher Education Institutions

(HEI) offering certificate, diploma
and degrees
To develop students personally,
academically and professionally,
one of the innovations in HE is the
introduction of Discovery Year
wherein students move
out of the classroom for a semester
or an academic year to gain
community based or international
experience
It also aims to realize its Vision
2035: To build a first class
education system that provides
opportunities for every citizen and
residence
Aims 40% participation rate in
higher education.
There are different types and titles
of degrees and diplomas delivered
by institutions of Higher Education
in Cambodia which include
Masters degrees, Bachelors
degrees, professional diplomas,
postgraduate diplomas and
diplomas

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assistance to
students and teachers in
private education
Alternative Learning
System (ALS)
Expanded Tertiary
Education Equivalency and
Accreditation Program
(ETEEAP)
Ladderized Education
Program (LEP).

Indonesia

Laos

The HE and TVET HEIs are

supervised by 12 different
ministries/government institutions
Cambodia would like to be at par
with international standards and this
is an essential effort of the Higher
Education Reform.
There are four different kinds of
Higher Education Institutions in
Indonesia and are as follows Academy, Polytechnics, School of
Higher Learning (Sekolah
Tinggi),Institute and University.
One of the key challenges in
Indonesian HEIs is that they are not
capable to support the number of
students due to the small size of the
institutions.

The existence of an
information
system/database.
Data from this system will
be used not only for
operational permit
extension but also as a
basic requirement for any
program/institution to
apply for competitive
funding and other
incentives from the
Department of Higher
Education

Due to the governments policy for

expanding education at all levels,
there are many post-secondary
education institutions that can
award Bachelors Degrees under the
control of the Ministry of Education
Currently, higher educational
institutions in Laos are described as
to have a lack of clear vision,
appropriate policy
and strategy, and master plan used
for higher education development

Malaysia

There are seven strategic thrusts to

focus on improving and
empowerment of HE which are:

widening of access and increasing

equity

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An agenda for HE in
Malaysia is the
repositioning of education
for democratization of
education for the masses
and simultaneously

Myanmar

Singapore

improving the quality of teaching

and learning
enhancing research and innovation
strengthening of higher education
institutions
intensifying internationalization
enculturation of lifelong learning
reinforcing delivery systems of the
Ministry.

The mission in HE in Myanmar is

to create an education system that
can generate a learning society
capable of facing the challenges of
the knowledge age.
One of the key challenges in HE is
to create a university environment
with strong research activities by
expanding activities of research
centers extending to international
collaborations.
Singapore has an ability-driven
education system that provides
multiple pathways for students to
develop their fullest potential.
For Higher Education landscape,
public and private Higher
Education Institutions in Singapore
offer degree programmes, diploma
courses, certificate courses, and
other postsecondary qualifications
across a wide range of disciplines.

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achieving excellence
through internationalization
policies.
Malaysia is proposing to
use the leveling-up
approach to accomplish the
goals of benefiting the
socio-economically
disadvantaged group while
at the same time achieving
excellence in human capital
development.
A highlight in HE is the
introduction of new
assessment techniques to
test the depth and breadth
of knowledge, creativity,
and analytical thinking of
students.

Some of the innovations in

HEI in Singapore are as
follows:
Increasing Cohort
participation Rates through
increased spending
Enhancing Continuing
Education and Training
Landscape
Maintaining Affordability
of Higher Education,
Cross- Border Higher
Education
ASEAN Credit Transfer
System Student Exchanges
Building up SEAMEO
Research Clusters in the

Thailand

The key trends in HE in the

Kingdom of Thailand include high
competencies workforce which
provide venues for students to
ensure that they will stay
competitive in the international
market place.

Vietnam

Vietnam underwent structure

adjustments in the universities to
improve the quality of higher
education.
Some of these adjustments include:
Improvement of higher education
programs and teaching and learning
methods
Development of lecturing
Staff and higher education
managers increase in research and
implementation
Reforms in financial mechanism in
order to diversify resources and
improve investment efficiency
improvement of higher
Education management to increase
autonomy.

*HE- Higher Education

*HEI- Higher Education Institution
*SEAMEO- Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
*RIHED- Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development

IV. Education Initiatives towards ASEAN Community 2015

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areas of Urban,
Environment and
Sustainability Issues,
Health and Medical Issues,
and Social Sciences.

Regional Hub in Higher

Education Provision is the
latest development in Thai
higher education which is
currently undergoing the
second decade of the
national education reform
with the goal to aspire
toward good education
quality.
Strength of ICT
infrastructure for
improving quality of higher
education is also a priority
including the use of the
Inter-University Network,
Thailand Cyber University,
the e-library ThaiLIS and
the National Education
Network (Ned-Net).

The following actions are deemed necessary in achieving the desired goal in higher education among
ASEAN community:
1. Regional Accreditation (APACC)
Accreditation is very important in higher education
It is viewed as both a process and a result
One accrediting mechanism that harmonizes education and training systems in the
region is the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC). It
aims to accredit and certify TVET institutions through a common quality framework
that would facilitate the mobility of workforce across national borders in the region.
2. Unified Education Framework
Intergovernmental Organizations establish ASEAN standards for HEIs including

curriculum.
A unified curriculum in the ASEAN region is highly recommended to achieve the

desired goal of one community.

The focus should be on learning outcomes.

3. Improve Quality of Education

"The shortage of skilled workforce in the Asia-Pacific Region, male and even
more so female, has been a major bottleneck in economic and social
development
4.

Scholarship for students/Faculty Exchange

More programs on scholarships grant on students from all the regions are now

being practiced in most ASEAN countries.

Another medium of attaining the quality of education is by educating the
teachers, school principals and other educational personnel and upgrade their
professional competency.

5.

Regional Skills Competition

Encourage the participation of higher education institutions and TVET
institutions in skills competitions such as the ASEAN Skills Competition to
support workforce development and to achieve regional standards

competency.
It will contribute towards the advancement of quality and skills of workers in
all ASEAN Member Countries.

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6.

Increase Usage of English Language

Language is a key towards the development of ASEAN community.

7.

E-learning/Online learning/Distance Learning/Open Learning

Increasing the number of open universities

8.

Universal Education ( access, equity and quality )

provide free education

V. ASEAN Integration 2015 in Philippine Education

A. Educational Landscape
The shift in the K-12
curriculum means additional 2 years
in the Elementary Education and 2
years in the Secondary Education
(From Grade 1-10 to Junior and
Senior High school.)
In the ASEAN Integration
2015, there will also be a shift in
Academic Calendar from June as the
start of classes; it will be on the month
of August (University of the
Philippines is one who has adopted
this Academic Calendar).

B. Convergence in Work Systems, ASEAN Integration and Implications to Professional

Practice
The convergence hypothesis highlights the arguments that human resource
management (HRM) within organizations would become increasingly similar due to a firm
having a structure free from cultural influences with globalization. Multinational enterprises
shall be free from the influence of national institutions making these global transmission
belts of capital the main force for convergence. On the other hand, scholars supporting the
divergence hypothesis argue that organizational structures are not set and that management
practices would reflect national differences in regulations, government policies, culture and
beliefs as well as national educational systems .
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Within the ASEAN, it is important to track and examine the convergence towards
improvements in the following:
1. Enterprise development and job creation by domestic and foreign investment;
2. Patterns of management control brought about by the diversity in capital equity;
3. Management philosophy, structure and tools;
4. Organizational culture and interventions: orientation seminars, training, etc.;
5. Organizational effectiveness and tools: organizational development (OD), HRM,
organizational behavior (OB)tools.
Opening up the Philippine professions to foreigners
The test of convergence is highlighted in the current efforts to promote the opening
up of the practice of Philippine professions to foreigners, in the context of the Constitution
and related laws, and its strategic interface with the labor market.
Article XII, Section 12 of the Philippine Constitution of 1987 provides as follows:
xxxThe practice of all professions in the Philippines shall be limited to Filipino
citizens, save in cases prescribed by law. Other provisions of the Philippine Constitution
provide for the sustained development of a reservoir of national talents consisting of
Filipino scientists, entrepreneurs, professionals, managers, high level technical manpower,
and skilled workers (Article XII, Section 1)
In the spirit of the provisions of the Constitution, Articles 40, 41 & 42 of the
Philippine Labor Code (PLC) requiring employment permits for non-resident aliens remain
in place. While the practice of professions is primarily reserved for Filipino citizens,
exceptions are recognized, based on existing laws mandating the professional regulatory
boards, which provide for both individual and corporate business practice of professions.
There are existing laws, rules and regulations on the registration of foreign
professionals to enable them to practice in the Philippines. Many of the professional

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regulatory laws also provide for reciprocity. Foreign professionals are allowed limited
practice by virtue of Special Temporary Permits (STPs), which fall within these exceptions.
The Philippines has entered into commitments through the General Agreement on
Trade in Services (GATS) and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS),
among others. The Philippines also has Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with other
ASEAN countries which include the health professions (nursing, dentistry, etc.);
accountancy; engineering; and architectural services. These are existing arrangements which
affirm and bolster the countrys direction towards liberalizing the professional services.
The interdependence of social and economic systems, and mediated by new
technology influence the institutions, processes and outcomes of such integration, are
becoming more evident as forces of convergence in work systems, including the ASEAN.
International and transnational linkages will continue to grow but even more
important, even as national and purely domestic policies and practices will need to adjust to
the growing size and scope of an integrating global economy. In Asia, especially among the
emerging economies, the shift in framework and processes at the workplace may indicate a
much more significant, and dynamic field.
With increasing regional economic integration especially in ASEAN, there is a
demand for best practices in the priority areas of trade, business, including labor and
employment relations. People to people cooperation and social dialogue with producers and
consumers, as well as business, workers, employers and government are keys to eliminating
the social tensions from the inequalities from regional integration.
VI. Philippines and the Higher Education and ASEAN Mobility
CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER (CMO)
NO. 11
SERIES OF 2014
SUBJECT : GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATION OF SELECTED HIGHER
EDUCATION
INSTITUTIONS
(HEIs)
IN
THE
ASEAN
INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY FOR STUDENTS (AIMS) PROGRAM
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Republic Act No. 7722 - HIGHER EDUCATION OF 1994

Republic Act No. 8292 HIGHER EDUCATION MODERNIZATION ACT OF
1997

Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

Responsible for formulating and implementing plans, policies and programs for
the development and improvement of the Philippine higher education system.
It is within the mandate of the Commission to oversee and guide Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs) in participating in the internationalization
process
ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS)
Promotes regional integration through student mobility
Student Mobility
Recognized as an essential element in fostering academic cooperation in which
shall lead to the development of a viable Southeast Asia regional higher
education area.
Article III
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
1. Define, describe, and identify elements and stakeholders of the AIMS Program and related
mechanisms;
2. Provide policies and guidelines for the participation of HEIs and students in the program to
accordingly improve their quality of education and expand academic cooperation among
AIMS member states;
3. Present and outline the requirements to be complied with by the stakeholders, as well as
detail protocol and procedures to be followed by these stakeholders;
4. Encourage adherence to quality assurance, credit transfer, monitoring, and assessment
processes as well as other pertinent rules and regulations to ensure efficient management of
the Program; and
5. Promote a policy environment suitable to the facilitation of the Program as a s.tudent
mobility scheme
VII. How UP Carries out the ASEAN Integration Goals.

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As the 21st century education spreads worldwide, the UP prepares for, and cushions
the impact of the K-12 and the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community. It has unrolled a
roadmap in response to its role as the Philippines only national university a leader and
model in instruction, research and extension work.
The ASEAN Economic Cooperation 2015 (AEC), as an initial step in the integration
process, aims to develop the 10-member countries of ASEAN into a single market and
production base for the free flow of goods, services investment, capital and skilled labor.
While the goals are economic in nature, human resource and capacity as well as their
movements within the region will be inevitably implicated. The Philippines being a
signatory to and a member of the ASEAN, endeavors to achieve the goals of the ASEAN.
Having 2015 as the target date for the ASEAN Economic Community, the following
results are expected from the education sector:
1) greater student and staff mobility
2) greater demand for quality programs
3) more collaborative research and curricular activities
4) competition for jobs and employment
5) higher employer standards, and
6) race for university ranking.
The education reform that resulted in the K-12 basic education curriculum stems
from the need to address the onslaught of globalization and regional cooperation for the
graduates of HEIs to be globally competitive. This requires internal changes to include a shift
from 10 to 12 years of basic education. The reform is stirred by the sore state of high school
education in the country, which has deteriorated in the quality and competencies of its
graduates and has poorly prepared HS graduates for college and for the labor market.
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The fact remains that the Philippines is the only country in ASEAN and one of the
three remaining countries in the world with 10 years basic education (the other two are
Djibouti and Angola). By shifting to 12 years of basic education, the Philippines will now be
at par with the rest of the world. This reform that will result in a more solid basic foundation
of HEI graduates, will provide a bigger chance of becoming regionally and globally
competitive.
The K-12 Program hopes to:
1) decongest the basic education curricula;
2) prepare the students for higher education and for the labor market, and
3) be globally competitive/ benchmark with global standards.
To affirm UPs leadership role in education, it will embark on a major change in its
teaching pedagogy, quality assurance assessments, and curricular programs, including the
review of its GE program. Given that UPs student enrollment will be adversely affected in
2016 and beyond, a ripple effect will be expected in its facultys academic load,
administrative staff functions, fiscal positions, support services and admission processes.

What has the UP System Done So Far?

A UP K-12 Roadmap has been drawn. The Roadmap has set the following short-term (ST)
and medium-term (MT) goals:
1.

Increase the awareness of the impact of K-12 and ASEAN Economic Community 2015

to programs in the UP academic community (ST);

2.

Review the GE program (ST);

3.

Review and streamline CU offerings (ST);

4.

Realignment of the academic calendar to synchronize with international calendar (ST);

5.

Quality assurance (QA) assessment of curricular programs (ST/MT);

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6.

Revision of individual curricular programs by unit (ST/MT);

7.

Address Faculty and Staff workload (MT), and

8.

Review UP admission system (MT).

Simultaneous with the implementation of the K-12 Program in all elementary and

high schools in the country in 2012, UP through its OVPAA,

1) had its first salvo of a series of consultations with the officials of DepEd, CHED
and members of the technical working group;
2) conducted roundtable discussions with the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs,
Vice Chancellors for Research, and the GE Council members of the various CUs and the
autonomous College to clarify the impact of the K-12 Program and 2015 AEC as well as
brainstorm on future actions of Colleges and Universities;
3) at the start of 2013, the OVPAA conducted the consultative workshops among the
concerned officials of the CUs; the workshops will be completed in August; those that have
completed the consultative workshops are now reviewing their curricular programs with the
expected

revisions

completed

by

2015;

4) the GE program is being reviewed and results of the review and revisions will be
presented to the various CUs for comments and suggestions, culminating in a system-wide
workshop before the end of the year, 2013.

UP still has until the end of 2015 to implement its K-12 Roadmap and the 2015 AEC.
The Constituent Units, their Colleges and other concerned sectors are enjoined to actively
participate in the process of implementing the K-12 Roadmap and AEC Plans.

VII. Conclusion: Towards a new social contract

International and transnational linkages will continue to grow but even more
important, even as national and purely domestic policies and practices will need to adjust to
the growing size and scope of an integrating global economy. In Asia, especially among the
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emerging economies, the shift in framework and processes at the workplace may indicate a
much more significant, and dynamic field.
At the same time, the ASEAN community, through their peoples organizations, need
to be fully provided with the fundamental awareness for them to directly benefit from the
regional integration, with guarantees for the exercise of rights to freedom of association and
collective bargaining, to improve wages, health and safety, job security and other working
conditions. Labor and employment relations need to be continuously improved, through
harmonized labor laws, equal opportunities for employment, skills development, fair
procedures for the settlement of labor disputes, and compensation.
The demand for greater people-to-people solidarity comes along with the mixed
noodles of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements between Asian countries (Japan,
China, and Korea; ASEAN), with India, Europe, the United States, Australia, and other
emerging economies. Some of the FTAs had provisions on labor exchange, referred to as the
movement of natural persons, including skilled people.
A new social contract is built on the rational expectation that ASEAN peoples through
their community and people organizations are able to build strong and sustainable economies
together, to guarantee the elimination of social and income inequalities, green-friendly
competitive opportunities for entrepreneurship, mutually beneficial and progressive trade and
business investments to create decent and rewarding jobs.
With people-to-people cooperation, a strong and prosperous ASEAN of diverse
cultures and communities would be a reality through shared values and expectations of the
people who are producers and consumers in the real economy, including workers, employers,
and economic and business leaders who with their hard work are rewarded with better jobs,
higher incomes, social protection and improved lives with sustainable, green economies.
With the commitment and hard work of the diverse peoples and cultures of ASEAN, this
vision should be a reality soon.

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---Excerpts from the Experts--University of the Philippines

Funding Science and Technology in an Internationalized World
By Dr. Teofilo A. Abrajano in ASEAN Integration, UP Forum
I will specifically address is the strategy for funding science and technology in
educational institutions, a subject that I have a fair bit of experience on as a former senior
executive at the US National Science Foundation and now the Director of the Office of
Competitive Research Funds at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.
In the former capacity, I helped draft the latest NSF Strategic Plan, which charted the
US approach to transforming the frontiers of science, stimulating innovation and addressing
societal needs through science and technology. In my present capacity at KAUST, I oversee
the design and implementation of the Universitys strategy for achieving its ambitious goals
of becoming a global leader in research and innovation and catalyzing and diversifying the
Saudi economy.
I recognize that the Philippines and other ASEAN countries are quite unlike the US
and Saudi Arabia, but let me point out elements of the research and education funding
strategy that should be relevant in every country context, including ASEAN countries:
(1) the essential role of basic research,
(2) the urgency of community- and country-wide integration and
(3) the need for international partnerships.
The goals of funding science are to transform knowledge and to bring about a
positive impact on peoples lives through discovery and innovation. Some mistakenly

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assume, however, that these two objectives are separately achievablethe former by
supporting basic research, and the latter by supporting applied or targeted research.
Although never articulated as such, some national science funding strategies, based
on where the money is allocated or spent, clearly consider basic research as a luxury they can
ill afford. Such a premise for developing a national strategy for science investment is patently
short-sighted and one dimensional, and this is a serious detriment for sustaining a nations
knowledge ecosystem and global competitiveness.
The assumption that knowledge application can be divorced from knowledge creation
is false. This is precisely the reason why we have come to describe research environments as
knowledge/innovation ecosystems; opting to forego basic research is akin to suggesting that
we can do without the ecosystem life-support. There is no choice to be made between
keeping the soil or the plant, or sacrificing the root for the sake of the rest of the tree.
Knowledge creation and utilization is a continuum in multiple dimensions and a
weak basic research posture necessarily harms our ability to compete in identifying the next
big leap in technological innovation. Basic research is to application as sin is to confession.
The dilemma of limited resources matched against a great demand for innovative
solutions to urgent problems faced by many ASEAN countries is solved not by severing the
roots from the tree, but by building substantive and sustainable partnerships. This approach to
enriching, diversifying and linking strengths and expertise serves to lead to ecosystem
productivity and stability. The call for ASEAN integration in education and research is one
such example of a path to enable nations and universities to cross-utilize talent and resources
indeed by treating the knowledge and innovation enterprise as an ecosystem.
These partnerships must exist at all scales of the system, beginning with strategic
collaborations at the country levelfrom integration of education and research strategy of
the university with the local community and the private sector to the sort of structured
national framework that is a prerequisite for compliance with the ASEAN regional
framework. I must warn, however, that these partnerships work best when they are
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organically developed by the principal investigators and educators, not when they are
bureaucratically imposed from above. Those charged with formulating these frameworks
must focus on enabling strategies, including maximizing stakeholder input and locating
adequate resources. Imposing extraneous requirements is most certain to discourage buy in
and impede participation and collaboration.
In his recent Nature article entitled The Fourth Age of Research, J. Adams exalted
the essentiality of global collaborative partnerships. An earlier Royal Society report likewise
concluded that international research collaboration is crucial to all countries and educational
institutions. The Philippines must pay cognizance to these truths in its science funding
strategy beyond laissez-faire, and ASEAN integration is the first step towards a win-win
solution to the resource requirements of todays global innovation competition.
Participating in these partnerships, however, requires that we do not surrender our
ability to create knowledge through basic research. Excellence will always seek excellence
and our attractiveness as serious partners in these collaborations requires that we are active
creators of knowledge. Not only does global partnership require it, basic research is essential
for the training of our future innovators.
http://www.up.edu.ph/funding-science-and-technology-in-an-internationalized-world/

Sharing Lessons Learned in Internationalization

by LusMara R. Calingo in ASEAN Integration, UP Forum
Comprehensive internationalization is a commitment, conrmed through action, to
infuse international and comparative perspectives throughout the teaching, research, and
service missions of higher education. It shapes institutional ethos and values and touches the
entire higher education enterprise. It is essential that it be embraced by institutional
leadership, governance, faculty, students, and all academic service and support units. It is an
institutional imperative, not just a desirable possibility. (NAFSA, 2011)

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My initial forays into international education started in 1986 when I was a young
recently tenured professor and academic senator. At that time, Fresno State was the
agricultural campus of the California State University system. As the only game in town,
we had no difficulty recruiting students and attracting donors. We did not even have to recruit
international or out-of-state studentsthe perfect condition for incubating institutional
inertia.
Since strategic planning was my doctoral specialization, my dean asked me to
coordinate my departments and our schools strategic planning processes. As we were
conducting strategic planning, we saw internationalization as the catalyst for bringing the
school to a higher level of distinctiveness and the enabler for recruiting world-class faculty.
The perfect storm arrived when AACSB (the business schools accrediting body) mandated
all business schools to internationalize the curriculum. These efforts led to the business
school spearheading the crafting of the universitys Mission Statement for International
Education, which would serve as the big tent for Fresno States internationalization
initiatives. As academic senator, I participated in developing that mission statement, which
the academic senate eventually endorsed and the president approved in the springof 1986.
Lesson #1: The starting point of internationalizing the university is a mission statement,
to which future internationalization initiatives should be aligned. This statement should
be the product of stakeholder consultations and should represent to the world how the
university defines comprehensive internationalization.
At around 1988/1989, our business school began thinking of ways by which we could
introduce our school into the international community of scholars. This gave rise to the
design to organize and support an annual Asia Pacific Conference on International
Accounting Issues. The first conference was held at Fresno State in October 1989 and
attracted 150 scholars and practitioners from 96 institutions and 17 countries to participate,
discuss, and share their experiences in harmonizing international accounting practices in the
Asia Pacific region.

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During my deanship, we decided that the best way to ensure the effectiveness and
sustainability of the fledgling conference was to hold the annual conference in different
venues in the Asia Pacific region and to secure an institutional partner as co-host of each
conference. The conference is now on its 26th year and has been hosted by many business
schools through the Asia Pacific region. You may see details of the conference at
http://apconference.org/
Lesson #2: Raise the visibility of your school in the international community of
scholars-teachers by organizing or collaborating in scholarly events to which the
international community would be invited.
From 1990 to 1993, our business school decided to introduce our MBA program to
foreign locations, specifically Taipei, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and I was tasked to make
this happen. This was totally new territory for the CSU, which meant that there were no rules
and regulations governing the offering of degree programs overseas (let alone outside state
borders). Over a two-year period, I negotiated and secured approvals from Fresno State
Academic Senate, the system-wide Chancellors Office, and WASC (Fresno States
accrediting body) before receiving the authority to negotiate with overseas partners. I dealt
not only with risk-averse bureaucrats who lacked international awareness, but also with the
then-prevailing thinking that public universities were created to educate local residents and
not foreign nationals in other countries. Regrettably, a lot of valuable time was lost during
these negotiations that, by the time we received our authorizations, our more agile
competitors have beaten us in the market.
Lessons #3: Before launching pioneering international programs and going through the
formal approval processes, secure the buy-in of your institutions highest executive. If
your chief executive is not willing to join you in crossing a bridge while it is being built,
dont waste your time.
During the period 1993 to 1996, I took a sabbatical to join the business school at
Nanyang Technological University, Singapores second public university, as one of its
founding faculty members. I developed personal relationships with academicians from
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Singapore, Malaysia, China, and other Asian countries. These relationships proved beneficial
in my future leadership positions.
From 2002 to 2006, I introduced our undergraduate business programs to foreign
locations, specifically in Malaysia, Singapore, and China. I was then dean of the business
school at CSU Long Beach, which, at that time, was Americas eighth largest business
school. Our objective was to recapture the international student enrollment that we lost after
9/11. By this time, the CSU system has had some experience in offering MBA programs
overseas, but not undergraduate programs. Using the lessons that I learned from my Fresno
State years and using the contacts I developed in Singapore, I successfully launched the
programs in Malaysia and Singapore and obtained accreditation approval for them. The
Singapore program became the destination program for students from ASEAN countries,
while students from the Middle East populated the Malaysia program. I also successfully
negotiated the financial model for these programs with the CSU Chancellors Office, which
created a stream of net income to the business school. Today, these programs are no longer
operational as the restrictions on the inflow of international students have been relaxed.
Lesson # 4: Being a fast second is an appropriate strategy if youre dealing with a riskaverse institutional culture. External degree programs should be self-supporting, and you
should ensure that no tax-funded funds are used to subsidize these programs.
From 2007 to 2010, as business dean and then provost at Dominican University of
California, I negotiated 2+2 degree articulation and transfer admission (twinning)
agreements with business schools in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Crafting these
articulation agreements is a time-consuming process; figure about six months per degree
program. Our goal was to increase our population of international students from four percent
to ten percent of the total population. Cognizant that many international students transfer to
US universities from the two-year community colleges, we first reformed our General
Education curriculum to make our university transfer-friendly.
Twinning programs had the potential of enabling international students to receive a
US bachelors degree at a fraction of the cost that they would have paid for four years of
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education in US soil. Despite this value proposition, of these three institutions, only the
university in Thailand became a feeder school. The main barrier to participation in the
twinning programs was the cost of US education.
Lesson #5: A transfer-friendly lower-division curriculum enables mobility of students
who might wish to transfer to your school. Articulation is a time-consuming process;
therefore, conduct a thorough due-diligence of the attractiveness and affordability of your
degree programs to students from prospective overseas partners.
From 2009 to 2012, as provost, I centralized all activities pertaining to international
students under one officethe Office of Internationalization and Global Education (OIGE).
OIGE initially had a staff of 3.5 FTE consisting of a full-time director, a full-time
international student advisor, one half-time coordinator, and one administrative assistant.
The international student advisor dealt with admissions, legal, and regulatory
requirements, while the coordinator dealt with international student experiences. You may
find more information about this unit at: http://www.dominican.edu/admissions/international
Lesson # 6: There should be a university infrastructure for internationalization.
Someone

should

be

accountable

for

the

implementation

of

comprehensive

internationalization. The university should ensure that international students obtain not only
good education but also have a memorable campus experience.
From 2011 to the present, as provost and president, I have actively developed short-term,
study-abroad programs for students from overseas partners. At Dominican University of
California, we hosted MBA students from Thammasat University every summer where they
studied contemporary management issues at Stanford University one week and then
sustainable entrepreneurship at Dominican the next week. Woodbury University recently
hosted a Los Angeles fashion and business boot camp for students from Miriam College over
a two-week period. These were income-generating programs that also created a level of
internationalization in our constituent schools. They also enable confidence-building between

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educational partners, especially given the difficulty of launching the more aggressive
twinning programs.
Lesson # 7: Hosting a short-term, study-abroad course is an excellent way to build
confidence with overseas educational partners.
Looking back at these lessons learned and the obstacles that my school and I had to
overcome on our way to internationalization, it is important that the academic leader
championing comprehensive internationalization should include patience and tolerance for
ambiguity among his or her virtues. This is not the job for a risk-averse, impatient, shortterm-oriented dean, provost, or president. As the late Reverend William Shedd wrote, A ship
is safe in harbor, but thats not what ships are for. Throughout my academic administrative
career, I have probably signed close to twenty agreements with overseas schools, of which
only five really got off the ground. A 25-percent success rate is an intelligent risk in the
pursuit of comprehensive internationalization. With these words, I wish you the best as you
consider how to internationalize your department, school, college, or university.
http://www.up.edu.ph/sharing-lessons-learned-in-internationalization/

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References:
Yaakub, M. CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION TOWARDS THE REALIZATION OF
ASEAN COMMUNITY 2015. pdf
http://www.up.edu.ph/category/asean-integration/
http://www.adb.org/features/asean-economic-community-12-things-know
http://www.up.edu.ph/up-gears-up-for-the-impact-of-the-k-12-curriculum-and-aseaneconomic-cooperation-2015/
http://www.up.edu.ph/sharing-lessons-learned-in-internationalization/
http://www.up.edu.ph/funding-science-and-technology-in-an-internationalized-world/
https://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/councils/asiapac/meetings/2014annual/tuesdaypdfs/es
poso-betan.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/gatothp2010/7-national-highereducationpolicies-towards-asean-community-by-2015-v2

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