ASEM Education Expert Groups

The following four Expert Groups have been established at the Intermediate Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM) in November 2022 and are since then meeting regularly:

1. Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals & Education (EG1 on SDGs & Education)

The Expert Group 1 on SDGs and Education works to advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals within education systems across Asia and Europe, with a particular focus on SDG 4: Quality Education. The Group strengthens collaboration by identifying, sharing, and promoting good practices at national, regional, interregional, and local levels. It actively addresses issues of Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in higher education through the exchange of effective strategies, measurable targets, and assessment approaches among its members. The Group also supports the integration of values, skills, and learning linked to Global Citizenship Education, fostering cross-regional collaboration in this area. Furthermore, it facilitates dialogue on SDGs in education in alignment with the four priorities of the ASEM Education Process—Quality Assurance and Recognition, Engaging Business and Industry in Education, Balanced Mobility, and Lifelong Learning including TVET. By promoting peer learning among experts from both regions and complementing the work of other ASEM Expert Groups, the Expert Group provides specialized expertise and fosters a more inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative approach to education for sustainable development.

Composition of the Expert Group 1 on Sustainable Development Goals & Education:

(Senior) Officials of the following ASEM partners: Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, European Commission, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lao PDR, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Romania, Thailand.

Representatives from ASEM Education stakeholders: Asia Europe Institute (AEI), Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF), Erasmus Student Network (ESN), European Students’ Union (ESU), European University Association (EUA), International Association of Universities (IAU), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok).

The group is co-chaired by Malta, Thailand and ASEF.

Terms of Reference (ToR):

ToR of EG1 on SDGs & Education

Meetings:

  • 1st Meeting of EG1 on SDGs & Education on 20 February 2023, online
  • 2nd Meeting of EG1 on SDGs & Education on 28 March 2023, online
  • 3rd Meeting of EG1 on SDGs & Education on 26 March 2025, online
  • 4th Meeting of EG1 on SDGs & Education on 22 May 2025, online
  • 5th Meeting of EG1 on SDGs & Education together with EG3 on LLL & TVET on 10 September 2025, online
  • 6th Meeting of EG1 on SDGs & Education on 20 November 2025, Bucharest, Romania and online (hybrid)

 

2. Expert Group on Recognition & Balanced Mobility (EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility)

The Expert Group 2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility focuses on fostering dialogue and enhancing cooperation between Asian and European higher education systems in the field of recognition and mobility. Its primary goal is to promote mutual understanding, transparency, and closer collaboration through systematic exchanges of information. The group encourages peer learning among countries and stakeholders building on the experience in the Asia-Pacific Network of National Information Centres (APNNIC) and the European Network of Information Centres (ENIC/NARIC), sharing experiences with recognition conventions like the Global, Lisbon, and Tokyo Conventions, which facilitate academic recognition and mobility. Additionally, the group works on developing and updating the ASEM Education Compendium, a vital resource that provides comprehensive information on the higher education systems of participating countries. It also strengthens connectivity by identifying and promoting best practices in qualification recognition, while complementing the work of other ASEM expert groups. The intended outcomes include the creation of a pool of experts in qualification recognition, updated knowledge resources like the ASEM Compendium, and the sharing of good practices to further cooperation. The group also contributes to policy outcomes in ASEM political meetings, enhancing collaboration and mutual understanding between Asia and Europe.

Composition of the Expert Group 2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility:

(Senior) Officials of the following ASEM partners: Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lao PDR, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Romania, Thailand.

Representatives from ASEM Education stakeholders: Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), Asia-Europe Institute (AEI), ASEM-DUO Secretariat, Erasmus Student Network (ESN), European Students’ Union (ESU), European University Association (EUA), International Association of Universities (IAU), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation – Regional Centre specialising in higher education and development (SEAMEO RIHED), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok).

The group is co-chaired by India and Italy.

Terms of Reference (ToR):

ToR of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility

Meetings:

  • 1st Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 13 February 2023, online
  • 2nd Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 12 April 2023, online
  • 3rd Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 31 May 2023, online
  • 4th Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 13 September 2023, online
  • 5thMeeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 6 November 2023, online
  • 6th Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 12-13 December 2023, New Delhi, India and online
  • 7th Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 3 April 2024, online
  • 8th Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 18 September 2025, online
  • 9th Meeting of EG2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility on 29 October 2025, online

 

3. Expert Group on Lifelong Learning & Technical and Vocational Education and Training (EG3 on LLL & TVET)

The Expert Group on Lifelong Learning (LLL) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) aims to foster dialogue, mutual understanding, transparency, and cooperation between Asia and Europe—one of the four key priorities of the ASEM Education Process. By promoting peer learning and systematic exchange of information among partners and stakeholders, the Group enhances collaboration and connectivity in the fields of LLL and TVET. It works to identify, share, and promote good practices and tools that strengthen educational systems and workforce development across both regions. The Group also complements the work of other ASEM Expert Groups by providing specialized expertise in lifelong learning and vocational education. Its intended outcomes include establishing a pool of experts working within the ASEM context, organizing peer learning activities, and developing a portfolio of good practices that serve as a shared knowledge base for future cooperation. Leveraging the expertise of the ASEM Lifelong Learning Hub, the Group contributes to the formulation of outcome documents for Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM) and ASEM Education Ministers’ Meetings (ASEMME), thereby supporting policy dialogue and collaboration between Asia and Europe in building inclusive, adaptive, and future-oriented learning systems.

Composition of the Expert Group 3 on LLL & TVET:

(Senior) Officials of the following ASEM partners: Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Romania, Spain, Thailand.

Representatives from ASEM Education stakeholders: ASEM Lifelong Learning Hub, European Students’ Union (ESU), European Training Foundation (ETF), European University Association (EUA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO UNEVOC).

Terms of Reference (ToR):

ToR of EG3 on LLL & TVET

Meetings:

  • 1st Meeting of EG3 on LLL & TVET on 13 February 2023, online
  • 2nd Meeting of EG3 on LLL & TVET on 15 September 2023, online
  • 3rd Meeting of EG3 on LLL & TVET on 12 June 2025, online
  • 5th Meeting of EG3 on LLL & TVET together with EG1 on SDGs & Education on 10 September 2025, online

4. Expert Group on Digitalisation & Artificial Intelligence (EG4 on Digitalisation & AI)

The Expert Group 4 on Digitalisation & AI focuses on fostering dialogue and collaboration between Asia and Europe on the role of digitalisation in higher education, aligning its efforts with the four priorities of the ASEM Education Process and the Sustainable Development Goals. The group promotes peer learning among experts from both regions, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and experience on digital transformation in education. It seeks to strengthen collaboration by identifying, sharing, and promoting good practices in digitally enhanced education cooperation, thereby improving connectivity between Asian and European higher education systems. In addition, the group complements the work of other ASEM expert groups by providing specialized expertise in digital transformation. Its main outcomes include the establishment of a pool of experts dedicated to digital transformation in higher education within the ASEM framework, the creation of a portfolio of good practice examples to support future collaborations, and contributions to policy and outcome documents from ASEM political meetings, such as SOM and ASEMME.

Composition of the Expert Group 2 on Recognition & Balanced Mobility:

Members: All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE); Artevelde University of Applied Sciences (Belgium); ASEAN Secretariat; ASEM Education Secretariat (AES); Asia- Europe Foundation (ASEF); Beijing Normal University (China); Dania Academy (Denmark); Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Ireland); Erasmus Student Network (ESN); European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA); European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport; European Students’ Union (ESU), European Training Foundation (ETF); European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR); European University Association (EUA); Further & Higher Education Authority (Malta); Ghent University
(Belgium); Groningen Declaration Network (Netherlands); Hangzhou Normal University (China); Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA); International Association of Universities (IAU); King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand); Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat (India); Ministry of Education (Brunei Darussalam, India, Romania, Thailand); Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (Austria); Ministry of Education and Science (Bulgaria, Mongolia); Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Indonesia); Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth (Cyprus); Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (France); Ministry of National Resources and Education (Hungary); Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Kazakhstan); Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Portugal); SEAMEO RIHED; UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education; UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training; UNESCO-UNEVOC Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) project; University Politehnica of Bucharest (Romania)

Terms of Reference (ToR):

ToR of EG4 on Digitalisation & AI

Meetings:

  • Meeting of EG4 on Digitalisation & AI on 12 September 2023, online
  • Meeting of EG4 on Digitalisation & AI on 18 April 2024, online
  • Meeting of EG4 on Digitalisation & AI on 23 October 2024, online
  • Meeting of EG4 on Digitalisation & AI on 20 May 2025, online

Online Seminars organised by EG4 on Digitalisation & AI:

 

In this period, the following ASEM Education Meetings have taken place/are going to take place: