Policy Background on the establishment of the Expert Group on Digitalisation
At the last ASEM Education Ministers Meeting (ASEMME7) in May 2019 in Bucharest, Romania, the Ministers have highlighted the opportunities of digitalisation for connectivity and collaboration between Asia and Europe and have welcomed the approach to more closely align the ASEM Education Process (AEP) with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Hence, digitalisation and “Sustainable Development” have been introduced as transversal themes of the AEP.
In order to engage the ASEM members and stakeholders in a dialogue on how digitalisation can promote connectivity and collaboration between Asia and Europe and in order identify synergies on activities in the field of digital learning and teaching a new ASEM Expert Group focusing on digitalisation is established.
Furthermore, during ASEMME7 the Ministers invited the ASEM Senior Officials to develop an ASEM Education Process Vision 2030. As digitalisation is a new transversal theme, the new Expert Group Digitalisation can provide valuable input for this strategy. Hence, this group shall not only foster the dialogue on the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation in (higher) education, but also help work towards a strategy – a Vision 2030.
Kick-off meeting in Berlin
On the 12th of December, the DAAD Germany, have hosted the Kick-Off meeting of the Expert Group in Berlin, back-to-back with the DAAD conference ‘Virtual Exchange – borderless mobility between the European Higher Education Area and regions beyond’ and the Kick-Off meeting of the ASEM Education Standing Working Group. DAAD invited all Partners and Stakeholders to delegate a Digitalisation expert of their country to this Expert group and the following Partners and Stakeholders participated in the meeting: France, India, China, European Commission, Netherlands, Belgium (Flanders), Austria, Romania, Latvia, The Russion Federation, Thailand, ESN, SEAMEO RIHED, EUA, DAAD, ETF, and CEDEFOP. Each participant presented the current focus of digital developments in higher education and/ or TVET of their country or institution.
During group work sessions in the afternoon, the participants where invited to reflect on different aspects of the integration of Digitalisation in Education Policies such as: Values and Principles, Key Challenges and Opportunities and Fields of action and Key Priorities.
The result of the Experts’ brainstorm is displayed below in the photo gallery.
The following topics were prevailing in the presentations and discussions. They reflect the opportunities and potential focus areas for digitalisation in education policy in general but also for the ASEM Education Process.
- Digital literacy
- Lifelong Learning
- E-learning
- Open source (education)
- Skills (digital and 21st century skills): job-specific digital skills
- Digitalisation in VET system
- Blended learning
- Individualisation of learning paths: open badges, micro-credentials
- Global digital verification system for degrees/ awards
