The ASEM Education Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) was held in Bucharest in November, preparing for the next Ministerial Meeting (ASEMME10)
Senior Officials from (Higher) Education Ministries of 11 Asian and 13 European partners, along with representatives from ASEM stakeholder organizations, met on November 18-19, 2025, in Bucharest, Romania, under the theme “Connecting Education. Fostering collaboration between Asia and Europe”.
This meeting was hosted by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research and the Romanian Erasmus+ National Agency, and it prepares – together with other meetings and initiatives – for the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Education (ASEMME10), which will be held in late 2026 in the Philippines under the theme “Sustainability and Solidarity: Navigating Our Future Together through Asia-Europe Higher Education Cooperation.”
Four keynotes on “Regional and Interregional Cooperation in Higher Education” highlighted activities, themes, and opportunities for cooperation between Asia and Europe. Two of the presentations were from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) perspective, discussing the work of the Coordination Group on Global Policy Dialogue and cooperation in Quality Assurance. The Asian keynotes focused on the development of the Common Space in Southeast Asian Higher Education and activities carried out by Malaysia during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.
The more than 70 participants discussed in interactive workshops on 1. Regional cooperation processes and their role in shaping and transforming Higher Education; 2. Lifelong Learning with a focus on Micro-credentials; and 3. Mobility and internationalisation as instruments to build bridges between Asia and Europe.
In 2026, the Stocktaking Report for 2024-2026, which will compile projects and initiatives connecting Asia and Europe in higher education, will be drafted, alongside the ASEMME10 Chair’s Conclusions. These documents will lay the groundwork for the ASEM Education Process’s cooperation activities during the upcoming period.
Materials from SOM1 can be found on the ASEM Educations Process’ website.
- ASEF ARC10 Policy Dialogue on Reimagining SDGs and Education Post-2030
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF, the only permanently established institution of ASEM with headquarters in Singapore), together with the ASEM Education Secretariat, organised a Policy Dialogue on Reimagining SDGs and Education Post-2030 at the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest, Romania on 20-21 November within the 10th ASEF Regional Conference on Higher Education (ARC10) with Asian and European participants exchanging views on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
The ASEF Regional Conference on Higher Education (ARC) is the official dialogue partner of the Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers for Education (ASEMME) and the only bi-regional multi-stakeholder dialogue platform for university and student leaders, policymakers and ministers to discuss higher education issues and shape the education landscape in Asia and Europe.
A previous Policy Dialogue with the EHEA ”Bridging policymakers from Asia and Europe” had been organised in September 2023 in Rome together with the Coordination Group on Global Policy Dialogue.
- ASEFInnoLab6 “Universities’ Role in Developing Skills for an AI-Powered Future”
One part of this year’s ASEFInnoLab6 under the theme “Universities’ Role in Developing Skills for an AI-Powered Future” was held for the first time in Europe, Košice, Slovakia on 1-5 December 2025. The ASEM Expert Group on Digitalisation & Artificial Intelligence once again collaborated with this initiative, contributing to the meeting through a panel discussion and further inputs.
The ASEF Higher Education Innovation Laboratory (ASEFInnoLab) with a focus on Artificial Intelligence gives opportunities for higher education stakeholders from Asia and Europe to meet, learn from each other, and build capacity to collaboratively address common global challenges.
This year’s edition focuses on Micro-credential programmes and Academic Papers, with participants engaging in multiple online and in-person discussions about the essential role that universities play in preparing skills for an AI-driven future. Key topics included anticipating emerging needs, creating inclusive and accessible learning pathways, and fostering interdisciplinary connections that link academic knowledge with practical applications. By prioritising AI skills foresight and literacy, ASEFInnoLab6 addresses the urgent global need for academic institutions to stay ahead of – and contribute to – shaping the direction of AI development.
| The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was established in 1996 and has 53 partners, consisting of 51 partner countries (21 from Asia and 30 from Europe) and two institutional partners (the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat). ASEM works to strengthen cooperation across political, economic, and social, cultural and educational sectors.
The ASEM Education Process was launched in 2008 when the ASEM Ministers for Education met for the first time – at the ASEMME1 in Berlin – to create a unique platform for interregional cooperation on education between Asia and Europe and to foster interregional dialogue. Since its establishment, eight further ASEMMEs have taken place alternating between Asian and European host countries. The last one was held in Malta in 2024 (ASEMME9). The rotating ASEM Education Secretariat is currently hosted by CIMEA in Rome, Italy. In this period four Expert Groups on 1. SDGs & Education, 2. Recognition & Balanced Mobility, 3. Lifelong Learning & TVET, and 4. Digitalisation & Artificial Intelligence are meeting regularly to exchange knowledge and develop the ASEM Education Process further. Experts are nominated by their respective national authorities. |