Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and President of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), attended the 6th ASEF Rectors' Conference (ARC6) held in Singapore on 12-13 October 2017. The conference, organized by the Singapore Management University and the Asia-Europe Foundation, carried the theme "Future Universities and Graduate: Quality Education Beyond the Horizon." It gathered over 200 delegates representing academia, governments, business and industry, as well as international and non-governmental institutions across Asia and Europe. ARC6 focused on the following areas: (a) Interdisciplinary research and education, (b) Lifelong learning, and (c) Access to Education.
The ASEF Rectors' Conference, which was established in 2008, has been an annual platform for discourse among academic leaders, education experts, business representatives, and policy makers in discussing relevant issues in higher education in Asia-Europe, as contributory to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals 4 (inclusive and quality education) and 8 (decent work and economic growth).
As a result of the 6th ASEF Rectors' Conference, policies aimed toward (1) forward-looking institutional missions, (2) connecting learning and teaching, research and service to society in response to local and global challenges, (3) lifelong learning as a key mission of future-ready universities, and (4) quality education for all were recommended, for deliberation during the 6th Asia-Europe Education Ministers' (ASEM) Meeting on 21-22 November 2017 in Seoul, Korea. (MDCuling)
