EU, ASEAN TEAM UP TO BOOST EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH TIES WITH 9.3 MLN EURO INITIATIVE

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, July 18 (Bernama) – ASEAN and the European Union (EU) have launched a US$10.17 million (€9.3 million) programme – the Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCOPE) in Higher Education – aimed at enhancing student and academic mobility in ASEAN and fostering EU-ASEAN cross-regional university networks in research.

The programme, scheduled to run until January 2028, also aims to strengthen vocational education with a focus on the green transition, sustainability, and digitalisation.

The launching was officiated by ASEAN secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn and Ambassador of the European Union to ASEAN Sujiro Seam at the ASEAN headquarters here on Wednesday.

"These partnerships not only empower our future leaders but also serve as bridges that close divides and create equitable opportunities for all," Kao said.

Meanwhile, Seam said the SCOPE in Higher Education project is part of the overall EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCOPE) that was adopted by the EU in April 2023.

“Southeast Asia is a key region, and we want to further develop sustainable and trusted connections with ASEAN countries,” he said.

This year, through the Erasmus Plus programme, the EU granted Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s degree scholarships to more than 200 ASEAN students, allowing them to study in two or more European countries.

From 2014 to 2023, nearly 12,000 ASEAN students and scholars participated in short-term studies and teaching in Europe, while around 6,000 European students and scholars came to ASEAN for similar opportunities.

In research, the EU funded 90 grants through the Horizon Europe programme between 2021 and 2024, involving 109 institutions from ASEAN, with a total EU contribution of US$ 11.59 million (€10.6 million).

-- BERNAMA