In the wake of the First World War, a group called the Confédération Internationale des Étudiants pioneered the first systematic and extensive student exchanges with the noble intention of improving international relations and laying down the foundations of peace and stability.
The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific, and UNESCO as a whole, and the UN system worldwide, have taken comprehensive action to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on education systems while acknowledging continuing challenges in addressing learning loss, potential dropouts, and the disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable learners.
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is a vital cog in creating and maintaining a highly skilled workforce and cultivating lifelong learning. By establishing the ASEAN TVET Council (ATC) in 2020, ASEAN reinforces its commitment to developing the region’s human resources to meet the future of work. Director-General Isidro S. Lapeña of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), as inaugural Chair of the ATC, discusses ATC’s plans for expanding and raising the quality of TVET in the region.
How do countries produce creative and innovative learners? With Singapore consistently on the Global Innovation Index’s list of top 10 most innovative countries since 2013, The ASEAN asked Singapore Education Minister Lawrence Wong to share the country’s strategies for creating a culture of innovation and facilitating innovative solutions to crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outstanding ASEAN citizens and organisations that have gone the extra mile to serve, empower, and advance their communities are gaining well-deserved recognition.
On 17 July 2020, Sean Luke Dado, his wife Hazel, their two daughters, and grandson fell ill and later tested positive for COVID-19. Another grandson was spared from the disease. In just 14 days, Sean lost his college sweetheart and wife of 29 years.
The ASEAN asked Sean questions about the unimaginable pain and loss COVID-19 caused his family. He chose to reply with a letter he wrote to his wife. Sean posts messages to Hazel on social media, sometimes sharing the mundane, happy events of the day, often talking about how the family tries to cope without her.
Hazel is one of at least 46,000 who have succumbed to COVID-19 in the ASEAN region. Sean agreed to tell his story because he says, “I think it’s important to connect faces and stories to all the numbers and statistics, so that people will remain aware that COVID-19 causes real and lasting human suffering.”
Indonesian Yudi Yastika and Filipina Riza Jurada first met on a cruise ship, Carnival Miracle, that sailed from Florida in the US to Mexico, Belize, Hawaii, Colombia, and other routes.
Riza and Yudi had been working on the cruise ship for three years before they finally met. They officially became a couple in August 2019 and it did not take long for them to decide to tie the knot.
The pandemic hit the cruise industry hard, and Riza had to fly home to Manila. Unable to work on board because of an accident, Yudi remained in Bali. Now, travel restrictions are keeping them apart, forcing them to hold off dreams of a wedding this year.
Since its founding, ASEAN’s most tangible achievement has been the preservation of peace and stability that is bolstered by a strong sense of goodwill and enduring cooperation among the region’s defence establishments.
The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) reflects the ASEAN Member States’ strong commitment to reduce disaster losses and respond to emergencies in the region in a collaborative manner.
