Asean universities must focus on quality to catch up with West

Lifelong learning and industry collaboration are also priorities for higher education in the region, says Choltis Dhirathiti

By Choltis Dhirathiti | Times Higher Education,  31 May 2022

Universities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have always been playing catch-up.

There are 6,500 to 7,000 higher education institutions in the region, but there is no consistency in terms of academic quality, citizens’ access to knowledge, university-industry partnerships, technological capabilities (especially for uses in personalised learning) and lifelong learning.