SHARE Conference in Phnom Penh: towards a intra-regional credit transfer in the ASEAN region

Institutions

As part of the SHARE project (European Union Support to Higher Education in ASEAN Region), Campus France and the French Institute in Indonesia organised an international conference on May 30 and 31, 2018 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The conference gathered over 150 participants from 16 different countries, and, allowed to present the work done by Campus France in the "transfer of academic credits" aspect. For the first time, students, international experts, representatives of universities and policy decision makers from Asia and Europe had the opportunity to meet and talk about the role of credit transfer and acknowledgment in higher education mobility.

One of the objectives of the conference was also to present the tools designed by a selection of international experts who worked with Campus France during the implementation of the program, and an accompanying guide for higher education institutions in the ASEAN region (SHARE Handbook on Credit Transfer).

The tools allow a follow-up of students from the selection of the host institution to the acknowledgement of higher education mobility. Campus France also supervised the work of an expert in IT for the development of an online plateform dedicated to mobility and credit transfer, and a converter for the acknowledgment and comparability of various credit system implemented in the ASEAN region, also compliant with the European ECTS. Mechanics and challenges were presented to the participants, who also used the conference to talk about their experiences and obstacles met, and solutions available.

Also to be noted that the conference was granted the "EHEA Paris 2018 – France in the Higher Education Europe" certification, a label delivered by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. This was reminded by Frédérique Vidal, French Minister in charge of Higher Education, in her opening speech of the European Ministerial Conference at the Sorbonne university on May 23.

Though the concept of the SHARE program never intended to force a specific pattern, it was inspired by the European experiences and the Bologna Process, by adapting the activities to the context and needs identified in the ASEAN region. Throughout the project, this helped value what is currently in place while facilitating the intra-regional acknowledgement of credits by developing academic mobility with Europe. So, thanks to this pilot experience, the European Union had the chance to increase its influence in a global region with strong potential in terms of academic exchange, and value its know-how thanks to the Bologna Process.

During the conference, the European consortium (British Council – head pilot, Campus France, DAAD, Nuffic, EUA and ENQA) in charge of the SHARE program was accompanied by the vice director for Education, Youth and Sports of the secretary of the ASEAN, main regional institutions dedicated to higher education, and delegations of the European Union in Phnom Penh and Jakarta. A significant delegation of the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports came to improve the reach of the conference.