The strategy
The strategy analyses the expected scenarios in ASEAN in 2015 and their impacts to Thai people and Thai higher education system. The liberalisation of trade in education services and the future employment in ASEAN are among the important scenarios in the strategy. The liberalisation of trade in education services will increase the flow of education services in both electronic and tradition. Hence, the OHEC expected the increasing mobility of student and degree programme in the region. The mobility of student includes the vertical (going aboard for higher degree) and horizontal (going aboard for the part of the expecting degree) mobility. While the mobility of programme consists of joint programme, on-line programme, and the establishment of foreign institutions in the region. The future employment in ASEAN will require the graduates to have additional skills apart from their professional skill such as English and other languages used in ASEAN and inter-cultural skill.
Hence, the strategy strongly encourages higher education institutions to produce the graduates of international quality who equipped with professional skills, language skill and inter-cultural skill. To fulfill this ambition, the strategy calls for a reform of languages education, an additional student mobility programme, which emphasises on the credit transfer, and a cultural exchange programme.
The strategy also gives a high priority to strengthening higher education institutions, curricula and faculty members. The liberalisation of trade in education services is an opportunity for higher education institutions and Thailand to welcome more foreign students especially from ASEAN member countries. Yet, according to the strategy, the higher education institutions have to enhance a quality of faculty members, curricula and facilities to meet an international standard. In addition, the Thai Education International Office (TEI) should be established to facilitate and promote Thai higher education aboard.
Apart from the students, higher education institutions and faculty members, the strategy also focuses on an enhancing the role of Thai higher education system in ASEAN bearing in mind that Thailand has to take a leading role in ASEAN higher education.
The strategy encourages the OHEC to work closely to regional agencies such as ASEAN University Network and SEAMEO RIHED on a harmonisation of ASEAN higher education system. The harmonisation will cover the quality assurance, qualifications frameworks, credit transfer and other related issues. Besides, the ASEAN higher education information clearing house must be developed to support the process.