As the realisation of the Asean community draws closer in 2015, member states are putting the finishing touches on years of preparations for integration within a new regional context. Their focus has been mainly on building stronger economic relations through closer transport, trade and investment ties, with an eye to gaining from the free flow of goods and labour.
But amid all the AEC hype, little attention has been paid to how educational and cultural institutions are responding to regional integration. According to Romano Prodi, a former president of the European Commission and former prime minister of Italy, social cohesion and human capital development are essential for regional cooperation to succeed.
“Getting a country ready for regional integration is an ongoing process that has to be done step by step. We need to begin with changing the common perspective and interest of the people," Mr Prodi told Asia Focus during a recent visit to Bangkok.
“It could start from trade and investment but it is also important to remember that getting the new generation geared up will create an enormous impact in the long run for the region as a whole.”
Mr Prodi was a keynote speaker at the fourth Asean event series “Bridges: Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace”, sponsored by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation and hosted in Thailand by Stamford International University.
Discussing his experience during the formation of European Union, he said “the less we talk about the past and the more we talk about the future” are the keys to strengthening the foundation of the region.
As a veteran European politician, Mr Prodi conceded that the European model of economic integration might not be one that others would want to replicate, given the euro zone’s current troubles. However, he noted that Asean and Asia could also learn from the many things that the EU has done right in other areas.
As the realisation of the Asean community draws closer in 2015, member states are putting the finishing touches on years of preparations for integration within a new regional context. Their focus has been mainly on building stronger economic relations through closer transport, trade and investment ties, with an eye to gaining from the free flow of goods and labour.But amid all the AEC hype, little attention has been paid to how educational and cultural institutions are responding to regional integration. According to Romano Prodi, a former president of the European Commission and former prime minister of Italy, social cohesion and human capital development are essential for regional cooperation to succeed.“Getting a country ready for regional integration is an ongoing process that has to be done step by step. We need to begin with changing the common perspective and interest of the people," Mr Prodi told Asia Focus during a recent visit to Bangkok.“It could start from trade and investment but it is also important to remember that getting the new generation geared up will create an enormous impact in the long run for the region as a whole.”Mr Prodi was a keynote speaker at the fourth Asean event series “Bridges: Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace”, sponsored by the Vienna-based International Peace Foundation and hosted in Thailand by Stamford International University.Discussing his experience during the formation of European Union, he said “the less we talk about the past and the more we talk about the future” are the keys to strengthening the foundation of the region.As a veteran European politician, Mr Prodi conceded that the European model of economic integration might not be one that others would want to replicate, given the euro zone’s current troubles. However, he noted that Asean and Asia could also learn from the many things that the EU has done right in other areas.
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