ASEAN to facilitate regional recognition of qualifications
The first meeting of the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF) Committee was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 9 to 10 February, 2017 to discuss work plans and priorities for the next two years.
“The AQRF is a valuable translation tool that will enable comparison of qualifications across the ASEAN Member States. Not only does AQRF help us understand, within a lifelong learning framework, the education and training systems of the Member States but it also facilitates recognition of qualifications across the region for purposes of student and worker mobility,” said Dr. Maria Cynthia Rose Banzon Bautista, former Chairperson of the AQRF Task Force.
The AQRF Committee serves as a high-level executive committee responsible for considering referencing reports submitted by each participating ASEAN Member State. The Committee is also responsible for promoting lifelong learning and quality assurance processes, addressing emerging regional and international qualifications framework issues, and capacity building.
“In many ways, the AQRF is also catalyzing the review, reform and continuous improvements of countries’ qualifications system,” added Dr. Bautista on the impact of AQRF to the region.
The AQRF was developed between 2013 and 2014 by a Task Force supported by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP). The Framework was endorsed by the ASEAN Economic Ministers and ASEAN Education Ministers in 2014, and by the ASEAN Labour Ministers in 2015.
Press-release at the official ASEAN web-site