ASEAN and the European Union (EU) launched a new programme called the Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCOPE) in higher education at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday, EEAS reports.
The launching ceremony of the SCOPE programme in higher education was attended by Dr Kao Kim Hourn, ASEAN Secretary General, and Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN.
The programme aims to strengthen sustainable ties between the EU and ASEAN and within ASEAN itself. The programme will support all ASEAN Member States and will be funded at €9.3 million until January 2028. It also aims to strengthen student and academic mobility in ASEAN, develop inter-regional EU-ASEAN university networks in research and strengthen vocational education with a focus on green transition, sustainability and digitalisation.
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, said:
“The collaboration between ASEAN and the EU through this programme will undoubtedly enrich our educational landscapes, fostering mutual understanding and driving collective progress. These partnerships not only empower our future leaders but also serve as bridges that close divides and create equitable opportunities for all.’’
Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN, said:
“Southeast Asia is a key region, and we want to further develop sustainable and trusted connections with ASEAN countries. People-to-people connectivity and investment in education and research are key components of the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership. Today, we celebrated the launch of the SCOPE Higher Education programme and explored avenues to further develop this cooperation in the context of the EU Global Gateway Strategy, working with partners for the betterment of our regions and their people.”
Sustainable connectivity is a key priority area for EU-ASEAN co-operation. The SCOPE project on higher education is part of the overall EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package (SCOPE), which was adopted by the EU in April 2023. In addition to the higher education project, the SCOPE package – with a total commitment of €60 million – will cover other sectors such as trade, intellectual property rights, air and maritime transport, digital connectivity, energy and investment.
The SCOPE programme is part of the Global Gateway, a new European strategy to promote sustainable investment and connectivity around the world by promoting smart, clean and secure connections in climate and energy, digital, health, transport, education and research around the world.
SCOPE’s higher education programme builds on the success of the EU’s Support for Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE) programme, which awarded 590 scholarships for intra-ASEAN and ASEAN-European studies and organised over 1,600 virtual exchanges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, under the Erasmus Plus programme, the EU awarded joint Erasmus Mundus Master’s scholarships to more than 200 students from ASEAN countries, enabling them to study in two or more European countries. From 2014 to 2023, almost 12,000 ASEAN students and scholars have participated in short-term study and teaching in Europe, and around 6,000 European students and scholars have travelled to ASEAN for similar opportunities.
In the field of research, the EU funded 90 grants under the Horizon Europe programme between 2021 and 2024 involving 109 institutions from ASEAN, with a total EU contribution of €10.6 million.
