ASEAN and the EU Support Sustainable Connectivity with a Higher Education Program

Achieving sustainable development requires collaborative actions. Building connections between countries is crucial, including establishing research networks in higher education. To support this, ASEAN and the European Union launched the Sustainable Connectivity Package in Higher Education.

EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) defines connectivity as “bringing countries, people, and societies close together” by fostering deeper economic, institutional linkages, and socio-cultural ties between Asia and Europe. ASEM is an intergovernmental process established in 1996 to promote equal partnership between the two regions on issues of common interests, including political, economic, social, cultural, and educational issues.

A study by the European Commission found that countries with better connectivity are associated with lower poverty levels, more students in tertiary education, and more inclusivity for minorities. This is because connectivity and sustainable development agendas between connected countries have the potential to reinforce one another mutually. Therefore, sustainable connectivity, a concept that links connectivity with sustainable development, became one of the EU’s priorities in ASEAN.

The SCOPE-HE Program

On 17 July 2024, ASEAN and the European Union launched the Sustainable Connectivity Package Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) program in Jakarta, Indonesia. With a funding value of €9.3 million, the program aims to support students and academic mobility in ASEAN, cultivate the EU-ASEAN university research network, and strengthen vocational education focusing on green transition, sustainability, and digitalization.

The European Union has built various scholarship and research program partnerships with ASEAN Member States, including Erasmus Plus for Master’s degree scholarships and Horizon Europe for research grants.

The SCOPE-HE builds on the success of a similar program called SHARE (Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region), which awarded 590 intra-ASEAN and ASEAN-Europe scholarships and facilitated over 1,600 virtual exchanges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SCOPE-HE will last until January 2028.

Bridging Opportunities

“People-to-people connectivity and investment in education and research are key components of the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership,” said Sujiro Seam, EU Ambassador to ASEAN, on the program launching day. Building sustainable connectivity, especially in education and research, will streamline knowledge exchange between countries in both regions and, therefore, can strengthen sustainability-related policies and implementation.

The SCOPE-HE program is part of the larger SCOPE project adopted by the EU in April 2023. The project aims to prioritize sustainable connectivity and will cover other sectors such as trade, intellectual property rights, air and maritime transport, digital connectivity, energy, and investments.

“These partnerships not only empower our future leaders but also serve as bridges that close divides and create equitable opportunities for all,’’ said Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

Kresentia Madina

Reporter at Green Network Asia | Website | + posts

Madina is the Assistant Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Green Network Asia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Studies from Universitas Indonesia. As part of the GNA In-House Team, she supports the organization's multi-stakeholder engagement across international organizations, governments, businesses, civil society, and grassroots communities through digital publications, events, capacity building, and research.