SEAMEO membership will strengthen education initiatives between BC and South East Asia

 Vancouver, BC — The BC Council for International Education (BCCIE) has been formally approved by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Council to become an Affiliate Member of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). Affiliate Member status provides BCCIE and its stakeholders with opportunities to foster educational collaboration and partnerships between school districts and post-secondary institutions in BC with 26 SEAMEO regional centres across its 11 member states.

Established in 1965, SEAMEO is a regional intergovernmental organization that aims to promote regional cooperation in education, science, and culture in the South East Asian countries of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

BCCIE will function as an intermediary between SEAMEO centres and BC’s institutions and school districts in support of activities and partnerships relating to SEAMEO’s seven priorities:

• Early childhood care and education;
• Addressing barriers to inclusion;
• Resiliency in the face of emergencies;
• Promoting technical and vocational education and training;
• Revitalizing teacher education;
• Promoting harmonization in higher education and research; and,
• Adopting a 21st century curriculum.

BCCIE joins the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), University of Tsukuba, Japan, the British Council, China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), and Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) as Affiliate Members.

Quote:

Randall Martin, Executive Director, BCCIE

“With a collective population nearing 670 million, SEAMEO’s 11 member countries and 26 training centres offer BC’s education sector a compelling range of partners and projects to collaborate with. Our Affiliate membership will create new and help strengthen existing relationships between BC and South East Asia while expanding two-way mobility opportunities for students, teachers, and faculty.”

Links:

• For more information about SEAMEO, visit SEAMEO.org
• For more information about project collaborations with SEAMEO, visit bccie.bc.ca/programs/SEAMEO