Multilateral and bilateral talks on education, research and innovation
Bern, 30.04.2015 - Switzerland is a member of the Asia-Europe Meeting ASEM, a forum founded in 1996 to encourage dialogue between Europe and Asia on economic, political, educational, cultural and environmental issues. Higher education and vocational training have been priority issues on the agenda since 2006, and have been addressed in detail at regular ministerial meetings since 2008. State Secretary Mauro Dell’Ambrogio represented Switzerland at the 5th Asia-Europe Meeting of Education Ministers (ASEM ME5) in Riga on 27 and 28 April. While there, and during an official visit to Finland that followed, he held fruitful talks with government and funding institution representatives.
ASEM is an informal platform for dialogue between European and Asian states. The aim of the ministerial meetings and biannual summits of heads of state and government is to discuss challenges and problems affecting both continents. It currently brings together 28 EU states, Norway, Switzerland and the European Commission, as well as the ten ASEAN states, Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Russian Federation and the ASEAN Secretariat.
The 5th Education Ministers’ Meeting in Riga on 27 and 28 April was chaired by the Latvian education and research minister, Marite Seile. In his opening address, the chair from the host country, Andris Bērziņš, stressed Latvia’s good cooperation in the field of education with countries which have strong vocational paths, such as Switzerland.
The aim of the meeting, held under the theme of ‘ASEM Education Collaboration for Results’, was to ensure a process of dialogue for the future and to exchange good practices, as well as to support activities in the interests of both regions. In the course of the meeting, emphasis was placed on the role of the ASEM education process for dialogue and cooperation within ASEM. In light of current global developments and their impact on education policy in ASEM countries, discussions covered subjects such as the contribution of ASEM education cooperation on developing skills for greater employability or the impact of rapid technological change on new teaching technologies in education and their influence on strengthening ASEM cooperation in education. The future prospects for ASEM education cooperation, the greatest challenges, opportunities and expected outcomes were also addressed at the meeting from a political perspective. Ministers underscored their desire to continue to develop and strengthen cooperation in the four key areas defined; these include quality assurance and recognition; inclusion of economic actors in education; balanced mobility and lifelong learning.
In the course of the ASEM meeting, State Secretary Mauro Dell’Ambrogio held talks with a number of counterparts including Marite Seile, the Latvian education and research minister and ASEM host. Latvia holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union until mid-2015. The talks covered bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of education, research and innovation.
During the trip to Finland which followed, Mauro Dell’Ambrogio met with Anita Lehikoinen, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education and Culture, and Pekka Soini, the Director General of the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation TEKES, the equivalent of Switzerland’s Commission for Technology and Innovation CTI. The two meetings served as opportunities to exchange news and information on education, research and innovation-related themes.Address for enquiries
Martin Fischer
Head, SERI Communication
Tel. 058 462 96 90
martin.fischer@sbfi.admin.ch
Publisher
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
http://www.sbfi.admin.ch
