MEETING MALAYSIAN SCHOLARS: Khaled having a group photo with 13 Malaysian PHD students studying at Radison Royal Blue Hotel in Denmark. — AFP photo
COPENHAGEN: Malaysia has offered to host the Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Education (ASEMME) in 2013.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia conveyed the interest at the ASEMME preparatory meeting in January.
The status of Malaysia’s offer would be known at this ASEMME conference, he told Malaysian journalists Saturday after a meeting with Malaysian students in Denmark.
ASEMME, which gathers policy and decision makers in education from Asia and Europe, is a biennial conference.
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is scheduled to arrive here yesterday, will address the ASEMME plenary session today.
Khaled said that among the matters for discussion at this ASEMME, being convened at Axelborg Hall, was quality assurance and recognition of higher education in Asia and Europe, the involvement of industry and academia, the question of balancing the mobility of students, and lifelong learning.
He said these were issues always accorded attention by Malaysia as they could not be avoided in higher learning, particularly in a knowledge-based world where countries shifted towards an economy based on innovation.
Khaled said Malaysia’s participation in ASEMME provided the opportunity for the country to learn from European expertise and share experiences and approaches for common benefit as well as forge cooperation.
“In the knowledge era, we not only compete but also work together. We identify expertise, the strengths of particular countries. Then we forge cooperation,” he said. — Bernama