The ASEM Rectors’ Conference and Students’ Forum (ARC) is a bi-annual conference series that recognised as an Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM ME). ARC is also one of the initial commitments to the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), which is the successor to the United Nations Decade of ESD (2005-2014). It is one of the few existing large-scale inter-regional projects that aim to advance ESD-related policies.

Themed “Employability: Asia & Europe Prepare the New Generation”, ARC5 focused on helping young people to be better equipped with employability skills and better prepared for the labour market.

Specifically, ARC5 achieved its aims to:

  • Develop and contribute with Policy Recommendations to the 6th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM ME6)
  • Propose and implement ASEM perspectives on higher education’s responsibilities in advancing socio-economic development
  • Promote ASEM education cooperation among civil society stakeholders and reinforce their role in the official ASEM Education Process
  • Strengthen the dialogue among ASEM education stakeholders by creating linkages between universities, the business and industry sector, governments and local communities
  • Stimulate partnerships among universities across ASEM countries