With the 5th ASEM Education Minister’s Meeting taking place on 27-28 April, Latvian Minister for Education and Science, Ms Mārīte SEILE, outlined for the ASEM InfoBoard the topics and importance of the ministerial meeting in Riga.

The ASEM Education Process was officially launched at the 1st ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting in 2008 in Berlin, Germany. What do you consider to be the core achievements of the ASEM Education Process since then?

Looking back at the last seven years, one can see a solid evolution in networking, mutual understanding and exchanges of experience at all levels, which I would name as the main benefits of the ASEM Education Process. We see an ongoing dialogue among all stakeholders - among Ministers, government officials, academics, rectors, students, and institutions seeking to encourage the ASEM Education Process. When there is a governmental dialogue in place, tangible and result-oriented activities can be organised to boost areas that can benefit both regions. Specifically, the ASEM Education Process has been focussing on boosting cooperation in the following issues: quality assurance and credit recognition to raise student mobility, enhancing academic cooperation, and adapting skills to meet the needs of the labour market.

Globalisation is one of today’s realities and one could say that the exchange of ideas, values and people would occur without government intervention. However, the ASEM Education Process has helped to intensify these exchanges immensely. Despite large distances between the regions, the ASEM family is growing. New member states are joining to commit to ASEM’s core values and current priorities, which is challenging, but also very rewarding. Over the years, we can witness the growth of ASEM events and they are becoming more result-oriented.

Latvia has been part of the ASEM Education Process since the very beginning, and our experience shows that when it comes to laying the foundations for formal or informal international cooperation, lasting quality agreements are reached by meeting in person. The ASEM Education Process has enabled and brought concrete cooperation forward to a large extent.

Education is a system of knowledge, skills and attitudes that nurtures respect towards others while maintaining respect towards the self.

Latvia will host ASEM ME5 on 26-29 April 2015 in Riga with the topic ASEM Education Collaboration for Results. What are the priorities of this meeting and how could these influence Asian and European education policies?

We look forward to examining future perspectives, main challenges and cooperation areas in the ASEM Education Process. Similarly, with the socio-economic challenges in both regions, we are going to touch upon the development of skills for better employability, as well as new learning technologies. Being an informal dialogue, the ASEM process mainly contributes through peer learning and experience sharing. Speaking of meeting outcomes, we also aim to set up specific, result-oriented initiatives that would benefit education policies in ASEM countries in light of mutual understanding, employability and general well-being.

In which areas do you see potential for Latvia’s engagement in strengthening the education cooperation between Asia and Europe?

We have thorough experience in the field of quality assurance, diploma recognition and development of innovative competences and entrepreneurship skills. Latvia has contributed mainly through active participation in the Recognition Bridging Declaration Working Group, the Working Group on Innovative Competences and Entrepreneurship Education and other ASEM initiatives which we have actively undertaken and supported. Over the past four months we have organised two ASEM-related working group meetings in Latvia, and for the past three years we have been working towards the 5th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting to be held in April in Riga. Our experience, as well as interest to develop the ASEM Education Process grows with each such event, and Latvia is ready to undertake the duties of the host in the future, too.

When the Education Ministers, representatives and delegates of the 53 ASEM members meet in Riga for the Ministerial Meeting, what do you think they should not miss during their stay?

For a country that lies as far North as Latvia, springtime is very inspiring – there is bountiful daylight and the nature awakens. Hence, I think the end of April is an excellent timing for a first visit to Latvia.

Latvians are very much about culture, and I am pleased that we have managed to draw up a program which will showcase it. Riga is the home city for many grand names in architecture, cinema, opera, ballet, theatre. Sergei Eisenstain, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Elīna Garanča, Kristīne Opolais, Maija Kovaļevska, Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Gidons Krēmers, Andris Nelsons, Alvis Hermanis, to name just a few, have left their imprint on the city.

Ms Marite SEILE is the Minister for Education and Science of Latvia and will chair the 5th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting (27-28 April 2015) in Riga.