European Studies in Asia (ESiA) Programme

The European Studies in Asia (ESiA) network was initiated to stimulate European studies in the Asian region by providing a reliable platform for exchange and co-operation between European studies academics both in Asia and Europe. As an all-inclusive network, ESiA embraces all academics, institutions and networks in the field of European studies in Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries. It endeavours to strengthen existing academic links in Asia as well as facilitate the creation of new synergies within Asia as well as between Asia and Europe, through networking meetings, academic collaborations and the use of online tools.

ESiA is a flagship initiative of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) under the framework of the ASEM Education Hub (AEH), co-organised in partnership with the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE). It is guided by an advisory group of 15 prominent academics representing European studies centres in Asia and Europe.

European Studies in Asia (ESiA) Website

ASEM Education Hub (AEH)

The ASEM Education Hub (AEH) promotes educational exchanges between Asia and Europe. It evolved from an idea first broached by Singapore at the ASEM II Summit, held in London, United Kingdom, in April 1998. The idea was to create a network of ASEM Education Hubs, comprising universities in Asia and Europe that could serve as centres of excellence in different academic fields relevant to Asia-Europe relations, and were willing to receive exchange students from other hub institutions for one or two semesters. The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) implemented the proposal in October 1998.

Several initiatives to promote inter-regional educational exchanges have since been developed under the ASEM dialogue process. Representatives of higher education institutions and other education stakeholder institutions of ASEM countries have, at the occasion of different meetings, re-affirmed the need for and benefits of cross-regional exchanges and co-operation in higher education among ASEM countries.

The experience since the establishment of the AEH shows that its concept and implementation criteria needed to be modified in order to go beyond the results obtained thus far. On that basis, as well as learning from other initiatives in the field of higher education co-operation, ASEF launched, in 2006, itsrenewed AEH initiative.

In order to foster closer higher education co-operation among ASEM member countries, the AEH has been developed to provide support to multi-lateral higher education co-operation initiatives and to act as a facilitator for higher education dialogue among ASEM countries, with AEH providing a platform for exchanges among stakeholders.

Concretely, the AEH combines different initiatives, including:

1. The ASEM Education Hub Advisory Committee, which gathers higher education experts and practitioners, to produce innovative ideas and provide the Hub with overall guidance.

2. The ASEM Education Hub Secretariat, based in ASEF, and composed of the Director for People-to-People Exchange, Project Executive responsible for Education, the AEH project Officer and the AEH Technical Advisor.

3. The AEH Thematic Networks, where each focuses on a particular field of study, in which they carry out concrete co-operative activities and projects, such as joint research and teaching.

4. An Annual Colloquium, which addresses topics of common concern and relevance for the higher education sector in ASEM countries.

5. The Database on Education Exchange Programme (DEEP), which fosters students mobility among ASEM countries by providing easy access to key information on the educational offerings in ASEM countries, as well as relevant contact details to help students take their study abroad project further.

ASEM Education Hub (AEH) Website