SEAMEO Center Policy Research Network Summit (CPRN) 6-9 March 2023, SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang Malaysia.
Dr. Songheang Ai, director of SEAMEO TED has attended the SEAMEO Policy Research Network Summit organized by SEAMEO RECSAM, Malaysia as a presenter and session moderator. He presented the research study titled “Exploring Positive Classroom Climate Factors for Technical Education in the SEAMEO Country Region”. The findings revealed four positive factors consisting of teachers’ effective instructional management (TIM), student Learning (SL), students’ interpersonal skills (SIS), and teachers’ professional practices (TPP). The summit purposes are 1) to strengthen SEAMEO Policy Research Network and Capacities 2) to share best practices of SEAMEO Policy Research Studies from center to center; 3) to enhance better cooperation among centers in terms of flagship programs and projects; and 4) to seek supports and cooperation from relevant partners in project implementation.
The plenary session was followed by three breakout sessions separated into three different specialization domains namely Education, Science, and Culture. Dr. Ai has moderated a breakout session for Education consisting of 12 SEAMEO regional centers to initiate cooperative projects or activities for further implementation between center and center, and to explore challenges and recommendations. For example, Green School was proposed and led by SEAMEO RECSAM, cooperated by SEPS, VOCTECH, SEAMOLEC and TED. Learning City was proposed by CELLL, cooperated by RECSAM, SEPS, TED, QIL, QIS, CED, VOCTECH, SEAMOLEC and SEN. Digital Transformation was proposed by SEAMOLEC, cooperated by INNOTECH, QIL, QIM, VOCTECH and SEN. Green Technology was proposed by VOCTECH, cooperated by TED.
The summit was resultant as follows:
- Each research study should come out with a policy brief to support interpretation and implementation of empirical findings for policy makers and decision makers
- One policy maker from each SEAMEO country member should be invited for the next CPRN for their engagement and supports
- To ensure quality controls of research studies and projects, the guideline for next CPRN should be developed
- The next CPRN secretariat for 2024 and 2025 will be VOCTECH Brunei Darussalam.
Finally, all participants as SEAMEO regional center directors, officials and SEAMEO Secretariat director agreed to follow the summit results and promised to meet again for the next CPRN in Brunei Darussalam in 2024.