APRU presented members’ collective capabilities at the Second APEC Senior Official’s Meeting
May 19, 2016
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(L-R) Christina Schönleber, APRU Program Director (Asia-Pacific Issues), Daria Rybakova, Acting HRDWG Lead Shepherd (Russia), Anastasia Sviridova, Member of the HRDWG (Russia)

 

APRU presented and connected APRU’s members’ collective capabilities in education, research and innovation with high level policy development in the Asia-Pacific region, through active participation at the Second APEC Senior Official’s Meeting (SOM2) in Peru from 6-12 May 2016.

APRU was one of the few external organisations invited to contribute to the meetings taking place in Arequipa, Peru. Christina Schönleber, APRU Program Director (Asia- Pacific Issues) represented APRU at the Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG), the Education Network (EDNET) and Policy Partnership on Science Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) meetings. She presented on APRU and highlighted the relevance of its education, and research programs and activities to APEC’s strategic objectives for education and science & technology development in the Asia Pacific. Publication of the first APRU Impact Report taking place in July this year was also announced to delegates from the 21 economies.

The HRDWG and EDNET play a key role in the High Level Policy Dialogue on Capacity Building. Deputy Lead Shepherd, Darya Rybakova welcomed APRU’s active participation in the meetings and encouraged delegates to take advantage of APRU’s three-year guest status to the groups which provides a direct pathway for APRU to contribute its expertise on higher education and STI research and policy development. In particular, the EDNET and PPSTI endorses, develops projects and influences policy development highly relevant to APRU member universities.

Over the course of the meetings, potential project collaborations between APRU and delegates from the APEC Secretariat and attending economies were discussed. For example, the APRU Impact Report sits well alongside the Baseline Report on Current Education Status in the Asia Pacific Region. A number of discussions in relation to research mapping and framework development collaborations have started in addition to exploring the possibility of linking up with a number of APEC research initiatives to leverage and build on collaborative research expertise.