EURAXESS ASEAN participates in SPEAR Webinar

On 21 February 2024, EURAXESS ASEAN participated in the “Scholars Programme on EU-ASEAN Relations (SPEAR)” and webinar on " Enhancing EU-ASEAN People-to-People Interaction through Education and Research", organised by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to ASEAN. 

SPEAR was a series of eight online discussions/ sessions targeted at academicians in the ASEAN region, plus Timor-Leste. The programme provided an opportunity for around 20 selected academicians to increase their understanding of EU-ASEAN relations. SPEAR introduced participants to the ‘nuts and bolts’ of EU-ASEAN relations, served to expose participants to EU-ASEAN cooperation and informed them of latest developments in EU-ASEAN affairs.

Background:

European Union Relations with ASEAN have been going on for more than 40 years. The European Union’s interregional connections with the Southeast Asian region and ASEAN as a regional organisation are exemplified by such interaction. Relationships between regions, or interregional ties, are one of the supranational institution’s external relations with other regions throughout the globe. Three are three areas of priority in these relations: commerce, economic collaboration, and development cooperation. However, as times change, other domains—like the environment, technology, and education—also gain prominence. Additionally, the signing of the European Union and ASEAN Strategic Partnership Agreement on December 2020 also strengthened the relations between the EU and ASEAN.

Connectivity became the central theme of cooperation. Connectivity is also built through people-to-people interaction. Therefore, the education sector will be the main component to support such interaction. EU – ASEAN strategic partnership is expected to facilitate this idea.

More information about the webinar and SPEAR programme is available on the website of the Delegation of the European Union to ASEAN.