UNESCO-ICHEI Participates in SEAMEO Centre Directors Meeting 2026-UNESCO-ICHEI

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UNESCO-ICHEI Participates in SEAMEO Centre Directors Meeting 2026

2026.07.20

From 14 to 15 July 2026, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Centre Directors Meeting (CDM 2026) was held in Chonburi, Thailand. The SEAMEO CDM is the Organization's annual working meeting and serves as the principal mechanism through which the SEAMEO Secretariat and its regional centres coordinate their annual work.

The Meeting primarily focused on internal deliberations, including discussions and reviews of research reports, regional cooperation initiatives, and working papers submitted by the SEAMEO Secretariat and its regional centres. Participants included representatives from the SEAMEO Secretariat, directors and senior officials from SEAMEO's 26 regional centres, as well as a limited number of invited international partners.

At the invitation of the SEAMEO Secretariat, Mr. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director, and Mr. ZHANG Boyi, Programme Officer, from the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHE) attended the Meeting.

SEAMEO CDM 2026

On 14 July, Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a keynote presentation entitled "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Introduction to the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE)." Drawing on global trends in higher education, she highlighted how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping student learning, teaching practices, and university governance, and emphasized that higher education is entering a new era in the age of AI.

Against this backdrop, Ms. BI introduced UNESCO-ICHEI's global initiative, the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE), sharing its evolution from an online learning platform into a global ecosystem for higher education transformation. She also presented UNESCO-ICHEI's AI-oriented micro-certification framework designed to equip educators and learners with future-ready competencies.

Focusing on Southeast Asia, Ms. BI noted that while the region has made significant progress in digital transformation, faculty capacity development remains a critical challenge for advancing AI-enabled and digitally transformed higher education. She emphasized the importance of strengthening regional collaboration, capacity building, and resource sharing.

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a keynote presentation

Following this, Mr. Carlo Fernando, Learning Innovation and Information Specialist at the SEAMEO Secretariat, introduced the strategic role and future development plan of the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre.

Mr. Fernando noted that the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre, jointly established by the SEAMEO Secretariat and UNESCO-ICHEI, is one of the first two IIOE Regional Centres worldwide. The Centre will serve as a regional platform for collaboration on AI and digital transformation in higher education across Southeast Asia.

Leveraging UNESCO-ICHEI's global network and resourses in higher education innovation, together with SEAMEO's regional expertise, the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre will connect education ministries, higher education institutions, and international partners to promote resource sharing, knowledge exchange, and collaborative innovation, providing long-term support for the digital transformation of higher education in Southeast Asia.

As part of its initial implementation, the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre plans to establish two regional cooperation mechanisms within this year: the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Task Force and the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Network.

Mr. Carlo Fernando, Learning Innovation and Information Specialist at the SEAMEO Secretariat, delivered the presentation

On 15 July, the SEAMEO Secretariat and its regional centres convened to review and deliberate on the Organization's annual working papers. UNESCO-ICHEI attended the meeting as an observer.

Chaired by Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, the Meeting formally adopted the working paper entitled "Updates on the Establishment and Strategic Role of SEAMEO as International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) Regional Centre in Southeast Asia." The working paper formally defines the strategic role of the SEAMEO Secretariat as the co-establishing partner of the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre. It confirms that the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre will serve as a key coordination platform linking UNESCO-ICHEI's global IIOE ecosystem with regional priorities in Southeast Asia. SEAMEO Secretariat will work closely with UNESCO-ICHEI in three strategic areas: faculty digital capacity development, the establishment of a Regional Smart Learning and Innovation Classroom, and collaborative research and policy dialogue.

In closing remarks, Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim encouraged all SEAMEO regional centres to actively support the development of the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre and to work together in advancing the transformation of higher education across the region.

A Networking Session was also held alongside the Meeting. As a key partner of SEAMEO Secretariat, UNESCO-ICHEI was represented by Deputy Director Ms. BI Xiaohan and Programme Officer Mr. ZHANG Boyi, who engaged in extensive exchanges with representatives from SEAMEO regional centres and higher education institutions. Discussions focused on faculty digital capacity development, the IIOE global ecosystem, AI- enabled micro-certification programmes, and opportunities for regional collaborative research, laying a solid foundation for future cooperation.

Networking Session

UNESCO-ICHEI delegation also held an informal bilateral dinner meeting with Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, together with other SEAMEO colleagues. The two sides exchanged views on the future plan of the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre and explored priority areas for deepening collaboration.

Looking ahead, UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to work closely with the SEAMEO Secretariat through the IIOE Southeast Asia Regional Centre to advance AI-enabled innovation in higher education, foster an open, collaborative, and inclusive regional partnership ecosystem, and contribute to the high-quality development of higher education across Southeast Asia.

About the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is a regional intergovernmental organization established in 1965 by the governments of Southeast Asia to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture. Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, SEAMEO operates a network of specialized regional centres covering a wide range of fields, including tropical biology, language education, higher education, educational innovation, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET). SEAMEO is delicated is to advance regional development and mutual understanding through collaboration in education, science, and culture, while respecting the independence, diversity, and unique characteristics of the education systems of its Member States. SEAMEO currently comprises 11 Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam.

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