Subregional collaboration in higher education: Harmonization and networking in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)

Abstract

This chapter looks at collaboration in higher education at the subregional level, focusing on harmonization and networking initiatives in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and highlighting the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) unique role in supporting higher education harmonization and networking. The author outlines challenges faced by ASEAN and discusses the potential contribution by the GMS program toward an integrated ASEAN community in the coming decade. The importance and need of higher education harmonization to pave the way for greater student and academic mobility in the GMS being linked with ASEAN is stressed. In addition, he introduces an ADB supported regional technical assistance on GMS higher education harmonization and networking and considers a proposal for establishing a Greater Mekong Regional University as a regional platform to facilitate higher education harmonization and networking.