Writing for Improving : Cambodian Students to the Second ASEAN Mobility Forum in Yangon, Myanmar

Cambodian Students to the Second ASEAN Mobility Forum in Yangon, Myanmar

The Second ASEAN Student Mobility Forum was held on 28-29 August 2018 in Yangon, Myanmar, bringing 170 participants, 130 of whom were students. Cambodia sent five SHARE student alumni along with two International Relations Office staff from Royal University of Phnom Penh and one representative from Ministry of Education.

Photo: SHARE

The forum aims to “empower the participating students to positively influence the development of an ASEAN identity in all ASEAN countries, through mobility programmes that enable students to experience life and study in another country.” Plenary and Parallel sessions were run throughout the forum. Some significant plenary sessions included “How a Mobility Opportunity Has Changed Me” and “ASEAN Debate: the case for a mobility driven common higher education” and parallel session on “Why mobility” allowed students to raise their voices regarding specific topic of each session.

Cambodian student delegation was enthusiastically active in contributing to the forum. The student delegates shared their mobility experiences, including challenges and opportunities that were received from their mobility during the first session of the forum; led the parallel discussion on Why Mobility: What’s in it for me?; and shared the outcomes from the parallel discussion to the forum. More importantly, Cambodian delegation participated in the ASEAN Debate: the case for a mobility driven common higher education to discuss on the Student Joint Statement.

Photo: SHARE

The roles of Cambodian student delegation were noticeably important for the forum. We brought concerns from Cambodian perspectives to be heard by experts and discussed altogether for solutions. We also contributed to the most important document of the forum, which is the Joint Student Statement that is to be submitted to the ASEAN Senior Official Meeting (SOMED) through ASEAN Secretariat. The Student Joint Statement was intensively drafted prior to and discussed during the debate session. The Joint Student Statement draft includes (1) the benefits of mobility in the ASEAN region, (2) the challenges of mobility in the ASEAN region and (3) recommendations. All the concerns in the statement are directed to three levels: (A) Students, (B) Higher Education Institutions and (C) National and Regional Bodies.

The forum is important for students to raise their voices on matters of higher education and student mobility. To students, it is recommended that they be more active in contributing to higher education and student mobility through obtaining better knowledge and initiating and joining educational activities where their actions and voices can influence or make positive changes on the progress.