Background of Establishment
In December 2013, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and ASEAN universities paid a joint visit to China. During their stay, the delegation have visited the Ministry of Education of the PRC, Tsinghua University, Tianjin University, Beijing Language and Culture University as well as Northeastern University, knowing about the educational policies, talent cultivation and the development of scientific research in Chinese universities. In particular, during their two-day visit in Tianjin University, the delegation expressed their expection to establish a long-term partnership with Tianjin University. The two sides reached a preliminary consensus on further cooperation.
In June 2014, Tianjin University, along with other universities in Excellence 9(abbreviated as E9) and representatives of ASEAN-China Centre, organized a joint visiting group of seventeen persons to five universities in Thailand and Indonesia including Chulalongkorn University (abbreviated as CU) and Indonesia Bandung Institute of Technology (abbreviated as ITB), and substantial developments upon the mutual cooperation have been achieved. This visit is a beneficial exploration by E9 for promoting international cooperation and exchanges, which offers a new chance for establishing international cooperation between higher engineering and technology education and also sets a foundation for various forms of exchanges s among Chinese universities and universities in ASEAN countries.
In September 2nd, 2014, the 2014 ASEAN-China University Presidents Forum on International Cooperation was held at the Guiyang International Eco-Conference Center of Guizhou Province, which was co-organized by ASEAN-China Center, SEAMEO RIHED, and E9 University Consortium, and supported by Guizhou Institute of Technology. During the seminar, within the framework of ACNET-EngTech, an agreement on cooperation and exchanges was reached between nine Chinese first-class universities of Technology in E9 and eight universities of ASEAN countries, and a Joint Statement of Establishing ACNET-EngTec (attached in the appendix) was signed by both sides. Both have agreed on items including course opening-up, liquidity of staff, scholarship for foreign students, the program of double academic degrees and sharing of information. All of these have lifted the curtain of substantial cooperation between universities of engineering and technology of China and ASEAN countries.
Through the forum, the nine elite Chinese engineering universities of the Excellent Alliance of Universities (E9) and the eight ASEAN universities came to an agreement regarding cooperation and exchange under the framework of ACNET-EngTech, laying a solid foundation for the two sides’ substantial collaboration. With the signing of the “The Joint Declaration of ASEAN-China on Establishing a Network for Cooperation and Exchange among Engineering and Technology Universities (ACNET-EngTech)”, they reached a consensus on the accessibility of courses, mobility programs, financial support, double degree programs, and information sharing.
