The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented, wide-ranging and significant disruption to higher education, training and international mobility. For many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, higher education systems have struggled to adequately respond to local demands and needs for quality online and blended learning, and to provide more flexible, outcome-driven approaches to student learning.

The Tokyo Convention plays a key role to minimize further disruption to education by facilitating fair and transparent recognition of diverse modes of learning. In November 2020, fully respecting the autonomy of domestic decision-makers, Parties to the Tokyo Convention issued a joint Statement on COVID-19 to help to protect the rights of an individual to have their studies and qualifications recognized and assessed fairly and transparently, including those using non-traditional modes such as online and blended learning.

With generous support from the Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust (KFIT 2015–2023), UNESCO is working to further develop and implement regional quality tools to help facilitate cross-border mobility and fair recognition of skills and qualifications throughout the Asia-Pacific region (e.g. see the Seoul Statement, 2018). Building on KFIT-1 from 2015-2019, the specific objectives of current KFIT Higher Education Project are:

• Provide technical support to establish or improve higher education systems in the Asia-Pacific in accordance with policy coherence across qualification frameworks, quality assurance and recognition of qualifications by implementing regional quality tools;
• Strengthen the Asia-Pacific Network of National Information Centres (APNNIC) and assist Member States to develop or improve their NICs to promote transparent and fair information sharing in higher education among State Parties to the Tokyo Convention and relevant stakeholders;
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of regional quality tools and the role of NICs in the Asia-Pacific region in line with the Tokyo Convention.

To achieve these three objectives, UNESCO Bangkok is working to assess regional needs and encourage cost-sharing by Member States to develop sustainable solutions to implement the Tokyo Convention and related quality tools. For questions or to collaborate, please contact: [email protected].

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