BCCT, in collaboration with AustCham, cordially invites you to BCCT/AustCham Briefing on ASEAN Needs Vocational Skills Boost - Now on Tuesday 21st August at British Business Centre, Wireless Road. 

With the whirlwind changes in the technological landscape, economic restructuring and industrial upgrading, changes are inevitable for ASEAN vocational education sector to catch up. These changes are known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This talk is interested to understand the contours of this Fourth Industrial Revolution in ASEAN - how it plays out and what it implicates ASEAN education in general and vocational education in particular. Given ASEAN historical focus on higher education, what does the need for skilled technicians means to industries, schools and students? The talk gives a theoretical background to this change and examines country-specific policies to understand the changing landscape of vocational education in the region. Examples of public-private partnership initiatives will be highlighted to underscore the need for greater collaboration between different stakeholders to bring together a successful and sustainable ASEAN. 

Event details:

About the speaker: 

Rattana Lao is a Program Officer in Policy and Research at the Asia Foundation. She obtained a doctorate in Comparative and International Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and the author of "A critical studies of Thailand's higher education reform: The culture of borrowing", which was published by Routledge in 2015. Rattana is an experienced policy analyst with experience researching on higher education reforms in Thailand, autonomous university policy and private tutoring. She has worked with the HEAD Foundation Singapore, International Labour Organization and the Open Society Foundation. Prior to joining the Asia Foundation, Rattana was the Head of the Thai Studies International Program, Pridi Banomyong International College.