The 3rd AUN-AFS Webinar on Food Availability and Stability in the ASEAN Region explored the region’s growing vulnerability to climate change and its impact on the agricultural sector. Despite challenges faced by this sector, the third virtual event was a knowledge-sharing platform that explored adaptive measures practiced by ASEAN countries amidst the accelerating crisis. In addition to stronger policies that support the well-being of agriculture and increasing sustainable food production, experts called for joint academic programmes and research collaborations to deepen the region’s understanding of what is at stake if resilient food systems are not built.

Throughout 8 - 11 April 2025, the AUN-QA Training Workshop for Accomplishing Institutional Assessment (AUN-QA Tier 3 Training Workshop) was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand. This marked the return of the institutional level QA training that saw its last run over a year ago in March 2024. With the AUN-QA Institutional Assessments (IA) having also returned in 2024, and now continuing strong in 2025, the comeback of the Tier 3 Training Workshop complements the rising level of activities related to IAs within AUN-QA.

The AUN Dx Assessor Workshop held from 9 - 11 April 2025 at Prince Songkla University (PSU) conducted an inaugural training for the first batch of assessors as they are on track to becoming certified auditors. This important milestone towards strengthening digital infrastructures across higher education institutions in ASEAN imitated real auditing sessions through mock interviews and audit simulations which explored the full assessment cycle based on the AUN Dx Framework. A key takeaway from the workshop was the important role of evidence, achieved through recording and documenting progress and improvements by the assessed institution.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, universities and colleges across Southeast Asia/ASEAN are striving to offer high-quality, internationally recognised qualifications — from degrees and diplomas to certificates and micro-credentials. To stay ahead, institutions must transform their academic programmes to meet global standards while showcasing local strengths. This AUN-QEx Mastery Training Workshop is open to all higher education institutions in Southeast Asia/ASEAN looking to enhance their degree programmes and design curricula that attract international students. Participants will learn how to align their programmes with regional and global Qualifications Reference Framework (QRF) standards — ensuring relevance, quality, and global recognition.

In the lead up to April, the last Programme Assessment (PA) of March at AUN-QA was the 450th PA at De La Salle University (DLSU), which also opened the doors for participants of the 18th AUN-QA Assessor Training (Tier 2) to observe a live AUN-QA PA. Then in the first two weeks of April, AUN-QA conducted two PAs in Viet Nam, the 443rd PA at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and the 449th AUN-QA PA at Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH). With the aforementioned 3 PAs, a total of 10 study programmes were assessed in total.

The virtual “Youth Crime Prevention Through Sport – Theory of Change” workshop conducted on 31 March 2025 was a joint effort between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Alliance of Sport (AoS) to develop The Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention Initiative. With the workshop’s objective to create a “Theory of Change”–a framework identifying why a change is expected to happen under a specific context–the role of sports in youth crime prevention will be explored and discussed. ASEAN University Network’s role bridges the gap between the higher education sector, the justice system and the sports community. Sports, with its ability to initiate and foster a community of trust, can serve as a tool that discourages youth from resorting to harmful practices.

Join the Mastery Training Workshop on Qualifications Excellence—a 3-day intensive programme organised by the ASEAN University Network (AUN) through its AUN Qualifications Excellence (AUN-QEx) initiative, in association with Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization’s (SEAMEO) Regional Centre specialising in higher education and development (RIHED).

As we approach the final year of the post-phase season (March 2023–2026), AUN/SEED-Net continues to thrive, fostering impactful collaborations in research, education, and innovation across the ASEAN region. In this Japanese fiscal year 2025, we are delighted to share the latest milestones achieved under our key programs.

Throughout 20 to 26 March, the first AUN-QA Assessor Training Workshop (AUN-QA Tier 2 Training) of 2025 has started the year in the Philippines, with De La Salle University (DLSU) lending great support to the workshop. DLSU has graciously opened its doors at the 450th AUN-QA Programme Assessment to allow trainees of the workshop to experience the assessment process in a live environment. Even now, in the 18th run of the Tier 2 workshop, AUN-QA’s sequential process of conducting a workshop first to learn the QA assessment process followed by an observation of an official AUN-QA PA remains a strong combination over the years for introducing QA systems and processes for interested practitioners.