Dutch Government Will Fund SEAMEO VOCTECH Project
By Cora Sampang

Bandar Seri Begawan - The ‘Research Networking and Capacity Building Programme for Higher Education Institutions involved in Vocational and Technical Education in Southeast Asia' received a grant decision from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 29.

The programme is a project proposal by the Seameo Voctech Regional Centre. This was recently disclosed by Centre Director Mohamad bin Abu Bakar. Education and Development Division Head A.J. Schuthof announced the approval of the proposal on behalf of the Minister for Development Cooperation.

The International Institutes Cooperation Programme is one of the education programmes of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Development Cooperation.

Accordingly, this programme finances higher education projects with a regional or multi-country focus, and in which the activities are demand-driven.

Furthermore, the programme may finance a combination of activities in the fields of policy development, research in higher education, capacity building, higher education management, as well as training of trainers, curriculum development, short courses, Master's Degrees, Ph.D. programmes, seminars, staff and management training and scholarships.

The programme further stipulates that for each project, at least one of the beneficiary countries must be a bilateral partner country for the Dutch Development Cooperation. Based on these foregoing statements on September 14, 2006, Seameo Voctech - being one of the 16 centres/network under Seameo, with the Netherlands as one the Associate members - was invited to write in its programme proposal. In this connection, the director added, "With Seameo Voctech's mandate in strengthening and improving vocational and technical education and training, particularly focusing on human resource development in SoutheastAsia, this concern paved the way towards achieving the grant decision."

The grant period will run from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009, a -period of three years. Setting meetings and communications to all concerned, Seamen countries will thus commence early next - year.

"Matters on obligations attached to the grant have been stipulated with which we at the centre are bound to comply. Since its establishment, this is the biggest funded project - amounting to more than half a million US dollars - that has been received by the centre.

"The impact of these projects is that, all beneficiaries in the region, including Bruneian VTET instructors and teachers will take active participation and exposure in research and in the training programmes within these three year period.

"We thank the Netherlands government for approving our projects, the result of the management's concerted and collaborative efforts," the director added.

The approved programme has two-pronged components: 1 - Southeast Asian Vocational Education Research Network 2 - Capacity Building for Administrators/ Instructors/Teachers of Universities, Colleges and Polytechnics offering VTE. The first component will thus, focus on establishing a VTET research network or association, which will be known as the Southeast Asian Vocational. Education Research Network (SEAVERN).

This research network will be the avenue for collaboration among researchers in Southeast Asia that will generate, manage, and disseminate information based on research activities.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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