What's next after Tokyo?

The 2nd day of the drafting meeting of the UNESCO/OECD on "Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education" concluded with many follow up works. As I said yesterday, only two student organizations were invited to this drafting meeting. I really wonder how can we have a better participation by the student.

Of course, the ASA always critical with the progress of the drafting meeting. Madhav represented the ASA in the first drafting meeting. I attended the 2nd drafting meeting and find it very important for the ASA to determine how the ASA participation in the UNESCO.

Each international conference have its roles. This drafting meeting assigned to develop the guidelines and the information tools. Both are the main goals of the drafting meeting.

Here I'd like to bring your attention to the conclusion of the meeting:

Developement of Guidelines
1. Harmonize the UNESCO and OECD preambles.
2. Integrate the importance of social relevance and capacity building in the guidelines.
3. Link the guidelines to the larger Higher Education (HE) policy framework.
4. Integrate more explicity the role of student bodies.

Development of Information Tools
1. The pilot project will be developed by the UNESCO/OECD secretariat for the discussion in the final drafting meeting in Paris, 17-18 January 2004.

There will be the complete and revised drafted guidelined available online in the mid of Novemeber 2004. The ASA will develop the monitor machanism for the development and be more outspoken and critical in the coming meeting in Paris.

Here, we are open to anyone of you who are interested to join this process. Please write to me and let's us make the guideline a difference that favor to the students.

Are you in? Paris is our next destination.