ASEAN leaders since 1997 proposed the need for collective identity of citizens of ASEAN nations. Through the declaration of "ASEAN Vision 2010", they hope that the countries in Southeast Asia can care and share with each other.
Aware of this urgent need, ASEAN-12 Summit in Cebu, the Philippines, decided to accelerate the establishment of the ASEAN community, from the original plan of 2020 to 2015. "That's a deadline for the establishment of the market for goods, services, and a global workforce that is free in ASEAN," said Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, DAA, DEA, Wednesday (14/10) during an International Seminar & Workshop on 'ASEAN Vision 2020 in the Higher Education of Animal Science'.
According to Agus Ali, one of the major challenges of ASEAN community establishment is how to encourage public awareness to use and learn the importance of the community. Related to this, efforts to improve communication between ASEAN members are very important. The increased network will create understanding of what has been, is, and will be done.
In the field of education, various institutions established several years ago within ASEAN, such as SEAMEO (South East Asia Ministry of Education Organization), and AUN (ASEAN University Network), are not considered optimal in their roles. This is especially apparent in the implementation of programs that is on a more operational level.
Â
These conditions are not conducive for the management of higher education, including higher education in animal science, when challenges and demands are increasing. "Against such a background, it is deemed necessary for ASEAN forum to be more focused on cooperative development in operational areas of animal science," he said.
Therefore, the seminar and workshop that last two days, 14-15 October 2009, were expected to establish a forum/network of Southeast Asian higher education in animal science, called the South East Asia Network for Animal Science (SEANAS).
Six speakers scheduled to attend the event included Prof. Dr. Ir. Tri Yuwanta, S.U., D.E.A. (The Dean of Faculty of Animal Science, UGM), Prof. Dr. Suthut Siri (Head of Department of Animal Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Product, Maijo University, Chiang Mai, Thailand), Prof. Dr. Halimatun Yaakub (Head of Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia). Furthermore, Dr. Cesar C. Sevilla (Director of the Institute of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, UPLB at Los Banos, the Philippines ), Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Trach (Dean of Faculty of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam), and Prof. Dr. Zaelan Jelan (President of Malaysian Association of Animal Production).
The seminar and workshop which were attended by leaders of ASEAN and Indonesian university leaders as well as S1, S2, and S3 students were also expected to increase awareness of ASEAN community in 2015.