What is SEAMEO ?
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) is a regional intergovernmental organization established in 1965 among governments of Southeast Asian countries to promote regional cooperation in education, science and culture in the region.
As an organization that has continued to nurture human capacities and explored the peoples’ fullest potential, the SEAMEO maintains its work and aspirations for development with peoples of the region to make lives better in quality and equity in education, preventive health education, culture and tradition, information and communication technology, languages, poverty alleviation and agriculture and natural resources.
The organisation's highest policy-making body is the SEAMEO Council, which comprises the 11 Southeast Asian education ministers. The SEAMEO Secretariat is located in Bangkok, Thailand.
Vision
The leading organization for enhancing regional understanding and cooperation in education, science and culture for a better quality of life in Southeast Asia
Mission
To enhance regional understanding, cooperation and unity of purpose among Member Countries for a better quality of life through the establishment of networks and partnerships, the provision of fora among policy makers and experts, and the promotion of sustainable human resource development
Motto
"Leading through Learning"
Core Values of SEAMEO
The Core Values of SEAMEO are:
Attitude
1. Respect for Cultural Diversity
2. Belief in People
3. Commitment
Character
4. Integrity
5. Professionalism
6. Collaborativeness
Behavior
7. Striving for Excellence
8. Proactiveness
9. Service-orientedness
Core Competencies
SEAMEO prides itself in its technical and scientific expertise in various fields of specialisation, its strength in governance and management, partnership, networking and collaborative skills. It sets the pace in research, creativity and innovative programmes in education, science and culture in the region.
SEAMEO strives for excellence in the following Core Competencies:
- Technical and scientific expertise in areas of specialisation
- Governance and management skills
- Collaborative partnership and networking skills
- Research, creativity and innovative skills
Strategic Goals
- To develop regional centres of excellence
- To provide relevant and responsive programmes that address national and regional issues in SEAMEO’s areas of specialization
- To strengthen the organisational capability to initiate and manage change and development to meet the challenges of globalisation
- To ensure continued financial viability
- To promote research and development (R&D) in education, science and culture and improve the dissemination mechanism
- To enhance collaboration among Member Countries and relevant organisations
- To be ASEAN’s strategic partner for the advancement of education, science and culture
- To facilitate the development of harmonized education standards
- To be a regional leader in the advancement of education, science and culture
Strengths
- The Organization is non-profit and not politically oriented
- SEAMEO has the largest grouping of country membership (11 Member Countries) in the region to deliver programmes in education
- Its flexibility and resilience has enabled it to meet the challenges posed by the fast changing political and socio-economic development in the region
- Its professional and technical programmes and activities that are often conducted on a regular scheduled basis are special and unique
- The Organization has built a strong infrastructure of extensive physical and equipment resources. Almost every Centre has its own campus, training, research and information dissemination, dormitory facilities to enable it to carry out its functions successfully and with quality
- Non-tangible resources of the Organization include its vast experiences, information, extensive network of contacts and linkages both nationally and internationally
- Its activities are focused on the universally appealing theme of human resources development including sustainable development. This helps make SEAMEO attractive to countries wishing to make contributions to sustainable development at the grassroots level in Southeast Asia
- The competence and experience of its personnel, complemented by the technical expertise provided by the SEAMEO Associate Member Countries and partner agencies, accounts for the quality and impact of its programmes and activities
- The regional characteristic of the Centres’ professional staff also contributes to the richness in experience and competence of every Centre to handle projects that it undertakes. SEAMEO activities are not limited to Member Countries within Southeast Asia but are also open to participants, programmes and activities from outside the region. Interactions in these activities further enrich the experiences of the participants as well
History
1965
The establishment of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) as a result of a meeting in Bangkok, 30 November, among the Ministers of Education of Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the then Republic of (South) Vietnam; the Chairperson of UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines; and the Special Adviser to the President of the United States of America. Indonesia was not present at this meeting but accepted the invitation and participated in the 2nd Conference of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education, Manila, 25-28 November 1966.
1966
The establishment of the first two SEAMEO Regional Centres:
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO RECSAM) in Malaysia
- SEAMEO Regional Language Centre (SEAMEO RELC) in Singapore.
1967
The establishment of :
1. SEAMEO Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA)
2. Four Centres of the SEAMEO Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (SEAMEO TROPMED), with a coordinating unit, the TROPMED Central Office in Thailand:
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Microbiology, Parasitology and Entomology (Malaysia)
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Community Nutrition (Indonesia)
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Public Health (Philippines)
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Tropical Medicine (Thailand).
1968
The establishment of SEAMEO Regional Centre for Tropical Biology (SEAMEO BIOTROP) in Indonesia.
The signing of the SEAMEO Charter by the Ministers of Education of Indonesia (Soemantri Hardjoprakoso), Lao (Leuam Insissienmay), Malaysia (Mohamed Khir Johari), the Philippines (Carlos P. Romulo), Singapore (Ong Pang Boon) and Thailand (ML Pin Malakul) on 7 February 1968, and later by Vietnam (Nguyen Van Tho), on 28 June 1968.
1970 The establishment of SEAMEO Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) in Vietnam.
1971
Cambodia, (then Khmer Republic), was accepted as a SEAMEO Member Country.
1973
The provision for Associate Membership in the SEAMEO Charter was established.
France became the first SEAMEO Associate Member Country.
The 8th SEAMEO Council Conference approved in principle by the creation of the Applied Research Centre for Archeology and Fine Arts (ARCAFA) in Pnom Penh. Subsequently, SEAMEO transferred ARCAFA to Thailand during the Civil War in Cambodia.
1973
Australia and New Zealand joined SEAMEO as the second and third Associate Member Countries.
1978
The SEAMEO Regional Project for Archeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA) was founded in Thailand.
1983
The 18th SEAMEO Council Conference in Penang, Malaysia approved the revision of the SEAMEO Charter to cover Affiliate Membership.
1984
Brunei Darussalam became the ninth Member Country.
The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) joined SEAMEO as the Affiliate Member.
1985
The SEAMEO SPAFA was reconstituted into a SEAMEO Regional Centre to be hosted by the Government of Thailand, maintaining SPAFA as the acronym.
1988
Canada was accepted as an Associate Member Country.
ACCC withdrew its Affiliate Membership status in favour of Canada's Associate Membership.
1990
The SEAMEO Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education (SEAMEO VOCTECH) was set up in Brunei Darussalam.
Germany became the fifth SEAMEO Associate Member Country.
1992
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam joined SEAMEO.
1993
The SEAMEO Regional Centre for Higher Education (SEAMEO RIHED) was established in Thailand.
The Netherlands became the sixth SEAMEO Associate Member Country.
1996
The SEAMEO Regional Training Centre (SEAMEO RETRAC) was founded in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
1997
The SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMEO SEAMOLEC) was set up in Indonesia.
1998
Myanmar became the 10th SEAMEO Member Country.
1999
The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) joined SEAMEO as an Affiliate Member.
2000
The SEAMEO Regional Centre for History and Tradition (SEAMEO CHAT) was inaugurated in Myanmar.
2005
Norway became the seventh SEAMEO Associate Member Country.
2006
The 41st SEAMEO Council Conference recognised the accession of Timor-Leste as the 11th SEAMEO Member Country.
2007 Spain became the eighth SEAMEO Associate Member Country in accession ceremonies during the 42nd SEAMEO Council Conference.
2009
The establishment of :
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Quality Improvement of Teachers and Education Personnel (QITEP) in Language in Indonesia
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Quality Improvement of Teachers and Education Personnel (QITEP) in Mathematics in Indonesia and
- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Quality Improvement of Teachers and Education Personnel (QITEP) in Science in Indonesia.
SEAMEO Regional Centre for Special Education (SEAMEO SEN) was established in Malaysia.
University of Tsukuba, Japan joined SEAMEO as an Affiliate Member.
2010
SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON) was established in Indonesia.
SEAMEO TROPMED Indonesia is restructured as SEAMEO Regional Center for Food and Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON).
The British Council joined SEAMEO as an Affiliate Member.
2011
Norway withdrew its Associate Membership.
The establishment of SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning (SEAMEO CELLL) in Vietnam.
2013
United Kingdom became the ninth SEAMEO Associated Member Country.
