University of Hawaii hosts APEC conference on quality in higher education

Participants from 20 APEC economies to attend; U.S. DOE's Eduardo Ochoa is invited speaker

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Lynne Waters, (808) 956-8109
External Affairs and University Relations
Kristen Bonilla, (808) 956-5039
External Affairs and University Relations
Posted: Jul 21, 2011

HONOLULU – Key higher education officials, scholars and experts from throughout the Asia-Pacific region will meet in Honolulu August 4-6 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference on Quality in Higher Education, organized by the University of Hawai‘i System in cooperation with the East-West Center.
 
Participants from 20 of the 21 APEC economies will be in attendance to discuss the vital issue of higher education quality, including how to identify, develop and sustain best practices throughout the APEC region. Dr. Eduardo Ochoa, assistant secretary for postsecondary education for the U.S. Department of Education, will be the featured luncheon speaker on Thursday, Aug. 4.
 
“The issue of quality in higher education is very important and it’s a topic of intense focus right now by higher education institutions and organizations around the globe,” said UH President M.R.C. Greenwood. “It’s important because as we look into the future, our students are going to be operating in a much more global arena, and universities will be providing leadership roles on issues with global implications, such as health, infectious diseases, climate change, disaster preparedness and much more.”
 
Representatives from universities, government agencies and international associations will present papers on quality and quality assurance, university rankings, case studies and best practices from the APEC region and economies, and the globally competitive university. Speakers on the agenda during the three-day meeting represent Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.
 
“The University of Hawai‘i is already recognized as a national and international leader in many areas of global significance, especially within the Asia-Pacific region, and we’d like to expand our efforts and build more strategic alliances with universities and government agencies,” said Greenwood. “This conference is a step in this direction. We’re honored to serve as organizer for this meeting of our colleagues from the various APEC economies and to set the stage for international discussion and collaboration leading up to APEC Leaders’ Week here in Honolulu in November.”
 
In addition to U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Eduardo Ochoa, other high profile speakers from the United States include Ralph Wolff, president and executive director of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges of the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities; and John Hawkins and Deane Neubauer, who serve as senior project consultants for this conference. Hawkins is emeritus professor of the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and Neubauer is emeritus professor of political science at UH Mānoa.
 
The Honolulu discussions are intended to establish an ongoing network for discussion and continued development of best practices and sustainability within national and local higher education environments in the APEC region.
 
This APEC Higher Education Quality project is an activity of the Education Network of APEC’s Human Resources Development Working Group. The goal of APEC’s education activities is to foster strong and vibrant learning systems across APEC member economies, promote education for all, and strengthen the role of education in promoting social, individual, economic and sustainable development.