Home

AUA Presidents Forum 2020 hosted by Nazarbayev University

Date: 2020-11-26

The AUA Presidents Forum 2020 was successfully hosted online by AUA Executive Presidency 2020-2021 Nazarbayev University on November 26th. Thirteen Presidents and senior leaders from AUA member universities attended the panel sessions at the event themed "Knowledge is Power: The Resilience of Asian Universities in a VUCA World".

AUA Executive President and President of Nazarbayev University Shigeo Katsu led the opening ceremony by delivering the welcoming remarks. He welcomed all panelists and the hundreds of attendees to the virtual forum, and expressed the importance of demonstrating that the partnerships and collaborations among AUA members are as strong as ever. In his speech, Mr. Katsu emphasized four important points: the responsibility of universities to give back to society and strengthen community ties, finding unconventional ways of doing things, the importance of working in partnerships, and acknowledging global trends such as the rapidly evolving global landscape of higher education.

"With Asian higher education systems and universities gaining prominence… I would like to emphasize the importance of the Asian Universities Alliance. The AUA enables us to collectively respond to the challenges of the VUCA world, build leading scholarship and research endeavors, and develop future leaders in this region", said Mr. Katsu.

AUA Executive President 2020-2021 and President of Nazarbayev University Shigeo Katsu delivering the welcoming remarks

Following the welcome from Mr. Katsu, President of AUA and Tsinghua University Prof. QIU Yong delivered opening remarks. He congratulated NU on the celebration of their 10th anniversary and commended them for their hard work in organizing two high level AUA events in November – the AUA Presidents Forum and theAUA Executives' Meeting. Highlighting what it means to be a resilient university in a VUCA world, Prof. Qiu offered examples of Tsinghua University's resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the importance of harnessing the strength of a university's traditions during these precarious times, as well as maintaining a constant focus on innovation.

"The universities represented at this forum each possess a unique heritage of traditional wisdom and a remarkable spirit of innovation. It is my fervent hope that together we can build more resilient models of higher education capable of withstanding and responding to any and all uncertainties and challenges which may lay ahead", said Prof. Qiu.

AUA President and President of Tsinghua University QIU Yong delivering the opening remarks

Leading on from the opening ceremony, the first panel session took place. Titled "Timeless Knowledge: Traditions of Asian Universities in Persisting through a VUCA World", the session was moderated by Mr. Katsu. Panelists included TAN Eng Chye, President, National University of Singapore; Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay; Agustin Kusumayati, University Secretary, Universitas Indonesia; Chandrika Wijeyaratne, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo; and Sawako Shirahase, Executive Vice President, The University of Tokyo.

Panelists of panel session one during the AUA Presidents Forum 2020

Drawing from their institutions' histories and traditions, panelists shared examples of how they navigated the COVID-19 crisis, the closure of campuses and the shift to blended and/or fully online learning environments, as well as highlighting their institutions' resilience in quickly learning to adapt to the new normal. They discussed the financial challenges brought about by the pandemic and otherwise, and offered examples of how to reduce costs, with digitalization occurring as a key theme here. Panelists also discussed the value of life long education, providing students with high quality virtual mobility opportunities, and they offered words of consolation and advice to students who are missing in-person and on-campus interactions and are uncertain about the future.

Panel session two followed. Moderated by Prof. Ilesanmi Adesida, Provost of Nazarbayev University, the session was themed "Timely Knowledge: Innovation of Asian Universities in Turning Risks into Opportunities". Panelists included Bundhit Eua-arporn, President, Chulalongkorn University; OH Se-Jung, President, Seoul National University; Ghaleb Alhadrami Albreiki, Provost and Acting Vice Chancellor, United Arab Emirates University; Mohd. Hamdi Abd. Shukor, Vice Chancellor, Universiti Malaya; Nilar Aung, Pro-Rector, University of Yangon; and Wei Shyy, President, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Panelists of panel session two during the AUA Presidents Forum 2020

Referencing the impact of the dramatic shift to online studying and working environments, panelists discussed the potential for increased innovation in teaching and research as a result of the pandemic. Universities had differing experiences to share here, with some finding the transition to online as beneficial for enhancing digital literacy, while others faced challenges in this regard due to less stable internet infrastructures. Panelists discussed in detail the various opportunities each of their institutions were presented with, as well as the risks facing higher educational institutions that have been magnified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, one of the key recurring themes of this session was the importance of collaboration in all aspects.

Overall, the AUA Presidents Forum 2020 was a timely discussion producing many fruitful outcomes. Each of the panelists offered a unique and valuable contribution, highlighting the diversity among all the AUA members. The distinctive and varied experiences of AUA member institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided several examples of resilience, as well as highlighting the necessary value and importance of partnerships and collaborations, which AUA continues to embody and champion. In these unprecedented times, it is clear the role of AUA is important now more so than ever.