Flexible, stackable learning that is recognised across ASEAN must become a central pillar if the region is to meet the needs of its emerging generation of learners.

Highlighting this urgent shift, Prof Dr Lily Chan, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of WOU, called for education systems to move beyond rigid pathways and empower young people with modular learning opportunities — qualifications they can build over time and carry across borders within ASEAN.

Prof Chan shared her insights as a panellist in the session “The ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021–2025: Synergies and Progress,” during the Empowering Education Summit 2025 held in Penang on 21 April 2025. Organised by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, the conference convened education leaders, policymakers and industry experts from across the ASEAN region.

Addressing the audience, Prof Chan emphasised that for ASEAN to achieve meaningful educational integration, systems must be designed to serve not just the “best of the best,” but the broader population.

“The rest of the world is not merely the top 10% — it’s about you, me, and everyone else. Education must be accessible across all layers of society,” she asserted.

Drawing from WOU’s leadership in open distance learning, Prof Chan highlighted how the university offers accessible pathways for working adults — many under 30 years old — to earn accredited qualifications while balancing work and family responsibilities.

She also pointed to a growing disillusionment among young people towards traditional, rigid education models. “Young people today are no longer willing to spend three to five years in a conventional degree programme. They want smaller, stackable learning experiences that allow them to build credentials over time,” Prof Chan explained. However, she cautioned that flexibility alone is not enough.

“Without regional recognition, the value of these micro-credentials and modular qualifications would remain limited. We must harmonise and standardise education across ASEAN, so that credits and skills earned in one country are recognised in another,” Prof Chan stressed.

“A student studying here should be able to transfer credits easily to a university in Indonesia or Vietnam. The cross-cultural movement of students is a major advantage we should harness,” she said, urging learners to view ASEAN as a dynamic destination for education and growth, rather than looking solely to the West.

Prof Chan’s call for a more interconnected learning ecosystem aligned with broader discussions during the session. The panel explored disparities in access, curriculum harmonisation, and teacher training across the region, while reviewing progress under the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021–2025 and initiatives under the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025.

Moderated by Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther, Chairman of The Economic Club of Kuala Lumpur and Deputy Chairman of KSI, the panel also featured perspectives from Prof Dr Rogayah Bt A Razak, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, UCSI University; Dr Mary Ann Harris, Executive Director of StudyPENANG; Prof Major (H) Dato’ Dr Ir Ts Br Chin Yew Sin, Executive Chairman of GUC Higher Learning Centre; Associate Professor Dr Saiful Bahri Yusoff, Director, Centre for the Development of Academic Excellence, Universiti Sains Malaysia; and Mr Tan Boon Hiong, Senior Manager of Epson Malaysia.