The ASEAN Talent Mobility (ATM) project, initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) in early 2024, received a high-level mention at the Japan-ASEAN Science, Technology, and Innovation roundtable meeting at the OECD headquarters in France. The project aims to boost human resource development in education, science, research, and innovation through collaboration, emphasising joint research with leading global institutions in dialogue partner countries, including the European Union, Japan, and the United States.
Ms. Sudchada Thanatip, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, highlighted that the ATM project serves as a platform for sustainable regional innovation and collaborative problem-solving. Its strategy includes sharing regional research infrastructure (RRI) to strengthen capabilities, enhance competitiveness, and facilitate knowledge and technology utilisation. Furthermore, the project focuses on personnel exchange activities and programme development to enhance researcher skills and provides opportunities for ASEAN-level tertiary education students to gain private-sector work experience.
Additionally, the development of the ATM platform aims to provide comprehensive information on individuals proficient in science, technology, and innovation. Its goal is to efficiently facilitate data exchange, promote talent mobility, and connect individuals and organisations seeking expertise in science, technology, and innovation in the ASEAN and its partners.
Source: https://mgronline.com/science/detail/9670000035596

What this means for the UK sector:

The ATM project presents UK universities with an opportunity to engage in meaningful collaboration, contribute to regional innovation efforts, and strengthen research partnerships within the ASEAN and beyond. By tapping into this initiative, UK higher education institutions can position themselves as key players in driving advancements in education, science, research, and innovation within the ASEAN. Enhanced research collaboration between the UK and ASEAN member states could potentially lead to increased mobility to the UK, either for shorter-term exchange visits or longer-term postgraduate programmes.
Academics from UK universities have the opportunity to benefit from this project by taking advantage of the complimentary membership to the ATM platform (https://asean-talent.nxpo.or.th) and becoming part of this centralised hub of information to connect researchers, entrepreneurs, industries, universities, research organisations, and governments in the ASEAN with those in dialogue partner countries. The platform features a matching tool for talent to find partners for collaboration, with information on researchers, laboratory locations, research funding, training programmes, and industry insights.