REPRESENTATIVES from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), and Visayas State University (VSU) from the Philippines and seven other universities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region attended the Workshop on Quality Assurance Guidelines for Micro-credentials in Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 28 and 29, 2024.

Organized by Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia) and Maejo University (Thailand), the event marked a significant step in advancing educational innovation in the region through the Erasmus+-funded program on Postgraduate Micro-credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC).

The other participant Asean universities include the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), UGM, and Universitas Brawijaya (UB) from Indonesia; Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); and Kasetsart University (KU) from Thailand.

KU served as the PMC FSCC project leader, while the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) provided coordination support as Secretariat to the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC).

According to KU, the PMC FSCC project, which runs from 2023 to 2026, aims to offer micro-credential-based short courses focused on food security and climate change.

It said that by leveraging technology, the program will deliver online learning modules tailored to address these pressing global challenges.

According to Searca, workshop participants collaborated to develop and finalize guidelines ensuring robust quality assurance (QA) for micro-credentials, positioning them as flexible learning pathways to address critical challenges like food security and climate change.

The two-day workshop offered a platform for in-depth discussions on the responsibilities and qualifications of QA teams tasked with maintaining the integrity of micro-credential programs.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Wening Udasmoro, PhD, UGM vice-rector for education and learning, emphasized the urgency of equipping future leaders with skills to tackle food security and climate challenges through innovative educational frameworks

"Flexible learning pathways, like micro-credentials, are key to empowering the next generation to lead sustainable development," Udasmoro said.

Searca Adjunct Fellow Buncha Chinnasri, PhD, overall project coordinator for the PMC FSCC, gave a background of the project, the status of its events and deliverables, and the upcoming activities that must be accomplished.

On the other hand, Ir. Hatma Suryatmojo, PhD, director of the Directorate for Academic Research and Innovation and UC coordinator for UGM, recapped the first output of Work Package 3 (WP3), which was generated from the Workshop on Harmonizing University Policies conducted in May 2024 at Searca, Los Baños, Laguna.

Irwan Endrayanto Aluicius, PhD, head of the Sub-Directorate for Academic Research, Directorate for Academic Research and Innovation, shared the results of a recent survey on QA in online education and micro-credentials. Their findings served as a foundation for the workshop's discussions.

During the first day of the workshop, Harry Freitag Luglio Muhammad, PhD, manager of UGM Online, and Prakash Bhuyar, PhD, assistant dean, International College, Maejo University, led focused group discussions (FGDs).

On the second day, the participants focused on finalizing and collectively agreeing on the guidelines drafted during the first day.

The closing remarks of Prof. Ir. Budi Guntoro, dean of the Faculty of Animal Sciences and UC executive officer at UGM, underscored the importance of quality assurance as a continuous process that underpins meaningful educational experiences.

"QA is not just a phase; it is a dynamic cycle that supports our mission to make micro-credentials a valuable asset in addressing food security and climate change," Guntoro noted.

Commending the participants for their collaborative spirit, Nur Azura Binti Adam, PhD, Searca deputy director for programs, highlighted the importance of sharing the workshop's outcomes within their respective institutions "to ensure alignment and sustainability."

"The road ahead is crucial, and the coming months will involve intensive work toward further deliverables," Adam added.