Research Cooperation and the Future of China-ASEAN’s Socio-Cultural Ties

Early last month, higher education delegations from both China and ASEAN had gathered together for the Seventh China-ASEAN Higher Education Week, held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province. In the five-day event which ran from September 1 to 5, university and official representatives from the eleven countries continued to exchange ideas and experiences as well as discuss the possible ways to expand bilateral cooperation agenda in the higher education sector.
Like the previous years, technical problems such as mutual recognition of qualifications, and credit transfer became the points of debates for the forum (held under the event) this year. This is not new considering the fact that these issues are long-term and require consistent debates to really come up with tangible solutions to deal with them. Unlike the previous events, however, there are bold calls by the Chinese side for their universities to set up campuses in ASEAN countries and establish new academic programs with the Southeast Asian counterparts. These efforts, as the Chinese government sees it, are needed in order to deepen Beijing's socio-cultural engagements with its ASEAN peers.
No doubt, these suggestions are important steps towards the long-term development of socio-cultural ties between China and ASEAN. Such suggestions in fact, reflected the shift of the Chinese ASEAN policy from economic-focused cooperation to broader socio-cultural exchanges. As for the latter, higher education collaboration is one of the most important areas which Beijing can build upon, if it is to attain quality socio-cultural exchanges with ASEAN.
Having said that, the Chinese proposals of establishing new university branches in ASEAN and academic programs with Southeast Asian universities, form the academic studies component of our bilateral higher education cooperation. Nevertheless, without the research element, these efforts will still fall short of creating the right 'ecosystem' for our bilateral higher education cooperation. In other words, it is virtually impossible for both China and ASEAN to continue the current mode of higher education cooperation without research collaboration.
First, China should establish formal research programs with ASEAN countries in which Southeast Asian young and senior scholars are given the opportunities to undertake their research related to China, ASEAN or the bilateral relations. This is hugely important for China studies as its research projects in Southeast Asia are fully undertaken at the university and think tank levels. There is virtually no participation of the Chinese government in this endeavor.

Furthermore, China research is still an undeveloped area in Southeast Asia, excluding Singapore that is. Unlike Japan and Korea studies, China studies needs more young talents to contribute new knowledge and insights to the existing scholarships, as well as to catch up with the fast-changing Chinese policies and state of affairs at both domestic and international fronts. Hence, Beijing needs to propose and implement new and unique research programs based on its current policy priorities, just like how Tokyo kick-started its Asia Center project early this year. For a start, a joint research project on the 'Maritime Silk Road' proposal will be a good for China in ASEAN.
Second, China should diversify its current funding policy which is heavily focused on sponsoring foreign students and scholars to its soil to study and do research. Instead of seeking more economic gains as the primary aim, China should start contributing funds to ASEAN nations as part of its new role as a responsible power in the region. With the South China Sea dispute continued to pose challenge to its overall bilateral ties with ASEAN, Beijing ought to demonstrate its willingness to foster mutual trust and confidence between our masses, including academic communities. Funding what ASEAN's academia needs is key toward that goal.
Like Japan and South Korea, China should establish a new funding scheme in which it can provide flexible research grants to Southeast Asian young and senior scholars in their research projects. Different from the current scholarship schemes, China can provide one-off or short-term field research (or research mobility) grants to ASEAN scholars in their respective universities, without requiring them to spend a certain residence period in the country. Moreover, conference grants should also be disbursed to Southeast Asian research institutions, for the purpose of organizing seminars, workshops and conferences relevant to China, ASEAN and the overall bilateral ties. As China already had the mechanisms in place, it does not have to start from scratch in this case. These two funding initiatives can be implemented via the China Scholarship Council (CSC) or the Confucius Institutes in respective countries.
Finally, China should promote the establishment of a single institution or entity that links all China research institutions in Southeast Asia. While the China-ASEAN Network of Think Tanks is a good initiative to date, more can be done in this matter. For instance, China should follow its Japanese and Korean counterparts by promoting to the academic community for the establishment of China Studies Association of ASEAN/Southeast Asia (CSAA or CSASA). This will be ground-breaking as it will be the single networking point for all think tanks as well as the main coordinating party for annual, high-level China research activities in Southeast Asia. This will prepare ASEAN for the coming expansion of Chinese-initiated cooperation and engagements in the region.
For China to become a trusted partner of ASEAN, it should not overlook the shortcomings of its present socio-cultural cooperation with the region. As mentioned earlier, Beijing, like the other two Northeast partners, has to contribute actively and significantly to the development of a workable 'ecosystem' for bilateral higher education cooperation in the near future. The three proposals as I outlined earlier, serve to achieve that goal.

Karl Lee is an an analyst at Anbound Malaysia, part of the leading independent think tank based in Beijing, China. Feedback: lcleong@anbound.com.