Sarawak Venue For First SEAAIR Conference Enhancing Efficiency of Tertiary Education KUCHING, May 21/Bernama-AsiaNet/ -- Tertiary education experts from around the world will gather in Sarawak in October for the inaugural South East Asian Association for Institutional Research (SEAAIR) Conference. Held at Kuching's Crowne Plaza Riverside Hotel from 23 to 25 October, the conference is being jointly organised by the Swinburne Sarawak Institute of Technology and the Sarawak Development Institute. Dr. Daniel Chew of the Sarawak Development Institute said: "With the rapid development of post-secondary education in South East Asia it is vital to encourage a professional approach to post-secondary policy. We also need to examine the management of these important institutions in a rapidly changing global educational environment." Dr. Chew said that institutional research had been a feature of American post-secondary education for over 40 years and there are a number of professional organizations devoted to the research in North America, Europe, Australasia and South Africa but, so far none in Asia. Conference chairman Professor Ken Heskin of the Swinburne Sarawak Institute of Technology said: "The international keynote speakers will include Professor George Gordon, Director for Academic Practice at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. He will talk on 'Implementing Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education.' "Another keynote speaker will be Dr. John Muffo, Director, Academic Assessment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA. His paper is entitled 'Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education." Dr. Chew explained: "We are seeking proposals for contributed papers which focus on our theme: "Enhancing the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Tertiary education in the 21st Century.' "We are also seeking papers and proposals on any of the following sub-themes: * Course accreditation and course approval processes * Quality assurance in tertiary education * Maintaining a regional educational identity in the face of educational globalisation." Professor Heskin explained the objectives of the conference were to: * Create a more professional research-based approach to the development of tertiary education in South East Asia * Create a forum for national and regional input to future policy * Develop regional networks to advance the collective interests of regional education and * Facilitate an effective regional response to the potential globalisation of education and training." Further information is available on the conference website at: http://www.swinburne.edu.my/seaair.htm or contact: Ms Caroline Hon, Manager, Finance & Administration, Swinburne Sarawak Institute of Technology, Tingkat 1, Kompleks Negeri, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93576 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, phone +6082 416353, fax +6082 423594, email [email protected] SOURCE: Swinburne Sarawak Institute of Technology