Sponsor

Call to Action for the GDN's Asia Pacific Regional Chapter

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Wesley Teter
Speaker Bio

Dr. Teter is co-editor of the Handbook of Education Policy by Edward Elgar Publishing (forthcoming in 2023) and co-author of UNESCO’s guidelines on developing and implementing qualification frameworks in Asia-Pacific. His research focuses on understanding gaps in policy implementation, collaborative governance in diverse settings, and mapping complex accountabilities.

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UNESCO Bangkok, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

Presenters & Panel Moderators

Jelger de Boer
Speaker Bio

Coming Soon

President, Groningen Declaration Network;
Account manager Registers, DUO.

Koichi Nakasaki
Speaker Bio

Koichi Nakasaki is the Chief Research Officer of the Institute for Future Engineering, a Tokyo-based non-profit thinktank for science and technology. He is also currently a Board Director of Groningen Declaration Network.

He has previously worked at Thomson Reuters in products, strategies, strategic partnership, M&A and other business area, and has wealth of international business experiences in information technology across Asia, based in Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo.

His research interest is society, human, organization and information technology. His recent research outcome includes digital transformation of public policies, global trends of digital credentialing, society and humanities perspectives of deep learning and others.

Chief Research Officer, Institute for Future Engineering; Board Director, Groningen Declaration Network

Anthony Manahan
Speaker Bio

Coming Soon

Associate Director Student Administration and Deputy Registrar, Federation University, Australia; Board Secretary, Groningen Declaration Network

Remy Choo
Speaker Bio

Remy is the Director for Planning and Programmes at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), a statutory board of the Ministry of Education (MOE) responsible for driving and coordinating the implementation of the national SkillsFuture movement. SSG’s mission is to enable individuals to learn for life, pursue skills mastery and develop fulfilling careers, for a future ready Singapore, via these four key thrusts:
(a) Help individuals make well-informed choices in education, training and careers;

(b) Develop an integrated high-quality system of education and training that responds to constantly evolving needs;

(c) Promote employer recognition and career development based on skills and mastery; and

(d) Foster a culture that supports and celebrates lifelong learning

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Director, Planning and Programmes Division, Training Partners Group, SkillsFuture Singapore (Singapore)

Quah Zheng Wei
Speaker Bio

Zheng Wei leads Accredify in establishing the company’s strategic vision and direction, focusing on business development, partnerships, and sales. 

 

Under Zheng Wei's leadership, Accredify has grown to become Asia Pacific's leading verifiable solutions provider. He has also established the firm as an enterprise SaaS company, implementing Accredify's TrustTech solution in over eight sectors, including Education, Healthcare, and Corporate, anchored by strong partnerships with the public sector.

 

Before Accredify, Zheng Wei was an Investment Banker at BNP Paribas, Chief Partnership Officer at FOMO Pay, and Managing Director at Lykke AG. These experiences gave him the full spectrum of operational knowledge, gained from working at a large MNC, expanding a late-stage scale-up, and growing a seed-stage start-up. He has also been recognised in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 Class of 2022.

CEO and Co-founder, Accredify Sponsor

Darren McDermott
Speaker Bio
From Dublin, Ireland, Darren has lived and worked in Asia for much of the last twenty years, predominantly within the higher education and international development sectors. 
 
Following education roles in Japan and Ireland and an MSc in Education & Training Management, Darren joined the School of Education Studies at Dublin City University as a lecturer and researcher on international education programmes. He subsequently conducted research on the internationalisation of education on a Japanese Government research scholarship at Waseda University, Tokyo.
 
Darren has worked on numerous EU Commission and British Council funded education development and capacity building programmes with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States’ ministries of education and their higher education institutions.
 
Darren’s most recent project role was leading the European Union’s Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE) Programme. SHARE was the EU’s flagship higher education programme with ASEAN between 2015 and 2022 with the objectives to strengthen regional cooperation, enhance quality, regional competitiveness, and internationalisation of ASEAN higher education, contributing to the development of Common Higher Education Space for Southeast Asia.  The second phase saw significant digital transformation initiatives including the design, development, and implementation of a digital credit transfer system.

Team Leader,

Andrew Trnacek
Speaker Bio

Andrew is committed to coordinating and working with Higher Education interest groups to share information and expertise across the sector and to develop collaborative, innovative services for the benefit of the Higher Education sector.

Since joining HES Andrew has overseen the successful delivery of My eQuals, the rollout of digital student credentials across Australia and New Zealand, renegotiated several major technology contracts saving 10s of millions of dollars, and created closer working relationships between HES and the sector in general. As Chief Executive Officer of HES, Andrew leads a team of dedicated professionals working to provide a suite of high-quality professional services and support initiatives that benefit Australia’s universities and strengthen the nation’s higher education sector.

Prior to joining HES, Andrew was a Senior Partner and National Leader - Education at Grant Thornton with additional account responsibility for the public sector. He has more than 14 years' experience in the broader education sector and a solid track record of successfully leading high profile engagements, collaborating with clients and managing stakeholder groups. Andrew has in-depth experience in finance, strategy, marketing and business improvement.

During his career, Andrew’s projects have covered everything from funding model design, the machinery of government reviews, higher education program reviews, market and segmentation analysis, budget builds, financial modelling and business process improvement.

Andrew holds a PhD in Chemistry and is a graduate of the AICD’s Company Directors Course.

CEO, Higher Ed Services

Daniel Hibbert
Speaker Bio

Daniel Hibbert is an inspiring, motivational and strategic senior leader within Digitary by Parchment, a global technology leader in the digitisation of academic credentials that enables students to share their earned verified credentials and enable the portability of recognition. Daniel has been part of Digitary by Parchment for over four years, working across global networks and direct institution solutions in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, Spain, India, Japan and USA.

Over the past decade, Daniel has worked collaboratively with education institutions across K-12, vocational education and higher education to develop and deliver digital solutions that assist institutions administratively and empower learners throughout their lifelong learning journey.

Daniel has extensive expertise on both domestic and international education practices. A passionate professional on a mission to make a positive impact, he works tirelessly to promote learner-centric approaches to digital credential ecosystems and enhance organisation success through trusted digital adoption. Daniel has taken a holistic approach to trusted digital credentials by establishing close connections with professional associations and industry on credential acceptance.

Director, Digitary by Parchment ( (Asia-Pacific))

Joanne Duklas
Speaker Bio

A higher education leader in student success and mobility, Joanne provides consulting and research to institutions, allied organizations, and government bodies across Canada and around the world. She has won awards for her efforts and is a published author and speaker who has led several large organizations in various roles including as president of the national Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) and registrar and assistant vice president of one of Canada's largest institutions.

 

In 2022 Joanne assumed the role of Executive Director for the Groningen Declaration Network.

Executive Director, Groningen Declaration Network; President, DCC Inc.

Meg Wenger
Speaker Bio

Accomplished credential evaluator and researcher of global educational systems

As Senior Director of Evaluation at Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., Margaret leads evaluation policy development and new evaluator training and coordinates quality assurance efforts. She sets policy on matters of evaluation methodology, research and analysis and evaluation staff development. Her expertise is in verification policy and processes and developing documentation requirements, and her areas of geographic specialisation are South Asia, China, Francophone Africa and the Middle East and North Africa. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in French from Beloit College, USA and a Master’s degree in cultural foundations of education from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, USA. Her publications include ECE Presents the Educational System of Tunisia (2002), The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Its Educational System and Methods of Evaluation (2012) and contributions to the NAFSA Guide to Educational Systems Around the World (1998; 2009). She has lived and worked in Denmark, France, Togo and Japan and has given workshops for the International Education Association of South Africa, the Canadian Education Centre Network, New Zealand Educated and the EAIE, as well as organisations in the USA such as the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals, NAFSA and the Council of Graduate Schools.

Senior Director of Evaluation, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.; Chair, Subcommittee on Digital Student Data TAICEP, The Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals

Beka Tavartkiladze
Speaker Bio

With 20 years of experience in international academic credential evaluation, Beka has a deep knowledge of international education systems and the issues surrounding recognition of international academic credentials. He frequently presents on the education systems of countries around the world and the recognition of international credentials at national and international conferences and workshops. He also has extensive experience working with licensing bodies and higher education institutions providing expert opinion vis-à-vis credential evaluation.  

Beka is active on multiple committees and panels. He is a nominated member of CICIC’s Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) Steering Committee, which supports the QAF management to ensure its continuous improvement. Additionally, Beka is an appointed member of the Expert Advisory Panel of the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR), which is tasked with reimagining the future of CAPR’s evaluation services and competency assessment. He is also a member of the OECD Forum Engagement Group: Future of Work, which focuses on empowering people and shaping the policy conversation on the future of work. Additionally, Beka is a member of the Advisory Board for the TNE Quality Benchmark Services (TNE QB) which serves the primary purpose of improving international understanding of and confidence in TNE qualifications, with a view to facilitating the international recognition of TNE qualifications.

Senior Director, Global Education and Knowledge, World Education Services

Melanie Gottlieb
Speaker Bio

Melanie is the first woman to hold the role of Executive Director in the association’s history after nearly six years as the Deputy Director. She brings a global perspective rooted in an understanding of the technological proficiency and flexibility needed to move AACRAO forward.

Melanie came to the national office with 18 years as an AACRAO member, with experience in Records & Registration, Enrollment Management and International Recruitment and Credential Evaluation. She has served the association in a variety of volunteer leadership roles throughout her career, most recently as Vice President for International Education on the AACRAO Board of Directors.  Melanie earned an MA in Information Science from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a BA in History /American Studies from Marlboro College in Vermont.

Executive Director, AACRAO, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

Program

Open Standard versus Open Source 

What are open standards, exactly? You’ve probably heard the term thrown around, but why does it matter to your business? How does it relate to open source? What’s the difference?
Read more about it here

Morning

Welcome from the GDN President – Jelger de Boer, President Groningen Declaration Network

Groningen Declaration Network Primer

Dr Wesley Teter
UNESCO Bangkok, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education


Equitable access to quality education and decent work are growing concerns throughout Asia and the Pacific. In Southeast Asia, a common space for education is emerging as part of a transformational agenda, yet many are left behind. This session will share examples of how education policy, edtech providers, local and international industry and lifelong learners are co-creating an open architecture for the future of learning and employment. Significant disruptions, including micro-credentials offer hope (and competition) for traditional education and training providers. By leveraging emerging technologies, including digital credentials and new open-source standards, learners and stakeholders in Asia-Pacific can drive a learner-centred approach and build an open, quality-assured and equitable architecture for learning. Join the debate and find partners to shape our future.

Anthony Manahan & Koichi Nakasaki
Groningen Declaration Network Board

Our two session leaders, Anthony Manahan and Koichi Nakasaki, will be sharing their ideas for convening an Asia-Pacific Regional Chapter. The opportunity exists to further the goals of the GDN and regional digitization projects by working together to learn, explore, and grow capacities within and across countries. Every part of the world is considering how to better support citizens, exchange credentials, and ensure trusted and secure networks. The opportunity to evolve efforts in this area holds benefits for all participants. Anthony and Koichi will explain the purpose of the GDN, provide in-region perspectives on why extending digital capacity matters, and identify some of the core benefits that working together will achieve through future convening activities.

Chaired by Meg Wenger, Senior Director of Evaluation, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.; Chair, Subcommittee on Digital Student Data TAICEP, The Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals

  • Joanne Duklas, Executive Director, GDN, Canadian Exemplars
  • Beka Tavartkiladze, Senior Director Global Education and Knowledge, World Education Services
  • Darren McDermott, Team Leader, EU Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE 2020-2022)

This panel session of thought leaders will explore different models for how regions and countries have worked together to create new approaches for delivering official, trusted information about citizens and their academic studies. How to deliver a national level digital exchange network and sharing of critical supporting information is contextually situated as each region and partnering organization have varying technology capacities and governance contexts. Plus, opportunities exist to advance access for learners who are struggling to represent their past academic studies when digital support options do not exist or are needing additional supports. These experts will share their experiences and provide recommendations to enable digital solutions in region.

Chaired by Melanie Gottlieb 

Koichi Nakasaki

Chief Research Officer, Institute for Future Engineering, Japan and GDN Board Member

This session will introduce the typology of technology options available to those considering implementing credential exchange networks in their region. Representing the outcomes of a comprehensive research study, Koichi Nakasaki will share specific examples, their data architecture model, the governance frameworks, and more to aid participants in the session with considering the different approaches and rationales for why these are relevant to particular regions. (presentation)

Koichi GDN 2023 Singapore

Chaired by Melanie Gottlieb 

Zheng Wei QUAH

Chief Executive Officer, Accredify

Presentation file

Accredify_GDN Symposium 2023

– NETWORKING LUNCH-

Afternoon

Chaired by Anthony Manahan, Board Director, Groningen Declaration Network

Panelists;

  • Remy Choo, Director, Planning and Programmes Division, Training Partners Group, SkillsFuture Singapore (Singapore)
  • Andrew Trnacek, CEO Higher Ed Services Presentation Slides
  • Daniel Hibbert, Digitary by Parchment (Australia Asia Pacific)

This panel will explore the dimensions and practicalities of creating national digital credential exchange platforms and ecosystems supported by open standards and with consideration for privacy compliance and data security. Thought leaders, experts, and exemplars from around the world will share practical examples of data network and convening models, the challenges faced when considering and developing these networks, and the opportunities it presents for learners. The ultimate goal with this session is to identify and explore options and approaches using modern technology, policy, and practices and encourage reflection as we work together to extend the digital mobility of credentials for citizens.

HES – My eQuals Presentation Singapore

Anthony Manahan, Koichi Nakasaki & Joanne Duklas
Groningen Declaration Network Board

This facilitated session will pull together the threads of the discussions throughout the day and consider the opportunities to create future convening activities. Participants will be asked to explore the following discussion questions:

What new ideas did you learn from today’s discussions?

What are some of the practical barriers to creating digital capacity in a region? How can we work together to solve these challenges?

What topics would participants want to explore in future convenings that are delivered virtually or in person? Does the opportunity exist to continue to work together to create an Asia-Pacific GDN Regional Chapter?

Jelger de Boer

President GDN

Jelger de Boer, the GDN president, will provide closing remarks and reflections from the day as well as share more about future GDN convening opportunities and events. 

In Person Registration
Virtual Attendee Registration
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