Bangkok, Thailand ─ SEAMEO convened its affiliated centres in the 46th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (HOM, hosted this year at Amari Watergate Bangkok Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand) from November 28 to 30. SEAMEO STEM-ED, having been invited to share its initiative for the Southeast Asia region, presented its achievements and blueprint for the impending future. Among them, SEAMEO STEM-ED Centre Director Dr. Kritsachai Somsaman emphasised the Programme Effectiveness of the Centre: Regional Synergy.

A distinct session introduced in this 46th annual meeting is a special session: High Officials-SEAMEO Centre Directors Dialogue, serving as a novel platform for discussions between High Officials and SEAMEO Centres and Network. This forum offers an opportunity for Centres and Network to engage in conversations extending beyond their working papers ─ while allowing High Officials to provide valuable input without the immediate need for decision-making. In addition, the first special session tackled the theme "From National to Regional Implementation: Amplifying Initiatives of SEAMEO Centres and Network," recognising SEAMEO's imperative for regionalisation ─ where insightful presentations featured SEAMEO STEM-ED, SEAMEO TROPMED Network, representing SEAMEO’s science, education, and cultural priority areas, and SEAMEO QITEP.

In this session, Dr. Somsaman, who embodied leadership in pioneering STEM education, highlighted the centre’s utilization of picture books with a proper teaching approach, which improves critical thinking and reading interpretively ─ whereas systematic mentorship support for STEM teachers is essential for the sustainability of professional development. Therefore, regional capacity building or training is recommended for STEM education experts and practitioners in both formal and informal educational settings.

The 46th SEAMEO HOM will continue for another two days; this utmost special event will shed light on the essentials of the future of Southeast Asia education, as well as illuminate the path for the youth’s success.