INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

ACT WITH EAST POLICY

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MEGHALAYA

Capacity and Connectivity in Education: A New Hope for Raising Together with East

In order to cope up with the challenges of rapidly globalizing word, India’s foreign policy of   ‘Look East Policy’was shifted into more action oriented ‘Act East Policy’ as course of revision and imbibing practicality.This phase was also characterized by an expanded definition of ‘East’ extending from Australia to China. This was a strategic shift form earlier ‘Look East Policy’, when change in the locus of world economic power from the west to the east as necessitated by the evolving geo politics and trends in the Asia-Pacific. The aim is to inculcate more practicality   in political ties, forge regional security cooperation and develop economic linkage by increasing integration with East Asia. The policy focuses for better economic engagement and forging strategic partnership and security cooperation with countries in that region. The era of globalization and rapid development of technology makes it possible for nations to come together, economically, for mutual benefits. The track dedicated to India’s Trade and Investment in East Asia’ confirms the emergence of a new architecture of world economy which is marked by trading blocs, promoting economic growth within the region. The track dedicated to India’s trade and investment in Southeast and East Asia confirms the emergence of a new architecture of world economy which is marked by trading blocs, promoting economic growth within the region(Devare, 2014). The commonalities of India with Southeast Asia are many compared to the dissimilarities.

Enhancement and enlivening of people to people contact transcending regional and political barriers is an imperative for facilitating cultural interaction among various regions of Asian countries.  The Asiancountriessteadily orient towards their innovative measures within their adequate knowledge of their common interest and gains. The existing opportunities and challenges are to be assessed and grappled proficiently. They must acknowledge andrespects theskillsand potentialsand each other have and concern about each other’s deficiencies and drawbacks. Cooperative undertakings based on mutual understanding and confidence will lead to enduring developing in this region. The thrust areas for this cooperation are through technology Transfer for capacity building and connectivity.Improved connectivity is an important factor that would strengthen the linkage between Asian countries. Greater physical connectivity would provide the impetus for economic development and integration with the region. In contemporary era, Physical connectivity is of utmost importance as it channelizes the means to accelerate the movement of goods, manpower and services and there by acts as a gateway to revive economic endeavours.  In this digital era, connectivity   should go beyond physical connectivity. Effective cyber connectivity would be an impetus to this entire region in almost all aspects of development -economic, educational, medical and socio-cultural.Through networkingeducational institutions in this region, consolidate the development potential of their region, their overall competence level, available potentials, competitiveness edges and innovation ability as well as make business life in the region more varied. The Asian countries can engage in cooperation and collaboration in higher education with each other’s for capacity building endeavours. Through this mutual development the Asian countries can assume global role and responsibilities with its own strength. The road map the regional integration is through innovation and technology transfer. At this juncture we can look into howfar East fulfil educational standards and needs for fulfilling the  millennium goals.

Education policies and programmes can play a vital role in transforming the education landscape and capacity building. A prominent feature of the successful educational transformation in many countries is that policy reforms efforts and programmes are guided by a clear goal or vision, and implemented through coherent planning, management and monitoring process (UNESCO, 2014). Policies and programmes of a country need to address all of the components of the system in a coordinated and coherent way so that changes, in turn, become mutually reinforcing and promote continuous improvement.