Global Programs

HEPI (Higher Education Partnership Initiative) is a five-year, $9 million U.S.–Indonesia collaboration connecting top-tier U.S. and Indonesian universities. Focused on STEM partnerships, it facilitates joint degrees, study abroad experiences, transfer opportunities, and U.S. graduate program enrollment. HEPI, a consortium of academia, government, and industry partners, pioneers STEM education initiatives at core universities, serving as benchmarks for affiliates. Employing a community of practice model, HEPI leads collaborative efforts to address STEM education challenges, improve curricula, and ensure graduates are industry-ready.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) and implemented by Arizona State University (ASU), the overarching objectives of this program are (1) to strengthen and increase national and regional cooperation of ASEAN Member States and the US government on federal, local, private sector, and academic levels; and (2) to develop and implement policies to foster science, technology, and innovation through increased funding mechanisms, data sharing, intellectual property generation, commercialization, and academic research partnerships.

Launched in 2015, on the pillars of institutional policy, quality, curriculum, faculty innovation, and technology, BUILD-IT leverages deep and diverse government-industry-academic partners that share a goal of tightly linking STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) instruction in Vietnamese higher education institutions to the needs and capabilities of industry partners to produce graduates who can lead inclusive, technology-based growth.

Through strategic collaborative dialogue with industry and the Vietnamese government, BUILD-IT ;will implement institutional policy change, opportunities for advancing women in STEM higher education, maker innovation spaces, faculty instructional innovation, and applied STEM curricula, providing students the work-ready competencies to invent-build-launch solutions and value for Vietnam’s social and economic viability.

Funded by the US. State Department, the goal of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Young Scientist Program is to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the creation of a network of young scientists in the LMI countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

As implementing partners of this program, Arizona State University (ASU) will leverage its decades of experience in sponsored project implementation in Southeast Asia through the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP); the Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology (BUILD-IT) and the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

The program supports youth and young professionals by creating opportunities for collaboration. Joint research, workshops, and symposiums encourage the sharing of scientific knowledge, ideas, and experience, including authorship of peer-reviewed  research papers. The program has two objectives: to foster and promote scientific collaboration within the region, and to promote knowledge sharing on science and technology best practices and research ideas.

In collaboration with an expanding industry consortia, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering’s Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program (HEEAP) is revolutionizing and modernizing the top engineering and technical vocational universities in Vietnam. This modernization process includes developing experienced university leadership, constructing innovative and effective curricula, and promoting university engagement.

Through faculty workshops, offered at Arizona State University and abroad, HEEAP is enhancing traditional theory-based engineering and technical vocational programs by advocating the addition of applied and hands-on instructional approaches. This fresh pedagogy aims to produce work-ready graduates who possess the applied and technical communication skills required to excel in multinational corporations.

Launched in 2013, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) is U.S. President Barack Obama’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia. Through a variety of programs and engagements, including U.S. educational and cultural exchanges, regional exchanges, and seed funding, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture an ASEAN community.

Starting in January 2016, ASU will host two concurrent cohorts of YSEALI Fellows that will focus on critical topics identified by youth in the region. Over the course of this unique and integrated 5-week program, these young leaders will participate in dynamic and applied coursework tailored to their individual cohort and taught by world-class faculty and practitioners. They will meet and work regularly with local leaders and community members – including the large Southeast Asian populations who call Phoenix home. The students participating in the program will experience firsthand the challenges and successes associated with developing strong civic leadership and social entrepreneurship models through trips to urban and rural communities throughout Arizona.

LEEAP (Leadership in Engineering Education Advancement Program) is a year-long special initiative (February 2015–February 2016) designed to provide tailored support to Indonesian university-level engineering programs. The goal is to enhance global competitiveness and align with regional and international standards. In collaboration with Andalas University in Padang, ASU (Arizona State University) aims to position them as regional leaders capable of mentoring other Indonesian universities. Achieving institutional change involves addressing policy and procedural adjustments and establishing deeper connections to global best practices in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). While faculty members focus on reforming curricula and teaching methodologies, concurrent efforts by university and government leaders are essential to modernize policies, foster organizational change, and encourage development. The LEEAP special initiative acts as a catalyst, bringing together university administrators, government officials, and industry leaders to devise strategies that enhance the quality of engineering and technical programs, thereby modernizing the Indonesian technical workforce.

The Vocational and University Leadership and Innovation Institute (VULII) provides educational capacity-building and training workshops and support for multiple levels within the Vietnamese educational system, ranging from ministry officials and university rectors to mid-level administrators, academic and professional staff and engineering program faculty leaders who are preparing the next generation of the engineering workforce. Strategic planning and implementation at the institutional level requires significant change within all relevant parts of the organization, so VULII focuses on multiple levels of the various Ministries and academic institutions.