APRUAPEC Relations Revisited: New Approaches to Engagement

1
APRU-APEC Relations Revisited New Approaches to
Engagement

• by
• Michael A. Goldberg
• Associate Vice President International
• The University of British Columbia
• APRU 2004 Presidents Meeting
• 23rd to 25th June 2004 University of Chile
• Santiago, Chile

2
Context

• APRU was born just before Asian crisis began
• From inception APEC was to be a policy focus
• Much early optimism re Asia Pacific is gone
• Initial successful links with APEC are past
• Thus, there is a need to revisit APRU-APEC
  possibilities and relationships

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Initial Ideal APRU-APEC Model

• APRU is APEC brain trust and capacity builder
• High level APRU-APEC dialogue promotes this
• APRU presidents meet APEC ministers annually
• APRU presidents meet host country ministers
• President Kim-Dae Jung in Seoul
• Minister of Industry and PM Advisory Council on
  Science and Technology in Vancouver in
• Planned Lee Kwan Yew meeting in Singapore in 2003
• Meeting President Lagos
• APRU a continuing source of policy analysis and
  advice for APEC and its constituent economies

4
APEC-APRU Report in 2002 A Failed Effort to Use
the Model

• Background
• Global forces are reshaping all economies
• Natural resources-manufacturing not enough
• Human resources key to prosper now future
• Knowledge-economy demands HCB investing
• Conclusions
• Many APRU roles as APEC capacity builder
• Diverse needs to help with education/training
• Education, skills training are linked system
• Need seamless and portable training
• Need digital access for continuing learning

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APRU-APEC Opportunities and Questions I

• How can APRU add value to APEC?
• Move APEC from seeing us as another NGO
• Identify areas where we can, and do, add value
• Identify programs and activities we can undertake
  to add value

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APRU-APEC Opportunities and Questions II

• APEC is trade not education focused
• How can we bridge education-trade gap?
• How can our degree programs add to APEC?
• How can our research add to APEC trade?
• How can our extension and distance programs add
  to APEC trade?
• How can our alumni links add to APEC trade?
• How do we mobilize these APRU assets to add to
  APEC trade?

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APRU-APEC Opportunities and Questions III

• What role should our IP assets and technology
  transfer prowess play?
• Should we continue to try to get into Ministerial
  Meetings?
• APEC Science Ministers are meeting in NZ should
  we push via Auckland?
• Should we try to work with ISTWG again?
• Should we pursue the APEC Leaders again?

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APRU-APEC Opportunities and Questions IV

• Should we pursue something totally different?
• Build APRU strengths so we are sought out by APEC
  given our stature and achievements?
• What other bottom-up approaches might work via
  our individual economies?
• Should we work with ASEAN developing economies
  under an ASEAN umbrella?
• Should we target specific countries that might
  serve as exemplar templates?

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2004 APRU Links to APEC HRDWG Cause for Optimism

• APRU participated in 26th APEC Human Resources
  Development Working Group
• Meeting held May 11-14, 2004 at Jeju Island,
  Korea
• 117 participants 17 economies plus invited
  guests
• APRU only non-member invited to attend all
  plenary and network sessions
• APRU included in agenda to make a statement
• Gave APRU rare chance to see APEC working group
  in action comment on working with APEC

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Implications of APEC HRDWG Recommendations for
APRU

• APRU attended as independent organization
• Major step APRU previously participated in APEC
  as part of official delegation of an APEC economy
• APRU needs recognition in own right, not
  affiliated with interests of particular
  government-economy
• APRU built credibility with APEC delegates
• APRU objectives and initiatives part of official
  APEC delegate briefing
• APRU offered to assist APEC HRDWG in HCB
• Entirely in line APRU corporate citizenship
  mission in contributing to growth and development
  in region

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Conclusions from APEC HRDWG Meeting

• Research institution delegates want to work with
  APRU
• Hard to be in HRDWG projects with their
  complexities
• Short terms of key APEC positions and HRDWG
• Building long-lasting APEC ties challenging
  costly
• Executive Director at APEC Secretariat serves
  1-year
• Program Directors for working groups serve 2-3
  years
• APRU thus must renew links to all new officials
• APRU Secretariat to monitor HRDWG development
• APRU Secretariat recommend actions at appropriate
  time

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Summary

• APRU has much to offer to APEC
• As broadly based research policy brain trust
• As ST human capacity building resource
• As powerful link across APEC economies
• APRU potential for APEC has not been exploited
• Initial idea build ties with APRU Presidents
  APEC leaders at APEC meetings not realized
• Thus, need a new approach
• HRDWG participation may be one such avenue
• We should explore others too

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Conclusions

• APEC may be having a rebirth
• Getting serious about its trade mandate
• Moving into regional security issues as well
• Continuing its interests in HCB and HQP
• APRU can be very valuable to APEC
• APRU IP-tech transfer activities
• APRU joint course and program development
• APRU economic security policy research
• APRU alumni networking
• APRU web-based learning and resources
• Link to working committees ISTWG-HRDWG