UK NARIC CEO Dr Cloud Bai-Yun is attending the Second Session of the Tokyo Convention Committee in Bangkok, 19-20 September, which will see the launch of an 'ANICs' network - a network of National Information Centres (NICs) for the Asia-Pacific region.

The importance of such a network was agreed a year ago at the First Session of the Tokyo Convention Committee in Seoul. Practical progress is now possible with, as of June 2019, eight parties to the Tokyo Convention - Australia, China, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Turkey, and the Holy See.

Associated meetings in Bangkok will review the readiness of other countries in the region to ratify the Tokyo Convention and join the emerging network of NICs in Asia and the Pacific.

These steps follow on from the 'Seoul Statement' of a year ago, which welcomed 'a new era for mobility and internationalisation of higher education in Asia-Pacific through qualifications recognition'.

Also on the agenda in Bangkok will be discussion of the forthcoming Global Convention on recognition, and how this might work with and complement the existing regional conventions, including the Tokyo Convention.

Dr Cloud Bai-Yun was elected, in June 2019, to the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee (LRCC) Bureau. The Bureau advises and assists with the implementation and monitoring of the Lisbon Convention - the Convention on recognition of higher education qualifications in the European Region.