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ata from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) revealed that, until 2012, most Filipino students who chose to study overseas would go to countries like the US, UK, or Australia, where western cultures and management principles were viewed to significantly contribute to professional advancement.

This was evident in the high demand for business and management programs in the universities in these countries.

However, as the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia move closer to the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), students and professionals alike need to develop a deeper understanding of our neighboring countries, as well as harness the skills needed to be able to navigate the region with ease.

The AEC, which will form a single bloc composed of all members of the ASEAN, envisions to: develop a single market and production base through facilitating the free flow of goods, services, investment, capital and skilled labor; develop Southeast Asia as a competitive economic region; create equitable economic development; and fully integrate the region into the global economy. All these are intended to generate equitable economic development for its 10 member-countries and to secure economic, social, and political stability in the region.

Evidently, the birth of this new economic community presents new imperatives for the education sector and schools must now be able to adequately prepare its students to address the region'€™s emerging realities.

There is a dearth of leadership capability globally. ASEAN has an even greater gap, because not only are we failing to meet the needs in a timely manner, the region'€™s growth is surpassing the talent development. Talent development is essential and new institutions need to be formed, as well as new types of education.

With the upcoming integration presenting a myriad of opportunities for the workforce, educational institutions must aspire for global standards, so that countries receiving talent would be assured that qualifications are in place.

Leading in ASEAN also takes into account a specific mindset. One characteristic of ASEAN that certainly should permeate talent development is community-mindedness.

For the next generation of leaders to succeed in an integrated ASEAN, the region also needs to invest in skills that will put the region on the world map.

ASEAN skills and competencies can definitely lead in certain areas that are of immediate demand in the global market. The engineering skills are great for manufacturing, which can make ASEAN as a hub, for example, of the car industry, and for energy, because the region is rich in minerals and natural resources, like Laos, which is positioning itself as '€œthe battery of ASEAN,'€ explains a professor at Asia Institute Of Management (AIM), Federico Macaranas, who also heads the business school'€™s ASEAN 2015 Project, a group that spearheads AIM'€™s activities in relation to the upcoming integration.

Macaranas also said ASEAN students and professionals are highly sought for their excellence in medical sciences, engineering and technology, pure and applied sciences, hospitality and tourism services, and creative arts. However, research, development and innovation must be improved.

Part of becoming more employable in ASEAN is the development of certain soft skills. '€œLeadership, time management, discipline, and cultural understanding are critical for ASEAN managers,'€ said Macaranas, adding that values inherent among cultures in the region, such as honesty and hard work, will bode well for the positioning of ASEAN in the global value chain.

Macaranas further points out that businesses should invest in training on leadership and cultural understanding, which will be good for industries like tourism. Other industries also benefit from enhancements in education. '€œTraining on science, math, and technology will improve the manufacturing, research, and innovation industries,'€ he says.

To thrive in ASEAN, learning another language is also a must. '€œApart from English as the lingua franca of the world, a third of the global population speaks other languages like Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Acquiring new languages is part and parcel of realizing new sets of skills needed for ASEAN,'€ Macaranas adds.

ASEAN'€™s diverse economies have led to considerably varying developmental levels, which only strengthen the need to have improved and harmonized standards and more importantly, for talent to have the right mindset.

 Because of the cross-border obligation, we need more of a global mindset and that means considerable responsiveness to differences, adaptability, appreciation for cultures, and an open-minded approach when crossing borders. The AIM brings in diverse student bodies and gives them case studies from around the region and around the world, so that they are exposed to examples of leadership in many settings.

The demand for leadership talent is only one of the challenges that a prospering ASEAN region must immediately address. Higher learning institutions such as AIM have taken on this challenge, taking it a step further with integrating academic programs to effectively address the needs of business and society and offering a larger number of scholarships for ASEAN'€™s future leaders to realize their potential.

 Over 65 percent of ASEAN'€™s population is under 35 years old, which w must invest in. As AIM Dean Jikyeong Kang said, tomorrow'€™s next leaders must respond to regional and also global ones '€” '€œwhether these are finding new ways to go about more sustainable businesses or addressing the unique needs of communities that they affect.'€

The best driver of business expansion is talent, particularly management and leadership talent. He proposes greater mobility for the region'€™s future leaders and managers.

 What if, in the interest of assisting companies'€™ expansion, all graduates of globally accredited management schools in ASEAN were granted visa-free access to all ten countries of the region? Such a policy would enhance the competitiveness of ASEAN businesses and attract top global talent to study here. While similar arrangements have been done in the US and in Hong Kong, this kind of policy is exactly what the spirit of the AEC is all about.

ASEAN'€™s integration presents opportunities for both talent development and talent mobilization. To make the most of it, the region'€™s future leaders need to get a head start in developing specific competencies to be both future-ready and world-smart, beginning with joining the region'€™s higher education institutions that have already met global quality standards.
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