The Development of “Asian Academic Credits” as an Aligned Credit Transfer System in Asian Higher Education

Abstract

During the last two decades, Asian countries have attempted to establish several aligned academic credit systems as part of the harmonization process of their higher education systems. However, these systems have not been widely used among universities in the Asian region. This article analyzes the current trends in credit-related governmental regulations and university systems in 24 Asian countries and territories. Moreover, it asserts the concept of “Asian Academic Credits,” (hereafter, AACs) as a new widely effective aligned system of academic credit transfer within Asia and also with other regionally aligned credit systems in the world. AACs can serve as one of the vital components for a new era of Asian higher education that provides a regionally aligned, flexible, and innovative learning environment for students throughout the entire Asian region.

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“…The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) has demonstrated its efficacy in promoting academic mobility and collaboration within the European Union (Wagenaar, 2019;Serpa et al, 2020) and has been adopted across the globe (Hotta, 2020;Mirzayev, 2022). This strategic approach could facilitate students' seamless mobility between academic institutions, both within the country and internationally, while ensuring the acquisition of essential training and expertise (Pallikarakis et al, 2018;Mirzayev, 2022).…”

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“…Involving different stakeholders of higher education during the system development might improve the efficiency and efficacy of the system. While extant research and documentation have covered credit transfer information systems (CTIS) in Western educational contexts, Hotta [67] conducted a meta-analysis of credit-related systems in 24 Asian countries and regions, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. These systems were aimed primarily at improving international (i.e., cross-country) student mobility and none of them catered for community college or vertical transfer, despite the prevalence of this pathway in some Asian educational contexts [5][6][7][8][9][10]68].…”

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“…Additionally, these nations have endeavored to enhance mutual quality assurance activities and advance aligned educational frameworks, especially concerning regional credit transfer. At the Fourth ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers Meeting in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on November 1, 2018, these 13 Asian nations approved the concept of Asian Academic Credits (AACs) as a referential tool as part of the “ASEAN Plus Three Guidelines on Transcripts and Supplemental Documents for Academic Records of Exchange Students,” facilitating one-on-one credit transfers among Asian universities (Hotta, 2020).…”