SEAMEO RETRAC Hosted Educational Forum on Digital Transformation in Southeast Asia

With education systems across Southeast Asia undergoing rapid digital transformation, leadership and management practices are being challenged to adapt and innovate. As schools and institutions integrate new technologies and explore data-driven approaches, educators are redefining traditional practices to meet emerging needs and seize opportunities for improvement. To create a platform for sharing insights, policy innovations, and practical experiences in this evolving landscape, SEAMEO RETRAC organized its annual Educational Forum on “Building bridges in education in the digital transformation era in Southeast Asia” on September 29, 2025.

Held back-to-back with RETRAC’s 28th Governing Board Meeting, the Forum provided a platform for policymakers, educational leaders, and professional educators from SEAMEO Member Countries and beyond to share insights, introduce innovations, and discuss best practices in leadership, management, teaching, and learning. It addressed opportunities and challenges in implementing digital initiatives across Southeast Asian education systems, exploring topics such as innovative leadership and management approaches, policy innovations, capacity building, and the integration of local and global lessons for sustainable development.

Country reports, delivered by SEAMEO RETRAC’s Governing Board Members, including policymakers, professional educators, and educational leaders from Ministries of Education across Southeast Asia, highlighted current practices and strategies that bridged gaps and fostered future growth in the digital era. Attracting over 600 online participants from Southeast Asia and beyond, these discussions offered in-depth insights into policy strategies, successful case studies, innovative approaches, and practical experiences from each country to inform and guide the sustainable development of education in the region.