{
  "id": 10909694,
  "title": "Asean should make exception to non-interference principle for education, says Indonesia’s ex-trade minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/asean-should-make-exception-to-non-interference-principle-for",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-30T09:15:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Business Times - Singapore",
    "slug": "the-business-times-singapore",
    "url": "https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/asean/asean-should-make-exception-non-interference-principle-education-says-indonesias-ex-trade-minister"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Indonesian trade minister Gita Wirjawan suggested that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should make an exception to its principle of non-interference specifically for education. Wirjawan argued that the widening disparities in education among Asean member states could weaken the bloc's collective ability to cope with geopolitical and technological shifts. He emphasized that the region's diversity should not be confused with divergence, as the young generation often fails to understand this distinction.\n\nCiting World Bank data, Wirjawan highlighted the significant differences in GDP per capita across Asean, ranging from US$2,300 in Laos to US$99,000 in Singapore. He pointed out that education disparities, particularly in higher education, correlate with the economic performance of Southeast Asian countries. For instance, Singapore's universities are ranked among the world's top, while several other member states' institutions remain outside the global top 100.\n\nWirjawan also noted that the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results showed wide disparities in the performance of 15-year-olds across Asean, with Singapore performing among the world's best, while other countries scored below the average in mathematics, reading, and science. Wirjawan warned that if these educational disparities are not addressed, the region would be \"at risk much more systemically\" as geopolitical, technological, economic, and climate shifts accelerate.\n\nTo bridge these gaps, Wirjawan proposed a \"higher degree of convergence\" and collective capacity through supranationalism, specifically in education. He highlighted the importance of attracting high-quality teachers, suggesting that Singapore's approach, which recruits teachers from its stronger students and pays them substantially more, can help improve education quality.\n\nWhen discussing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, Wirjawan emphasized the need for geopolitical dexterity. He argued that while AI offers opportunities and challenges, the biggest risk is dependency on foreign technology. Wirjawan suggested that Asean should promote autonomy by diversifying AI technologies and applications, working with both Chinese and Western companies, and developing domestic capabilities. He believed that a meaningful degree of educational attainment would be necessary for Asean to navigate the competition among major powers.",
  "summary": "He says widening education gaps could weaken the bloc’s collective ability to ride geopolitical, tech shifts",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}