15th Happiness DNA Public Workshop

The 15th Happiness DNA public workshop was held on 21 & 22 September 2017. The workshop was facilitated by Chief Happiness Coach, Mr Johnson Ong Chee Bin of Living Better in collaboration with ASK Training Pte Ltd. The participants were treated to a recipe of happiness covering the 8 dimensions of happiness DNA.

The 2-day workshop is based on the principles of positive psychology, and physical, mental and emotional therapies and techniques. It is taught in a unique change methodology where participants first determine the level of their happiness in the eight dimensions of the happiness DNA. How to nurture and sustain the eight dimensions of the happiness DNA is then introduced. The workshop concluded with an action plan to address the gaps in the happiness DNA.

Below are what some participants said about the workshop.

"Very lively delivery of the topic with sharing of trainer's life experiences".

"Trainer is very engaging. The course is well-balanced with contents, video clips, and exercises making it very memorable ".

"Lessons and practical exercises are well-balanced".

88th AUN-QA Programme Assessment at the University of Malaya

The 88th AUN-QA Programme Assessment at the University of Malaya was held from 18 to 20 September 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Three study programmes were assessed by AUN-QA Network and the assessment of the Bachelor of Shariah and Law Programme was led by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin (AUN-QA Expert, Singapore) with Dr. Arnel Onesimo Uy (De La Salle University, Philippines). Mr. Johnson Ong was also one of the assessors at the 1st AUN-QA Programme Assessment at the University of Malaya in 2007.

4th AUN-QA Institutional Assessment at University of Technology, VNU-HCM

The 4th AUN-QA institutional assessment was carried out at the University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam from 4 to 9 September 2017. The assessment was carried out by 3 assessment panels covering strategic, systemic, and functional QA and results. Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, AUN-QA expert was a member of the assessment panel for strategic QA. 

19th AUN-QA Workshop for Accomplishing Programme Assessment

The 19th AUN-QA Workshop for Accomplishing Programme Assessment was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 28 August to 1 September 2017.

The 31/2-day workshop aims to introduce the AUN-QA framework and enhance quality assurance practices based on the 3rd version of the AUN-QA framework at programme level. The content of the workshop encompasses:

• Quality assurance in higher education 
• AUN-QA framework and criteria at programme level 
• AUN-QA quality assessment process 
• PDCA Approach to self-assessment 
• Self-assessment report (SAR) writing 
• Change Management 

The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, AUN-QA Expert together with Dr. Tan Kay Chuan from the National University of Singapore. The workshop was attended by 35 participants from universities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

4th Intake of Quality and Quality Management Workshop

The 4th Quality and Quality Management Workshop for key management staff of vocational and technical colleges in Viet Nam was organised by the Training Centre for Advanced Management (TCAM), VNU-Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam from 14 to 16 August 2017. The 3-day workshop was jointly facilitated by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, Principal Consultant, Education Quality International, Prof. Le Quang Minh, and Dr. Nguyen Thanh Thuy of TCAM. The workshop was attended by 26 management staff members from various polytechnics and colleges in Viet nam.

The objective of the 3-day workshop is to raise the awareness of quality and quality management of key management staff of polytechnics and colleges in Viet Nam. The learning outcomes of the workshop are:

• Define quality and quality management
• Explain the evolution of quality management 
• Describe quality management frameworks 
• Describe quality management in higher education 
• Evaluate the factors affecting the choice of quality management implementation 
• Implement quality management and change management

Outcomes-Based Internal Quality Assurance System

The International seminar and workshop on "Strengthening Outcomes-Based Internal Quality System" was hosted by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia on 8 and 9 August 2017 at Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The seminar and workshop was attended by two hundred college leaders and quality assurance leaders from fifty-four accredited A educational institutions in Indonesia. The seminar was declared open by Prof. Intan Ahmad, Director General of Learning and Student Affairs and Prof. Aris Junaidi, Director General of Quality Assurance from the ministry. The seminar was graced with a closing remarks by Prof. Mohammed Nasir, Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education.

Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, AUN-QA Expert and Principal Consultant of Education Quality International was invited to deliver a presentation on "An Overview of Outcomes-Based Quality Assurance (OBQA) Frameworks for Higher Education". The other international speakers include Ms. Eve McMahon, New Zealand Qualifications Authority; Dr. Karen Treloar, TEQSA, Australia; Prof. Lyn Karstadt, Murdoch University, Australia;  and Prof. Raymund Sison, De La Salle University, Philippines.

Education 4.0 - The 4Cs Framework to Transform HEI into an Innovation Producing Ecosystem

Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin, Principal Consultant of Education Quality International was invited by Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education (HCMUTE) to give a presentation on "Education 4.0 - The 4Cs Framework to Transform Higher Education Institution into an Innovation Producing Ecosystem" on 21 July 2017.

The half-day conference was organised into two sessions. The first session covered the development and challenges of Industry 4.0 and the characteristics of Education 4.0. The second session discussed the 4Cs Framework using the case of Singapore and the National University of Singapore (NUS).