On 18 February 2017, RADM Wachara Karunyavanij, Deputy Director of ONESQA in the capacity of President of AQAN chaired the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN) Executive Committee Meeting (ECM) No. 1/2017 at Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The meeting was joined by the executive committee members from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.  The delegations from ONESQA, Thailand included Mr. Ekaphong Lauhathiansind, Senior Expert; Mrs. Weeranuch Suksawang, Head of Policy and Strategy Section Policy and Strategy Bureau; Ms. Pattama Sinjumpasak, Chief of Foreign Relation Unit and Ms. Sininard Wangdee, Foreign Relations Officer.

The executive members acknowledged as follows: (1) AQAN activities for 2017, (2) AQAN financial status, (3) cooperation under EU SHARE Project, (4) an accreditation unit in Vietnam apply for associate membership with AQAN. The meeting was informed about the upcoming National Workshop on IQA and EQA under the European Union Support to Higher Education in ASEAN Region (EU SHARE) project on 31 August - 1 September 2017in Bangkok to be hosted by ONESQA and Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC). Moreover, ECM asked the AQAN Secretariat to follow up with the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR to host the 2017 AQAN Seminar & Roundtable Meeting.

On 19 September 2017, RADM Wachara Karunyavanij chaired the Workshop in AQAN Strategic Plan for 2017-2021. The workshop aimed to formulate the AQAN strategic priorities over the 5-year period including dynamism to achieve the strategic goals.

On 20 September 2017, RADM Wachara Karunyavanij, in the capacity of the President of AQAN delivered an opening speech at the ASEAN-QA Training Workshop. The opening of the workshop included speeches by executives from SEAMEO Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development, ASEAN University Network, German Academic Exchange Service, German Rectors’ Conference, and University of Potsdam.