On 15 January 2026, the Director of SEAMEO CECCEP, Prof. Vina Adriany, Ph.D, served as a resource person at an academic event entitled “Southeast Asian Perspectives on Early Childhood Development: Promises and Challenges,” which was organized by the Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya.
The presentation delivered was entitled Southeast Asian Perspectives on Early Childhood Development. This academic forum facilitated cross-perspective discussions on early childhood development in the Southeast Asian region, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges in realizing a Holistic Early Childhood Development approach.
In her presentation, Prof. Dr. Vina Adriany emphasized that the significance of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) was evident and had been globally recognized. She stated that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) clearly identified the improvement of access to and quality of ECCE as a key indicator of global development. According to her, the benefits of ECCE were not limited to children’s individual development but also contributed to national development, including the promotion of social equity and the reduction of poverty in the future.
Furthermore, Prof. Vina Adriany outlined various challenges and barriers in the implementation of holistic early childhood development. These challenges included inadequate funding and resource allocation, limited capacity and training of professionals, weak cross-sectoral coordination, as well as gaps in data collection and program monitoring systems. Socioeconomic and cultural barriers were also highlighted as factors affecting families’ access to and participation in early childhood development services.
She stressed the importance of strong political commitment, increased and sustained investment, and cross-sectoral collaboration among the education, health, nutrition, child protection, and social welfare sectors to ensure inclusive, high-quality, and sustainable ECCE services.
In addition, Prof. Vina Adriany reiterated the need to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, enhance sustainable investment, and develop integrated data systems as strategic measures to ensure inclusive and sustainable early childhood development services across Southeast Asia.
The participation of the Director of SEAMEO CECCEP in this event reflected the institution’s commitment to strengthening international academic networks and contributing to the development of evidence-based knowledge and policies in the field of Early Childhood Care, Education, and Parenting. Through active engagement in international academic forums, SEAMEO CECCEP continued to reinforce its role as a regional centre of excellence in supporting the quality of early childhood education, parenting, and child well-being in Southeast Asia.
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