India has called for evolving a strategy to promote greater educational cooperation among East Asian countries. This was stated by Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Dr. D Purandeswari while addressing the first East Asia Summit - Education Ministers Meeting, EAS-EMM, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia today. Dr. Purandeswari said that time has come to foster such a cooperation to harness credit transfer, mutual recognition of degrees, free flow of highly qualified people and earmarking of seats for students from member countries in reputed institutions in the region.

The Minister conveyed India's proposal to establish an East Asian regional leadership development programme to provide access to higher education for the future generations in the areas of regional importance. India also expressed its interest in linking its National Qualification Framework, NQF, to regional framework development.

The Minister said, this will usher in regional inter-operability of NQF and ensure mobility within the EAS participating countries.