More than 500 educational officials and experts from 48 countries agreed to work together to enhance partnership and share new developments in higher education during an annual forum in Seoul on Tuesday.

Sungkyunkwan University and QS-ASIA, the U.K.-based university evaluation firm’s Asia branch, is co-hosting the 9th QS ASIA Pacific Professional Leaders in Education Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday at the school’s main campus in Seoul.

Since its inception in 2005, the forum has fostered active engagement among university leaders, academic and senior administrators in the region, according to the organizer.

Kim Jun-young, president of SKKU, said in a statement that the forum, one of the biggest higher education conferences in Asia, would offer an “outstanding opportunity to network, exchange ideas and build long-lasting partnerships.”

“We will build up the Asia-Pacific communities to continue striving for academic excellence, mutually beneficial partnership and global engagement.

This year, 547 university leaders and academics as well as key policymakers and business leaders are participating in the two-day forum under the theme: “Building World-Class Universities for Asia-Pacific Communities through Global Partnership and Collaboration.”

Key participants include Hwang Chang-gyu, former CEO of Samsung Electronics; Andrew Wilson, chief executive of the Association of MBAs; Judy Tsui, vice president of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and Abdulla Y. Al-Hawaj, president of Ahlia University in Bahrain.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)