Follow-up Report on the Asia Education Forum 2026
Asia Education Forum 2026: The Education Sector Between Skilled Labor Mobility and Digitalization
On March 27, 2026, the second German-Asian Education Forum once again brought together around 100 international guests and experts from the business, political, and education sectors to discuss fair recruitment of skilled workers, dynamic vocational training markets, and future-oriented synergies in cooperation. It was organized by OAV in its long-standing partnership with iMOVE and hosted by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce.
At the start of the event, Dr. Arnd Nenstiel, Chairman of the OAV – German Asia-Pacific Business Association, emphasized in his welcoming remarks how much the organizers appreciate the participation—especially that of international guests—in the forum and its enriching exchange. He specifically named the Ambassador of Bangladesh and the Ambassadors of the Maldives and the Philippines, as well as embassy representatives from China, Indonesia, Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, as particularly welcome guests.
In her opening remarks, Kristine Faenger, Director of iMOVE, set the stage for a diverse program that centered on the key question of how to ensure that the mobility of skilled workers is successful, sustainable, and fair with the support of the education sector.
La Vibol, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training of the Kingdom of Cambodia, delivered his keynote address via video message. In his words, German-Asian cooperation in the education sector is currently more important than ever for his country. Above all, technological changes are having a massive impact on global labor markets, where the demand for productivity and resilience is growing. Vocational education is no longer a secondary educational path in Cambodia, but rather a central pillar of national competitiveness and social progress.
Birgit Thomann, Head of the Department of International Vocational Education and Training at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), also emphasized the growing importance of vocational education and training in international partnerships in her keynote address. She noted that a fundamental principle is cooperation on an equal footing. The shared goal, she said, is to establish strong partnerships that benefit all participants. The strategy in Germany aims to strengthen vocational education and training systems in partner countries while simultaneously paving the way for qualified trainees and skilled workers to come to Germany.
Panel 1: Germany's Connectivity
The first panel of the day, moderated by Enrico Rühle (Managing Director of Smart Future Campus GmbH), focused on the question "Is Germany falling behind in Asia? – Strengthening partnerships in industry, education, and politics." The discussion centered on the situation in the Chinese market.
The German Ambassador to China, Dr. Patricia Flor, noted that in current German-Chinese relations, it is more important than ever that cooperation benefits both sides. She emphasized that Germany remains a world leader in vocational training, but that the field is changing rapidly due to new technologies and the use of artificial intelligence.
Andreas Dick, a member of the Škoda Auto Executive Board who has been active in China for nearly 13 years, confirmed her statement and added that while dual-track vocational training has traditionally enjoyed a good reputation in China, there is a risk of falling behind in the dynamic Chinese market without rapid adaptation and the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The speed at which new industry demands for different skills are emerging in the labor market has prompted companies to rethink their approaches and seek increasingly flexible solutions, reported Brigitte Hanemann, an expert in global business development at TÜV SÜD Akademie GmbH.
With regard to the challenge of Germany’s connectivity in Asia, Fathi Jamal, Export Manager at Dr.-Ing. Paul Christiani GmbH & Co. KG, noted that, given the competition from other countries in the Chinese market, Germany must invest more in comprehensive solutions that involve local governments, local TVET schools, and local companies.
Panel 2: Case Study: Ethical Recruitment of Skilled Workers
The much-discussed topic of recruiting skilled workers from abroad and the associated need for transparent recruitment was addressed by the second panel of the morning, using an example of fair labor migration from India.
The panel discussion, moderated by Silvia Niediek (Regional Manager at iMOVE), gave the audience at the Education Forum an authentic insight into the complex immigration process.
Ren Sebastian Kattiparambil Kunjappan from the state of Kerala described how he is currently training to become a train conductor at AKH Eisenbahn GmbH and is also acquiring technical knowledge through daily evening meetings with his colleagues.
Matthias Meyer, Managing Director of AKH Eisenbahn, described how the recruitment process worked from a business perspective. In collaboration with the recruitment firm HonestPassion Global GmbH, represented by its Managing Director Philipp Hartmann, the two outlined the process for identifying young international talent for the German job market and thoroughly preparing them. The entire process is completely transparent for all parties involved and takes about 18 months. In addition, HonestPassion Global provides one year of support in Germany. Matthias Meyer emphasized that the trainees’ technical language skills currently pose the greatest challenge, as there is a lack of industry-specific teaching materials.
Arunachalam Karthikeyan, head of the iMOVE contact office in India, also cited the acquisition of German language skills in India as a major problem. Due to the growing interest in employment in Germany and Europe, the demand for language courses can barely be met, leading to an increasing number of private language institutes offering German courses. However, he noted that there is a lack of quality in terms of teaching staff, didactics, and methodology. He sees great potential here for further standardization and the expansion of language institutes with the appropriate expertise.
Spotlight: The Federal Government's Skilled Workforce Strategy
During a spotlight session between the panels, Dr. Merle Kreibaum, Senior Advisor at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), emphasized the importance of vocational training and highlighted it as a central aspect of development cooperation.
With the launch of the Skilled Workforce Alliance on March 12, 2026, the BMZ continued to implement the German government’s skilled workforce strategy through “WE-Fair: Economy and Development for Fair Recruitment of Skilled Workers.” The key points of the Alliance can be summarized in four objectives:
First, the government is committed to transparent rules and fair recruitment of skilled workers. Second, training programs should be created that qualify participants for work both in Germany and in their countries of origin. In addition, digital education should be expanded and digital counseling services should be broadened. Administrative processes should also be digitized. As a fourth point, the BMZ commits to distributing costs and risks among the stakeholders so that employers can protect themselves against the risk of staff shortages and skilled workers can cover the costs of their continuing education or relocation. It is also important to promote success stories and share good ideas with one another.
Panel 3: Vocational Training vs. Development Cooperation: Synergy or Competition?
The field of vocational training is relevant to both the economy and development cooperation. Consequently, the first panel of the afternoon addressed the question: "Synergy or Competition? Expanding Opportunities for German Vocational Training through Development Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region."
Moderated by Sören Konaretzki (Regional Manager at OAV), the discussion featured Nadja Schneider (Head of Public Relations at Lucas Nuelle GmbH), Mark Carlos Tito G. Gumapon (Deputy Managing Director for Policy and Public Relations at Don Bosco One TVET Philippines Inc.), Afsana Rezaie (Deputy Program Director of the TVET Reform Program Vietnam at the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH), and Dr. Susanne Franke (Corporate Partnerships at Don Bosco Mondo e.V.).
Tito Gumapon emphasized that there is no competition between vocational training and development cooperation (DC), provided that the roles of all stakeholders are clearly defined. Nadja Schneider echoed this sentiment and shared her experiences with GIZ projects, noting that the education sector—despite its decades of experience—is not sufficiently recognized or involved by decision-makers in development cooperation.
From the perspective of development cooperation, Afsana Rezaie emphasized that while development cooperation has the expertise in allocating funds, the education sector can and should meet the necessary educational needs in terms of content and technical skills.
According to Dr. Susanne Franke, the primary goal is to meet the needs of TVET centers abroad and local companies. Even after ten years, demand for well-equipped training centers and the further training of teaching staff in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow. The “train-the-trainer” approach, as a proven continuing education model and a contribution to sustainable vocational education and training, is essential in this regard.
Panel 4: The Education Industry and Skilled Workforce Recruitment
The market for international talent is becoming increasingly competitive. Many German companies are competing globally with English-speaking countries to attract new skilled workers from abroad. During the forum’s fourth panel discussion, participants engaged in a lively debate on how the education sector and businesses can collaborate even more effectively and closely in the future when it comes to recruiting talent.
Janina Habla (Managing Partner at EY Tax GmbH) moderated the discussion.
Fiona Thu, a partner at Contagi GROUP GmbH Southeast Asia, noted that there is a significant gap between what the market offers and what companies need, not least due to rapidly evolving market conditions driven by AI and modern technologies.
Gyvinne Koh, managing director of German Educare, cited several advantages that German companies have over other employers, such as those in Asia, including a good work-life balance, fair wages, and good working conditions—factors that Asian workers value.
Jannik Heckenhahn, a management consultant at ICUnet Group, noted that international talent should be supported beyond the recruitment process—for example, through intercultural training or interpersonal exchanges among colleagues—to give them the opportunity to thrive within the company.
Gyvinne Koh and Fiona Thu also explained that much depends on managing expectations and that the diversity of an international workforce constantly opens up new opportunities.
The panel agreed that practical training and continuing education remain key factors in determining competitiveness. In addition, the panelists raised the question of whether the industry should lower certain requirements—such as the need to obtain a B2 language certificate—in some sectors. This could appeal to international talent who, for example, immigrate to Germany only temporarily for work.
Conclusion and outlook
The conflict in the Middle East caused travel difficulties, particularly for participants from Asia. Many invited guests had to cancel their attendance at the last minute. As a result, the planned breakout session "Talent Pool India" with German-Indian partners could not take place this time.
Despite the circumstances, the German-Asian Education Forum once again demonstrated that transnational educational partnerships open up significant opportunities: they promote the exchange of knowledge and experience, facilitate new partnerships, and contribute to the sustainable recruitment of skilled workers. This benefits companies, employees, and the economies of both source and destination countries alike.
Stakeholders from the business community, the education sector, and the political arena recognize that the challenges posed by dynamic markets can only be overcome in the long term through synergies. The Education Forum Asia 2026 highlighted good examples and trends demonstrating how this can be achieved. It is now important to build on this momentum to ensure fair and sustainable recruitment of skilled workers.
Courtesy of iMove (You can find the original version in the post by iMove).
