The ASEAN region is very diverse in cultural, political, religious, and economic terms. Although the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) resembles the European Union, the differences are significant. The region is experiencing a dynamic economic upswing, which is accompanied by well-known ecological and social challenges, further exacerbated by climate change. Unlike in Europe, the societal shift from agrarian to knowledge-based societies occurs in just one to two generations. ASEAN structures and policies also focus on vocational education and training. Regional initiatives and instruments have been established, addressing vocational education as a whole or specific areas such as vocational education research and vocational education personnel.