Having in mind the process of increasing globalization and of continuous internationalisation of education and research, considering the importance of science and research for development and indigenous capacity building, noting with interest the ASEM process between European and Asian States, being aware that networking and partnerships are the most promising way to achieve success within this context, ASEA UNINET was founded in 1994 by Austrian and some South-East Asian (Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese) universities as an association of European and South-East Asian universities.
The foundations for this network were laid by informal contacts between Innsbruck University and Thai Universities that date back to the late 1970s. Official visits followed, and partnerships were concluded in the 1980s between the University of Innsbruck and Chulalongkorn and Mahidol in Bangkok, the University of Vienna and Chiang Mai, the University of Agricultural Sciences in Vienna and Kasetsart in Bangkok. In 1992 Innsbruck, Chulalongkorn, Vienna and Chiang Mai Univeristy included one another in their cooperations. A partnership agreement was concluded with Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta (1990) and university relations also developed substantially with Vietnam. Interconnections were established between Austria's partner institutions in Thailand and other countries in the region. The idea of ASEA UNINET was born.

The aims of the ASEA-UNINET are:

• to encourage and facilitate cooperation between academic institutions in staff/student exchange, teaching and research activities
• to promote scientific, cultural and human relationships and personal contacts
• to encourage and initiate projects of mutual interest and benefit for faculties, staff and students
• to assist in forming coalitions of resources for academic activities between member institutions
• to facilitate contacts between universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations and economic operators engaged in projects related to education, science, technology and art in countries with member universities
• to act as a forum of continuous discussions on the progress of these projects, and serving as a network of excellence providing expertise and initiatives for entities seeking European-S.E.Asian relations in the fields mentioned above.