This regional education report was one of my major pieces of work for UNESCO in Asia-Pacific. As lead author and project manager, I led its development from cross-country coordination and data verification through to analysis and final drafting. Working with national experts and ministries across Asia-Pacific, I helped ensure the report drew on consistent and credible information across the region. Building on earlier country-level research, where I also contributed to methodological standardisation, the report identified a key pattern: secondary education appeared comparatively underfunded despite the high demands placed on teachers and students. The findings helped reinforce internal attention to the role and financing of secondary education in the region.