Universiti Malaya continues to strengthen its internationalisation agenda through active engagement with the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA), a strategic network of leading Asian universities regional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and impactful partnerships.
AUA serves as an important avenue for member universities to collaborate in areas such as research partnerships, student and staff mobility, academic exchanges, joint initiatives, innovation, and capacity-building programmes. UM has been fortunate to drive these initiatives, including research grants, scholarships, mobility programmes, conferences, and collaborative projects.
Recently, UM participated in the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Summit 2026, held from 31 May to 3 June 2026 at Nazarbayev University (NU), Astana, Kazakhstan. The summit gathered university leaders and representatives from leading institutions across Asia to exchange perspectives and discuss strategies in shaping the future of higher education.
Dr. Zuliana Razali, Director of the International Relations Centre (IRC), participated in the summit as UM’s representative, reaffirming the university’s active role in the AUA network and commitment to strengthening regional and global engagement.
The summit featured key engagements, including the AUA Working Group Meetings, Board Meeting, and AUA Presidents Forum 2026. As a Governing Board member, UM contributed to strategic discussions on enhancing collaboration among member universities, strengthening the alliance’s future direction, and expanding opportunities for impactful initiatives across the region.
A key highlight of the summit was the AUA Presidents Forum 2026, themed “Shaping Future Universities: Industry Engagement and Governance Innovation.” The forum explored emerging trends in higher education, including future university governance models, industry-academia collaboration, and innovative approaches to preparing graduates for an evolving global environment.
As AUA approaches its 10th anniversary milestone in 2027, UM looks forward to continuing its contribution in AUA to advance a more collaborative, innovative, and future-ready higher education ecosystem in Asia.