Universities in Malaysia and Brunei are building global partnerships to boost education, research and student success
During a session at the 2025 THE Asia Universities Summit, participants representing universities in Malaysia and Brunei underscored the importance of local and international collaboration in higher education.
Tong Boon Tang, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) in Malaysia, said that his institution welcomes different forms of collaboration. “This is how we can best prepare our students for success,” he said. Since its establishment, UTP has produced more than 25,000 graduates and has about 300 academic staff and 7,000 students currently.
“We believe that all our researchers and academic staff must be active in research so that our students can be exposed to global challenges and the latest technology development,” Tang said. Industry partnerships are also central to the university’s mandate and it has a dedicated office that monitors partnership progress to ensure that all planned activities are implemented. “The university was designed by industry for industry,” he said. Its seven-month internship programme is the longest in the country and involves more than 400 industry partners.
Internships and industry partnerships are also central to the Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB). By undertaking capstone projects during internships in relevant industries, students gain the opportunity to solve real-world problems, said Ena Kartina Abd Rahman, assistant vice-chancellor for academic affairs at the university. UTB has several science, technology and innovation laboratories, including an AI and machine learning laboratory to encourage innovative research and solutions.
Kar Keng Lim, deputy executive director of performance and rating at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), said that global cooperation and partnerships are key priorities for the university. Headquartered in Malaysia, the university has international branches in Qatar and Indonesia, with a third planned in China. “We try to foster global exchange, join research initiatives and share learning experiences, reinforcing UKM’s position as a global, connected institution,” he said.
UKM focuses on five research clusters, which include digital and frontier technology; sustainable resources, environment and smart living; health and advanced medicine; social and economic transformation; and heritage and civil society. The university has over 1,700 academic and 7,800 administrative staff to support more than 20,000 students.
Sunway University in Malaysia recognises the importance of collaboration, both locally and internationally, said its president and vice-chancellor, Sibrandes Poppema. “There are many opportunities for research collaboration, student exchange and educational cooperation.” Its most prominent collaborations include universities such as Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US and the University of Cambridge in the UK. Its students can also receive multiple degree certificates facilitated by partnerships with Lancaster University in the UK and Arizona State University in the US. The university currently has around 11,400 students and a third of last year’s intake was international, Poppema said. “Our education is holistic – it’s not just about knowledge and skills. Equally important are values and mindset,” he concluded.
The panel:
- Kar Keng Lim, deputy executive director of performance and rating at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Bhavit Mehta, senior content manager for APAC, Times Higher Education (chair)
- Sibrandes Poppema, president and vice-chancellor, Sunway University
- Ena Kartina Abd Rahman, assistant vice-chancellor for academic affairs, Universiti Teknologi Brunei
- Tong Boon Tang, dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
