Strategies for internationalisation Professor Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, associate deputy vice- chancellor at the Universiti Malaya (UM), began her talk by noting that Malaysia will expand enrolment to reach some 250,000 international students by the end of 2025. As of December 2023, the number of international postgraduate students at UM totalled almost 7,000. She went on to outline UM’s own internationalisation policy; it is based on three key agendas: visionary leadership, global reputation and impactful partnership, each with three strategies and a number of action plans attached. “Not everyone embraces internationalisation easily”, noted Lim, adding that “a whole campus approach was essential to embed it within our community”. UM’s approach to visionary leadership focuses on championing global strategies, nurturing future leaders and leveraging cultural diplomacy, while in terms of global reputation the aim is to elevate the UM brand, positioning it as a vital hub and strengthening its presence in the region. Meanwhile, impactful partnership revolves around promoting influential collaborations, harnessing collective strengths and establishing academic diplomacy. Initiatives at UM include academic, research and mobility collaborative programmes, while partnership activities involve joint publication, supervision and grant applications. Moreover, a number of workshops, conferences and seminars are held in collaboration with other institutions, along with dual academic programmes. The university has strategic alliances with a roster of international bodies, including the Silk Road Universities network, the UN’s Academic Impact framework and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. There are also various collaboration models in place at UM, such as study visits, including presentations, exchanges and learning about topics of interests; research collaboration with potential partners for funding opportunities; and staff exchanges to foster greater knowledge sharing. Lim also gave examples of some short-term mobility programmes offered by UM, including Business Language & Culture, Education
deputy vice-chancellor of academic and international, Professor Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani. He began with some statistics: Asia‑Pacific is home to approximately 4.7 billion people, equivalent to around 60 per cent of the world’s population; the region was expected to experience a projected GDP growth rate of 3.9 per cent by the end of last year and is tipped to become the world’s most lucrative market for higher education. The UUM deputy vice-chancellor then went on to list some of the geopolitical tensions currently at play in the region. These include US-China rivalry and other territorial disputes; regulatory pressures such as visa policies and collaboration restrictions; economic volatility, ie trade disruptions or funding challenges; technology risks such as cybersecurity, AI or IP concerns; and finally demographic and environmental issues, which cover aging populations and climate impact. However, Sani was at pains to point out that it is not all doom and gloom; indeed, geopolitics also provides business schools with a good number of opportunities, such as a growing demand for education thanks to an emerging middle class, as well as the development of regional hubs – he noted in particular how Malaysia is a fast-growing example of this. Then there is cross- border collaboration, involving regional integration within bodies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Digital transformation, including online and hybrid learning, also plays a part, as does the focus on sustainable development through the UN’s SDGs and ESG-focused programmes. Moreover, there are partnerships between industry and academia that involve innovation, research and curriculum development, particularly in the areas of fintech, AI, green technology and smart cities. Sani then highlighted the top five reasons for choosing to study in Asia-Pacific: top of the list is how welcoming it is to international students, followed by high quality teaching, then
for Sustainable Development and International Indigenous Mobility.
Tackling geopolitical challenges Geopolitics in Asia Pacific and the challenges it poses for business schools was the subject of the presentation given by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)’s
( From left to right ) Professor Zhongming Wang, AMBA & BGA’s international advisor for China hosts a debate on sustainability and digitalisation; Shikha Taunk, regional relationship manager for India at AMBA & BGA, chairs a panel on international collaboration; UUM’s deputy vice-chancellor of academic and international, Professor Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani
20 Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online