APUCEN Strengthens Engagement with Ministry of Higher Education

PUTRAJAYA, 28 July 2026 — The Asia-Pacific University-Community Engagement Network (APUCEN) strengthened its engagement with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) through a courtesy visit by Dato’ Dr Aileen Tan, FASc, Executive Director of APUCEN, together with Datuk Asma Ismail, APUCEN Council Member from International Medical University (IMU), and Prof. Dato’ Dr Azlan Amran, Chairperson of APUCEN@Malaysia, to the Office of the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education (KSU) on 28 July 2026.

The courtesy visit provided an opportunity for APUCEN to introduce its regional network and discuss potential areas of strategic collaboration with MOHE, particularly in strengthening university-community engagement and supporting the implementation of the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint (RPTM) 2026–2035.

During the engagement, APUCEN highlighted its extensive regional network comprising 107 member institutions across 21 countries, with seven national chapters across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Brunei and China. The network serves as a platform for universities to collaborate across borders and translate research and community engagement initiatives into meaningful social, economic, health, cultural and environmental impact.

The discussion also highlighted the alignment between APUCEN’s university-community engagement agenda and key priorities under the RPTM 2026–2035, particularly Responsible RDICE, Global Excellence, and Planetary Health & Sustainability.

The courtesy visit reflects APUCEN’s continued commitment to strengthening collaboration with national stakeholders and positioning university-community engagement as an important mechanism in supporting Malaysia’s higher education priorities and delivering meaningful impact to communities.

APUCEN looks forward to further engagement with MOHE in exploring opportunities for strategic collaboration at both national and regional levels.