Indonesian Universities Expand ASEAN Partnerships with Malaysia and Thailand

The Faculty of Social Sciences, Culture and Politics at Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur (UPN Veteran Jatim) has deepened its ASEAN network by partnering with Universiti Malaya in Malaysia and the Sarasas Suvarnabhumi Institute of Technology in Thailand. The collaboration, funded by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Research and Technology, aims to develop Bahasa Indonesia for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) as a tool of language and cultural diplomacy across Southeast Asia. Research led by Dewi Puspa Arum will produce joint publications, academic mobility programmes and community‑service projects.

Separately, Universitas Al‑Hikmah Indonesia (UAI) Tuban hosted a specialist from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) for the International Seminar on Islamic Education 2026. The seminar addressed the transformation of Islamic higher education, focusing on governance, leadership, innovation and quality‑assurance models to meet global standards. UAI’s rector, Laily Hidayati, and vice‑rector Muhammad Aziz highlighted the role of such collaborations in positioning Indonesian institutions as world‑class universities.

Both initiatives illustrate a broader push by Indonesian higher‑education institutions to strengthen research ties, student mobility and cultural outreach within the ASEAN region.