Kicking off the promising new chapter for Malaysia's global education agenda, the panel session 'Malaysia: A Global Emergence and Leading Regional Education Hub for International Cooperation' was conducted at the Eurasia Higher Education Summit (EURIE) 2025 at Amber Room, Istanbul Lutfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC). The session gathered the most influential names of Malaysia's higher education community to exchange views on international engagement.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, Malaysia's Erasmus National Focal Point (ENFP) Malaysia, moderated the session and was assisted by two eminent panelists: Novie Tajuddin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS); and Prof. Dr. Ahmad Hata Rasit, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). During the session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin presented the 'Connecting Horizons: Malaysia–Turkiye Erasmus+ Initiative' an initiative towards enhancing academic collaboration between Malaysia, Türkiye, and the wider Eurasia region using the Erasmus+ programme. The initiative was also featured in the Ministerial Address by Minister of Higher Education, Dato' Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, under #TalkingPoint 28, demonstrating Malaysia's vision to broaden international collaborations throughout the region.
“We must fully seize the opportunities offered by the European Union through Erasmus, especially by boosting Malaysia’s participation in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) programme”, says Dr. Mohd Ariffin.
EMGS CEO Novie Tajuddin expounded on the efforts of the agency to establish Malaysia as a leading regional education hub. He outlined several initiatives to appeal to foreign students and emphasized that the development of a comprehensive, student-centric ecosystem is crucial. He also cited how Malaysia's close diplomatic relationship particularly with Turkiye could further unlock academic exchange and mobility of students.
Simultaneously, UNIMAS's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ahmad Hata Rasit stressed the university's activity in transnational education and research networks internationally. He discussed the collaborative endeavors of UNIMAS, specifically with collaborators in Türkiye and ASEAN, and brought forth innovative practices for supporting mobility among students as well as collaboration in research across areas such as sustainability and technology.
Collectively, the panelists presented a collective front demonstrating how Malaysian government institutions and universities are hand-in-hand contributing to enhancing the nation's international visibility in higher education.
The session provided a robust platform to project Malaysia's presence on the international education map by improving student mobility, deepening research links, and promoting the nation as a champion in transnational education and innovation. Malaysia's attendance at EURIE 2025 is a demonstration of its steadfast dedication to becoming a leading regional hub for education inviting global students and scholars to come together, innovate, and flourish as one.
