AUA Executive Presidency 2021-2022 Univesrsiti Malaya hosted the fifth AUA Executives’ Meeting (AUAEM) on November 10th, 2021. Over 65 participants from all AUA member institutions joined online to share their experiences and perspectives.
Prof. Dato’Ir. Dr. Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya, delivered the opening address. He welcomed all participants and expressed his appreciation, acknowledging that AUA initiatives have allowed academic institutions to come together and push the boundaries of knowledge and internationalization. Although COVID-19 has prompted everyone to interact differently, AUA members are closer than ever.
Tsinghua University Vice-president and Provost Prof. YANG Bin, University of Colombo Vice Chancellor Prof. Chandrika Wajarayantne, and United Arab Emirates University Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Ghaleb Albreiki each shared some remarks during the opening ceremony, welcoming all participants and praising AUA for providing innovative bilateral and multilateral opportunities and for connecting students and scholars across Asia.
Following the opening ceremony were four sessions. The first session, chaired by Dr. Agustin Kusumayati of Universitas Indonesia, invited AUA members to discuss the progress of AUA programs and the progress of the 2021 AHEO report. Six member universities shared their experience and results of numerous programs they hosted in collaboration with AUA. These included three overseas study programs hosted by Chulalongkorn University, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Nazarbayev University, two academic conferences by Chulalongkorn University and Universitas Indonesia, AUA Accelerator on the Future of Learning by the United Arab Emirates University, AUA Online Education Leadership Program by Tsinghua University, and the first AUA Online Education Fair and AUA Lecture Series by the AUA Secretariat.
Prof. Dr. Yong Zulina Zubairi of Universiti Malaya chaired the second session, where participants expressed their thoughts on potential ideas, themes and events for AUA’s upcoming five-year anniversary and how AUA can act more as a supporting partner for events hosted by member universities.
The third and final session, chaired by Nazarbayev’s Provost Prof. Illsanmi Adesida, discussed how the future of AUA programs would proceed in the new year. Prof. Mohamed Madi, Dean of the College of Business and Economics at UAEU, proposed the idea of hosting hybrid programs, where many members expressed interest and enthusiasm. Prof. Aliya Kaimoldinova, head of the Office of Global Relations at Nazabayev University, included that hosting a hybrid conference could also attract more people to event, specifically those who are constrained by time or financials.
The closing remarks were led by Prof. Dr. Yong Zulina Zubairi, Associate Vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya. She expressed her gratitude to all participants and thanked them for sharing their experiences and thoughts throughout the event. She hoped that everyone can continue to work hand in hand towards their goals.
Universiti Malaya sent gifts to all participants prior to the meeting and among them were painting materials members could use to participate in the Special Session on Batik Painting. Participants were carefully instructed on how to use the paints and finished with beautiful works of art.
The conclusion of the final session reflects the successful outcome of AUAEM 2021. While the members look forward to meeting in person one day, there is not shortage or wavering in the connections that have been forged online. As the second AUAEM hosted online, this only goes to show that ideas and thoughts expressed in an online space in not a hinderance to creating new opportunities and to coming together.
