(From left) Poppema, Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Prof Datuk Elizabeth Lee, AppliedHE founder and chief executive officer Mandy Mok and Sunway University deputy vice-chancellor and provost Prof Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam.
Sunway University hosted AppliedHE Xchange 2025, a regional gathering of higher education leaders, policymakers and industry experts from across Asia.
According to a press statement, this year’s theme, “Together for Tomorrow: Excellence, Engagement, Evolution – Celebrating Leadership and Ranking Excellence,” focused on advancing academic standards, strengthening stakeholder engagement and championing evolution for the global education ecosystem.
The event also introduced the Academic Road Trip (ART), an initiative to promote collaborative learning among academics and students.
At the gathering, participants attended keynote sessions, expert panel discussions and hands-on workshops featuring leading voices in educational innovation, rankings, employability and future-ready skills development.
Another highlight was the launch of the All Asia Public and Private University Rankings 2026.
The ranking evaluated 493 institutions across six dimensions: community engagement, employability, student satisfaction, research excellence, internationalisation and peer recognition.
Sunway University emerged as the top private Malaysian university in Asia, ranking sixth in Asia.
Its president and vice-chancellor Prof Sibrandes Poppema said, “As a mission-driven fifth generation university, Sunway University is committed to empowering impactful research, building meaningful partnerships and developing talent for the world.
“This event reflects our shared commitment and underscores the importance of institutions coming together to advance a better tomorrow for future generations.”
