KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through UTM International Kuala Lumpur, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing global partnerships, innovation, and academic diplomacy by hosting the Ambassador GlobaLecture (AGL) China 2026, featuring His Excellency Ouyang Yujing, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia.

Held at the Seminar Hall, Menara Razak, UTM Kuala Lumpur, the programme brought together more than 100 participants comprising diplomats, university leaders, academics, researchers, and local and international students. The lecture, entitled Innovation, Partnership & Shared Prosperity: China-Malaysia Community with a Shared Future in a Changing World, served as a timely platform to explore how higher education institutions can strengthen bilateral cooperation in addressing emerging global challenges through innovation, research excellence and talent development.

The Ambassador GlobaLecture is a flagship initiative of UTM International that promotes academic diplomacy by connecting the diplomatic community with academia to encourage meaningful dialogue on international affairs, education, science, technology and sustainable development. Since its inception, the platform has strengthened UTM’s role as a trusted convenor of global conversations while expanding opportunities for collaboration between Malaysia and strategic international partners.

Delivering the lecture, Ouyang Yujing emphasised that innovation is becoming a defining pillar of China-Malaysia relations. While bilateral cooperation has traditionally centred on trade and infrastructure development, both countries are now entering a new phase of collaboration driven by artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, green technology, advanced manufacturing, and emerging industries.

He highlighted that the consensus reached during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Malaysia on establishing a regional hub for cooperation in new quality productive forces has opened new pathways for deeper collaboration between both countries. According to the Ambassador, Malaysia and China will continue strengthening industrial, supply, value, data and talent chains while jointly establishing laboratories for emerging technologies to accelerate innovation and regional development.

“The development of artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by any single country, but rather a symphony of global cooperation,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of international partnerships in ensuring that technological advancement benefits society collectively.

The Ambassador further highlighted China’s growing investment in Malaysia’s digital economy, noting the participation of leading Chinese technology companies in Malaysia’s 5G infrastructure, AI applications, cloud computing, smart cities, green finance and data centre development. He also pointed to collaborative initiatives involving Malaysian universities and industries, demonstrating how academia plays a vital role in translating technological innovation into practical societal impact.

Recognising UTM’s contributions, the Ambassador cited several successful collaborations between UTM and leading Chinese universities. These include the establishment of a Joint AI Laboratory with Zhejiang University (ZJU), intelligent manufacturing initiatives with Wuhan University of Technology (WHUT), and the recently established China-Malaysia International Institute for Advanced Studies with Xiamen University (XMU). These partnerships reflect the growing confidence in UTM as a strategic partner for research, innovation and human capital development.

Earlier, in his welcoming address, UTM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, stressed that universities must move beyond traditional academic cooperation by translating international partnerships into tangible solutions that improve people’s lives.

He noted that as the world faces increasingly complex issues, including climate change, planetary health, global migration, food and energy security and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, international collaboration has become more important than ever.

“Our collaborations should not merely produce academic publications but generate innovations, technologies, and solutions that address real societal challenges. Universities have a responsibility to nurture future-ready graduates while contributing knowledge that supports sustainable development and shared prosperity,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor explained that UTM’s internationalisation agenda strongly aligns with the aspirations of the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint (RPTM) 2026–2035, particularly Strategic Leap 7: Global Excellence, which encourages universities to strengthen international engagement, enhance research excellence and develop globally competent graduates capable of leading in an interconnected world.

He further highlighted UTM’s expanding partnerships with distinguished Chinese universities, including XMU, Nanjing University (NJU), Tsinghua University (THU), Peking University (PKU), Ningxia University (NXU), ZJU, and WHUT. These collaborations have generated meaningful outcomes through joint publications in high-impact journals, collaborative research initiatives, research internships, invited lectures, talent development programmes and academic mobility across strategic disciplines such as artificial intelligence, advanced materials, biotechnology, environmental sustainability, energy, biomedical engineering and cultural studies.

Among the university’s recent milestones is the establishment of the China-Malaysia International Institute for Advanced Studies with XMU, designed to strengthen collaborative research and innovation between both countries. UTM has also undertaken research projects with NJU under the Malaysia-China Science, Technology and Innovation Grant, while several UTM researchers have been appointed as international experts under NXU’s prestigious Project 111.

Another significant achievement is UTM’s expanding collaboration with PKU and THU. Currently, seventeen UTM undergraduate students are undertaking research internships across three schools at PKU, while another eleven students are participating in research placements at THU’s Institute of Environment and Energy. These programmes provide valuable international research exposure while nurturing globally competent graduates equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge and cross-cultural competencies.

The Vice-Chancellor emphasised that these collaborations demonstrate how international partnerships can directly benefit students through experiential learning, research opportunities, knowledge exchange, and global networking. Such initiatives not only strengthen institutional excellence but also contribute towards building future leaders capable of addressing regional and global challenges through innovation and collaboration.

The event also reflected UTM’s growing role in supporting Malaysia’s international higher education agenda by providing an inclusive platform where diplomats, policymakers, academics, researchers, and students could exchange perspectives on the future of education, science, technology, and innovation.

Distinguished guests included Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, Director of UTM International, Dr. Faiezi Zuber, Director of the Higher Education Internationalisation Division, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE) and Mr. Nasir Osman, Head of Administration, UTM Kuala Lumpur Branch Campus.

The programme was further honoured by the presence of representatives from several diplomatic missions, including the Embassies of China, Ukraine, Slovakia, Timor-Leste, Somalia, Georgia and Libya, reflecting broad international support for UTM’s efforts in strengthening academic diplomacy and global engagement.

Participants also included staff and students from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), whose participation enriched discussions on regional cooperation, future talent development, international mobility and collaborative research.

As Malaysia and China commemorate decades of enduring friendship, Ambassador GlobaLecture 2026 demonstrated how universities can serve as strategic bridges connecting diplomacy, education, research, innovation, and people-to-people understanding. Through platforms such as the Ambassador GlobaLecture, UTM continues to strengthen its position as a globally engaged university committed to fostering impactful international partnerships that generate knowledge, nurture future talent and contribute meaningfully towards a more innovative, resilient, and prosperous shared future for the region and beyond.

Prepared by: Su Zalpha Mohamed, UTM International