📝 Summary
The Asia Technological University Network (ATU-Net) successfully hosted its inaugural Teacher’s Teaching Mobility Programme 2026 in Brunei, bringing together academics from member universities across Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The programme facilitated exchange of teaching practices, academic experiences, and opportunities for future collaboration, and strengthened connections among ATU-Net member universities. The event demonstrated how academic mobility can become a platform for leadership engagement, knowledge sharing, and future collaboration.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sep 19 – The Asia Technological University Network (ATU-Net) successfully organised its inaugural ATU-Net Teacher’s Teaching Mobility Programme 2026, hosted by Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) from 14 to 19 September 2026. The programme brought together academics from ATU-Net member universities across Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, creating a platform to exchange teaching practices, academic experiences, and opportunities for future collaboration.
UTB provided a conducive setting for six days of academic exchange, networking, and cultural engagement. Beyond teaching demonstrations, the programme encouraged participants to exchange perspectives, learn from different educational systems and classroom cultures, and explore possibilities for collaborative teaching, research, and mobility.
Representing the ATU-Net, Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Suhana Mohamed Sultan of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) co-led Strategic Leadership Engagement I: “Managing Effective Teacher and Student Mobility Programmes” together with Dr. Jen Aldwayne B. Delmo of Batangas State University (BSU), Philippines. The session was held on the opening day of the programme and provided a platform to exchange perspectives and practices on managing academic mobility more effectively.
The engagement was particularly meaningful as the programme brought together participants with diverse academic and leadership responsibilities, ranging from Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor to Deans, Directors, Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Senior Lecturers and Lecturers. This diversity enabled the discussion on mobility to extend beyond operational matters towards the strategic role of mobility in internationalisation, institutional partnerships, teaching and learning, and longer-term academic collaboration.
The programme involved 10 participating universities from several countries, namely UTB from Brunei; UTM, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM) from Malaysia; Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Atma Jaya Catholic University (UAJ), Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) and Telkom University (Tel-U) from Indonesia; and Mindanao State University-Manguindanao (MSU-Mag) from the Philippines.
Beyond the first engagement, the programme featured further strategic discussions on Future Teaching Mobility Collaboration, Professional Qualifications and Excellence in Higher Education Teaching, and Challenges and Opportunities in ASEAN Higher Education Collaboration. Together, these sessions reinforced the role of ATU-Net as a platform not only for mobility, but also for connecting academic leaders, sharing institutional practices and turning university networks into meaningful collaborative opportunities.
The programme was further enriched by a Programme Dinner, attended by the Vice-Chancellor of UTB, Pg. Dr. Mohamad Iskandar Pengiran Hj. Petra, together with UTB’s Assistant Vice-Chancellors, Registrar and Secretary, and senior academic leadership. The presence of the university leadership reflected UTB’s strong commitment to supporting international academic engagement and strengthening relationships among ATU-Net member universities. The dinner also provided an opportunity to celebrate the friendships and professional connections developed throughout the mobility programme.
The inaugural ATU-Net Teacher’s Teaching Mobility Programme 2026 demonstrated how academic mobility can go beyond teaching exchange to become a platform for leadership engagement, knowledge sharing, networking, and future collaboration. The programme strengthened connections among ATU-Net member universities and opened new possibilities for collaborative teaching, research, and mobility initiatives. It is hoped that the programme will be held annually, with broader participation from ATU-Net member universities, further strengthening academic collaboration and mobility across the network.
Prepared by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, Director; and Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Suhana Mohamed Sultan, Manager of Global Strategy & Engagement, UTM International
