TAR UMT proudly co-hosted a high-level academic roundtable discussion on 23 July 2025, in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Research Centre for Humanities (SEARCH) under the SEARCH Scholar Series, featuring the theme “Global Development Initiative and ASEAN- Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Regional Partnerships”.

The event was honored by the presence of Counsellor Xu from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia, and brought together senior leadership from SEARCH and TAR UMT, along with 10 distinguished scholars from Malaysia’s leading public and private universities- including Universiti Malaya, New Era University College, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, University of Nottingham Malaysia, and Heriot-Watt University Malaysia.

The roundtable discussion fostered an engaging exchange of insights among participants regarding practical strategies for aligning the Global Development Initiative (GDI) with ASEAN’s regional priorities. The discussions centered on key themes such as sustainable development, digital transformation, infrastructure advancement, and regional collaboration, highlighting the strong alignment between GDI’s objectives and ASEAN’s Vision 2025.

This collaborative effort reflects TAR UMT’s dedication to fostering global academic partnerships, driving research impact, and preparing ASEAN-ready talent for a more inclusive and sustainable future.