Forging partnerships in Malaysia

We’ve entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universiti Malaya, building upon our connections in the country and in the Southeast Asia region.

The MoU aims to strengthen collaboration in research and education between Durham and Malaysia’s oldest and most prestigious university.

Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O’Brien, also recently joined university leaders from Southeast Asia in an international University Presidents’ Forum to discuss internationalisation in Higher Education post Covid-19.

In addition to our partnership with Universiti Malaya, we also have a MoU with Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin in Malaysia to support joint work in Libraries and Collections.

In the wider Southeast Asia region our Centre for Sustainable Development Law and Policy at Durham Law school recently signed a MoU with the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore.

And our partnership work has been further bolstered by the appointment to our International Office of Audrey Kon as Durham’s Director for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore.

Research connections

Durham’s strong research connections in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, include:

• Joint research between our Chemistry department and Universiti Malaya looking at energy storage devices for smart sustainable cities, facilitated by our Institute of Advanced Studies;

• Research by our Business School into Islamic banks and also the accountability of local government in the region;

• Toybox Malaysia, part of wider research by our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences to prevent childhood obesity;

• Collaborations on red sea algae and also biomedical research in cancers involving our Department of Biosciences;

• Multiple research projects focusing on resilience to hazards (particularly landslides) in Malaysia and Southeast Asia involving our Department of Engineering.

• Extensive research collaborations between Durham and universities in Malaysia in Physics and Astronomy.

Important collections

Our Oriental Museum is also working with Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya to bring together the important Chinese ceramic collection of former British diplomat and politician Malcolm MacDonald, who served as Chancellor of both universities.

The aim is to bring together this collection digitally, via exhibitions and physical catalogues.

Find out more

• Discover more about Durham’s global networks.

• Watch Durham University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O’Brien, join university leaders from South East Asia in the AKEPT Global Series University Presidents’ Forum “Reimagining Internationalisation in Higher Education Post Covid-19”. The event was held in collaboration with Universiti Malaya.

• See the fantastic breadth of Durham’s research.

Banner image (L-R): Professor Dr Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, Associate Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement), Universiti Malaya, and Professor Claire O'Malley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global), Durham University, sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities.