KUALA LUMPUR: As ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia hopes that the United States (US) reinvigorates its engagement with Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on enhancing collaboration in higher education. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir underscored the potential benefits of a robust partnership in education, noting its capacity to drive growth, innovation, and mutual understanding across the ASEAN region.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Zambry emphasized that strengthening educational ties could empower future leaders, drive sustainable development, and foster cultural exchange. These efforts aim to enrich societies in Malaysia and throughout ASEAN. He delivered these remarks during his keynote address at the US-Malaysia Vice Chancellor Round Table Dialogue: Partnerships in Higher Education 2024, an event organized by the Malaysian American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE).
The dialogue brought together vice-chancellors from over 25 public and private Malaysian unive
rsities, facilitating direct engagement with the Higher Education Minister and the US Ambassador to Malaysia. The discussions focused on mutual interests, such as academic exchanges and research partnerships, with Malaysia keen to integrate these collaborations into its ASEAN Chairmanship agenda.
Following the event, Dr Zambry shared with reporters that both parties had explored new collaboration areas, including student and academic mobility, to enhance people-to-people relationships. “We are very committed, and we are going to look into that and then, we hope we’ll be able to draw plans of action in the years to come,” he stated.
In a separate note, Dr Zambry congratulated the people of the United States on Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. He remarked on Trump’s political comeback and highlighted it as a testament to the democratic process of a strong nation. Dr Zambry expressed hope that the longstanding US-Malaysia relationship, deeply rooted in various fields such as economy and edu
cation, would continue to strengthen.
Trump is set for a historic second term as US president after defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, having previously lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.