20 Years, 1 Vision: Sunway & Lancaster Celebrate Landmark Partnership

During Sunway University’s Convocation week, Sunway University and Lancaster University came together to celebrate a landmark milestone: 20 years of pioneering transnational education. Since 2006, this dynamic alliance has grown far beyond delivering world-class degree programmes to encompass impactful research, global student mobility, and a shared commitment to sustainability.

Celebrating Two Decades of Success The week featured a 'Campus with a Conscience' public lecture delivered by Lancaster University Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Decent, titled Future Cities: Leadership and the Sustainability Challenge, which highlighted the vital role higher education plays in driving sustainable urban futures.

To mark two decades of collaboration, university leaders officially unveiled the Lancaster University–Sunway University 20th Anniversary Wall, a lasting tribute to shared academic excellence. The unveiling was witnessed by Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah (Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group), His Excellency Ajay Sharma CMG (British High Commissioner to Malaysia), Prof. Dato’ Elizabeth Lee (Group CEO of Sunway Education), Prof. Sibrand Poppema (President and Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University), and Prof. Stephen Decent.

Shaping the Next Chapter Guided by the Lancaster Sunway Partnership Co-Strategy (2024–2030), both institutions are advancing joint initiatives to address pressing global challenges, exemplary of which is the Future Cities Research Institute.

Celebrations will continue later this academic year at the Lancaster campus, where the Lancaster University Library will host Impact 20: The Power of Two, an exhibition exploring the partnership’s rich history, meaningful impact, and future vision. Twenty years on, this collaboration continues to demonstrate the transformative power of long-term international partnership in higher education—and this is only the beginning.