By Bazli Razak
PUTRAJAYA, 7 November 2025 — Malaysia continues to reinforce its leadership role in regional higher education through the hosting of the ASEAN Higher Education Leadership Forum (ASHELF) 2025, held in conjunction with the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (Putrajaya FOI) 2025 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), this prestigious forum brings together leaders of higher education institutions (HEIs), policymakers, academics, and industry partners from across ASEAN to discuss the future direction of higher education that is more sustainable, inclusive, and innovative.
Carrying the theme “Reimagining the Future of Higher Education in ASEAN,” ASHELF 2025 focuses on six key areas — Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, Emerging Scholars, Planetary Health, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
In his keynote address titled “ASEAN Higher Education Leadership: Navigating the Future Together,” H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, emphasized the need for visionary, agile, and authentic leadership in navigating the rapidly changing landscape of global education.
He also called on ASEAN higher education institutions to strengthen cross-border collaboration to build a competitive and human-centered knowledge ecosystem.
The forum further highlights the importance of embedding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) principles into ASEAN higher education strategies, in alignment with the Joint Declaration on the Common Space in Southeast Asian Higher Education, contributing to the development of the Common Space Roadmap towards regional higher education transformation.
The closing session of ASHELF 2025 will be officiated by Prof. Dr. Harshita Aini Haroon, Director of AKEPT, on the second day of the programme.
UPSI Registrar, Helmi Zaifura Abdul Rahman, said that the organisation of ASHELF 2025 demonstrates Malaysia’s, particularly UPSI’s, commitment to strengthening the network of higher education leadership at the regional level.
“ASHELF is not merely a platform for knowledge sharing but a space for building strategic alignment among universities, industries, and regional agencies.
According to her, with over 500 participants, ASHELF 2025 opens new opportunities for ASEAN universities to explore fresh synergies — particularly in educational technology, artificial intelligence, and TVET — in preparing future-ready graduates to meet emerging global challenges.
“This aligns with Malaysia’s aspiration as ASEAN Chair 2025 to nurture visionary and resilient higher education leadership.
“With participation from leaders and academic representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Myanmar, ASHELF 2025 underscores Malaysia’s continued commitment to strengthening ASEAN’s higher education network as a foundation for human capital development and global competitiveness,” he said.