Over 600 students on joint Lancaster and Sunway degree programmes celebrated their graduation recently, with colleagues from Lancaster joining graduands in Malaysia for the ceremonies.

Students graduating this year from Sunway Business School, the School of Arts, of Engineering and Technology and of Medical and Life Sciences, join over 9,900 Lancaster University and Sunway joint alumni who have graduated from the dual programme since it began in 2006.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Schofield and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global (Digital, International, Sustainability) Professor Simon Guy conferred awards alongside Sunway University Founder and Chancellor, YBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO and Sunway University President, Professor Sibrandes Poppema over two days of ceremonies between the 22nd and 24th of February.

Professor Schofield said: “Our global partnerships are very important to Lancaster, and I feel a tremendous sense of pride in celebrating not only the achievements of our students graduating from Sunway and Lancaster programmes but also of our colleagues in Sunway and international alumni.”

Strengthening the partnership

In addition to the graduation ceremonies, a range of other activities offered opportunities to recognise the achievements of staff and students and encourage greater engagement between the two institutions.

Professor Schofield and Professor Poppema joined the final cohort of 18 Sunway University staff celebrating their completion of Lancaster University’s Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP), which provides a theoretical and practical foundation for academic staff to support teaching, learning and assessment. The cohort joins over 100 Sunway colleagues who have achieved the certificate before. A local Advance HE accredited PGCert in HE Practice programme has recently been approved too, which will replace the (PGCAP) and will soon be available to colleagues in Sunway.

Following the graduation ceremonies, colleagues from Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement hosted a traditional British high tea event in Kuala Lumpur for 70 alumni. This event was the first opportunity for colleagues in Lancaster to reconnect in person with former students from the Sunway-Lancaster partnership after the pandemic years. The team welcomed graduates from both the Sunway-Lancaster partnership and from Lancaster University to the event, which was intended to reinvigorate Lancaster’s alumni network in Malaysia.

About Sunway

The partnership between Lancaster and Sunway has developed significantly since the initial cohort of just 21 students; there are now over 5,600 students on joint programmes.

Now entering its seventeenth year the partnership was recognised by the British Malaysia Chamber of Commerce in 2022 by the UK-Malaysia Education Institutional Partnership Award.

You can find out more about the Sunway-Lancaster partnership on the teaching partners webpage.