By Nur Atiq Maisarah Suhaimi
PETALING JAYA, May 19 (Bernama) -- Sunway University and Fulbright Malaysia (Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE)) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to expand academic exchanges and strengthen educational cooperation between Malaysia and the United States.
The MoU signed in conjunction with the EducationUSA Spring Fair 2026 is expected to facilitate greater mobility for students, educators and researchers between the two countries under the Fulbright programme managed by MACEE.
US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires David H. Gamble Jr said educational cooperation remains an important pillar in bilateral relations, following the elevation of Malaysia-US ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“This agreement today is a chance to deepen the educational ties between students, between professors, but most importantly between the educators and draw our countries together through education and through excellence in research,” he told Bernama here on Tuesday.
Gamble said demand among Malaysian students to pursue studies in the United States has increased following the pandemic, with more students travelling between both countries as institutions recover and expand international programmes.
“So, for anyone who wants to study in the US, we have an expedited visa process. We want students to come to the United States, and we will bend over backwards to make sure that they get their visa to travel to the US and have that educational experience in America that they so desire,” he added.
Meanwhile, Fulbright Malaysia (MACEE)’s executive director Aeti Abdullah said the MoU formalises an existing relationship between the two institutions and is expected to increase the number of exchanges involving American Fulbright scholars in Malaysia and Malaysians studying in the United States.
“What we want to see is that mobility between the two countries and Sunway, I think, is in the best position to do that and to enable that.
“This year, also the 80th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, we want to see more Malaysian-Americans connected, bringing them together as well as increasing the diplomatic ties between the two nations,” she said.
Sunway University's President and Vice-Chancellor Prof Sibrandes Poppema said the university has hosted Fulbright scholars from institutions including Harvard University and Georgetown University, with collaborations continuing beyond their placements.
He said Sunway also maintains partnerships with several US universities, including Harvard University in global health, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in sustainability research, University of California, Berkeley in carbon capture projects and Arizona State University in dual-degree programmes.
Poppema said such collaborations expose students to different educational systems and approaches, helping them develop broader perspectives and solutions to global challenges.
MACEE, established in 1963 to promote educational and cultural exchanges between Malaysia and the US, manages the Fulbright Programme, with the aim of fostering mutual understanding and strengthening ties between the two nations.
-- BERNAMA
