Outcomes from the 1st AUN-UIE Steering Committee Meeting

By Lee Li-Yi Sharlene, AUN Intern

The 1^st AUN-UIE Steering Committee Meeting was held on June 11, 2024, launching Chulalongkorn University (CU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) as co-leads of the AUN-UIE Network. The active engagement of the committee members – De la Salle University (DLSU), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Universiti Malaya (UM), and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology - VNUHCM (HCMUT) – in the inaugural AUN-UIE Steering Committee Meeting serves as a testament to the respective universities’ shared commitment in fostering a innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) across Southeast Asia. 

In this meeting, the Steering Committee was able to solidify the Mission and Objectives of this Network as well as discuss recommendations for immediate action plans, in order to champion dynamic I&E initiatives in collaboration with the other member universities.

Quoting Vice President of Partnerships & Engagement of SMU, Dr. Lim Sun Sun, the meeting discussions reflected each university’s dedication in “driving our region’s innovative capacity by unlocking the potential of our next generation of innovators”. Since the penning of the committee’s Terms of Reference in 2018, the Steering Committee members have expressed their desire to make amendments to the AUN-UIE Terms of Reference so that it ensures that students also reap the rewards of the initiatives the AUN-UIE might advance in the upcoming years. In providing the Network’s strategic direction for the annual general meetings and other initiatives, this amendment to the Terms of Reference demonstrates the member universities’ commitment to identify relevant resources to successfully drive these initiatives within their own universities.

Following this, the Network’s proposed Mission was simplified, using a more active voice in its tone, which serves to highlight the focal points for the network to deliver more impactful outcomes. AUN-UIE  seeks to focus on collaboration in three key areas: Entrepreneurship Education, University-Industry Cooperation, and Community Development.

To energise and champion the innovative capacity of universities, the Steering Committee members wanted to explore the possibilities of cross-border collaborations for regional market opportunities through resource sharing by mentorship experts.
Interregional and public-private cooperation within the ASEAN universities can also be very beneficial to participating universities as the Network works towards developing a Whitepaper for the ASEAN University I&E Ecosystem. It can act as an endorsement on the regional level for universities to convince industry partners to adopt innovative strategies piloted by the various research universities. All universities partaking in this meeting expressed different interests in opportunities for collaboration, depending on the vision for I&E by their respective institutes. To note, they were most keen on a regional platform for Technology Commercialisation and Start-up Funding, followed by one for Mentorship opportunities. Some universities were interested to work on a regional Data Repository for the development of start-up enterprises as well as to enhance regional Student Immersions (including internships). 

Some considerations came into fruition with this discussion as the Steering Committee aligned their objectives to establish an effective I&E ecosystem within Southeast Asia. With suggestions from Dr. Lim Sun Sun, bi- or trilateral platforms could be established first between interested parties, based on each university’s priorities. In line with AUN-UIE’s Terms of Reference, these collaborative platforms can then expand into a regional one later on.

Such exciting times are ahead for AUN-UIE as the thematic network continues its projects and activities with renewed determination to contribute to the region’s rising entrepreneurship and innovation led by ASEAN’s young talents.