PETALING JAYA, 7 JULY 2026 – The University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) today officially launched the Asian Institute for Policy and Engagement (AIPE), a new research and policy institute dedicated to translating academic expertise into actionable, real-world solutions for governments, industries, and communities across Asia.
The launch, held at the UNM Future Students’ Centre in Menara Axis, Petaling Jaya, was anchored by a keynote address by the Minister of Higher Education YB Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, delivered by Deputy Director General of Higher Education (Academic and Research), YBrs. Prof. Dr. Zainal Amin bin Ayub on his behalf. The event also brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to chart the role of research-driven engagement in addressing Malaysia’s most pressing challenges from economic resilience and sustainability to the governance of emerging technologies.
In the keynote address, titled ‘Bridging Academic and Policymaking Research in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities’, the Deputy Director General of Higher Education (Academic and Research) stated the following on behalf of the Minister of Higher Education YB Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir: “Malaysia’s ambitions, as articulated in the National Education Blueprint 2026–2035 and the MADANI agenda, need institutions that are willing to ground aspirations in evidence and translate that evidence into decisions that create real change. The University of Nottingham Malaysia has long been a partner Malaysia’s development, and the establishment of AIPE deepens our partnership in a meaningful way. I look forward to seeing AIPE’s work inform policy that moves Malaysia forward.”
AIPE is built on a singular conviction: that rigorous, independent research must be the connective tissue between academia and the decisions that shape lives. Anchored at a global university and positioned in the heart of Southeast Asia, the institute will serve as a unique platform where international frameworks meet regional realities. It aims to convene academics, policymakers, and industry leaders to develop evidence-based responses to complex, interconnected challenges.
Provost and CEO of University of Nottingham Malaysia Professor David FitzPatrick in his opening remarksframed AIPE as a natural evolution of UNM’s 25-year commitment to Malaysia: “For 25 years, UNM has been more than just a university simply located in Malaysia, but truly a university built to bridge global excellence with local relevance in Malaysia. The challenges we face in this country and this region, such as economic transformation, climate transition, the governance of AI are too complex and too consequential to be addressed in silos. AIPE exists to break those silos down: to ensure the best academic minds are in conversation with the people making decisions.”
Professor Ir Dr Mohd Shahir Liew, Vice Provost of Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) and Chair of AIPE’s Advisory Council, underscored the importance of impactful research in informing policymakers: “In a rapid-velocity market, retrospective or purely theoretical research is obsolete. What policymakers need from academia is relevant, timely, rigorous insight. AIPE brings together expertise from government, multilateral institutions, finance, and technology to ensure our research agenda is grounded in the realities of decision-making. Our research capabilities at UNM are always dedicated to serve Malaysia’s needs and ambitions as we work collectively towards Malaysia MADANI.”
“Public policy does not operate in isolation. The institutions trying to improve it cannot afford to, either. Across Asia, governments face challenges that don't respect disciplinary boundaries, such as fiscal constraints intersecting the energy transition and technological disruption intersecting social inequality. AIPE is built to work at exactly those intersections. Our ambition is to be the institute that policymakers in this region turn to when they need to think more rigorously about the hardest problems,” said Dr. Tricia Yeoh, AIPE’s Founding Director and a leading voice in Malaysian public policy as she presented the institute’s research agenda, engagement model, and ambitions for the region.
The launch also featured a high-level panel discussion, “Policy for a Complex World: Navigating the Nexus of Economy, Sustainability and Technology,” bringing together practitioners at the forefront of policy, finance, and technology:
- Dato’ Shahril Azuar Jimin, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Maybank
- Professor Dr. Ong Kian Ming, Executive Director, RGE; Adjunct Professor, Taylor’s University; Former Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry
- Dr. Jasmine Begum, General Manager, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Microsoft; Non-Executive Chairperson, MIMOS Berhad
The discussion examined how interconnected global pressures – fiscal constraints, energy transitions, digitalisation, and geopolitical disruption – demand a fundamentally different approach to policymaking: one that is evidence-led, cross-disciplinary, and built on sustained collaboration between researchers and decision-makers.
As AIPE begins its work, the institute will convene academics, policymakers, and industry leaders through research publications, policy dialogues, and engagement programmes across the region. For more information on AIPE and its initiatives, visit the AIPE website here.
Posted on 13th July 2026