The first AUN-QA Institutional Assessment (IA) of 2025 commenced with Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) from 17–21 February, marking another significant milestone in the university’s enduring commitment to educational excellence. As a core member of AUN and a longstanding pillar of Philippine higher education, ADMU continues to shape not only academically proficient graduates but also individuals of strong character, deeply rooted in Ignatian values. This IA also commemorates nearly a decade of collaboration between AUN-QA and ADMU, dating back to the university’s first programme assessment in 2016. Over the years, ADMU has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to quality assurance, ensuring that its students receive a holistic education that balances professional expertise with ethical leadership and social responsibility. With a vision to nurture graduates who are not only competent but also compassionate and committed to the greater good, ADMU stands as a beacon of excellence in ASEAN higher education.

Universiti Malaya (UM) reaffirms its dedication to quality assurance and institutional excellence through the Universiti Malaya Quality Excellence Index (UMQEI). The recent webinar, held on 25 February 2025, provided key insights into UMQEI’s core and common enablers, demonstrating how continuous evaluation and improvement drive academic and operational success. Participants had the opportunity to clarify their questions and concerns, ensuring a deeper understanding of the framework. This article discovers how UM is shaping the future of higher education in ASEAN with its commitment to excellence and innovation.

Throughout the months of October to November in 2024, the Times Higher Education - ASEAN University Network (THE-AUN) tripart webinar series brought together over 1,000 participants from 523 institutions across 24 countries, strengthening institutional understanding of university rankings, sustainability, and strategic reputation management. Spanning three sessions, the series provided valuable insights into THE Impact and World University Rankings, with interactive discussions, expert-led presentations, and strong engagement from AUN member universities. With a 94% positive satisfaction rate, participants praised the webinars for their clarity, depth, and relevance, highlighting a growing interest in best practices and case studies for institutional excellence. Building on this success, AUN and THE are exploring further collaborations in 2025 to expand engagement and deepen content delivery.

The ASEAN-Japan Youth Forum: Take Actions for Social Change (TASC) 2024, a joint initiative between the Japan Foundation and ASEAN University Network (AUN), brought together 20 undergraduate students from Japan and ASEAN countries for a dynamic learning experience under the theme “Good Health and Well-Being”. The programme featured visits to social welfare organisations in Osaka, Mie and Tokyo that provided students with the opportunity to engage directly with local communities. Following the previous article that explored visits to institutions in Osaka centred around “community-building”, find in this piece an overview of the visits to NPO Comekko in Osaka and Nabari City Community Health Room in Mie, and the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Tokyo. Insights gained from the knowledge delivered by experts enriched the students’ final presentations on the last day of this trip which reflected the importance of youth-driven initiatives in reaching an inclusive and equitable society.

The 8th Outcome-Based Education (OBE) Workshop, led by Mr. Johnson Ong Chee Bin and Dr. Nguyen Thi My Ngoc, introduced an ecosystem-based approach to curriculum design in higher education. In response to the rapidly-evolving global landscape, the OBE framework advocates for a “future-ready education” that takes stakeholders’ needs and unforeseen challenges into account to ensure students graduate while being fully prepared to thrive and navigate through the complexities. This involves mapping knowledge across various disciplines rather than focusing solely on ones that are specific to an academic discipline.

The ASEAN-Japan Youth Forum: Take Actions for Social Change (TASC) 2024, organised by Japan Foundation and ASEAN University Network (AUN), convened 20 undergraduate students from ASEAN countries and Japan for a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experiences under the theme “Good Health and Well-Being”. Participants explored key issues related to health through a series of online seminars and in-person visits to Indonesia and Japan. In addition to the lecture delivered by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, the article highlights the visit to social welfare institutions in Osaka, including Toyonaka City Council of Social Welfare and Ibaraki City Cultural and Childcare Complex Onikuru. Through direct engagement and support from social workers, students gained valuable insights on community-building that enriched their group projects, where they developed a “Vision for 2050” and strategic action plans.

AUN-QEx aims to support ASEAN higher education institutions in achieving World-Class degree programme delivery. Through curriculum innovation, student workload analysis, and authentic assessment of learning outcomes, the initiative drives transformative improvements in qualifications alignment. Led by three ASEAN scholars and a European specialist, it brings expert insights to enhance programme quality and global recognition.