Lancaster - Sunway

Strategic partnership between Lancaster University and Sunway University, Malaysia

Established in 2006, the Lancaster-Sunway partnership is built on a foundation of excellent teaching, and has evolved over the years to include research collaboration and engagement activities. The partnership has grown from an initial cohort of 21 graduates to over 6,000 students.

Sunway University

Sunway University is one of Malaysia’s leading private universities located in Petaling Jaya. The University offers a wide range of industry-relevant business, science, and technology programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The University also engages in research collaborations with leading international universities including joint research centres.

Sunway

About the Lancaster - Sunway partnership

Through the years we've developed shared values and ambitions. The partnership has led to excellent collaborative efforts for progressive transnational education and research.

Visit and study at Lancaster

Through this partnership, Lancaster University and Sunway University have developed a range of opportunities for students to gain an international education, global perspectives, and cultural competencies.

We encourage student mobility between the UK and Malaysia - students at Sunway University can study at Lancaster University’s UK campus through a variety of opportunities such as 1+2 transfers, Study Abroad, and Summer Programmes. Undergraduate students can also take part in our online Undergraduate Research Conference, which brings together students from across our partnership network.

Coming to Lancaster

Becoming the researcher I am today

Visiting Sunway University PhD candidate, Arjun Thanaraju, tells us about his research and how the Sunway-Lancaster partnership supported it:

Hello! I am Arjun Thanaraju from Malaysia. The Lancaster-Sunway partnership has been the cornerstone of my tertiary education journey. I chose to pursue my BSc (Hons) Biology with Psychology at Sunway University because it was the only university in Malaysia which offered an interdisciplinary course that catered to my interest in the biological basis of human behaviour. The promise of receiving certificates from both Sunway University and Lancaster University upon graduating also meant that I could get a UK education from home!

After completing my degree, I had the opportunity to continue at Sunway University to pursue a PhD in the area of ageing neuroscience. The Lancaster-Sunway research partnership allowed me to travel to Lancaster University multiple times including a one-month training visit where I joined the team at the Centre for Ageing Research (C4AR) as they conducted a series of exciting studies on using the creative arts (which has always been a passion of mine!) to promote cognitive health in older adults and people living with dementia.

I can honestly say that I would not be the researcher (or person) that I am today without the Lancaster-Sunway partnership. Not only did I get to meet and learn from outstanding teachers and researchers, I also found an extremely kind and welcoming community where I truly feel like I belong!

For information on the travel opportunities available to Lancaster University students, please see Lancaster's Global Experiences page.

Delivering international education

Our innovative partnership allows students to study at Sunway University in Malaysia on a range of degree programmes and graduate from both Sunway University and Lancaster University, gaining two certificates: one from Sunway and one from Lancaster. The collaboration provides Lancaster-Sunway graduates with a strong competitive edge on a global level. They also benefit from being alumni of both universities, gaining access to two vast global networks.

A full list of the programmes offered in this partnership can be found on our degree programmes page.

Degree Programmes

My time on the programme has been one unique adventure and journey. I graduated with a degree from Sunway University and another one from Lancaster University. This achievement has really opened me to a world of opportunities.

A quote from Graeme Tan Jie

A transnational education experience

I'm Jamie from Malaysia. I completed the 1^st year of my degree in Malaysia at Sunway University, then transferred my credits to Lancaster University in hopes of graduating from Lancaster.

I was very familiar with the Lancaster University team in Malaysia. The team has continuously kept in touch to check in with me throughout my time in the United Kingdom. I really do feel touched and comforted whenever I receive an email from them, as I was reassured thanks to their support.

I enrolled in a Business Management course. Given that I am more of an opportunistic and venturous individual, I thoroughly enjoyed this course as it had a wide coverage of 21^st century business models and provided me with rich insights about various aspects of modern marketing. As opposed to the modules offered in my home country for the same degree, Lancaster had an extensive range of modules for students to choose from, which I really appreciated as each module was specialised and detailed.

I was also part of a volleyball team, which allowed me to get to know and interact with many other international students. I never felt excluded as my flatmates and my volleyball friends were kind and helpful to me - we also got along with one another quickly!

Engaging in globally significant research

Developing international research partnerships supports our vision of being a globally significant university - a sector leader and innovator that delivers the highest quality research and engages locally, nationally, and internationally.

Working collaboratively with Sunway enhances our international profile and facilitates opportunities to have global impact across a range of communities encompassing disciplines, localities, regions, nations, policy, practice, and thought.

Future Cities Research Institute

Lancaster University and Sunway University have recently launched a new joint initiative, the Future Cities Research Institute (FCRI). The FCRI will build on existing strengths at the two universities and will develop an innovative and agile portfolio of research, responding to the challenges facing urban environments.

The FCRI represents a logical ‘next step’ in shaping the agenda for future city development, and in deepening the relationship between Sunway and Lancaster, through its support for broad research themes of Digital Cities, Sustainable Cities, Resilient Cities and Liveable Cities. One of its core missions is to train and empower PhD students specialising in relevant disciplines. To find out more about the Future Cities Research Institute, please visit the FCRI website.

Future Cities Research Institute

Researchers working in a lab at Sunway University

Tackling global problems with collaborative research

Tackling some of the world's problems requires global partnerships. Together Lancaster and Sunway University are developing research in public health, and environmental issues and looking at how we develop cities. Read more about our joint research and Future Cities Research Institute

Students and staff pose for a group photo on a stage at Sunway University.

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Art Beats banner. Text on the banner reads: Art Beats. Art, Film, Music, Theatre

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Staff from Lancaster University and Sunway University stand together in two rows in a courtyard at Sunway, with green trees and modern architecture in the background.

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University leaders and academics on the stage at Sunway University graduation ceremony.

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