It has been said that knowledge is power. And it could not be more true than now, in the age of information. The learning an institute of higher education imparts today, is what enables its people to undertake the responsibility of capitalizing on resources to embark on endeavors that can be geared towards bringing about positive change in the world as we know it. Themed on “Utilizing Institutional Assets to Enhance Global Outreach”, the Association of Universities of the Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), held their 36^th Annual Conference, organized by Siam University (SU), Bangkok, Thailand, in corporation with the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), California Baptist University (CBU), California, USA and Asian Cooperation Dialogue – University Network (ACD-UN), Kuwait, on the 17^th – 18^th of November 2023 at the SU Campus in Bangkok, Thailand.

As one of the long-standing members of the association since 2003, the American International University – Bangladesh (AIUB), proactively participated, along with over 100 participants from more than 50 higher education institutions, in the insightful keynote sessions, engaging panel discussions, and remarkable paper presentations made at the conference. Dr. Carmen Z. Lamagna, the Vice Chancellor In-Charge and Member, Board of Trustees at AIUB, as well a member of the Advisory Council (2020-2024) and a former President (2008-2010) of AUAP, attended the 54^th AUAP Executive Board Meeting with the AUAP Executive Board & AUAP Advisory Council. She also conducted the interactive panel discussion on ‘Strategic Deployment of Institutional Assets to Foster Internationalization of Higher Education’ as the moderator with 3 distinguished speakers, who each shared their constructive perspectives. Dr. Abdolmajid Eskandari, the Director General of the Office of International Relations at University of Tehran, Iran, elaborated on ‘International Dimension of Higher Education’, followed by Prof. Dr. Balvir S. Tomar, Founder & Hon'ble Chairperson, Nims University, India, who highlighted ‘UNESCO’s Road Map for Higher Education and its Impact along with SDGs’, while Mr. Kok Lau-Yin, the Managing Director, Krempl Communications International, Singapore, and an Advisory Council member of AUAP, emphasized on the notion to ‘Deploy Your Assets to Take Student Globally’.

During the 2-day conference, the valuable networking opportunities paved the pathway for numerous international collaborations between institutions, with Dr. Lamagna, facilitated by Ms. Shama Islam, the Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration and the Special Assistant, Office of the Vice Chancellor & Student Affairs, forged 18 new partnerships on behalf of AIUB, to work towards enriching the landscape of education through mutually beneficial initiatives that exchange ideas, develop programs, and improve research. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were officially signed with the following participating institutions at the conference –

Educational exchanges are by far the most effective tools to bridge the gap of holistic education through the collective efforts of the leaders of today and tomorrow together. Internationalization in higher education is no longer a vision to be achieved but rather a mission to be fulfilled, in order to pursue progressive growth in evolving educational environment of the 21^st Century and beyond, across borders. AIUB has always believed in the need to strengthen education systems to encompass international socio-cultural diversities, technological advancements, teaching-and-learning differences of the global village we live in today. And the commitments made at the conference by AUAP, AIUB, and all the other participants this year will aid in realizing the imperative transformation of the multifaceted spectrum of higher education in the long run.