The UK-Malaysia University Consortium is a flagship initiative that has been set up by the British Council in Malaysia working in cooperation with Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education. Its purpose is to greatly expand the scale, scope and pace of long-term international higher education engagement and collaboration between the two countries, and with partners in the wider ASEAN network and beyond.
The Consortium’s inaugural Student Conference themed “Intercultural Perspectives on Sustainable Development and Equality in Higher Education” took place from Monday 17 to Friday 21 July 2023. Building on the learnings and success of this conference, we are delighted to publish a restricted grant call for UK and Malaysia higher education institutions who are members of the UK-Malaysia University Consortium to submit joint proposals in response to the UK-Malaysia Going Global Partnerships Grant for Student Mobility 2023.
What funding is available?
A total grant value of GBP90,000 has been allocated to support three higher education collaborative projects (GBP30,000 each) between the UK and Malaysia Consortium member institutions for developing innovative and sustainable student mobility initiatives that enhance student outcomes and competencies for participants from the UK and Malaysia.
Who can apply?
This is a restricted grant call for higher education institutions which are part of the UK-Malaysia University Consortium to submit joint proposals for developing innovative and sustainable student mobility initiatives between the UK and Malaysia.
What is the focus?
The overarching objective of UK-Malaysia Going Global Partnerships Grant for Student Mobility 2023 is to support lead institutions from the UK and Malaysia to develop innovative and sustainable student mobility initiatives. The initiative(s) should include activities that combine both virtual and physical mobility components, and address the following objectives:
a. Develop transdisciplinary mobility modules that provide students with opportunities for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), cultural exchange and research-based learning, with the objective of tackling specific challenges (e.g. those linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or other societal challenges identified by the institutions).
b. Develop strong links with industry partners in the region which would lead to opportunities for UK students to grow their understanding of Malaysia and the South East Asian Region through initiatives such as internships opportunities and work-based learning. The ultimate aim is to develop a cohort of UK students who are more ‘Asian-literate’.
c. Devise a flexible mobility approach that is open to students from various study disciplines and at any level (bachelor, master and doctoral levels), as well as accessible to those from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.
d. Strengthen capacity in developing mobility initiatives in higher education institutions and share best practices for embedding student mobility sustainably within the curriculum to enhance student outcomes and competencies.
Equitable partnerships
The Going Global Partnerships programme honour and value the contributions of each partner and establish recognition of mutual benefits. The programme supports partnerships where all partners are seen as trusted allies and co-collaborators to provide mutual benefits and challenge structural drivers of unequal power dynamics. Although outputs and benefits can be different between partners, the collaborative work should provide space for both partners to lead and create an equitable relationship.
The grant will be awarded to the lead applicant at the UK partner institution, which will be responsible for the grant administration and overall project management of the collaboration. The UK lead partner should be able to transfer part of the grant to the Malaysia lead partner institution so activities can be implemented in a timely manner.
The lead applicants must ensure activities are planned in a way in which funds are distributed between the UK and Malaysia institutions, generating mutual benefit and impact. This should be clear and visible from both the application form and the finance application template submitted.
How to apply
Download all documents below:
- Application guidance
- Application form
- Budget template
- Agreement template for institutional partnerships
- Bank details form
Submit your completed application and other requested documents via email to MYKUL1Education@britishcouncil.org
The application deadline is 29 September 2023, at 23.59 UK time.