Universiti Malaya (UM) has taken a leading role in advancing regional collaboration in two significant areas: geriatric dentistry and manuscript heritage related to the Silk Road.
The university is set to establish the Asean University Network–Geriatric Dentistry Thematic Network (AUN-GDENT) within its Faculty of Dentistry. This initiative marks the first academic network at the Asean level dedicated to geriatric dentistry and healthy aging. The network aims to harmonize curricula across member institutions, foster collaborative research, facilitate faculty and student mobility, support evidence-based policymaking, and develop a skilled workforce to enhance oral health and the quality of life of older adults throughout the region.
The initiative, spearheaded by UM alongside founding partners the National University of Singapore (NUS), Universitas Indonesia, and Khon Kaen University, received formal approval from the AUN board of trustees during the 17th AUN Rectors’ Meeting held in Singapore in July. Recognizing the urgency of addressing the challenges posed by rapidly aging populations in Asean countries, UM’s Management Committee has allocated a seed fund of RM100,000 to support the establishment of the AUN-GDENT Secretariat at the Faculty of Dentistry.
According to a UM press release dated September 1, the funding will enable the secretariat to initiate governance frameworks, collaborate on academic programs, develop digital platforms, plan research activities, and engage with regional stakeholders. As the secretariat host, UM will provide leadership in coordinating initiatives, strengthening partnerships, and promoting innovative approaches to healthy aging within the region.
In a separate development, UM has also been appointed as the Unesco Chair on Manuscript Heritage of the Silk Road, a recognition that integrates the university into Unesco’s Unitwin/Unesco Chairs Programme. This global network encompasses over 1,100 chairs and university partnerships across more than 130 countries focused on research, education, and international cooperation.
With Dr. Mehdi Soltanzadeh named as chairholder, the Unesco Chair will serve as a regional hub for research, teaching, training, and community engagement related to the preservation and study of manuscript heritage linked to the Silk Road. UM will act as Malaysia’s regional coordinating center for efforts to preserve, document, digitize, and promote manuscripts along with the historical intellectual exchange between the Malay World and other civilizations.
Activities under this initiative will include the development of a digital repository of manuscripts, setting documentation and metadata standards, facilitating joint research, and offering postgraduate training in manuscript studies. The program will also conduct field surveys at libraries, museums, and archives, and will organise international workshops, seminars, conferences, academic exchanges, and collaborative publications with global partners.