The Asia-Europe Institute has successfully established itself as one of Southeast Asia’s leading institutions for social science postgraduate research and teaching. Established under the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) process with a philosophy of enhancing Asia-Europe relations, AEI aims to foster the exchange of students and scholars with a view to developing better understanding of the cultures, histories, politics, institutions, economics, business and legal practices of both regions. The origins of AEI may be traced to the idea of establishing closer higher education linkages between Asia and Europe under the provisions of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) initiative in 1996.

In 1997, the government of Malaysia established the Asia-Europe Centre (AEC), which was the first step of in the Asia-Europe University cooperation in education, designed to support the Fourth Pillar of the ASEM process. Three years after its inception on January 2nd 2000, the AEC was transformed into a full-fledged academic institution and was renamed the Asia-Europe Institute (AEI) and is hosted by the University of Malaya, the oldest university in Malaysia.

Over the years, AEI has received staunch support from the government of Malaysia, working in partnership with other ASEM countries. It reflects Malaysia’s commitment to internationalising higher education and advancing the idea of AEI as an ‘educational infrastructure and knowledge of network for Asia and Europe in the 21st century’.

AEI aims to be a place where intellectual discourses are held. Key issues on intensifying globalisation and regionalisation, the environment, international business, innovation and technologies and inter-regional relations between Asia and Europe are discussed. AEI also promotes collaborative research with academicians as well as the government and institutions from the private sector. Our research pillars and range of international postgraduate courses indicate the breadth and quality of expertise that AEI can bring to bear. As such, our postgraduate students are central to the realisation of a collaborative and innovative education hub for the future.