Sunway University Hosts Interactive Workshop on Building Research Culture and Collaboration

On Friday, 25 July 2025, Sunway University hosted an interactive workshop featuring Prof. Stijn Mertens, Academic Director for Research Culture at Lancaster University, and Prof. Kirk Semple, Director of International Research at Lancaster University. The workshop brought together early career researchers (ECRs) from various disciplines to explore how institutional culture, shared values, and collaborative strategies can shape meaningful research outcomes.

Participants engaged in small-group breakout discussions guided by key themes, including defining the core components of a strong research culture at Sunway, building shared values and trust across institutions, identifying priority research areas for joint strategic focus from 2025 to 2030, aligning collaboration with policy and funding opportunities, and establishing success metrics to track impact, capacity building, and long-term outcomes.

These structured conversations encouraged participants to reflect critically on how to enhance researcher visibility, foster impactful collaborations, and navigate the complexities of interdisciplinary research. The session reinforced the value of sustained international partnerships in cultivating a robust and inclusive research environment, particularly relevant to supporting the development and capabilities of ECRs at Sunway University.