Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU) formally opened Day 1 of the Distinguished Lecture Series 2026: Reciprocating the Academic Exchange Program with delegates from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) on July 24 at the Audio Visual Room (AVR), ACCESS Campus. The activity marked another milestone in the growing partnership between the two institutions, promoting academic exchange, internationalization, and collaborative learning.
The opening program featured welcome messages from SKSU President Samson L. Molao, EdD, and UTeM Vice Chancellor Prof. Datuk Ts. Dr. Massila Binti Kamalrudin, who both emphasized the value of strengthening academic cooperation through research, innovation, and global partnerships. University officials, faculty members, students, and delegates from both institutions participated in the opening ceremonies, which included the Philippine and Malaysian national anthems, invocation, and audiovisual presentation.
A highlight of the first day was the delivery of distinguished lectures by UTeM academic experts Prof. Datuk Ts. Dr. Massila Binti Kamalrudin, Nor Aiza Binti Moketar, Muhammad Zulfattah Bin Zakaria, and Assoc. Prof. Mohd Riduan Bin Ahmad. Centered on the theme, “Generating Global Solutions Through Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships,” the lectures explored emerging perspectives on research collaboration, technological innovation, and higher education initiatives aimed at addressing global challenges.
The first day’s activities concluded with an open forum that encouraged academic discourse between participants from SKSU and UTeM, followed by the presentation of certificates and tokens, and a photo session. The Distinguished Lecture Series advances Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education by promoting knowledge exchange and lifelong learning, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure through discussions on research and innovation, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals by strengthening international collaboration between higher education institutions committed to generating global solutions for sustainable development.
