AIS participates in AAED 2025: “Education in Motion: Reimagining Mobility, Inclusivity, and Sustainability Across Borders”

Representatives of the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability presented in the ASEAN-Australian Education Dialogue (AAED) 2025, which was convened in the UNESCO World Heritage site George Town, Penang, Malaysia last 1-4 December 2025. This year’s theme, “Education in Motion: Reimagining Mobility, Inclusivity, and Sustainability Across Borders” brought together researchers, academics, thought leaders, and policy makers from across ASEAN and Australia.

AIS Director Dr Emmanuel D Delocado presented the work of Ateneo de Manila University on sustainability in the panel session entitled, “Teaching About Sustainability in Higher Education and Building International Partnerships.” He was joined by Dr Brodie Beales (University of Newcastle), Dr Astri Dewayani (Airlangga University Indonesia), and Dr Amy Lim (Murdoch University Singapore). The session highlighted the different roles of university and academia in driving the sustainability agenda forward, recognizing the various contexts that each university find themselves in.

Meanwhile, Ms Chris Lacdao-Umali, Program Head for SDGs, participated in the panel discussion that followed the keynote presentation on “ASEAN and Australian Research, Collaborations, and Partnerships: Focus on SDGs 7, 13, 14, and 17” by Ms Julie McMahon, Times Higher Education Vice President APAC.  Also on the panel were Prof Dr Saidatulakmal Mohd (Universiti Sains Malaysia), Prof Romy Lawson (University Adelaide), and Prof Jennifer Boddy (Griffith University). The panelists all echoed the same idea of how integral partnerships – whether internal or external – are in the road to sustainable campuses and integrating sustainability into the curriculum. It was most apparent that all have a role to play.

These two panel sessions were just some of the many discussions that explored the need for collaborative education strategies that support sustainability, inclusion, and innovation. Other sessions included those on gender inclusion and sports, AI in higher education, enhancing ASEAN Australian mobility, transitions to net zero, water quality and community impact, among others.

The conference closed with two plenary panels on the future of ASEAN-Australia partnerships, and the recent membership of Timor-Leste into ASEAN.

AAED 2025 was hosted by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) with the AFG Venture Group and ASEAN University Network

Dr Delocado and Ms Lacdao-Umali are also part of the Secretariat Team of the AUN network on Ecological Education and Culture (AUN-EEC), housed in AIS.