Enhancing Internationalization Activities and University’s Global Visibility Via Alliance: A Perspective Of UTM ATU-Net

Institutional Internationalisation is one of the utmost agendas for every university and higher learning institution around the globe to enhance their academic and research quality, as well as sustaining their global visibility and branding. This strategy is extremely important as the world has become more open and everyone in university needs to interact, works together and strives for the well-being and prosperity of mankind. As this global visibility will lead to a sustainable international collaboration, therefore it is a must for every university and higher learning institution in this era to have a good partnership with other institutions from other countries. In this borderless world, any academic programme and research activities will also become more inclusive and comprehensive if it is organized in synergy with other institutions, especially from different countries. As a young university, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia has outlined three main models of collaborations to outreach any potential international partners from all over the world. The first model is bi-lateral agreements which is based on one to one agreement between UTM and another institution. The second model is focusing on academic networks or consortiums of universities based on niche focus areas. The last model is a strategic international collaboration with reputable universities. Focusing on the collaboration via alliances, rather than just being a member of other international networks, UTM has also formed its own alliance which is known as Asia Technological University Network (ATU-Net). Therefore, this paper will illustrate how UTM establishes and manages ATU-Net and its impact on enhancing UTM's global visibility. The impact, which is visible through the addition of UTM's new partners, more joint activities and programmes with other international education institutions, aligns with the significant improvement in UTM's global ranking.