Sunway University, located in Bandar Sunway,

Petaling Jaya Petaling Jaya (), colloquially referred to as "PJ", is a city in Petaling District, in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Originally developed as a Satellite city, satellite township for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, it is part of the G ...

Selangor Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, is a private research university. The university is on a 8.9-hectare (22-acre) campus within Sunway City. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes taught in English.

History

Sunway University was established in 2004 as Sunway University College. The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education upgraded it to full university status in January 2011 and it then became Sunway University. In 2021, Professor Sibrandes Poppema was appointed President of Sunway University. Professor Poppema, a Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Professor, joined the university in 2019 after serving as the President of the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, th ...

in the Netherlands. Professor Poppema also serves as an advisor to the establishment of the new medical school at Sunway University. On May 8, 2025, The Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School was launched, with an aim to redefine the future of professional healthcare and medical training through its focus on academic excellence, ethical leadership, and cutting-edge research.

Quality recognition

Sunway University adheres to the framework established by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.

Strategic international partnerships and collaborations

Sunway University has maintained a partnership with

Lancaster University Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

, UK since 2006. This collaboration allows certain degree programmes to be offered as dual awards by both institutions. The partnership model has been recognised and researched by the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which produced a case study on it. Additionally, Sunway University has a collaboration with Le Cordon Bleu, an international culinary training organisation. Through benefactions from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, professorial fellowships have been established at Brasenose College,

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, and at Gonville and Caius College,

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. These fellowships aim to foster academic ties between Sunway University and the respective institutions. The Jeffrey Cheah Scholars-in-Residence Programme, also supported by benefactions, allows academics or postgraduate students from Sunway University to spend up to four weeks each year for research or study at Brasenose College and Gonville and Caius College. Sunway University supports the Harvard Leadership in Medicine Southeast Asia Programme delivered partly at Sunway University in collaboration with

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...

. The university has articulation partnerships with various international universities, including a long-standing partnership with Western Michigan University, USA. These partnerships allow students to study at Sunway University and an overseas university to complete their degrees.

Sunway Education Group

Sunway University is a member of the Sunway Education Group, which is owned by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. The foundation was officially established as a registered charity in March 2010 from its predecessor Sunway Education Trust, set up in 1997. It was founded by Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Chairman of the Sunway Group of companies. All of the educational institutions that operate under the foundation are not-for-profit; surpluses are channelled towards scholarships and bursaries to students, as well as towards grants for research. Besides Sunway University, the Sunway Education Group includes Sunway International School, Sunway College (several campuses), Sunway-TES Centre for Accounting Excellence, and Monash University Sunway Campus, besides several other institutions. On 25 July 2017, Sunway Education Group celebrated its 30th anniversary. The highlight of the celebration was the three-dimensional projection mapping show in which images were projected on the facade of the university's building from four projectors.

Rankings

Campus

References

{{authority control 2004 establishments in Malaysia Universities and colleges established in 2004 Universities and colleges in Selangor Business schools in Malaysia Design schools in Malaysia Hospitality schools in Malaysia Information technology schools in Malaysia Subang Jaya Sunway Group Private universities and colleges in Malaysia