Lancaster - Sunway

Strategic partnership between ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ and Sunway University, Malaysia

Sunway University

Sunway University is one of Malaysia's leading private universities. It offers a wide range of industry-relevant undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across business, science and technology.

For two decades, the Lancaster–Sunway partnership has been built on a shared commitment to academic excellence and delivering a world-class student experience. Over that time, more than 7,800 students have studied for a Lancaster degree at Sunway.

¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ the Lancaster - Sunway partnership

Through the years we've developed shared values and ambitions. The partnership has led to excellent collaborative efforts for progressive transnational education and research.

A building at Sunway University

Global experiences

Through this partnership, ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ and Sunway University have developed a range of opportunities for students to gain an international education, global perspectives, and cultural competencies.

We encourage student mobility between the UK and Malaysia - students at Sunway University can study at ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½’s UK campus through a variety of opportunities such as 1+2 transfers, Study Abroad, and Summer Programmes.

Coming to Lancaster, UK

For information on the travel opportunities available to ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ Bailrigg-based students, please see Lancaster's Global Experiences page. 

Sunway students looking at a laptop.

Delivering international education

Our innovative partnership allows students to study at Sunway University in Malaysia on a range of degree programmes and graduate from both Sunway University and ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½, gaining two certificates: one from Sunway and one from Lancaster. The collaboration provides Lancaster-Sunway graduates with a strong competitive edge on a global level. They also benefit from being alumni of both universities, gaining access to two vast global networks.

A full list of the programmes offered in this partnership can be found on our degree programmes page.

Degree Programmes

Sunway and ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½

Students reflect on their time studying a postgraduate degree at ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ following their undergraduate studies at Sunway University.

Profile image of Sunway and ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ alumni Alice

Alice Lee Nan Xin, PwC Malaysia

"Pursuing a master¡¯s degree has always been part of my long-term goals, and I hoped to continue my studies in the UK. When I found out about the strong partnership between Sunway and ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½, it felt like a perfect opportunity, especially with the scholarships available to support postgraduate studies." - BSc Information Technology at Sunway University (2024) and MSc in Cyber Security at ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ (2025).

Profile image of Sunway and ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ student John Lim

John Lim, Malaysia

"The main lessons I've learned from studying at both Lancaster and Sunway would be that it is always worth trying new experiences, even if they may seem scary at first. I had my doubts about whether I would be able to overcome the cultural and curricular differences between the two universities, but stepping out of that comfort zone helped me grow so much as an individual." - MSc Psychological Research Methods in ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ (2025).

Skyline of Sunway University

Engaging in globally significant research

Developing international research partnerships supports our vision of being a globally significant university - a sector leader and innovator that delivers the highest quality research and engages locally, nationally, and internationally.

Working collaboratively with Sunway enhances our international profile and facilitates opportunities to have global impact across a range of communities encompassing disciplines, localities, regions, nations, policy, practice, and thought.

Arjun Thanaraju

Becoming the researcher I am today

Visiting Sunway University PhD candidate, Arjun Thanaraju, tells us about his research and how the Sunway-Lancaster partnership supported it:

Hello! I am Arjun Thanaraju from Malaysia. The Lancaster-Sunway partnership has been the cornerstone of my tertiary education journey. I chose to pursue my BSc (Hons) Biology with Psychology at Sunway University because it was the only university in Malaysia which offered an interdisciplinary course that catered to my interest in the biological basis of human behaviour. The promise of receiving certificates from both Sunway University and ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ upon graduating also meant that I could get a UK education from home!

After completing my degree, I had the opportunity to continue at Sunway University to pursue a PhD in the area of ageing neuroscience. The Lancaster-Sunway research partnership allowed me to travel to ¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ multiple times including a one-month training visit where I joined the team at the Centre for Ageing Research (C4AR) as they conducted a series of exciting studies on using the creative arts (which has always been a passion of mine!) to promote cognitive health in older adults and people living with dementia.

I can honestly say that I would not be the researcher (or person) that I am today without the Lancaster-Sunway partnership. Not only did I get to meet and learn from outstanding teachers and researchers, I also found an extremely kind and welcoming community where I truly feel like I belong!

Future Cities Research Institute

¶¶ÒõAPPµ¼º½ and Sunway University have recently launched a new joint initiative, the Future Cities Research Institute (FCRI). The FCRI will build on existing strengths at the two universities and will develop an innovative and agile portfolio of research, responding to the challenges facing urban environments.

The FCRI represents a logical ¡®next step’ in shaping the agenda for future city development, and in deepening the relationship between Sunway and Lancaster, through its support for broad research themes of Digital Cities, Sustainable Cities, Resilient Cities and Liveable Cities. One of its core missions is to train and empower PhD students specialising in relevant disciplines. To find out more about the Future Cities Research Institute, please visit the FCRI website.

Future Cities Research Institute