Hanyang Univ. opens its 1st Malaysia chapter for international alumni

Attendees including Hanyang University officials, Malaysian graduates and Korean alumni residing in Malaysia pose during an event launching the university's first Malaysia-based international alumni association at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 29. Courtesy of Hanyang University

Hanyang University opened its first Malaysia-based international alumni association in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 29, signaling a new stage in the school’s efforts to build a broader overseas network of graduates.

It is the first Korean university to establish such an organization in Malaysia.

The move follows the establishment of its international alumni association in China, signaling a more systematic approach to recruiting international students and strengthening its global alumni network.

Around 140 people attended the event, including Hanyang University President Lee Ki-jeong, university officials, Malaysian graduates of Hanyang, Korean alumni residing in Malaysia and current students.

Since the 1980s, the university has steadily attracted top Malaysian students through a government scholarship program as well as its own scholarship offers. Over the past three decades, more than 400 Malaysian students have graduated from the university.

The university underscored the significance of the launch, as it demonstrates that decades of international exchange have developed into a sustainable, locally rooted network.

The new alumni association plans to hold regular gatherings, job-related lectures, mentoring programs and campus visit programs to strengthen ties among members.

It will also seek to share job information in partnership with alumni-led companies and develop cooperative projects with local institutions, with the aim of bolstering the university’s international competitiveness. Furthermore, it plans to pursue scholarship programs and social contribution activities that benefit the local community.

During the event, the university introduced a new scholarship offering 30 to 50 percent tuition reductions for undergraduate freshmen who are children of international alumni.

The university said it will continue to expand programs so that overseas alumni who studied at Hanyang can be more closely connected as a single global community.