Penang, Malaysia – The OU5 Retreat 2025 was successfully held from April 23–25, 2025, at Angsana Teluk Bahang, Penang. This event brought together five leading open universities in Asia: Universitas Terbuka (UT), Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Hanoi Open University (HOU), and Open University Malaysia (OUM).
The event opened with a warm welcome from the President of OUM, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Izanee Awang, who appreciated the participation of all delegates. Other OU5 leaders, including the Rector of UT, also delivered important remarks. In his speech, the Rector of UT emphasized the importance of Open Universities leveraging their unique strengths in education, research, and community service. He also encouraged the involvement of young lecturers in leading innovation at their respective campuses. As the President of AAOU, the Rector of UT also reported on the progress of finalizing the AAOU accreditation system, which will continue to be updated in future meetings.
Furthermore, the OU5 Retreat featured various parallel sessions. Research delegates from each OU gathered to discuss the progress of the 2025 collaborative research project. On the other hand, university presidents held a meeting to discuss various strategic agendas, such as:
– Nominations of researchers for the 2026 research project,
– Updates on the AAOU accreditation system,
– Development of micro-credentials and MOOCs,
– Matching grant proposals for collaborative research,
– And the schedule for the next OU5 Meeting in Thailand, which will be hosted by STOU.
In the closing session, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Izanee Awang expressed his deepest gratitude to the OU5 delegates who had delivered their best results.
“OUM hopes that the spirit of collaboration in OU5 will continue for many years to come.” All participants were welcomed by Asst. Prof. Dr. Phanompatt Smitananda, Acting President of STOU, who officially invited all delegates to attend the next OU5 Retreat in Thailand.
He also invited participants to enjoy the beauty of Phuket, which will be one of the destinations in their social program. In addition, it was announced that the 2026 OU5 Meeting will be held in Vietnam, with HOU as the next host.
Not only packed with discussions, the OU5 Retreat 2025 also featured a social program where OU5 participants conducted a Beach Cleaning activity coordinated by OUM. In addition, participants enjoyed visits to various UNESCO World Heritage sites in George Town, such as Penang Hill and Armenian Street, strengthening bonds between participants in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere.
The OU5 Retreat 2025 proved that cross-country collaboration in the world of open education is a powerful force for driving innovation, educational equity, and strengthening research in the Asian region.
