Sunway University

Sunway University is a private, not-for-profit University located in Bandar Sunway, Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Positioned as a mission-driven, 5th-generation university, Sunway University is a comprehensive institution known as the "Campus with a Conscience" for its integration of sustainability, planetary health, and real-world problem-solving into campus life. As one of the world’s most sustainable universities, it is ranked #45 in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings. The University has been recognised as the highest-ranked private university in Southeast Asia by the ranking body AppliedHE. It has also been named the university with the most employable graduates in Malaysia by Talentbank for five consecutive years. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in actuarial science and finance, business, communication, computer science, culinary arts and hospitality, design and architecture, education, engineering, medicine and healthcare, and sustainable development. As a not-for-profit institution, it is part of the Sunway Education Group, which oversees 16 institutions and is governed by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. The University comprises 8 Faculties and Schools, as well as a number of research centres. The campus is divided into two main sections, both in Bandar Sunway; the main campus, and the expanded campus at Sunway Square, which was inaugurated in late 2025. History The University’s history dates to 1987 when Sunway College was established. This was followed by the launch of the Sunway Education Trust Fund in 1997. The Sunway Education Trust Fund was later succeeded by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation in 2010. In 2004, the College was recognised by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) as a university college, thus forming Sunway University College. In January 2011, Sunway University College received full university accreditation from MOHE, becoming Sunway University. In 2006, a partnership was established with Lancaster University, allowing those who complete certain programmes to be awarded degrees from both institutions. 2016 saw the establishment of the Jeffrey Sachs Centre, with the aim of advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among Southeast Asian nations by promoting collaboration and linkages between leading universities and institutions. This was followed by the establishment of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) in 2021, with Professor Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood serving as executive director. SCPH is committed to research and advocacy that advance planetary health through three priority areas: healthy cities, health-centred decarbonisation, and education. Professor Sibrandes Poppema was appointed President of Sunway University in 2021. Professor Poppema, a Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Professor, joined the university in 2019 after serving as the President of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. A significant milestone for the University was the launch of the Jeffrey Cheah Medical School in 2025. Campus The main campus area spans 22 acres and houses both Sunway University and Sunway College. The campus is accessible via public transport, with the Sunway BRT line being linked to other major public transport systems such as the LRT and KTM lines through interchange stations. This allows for quick and direct connectivity to the heart of Kuala Lumpur and the wider Klang Valley. It is also linked to Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Lagoon, Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway Square Mall and Sunway Geo through the Canopy Walk, an elevated pedestrian walkway system across Bandar Sunway. Main University Building The University building was completed in 2015. It houses the Tun Hussein Onn Sunway Library, as well as a variety of laboratories, classrooms and a campus cafeteria. The campus is also equipped with a FIFA-certified football field and a gymnasium. In 2025, the campus was awarded GreenRE Platinum certification in recognition of its sustainability features. College Building The Sunway College building was officially opened in 1993, at a ceremony attended by Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah A, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Musa bin Hitam. This building houses pre-university courses and diploma studies. Sunway Square Campus In late 2025, the campus was expanded as part of the new Sunway Square building, which also houses the Sunway Square Mall and the Sunway Square Corporate Towers. This expansion allows for an additional 700,000 sq ft of student capacity. The Sunway Square campus is home to Sunway Business School and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Among the facilities available at the Sunway Square campus are: Film shooting studio Post-production studio Foley studio Recording studio Webcast studio Recital hall with a grand piano Real-world trading room Behavioural labs Ecosphere: The Net-Zero Carbon Building (Faculty of Engineering and Technology) Sunway’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology is housed within the newly-developed Net-Zero Carbon building, known as the Ecosphere (Source). The Ecosphere reduces embodied carbon by over 40% and cuts energy use by up to 50%. The facilities available include: A chemical engineering pilot plant Civil, robotics, and cybersecurity labs Architecture studios and classrooms Graduate Centre Building The Sunway Graduate Centre building serves as an extension to Sunway University and Sunway College, providing additional lecture halls for classes to be conducted. The building also comes with multiple study spaces for students, including a rooftop study deck. Student Accommodation Student accommodation is available within the campus area. The accommodation options include Sun-U Residence, Waterfront Residences, and Sun-U Apartment (Source). Governance Sunway University is part of the Sunway Education Group, which is governed by The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. The University’s Board of Directors is led by Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO, the founder and chairman of the Sunway Group of companies. He is also the Chancellor of Sunway University. Professor Dato’ Dr Elizabeth Lee serves as the Group CEO of Sunway Education Group. The University’s current President and Vice-Chancellor is Professor Sibrandes Poppema. He has held the position since 2021. Other prominent leaders of the University include: Professor Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam: Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Chai Lay Ching: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education, Employability and Alumni) Professor Mahendhiran Sanggaran Nair: Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Sustainability) The University Strategic Management Committee is responsible for the management of the University. Additional leadership positions within the University structure include directors as well as the Deans of faculties and schools. The Academic Senate chaired by the President and Vice Chancellor is the highest academic governing body of the University. Strategic international partnerships and collaborations Sunway University has maintained a partnership with Lancaster University, 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, and at Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge. 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. 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 See also List of universities in Malaysia References