UPM’s HyFlex Innovation Wins Best Presenter Award at ASAIHL 2026

By: Noor Eszereen Juferi

SERDANG, 7 July – A higher education innovation developed by researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has received international recognition after Senior Lecturer at the Department of Communication, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication (FBMK), Dr. Nur Atirah Kamaruzaman, won the Best Presenter Award at the Asian Lifelong Learning Conference (ASAIHL) 2026, held recently at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

The accolade was awarded for her presentation, “From Delivery to Co-Creation: Rethinking HyFlex for Sustainable Higher Education,” under the Digital Transformation and Innovation in Education track, highlighting UPM’s expertise in developing a new approach to higher education that is more inclusive, flexible and sustainable.

Dr. Nur Atirah introduced the HyFlex Ecosystem Model (HEM), a conceptual framework that transforms higher education from a delivery-based model into one centred on co-creation. The model positions universities, industry and students as strategic partners in designing learning experiences that respond to industry needs and future challenges.

She said HEM integrates participatory communication, digital technologies and industry collaboration to enhance graduate employability, promote lifelong learning and strengthen the sustainability of higher education systems.

“Higher education must move beyond simply delivering knowledge to building learning ecosystems where all stakeholders actively contribute. This approach produces graduates who are better equipped to adapt to the changing world of work,” she said.

The research was supported by UPM’s Putra Young Initiative Research Grant (GP-IPM), reflecting the university’s commitment to producing high-impact research that contributes to higher education policy development and practice at the international level.

The Best Presenter Award recognises excellence in research, originality, innovation, presentation quality and the potential impact of the research on the advancement of higher education.

The achievement also reflects UPM’s commitment to advancing the aspirations of the Putra Global Prominence Acceleration Plan 2026–2035, which outlines a comprehensive internationalisation strategy to strengthen global visibility, expand international engagement, align institutional priorities and drive sustainable global excellence.

Meanwhile, the ASAIHL 2026 Conference brought together university leaders, researchers and academics from several countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Cambodia and Uzbekistan, to discuss lifelong learning, digital transformation and the future of higher education.

UPM’s delegation was led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Ir. Dr. Abd. Rahim Abu Talib, who presented the Country Paper on behalf of Malaysia. Also representing the university were Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Academic Leadership (CADe-Lead), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wan Zuhainis Saad, who presented “From Policy to Practice: Transforming Higher Education Systems through Values-Driven Lifelong Learning,” and Director of the Putra International Centre (i-PUTRA), Prof. Dr. Alyani Ismail, who presented “Bridging Smart City Talent Gaps through Lifelong Learning and Strategic Capacity Building in Malaysia.”