UCM Reaffirms Agreement as Asia Pacific University’s First U.S.-Based Partner

From left, Vinesh Thiruchelvam, chief innovation and enterprise officer at Asia Pacific University, University of Central
Missouri President Roger Best and Tim Crowley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at UCM.

 

(APU), a technology-focused private institution in Malaysia, and the University of Central Missouri (UCM) have reaffirmed their partnership as both universities continue to provide global opportunities for students.

Discussions about exploring a partnership began in 2024 at the Asia Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) in Perth, Australia. That eventually grew into UCM becoming APU’s first strategic partner in the United States.

APU and UCM’s agreement offers a 2+2 pathway program for undergraduate students studying Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Data Science/Artificial Intelligence. Students will begin their program with two years of study at APU, followed by two years at UCM to finish their degree. The pathway ties students to both institutions with a dual degree.

APU students are eligible for UCM’s Global Partner Scholarship program, which covers non-resident tuition and fees for international students.

 

"UCM is pleased to reaffirm our strategic partnership with Asia Pacific University as its primary U.S. partner institution,” said Tim Crowley, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “UCM is committed to transforming students into leaders and providing affordable opportunities for students who desire to learn from our AACSB and ABET-accredited academic programs. Our partnership with APU expands UCM's network of global partners in Malaysia and offers APU students the benefits of the UCM Global Partner Scholarship program. We look forward to welcoming APU students and faculty in the future and continuing our discussions with APU leadership about additional areas of collaboration for the mutual benefit of both institutions."

Vinesh Thiruchelvam, chief innovation and enterprise officer at Asia Pacific, visited UCM earlier this year to meet with UCM leadership and begin conversations about expanding the existing agreement to include additional compatible programs and pathway models.

 

“I’m honored to have visited the UCM campus and to have met an impeccable team led by President Roger Best,” Thiruchelvam said. “I can allude to the similar operating principles of both APU and UCM as we continue to provide education to build adept talents for the industry. Just like APU, what I saw on campus in terms of student centricity and the new wave of trendy undergraduate/post-graduate programs offered at UCM was opulent. The visit has definitely laid the strong foundation to the UCM-APU partnership.”

UCM has a long history of welcoming international students. Phil Hull, director of International Student Services, said the APU partnership aligns with UCM’s continued commitment to preparing students for an interconnected global community.

UCM and APU both recognize the importance of preparing students for the workforce, as evidenced by APU’s 100% employment rate upon graduation. APU has also been awarded the Premier Digital Tech Institution status by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which recognizes APU’s commitment to offering top-notch digital technology courses and ensuring that highly skilled graduates continue to meet future digital job demands locally and globally.

For more information about UCM’s international programs, visit ucmo.edu/iss.

 

From left, Phil Hull, director of International Student Services at UCM; Vinesh Thiruchelvam, chief innovation and
enterprise officer at APU; UCM President Roger Best; Tim Crowley, provost and vice president for Academic
Affairs at UCM; and Ann McCoy, vice provost for Academic Programs and dean of Graduate Studies at UCM.