On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the webinar “AKEPT LET’S TALK ABOUT SERIES 5/2026” (Series 5) was held online, co-hosted by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED) and the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) of the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.
This webinar series aims to facilitate international knowledge exchange by sharing leadership perspectives and best practices from various countries regarding the latest global trends and challenges in higher education. In this session (Series 5), multifaceted discussions were held under the theme of “Marketization and the Commodification of Knowledge”.

From the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU), Dr. NASU Yasutomo, Board Member of JANU, Vice-Chair of the International Exchange Committee, (President of Okayama University), joined as a panelist. He emphasized that even amidst ongoing structural changes and the intensified drive to secure external funding, national universities—which are supported by government—must never lose sight of their essential mission and social responsibility as a “public good”.
He also stated that it is indispensable to ensure appropriate resource allocation to basic research and the humanities and social sciences, which are difficult to monetize in the short term, to maintain evaluation frameworks based on a long-term perspective, and to establish ethical governance frameworks when promoting university-industry collaboration.

JANU will continue to deepen partnerships with international organizations and higher education institutions in Southeast Asia, including SEAMEO RIHED and AKEPT, to strengthen the international visibility of Japanese national universities and contribute to solving global challenges in higher education.

An archive recording of this webinar is available on Facebook, and you can watch the session on the official AKEPT Facebook page (AKEPT MOHE).