An Academic Synergy Meeting between the English Language and Culture Department of Universitas Teuku Umar (UTU), Indonesia, and the American International University-Bangladesh was held on Friday, 28 August 2026 at 9:00 a.m. WIB at the Senate Room, UTU. The meeting focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration in joint research, student exchange programmes, and teaching.

The UTU delegation included Dr. Cut Irna Liyana, Head of the English Language and Culture Department; Firman Parlindungan, PhD, Head of the Language Center; Refan Rahmatillah, M. Appling, Lecturer, English Language and Culture Department; Veni Nela, M.Pd, Lecturer, English Language and Culture Department; and students of the English Language and Culture Department. Prof. Dr. Md. Asif Kamal, Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, & Research & Publication Steering Committee Member, Office of Research represented AIUB at the meeting.

The discussion reviewed the existing collaboration between AIUB and UTU and explored possibilities for further strengthening academic engagement. Among the three major areas identified—joint research, exchange programmes, and teaching—AIUB and UTU already have substantial ongoing collaboration in joint research and academic activities. The two universities have jointly organized two international conferences, submitted two collaborative project proposals, and produced several joint publications.

The meeting also discussed expanding the partnership into new areas, particularly joint teaching and student exchange programmes. Both institutions expressed interest in exploring mechanisms for faculty involvement in teaching activities, academic mobility, and opportunities for students to study and participate in academic activities at the partner institution. The possibility of developing a dual-degree programme was also identified as an area requiring further exploration and discussion.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen the existing partnership and explore practical frameworks for joint teaching, student exchange, dual-degree opportunities, and continued collaborative research. The discussion marked another significant step toward developing a stronger and more comprehensive academic partnership between AIUB and UTU.