The British Council invites UK higher education institutions to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the UK–Malaysia Talent Corridor TNE and Skills Development Working Group Mission, taking place in Malaysia in October 2026.

Following a British Council-led mission of UK Vice-Chancellors to Malaysia in January 2026, there is clear momentum for a new partnership model—one that integrates TNE, industry-linked learning, joint research, and flexible mobility pathways. Such collaboration supports Malaysia’s ambitions while enhancing the global competitiveness of UK institutions.

This initiative focuses on the development of scalable UK–Malaysia Talent Corridor TNE and Skills Development Programmes through innovative transnational education (TNE) models.

Each corridor will bring together:

  • One Malaysian anchor institution, and
  • A consortium of 4–6 UK universities, working collaboratively in a one-to-many partnership model.

The UK–Malaysia Talent Corridor Initiative will be implemented in two phases to ensure focused development and scalable impact:

Pilot corridors will be established in two of the following regions:

  • UK-Greater Kuala Lumpur Talent Corridor
    Focus: Future cities, healthcare, creative economy, and upskilling/reskilling ecosystems
  • UK-Johor Talent Corridor
    Focus: AI, data centres, digital infrastructure, and workforce development linked to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ)
  • UK-Sarawak Talent Corridor
    Focus: STEM education, teacher development, sustainability, biodiversity, and energy transition

Subject to successful implementation of Phase 1, the initiative will expand to include the remaining region from Phase 1 as well as:

  • UK-Penang Talent Corridor
    Focus: advanced manufacturing, semiconductor ecosystem development, digital technologies, and high-value industry skills

 Purpose of the Working Group Mission

The mission will convene selected UK institutions and Malaysian partners to:

  • Form corridor-specific working groups
  • Co-design partnership models and delivery approaches
  • Identify priority micro-credentials, stackable modules, and workforce development programmes
  • Explore accreditation frameworks and flexible learning pathways
  •  Develop implementation roadmaps for the design, accreditation, and delivery of Talent Corridor Skills Development Programmes

Expectations of Participating Institutions

Selected institutions will be expected to:

  • Actively participate in a corridor-specific working group
  • Nominate senior academic or international leads
  • Travel to Malaysia for a minimum 3-day programme in October 2026
  •  Contribute to the co-development of scalable partnership models across education, research, and skills
  • Engage in pre-mission preparation and post-mission follow-up
  • Demonstrate commitment to consortium-based, multi-institution collaboration

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to UK higher education institutions that:

  • Demonstrate strengths in one or more priority sectors
  • Have demonstrable experience in transnational education (TNE), micro-credential development, flexible learning pathways, workforce development, and/or industry-aligned skills programmes
  • Show commitment to long-term engagement in Malaysia and the region
  • Are willing to adopt collaborative, consortium-based approaches

* In the first instance, participation opportunities will be offered to UK higher education institutions that meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Participation in the UK Higher Education Mission to Malaysia in January 2026;
  • Membership of the UK–Malaysia University Consortium (UKMUC); and/or
  • Operation of a branch campus in Malaysia.

Any remaining places will subsequently be allocated to other eligible institutions based on the level of interest received and programme capacity.

Timelines

EOI Launch 3 July 2026
Information Session 10 July 2026
EOI Deadline 3 August 2026
Notification of Outcomes 7 August 2026
Pre-Mission Briefing September 2026
Development Mission October 2026 (minimum 3 days in Malaysia)

Action Required:

Please refer to the attached Call document for more information.

To submit an Expression of Interest, please complete and submit this form: https://forms.office.com/e/Ddnuetk0UV

Institutions are required to send in a signed Letter of Support signed by the Vice Chancellor from your institution expressing specific commitment to participate in the proposed initiative via email to: PuteriNurMarissa.MohdFauzi@britishcouncil.org / cc. MYKUL1Education@britishcouncil.org .

Both should be done by the stated deadline of 3 August 2026.

Please note: Submission of an EOI does not guarantee selection. All applications will be assessed competitively against the criteria outlined above.

For any queries, kindly reach out to:

Share this