Welcome messages from the Host & Co-Hosts

Dear Distinguished Guests,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2026, held this year on the vibrant island of Bali and proudly hosted by BINUS University. We are honored to gather esteemed university leaders, scholars, and experts from across the region in a destination that embodies Indonesia’s spirit of openness, diversity, and global connectivity.

As BINUS University approaches the significant milestone of 45 years of fostering and empowering society, we remain committed to advancing quality education, impactful research, and meaningful global engagement. Since our founding in 1974, BINUS has worked to build a learning ecosystem that nurtures innovation, develops future-ready talents, and contributes to the progress of Indonesia and the global community.

Hosting this summit in Indonesia carries profound significance. As one of the world’s largest and most dynamic nations, Indonesia plays an increasingly influential role in shaping the future of global higher education. With its rapidly expanding academic ecosystem, growing research capacity, and deep engagement with regional and international partners, Indonesia stands at a pivotal moment, positioned not only as a contributor, but as a driver of innovation, collaboration, and educational transformation in the Asia Pacific and beyond. Bali serves as a global meeting point, reflecting our country’s longstanding tradition of welcoming new perspectives and fostering shared progress.

The QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific provides a critical platform for addressing emerging challenges and opportunities across our sector. I encourage all participants to fully engage in the exchange of insights, explore new partnerships, and co-create ideas that will shape the next era of education.

On behalf of BINUS University and BINUS Higher Education, I extend our warmest welcome. May this summit offer you an enriching experience and inspire collaborations that strengthen higher education across our region and the world.

Stephen Wahyudi Santoso

President, BINUS Higher Education

Bina Nusantara (BINUS) University stands among Indonesia’s foremost universities, ranked #10 nationally, #165 in Asia, and #851–900 globally by QS World University Rankings. Holding a QS 5-Star rating and international accreditations, BINUS reflects a strong commitment to advancing education and shaping globally competitive talent.

From its humble beginnings as the Computer Technical Academy in 1981, BINUS has evolved into a world-class institution shaping the future of education and technology. The name “Bina Nusantara”, meaning “fostering the Archipelago”, reflects our philosophy of empowering the nation and building a global community through knowledge and innovation.

Over the years, BINUS has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to quality education, supported by prominent academics and a strong alumni network driving impact across industries. Today, we serve over 50,000 students across 12 campuses in Greater Jakarta, Bandung, Malang, Semarang, and Medan, as well as through BINUS Online Learning—continuing to expand our reach and reputation across Indonesia and beyond.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2026 with the theme Co-Creating the Intelligent Society, BINUS believes in leveraging cutting-edge technology to foster an intelligent, socially aware, and globally competitive generation. Under the Summit’s theme Human at Heart: Advancing Education with Purpose & Impact, BINUS University aims to continue to make impactful contributions to society and the future by partnering with collaborators from across the Asia Pacific and beyond to fulfill its vision, strengthened by the SPIRIT that defines our values: Striving for Excellence, Perseverance, Integrity, Respect, Innovation, and Teamwork.

It is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you to the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2026 in Bali, Indonesia. We are proud that Universitas Padjadjaran will be joining as co-host for the upcoming conference, working alongside our respected global partners to strengthen higher education across the Asia Pacific.

Universitas Padjadjaran is recognised as one of Indonesia’s leading universities, reflected in its consistent progress within QS global and regional rankings across major academic clusters including health sciences, social sciences, economics, business, law, and the humanities. These achievements affirm our commitment to academic rigour, research distinction, and interdisciplinary scholarship that advances knowledge and leadership for the region.

Being co-host of the QS Higher Ed Conference: Asia Pacific 2026 is a role we receive with deep dedication to contribution and shared academic leadership. This responsibility reflects our continued commitment to strengthening institutional cooperation, expanding strategic networks, and fostering long-term academic progress throughout the Asia Pacific.

As we gather in Bali a global crossroads for scholarly dialogue and cultural exchange we hope this conference continues to serve as a stage for intellectual collaboration, mutual learning, and progressive transformation across universities and sectors. On behalf of Universitas Padjadjaran, we extend our warmest welcome to Indonesia and wish you a rewarding and insightful conference experience.

Let us jointly advance university futures by strengthening institutions and inspiring generations across the Asia Pacific through purposeful knowledge exchange and enduring cooperation.

Prof Arief Sjamsulaksan Kartasasmita

Rector, Universitas Padjadjaran

Founded in 1957, Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) is one of Indonesia’s leading public universities, committed to advancing excellence in education, research, and societal impact. With 18 faculties and schools spanning health sciences, social sciences, humanities, economics, business, law, agriculture, and natural sciences, Unpad fosters a rich multidisciplinary environment that supports high-quality learning and cutting-edge scholarship.

Unpad’s Strategic Plan 2025–2029 defines the university’s direction through four core commitments: Excellence, Inclusivity, Global Engagement, and Impact. These commitments guide ongoing improvements in academic quality, expansion of equitable access, development of international partnerships, and strengthening of research relevance to societal and global challenges. As an institution with a strong public mission, Unpad collaborates extensively with government, industry, and global academic partners to support knowledge creation, policy development, community empowerment, and sustainable development initiatives. Its research ecosystem is supported by modern facilities, interdisciplinary centres, and strong networks across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

With over 36,000 students and a rapidly expanding international footprint, Unpad continues to contribute to Indonesia’s national development while building meaningful connections across the global higher education landscape. The university remains dedicated to nurturing future leaders, advancing scientific progress, and delivering long-term benefits for communities and society at large.

Dear Distinguished Guests,

It is my great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all of you attending the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2026 in Bali, Indonesia. As co-host of this significant event in the region, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) is honoured to partner in bringing together higher education leaders, scholars, and industry experts from across the region and beyond.

EdUHK is a publicly funded university dedicated to the advancement of learning and teaching through a diverse offering of multidisciplinary academic and research programmes. We have a proud legacy in teacher education that spans more than a century, and achieved full university status in 2016. Today, EdUHK stands as a leading institution with a long history in teacher education in the Asia Pacific region, committed to excellence in education, research innovation, and the advancement of knowledge with sustainable impact on social progress. Guided by our Strategic Plan 2025–2031 themed “Education Futures”, we are committed to nurturing future-ready educators and talents with positive values, advancing breakthrough research for societal impact, contributing to sustainable development, and promoting internationalisation — all to lead educational innovation and create sustainable progress in an ever-changing digital era.

We are proud to co-host the QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific in this remarkable year in Bali, a city with rich cultural heritage and spirit of harmony, providing a unique opportunity to engage in transformative discussions on shaping the future of education in the Asia Pacific region. We hope to offer a vital platform for exploring critical educational challenges, sharing insights, and driving transformative change in the higher education sector through meaningful dialogue on skills development, research collaboration, and institutional partnerships.

I warmly invite you to make the most of this invaluable opportunity to fully engage in the sessions, share insights, and forge meaningful partnerships that will shape the future of education for generations to come.

On behalf of The Education University of Hong Kong, I wish you an enriching and memorable experience at the summit.

Professor John Chi-Kin LEE

President, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK)

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) is a publicly funded university dedicated to the advancement of learning and teaching through a broad range of multidisciplinary academic and research programmes. With a proud legacy in teacher education spanning more than a century, EdUHK attained full university status in 2016 and has since grown into a leading institution in the Asia Pacific region.

EdUHK has achieved remarkable global recognition, being ranked 12th worldwide in the Education in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with four additional subjects ranked among the top 350 globally, and 152nd in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026. These achievements reflect the University’s strong commitment to academic excellence, impactful research, and international engagement. EdUHK places particular emphasis on educational research, digital learning, sustainability, and the integration of theory and practice to address contemporary and future challenges in education.

Guided by its Strategic Plan 2025–2031, ‘Education Futures’, EdUHK is focused on nurturing future-ready educators and talents with strong professional and digital competence, positive values, with local, national and global perspectives. The University is committed to advancing research, development, and innovation to deliver meaningful social impact, contributing to sustainable development, and strengthening internationalisation. Through collaboration, innovation, and a dedication to social progress, EdUHK continues to enhance its role as a leading university in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.