KOTA SAMARAHAN – The Asia International Community of Art and Design (AICAD) 2025 has helped underscore Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak’s emergence as a pivotal centre for creativity in the region.
At the event’s gala dinner held recently in the UiTM Sarawak campus, Professor Dr Firdaus Abdullah, Rector of the UiTM Sarawak Branch, said AICAD 2025 was intended to foster a meaningful forum bridging academics, students and creative practitioners.
He described creativity as a driver of sustainability, innovation and cultural diplomacy, and emphasised that UiTM aims to integrate learning, research and cultural exchange into a unified ecosystem.
He added:
“The success of organising AICAD 2025 proves that UiTM Sarawak Branch and UiTM Perak Branch are capable of becoming centres of creative exchange and catalysts for research-based innovation, thus producing graduates who are competitive, globally minded, innovative and culturally-based.”
Speaking at the same occasion, Professor TPr Dr Jamalunlaili Abdullah, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry, Community and Alumni Networks), highlighted that AICAD 2025 carries significance beyond its artistic focus, it forges connections across diverse cultures, heritage and identities. He noted that the networks formed during the event could serve as seeds for future joint endeavours.
He explained:
“Creativity grows when shared, knowledge grows when disseminated, and friendships remain strong when nurtured with sincerity.”
A number of senior UiTM figures also attended, among them the Acting Rector of UiTM Perak, Associate Professor Dr Nur Hisham Ibrahim, and deputies responsible for research and industry networks from both UiTM Sarawak (Professor Ir Dr Juferi Idris) and UiTM Perak (Associate Professor Dr Muhamad Abdul Aziz Ab Gani).
Organised across September 23–25 at UiTM Samarahan campus, AICAD 2025 is part of a broader effort to enhance Sarawak as a creative education and cultural diplomacy hub.
The event featured an exhibition, conference sessions and a research-edutourism component, intended to bring together voices from across the creative sector.
Observers say the successful staging of AICAD 2025 strengthens UiTM’s reputation as a regional nexus for art, design and creative research, and signals Malaysia’s growing aspirations in the cultural economy at the Asia level.
