By Nicole Lyons,
March 31, 2026
From left, Vinesh Thiruchelvam, chief innovation and enterprise officer at Asia Pacific
University, University of Central
Missouri President Roger Best and Tim Crowley, provost and vice president for Academic
Affairs at UCM.
(APU), a technology-focused private institution in Malaysia, and the University of
Central Missouri (UCM) have reaffirmed their partnership as both universities continue
to provide global opportunities for students.
Discussions about exploring a partnership began in 2024 at the Asia Pacific Association
for International Education (APAIE) in Perth, Australia. That eventually grew into
UCM becoming APU鈥檚 first strategic partner in the United States.
APU and UCM鈥檚 agreement offers a 2+2 pathway program for undergraduate students studying
Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Data Science/Artificial Intelligence. Students will begin their program with two years of study at APU, followed by two
years at UCM to finish their degree. The pathway ties students to both institutions
with a dual degree.
APU students are eligible for UCM鈥檚 Global Partner Scholarship program, which covers
non-resident tuition and fees for international students.
"UCM is pleased to reaffirm our strategic partnership with Asia Pacific University
as its primary U.S. partner institution,鈥 said Tim Crowley, provost and vice president
for Academic Affairs. 鈥淯CM is committed to transforming students into leaders and
providing affordable opportunities for students who desire to learn from our AACSB
and ABET-accredited academic programs. Our partnership with APU expands UCM's network
of global partners in Malaysia and offers APU students the benefits of the UCM Global
Partner Scholarship program. We look forward to welcoming APU students and faculty
in the future and continuing our discussions with APU leadership about additional
areas of collaboration for the mutual benefit of both institutions."
Vinesh Thiruchelvam, chief innovation and enterprise officer at Asia Pacific, visited
UCM earlier this year to meet with UCM leadership and begin conversations about expanding
the existing agreement to include additional compatible programs and pathway models.
鈥淚鈥檓 honored to have visited the UCM campus and to have met an impeccable team led
by President Roger Best,鈥 Thiruchelvam said. 鈥淚 can allude to the similar operating
principles of both APU and UCM as we continue to provide education to build adept
talents for the industry. Just like APU, what I saw on campus in terms of student
centricity and the new wave of trendy undergraduate/post-graduate programs offered
at UCM was opulent. The visit has definitely laid the strong foundation to the UCM-APU
partnership.鈥
UCM has a long history of welcoming international students. Phil Hull, director of
International Student Services, said the APU partnership aligns with UCM鈥檚 continued commitment to preparing students
for an interconnected global community.
UCM and APU both recognize the importance of preparing students for the workforce,
as evidenced by APU鈥檚 100% employment rate upon graduation. APU has also been awarded
the Premier Digital Tech Institution status by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation
(MDEC), which recognizes APU鈥檚 commitment to offering top-notch digital technology
courses and ensuring that highly skilled graduates continue to meet future digital
job demands locally and globally.
For more information about UCM鈥檚 international programs, visit ucmo.edu/iss.

From left, Phil Hull, director of International Student Services at UCM; Vinesh Thiruchelvam,
chief innovation and
enterprise officer at APU; UCM President Roger Best; Tim Crowley, provost and vice
president for Academic
Affairs at UCM; and Ann McCoy, vice provost for Academic Programs and dean of Graduate
Studies at UCM.