From 2–6 June 2025, 13 leadership delegates from 11 participating universities across 6 Greater Mekong Subregion countries and Timor-Leste, along with the Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia, and the Director of SEAMEO RIHED, actively participated in the DAAD-RIHED Research Leadership Excellence Programme in Germany.

The delegates exchanged views and visited four German universities comprising of University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Osnabrück, UAS Münster, University of Oldenburg, and UAS Bremen focusing on topics such as quality management and regional research, research management and development, and governance and international cooperation.

The visit, part of the Horizon Southeast Asia: Pushing the Frontier of Research and Sustainability project in partnership with UAS Osnabrück, served as a platform for learning and exchange, enabling university leaders to strengthen their institutional research systems through the development of Research Development Action Plans or Initiatives.