Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is Malaysia’s second-oldest institution, located in the state of Penang. USM was founded in 1969 and offers a variety of programs, including Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Building Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Education, in addition to conducting research. There are 17 schools on Penang Island’s main campus, six schools at Nibong Tebal’s engineering campus, and three schools at Kelantan’s health campus.

USM is a research-intensive university with 17 research centers dedicated to medical and pharmaceutical sciences, science and technology, management and accounting, archeology, Islamic studies, international policies and relations, and other fields.

Walailak University and USM have a Memorandum of Understanding for Academic Cooperation and have continued to collaborate academically, such as co-organizing a Thai-Malaysian writers conference and co-hosting a seminar for the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT). For many years, USM had welcomed students from Walailak University to study Malay language there. Cooperation with USM is also part of the School of Political Science and Laws’ foreign relations strategy.