The SMART (SATU Mobility Action for Regional Talents) Program was initiated during the 2016 SATU Steering Committee Meeting to promote cross-border cooperation in education among SATU member universities. Five member universities signed the SMART Program Letter of Intent on November 11th, 2016, including the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the Institut Teknologi Bandung, the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, the University of Malaya, and the National Cheng Kung University.
In 2019, the SATU theme is “Incorporating Social Responsibility into Our Universities: Challenges, Opportunities, and Possibilities.” The main objective is to initiate changes that can help societies to be more productive and to live healthier, while also seeking to understand and address the world's challenges.
These are all complex and dynamic issues that cannot be solved through individual action, but will require the coordinated involvement of many stakeholders along with heightened social awareness. This program can hopefully embolden academia and students to help bring about meaningful changes in our global community.