Surabaya’s Grahadi State Building transformed into a warm dinner place on 13th of June 2025, as the representatives from Thailand, Pakistan, Australia, Malaysia, Cambodia, India, East Timor, Brunei Darussalaam, the Philippines, and Indonesia gathered for a gala dinner celebrating the opening of the WUACD Summit 2025 in Conjunction with AMBC 2025 and AUN/SEED-Net Regional Conference 2025: ASEAN BCG Network Meeting and Conference to welcome partners, delegates from invited institutions, government officials, university representatives, and scholars. Attended by delegates from different backgrounds, expertise, and associations in collaboration with and supported by East Java governance, the gala dinner aimed to be an opportunity to deepen and strengthen connections among the invited delegates, fostering collaboration across disciplines and associations for community development and higher education.

The event kicked off with an opening remark from Dr. Emil Elestianto Dardak, MSc, East Java’s Acting Governor, on behalf of Dr. (HCUA) Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Dr. Emil Dardak highly appreciated the association’s success in uniting members, international scholars, university leaders, and strategic partners to pursue a more advanced collaboration and initiative for a sustainable future. It continued with remarks from Prof. Dr. Muhammad Madyan, SE, M.Si, M.Fin, Unair’s elected rector for the 2025-2030 term and the new president of WUACD. Prof. Madyan emphasized Universitas Airlangga’s commitment to promoting higher education that plays a key role in impactful community empowerment.

One of the highlights of the agenda items from the warmth of the Gala Dinner was when the representatives, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Humera Jahan, Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Rosli Hainin, P. Tech, and Prof. Dr. Mohd. Roslan Bin Rosnon presented charitable support to orphaned children. This is a reminder of the importance of community-driven initiatives in supporting those in need and to reflect WUACD’s commitment to give back to society by ensuring the well-being of all at all ages, a contribution aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

In an effort to introduce Indonesian local culture, specifically that of East Java, the Governance of East Java, as the organizer, arranged several performances, ranging from mesmerizing traditional dance to beautiful vocal performances.

The series of artistic acts brought the invitees together, embracing the beauty of Indonesian heritage. Delighting both the eyes and the palate, the event offered a variety of delicious dishes to warmly treat the guests.

Beyond the culinary delights and art performances, the event unfolded in a relaxed atmosphere, serving as a valuable opportunity for the distinguished attendees to exchange ideas and build meaningful connections through the shared commitment of maintaining and enhancing people’s quality of life across generations, across the globe. The enriched possibilities of more collaborations among different associations will also support East Java Government’s as the host of the gala dinner, in fulfilling the shared aims and missions within the attendees, which comply with SDG 17, strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development that may also enrich the possibility of collaboration with East Java governance