Faculty and students are engaged in outreach activities. Some activities are also carried out in rural communities, bridging the gap between the university and the society. The higher education institutions have also contributed to developing co-operative strategies that respond to issues that are difficult to address through inter-governmental co-operative efforts. Major achievements include the development of co-operative initiatives that address needs in the region, such as Universiti Sains Malaysia’s efforts in sustainability and the AIDS Action and Research Group (AARG) which has become a national model.