MMU and Indonesia-based Yayasan Ahmad Riyansyah Parinduri (ARP Foundation) joined hands for the KL Entrepreneur Youth Summit (KEYS) 2026, held at the MMU Cinema on 19 August 2026. The one-day summit marked the inaugural collaboration between MMU and ARP Foundation and brought together students, young entrepreneurs and academic representatives from Malaysia and Indonesia under the theme “From Side Hustle to Empire: Turn Your Hobby into Business.”
The event was jointly organised by the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC), with the support of International Collaboration and Engagement (ICE). The summit provided participants with opportunities to exchange ideas, explore business opportunities and build connections across borders.
The opening ceremony was officiated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ong Jeen Wei, Director of Alumni Engagement, Career and Entrepreneurship Development (ACED) MMU andDr Yaza Azzahara Ulyana, Director of ARP Foundation. Also present was Dr Syarifah Nurleyana Wafa Sy. Naguib Wafa, Director of ICE, who introduced MMU and its programmes to the visiting participants.
The programme also featured business idea pitch sessions conducted concurrently for three categories: high school students, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and lecturers. The sessions gave participants an opportunity to present their ideas, receive feedback and gain experience in communicating their business concepts to an audience.
The evening session continued with an international conference featuring speakers from MMU, ARP Foundation, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Among the speakers were Associate Professor Dr Ong Jeen Wei, Director of Alumni Engagement, Career and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (ACE), MMU; Ms Putri Syaidatul Akma Binti Mohd Adzmi, Deputy Director of ACE; Dr Ahmad Riyansyah Parinduri, Advisor of ARP Foundation; Dr Haruna Babatunde Jaiyeoba, Assistant Professor at the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), IIUM; and Dr Amandyk Kartbayev, Associate Professor and Researcher at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
The summit concluded with a networking session and award ceremony, recognising the participants for their ideas and contributions throughout the programme. All in all, KEYS 2026 marked a meaningful first step in the collaboration between MMU and ARP Foundation, while providing a platform for young people from Malaysia and Indonesia to share ideas, explore entrepreneurship and build connections that extend beyond the summit.
