HSE University–St Petersburg and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Release First Book of Mirror Laboratory
Malaysia hosted the AHIBS 'Weaving Horizons for Sustainable Impact' international conference, which featured the presentation of the first Russian–Malaysian book of research articles.
The AHIBS conference is devoted to social and economic transformation projects aimed at shaping a sustainable future. The event gathered more than 300 interdisciplinary researchers from Russia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other countries.
The business programme at AHIBS finished with the presentation of the first Russian–Malaysian academic publication: 'Bridging Horizons: Exploring Social Entrepreneurship in Malaysia and Russia.' The book was presented by Magdalena Gaete, Head of the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education at HSE University–St Petersburg, and Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, Professor and Vice Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
The book features research discoveries and key findings of the work carried out by the mirror laboratory. The publication includes 12 chapters and a joint comparative analysis covering various aspects of social entrepreneurship: person-centred approaches, knowledge management, the role of higher education, sustainable development, empowerment of communities, and digital innovations in ecosystems.
According to Magdalena Gaete, the book reveals the details of social formations and the experience of cooperation between HSE University–St Petersburg and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia: 'Social entrepreneurship has proved to be a powerful catalyst for sustainable development and innovations. As societies become more interrelated, such entrepreneurs start playing a crucial role, which contributes to establishing ties between communities and institutions.
Since the launch, our mirror laboratory has carried out a series of thorough comparative studies, having focused on the diverse and dynamic environment of two countries—Russia and Malaysia. The results we obtained reveal the nuances of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem, the legal framework influencing it, and the strategies with which social enterprises adapt to local conditions, have a significant effect and a positive impact on society, and greatly contribute to the goals of sustainable development in their countries.'
'This book is not the final point but the next step in our joint work. We try to show that today, research serves real people, and that social entrepreneurs' pursuit of good is not an exception but the general norm. It doesn't matter who you are, whether a politician in Putrajaya or a practitioner in St Petersburg, a student looking for their place in the world or a researcher shaping ideas—the path of social entrepreneurship is your path to the shared future as well,' underscored Haliana Khalid, second editor and deputy dean of the AHIBS business school at UTM.
The mirror laboratory for social entrepreneurship was founded in 2023 in the framework of international cooperation between HSE University–St Petersburg and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The project's goal is to study and understand the functioning mechanisms of social entrepreneurship in various cultural and institutional contexts. In May 2025, an international consortium of university satellite laboratories was established. It includes seven universities from Russia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Indonesia.