The Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) is fostering collaboration with expert networks in Sarawak to address regional challenges and drive positive change, particularly through mission-oriented research in indigenous culture and environmental sustainability. ASM President, Academician Datuk Dr Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, emphasized learning from the indigenous community's traditional knowledge of responsible natural resource stewardship. ASM, alongside the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), is developing the National Planetary Health Action Plan (NPHAP), set to be published in 2024, which integrates planetary health into national policies. The ASM 38th IdeaXchange, held at UNIMAS, focused on "Indigenous Cultures, Practices and Views from Borneo towards the Promotion of Planetary Health" and featured experts discussing the intersection of science, culture, and sustainability. The event, part of the ASM Roadshow Sarawak Chapter, also highlighted ASM's various initiatives and attracted participants from academia, government, and industry.

From January 15th to 19th, 2023, Assistant Professor Dr. Wong Kuo Hong of Kanazawa University, Japan, visited UNIMAS for a collaborative research initiative with the Aquatic Resource Science and Management Programme team at the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology (FRST). The study focused on trace metals, organic carbon (Blue Carbon), and plankton response to metal stress in coastal estuarine areas. As part of the collaboration, a mini-expedition was conducted at the Sungai Samunsam mangrove-Telok Serabang coastal area, involving Dr. Wong, two exchange students from Kanazawa University, and three final-year students from UNIMAS. The expedition team also included several Aquatic Science lecturers and research staff. The findings were presented at the 2nd Southeast Asia Marine Metals Seminar in June 2023, where students Mr. Yeoh Yong Sheng and Ms. Kong Ying Jie shared the study's results in an international online seminar. A research manuscript based on the project was also submitted for potential publication.