The South and Southeast Asian University Network, also known as S&SE Asian UN, is a higher education regional international cooperation mechanism approved by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education and filed in the International Division of the Ministry of Education, and initiated by Yunnan University (YNU) in Kunming, Yunnan Province in December 2018. The Secretariat of S&SE Asian UN is permanently located at YNU.

It aims to further enhance the people-to-people bonds between China and South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, establish a platform for regional higher education exchanges and cooperation, as well as build a regional higher education community.

To date, there are 118 member universities from 16 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and China.

After five years of development, S&SE Asian UN have become an important platform for cultural exchanges in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

At present, S&SE ASIAN UN have created four major brand activities, including the S&SE ASIAN UN Forum sponsored by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, the Yunnan Conference on International Exchange of Professionals sponsored by the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and the Yunnan Provincial People's Government, the S&SE ASIAN UN President's Forum, and the S&SE ASIAN UN Sports Culture Exchange Week.

Since 2021, S&SE Asian UN have established four sub-committees, Sub-committee of Emerging Engineering Education, Sub-committee of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Sub-committee of Journalism and Communication, and Sub-committee of Chinese Language Education.

In the future, S&SE ASIAN UN will implement the Four-Year Development Plan for the South Asia and Southeast Asia University Network (2024-2027), as well as further promote the people-to-people bond and policy communication between China and South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, enhancing Belt and Road cooperation.