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. It was initiated by Yunnan University (YNU) in Kunming, Yunnan province, in December 2018, with its secretariat permanently located at the university.

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

To date, the network consists of 126 member universities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and China.

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

To date, it has created four major brand activities – 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 Sports Culture Exchange Week, and the consultation mechanism of the International University Alliance.

Since 2021, S&SE Asian UN has established five sub-committees – the Sub-committee of Emerging Engineering Education, Sub-committee of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Sub-committee of Journalism and Communication, Sub-committee of Chinese Language Education, and Sub-committee of Sustainable Mountain Development. The aim is to further explore and integrate the advantageous resources and distinctive specialties of all parties and universities in China and abroad, build a new platform, new path and new model for the all-round development of regional higher education with the participation of multiple parties and diverse entities, and promote the progress and development of the regional economy and society.

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 cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.