PUTRAJAYA - Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has established strategic cooperation with three universities in Iran through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently to strengthen the network of cooperation in the field of higher education.
The MoU involved UKM's Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) with the University of Isfahan and UKM's Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) with D8 International University and Islamic Azad University.
D8, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development cooperation among eight Islamic nations namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. The D8 group considers the most important missions of universities include research, innovation, education, and international activities.
UKM Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman said the collaboration involving Ikmas would focus on research areas related to West Asia and political security in the context of global geopolitics, while the MoU involving FST would focus on the fields of earth science, environment, cyber security, food security and artificial intelligence.
"The main focus of these three agreements include student exchange and mobility, data sharing, joint publication, research collaboration, and talent development,” he said in a statement today.
He said the collaboration will undoubtedly yield competitive graduates and staff, equipping them with invaluable global interaction experience through mobility programmes and capacity building.
He added that UKM has been entrusted with a pivotal role in conducting comprehensive research on water-related matters in partnership with the esteemed D8 International University (Iran) based in Turkey, indicates a significant step towards advancing UKM’s collective understanding and addressing critical water-related issues on a global scale.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the MoU was a testament to the international recognition of Malaysia’s higher education quality.
Two MoUs were signed on Oct 7 while the agreement with D8 International University was inked on Oct 8. - BERNAMA