UAE, Malaysian university to tie up

Education weighs a lot in the development of the world’s human resources and so universities and colleges worldwide consider partnerships with one another either through private or government-to-government initiatives, according to top-level educators in Malaysia.

It was also learnt from the recent “Malaysia Educational Familiarisation Tour” that negotiations are ongoing for collaboration between the MAHSA University in Kuala Lumpur and the Gulf Medical College in Ajman.

MAHSA University-Internationalisation, Partnerships and Business Development deputy vice chancellor Prof John Miller also said in a press conference with visiting UAE-based journalists, that the “process for the (renewal of) accreditation with the UAE government and the other countries in the Middle East is ongoing.”

The university, which began as a centre of excellence for allied health sciences, is home to four students from the UAE enrolled in medical and dentistry courses.

According to Help College of Arts and Technology (HelpCAT)-Kuala Lumpur-Academics vice president Prof Leong Yin Ching, the accreditation policy for all universities and colleges worldwide is on a five-year cycle.

“We cannot take in foreign students without the accreditation which is undertaken either through government-to-government or through the memorandum of understanding between universities,” said Ching, who became an educator because her late father believed that a woman must not engage in any business but teaching.

Ten of the foreign students in HelpCAT are from the Middle East.

Ching said the internationalisation of education has become the strategy worldwide so that parents and primarily the students have a changed mindset and “help them be aware that there is a world out there composed of other cultures and people.

“The collaboration and partnerships among universities and colleges worldwide is to address the gaps in education that will result in the development of human resources for a better humane world,” she added.

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology-Selangor founder-president Prof Emiritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Lim Kok Wing told The Gulf Today, “Science and technology have been there since 50 to 60 years ago. What we do in the university is develop a system that will help enhance the creativity, talents and skills of our students and free them from a system of theories. We believe that this re-packaging of students will lead to a better human resource that will help advance technology, create jobs and improve the quality of life worldwide.”

Malaysia’s advertising guru established the university in 1991 and has set up campuses in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa.

One of the administration staff and faculty members of the Limkokwing is from the Middle East, an alumnus.

“The presence of the international community in the universities will help improve the character and mindset of the locals,” said Universiti Teknikal Malaysia-Melaka vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Yusoff Hassan.

He also said, “Education is like cooking. In order to become a very good chef, one has to know the basics and from there, innovate and discover new things.”

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