By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Shahiddan Saidi

BANGI, 9 June 2016 –  The National University of Malaysia (UKM) aims to send 250 of its  students every year with sufficient credit-hours  to  continue their studies abroad for one semester, said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Partnership), Prof Datuk Dr Imran Ho Abdullah.

He said the students will be carefully vetted and chosen according to course and relevance to universities in other countries where they will gain a broader world-view and earn more credit hours at the same time.

The programme is being held in collaboration with various universities around the world that implement courses that complement with the ones available at UKM.

“The programme is being implemented with other countries including Mexico, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Brunei and is expected to last for a semester or a year.

“Previously, we were only able to send 40 to 100 people abroad but will increase the number of students participating in the scheme since they can study the history of other countries and experience the advantages and disadvantages of each country they visit,” he told reporters after the launch of UKM’s Go Global Day, here on April 29. .

The event celebrated the university’s success in international student exchange  programmes with some 50 local and international undergraduates taking part in the one-day event.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali who made an unscheduled visit to the event, said UKM aims to have every one of its students to take part in a mobility or exchange programme overseas, at least once before they graduate.

“ I am confident that by the time they graduate, they would have learnt the basics of some new skill that they would otherwise not have gained if they had not gone abroad,” he remarked.

The Go Global Day function was launched by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Datuk Ir Dr Riza Atiq Abdullah O.K. Rahmat.

Also present was Director of the International Relations Center (UKM Global), Assoc Prof Dr Yazrina Yahya.

There was a range of activities involving international and local students setting up stalls, a forum and briefings from foreign embassies about the opportunities of tertiary studies  in their countries.

Among the international representatives which gave talks were diplomats from Mexico, Australia and South Korea.

Several  students who had taken part in mobility programme in Malaysia and overseas spoke about their experiences.

Law student Jason Cheong Kah Lok, 22, said he had attended a mobility  programme in Cambodia during the first semester and is eager to go to another ASEAN country, such as Vietnem soon.

“We can see different ways of life around. We also represent UKM as unofficial envoys to help students abroad and participate in events that are available, “he said.

A Japanese exchange student at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ayami Tezuka, 21, who speaks fluent Malay, said she improved her command of the language while staying here.

“Besides, I was also able to meet and make new friends with students from other countries such as Australia, Kazakhstan and India,” she quipped with a smile.