By: Nastura Nasir
Pix: Ikhwan Hashim

Bangi, 15 June 2017 – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Celcom Axiata Berhad strengthened their long-standing cooperation with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), recently.

The collaboration was initiated by Career Development Centre of UKM (UKM-KARIER), Centre for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SME-CESMED) and The Institute of Ear, Hearing and Speech (HEARS).

According to UKM Vice-Chancellor, Prof.  Dato’ Seri Noor Azlan Ghazali, UKM always welcomes strategic partners and industry to jointly train and develop students’ potential.

Among cooperation which will be carried out are research development of hearing aids by telephone, training of graduates with entrepreneurial skills and job placements for graduates.

According to Celcom Axiata Berhad Chief Human Resources Officer, Azmi Ujang, this cooperation focuses on career development and entrepreneurship among future graduates.

He added that training and learning programs that will be established is aimed to foster the interest of students to become entrepreneurs.

“Surely, it can create more opportunity to generate income rather than depending on the job market only, thus creating more jobs,” he said.

This MoU was signed by Dato’ Seri Noor Azlan and Azmi Ujang, witnessed by Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Electronic & Digital Enablement Celcom Ramanathan Sathiamutty; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Affairs) Prof. Dato’ Dr. Imran Ho; UKM-CAREER Director, Prof. Dr. Ishak Yusof; HEARS Director, Prof. Dr. Siti Sarah Mukari Zamratol Mai, and UKM-CESMED Deputy Director Prof. Prof. Dr. Azuddin Yaakob.

The event also saw Celcom giving out zakat to Unit Zakat UKM worth of RM50,000 to be distributed to 83 UKM’s students.