By Asmahanim Amir
Pictures by Ikhwan Hashim and Department of Ophthalmology, UKMMC

CHERAS, 9 April 2019 – Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC) has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologist (RANZCO) to strengthen the cooperation between the two parties.

The Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norshamsiah Md Din said, UKM will work together with RANZCO in many areas, such as joint research and international publications, teaching and learning, discussion on curriculum review among others of academic activities.

“Through this MoU, we hope we can exchange experts. Especially in terms of assessment development and practice, standard setting for examination as well as other formative assessment such as direct observation of procedural (DOPs)” she added.

She further explained that examination by an ophthalmologist specialist in Malaysia is joint efforts between UKM, UM (University of Malaya), USM (Universiti Sains Malaysia) and MoH (Ministry of Health Malaysia). Where each exam requires external examiner from overseas.

Therefore, the MoU with RANZCO can be seen as one of the proactive movement in exchanging examiners. The important thing of the external examiner is, in addition to ensuring the quality of examination in Malaysia in line with other international examination standards, it also can open up the horizon for international collaboration.

She further added the collaboration with RANZCO will increase the impact of UKM’s publication of UKM that can be translated into a high-impact journal as well as internationalizing the ophthalmology research in UKM.

Assoc Prof. Dr. Norshamsiah who is Chairperson of Malaysia Universities Conjoint Committee of Ophthalmology (MUCCO) hope through this collaboration, in particular, the Department of Ophthalmology UKM and ophthalmology training in Malaysia will be at par with the international ophthalmology programme.

“The nearest that we can reach out is RANZCO because they are in the Asia Pacific region. RANZCO has a very good ophthalmology programme in place. We hope after the national curriculum review; we can exchange ideas with regards to the curriculum with RANZCO in the ophthalmology field.

“I also hope this collaboration will boost the name of UKM in the international arena. International people will know UKM and hopefully when they know us, we can get more involved in ophthalmology events at the international level,” she added.

RANZCO is a medical college responsible for training and developing professional experts in Australia and New Zealand with a mission to drive increased eye health care in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region through extraordinary training, education, research and advocacy.