By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix  Ikhwan Hashim

BANGI, 29 April 2015 – The National University of Malaysia (UKM) has built up an enviable reputation for conducting outbound and inbound mobility programmes with celebrated universities abroad.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Dato’ Ir Dr Riza Atiq Abdullah O.K. Rahmat said UKM has partnered with many prestigious universities throughout the world and collaborated in many disciplines.

Launching UKM’s International Relations Centre (IRC) Mobility Day forum and exhibition here today, Prof Riza Atiq said good programmes are offered to the students via the partnerships with the respective excellent universities partners, embassies and also corporate network because of the strong links.

He said mobility programmes gave exceptional and unforgettable experience to students, and at the same time it realizes the agenda of internationalisation, which is part of the strategic plans of UKM.

“We are geared towards producing students who are able to compete in the global arena, knowledgeable, well informed and resistance to world challenges. UKM wants to make sure that the students are being prepared with all the necessary inputs before they graduate. It will certainly help UKM to achieve its target in Key Result area 1 or better known as KRA1 and KRA 3,” Prof Riza Atiq explained.

PHA Director Assoc Prof Dr Yazrina Yahya, in her welcoming remarks said UKM can expect to welcome another batch of mobility students from Mexico in May and it will return the favour by allowing a group of Malaysian students to go there later in the year.

At the forum, guest speakers from foreign embassies – Mrs Lourdes Sosa Marquez from Embassy of Mexico, Ms Petronila Maurice and Ms Karen Welsh from the Australian High Commission – gave presentations about opportunities available for further education in their countries.

Welsh, Education Counsellor at the Australian High Commission said universities in her country have seen a rise in the number of Malaysians doing post-graduate studies for both the Masters and Doctorates programmes. She said there was now a shift away for Malaysians doing basic degrees in Australia to more advanced course works that allow them to work there.

Marquez, Deputy Head of Mission at the Mexican Embassy said her country is not yet a familiar destination for Malaysians wishing to study abroad but some headway has been made through student exchanges and mobility programmes with UKM.

Marquez said anyone wishing to enter a university in Mexico must first be proficient in Spanish and attend the language and cultural courses in the Central American nation for six months before studies commences.

The partner universities whose programmes were here on display for the students were the Mercator office of Germany, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Faculty of Education, along with the various universities in South-East Asia and Central Asia.

Mobility Day programme allows student to understand not only on how they can participate in the programme but also the impact from taking part. It also gives exposure to the students on the activities involved and to have stronger ties with the Embassies in terms of promoting mobility abroad.

So far UKM has mobility programmes with the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, The Asean University Network (AUN), the ASEAN International Mobility for Students (AIMS) programme, Flinders University of Australia, Kazakh Ablai Khan University, Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages, and Korea University of South Korea among others.