Indonesia and Malaysia step up higher education sector cooperation

JAKARTA (Bernama): Malaysia and Indonesia are currently expanding their higher education sector collaboration in the areas of health, science, and technology as well as research and innovation development said Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The ministry has exchanged four Memorandums of Agreement (MoA), five Memorandums of Understanding (MoU), and one Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with agencies and universities in Indonesia through agencies and universities in Malaysia.

"We want to raise the level of cooperation between the two countries in the higher education sector to a higher level to benefit the educational institutions and the country," he told reporters after the exchange of memorandum documents here.

Mohamed Khaled, who is on a three-day working visit to Indonesia starting Sunday, said: "Malaysia is ready to accept more students from Indonesia to achieve its aim of producing talent for Indonesia to become a developed country."

On the MoU, he said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency will establish a Satellite Office to create an impact on research and talent development, especially in the engineering and technology niche.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and PT Tracol Asia will open the UKM Offshore Centre in Jakarta to explore the field of educational studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Universiti Malaya and Universitas Negeri Malang will share expertise in the field of materials science, human resources, research facilities, and research grants for both parties estimated to be worth RM5 million.

The Malaysian Qualifications Agency will establish an Assessment Centre for Accreditation of Learning Based on Prior Experience (APEL) with Universitas Muhammadiyah North Sumatra to expand access to education in North Sumatra and enable the 135 million workforce in Indonesia to improve their academic qualifications.

The National Energy University and the PLN Institute of Technology will be a discussion platform and formulate international strategic initiatives focused on the field of energy and contribute to the ASEAN region achieving the goal of zero carbon by 2050.

Under the MoA, UKM and Universitas Padjadjaran plan to produce 250 Doctor of Medicine graduates for the next five years, while the collaboration between UKM and Universiti Pendidikan Indonesia focuses on aspects of teaching, learning, and capacity building.

Universiti Utara Malaysia and Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Raden Fatah Palembang are working together to increase the marketability of academic programmes, and collaboration with UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya allows Indonesian students to follow Master's studies sponsored by the Indonesian Ministry of Religion.

The MoC between the National Council of Professors and the Indonesian Professors' Forum (FGBI) covers the field of higher education, the second channel of diplomacy between Malaysia and Indonesia as well as raising the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals agenda for Malaysia-Indonesia.

FGBI is the parent organisation that includes the council of professors or headmasters of more than 200 public universities in Indonesia.

"The cooperation between the two countries through this exchange is expected to result in an estimated research fund in the field of science and energy amounting to more than RM10 million," said Mohamed Khaled.

Also present at the event was the Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin, Director General of Higher Education at the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education Prof Dr Azlinda Azman, and the Director General of Higher Education of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture Prof Ir Nizam.- Bernama