The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to establish the Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Chair at the Faculty of Medicine, UKM.
Held at the university’s Auditorium Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, the signing ceremony was observed by UKM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Sufian Jusoh and Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, founder and trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation as well as the founder and chancellor of Sunway University.
The agreement marks a new chapter in JCF and UKM’s longstanding institutional collaboration, leveraging both parties’ strengths to drive local and regional innovation in medical, healthcare education and research.
This partnership will see the foundation contribute RM5mil to encourage the production of joint research outputs in medical and healthcare, the establishment of incubation centres and advanced instrumentation provision.
The collaboration will also support initiatives focused on student and staff development, such as student mobility programmes, staff exchanges, online learning opportunities, and scholarship offerings.
Beyond research and academia, programmes related to social welfare and sustainability will be developed alongside initiatives to promote public knowledge through workshops, lectures, short courses, and publications.
Cheah said: “This is a truly meaningful occasion for Sunway University and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.
“UKM is the first Malaysian public university where we are endowing a Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah professorship.
“It is my hope that by doing so, we can pave the way for UKM to become a valued member of the many active partnerships we have established with world-renowned universities.
“The more educational institutions that we can incorporate into this ecosystem, the more profound the benefits for our nation and our Malaysian students and researchers.”
In his speech, Prof Sufian said: “This collaboration does not only broaden the visibility and effectiveness of our research activities, but it also enhances the quality of teaching and learning, and the university’s engagement with communities in need.”
