PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Turkiye have agreed to establish a Joint Working Committee comprising senior officials from both countries to strengthen cooperation in higher education.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said the agreement was reached during the first Malaysia-Türkiye Joint Committee Meeting on higher education, co-chaired by Professor Erol Özvar, President of Türkiye's Council of Higher Education (YOK).
The meeting was held in conjunction with the Eurasia Higher Education Summit (EURIE) 2025 in Istanbul, which was attended by senior management from higher education institutions in both Malaysia and Türkiye, including several vice-chancellors and rectors from both countries.
"An agreement was reached to hold this meeting annually, with the hosting of the event alternating between the two countries. Malaysia will host the next meeting in 2026," Zambry said in a statement on Wednesday (April 9).
He said the Joint Committee Meeting reached a consensus to expand the scope of discussions and cooperation in areas that will benefit the development of higher education in both nations.
He added that the meeting also resulted in the agreement to jointly fund research projects in strategic fields and provide training and capacity development for government officials, lecturers, researchers, and students from both countries.
Other areas agreed upon include further discussions on how scholarship offerings can be more effectively utilised by students from Malaysia and Turkiye and the identification of focal areas for collaboration, including academic and research programmes.
"Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and polytechnic institutions with a focus on key skill areas prioritised by both Malaysia and Turkiye, such as maritime, engineering and technology, was also agreed upon," he said.
The meeting also reached an agreement to review the previously signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.
During the event, Zambry and Professor Erol also witnessed the signing of three MOUs and Letters of Intent (LOI) between institutions from Malaysia and Turkiye. These include agreements between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Ondokuz Mayis University in Samsun, and Istanbul Gedik University.
Other MOUs signed were between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Kocaeli University and Hacettepe University, as well as an LoI between the Polytechnic Education Department and Karabuk University and Istanbul Technical University.
"The organisation of this Joint Committee Meeting marks a new chapter in strengthening the strategic relationship between Malaysia and Turkiye in higher education.
"The Ministry is confident that this initiative will open up more opportunities for high-impact collaborations, including knowledge transfer, joint research and global talent development," Zambry concluded. – Bernama
