JOHOR BARU: Prestigious universities, including Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Oxford, have agreed in principle to collaborate with Johor to strengthen higher education and research initiatives in the state.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the partnerships were among several developments following his recent working visits to the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore.
“In the UK, I met not just with potential investors but also Oxford University, while in America, I met with Harvard, MIT and Stanford University. All of these universities have agreed in principle to work with the state.
“For example, Harvard is willing to send visiting fellows to Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and work with our faculties there,” he said when officiating the Johor Business Summit and Expo at Persada International Convention Centre here on Saturday (Oct 25).
The Johor MB added that the UTHM vice-chancellor is currently in the US to meet representatives from Harvard and MIT to explore academic collaborations.
Onn Hafiz said Johor would also be working with the Republic Polytechnic in Singapore on training opportunities in the hospitality sector.
“These collaborations are part of the state’s efforts to improve its local talents and entrepreneurs to have a competitive edge on the global front,” he added.
Meanwhile, state youth, sports, entrepreneur development and cooperative committee chairman Hairi Mad Shah said the summit marked a major milestone as the state’s first-ever business summit and the largest expo since the Johor International Islamic and Halal Festival in 2022.
“This is more than just an event; it is a movement bringing together over 10,000 participants over two days, from small entrepreneurs and startups to global investors from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Italy and Canada,” he said.
