PUTRAJAYA, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir’s visit to Peking University served as a platform to expand ties between higher education institutions in Malaysia and China, particularly in joint research, expertise exchange and student mobility.
The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) said the visit was part of efforts to strengthen Malaysia-China strategic cooperation in higher education, research, innovation, technology and talent development.
“The visit to Peking University focused on efforts to expand ties between higher education institutions in Malaysia and China, particularly through joint research, exchanges of expertise and academics, student mobility, and the development of networks between researchers from both countries.
“The efforts are a continuation of Malaysia-China higher education cooperation, which has been strengthened through a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, as well as the establishment of a Joint Committee to discuss and advance the direction of bilateral higher education cooperation,” the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Zambry made the visit while in Beijing on his way back to Malaysia, after attending the 5th Meeting of Russia-Malaysia Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation (JC-ESTC), in Vladivostok, Russia.
MOHE saw significant potential to strengthen ties between Malaysian universities and leading institutions in China, in strategic and future technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), science and technology, computing, innovation and high-impact research.
During a separate visit to the Huawei Beijing Research Institute, Zambry was briefed on the latest developments in Huawei’s research and technology, particularly in AI, cloud computing, digital technology and future talent development.
MOHE said Huawei has an extensive network of cooperation with Malaysian higher education institutions through various initiatives, including the Huawei ICT Academy, industry training and certification, digital talent development, and technology and research collaboration.
“The visits to Peking University and the Huawei Beijing Research Institute reflect MOHE’s approach to developing a more comprehensive international cooperation ecosystem through two key dimensions, namely university-to-university and university-to-industry relations.
“MOHE believes that strengthening both networks will create more opportunities for Malaysian students, academics and researchers, while accelerating knowledge sharing, technology development and innovation, which can benefit both countries,” it said.
Meanwhile, Zambry, in the same statement, said university-industry relations should be expanded beyond training and certification, to more strategic cooperation involving joint research, technology development, innovation, AI, high-skilled talent development, and knowledge and expertise transfer.
He said rapid technological advancements required higher education institutions not only to keep pace with industry changes, but also to become strategic partners in developing future technologies and talent.
“This approach is also in line with the country’s higher education aspirations, to strengthen university-industry relations and ensure that Malaysian students and researchers are exposed to world-class technology, expertise and innovation ecosystems,” he said.
-- BERNAMA