MARA Forges Partnerships With Two Turkish Universities

From Siti Nurhana Shafirah Mat Nazir

ISTANBUL, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) is strengthening academic ties between Malaysia and Turkiye through partnerships with two Turkish universities, focusing on joint degree programmes, doctoral research and ship design.

MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the signing of Letters of Collaboration (LOCs) involving MARA's Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM) with Sabanci University and Yildiz Technical University (YTU) today marked a significant step towards closer academic cooperation between the two countries.

“The collaboration will focus on research exchanges and provide opportunities for Malaysian students to pursue their studies in Turkiye, while Turkish students will also have the opportunity to study in Malaysia.

“We have proposed double-degree programmes that would allow UniKL and UPTM students to study at universities in Turkiye and earn two degrees,” he told Malaysian media after the signing ceremony here.

The exchange of collaboration documents was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Asyraf Wajdi and MARA deputy director-general (Education) Shahrizal Mohd Saderi.

UniKL was represented by its vice-chancellor Prof Dr Kushsairy Abdul Kadir, Sabanci University by its vice-president for Education Prof Dr Cem Guneri and International Exchange and Cooperation manager Evrim Gungor, and YTU by its vice-rector (Research and Planning) Prof Dr Guleda Engin.

Elaborating further, Asyraf Wajdi said the partnerships were among the key initiatives spearheaded by the Deputy Prime Minister following the visit of Turkish Council of Higher Education (YOK) president Prof Dr Erol Ozvar to Malaysia in April.

“What is most important is that the collaboration will focus on strategic fields of national importance that align with the expertise of UniKL and UPTM, including maritime, aerospace, satellite technology and defence,” he said.

He said the partnerships would also open up more opportunities for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students to develop their careers and pursue higher qualifications, including at institutions overseas, particularly in Turkiye.

Under the collaboration with Sabanci University, the institutions will explore joint bachelor's and master's degree programmes, including curriculum alignment and teaching approaches, as well as opportunities for doctoral studies through joint supervision and collaborative research.

The partnership with YTU, meanwhile, will focus on joint research in ship design and model testing, making use of the complementary facilities available at both universities.

YTU's wave tank facility will support shallow-water research, while the Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET) will provide its facilities for deep-water studies.

-- BERNAMA