NZ and Malaysion Vice Chancellors Collaborate

NZ and Malaysion Vice Chancellors Collaborate

A 10-strong Malaysian Vice-Chancellors delegation led by MVCC chair Professor Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak met with NZ Vice-Chancellors’ Committee representatives led by Professor Roy Sharp in Wellington yesterday.

On the agenda for discussion were the respective internationalisation policies and strategies of the Malaysian and New Zealand universities and governments, along with collaboration opportunities around academic and research exchange. Research links were discussed around identified areas of possible co-operation.

Two-way student mobility was another avenue explored with the Malaysian delegation making the point that an increasing number of university courses in Malaysia were now taught in English. In part the delegation was preparing the way for a visit by the Malaysian Minister for Higher Education to New Zealand.

The Malaysian university system is now funded to achieve 75 per cent of university teaching staff to be qualified at PhD level by 2010, in line with the “Ninth Malaysia Plan”. Yesterday’s meeting explored ways New Zealand could contribute to this initiative through such devices as joint supervision of PhD students. The Malay delegation also invited New Zealand Vice-Chancellors to take part in a reciprocal meeting next year in Malaysia.

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