Written on 14 March 2023. Posted in Speeches.

English translation not available for this content.

SPEECH BY

SIGNING CEREMONY OF MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA AND THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF JAPAN AND THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN

His Excellency, Ladies and gentlemen,

Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah S.W.T., for with His grace and blessing, we are able to gather here today to witness yet another highly significant and momentous ceremony.

It is with great pleasure and honour that we are here today to materialize the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on the establishment of the University of Tsukuba branch campus in Malaysia.

As we all know, the efforts to establish the University of Tsukuba branch campus in Malaysia started since 2018. And the ceremony today marks a successful and remarkable completion of the jpurney.
We are especially proud to note that the University of Tsukuba branch campus in Malaysia is the very first branch campus of a Japanese university to be ever established outside of Japan.

Being the first country in the world to host the first Japanese branch campus means a lot to us in Malaysia, especially in the higher education sector.
Firstly, in addition to further cementing the strong bilateral ties between Malaysia and Japan, this represents a significant recognition of our higher education sector.

We thank you for your trust in our higher education We thank you for your confidence in our higher education internalisation agenda.

I can only reiterate that the opening of Tsukuba University branch campus in Malaysia will definitely serve as a motivation for us to work harder in ensuring that our education standards are high, excellent and exemplary.
Secondly, the opening of Tsukuba University branch campus in Kuala Lumpur will help us strengthen 3 major dynamics that represent the superiority of a university. Namely, academic excellence, industrial expectation and maturing experience.

I believe that the presence of the Tsukuba University branch campus in our country will help create a more dynamic and exciting higher education environment.

This is particularly true in this modern day and age. The need for cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge sharing has never been greater. Geographical barriers should never limit the potential of working together to develop new knowledge and fresh ideas.

Thus, it is of utmost importance to expose our students and members of academia to cultural diversities and fostering active exchanges of ideas between those from various background and nationalities.

In fact, it will allow us to observe and consider incorporating various learning methodologies and pedagogies that have been practiced by Tsukuba University all this while.

Our academics will be presented with additional opportunities to collaborate and intensify their To promote their innovation. To share best practices as a means to enhance expertise and experiences.

This is even more opportune when we have a considerable number of Japanese corporations and businesses in Malaysia.
This branch campus will pave the way for Japanese companies and industry players in Malaysia to step forward and contribute, across our entire education and innovation value chain, especially in research and curriculum design.

Furthermore, Tsukuba University has a long history and scholarly tradition which has managed to produce several Nobel Prize Winners, leaders and Olympians.

Hence, we believe that Tsukuba University has a lot to offer and share with Malaysians and those studying in To propel our younger generation to venture into uncharted territories.
All this will substantially add value to a holistic and internationally recognised academic ecosystem that we aspire to grow.
Thirdly, the opening of the Tsukuba Branch Campus in Kuala Lumpur, reaffirms our potential and capability in becoming a global talent and knowledge hub.

Malaysia aspires to develop a leading higher education system that allows us to emerge as a destination of choice.

We aim to attract talents, researchers and leaders from all over the world to come and study or be trained here.

This is our grand agenda. And we plan to do this through 2 strategies.
Firstly, we will open our doors for all reputable foreign universities to come and set up branch campuses here.

To date, Malaysia hosts more than 100 public and private institutions including 10 foreign branch campuses of reputable universities.

This includes universities from the United Kingdom, Ireland, China, Australia and now, Japan.

We will continue to invite and attract more and more institutions to consider opening their branch campuses in Malaysia.

Our experience in facilitating the opening of Tsukuba University branch campus and all other campuses before this has given us valuable insights to improve our process and regulatory frameworks.
Secondly, we will realign and revisit our policies to ensure those wishing to study and do research in Malaysia will be duly facilitated.

For your information, the ministry is now in the process of reviewing many of our policies. This is to better facilitate the admission of foreign students.

This includes improving our visa application process and any process related to it. We are committed to phase out certain restrictive practices which might unhealthily inhibit opportunities.

Such revision will help us host more international students and talents while paying serious attention to quality and exceptional learning outcomes.

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I hope Malaysia will continue to become one of the strategic investment destinations for many Japanese businesses and higher education institutions.

And I take this opportunity to extend our warmest welcome and I invite all students, talents and researchers from Japan, and all over the world, to come and study here.

I hope that the Tsukuba University branch campus in Kuala Lumpur will help promote Malaysia to students in your home country.

On behalf of the Government of Malaysia and the Ministry of Higher Education, I would like to again express our highest appreciation and gratitude to the Government of Japan through the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia. Thank you for all the relentless efforts and hard work in making the establishment of University of Tsukuba branch campus in Malaysia a reality.

Congratulations and I wish the Tsukuba University branch campus in Kuala Lumpur, all the very best.