GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia has signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaborations with renowned universities in the Czech Republic.
Its vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Omar Osman, who is on an official working visit to a number of universities in the European country since last Tuesday, said USM has become the first institution from Malaysia to collaborate with the Technology University of Liberec (TUL).
TUL is a university that focuses primarily on technology and renowned in the field of nanotechnology, with almost all of the facilities and research laboratories focusing on the field.
"The MoU signed is aimed at achieving three main items - student exchange, research collaborations and programme collaboration.
"The student exchange is to be done immediately with USM sending two students to the university in the upcoming 2016-2017 academic session. This will be followed by research collaborations involving academicians identified from both institutions, and finally collaborations on programmes in areas to be agreed upon at the university level within the next 3 to 5 years,” Omar said.
Omar met the Rector of TUL, Professor Dr. Ing. Zdnek Kus, in affirming USM's position on the international map of the university.
He stressed that in order to realise this effort, the Malaysian Embassy in the Czech Republic would play the role in coordinating and monitoring the exercise.
During their stay there, the First Secretary of the Malaysian Embassy, Nurmiza Zakaria accompanied them on their visits and witnessed the collaborations sealed between USM and the universities there.
Meanwhile, USM also signed an understanding with the oldest university in the Czech Republic, Charles University, which has a student population of 51,000 that accounts for 13 per cent of all the students in the country. It has five faculties offering Medical Sciences, while also being highly-influential in the studies on Arts, Literature and the Humanities.
Currently, there are 120 Malaysian students pursuing their studies at the university.
“USM plans to send more students to undergo their studies at the university, especially at the PhD level as well as the academicians by identifying specific fields for collaboration based on mutual interests and capabilities,” Omar said
At the same time, USM has also signed an understanding to collaborate with the Czech Academy of Sciences, which had been established in 1785, as an umbrella organisation that has gathered more than 50 research institutions in the country.
The USM delegation held discussions with the President of the Council of International Affairs, Dr. Hana Sychrova.
“The academy is prepared to welcome postgraduate candidates from USM for research work, befitting its position in offering studies at the degree and non-degree levels, being a free establishment that contributes to the national development as well as the global agenda,” Omar said.
The vice-chancellor is expected to sign a few more MoUs with other universities in the Czech Republic, to further enhance international collaborations as a main agenda in facing future challenges.
He was accompanied by the USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Datuk Dr Muhamad Jantan and Director of USM International Collaborations Office, Professor Dr Lee Keat Teong.
They are expected to meet and hold discussions with potential partners of the university in the United Kingdom before returning to Penang next week.