ISKANDAR PUTERI: University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM) students will receive practical training and conduct research with a property developer, especially at its commercial property, Sutera Mall.
UoRM provost and chief executive officer Professor Tony Downes and Tanah Sutera Development Sdn Bhd general manager Steven Shum signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) outlining the details of the agreement today.
Under the MoU, Tanah Sutera’s personnel will share their expertise and experience with UoRM students and staff, while conducting programmes, such as talks, for the benefit of the public.
Downes said the MoU gave the students the opportunity to learn about the local real estate market.
“In the United Kingdom, the University of Reading has been ranked No 1 in real estate studies for a number of years and we have been collaborating with a number of property developers there,” he said.
“We want to expand it to Malaysia because we want our students to understand how things work in the real world and to put their studies to use.”
Downes said UoRM graduates should see Tanah Sutera as an employer of choice because it was important for them to stay and work in Malaysia.
Shum said Tanah Sutera was excited to collaborate with the university as it was a way for the company to give back to the community.
“We believe in lifelong learning,” he said.
“This collaboration will provide the students with the opportunity to put into practice the theory that they learnt in class.
“In return, we may benefit from the university’s research work.”
He said the collaborative effort would start immediately with a talk by Professor Teck Yong Eng, the head of the university’s Henley Business School Malaysia, at Sutera Mall this Saturday.