UniMAP Forges Cooperation With Bangaladesh's DIU

From Adnan Jahaya DHAKA, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) has spread its wings in international networking when it established cooperation with Daffodil International University (DIU), a leading university in Bangladesh, here, Tuesday night. The two universities signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which, among things, is aimed at forging cooperation in research work, consultations and exchange of expertise and intellect. UniMAP was represented by its vice-chancellor, Prof Emeritus Dr Kamarudin Hussin and DIU by its vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Yusuf Mahbubul Islam at the signing of the MOU held at Kurmitola Golf Club. The Crown Prince of the Malaysian state of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, who is UniMAP's chancellor, witnessed the signing with DIU chairman, Md Sabur Khan, also present. Kamarudin said UniMAP and DIU had long established ties through a number of joint activities but the MoU was signed, the first with a Bangladesh university, to strengthen cooperation between the two universities. He said UniMAP was now working at placing itself among the world's 500 top universities by 2020 and it believed this could be achieved with the current momentum. UniMAP started with 114 students in 2002 and the number has now increased to over 13,000. Among its hundreds of international students are 30 from Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin called on Malaysians studying abroad to protect the country's good name by not committing acts that could tarnish its image. The Perlis crown prince, who is also the chairman of Tuanku Syed Putra Foundation (YTSP), said they should strive to be excellent students. He was speaking at the occasion where two Perlis-born students, Akmal Azizan, 22, and Mohd Shahriel Hafiz Ahmad, 24, who are in the second semester of their medical studies, had an audience with him at Hotel Raddison Blu, here. The two are among more than 100 Malaysians furthering their studies in various fields in Bangladesh. At the brief ceremony, each of the two students received a contribution of US$227 (RM1,000) from YTSP and another RM1,000 from the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Custom Council (MAIPs). Tuanku Syed Faizuddin is in Bangladesh since Tuesday at the invitation of DIU to deliver a keynote address in conjunction with the university's fifth convocation ceremony. He hoped Bangladesh could benefit from the higher education facilities in Malaysia which the government was promoting as an education hub. He said currently, there were about 7,000 Bangladeshi pursuing higher education in Malaysia and the number was expected to increase, compared to over 100 Malaysians studying in Bangladesh, mostly at Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka Dental College, Mymensingh Medical College, Chittagong Medical College and Sylhet Medical College. -- BERNAMA