The important and valued links between UCL and Malaysia, that encompass research, education, and a thriving alumni community, were celebrated as part of a special visit by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.
On Monday (June 2nd), UCL was delighted to host a large Malaysian delegation, which saw Dr Hamidi deliver the keynote address for Malaysia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Forum.
The event was made possible by UCL’s strong and historic ties with MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat), a Malaysian government agency, which funds numerous Malaysian students at UCL each year.
Speaking at the Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre, Kirsty Walker, UCL Vice-President External Engagement, welcomed Dr Hamidi to UCL’s main London campus, and highlighted UCL’s ongoing connections to Malaysia.
"We are an institution that needs no reminder of the importance of Malaysia," she said.
"We have been building our relationship for many, many years. Twenty years ago, there were just 130 Malaysian students, now there are more than 600, including 91 who are so generously funded by MARA.
"If we go back 20 years UCL co-published a grand total of three papers with Malaysian partners and researchers, last year there were 173. That is incredibly impressive and speaks to the growing capabilities of Malaysian higher education and research, but also points towards some strong and long-lasting collaborations across our two countries."
Kirsty added: "We consistently welcome incredibly bright and academically excellent students from Malaysia across a range of disciplines from engineering to law, pharmacy to the built environment, economics to dentistry, and we now have 3,000 active Malaysian alumni and we are very proud to have them as part of our community."
Dr Hamidi, who was on an official four-day visit to the UK, then delivered his speech entitled ’Malaysia’s TVET Leadership in Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Building Skills for a Shared Future’.
In his opening remarks Dr Hamidi said: "Let me begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to UCL, for this meaningful opportunity - it’s an honour to be here among future leaders, scholars and professionals.
Dr Hamidi explained the mission and ambitions of TVET - to help grow skills and build talent - as well as the achievements of the ASEAN partnership.
"We are ready to lead, but we recognise that we cannot do it alone. We will achieve this through close collaboration with Asean, global partners, and Malaysians abroad who share the vision of building a skilled, competitive generation ready to face the future," he said.
Following the speech Professor Michael Pitt, Director of Teaching and Learning at the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur chaired a Q&A with Dr Hamidi.
In the audience were Malaysian dignitaries and delegates, along with many of UCL’s Malaysian students, including MARA scholars.
Representatives of UCL’s Malaysian Society also attended. The society is one of UCL’s most vibrant societies, and helps new students adjust to life at UCL and London, supporting them to thrive academically and get involved in a range of social clubs and activities.
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