Following several online discussions between UPM and Baotou Teacher College, Inner Mongolia, China on cooperation in research and mobility of academic officers and students, Assoc. Prof. Ts Dr. Wong Tze Jin from Universiti Putra Malaysia was invited to visit Baotou Teacher College for a working visit and discussion on the cooperation of strategic partners.

 

The arrival of PM Dr Wong was welcomed by Zhang Donghu, Dean of the School of Entrepreneurial Innovation and Education, Baotou Teacher College, Feng Ping, Deputy Dean, Yang Wenting, Deputy Director of the Centre for International Exchange and Cooperation, and staff of the School of Entrepreneurial Innovation and Education.

 

Among the essence of the discussion of strategic cooperation between the two parties was to discuss the direction of mobility and research programmes based on innovation and entrepreneurship that can enhance the competitiveness of both universities globally.

 

Recognizing the needs of global industry players who want graduates with employability skills, this strategic collaboration can empower creative and innovative human capital development as well as inculcate the entrepreneurial element in graduates.

 

PM Dr Wong was also appointed as an expert consultant at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Centre "Belt and Road", Baotou Teacher College. The strategic collaboration of higher education between Malaysia and China will benefit the university and the local community thus supporting the National Higher Education Strategic Plan (NHESP) 2020 in the effort to internationalize Malaysian higher education through academic, research and development programmes.

 

In addition, four lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, UPMKB namely Dr. Karmilah Binti Abdullah, Dr. Sharon Ong Yong Yee, Dr Koo Lee Feng and PM Dr Wong Tze Jin were also appointed as visiting professors at Baotou Teacher College. This appointment is a great honour to UPMKB academic staff to share knowledge in the field of expertise in order to benefit the both universities.

 

It is hoped that the appointment will be a platform for internationalization of Malaysian higher education in Inner Mongolia as well as supporting excellence, capability, internationalization in teaching and learning, research and innovation, student mobility, graduate employability and university staff development and bring Malaysia in particular UPM to a higher level, which is to be recognized internationally.