JGU extends partnerships in Southeast Asia, inks 6 MoUs with Universities in Malaysia

OP Jindal University
Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], May 3: India's O.P Jindal Global University (JGU) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with six leading universities in Malaysia and opened new vistas for its students and researchers by forging ties with several other prominent universities in the Southeast Asia region. The agreements were signed during the visit of a high-level JGU delegation headed by its Founding Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, to Malaysia recently.
These partnerships are aimed at increasing substantive opportunities for students and researchers of their respective countries through exchange programmes, joint, dual and pathways degree programmes, short-term study abroad programmes; joint conferences and joint lectures leading to joint research projects and publications that encourage innovation and cross-cultural perspectives; joint online degree programmes; and promoting collaborations among all stakeholders in India and the Southeast Asia region, including government agencies, public institutions, private corporations, think tanks and research institutions.
The six Malaysian universities are:
* Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)
* Sunway University
* UNITAR International University
* INTI International University
* Multimedia University
* Nilai University
Reflecting on the importance of these partnerships, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, the Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University said, "The historical and cultural connections between India and Malaysia are deep, and the present moment itself offers a historic opportunity for the two courtiers to deepen their partnerships in diverse areas, including in education. This is particularly because India and Malaysia have become major hubs of innovations. Partnerships in education will bolster the efforts of our students and researchers by unleashing their creative potential to offer innovative and sustainable solutions to the critical problems that the world faces today."
"Moreover, at present, in both India and Malaysia, nearly half of the population is under the age of 30. While this presents us with an opportunity to reap demographic dividends, as educational instructions, it also becomes our responsibility to do everything in our power to help the youth of our countries to maximise their potential to excel in areas of their interests. This, in my humble opinion, is only possible when educational institutions of our countries come together in the spirit of cooperation and partnerships and open their doors for joint research and exchange of ideas through multi-level collaborations. It is with these goals that we have signed the MoUs with six great universities in Malaysia. It is my fervent hope that these partnerships will expand the scope of opportunities for our students, researchers and faculty members," Professor Kumar said.
In particular, the MoUs will help the partner universities to develop academic and cultural exchange opportunities in education, exchange of scholarly materials and information; participate in joint or collaborative research projects and grant applications; articulate arrangements for students to complete their course of study provided all conditions and standards for admission and respective programmes are fulfilled.
In a bid to deepen its partnership in the Southeast Asian region and its neighbouring areas, the JGU delegation, which included the university's Dean of Academic Governance and Student Life, Professor Padmanabha Ramanujam, had meetings with leaders of several other universities, including UCSI University, Univerisiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA, National University of Singapore, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Yale-NUS College, University Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, University of Cyberjaya, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
Among the various initiatives proposed by the universities, the leaders of the National University of Singapore (NUS) expressed interest in student exchange programmes with JGU through short term study abroad programmes. NUS also showed keenness in partnering with JGU for its NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) Programme, which is an internship programme with strong emphasis on technology entrepreneurship. Under this programme, students are required to spend either 3, 6 or 12 months at technology hubs around the world, working as a full-time intern while studying part-time in a prestigious university in the region.
Underlining the importance of the collaborations among universities, Professor Ramanujam said, "Expanding JGU's partnership network in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries is in line with the university's vision of promoting global perspectives through meaningful collaborations with leading universities in the world, cutting-edge global curriculum, hands-on learning and international exposure. We are confident that our global partnerships would enrich the academic experiences of our students, providing them with invaluable global perspectives and networking opportunities. Additionally, our faculty members would benefit from the diverse academic and cultural exchanges that such partnerships would facilitate."
The central objective of JGU's international collaborations has been to create opportunities to fulfil the aspirations of its students, researchers and faculty members by enriching their experience at JGU with global study opportunities and collaborations. Currently, JGU has over 430 partnerships with top-ranked universities across 71 countries and regions.
Prof. Kumar led a high-level faculty delegation from O.P. Jindal Global University to Malaysia which included: Professor Padmanabha Ramanujam, Professor of Law & Dean of Academic Governance and Student Life; Arun Kumar Jain, Chief Financial Officer; and Professor (Dr.) Rahul Bhandari, Joint Director, Office of Rankings, Benchmarking and Institutional Transformation.
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