The memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony between UTAR and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand, held on 23 May 2022 via Zoom, marked another significant stride for UTAR in its collaboration.

The virtual MoU exchange ceremony was attended by UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat and AUT Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Dean of Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies Prof Guy Littlefair. Also present to witness the ceremony were deans, directors, academicians and staff from UTAR and AUT.

In his remark, Prof Ewe said, “International collaborations have always been a big part of UTAR’s success and growth over the years. We recognise the importance of these international collaborations because they provide us the platforms to gain new and latest information, knowledge and skills, which are essentially applied to enhance staff, students and curriculum developments. In fact, presently, we have signed over 530 memoranda with various industry partners and universities from 30 economies for collaborative activities. Therefore, we are very delighted to collaborate with AUT, and we look forward to exploring the many positive outcomes resulting from this educational, cultural and scientific exchanges between both institutions.”

He added, “Under this MoU, we will be able to facilitate visits by and exchanges of students and staff for study, research, teaching and discussions. In addition to jointly facilitating student mobility, these joint efforts will enhance students’ and staff’s learning and teaching experiences, as well as their professional development. The visits and exchanges will be good learning platforms for our students as well to gain the necessary real-life skills, experience and knowledge required for their employment later on. The joint research and participation in course development and delivery will not only enable us to enhance our curriculum but will also help ensure that our programmes remain relevant to the advances of the industry.”

“On behalf of the University, it is an honour and privilege to address this momentous occasion. AUT aims to enhance the opportunities in higher education by building strong partnerships with quality research and education institutions, industry, NGOs and government bodies around the world. AUT also aims to be a thoughtful global citizen by recognising and responding to our local and global responsibilities and opportunities. We do this through a series of partnerships, initiatives and research programmes. We are also thankful to UTAR; having the opportunity to collaborate with you also marks another stride in the University’s achievement, and I would like to thank UTAR once again for its support towards AUT. AUT looks forward to establishing more partnerships with UTAR with mutually beneficial outcomes in the near future.”

The event continued with a discussion on the ongoing and possible collaboration between both parties. Among the topics discussed were Future Environments, Architecture, Engineering and Science, Green Technology, Computer and Mathematical Science, Computer Science, Public Relations and Digital Marketing.