His Excellency (H.E) Emir Salim Yüksel, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Malaysia, witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UTAR and Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (IUC) on 30 September 2022 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

His Excellency Ambassador Emir was accompanied by Education Counsellor Ms Gönül Demirel from the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Signing the MoU were UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat and IUC Rector Prof Dr Nuri Aydın. IUC Vice Rector Prof Dr Mehmet Bilgin was also present at the event.

His Excellency Ambassador Emir, in his speech, said, “It is an honour to be here with you for this signing ceremony of MoU between two distinguished and respected universities of Türkiye and Malaysia. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank UTAR for the warm welcome and hospitality. As you are well aware, the relationship between the two countries dates back to 1957; our diplomatic relation was established in 1964 and the first visit by our ambassador was made in 1976. It is clear to see that the relationship between the two countries is deeply rooted in every sense.”

His Excellency Ambassador Emir added, “I am also delighted to express that the relationship between Türkiye and Malaysia in the area of higher education is on the rise. Both countries have strong and respectable universities and it is natural to see the increasing pattern of collaboration between these higher education institutions. I believe today’s MoU will be another token of this close relationship and collaboration between the two countries. This is going to be another step in the right direction to increase collaborations in the higher education sector. As the new Ambassador of Türkiye to Malaysia, I will be working for further enhancement of the relationship between the two countries in every sense. Higher education will be one of my top priorities. With that understanding, I hope this MoU will serve for the prosperity and well-being of both Türkiye and Malaysia.”

Prof Nuri thanked UTAR for the warm welcome and mentioned that the purpose of the MoU signing was to initiate a new collaboration with UTAR. He then moved on to share the background of IUC. He explained the number of campuses, faculties, institutes, schools and vocational schools they have in Istanbul. Besides highlighting the programmes and exchange programmes offered at the university, he also shared the number of students and international students enrolled at the university.
Thanking His Excellency and UTAR for creating this opportunity, he finally added, “I hope both universities will be even closer in the future after this MoU signing.”

Extending his warm greetings to His Excellency Ambassador Emir, Prof Nuri, and the distinguished guests, Prof Dato’ Ewe said, “We hope to further our collaboration with IUC in joint extracurricular activities, as well as in academic and scientific fields such as conferences, symposia, and certificate courses. Aside from that, UTAR and IUC will also collaborate on joint supervision for postgraduate students and facilitate the exchange of undergraduates and graduates as well as research and teaching staff to pursue research and curriculum development.”

He finally added, “This memorandum of understanding will encourage cooperation between UTAR and IUC which will result in interesting outcomes. I hope our partnership will grow and yield fantastic outcomes in the near future.”

Under the MoU, UTAR and IUC will work together in areas of joint curricular activities in education and teaching to provide students and staff the opportunity as well as the ability to study, work, and travel in an international capacity to better understand the culture of other nations and to meet the ever-changing industrial requirements. Aside from that, UTAR and IUC will collaborate and share expertise on joint research projects and scientific publications to broaden the scope of study and maximise the research impact to create new knowledge and technologies.

The signing ceremony ended with a souvenir presentation, a group photograph and a campus tour.

Also present at the signing ceremony were UTAR Vice President for  Internationalisation and Academic Development Ir Prof Dr Goi Bok Min, Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ts Dr Faidz bin Abdul Rahman,  M Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Dean Academician Emeritus Prof Dr Cheong Soon Keng, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science Dean Assoc Prof Ts Dr Yap Wun She, Faculty of Accountancy and Management Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan, Faculty of Creative Industries Deputy Dean for Academic Development and Undergraduate Programmes Assoc Prof Thinavan Periyayya, Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research Director Assoc Prof Dr Yong Thian Khok, Division of Community and International Networking Director Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn, Centre for Extension Education Director Assoc Prof Ir Dr Lim Jee Hock, Division of Programme Promotion Director Mr Lee Choy Fong and UTAR staff.