Another collaboration was sealed at the memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony held between UTAR and Stone Forest Malaysia Sdn Bhd on 28 February 2023 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Present on behalf of UTAR were Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) Dean Prof Ts Dr Liew Soung Yue, Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) Dean Assoc Prof Dr Au Yong Hui Nee, FICT Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Dr Choo Peng Yin, Division of Community and International Networking Deputy Director Dr Chen, I-Chi, and staff.

Guests from Stone Forest Malaysia Sdn Bhd consisted of Partner of Stone Forest IT Eileen Tan, Stone Forest IT Director Thoman Foong, Stone Forest Malaysia General Manager Nancy Tan, and Partner of RSM Stone Forest Pang Hui Ting.

Prof Liew said, “UTAR’s vision is to be a global university of educational excellence with transformative societal impact. To ensure this vision becomes a reality, since its inception in 2002, UTAR has actively sealed MoUs and MoAs with over 560 partners ranging from universities to corporations from more than 30 economies. These collaborations have unlocked multiple opportunities ranging from staff and student exchanges to joint ventures in research. Such joint initiatives have also resulted in many positive outcomes such as students of both economies being exposed to cultural and experiential learning through exchange programmes, staff working together for joint research and joint curriculum development, sharing of resources and other remarkable achievements.”

He continued, “Today, it is with great delight that we will officially welcome Stone Forest Malaysia Sdn Bhd into UTAR’s growing list of partnerships. With this MoU, UTAR’s Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT), Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) and Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) and Stone Forest Malaysia Sdn Bhd will officially begin the strategic partnership to initiate joint R&D projects, mutual visitations, industrial placement opportunities, and curriculum development. I strongly believe that this MoU will pave the way for a rewarding journey for both UTAR and Stone Forest Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The MoU will enable us to work even more closely in creating platforms which will enrich both staff and students’ academic experience and industrial exposure, as well as empower them to explore learning opportunities beyond the classrooms.”

Meanwhile, Eileen Tan said, “Our partnership started way back in 2014 when we first set up our office in Malaysia. Since then, we have in place many meaningful collaborative activities across the different faculties. Our collaboration is significant because in order for the economy to remain competitive, we need to tighten the link between the industry and the academia ecosystem. Students who join us can gain practical real-world experiences and knowledge when supporting growing businesses, not just in Singapore, but also in Malaysia.”

She continued, “On the other hand, we get to tap on UTAR’s brilliant and innovative minds from the younger generation. This is a key role in re-energising our firm and it ties in perfectly with our training and development commitment to stay competitive and relevant. This collaboration could not have come at a better time. The ongoing challenges with the post Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the pressing need to develop technological capabilities and a spirit of continuous learning within businesses. We aim to increase the growth opportunities for UTAR students and hope to look for a more seamless transition across all levels as we build a workforce that is equipped to drive a thriving economy together. It is our hope that the partnership will become robust and inspire students to explore the wide range of exciting career pathways together, and achieve a faster transformation with a combination of leading industry and academic practices.”

The MoU will see FICT, FBF, and Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) working together with Stone Forest Malaysia Sdn Bhd in facilitating course teaching as an elective subject for Bachelor of Information Systems students and providing foundation knowledge on cloud technology. The partners will also look into building course content in the area of building a more digital-ready business and the adoption of technology in making businesses more sustainable.

Furthermore, lecturers will benefit from the “train the trainers” approach in transferring course orientation materials to academics. The MoU will also benefit students through study visits and mutual visits for the purpose of enhancing the learning experience and professional development. A talent pipeline mutually agreed upon by the parties will also enable talented students to obtain placement in the company.

Next, a meeting was held among the guests and the faculty members to discuss other possible collaborations and programmes.