Another fruitful collaboration was established between UTAR and Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (DUASA) (Fachhochschule Dortmund) at the memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony, held on 22 November 2023 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Present to exchange the MoU document on behalf of UTAR was Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, while Prof Dr Jens Mörchel represented DUASA. The MoU exchange was witnessed by Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) Dean Assoc Prof Dr Au Yong Hui Nee, Division of Community and International Networking (DCInterNet) Deputy Director Dr Chen, I-Chi, FBF Department of Commerce and Accountancy Head Ms Sonia Johanthan, Centre of Extension Education representative Ms Choong Pik Sin, and staff.

Prof Choong expressed his delight for the collaboration as it paves way for joint international collaborative research projects and joint talent training programmes. It will also facilitate academic development exchanges between the institutions, including mutual visits by faculty members to pursue research and teaching, as well as to participate in seminars, conferences, and workshops. The MoU also looks into joint supervision for master’s and doctoral programmes.

On the note of enriching students’ learning experiences and university lives, the MoU will also facilitate student mobility programmes, which is further substantiated through the Student Exchange Agreement that was established on the same day. The opportunity of internship placement by undergraduate students also enables them to gain more practical knowledge and skills, which the institutions believe will help produce competent candidates who will thrive in the demanding workforce, and increase their employability. Prof Jens Mörchel also expressed his optimism for this MoU to enhance cultural understanding, and hone students’ skills. Followed after was a collaboration meeting, whereby both institutions discussed possible collaborations for dual degree programmes and cyber classrooms.

The day continued with Prof Jens Mörchel giving an exciting talk on “Why should you study in Germany – An invitation to the heart of Europe” to more than 100 students at one of the lecture halls. He started with a quiz on Germany and received overwhelming responses from the students, who also learnt more about Germany through the quiz. He also shared about the expectations of Europe and encouraged students to apply for programmes in DUASA. Overall, the enlightening session saw students learning that Germany offers quality education; has strong economic power; is safe; offers a moderate cost of living, and has cultural diversity.

Prof Jens Mörchel continued to enlighten the students with another talk titled “Sustainability of insurers – The perspective of reinsurers and customers” which was held on the following day. He elucidated on sustainability and shared the insurer’s perspective towards sustainability. His explanation was supported by real-life cases of natural disasters that happened in Germany due to climate change. Towards the end, he presented the results from a customer study on sustainability that he conducted with his colleagues in Germany.