UTAR and Peking University launch new chapter in
international academic collaboration

UTAR recently forged an official partnership with Peking University (PKU), one of the world’s leading higher education institutions. The partnership was officiated through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 21 April 2026 at Lin Hu Xuan, PKU, Beijing.

The signatories of the MoU were UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat; and PKU Executive Vice President and Chancellor of the Shenzhen Graduate School Prof Dr Zhang Jin.

Under the MoU, both universities will collaborate across multiple areas, including talent development, academic staff exchange, and research cooperation. The collaboration encompasses student and staff mobility programmes, joint research projects, and academic resource sharing.

In October 2024, UTAR signed an MoU with the PKU School of Materials Science and Engineering, laying the foundation for further collaboration. Building on the MoUs, both institutions will establish closer bilateral cooperation to deepen educational collaboration and enhance students’ professional competencies and global competitiveness.

Prof Dato’ Ewe remarked, “This partnership is built upon a longstanding foundation of friendly exchanges between the two universities. While today marks the formal establishment of our collaboration, the relationship between UTAR and PKU has taken root many years ago and has continued to grow through sustained engagement. Recently, a delegation from PKU, led by Prof Zhang Jin, visited UTAR Sungai Long Campus in January this year, where both sides explored potential collaboration in research and postgraduate education.”

He added, “We warmly welcome PKU as a new member of UTAR’s global network of partners, and we look forward to working closely together to usher in a new chapter of international academic collaboration.”

At the meeting, Prof Zhang recalled the friendly exchanges and collaborations between the two universities in recent years at both institutional and faculty levels. He also shared PKU’s achievements in international student education and disciplinary development, and expressed interest in both sides pursuing practical collaboration in talent cultivation and research, strengthening educational and scientific exchange between China and Malaysia.

Also present at the meeting were PKU School of Materials Science and Engineering Dean Prof Dr Zou Ruqiang, PKU School of Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Prof Dr Zhao Xiaoxu, PKU Office of International Relations Deputy Director Mr Jiang Xiaotao, UTAR Office of International Affairs (OIA) Director Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn, and UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Senior Prof Dr Yan Lei.

Visit to Chengdu and Beijing
From 20 to 23 April 2026, UTAR conducted an official visit to Beijing and Chengdu, during which the delegation visited several universities and institutions (including PKU) and expanded the University’s international collaboration network.

These included the unveiling of the “CDUTCM–UTAR Joint Laboratory for Tropical Medicinal Plant Herbgenomics” with Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CDUTCM); the signing of a “2+2” credit transfer agreement for Civil Engineering undergraduate programmes with Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU); and the signing of an MoU with Beijing Institute of Economics and Management (BIEM). In addition, UTAR signed MoUs with the School of Arts as well as the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China, facilitating collaboration in art and design, journalism, and creative industries.

Furthermore, the UTAR delegation, led by Prof Dato’ Ewe, also visited the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Tsinghua University (THU), Beijing Normal University (BNU), Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) Group. Discussions centred on talent development, research collaboration, and academic exchange, while also actively advancing student mobility initiatives.

Opportunities are opened for students to participate in exchange programmes at THU, RUC, BNU, BJTU, and BTBU. Currently, UTAR is exploring opportunities for student exchange programmes with PKU, further expanding its collaboration network with international partners.