PENANG, 11 June 2015 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) will co-operate and help Islamic University of Madinah (IUM) to be more comprehensive with the offering of new courses other than Islamic Studies such as Engineering, Computer Sciences and Sciences following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) held today in USM.

USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Omar Osman said, since three years ago, IUM was allowed to offer courses outside Islamic Studies area. All the while since its establishment in 1960, their core courses were only on Shariah, Islamic Studies and Arabic languages.

“USM will help in lecturers, students and academic exchange and offering of suitable programmes in line with its aspiration to become an international status university in the future outside Saudi Arabia”, said the Vice-Chancellor during a press conference after the signing ceremony.

Omar added, this is also in tandem with USM’s desire to collaborate with international universities that are not only reputable in the Science field but also in other areas that can be explored further.

IUM Acting Rector, Professor Dr. Ibrahim Ali Alobaid said, this MOU signing is important because it involves cooperation between two Islamic countries through two Ministries of Education - Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Ibrahim who is in Penang and USM for the first time said, IUM would like to offer three applied courses such as Sciences, Computer Studies and Engineering as well as to add six or seven more programmes in Science Pharmacy, Dental and others.

"I hope this cooperation will develop both universities’ strengths in their respective fields of Science and Islamic Studies," added Ibrahim.

IUM students made up 85 percent of foreign students compared to only 15 percent of students from Saudi Arabia and currently, UIM has produced more than 70,000 graduates from more than 200 countries worldwide.

Meanwhile, in USM there are more than 50 students from Saudi Arabia who are currently pursuing their studies at the postgraduate level.

Also present at the signing ceremony are the IUM Deputy Rector (Academic and International) Professor Dr. Mahmoud Al Qadah; the School of Mathematical Sciences Dean, Professor Dr Ahmad Izani Md Ismail; the School of Physics Dean, Professor Dr Mohamad Suhaimi Jaafar; the School of Computer Sciences Dean, Professor Dr. Ahamad Tajudin Khader; the Islamic Centre Director, Professor Dato' Dr Muhammad Idiris Saleh; Professor Dr Mohd Jain Noordin Mohd Kassim and other academicians. - Translation: Hafiz Meah Ghouse Meah/Text: Nor Rafizah Md. Zain