USM, PENANG, 3 November 2016 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has established links for cooperation with Universitas Sulawesi Barat (UNSULBA) in various areas of study which include the arts and sciences.

The USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail said that, through this cooperation, not only there will be mutual assistance offered between USM and UNSULBA, it would also raise the economic standards of the people in the West Sulawesi province.

"USM is offering a balanced study system to the students by giving them intellectual and spiritual inputs which would be beneficial in any study and in life," said Asma.

"The cooperation was established to encompass three categories which are teaching, observation and research as well as the understanding of the society or what is commonly known as corporate social responsibility," said the Rector of UNSULBA, Dr. Ir. H. Akhsan Djalaluddin.

UNSULBA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with USM and would be sending five Doctoral candidates to pursue their studies at USM.

UNSULBA which was established ten years ago in the West Sulawesi province has 7,000 students undergoing studies in various fields such as Agriculture and Forestry, Technical, Health and Mathematics.

Also present were the USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Dato' Dr. Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal; Mentor of UNSULBA, Professor Dr. Basri Hasanuddin and Director of USM International Mobility and Career Centre (IMCC), Dr. Muhizam Mustafa.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin