SLOVAK AMBASSADOR VISITS USM TO STRENGTHEN ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH COLLABORATION
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) welcomed His Excellency Peter Spišiak, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Malaysia, on a courtesy visit to the University’s Main Campus yesterday, marking a significant step towards enhancing academic and research cooperation between Malaysia and Slovakia.
The Ambassador was accompanied by Natalia Furdova, Second Secretary, Economic Division, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Malaysia.
The USM delegation was led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and International, Professor Datin Dr. Noor Hazlina Ahmad, and accompanied by Director of the Division of Academic and International, Professor Dr. Lee Keat Teong, together with the department’s senior staff.
The visit holds particular significance as it was the Ambassador’s first official engagement with a Malaysian university following the establishment of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Kuala Lumpur in April 2026.
During the meeting, both parties explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration in higher education, research, staff and student mobility, as well as strategic academic partnerships.
A key highlight of the discussion was the introduction of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU), one of Slovakia’s leading technical universities, which has expressed keen interest in establishing collaborative initiatives with USM.
Potential areas of cooperation include academic and research partnerships between STU’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, USM’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and the Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Centre (CEDEC). The proposed collaboration is expected to focus on talent development, research innovation, knowledge exchange, and emerging technologies.
The Ambassador also acknowledged USM’s strategic position within Malaysia’s thriving semiconductor and electronics ecosystem, recognising the University’s growing role in supporting industry-driven research and the development of highly skilled engineering talent.
As an initial step towards fostering greater engagement, USM extended an invitation to STU students to participate in its short-term mobility and summer programmes, providing opportunities for academic enrichment and cross-cultural learning experiences.
Both parties expressed optimism about the prospects of future collaboration and discussed plans to formalise the partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the near future.
The visit reflects USM’s continued commitment to expanding its global academic network and strengthening international partnerships that advance excellence in education, research, innovation, and capacity building.