PENANG, 1 July 2013 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is ready to help Penang Free School (PFS), the oldest English-medium school in South East Asia which will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2016 and have produced many eminent personalities in the country, to tap the talent among its students in the future.   

Speaking after a PFS-USM meeting, USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman said that sports and recreation programmes, academic, language, and arts and culture are among the areas identified for collaboration.

Omar is a PFS alumnus who studied in that school in 1971.

According to Omar, “I believe this close collaboration will advance both educational institutions and is a meaningful university-and-school’s relationship to strengthen the education process.

In the brief meeting, he met his classmate who is now PFS Principal, Jalil Saad, and they reminisced the school days as students.

The Vice-Chancellor invited all 107 PFS staff members to visit and explore the treasures of knowledge that USM has to offer for mutual benefit.

“Come to USM and we will discuss the areas that can be explored together such as archaeology, sustainability, besides sports which we have been collaborating all this while,” said Omar.

Moreover, the staff may be able to expand their knowledge and further their studies to a higher level.

According to Jalil, such meetings are significant because it allows both institutions to get to know each other better and find possible hidden opportunities of collaboration.

“I will graciously accept the Vice-Chancellor’s invitation by getting to know USM better and explore the areas identified,” said Jalil.

He added that Omar had been a very active hockey player during his school days.

USM and PFS plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the future.

Also present were the Dean of the School of Educational Studies, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rashid Mohamed; Dean of the School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tengku Sepora Tengku Mahadi; dan Director of the Sports and Recreation Centre, Muhamad Mohd Hanif. -- Text: Nor Rafizah Md Zain/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa/Translation: Yong Check Yoon