LONDON, February 2016 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been officially included as a partner country institution by Middlesex University under its International Credit Mobility programme, a new strand of the Erasmus+ programme which will enable both inward and outward mobility to and from countries outside the European Union.

The funding will support staff mobility, enabling short teaching and training visits for university staff besides enabling the exchange of students from Middlesex to partner institutions around the world and vice versa.

USM International Mobility and Career Centre (IMCC) Director Dr. Muhizam Mustafa was at Middlesex University’s Hendon campus recently to participate in the Erasmus+ European and International Credit Mobility Staff Week 2016.

“It is important for USM to tap new horizons in preparing students for employment upon graduation given the current scenario where it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure employment.

“One way that we can assist our graduates to be more employable is to broaden their outlook and skills by providing them with opportunities for training/internship abroad. In this case, it is important to have linkages with overseas partners who can avail us of such opportunities,” said Muhizam.

As stated on its website, Erasmus+ is a European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport for 2014-2020 that aims to boost skills and employability among youth, as well as modernise Education, Training and Youth work. It will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience and volunteer abroad. The funding will support transnational partnerships among Education, Training, and Youth institutions and organisations to foster cooperation and bridge the worlds of Education and work in order to tackle the skills gaps faced in Europe.

Muhizam, who is also a senior lecturer at the USM School of the Arts added, the link with Middlesex (and by extension, Erasmus+) was first mooted by his School through its collaboration with Phil Cleaver, Professor in the Creative Industries from the School of Art and Design.

“Cleaver was an invited speaker at the USM School of the Arts’ Design Talk Series in 2014 and subsequently held a solo exhibition titled ‘Book-Object-Art’ at USM’s Museum Gallery Tuanku Fauziah (MGTF) and knowledge sharing workshop at the School of the Arts in April 2015.

“His collaboration with USM was one of the points that prompted Middlesex’ Erasmus+ team to select USM as its only Southeast Asian partner country institution upon being awarded Erasmus funding by the European Commission for Key Action 1, International Credit Mobility,” he said.

Text: Dr. Nurul Farhana Low Abdullah