USM, PENANG, 3 May 2016 – The Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman has embarked on a working visit to strengthen collaborations with universities and educational institutions in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.

The visit was in line with efforts to enhance collaborations and the internationalisation of USM by leveraging from relations and networks with various partners from all around the world.

He who was accompanied by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Dato’ Dr. Muhamad Jantan and Director of USM International Collaborations Office Professor Dr. Lee Keat Teong attended a meeting with the top management of Charles University and Czech Academy of Sciences.

Other institutions in the itinerary werethe Technical University of Liberec, University of Pardubice and Brno University of Technology. Several Memorandums of Understanding are expected to be signed for collaborations with the respective universities.

The USM Vice-Chancellor is also expected to have a meeting with the CEO of Educational Competencies Consortium (ECC) Ltd. Nicholas Johnston and the Director of Education Malaysia United Kingdom and Ireland (EM), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zainal Abidin Sanusi and to have a discussion with the University of Bath and Imperial College London before returning to Penang next week.

The Czech Republic has a population of 10.5 million people, with 28 public and state-run universities and more than 40 private universities with a long history of respectable higher education, reputed to have started since 1348.

“Many universities in the Czech Republic are focused on technical and technology education, which is based on R & D and has been enhanced further in areas of engineering and automotive, the aerospace industry, nano-technology, bio-medicine, new and advanced materials, ICT and energy conservation,” said the Ambassador of Czech Republic to Malaysia, Rudolf Hykl during a visit by the Rectors of Universities from Czech Republic to Malaysia, including to USM from 19 – 22 May 2015.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin

Text: Mohamad Abdullah