By Syarifah Noormaisarah Tuan Besar, International Centre

The High Commissioner of Canada to Malaysia recently paid a working visit to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) to offer potential collaborations with academic institutions and industry players in Canada.

Her Excellency Jodi Robinson, accompanied by First Secretary (Political) Alina Kwan and Advocacy Officer Dayalan S. Rajoo, had a discussion with Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International) Prof. Dr. Suriyani Muhamad, Pro Vice Chancellors, and representatives from faculties, institutes, offices, and centres.

The role of the embassy is to assist higher education institutions such as UMT in establishing collaborations with various parties in Canada, whether in academia or industry, Commissioner Robinson said.

“As the newly appointed High Commissioner of Canada to Malaysia, I am committed to continuing and strengthening collaborations between UMT and Canadian institutions,” she said.

Commissioner Robinson also pledged to facilitate new partnerships leading to the signing of MoUs/MoAs with these institutions.

She  also provided information on the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED), which is now open for applications, and encouraged UMT to apply.

Discussions also centered on the scope of the Blue Economy in education. This topic was further explored in detail during a roundtable and B2B sessions, held in collaboration with Memorial University and several Canadian industries on 23 – 24 February in Kuala Lumpur

Meanwhile Prof. Suriyani said UMT was honored to welcome Commissioner Robinson to its campus for a fruitful discussion.

UMT has been making ongoing efforts to enhance its global visibility, and collaborations with embassies is one of the initiatives under this agenda, she said.

Prof. Suriyani added that the visit reflects the continuous commitment between UMT and the Canadian embassy to strengthening academic and industrial ties between the two nations.

With various collaboration opportunities discussed and initiatives already in progress, it is hoped that this partnership will continue to grow, benefiting the academic community, industry, and society as a whole, she said.

She added that UMT remains committed to expanding its international network to achieve academic and research excellence in line with its vision of becoming a globally recognized institution.

As part of their visit to Terengganu, the Canadian delegation also visited Mengabang Telipot Complex Secondary School, which is involved in a community pilot project under the Canadian embassy in collaboration with UMT’s Institute of Climate Adaptation and Marine Biotechnology (ICAMB). The project is led by Prof. Fadzilah from ICAMB.

Collaborations with the Canadian embassy began in 2020. Through this partnership, UMT has been able to expand its cooperation with institutions in Canada and strengthen existing collaborations.

In 2023, the Canadian embassy facilitated connections between UMT and several Canadian institutions, including Lakehead University, New Brunswick University, Saskatchewan University, and Dalhousie University.