By Rozita Alias@Abdul Latiff, Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences

The Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (FSPA), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), and the International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART) of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have exchanged a Letter of Intent (LoI) as an initial step towards strengthening strategic collaboration in the development and production of halal fisheries-based food products in Malaysia.

The LoI reflects a shared commitment by both institutions to establish a more structured, high-impact collaboration in research, innovation, and technology development related to the halal fisheries food sector. The initiative is expected to support Malaysia’s aspiration to position itself as a global halal hub through science-driven and market-relevant innovation.

The collaboration will focus on key areas including fisheries science, food processing, halal assurance, standards compliance, product innovation, and market requirements, in line with the increasingly competitive global halal industry. By combining UMT’s expertise in fisheries and marine sciences with INHART (IIUM)’s strengths as an internationally recognised halal research reference centre, the partnership is expected to produce high-quality, safe, innovative, and competitive halal fisheries-based food products for both domestic and international markets.

The exchange of the LoI took place during a courtesy visit at the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UMT, and serves as a foundation for further discussions towards the formalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UMT and INHART (IIUM) in the future.

According to Professor Dr. Najiah binti Musa, Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, the LoI reflects FSPA UMT’s commitment to expanding its strategic network with specialised halal research institutions. She added that UMT remains dedicated to leading high-impact research that not only enhances academic excellence but also delivers tangible benefits to industry and society.

Meanwhile, Professor Dr. Irwandi Jaswir of INHART (IIUM) expressed the institute’s readiness to support the collaboration through joint research initiatives, advisory services, standards development, and halal-related knowledge transfer, in line with INHART’s role in strengthening the halal ecosystem through scientific and innovative approaches.

The UMT delegation was led by Professor Dr. Najiah binti Musa and accompanied by Professor Dr. Ahmed Jalal Khan Chowdhury, Visiting Professor at FSPA. INHART (IIUM) was represented by Professor Dr. Irwandi Jaswir and Associate Professor Dr. Noor Faizul Hadry Nordin, both of whom are experienced figures in halal research and product development.