TANJUNG MALIM, 15 January 2026 — Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al-Iraqia University as a strategic move to strengthen international collaboration in academics, research and postgraduate development.
UPSI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Md Amin Md Taff, said the MoU specifically involves the Faculty of Science and Mathematics (FSM) and is aligned with UPSI’s Strategic Plan as well as the university’s BITARA aspirations to expand global engagement with direct impact on the academic community.
“This collaboration has been carefully designed to support UPSI’s key performance indicators (KPIs) in internationalisation, research output, staff mobility and postgraduate development,” he said in his speech at the ceremony held at the FSM seminar room, Sultan Azlan Shah Campus, UPSI.
According to him, the collaboration opens up opportunities for joint research initiatives, co-publications in indexed journals such as Scopus, applications for matching research grants, as well as joint supervision of postgraduate students at the Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) levels.
He added that the MoU also provides structured mobility opportunities for UPSI academic staff through participation in Visiting Professor and Visiting Scholar programmes, offering international exposure, strengthened research networks and global teaching experience.
From a postgraduate perspective, the collaboration supports the recruitment of international students to UPSI, with Al-Iraqia University demonstrating its commitment to facilitating student mobility, including obtaining approvals from relevant authorities to enable students to pursue postgraduate studies at UPSI.
“This collaboration creates avenues for student and staff exchanges, joint conferences, seminars and knowledge transfer programmes that contribute to income generation, academic branding and sustainable international engagement for UPSI,” he said.
Meanwhile, Al-Iraqia University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Khamis Awad Zidan, expressed his appreciation to UPSI for the continuous efforts that led to the signing of the MoU, describing the organisation of previous joint workshops as clear evidence of the effectiveness of practical collaboration between the two universities.
“The success of the joint workshop reflects our shared commitment to academic excellence and serves as a strong foundation for broader collaboration.
According to him, both universities are also committed to implementing needs-based collaboration through the establishment of a joint coordination committee, continuous dialogue and regular academic visits.
At the same time, he affirmed Al-Iraqia University’s full commitment to implementing the MoU and ensuring its success for the future of sustained and productive collaboration between the two institutions.
“This MoU represents a strategic step towards strengthening long-term academic and research collaboration based on trust, professionalism and mutual benefit,” he said.
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