Credit : Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's X
ISTANBUL, November 8, 2026 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi witnessed the exchange of two Letters of Cooperation between Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Sabancı University and Yıldız Technical University (YTU) in Türkiye, deepening MARA-linked higher education and research ties during his working visit.
In a post on X on November 8, Ahmad Zahid said the document exchange followed a roundtable with the SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research in Istanbul. The Sabancı University partnership focuses on joint academic programmes, joint PhD supervision and research in advanced materials, digital technology and energy.
Separately, cooperation between UniKL MIMET and Yıldız Technical University is intended to widen work in marine engineering, ship design and maritime technology research, he said.
“For me, this cooperation is not merely an exchange of documents, but a strategic step to widen access to international-standard education, strengthen local research capacity and produce talent able to meet future industry needs,” Ahmad Zahid wrote (translated from Malay).
He noted that MARA’s education cooperation with Türkiye continues to show positive progress. At present, 17 MARA-sponsored students are studying at Sabancı University, including in engineering, mechatronics and data science.
Ahmad Zahid congratulated MARA, UniKL and both Turkish universities on the initiative. The posts from his account framed the letters as part of a broader Malaysia–Türkiye agenda covering diplomacy, trade, defence and education during a four-day working visit that also included the TRT World Forum 2026.
UniKL is a MARA university group with specialised campuses, including UniKL MIMET for maritime studies. Letters of Cooperation typically set out areas for joint teaching, research and staff or student mobility before fuller memoranda or programme agreements are signed. The minister did not announce new grant figures in the post; under Life News Agency house style, any funding amounts are left out of this report.
Malaysia and Türkiye have expanded people-to-people and technical education links in recent years through scholarships, twinning programmes and research collaboration. Placing UniKL alongside Sabancı and YTU aligns Malaysian applied science and maritime training with Turkish university strengths in engineering and technology.
The Istanbul programme also included discussions with Turkish counterparts on bilateral trade balance and wider Developing Eight (D-8) economic cooperation, which Ahmad Zahid addressed separately at the close of the visit.
SETA, the Turkish think-tank that hosted the roundtable before the document exchange, is a frequent interlocutor for visiting foreign dignitaries in Istanbul. Pairing that policy discussion with university Letters of Cooperation underlined the education strand of Ahmad Zahid’s Türkiye programme alongside trade and diplomacy.
UniKL MIMET’s maritime focus matches Yıldız Technical University’s engineering profile, while Sabancı’s strengths in advanced materials, digital technology and energy align with Malaysia’s push for applied research talent. The 17 MARA-sponsored students already at Sabancı provide an existing human bridge for the new academic and PhD supervision arrangements.
May Allah bless the students and researchers who will benefit from these university partnerships.
Source: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on X
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