News By Norliza Katuk
Photos By Amierul Husniey Che Abd Rahman
On 24 January 2024, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) successfully organised the International Mobility Program for Academic Collaboration and Training 2024 (IMPACT 2024) seminar at the OYAGSB Studio. The seminar was organised in conjunction with the Erasmus+ Staff Training by West University of Timisoara (WUT), Romania. UUM hosted two WUT staff members in five days of training. The event focused on academic and administrative mobility programs and highlighted the significant role of the Erasmus+ Staff Exchange in the program's commitment to inclusivity and international collaboration. The opportunity to host staff from WUT expands UUM's global engagement.
During the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arpah Abu Bakar, the Director of the Centre for International Affairs and Cooperation (CIAC), expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership with West University of Timisoara (WUT) under the Erasmus+ program. The exchange program gave UUM a unique opportunity to host representatives from WUT for the second time in 2024, specifically Ms. Margareta Cojan and Ms. Ionela-Claudia Popescu. This reciprocal engagement sets the stage for further collaboration, as WUT will host Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shazida Jan Mohd Khan from UUM's School of Economics, Finance, and Banking in May 2024. The exchange program embodies the spirit of international cooperation, facilitating knowledge transfer and fostering best practices among academic institutions.
Besides global engagement, IMPACT 2024 marked a significant milestone for UUM, in which CIAC fellows were appointed to represent their schools. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to strengthen global collaboration. These fellows, drawn from various disciplines, played a crucial role as liaisons between their schools and CIAC, contributing to the university's commitment to fostering a global academic environment. The newly appointed fellows express their interest in exploring and strengthening the university's efforts toward internationalization.
Ms. Margareta Cojan and Ms. Ionela-Claudia Popescu presented their practice managing international students and staff at WUR during the seminar—further, a distinguished speaker, Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd Hafizal Mohd Isa from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) provided valuable insights into the internationalisation strategy at the university that successfully put USM on the top of the list for many international students, both full-time and mobility. UUM's international officers, Mr. Mohd Khairy Mukhtaruddin and Mr. Mohd Azri Abdul Aziz, then shared practical strategies for managing international programs and partnerships.
For more information about internationalisation activities, visit http://ciac.uum.edu.my.