UK Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The Right Honourable Hugo Swire MP today visited The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) to meet with Minister of Education II, Malaysia, YB Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh at a bilateral meeting focussing on higher education. He met with key representatives from UK universities within Malaysia and the Malaysian Ministry of Education to discuss key policy issues and ways of working more closely together.
“As the first British university to have a full campus within Malaysia, we are well placed to facilitate the discussion aimed at strengthening the ties that the UK and Malaysia share in the area of higher education and research,” said Professor Christine Ennew, CEO and Provost of The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
After attending the closed door meeting at UNMC, both Ministers, Hugo Swire and Datuk Idris Jusoh, were subsequently introduced to some aspects of the internationally leading teaching and research undertaken at the University.
“The University of Nottingham took a visionary yet bold step in the late 90s to set up a campus in Malaysia as a key partner in the Malaysia-UK partnership in higher education. 15 years on, the University remains as a key player in enriching the lives of students across the world through a global education,” said Professor Ennew.
During their visit both Ministers were briefed on some of the key research areas at UNMC in the fields of food security, Islamic finance, underutilised crops and automotive & aeronautical engineering.
Centre of Excellence for Post-harvest Biotechnology (CEPB)
The VIP tour for both Ministers included a stop at The Centre of Excellence for Post-harvest Biotechnology (CEPB) where research is conducted to minimise postharvest-losses. This world-leading research has led to the production of natural, edible coatings for tropical fruits to extend their shelf life and maintain their quality.
Research at CEPB identified that an estimated 20 to 40 percent of food is lost post-harvest and this large-scale wastage impacts on nutrition of the world population as well as on the economy, with particular negative consequences for small-scale farmers.
Crops for the Future
UNMC houses a global research centre for underutilised crops which conducts research to improve food and nutrition security, and as a result, enhance the health and incomes of the poor. It is distinctive by virtue of its focus on crops which are, currently under-utilised and which have the potential to ensure secure food supply in difficult climatic conditions.
Islamic finance and banking
The Centre for Islamic Business and Finance Research (CIBFR) at UNMC is a specialised research institute established to conduct interdisciplinary research and teaching in the area of Islamic business and finance, connecting Islamic banking with wealth management, entrepreneurship and social development.
Hands-on teaching and learning – creation of a F1 car
UNMC’s student-built racing car is an example of that hands-on learning offered to students. The car was built by a group of students from the School of Mechanical Engineering together with Dr. Chan Kuan Yoong, a lecturer who led the team in the creation of the UNMC F1 car.
During the visit, both Ministers received a comprehensive briefing on the making of the UNMC racing car by Professor Ian Harrison, Dean of Engineering and Dr Chan.
The climax of the visit for the two Ministers was the official launch by Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh of the Successor Generation Initiative, an initiative by the British High Commission to form a network of students and young people who have a potential to take on leadership positions. The launch was overseen by HE Vicki Treadell, British High Commissioner to Malaysia and was coordinated with a debate between the two Ministers and assembled students, from a multitude of universities across Malaysia.
Thumbnail image caption:(from left to right) YB Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, The Right Honourable Hugo Swire MP and Professor Christine Ennew.
Article Image: The Right Honourable Hugo Swire MP test drives UNMC F1 car during the campus tour.
More photos available on Flickr.
For more information please contact, JosephineDionisappu, PR & Communications Manager on josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my,+6(03)89248746
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The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with campuses in China and Malaysia modelled on a headquarters that is among the most attractive in Britain’ (Times Good University Guide 2014).It is also the most popular university in the UK among graduate employers, in the top 10 for student experience according to the Times Higher Education and winner of ‘Research Project of the Year’ at THE Awards 2014. It is ranked in the world’s top one per cent of universities by the QS World University Rankings.
Impact:The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.
Posted on 26th February 2015