16 international students participate in first Edu-Tourism Cohort at UMPSA

GAMBANG, 9 May 2024 – A total of 16 international students from various countries participated in the inaugural Educational Tourism (Edu-Tourism) Programme introduced by Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA).

This Edu-Tourism programme is one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) in the UMPSA25 Strategic Plan under Core 6A: Student Internationalization.

The first cohort of the Edu-Tourism Programme included four international participants from Muhammadiyah University, Aceh, who followed the Nature and Adventure Package: A Thrilling Adventure in Taman Negara, Kuala Tahan, Pahang. 

The remaining 12 participants from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Iraq followed the Malay and Cultural Heritage Package.

This Edu-Tourism programme offers specially designed packages with the objective of highlighting the diversity and uniqueness of culture, language, and the beauty of interesting places, especially in the state of Pahang Darul Makmur and Malaysia in general.

Participants who followed the Nature and Adventure Package: A Thrilling Adventure in Taman Negara had the opportunity to explore the forest along Rentis Teresek and enjoy the natural beauty from the canopy bridge, which hangs approximately 45 meters from the ground and spans 283 meters.

The participants also learned about the customs and way of life of the Orang Asli in Taman Negara and experienced rapid shooting activities.

For the participants of the Malay and Cultural Heritage Package, they had the opportunity to experience the cultural customs and traditional food of the Malay community.

Muhammad Fouzun, 21, from Muhammadiyah University, said, "This Edu-Tourism Programme is a good collaborative effort between universities. 

“I am very excited to be selected as a Cohort 1 participant of this programme. 

“Various interesting activities were arranged for us, including trekking and crossing the canopy bridge while enjoying the beauty of the Taman Negara forest. 

“In fact, we also had the opportunity to meet participants from other countries who also participated in this programme," he said.

In addition, the programme participants were celebrated at a dinner themed 'Night Global Culture' held at Warong Tersorok, Felda Panching Selatan.

The ceremony, which featured drumming and silat performances from the Srikala Satria Group, was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of UMPSA, Professor Dato' Ts. Dr. Yuserrie Zainuddin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and Alumni Affairs), Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Rusllim Mohamed, and General Manager of the Department of Student and Alumni Affairs, Haryani Abdullah.

All the participants of the Edu-Tourism Cohort 1 program were also celebrated at the Aidilfitri Celebration Ceremony held on 9 May 2024 at the Student Activities Square, UMPSA Pekan Campus.

The implementation of various activities for this first group is seen as a step in promoting the Edu-Tourism programme in addition to the existing academic programmes offered by UMPSA. 

This initiative is expected to attract foreign students to continue their studies at UMPSA, indirectly becoming a source of income for the university through strategic cooperation with countries, industries, and agencies involved.

By: Nadira Hana Ab Hamid, Student Affairs & Alumni Department

Translation by: Aminatul Nor Mohamed Said, UMPSA Career Centre (UMPSACC)