UMPSA establishes China-Malaysia Regional Vocational Skills Centre to offer Mandarin language courses with vocational skills

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 June 2025 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) has established the China–Malaysia Chinese Plus Vocational Skills Regional Development Center (Malaysia), a regional centre for vocational skills development through a formal collaboration between UMPSA, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), and Hebei University.

The China–Malaysia Regional Vocational Skills Centre established at UMPSA is the second of its kind in the world, following the one in Africa.

Through the Confucius Institute, the centre will offer and explore Mandarin language courses integrated with vocational skills relevant to Malaysia and Asia.

In addition to Mandarin courses, the centre will promote Chinese culture and vocational skills, develop teaching resources and Mandarin language courses, and train local Mandarin teachers in teaching methodology.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs), Professor Dato’ Ir. Ts. Dr Ahmad Ziad Sulaiman, representing the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Yatimah Alias, signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CLEC Deputy Director-General Zhang Xu, and was witnessed by the Secretary of the International Relations Division, Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Datin Noorazah Omar.

Also present were the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Academic and International Affairs (Internationalisation), Professor Datin Ts. Dr Mimi Sakinah Abdul Munaim; Director of General Affairs Division, CLEC, Kong Jia; UMPSA Confucius Institute Director (Malaysia), Yong Ying Mei; and Confucius Institute Director (China), Professor Dr Li Lijun.

According to Professor Dato’ Ir. Ts. Dr Ahmad Ziad, the UMPSA Confucius Institute has been offering Mandarin and vocational skills courses since its establishment in 2018.

“Among the courses offered are Industrial Mandarin, Railway Mandarin, and Metallurgy Mandarin.

“With the establishment of this regional centre, it will further strengthen Mandarin language courses with vocational skills.

“This centre also plays a role in developing teaching and training materials in the related fields and training local instructors to conduct TVET-oriented Mandarin courses, student mobility programmes, and staff exchange between Malaysia and China,” he said.

He added that this initiative aligns with UMPSA’s aspiration to realise the goals of UMPSA’s Internationalisation Agenda as the Premier ASEAN TVET Hub, as expressed by Professor Dr Yatimah in the UMPSA Vice-Chancellor’s Address 2025.

This collaboration will also significantly contribute to meeting the industry’s demand for skilled manpower, positioning UMPSA and Hebei University as leaders in regional research and technical education.

Moreover, the establishment of this centre will not only strengthen Malaysia–China bilateral collaboration but also have a significant impact on talent development, aligning with the current needs of the nation’s industries.

As Malaysia’s leading technical university, UMPSA remains committed to diversifying internationally recognised TVET programmes.

Since 2011, the collaboration between UMPSA and Hebei University has led to the establishment of the Mandarin Language and Culture Centre, followed by the establishment of the UMPSA Confucius Institute in 2018.

In addition, through this partnership with Hebei University, UMPSA has successfully produced 45 pioneer graduates of the dual-degree programmes with Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU).

Other dual-degree programme include those with Tianjin University (TJU), as well as training for East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) trainees at China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and Alliance Steel (M) Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB) in Kuantan.

Currently, UMPSA is also actively offering Mandarin courses and training to students, communities, and industries, especially in the East Coast region.

By: Naqiah Puaad, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press