31 students of the 3rd Cohort of the BJTU–UMPSA Dual Degree Programme celebrated in a simple ceremony at KLIA

SEPANG, 20 September 2024 – A mix of emotions—sadness, joy, and various reactions—was evident on the faces of students and parents as they bid farewell to 31 students of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), who are set to continue their studies for another two and a half years at Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU) as part of the UMPSA–BJTU Dual Degree Programme.

The Centre for Strategic Academic Collaboration (PKSA) at UMPSA organized a brief ceremony at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to mark the departure of the third cohort of UMPSA-BJTU students heading to Beijing, China.

This Dual Degree Programme is sponsored by the Public Service Department (JPA).

Out of the 31 students, eight will pursue Electrical and Electronics Engineering, ten will study Mechanical Engineering, and thirteen will study Civil Engineering.

Present at the event to celebrate the students' departure were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs), Professor Dato' Ir. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Ziad Sulaiman, representing the Vice-Chancellor; Assistant Director of the Development Unit, Foreign Service Department of the Public Service (JPA), Hanisah Fauzi; Director of the Centre for Strategic Academic Collaboration (PKSA), Professor Ts. Dr. Mohd Ruzaimi Mat Rejab; and PKSA Deputy Director, Ts. Dr. Lee Khai Loon.

In his brief speech, Professor Dato' Ir. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Ziad Sulaiman congratulated the students on successfully completing their two years of study at UMPSA with excellent results, making them eligible to continue their studies for another two and a half years at BJTU in China.

"I would also like to congratulate the parents who are present here today for raising and supporting their children to this point of success.

"I hope these students will complete their studies in China with excellence and return to Malaysia as skilled engineers to contribute to the nation.

"My thanks also go to JPA for their continued support of UMPSA in implementing the Dual Degree Programme in collaboration with strategic university partners in Germany, China, Kazakhstan, and, most recently, South Korea," he said.

Meanwhile, Hanisah Fauzi expressed her hope that the students would make the most of this opportunity, study diligently, and return to Malaysia with excellent results to continue serving the country.

A representative of the students' parents, Tuan Haji Mashadi Dato' Haji Mustafa, also thanked UMPSA and JPA for providing their children with the opportunity to study abroad. He hopes the students will uphold the good names of Malaysia, UMPSA, and JPA, and not forget to honour their families.

The departure of the third cohort of UMPSA-BJTU Dual Degree students fulfils the requirements of the dual degree programme between UMPSA and BJTU, based on the Memorandum of Agreement signed between UMPSA and BJTU, China, on 6 July 2021.

By: Naqiah Puaad, Centre for Corporate Communications

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