LONDON: Chief Minister, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg and members of his delegation who arrived here on Sunday for a weeklong study visit spent the whole of Monday in Cambridge University near here.
They were in the varsity to gain insights into findings and studies as well as experience that could be useful for development in the context of Sarawak.
At the end of the daylong visit, Johari said Sarawak would formulate a plan to collaborate with the university in certain areas considered beneficial for Sarawak’s development.
Johari was accompanied by his wife Datin Amar Dato Hajjah Juma’ani Tun Datuk Tuanku Haji Bujang during the visit.
Members of the delegation comprised Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani, the State Secretary; Datuk Patinggi Dr George Chan who is
Pro-Chancellor of Curtin University Sarawak; Assistant Minister of Science Research and Biotechnology Dr. Haji Annuar bin Rapa’ee and Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali the Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education and Family Development.
Other members included Wan Khalik bin Wan Muhammad the Principal Private Secretary to Chief Minister and Haji Syed Mohd Hussein the CEO of CENTEXS Sarawak.
The delegation arrived at the University’s Judge Business School and soon after was given an overview of the school by its Dean, Professor Christoph Loch.
This was followed by a briefing on big data and social analytics by lecturer Dr David Stillwell and thereafter given an overview of a training company called Cambridge Spark that was set up by PhD graduate Raoul-Gabriel Urma of the premier university.
The briefing was wrapped up by Jasper Robertson, Senior Business Development Director of the business school who talked about opportunities for executive education.
The Chief Minister and members of his entourage were later guests at a lunch hosted by Dr. Anil Seal, a fellow at the University’s Trinity College where they were briefed on the Cambridge Accessible Test (CATs), an online English language learning and assessment system developed at the university.
Members of the delegation spent the final part of the visit at the university’s computer laboratory where they gained interesting new insights into how the university has been a spawning ground for new businesses among postgraduate students.
The delegation will continue with various visits in the British capital and also Sunderland before flying back to Kuala Lumpur on 17 April.
