SIBU: Sarawak-owned universities are urged to collaborate with each other to maximise their facilities for the benefit of Sarawakians.
According to Yayasan Sarawak Director Mersal Abang Rosli, it is the Sarawak government’s hope that through their synergy, the universities can maximise and utilise their staff, assets and intellectual properties.
“This will materialise the Sarawak government’s goal in six years’ time to become a developed and high-income state. We have achieved our aim as a high-income state last year, now we focus on our household income,” he said.
Mersal said this in his speech at a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) and i-CATS University College (i-CATS) at Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Chancellor’s Hall, UTS here today (June 6).
He hoped that the universities would work together to build assets (human capital) through education.
“I hope Sarawakians will take the opportunities to come to UTS and i-CATS so that we can utilise all the assets for your benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, i-CATS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shahren Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce said that the MOU between i-CATS and UTS was not merely a formal agreement but a testament to their shared commitment to academic excellence and innovation.
“It is a strategic move to harness our collective strengths for mutual benefit and growth,” he added.
UTS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Khairuddin Abdul Hamid said that among the items listed under the MOU were academic and research collaboration; student and staff exchanges; joint research projects; joint supervision of postgraduate students, as well as co-organising seminars and conferences.
“Since both institutions of higher learning are under Yayasan Sarawak and funded by the Sarawak government, it is important to complement each other and avoid duplication of resources to optimise our operations.
“It is also important to share relevant knowledge, experience and solutions (good and bad), to find new areas of collaboration specific to Sarawak, such as in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and to have a standardised and fair Free Education Policy for all,” he added.
Also present were Sarawak Skills Group Chief Financial Officers Mohd Asri Abdullah, UTS Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Shahril Osman and i-CATS Pro Vice Chancellor, Research, Graduate Studies, and Endowment Professor Datuk Dr Shazali Abu Mansor.
