GARUT, 15 May 2025: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) has further reinforced its standing as a leading management university in the region by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Universitas Garut (Uniga), Indonesia during an official visit to Uniga in Garut today.
UUM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan who led the UUM delegation on this historic visit also witnessed the launch of the Uniga-UUM Research Centre alongside Uniga’s Rector, Prof. Dr. Abdusy Syakur Amin, M.Eng.
The establishment of this centre reflects the strong commitment of both institutions to intensify collaborative research, particularly in fields that directly impact regional community development.
This visit is part of UUM’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international relations, foster academic collaboration and promote cross-border research initiatives.
During the visit, the UUM delegation also explored opportunities to implementation student and faculty exchange programmes, co-author academic publications, and develop joint research projects focusing on sustainability, public policy, and educational innovation.
As part of the Indonesia tour, Prof. Dr Mohd Foad and the UUM delegation paid a courtesy visit to the new Director General of Islamic Education at the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. H. Suyitno, M.Ag., at his office at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (KEMENAG) in Jakarta.
Discussions during the meeting centred on potential strategic collaborations between UUM and KEMENAG, particularly in expanding access to higher education for Indonesian students.
The Vice-Chancellor reaffirmed UUM’s commitment to working closely with KEMENAG to enhance Islamic education and develop high-quality human capital in Indonesia.
“The long-standing relationship between UUM and KEMENAG has been instrumental, and this visit further strengthens our confidence in continuing as a strategic partner in educating and nurturing graduates from Indonesia.
“We believe that cross-border quality education is key to the region’s future,” he said.
These two official engagements underscore UUM’s aspiration to remain a progressive global institution – open to international collaboration networks, responsive to contemporary challenges, and driven by continuous education, research and knowledge exchange.
The ceremonies in both Garut and Jakarta were attended by senior officials, researchers and academics from both institutions, all of whom expressed strong commitment to implementing various short and long-term initiatives in the near future.
