SINTOK, 21 April 2025: Enhancing strategic collaboration in visa management with international institutional partners is crucial for fostering bilateral cooperation and cultivating a lasting understanding at achieving sustainable growth in the international student sector.
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan emphasised the significance of effective visa management and strategic partnerships with student recruitment agents as crucial elements that deserve attention.
According to him, effective visa management is essential for ensuring that seamless entry and stay of international students.
As such, he said, close collaboration with the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) and Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) is crucial for fostering a transparent, efficient and customer-centric system.
“UUM is committed to advancing the Internationalisation Policy set forth by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), which aims to position Malaysia as a global hub for higher education, in alignment with the aspirations outlined in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2023-2030 (Higher Education).
“UUM remains committed to attracting international students and strengthen its status as a regional centre of excellence,” stated the Assistant Vice-Chancellor of UUM CAS, Prof. Ts. Dr Osman Ghazali, who delivered this message on behalf of the UUM Vice-Chancellor during the Opening Ceremony of the Visa Management Strengthening Workshop and UUM International Student Recruitment Agent Workshop, held in conjunction with the CIAC Meet the Client Day on April 17.
He said that in today’s highly competitive global education landscape, student recruitment agents play a pivotal role in driving international student admissions to UUM. To enhance these professional relationships, it is essential to focus on training, monitoring and joint marketing strategies.
The Centre for International Affairs and Cooperation (CIAC) at UUM has proactively organised a workshop aimed at fostering a shared understanding of policies and addressing field-related issues among all stakeholders, including deans and deputy deans from the various schools.
CIAC also extended invitations to representatives from the International Offices of UniMAP, UniSHAMS, and AIU, encouraging them to share their best practices in the management of international students.
