Osaka, 25 July 2025 – Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) formalised a multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six higher education institutions in Japan, including an Islamic outreach centre, during the Osaka Expo 2025 held in conjunction with Higher Education Week.
The institutions involved in the MoU signing include Kansai University of International Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University, University of Tsukuba, Okayama University, Shibaura Institute of Technology, and the Japan Da’wah Centre.
UUM was represented by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan, who was accompanied by Prof. Dr Osman Ghazali, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of UUM College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Representing Kansai University of International Studies were Prof. Dr Yasuo Kawawaki, Assistant to the President for International Relations; Prof. Dr Masahiko Murata, Director of the Office of Safety Management Education; and Hiroko Fukushima, Programme Coordinator at the Centre for Global Education.
The Japan Da’wah Centre was represented by its President and Founder, Mr. Zulkarnain Hasan Basri, along with Product Manager, Ms. Maaya Madihah, and the Media and Tourism Relations Executive, Mr. Danial Haqim.
Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad highlighted that this strategic collaboration will encompass student and academic mobility programmes, joint research initiatives, academic publication, and collaborative grant applications.
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr Kawawaki announced a delegation from Kansai University of International Studies will conduct an official visit to UUM on 20 August 2025 to participate in the ASEAN Cooperative Programme of International Field Study 2025. The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in education and research.
In a related development, the Japan Da’wah Centre’s President, Mr. Zulkarnain Hasan Basri expressed intention to collaborate with UUM in developing an application that connects mosque functions with the local Muslim community in Japan. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to empower Muslim community development in the country.
In addition, the participating Japanese universities also conveyed their strong commitment to exploring various forms of academic and research collaboration with UUM.
UUM delegation also had the opportunity to visit Hiroshima University and Hiroshima City University as part of their pursuit to establish more strategic partnerships with Japanese institutions.
UUM researchers also took part in the Pocket Talk @ OSAKA Expo 2025, where they presented on the theme ‘Halal & Food Security’, and engaged in business-matching sessions with 15 organisations from Japan, including universities and industry representatives.
