Kota Kinabalu: Sabahan students will soon be able to transfer their course credits to University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) through Sabah Institute of Arts (SIA) following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between both institutions.
At the same time, the MoU enables SIA to offer UTS courses to cater to local students, SIA President Prof Dato’ Sri Wilson Yong Tung Yung said after the signing ceremony with UTS Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid.
The MoU entailed collaborations in developing and providing academic and vocational training programmes, students and lecturers exchange programmes and publication of joint research.
Khairuddin said both parties would expand the scope of credit transfer whilst still maintaining the quality of education. This includes recognising the diploma certificate and course credit of SIA’s graphic design, interior design and architecture programmes and allowing their students advance their education to UTS.
He said UTS currently has a learning centre in Kuala Lumpur and is keen to establish another one in SIA to allow more students undertake certain courses locally.
“We have discussed about setting up a learning centre in Sabah for several months.
“Presently, we need to complete the process and procedures required by the Ministry of Higher Education.
“We will expand our scope of collaboration in the future,” he said.
UTS also hopes to recruit Chinese students through SIA’s broad network with the education community in China.
Also present were UTS’ School of Built Environment dean Assoc Prof Haris Fadzilah Abdul Rahman, Interior Design programme head Annie Jaid Parker, Corporate Administration senior executive Mohd Ian Daim Mahmud, School of Business and Management lecturer Dayang Zuhaiza, SIA Chief Executive Officer Dayang Mahsuri Abdul Rahim and chief operating officer Jay Roy W. Anggang.
Yong said SIA was established 33 years ago and is the sole higher learning institution locally that offers five major arts and design programmes. Its main courses include architecture, interior design, graphic design, fashion design and music studies.
“We have formalised the credit transfer for architecture, interior design and other courses.
“The next milestone in our collaboration with UTS is to set up a learning centre for the Sarawakian university to implement architectural design and interior design degree programmes in SIA.”
He reiterated that SIA was recently authorised by the Malaysian Examinations Council (MEC) to manage and conduct the Malaysian University English Test (Muet) in China.
He said the move would facilitate Chinese students’ entry into Malaysian higher learning institutions.
Yong hoped to expand the Muet test centre to Asean nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, adding that he would also assist UTS in recruiting Chinese students.
He said the MoU was an important stepping stone to spur economic growth not only for both institutes, but also for Sabah and Sarawak and the country.
The Sarawakian delegates were given a tour of SIA to learn more about its facilities and academic programmes after the ceremony.
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