COLLABORATION among western and eastern institutes of higher learning (HEIs) is crucial in developing global graduates who will be more employable in the global economy, says Minister of Higher Education Idris Jusoh.

Speaking at this year’s Eurasia Higher Education Summit (Eurie) in Istanbul this morning, Idris said that Malaysia welcomed international collaboration to its redesigning of higher education for Industry 4.0, especially in student mobility, academic mobility, and research collaboration.

“A significant amount of research pursued by Malaysian academics was done through international collaboration with 196 countries, with funding agencies from the UK and Japan.

“Between 2012 and last year, over 55,700 publications were co-authored by Malaysian and international researchers.

“We are proud that 10 Malaysian researchers are among the top 1% most-cited (Thompson Reuters), indicating a high level of quality of researchers produced,” Idris said.

Idris said student mobility programmes could not be underestimated, as they developed cultural awareness and appreciation and interpersonal and communication skills.

“(They) will set a student apart to be more competitive, culturally sensitive, and employable in the global economy and workforce.” – Bernama, February 15, 2018.