WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY – Six Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) academicians were involved in a programme under the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) in an effort to assist the government of Timor Leste to develop Timor Leste Institute of Diplomatic Studies (IDS). The delegation consisted of lecturers from the International Relations Programme School of Social Sciences (SSS), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asmady Idris, Diana Peters, Wan Shawaluddin Wan Hassan and Carlevin Sukim including two Senior Lecturers from the Centre For Knowledge and Language Learning (PPIB), Dr. Anantha Raman Govindasamy and Dr. Lai Yew Meng who were the Coordinator of the whole programme.

The programme was implemented under the initiative of the Higher Education Department (JPT), Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) assigned under the Malaysian Global Outreach Programme aimed at strengthening world influence at international level through contributions and smart partnerships in higher education especially with developing countries. This noble initiative started at the end of last year and implemented through the organising of three workshops formulating and drafting the Timor Leste (IDS) course structure and curriculum. UMS has been supporting this programme when PPIB organised a maiden workshop on 21-22 January 2013, whilst the second workshop was held at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Sepang on 11-12 April 2013. The third workshop was conducted at UUM-EDC on 27 June 2013 while the final workshop will be held in Dili, Timor Leste on 19-22 August 2013. Each formulated course will be presented to the Timor Leste Foreign Affairs Ministry to be scrutinised.

Besides academicians from UMS, the programme was also participated by academicians from the Public Higher Learning Institutions (IPTA) and they were Khoo Ying Hooi (Universiti Malaya), Prof. Dr. Rashila Ramli and Dr. D. Ravichandran K Dhakshinamoorthy (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), and Prof. Dr. Kamarulnizam Abdullah, Dr. Mohammad Zaki Ahmad and Dr. Ratnaria Wahid (Universiti Utara Malaysia). Former UMSKAL lecturer, Assoc. Prof, Dr. Abdul Razak Ahmad is now the Advisor at the Higher Education Department and acts as the Chairman of the programme. – FL

Source: Carlevin Sukim, PPIB
Photo: Nelson Justin Adeh
                                                                                                                           Information and Media Section, Corporate Relations Division