The Erasmus+ program, established by the European Union in 1987, champions youth, sports, education, and training throughout Europe, fostering collaboration among universities and higher education institutions. Recently, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, the inaugural Erasmus+ National Focal Point (ENFP) for Malaysia, with UTM International serving as the secretariat, organized the Erasmus+ Malaysia Info Day. This initiative, held virtually via Zoom on February 21st, 2024, aimed to enlighten attendees about Erasmus+ opportunities, in collaboration with the European Commission and supported by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).
The event, officiated by His Excellency Michalis Rokas, the Ambassador and Head of the EU delegation to Malaysia, emphasized the significance of nurturing international educational ties. His Excellency’s address highlighted the importance of international collaboration in education.
The session outlined four primary actions: Capacity Building in Higher Education, presented by Prof. Dr. Rosmini Omar from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM); the International Credit Mobility (ICM) program, discussed by Dr. Jenny Lind Elmaco, central support for Erasmus+ National Focal Points European; the Jean Monnet program by Dr. Marc Chia-Ching Cheng, the Taiwan Erasmus+ National Focal Point; and the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM) and Erasmus Mundus Design Measures (EMDM), detailed by Dr. Md. Ashiqur Rahman, the Regional Project Manager – Asia.
Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, the session attracted 190 participants from 15 universities across six countries: Malaysia, Spain, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. This event is poised to enhance Malaysia’s stature in the global higher education landscape and promote broader national and international cooperation.
Prepared by:
Dr. Ain Naadia binti Mazlan
Nurul Izzati binti Mohd Twa