BANGI, June 30 – The Centre of IDEA-UKM successfully hosted an Erasmus+ Info Session featuring Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin Abu Hassan, Malaysia’s Erasmus+ National Focal Point (ENFP) and the Director of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) International. This event marked the second Erasmus+ information session held at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), focusing primarily on engaging researchers and academic staff from various faculties and institutes within the university.
The session began with welcoming remarks by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wan Zawiah Wan Zin @ Wan Ibrahim, Deputy Director of the Centre of IDEA-UKM. She expressed her hope that participants would seize the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Erasmus+ programme and explore its vast potential for international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and research advancement.
The highlight of the event was an in-depth presentation by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin who shared valuable insights into several key actions of Erasmus+, including Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE), Erasmus Mundus, and Jean Monnet activities. He also provided a brief overview of the Mobility for Higher Education Students and Staff programme, which sparked particular interest among several UKM staff members present at the session.
Dr. Ariffin emphasised the importance of identifying suitable international partners and targeting eligible regions for collaboration. He encouraged Malaysian higher education institutions to consider applying for CBHE Strand 2, describing it as a more strategic and winnable pathway. However, he also emphasised the importance of applicants ensuring their proposals align with key European Union (EU) priorities, such as the Green Deal, Digital Transformation, Integration of Migrants, Sustainable Growth and Jobs, and Governance, Peace, Security, and Human Development. Additionally, proposals should reflect alignment with the EU’s Global Gateway priorities, particularly in the Malaysian context.
Towards the end of the session, Dr. Ariffin shared his ongoing initiatives as ENFP, including efforts to connect Malaysian institutions with suitable international partners. He also announced his upcoming participation in the Central Europe Joint Infodays (CEJI) 2025, a training seminar focused on Erasmus+ centralised actions in higher education and cooperation with partner countries. Furthermore, he introduced the Türkiye Research Scholarship Programme, a short-term mobility scheme designed to promote research collaboration between international scholars and Turkish universities. This programme aims to enhance international academic exchange and foster deeper bilateral academic ties.
The session concluded with an engaging Q&A session, during which participants expressed enthusiasm and optimism about pursuing Erasmus+ opportunities. Many attendees shared their intentions to begin drafting proposals and explore potential calls in the upcoming cycle.
Prepared by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Ariffin AbuHassan & Nur Masitoh Islamiah Mustaffa Kamal