The 23rd Meeting of the Japan University Consortium (JUC) was held online involving Malaysia-Japan Institute of Technology (MJIIT) and parties from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aimed to discuss the ongoing projects connecting MJIIT’s cooperation with Japan and other foreign countries. This is attributed to MJIIT’s attempts not only to widen it’s educational initiatives, but to also strengthen the relationship between the Japanese and Malaysian governments.

The JUC is part of a formal establishment of 30 Japanese universities strongly supporting the academic programmes at MJIIT. To illustrate, Ningen Ryoku is one of the value added programmes in MJIIT offering an approach to Japanese skills and education. Ningen Ryoku, which translates as “human skills,” is a series of two-credit courses that undergraduates can pursue in addition to their core technical classes throughout their undergraduate programme.

One of the key strategies for MJIIT to remain relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic is to promote global online learning programmes. JICA will assist with the coordination of, and networking efforts with its members in Japan in offering more impactful online programmes in the future. The AIMS4STAR Satellite Laboratory established recently in MJIIT plans to further strengthen the cooperation of both parties with regards to industry collaborations and community outreach.

MJIIT is seen as playing an important role in uniting both Japan and Malaysia through its many academic and research endeavours. This special meeting was held to enrich this role and to pave new ideas and ways into how MJIIT, JICA and other JUC members are able to achieve more meaningful outcomes in the future.

Prepared by:

Fatin Irdina