UUM ONLINE: To further energise the field of research especially at the international level, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Khon Kaen University (KKU), Thailand have established cooperation with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for Research.

Both memoranda were signed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Dr. Yusnidah Ibrahim who represented UUM Vice-Chancellor and President of KKU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kittichai Triratanasirichai at the Visitors’ Lounge this morning.

Prof. Dr. Yusnidah said in her speech that as a dynamic university, KKU had taken a strategic initiative by realizing academic cooperation with UUM in several fields namely joint research through equivalent matching grant, joint publication, academic exchange, appointment of visiting scholar and student mobility programme.

According to her, amongst the objectives of the signing of MoU was establishing UUM SBM and Khon Kaen Business School Collaborative Matching Grant Programme as means to provide initial support for the Faculty or School to initiate a joint research project in a new field.

"I fervently hope that with this cooperation programme, SBM and KKU will continue to be outstanding in training and producing the future generation of researchers. Moreover, more undergraduate and postgraduate students will continue to stand out in their research be it at the university, government or private agencies," she said.

She further reiterated that through the MoU, KKU should take the opportunity to send more students and academic staff to UUM to enable knowledge sharing and exchange of experience in various fields such as marketing, management, accounting, economics, technology information, public administration, human resource management and entrepreneurship.

She also expressed hope that the MoU would strengthen the new relation established between the two universities and will also provide a platform for greater academic and cultural cooperation to maximize interdependence.

Meanwhile, President of KKU, Assoc.  Prof. Dr. Kittichai said, KKU was in the midst of fulfilling the AACSB accreditation requirement and was eager to make UUM as its mentor that can provide advice and ways in order to realize KKU’s aspiration of obtaining the accreditation.

He expressed hope that with the cooperation of both universities, it will give added value to the quality of the activities which had been designed as well as to those in the pipeline.