Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) once again emerged as a popular destination for international guests seeking to meet with students from East Malaysian higher education institutions.
This year alone, UMS has hosted Valeria Csukasi, Ambassador of Uruguay to Malaysia, and most recently Edgard D. Kagan, Ambassador of the United States of America to Malaysia.
Csukasi and Kagan were both speakers and guests of honour at the two separate “I.R. Ambassadorial Talk” programmes, held on April 24 and June 14, organised by the International Relations Club (HA15) of the International Relations Programme, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UMS.
Both talks were held at UMS Galeri Majlis, Chancellery Building, with 200 attendees, including students, professors and UMS senior management.
In honoring Csukasi and Kagan, UMS Vice-Chancellor, represented by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Rosalam Sarbatly, commended UMS International Relations programme for actively engaging with international partners and expressed his desire to expand the network of academic partnerships, particularly with esteemed institutions and universities in Uruguay and the United States.
Csukasi expressed her great hope for the start of interaction between the Embassy of Uruguay and UMS, which would result in future strategic cooperation.
In his talk titled “Enduring Ties and Shared Values: The US-Malaysia Relationship,” Kagan emphasised the importance of engaging with and mentoring the next generation, particularly international relations students, fostering candid dialogue to strengthen bilateral ties and enhancing connections between the peoples of the United States and Malaysia through educational and cultural exchange.
Kagan added that “The International Visitor Leadership Programme” (IVLP) and the “Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative” (YSEALI) provide an important platform for foreign dignitaries and international relations students to exchange knowledge and experience, particularly in the fields of diplomacy and foreign policy.
The visit of Csukasi and Kagan was another milestone for UMS International Relations Programme, mirroring the institution’s objective of encouraging international collaborations with companies, governmental entities and non-governmental organisations in order to become a world-class university.
Since its establishment in 1994, UMS has been a regular destination for foreign dignitaries because of its comprehensiveness, diversity and strategic location as one of the major public universities in Borneo.
