Internationalisation of Postgraduate Programmes in UTM Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics

Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics has taken steps to expand the UTM program market overseas, and this is part of the UTM Global plan agenda known as Transnational Education (TNE). The first of TNE program was born between UTM and Meiji University, Japan, through a Memorandum of Understanding executed on 3rd September 2004 between the Vice-chancellor of UTM and the President of Meiji University have agreed to cooperate in academic and research matters.

A Letter of Intent (LOI) for a Double Master Program was executed between The Graduate School of Business Administration (GSBA) at Meiji University, Japan and Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics (formerly known as BATC) on 30th October 2009. BATC and GSBA have agreed to implement a framework for a double master programme whereby students registered at one University (Sending University) can concurrently register and work towards the degree of the other university (Receiving University). The framework allows students to obtain both degrees in a much shorter time than if pursued separately or sequentially. This double master program does not involve the development of a new degree. Student who took this program will be awarded a Master of Science (Engineering Business Management), from UTM and Master of Business Administration, from Meiji University.

The expansion of TNE program didn’t stop here, in 2014 a series of official visits were conducted between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Sudan Master Technology (SMT) through its subsidiary Safat Academy in Khartoum Sudan. As a result, in April 2014, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish Sudan-UTM International Centre of Engineering & Management (Sudan-UTM ICEM) with collaborative partners Sudan Master Technology and Sudan University of Science & Technology (SUST). Sudan-UTM ICEM which will be the regional centre for organizing various short courses and UTM academic programs.

The highlight was in 2019 where two academic programs Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Master of Science (Engineering Business Management) and Engineering Doctorate (Engineering Business Management) were successfully offered as an offshore program in Khartoum Sudan.

The development of Razak Faculty’s TNE program has widened its wings when 20 students from Indonesia have enrolled as PhD students under the Remote Supervision program with Institut Sains dan Teknologi Nasional (ISTN) Jakarta Indonesia. This is one of the internationalization initiatives undertaken by Razak Faculty in promoting the strengthening of marketing programs and branding of UTM internationally.

Continued from the initiative, several series of official visits have been conducted between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universitas Pertamina (UP). As a result, UTM and UP have agreed to collaborate projects involving various projects in the field of green energy including projects under the NanoMite program led by Prof. Datuk Dr. Halimaton Hamdan. Further discussions were held on 20 September 2017 at UP with Razak Faculty headed by Dean of Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics. With the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), the UP has agreed to collaborate in carrying out three academic programs namely Master of Science, Master of Science (Engineering Business Management) and Executive Master of Occupational Safety and Health Management in Jakarta.

Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics will continue to support UTM’s aspirations to continuously look for institutional partnerships opportunities in providing students with access to study abroad with overseas graduation without leaving their home country. Higher Education Supplier (UTM) can cross country and borders in offering academic services through the cooperation of overseas partner institutions or initiatives from UTM through specified models.

Thus, transnational education is considered to be borderless non-official higher education which offers all forms of higher education activities operating in parallel to and outside the official higher education system of the host country. The transnational education in the context of globalization has come a market driven activity to promote multicultural, diverse and internationalized outlooks among students. Obviously, the transnational education will beneficially to students and country partners
i. Experience of a globally recognised award and international experience
ii. Acquisition of employability skills and qualities for enhanced career prospects and more promising future
iii. To develop local skills, reduce capital outflow, brain drain and pressure on local education system. It offers choice for students, opportunity for competition development among foreign and local institutions hence quality improvement
iv. The current trend of internationalization of higher education system will generate student’s mobility between developed and developing countries