KUANTAN: Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) reached another milestone today, producing its first batch of dual-degree scholars in the rail industry, specialising in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering fields.
This was done in collaboration with Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU) in China.
Twenty of the graduates in the dual-degree programme in Beijing were in mechanical engineering, 15 in civil engineering, and the remainder in electrical and electronic engineering.
The students, who received scholarships from the Public Service Department, traveled to BJTU in February 2023 after completing two years of study at UMPSA.
UMPSA acting vice-chancellor Professor Dr Aida Mustapha said the pioneering group of UMPSA-BJTU graduates will significantly contribute to the development of the country's railway industry and ensure that a highly skilled local workforce is available to support the rail sector both domestically and internationally.
"The achievement marks a significant step towards producing a skilled workforce to support the development of the rail sector in Malaysia, including the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which is expected to be operational in 2026.
"The dual-degree programme strengthens the strategic ties between UMPSA and BJTU, opening up greater opportunities in research and academics at both universities. Furthermore, Malaysia's manufacturing and industrial sectors today require more specialised and skilled manpower in various technological fields.
"The dual-degree programme successfully integrated Work-based Learning (WBL), giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in China," she said in a statement.
The graduates received their scrolls from BJTU secretary Chen Ziji and deputy president Gao Liang.
Also present were UMPSA deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international affairs) Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Ziad Sulaiman; assistant vice-chancellor for academic advancement, Professor Dr Kamal Yusoh; and the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology, Professor Dr Mahadzir Ishak @ Muhammad.
Meanwhile, Ziad said some UMPSA graduates have already secured jobs with Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), the project and asset owner of the ECRL, and China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), the main contractor for engineering, procurement, construction, and project commissioning for ECRL.
He added that UMPSA remains the only public university offering 10 dual-degree programmes with strategic partners, including Germany's Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and Mannheim University of Applied Sciences (HMA), Tianjin University in China, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University in Kazakhstan, and recently, Hanyang University Erica Campus in South Korea.
Meanwhile, PSD deputy director-general (development) Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim expressed the department's pride in playing a role in producing high-calibre graduates.
In 2017, UMPSA was appointed the focal university for the ECRL Industrial Skills Training Programme following negotiations between the Higher Education Ministry, MRL, and CCCC.
In December last year, UMPSA announced plans to establish the Graduate Engineering and Technological Business School (GET-BS) at the Pekan campus, which will be the first Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduate school in the country.