A meeting was organized by Dr. Mohammad Ismath Ramzy between UM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) office and Sri Lankan High Commission in Malaysia to discuss collaborations between University Grand Commission (UGC) Sri Lanka and Universiti Malaya (UM). Professor Dr. Yatimah Alias, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International), Universiti Malaya, and His Excellency Air Chief Marshal Sumangala Dias, High Commissioner, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia, participated in this meeting.
The discussion was held on 16 June 2023, 03 pm, in the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) office meeting room. From the UM Deputy VIC officer, Professor Dr. Yvonne Lim Al Lian, Associate VC (Global Engagement), Associate Prof Dr. Andri Andriyana, the Director of International Relation Centre (IRC), Associate Prof Dr. Puteri Shafinaz Akmar, the Deputy Dean Fronteires of the Natural World Research Centre and Noor Yusrina Hashim, IRC, Tuty Haryati, the director of UM Marketing and Recruitment Division (MRD) joined the meeting. Along with Sri Lankan High Commissioner, Dr. Mohammad Ismath Ramzy, the Chair, Education for Humanism and Social Advancement Research Centre (EHSAn), Faculty of Education, UM, and Prof Dr. Wanniyake MudiyanselagenTilakaratne, Professor, Faculty of Dental, UM participated in this meeting.
The meeting was positive, and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner was interested in resuming UM’s discussion with UGC and organizing an online meeting between UGC and UM to discuss the next step in the collaboration.
Universiti Malaya (UM) is a public research university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest-ranking Malaysian institution of higher education. The university has graduated five prime ministers of Malaysia and other political, business, and cultural figures of national prominence. In 2012, UM was granted autonomy by the Ministry of Higher Education. In the latest QS World University Rankings, UM is currently ranked 70th in the world, 8th in Asia, 3rd in Southeast Asia, and the highest-ranked learning institution in Malaysia.
After two UM promotion programs in Sri Lanka, Dr. Ramzy and the Late Prof Dr. Jayakody, the Director of the Institute of Human Resource Advancement (IHRA), University of Colombo, initiated a discussion with University Grant Commission (UGC) Sri Lanka and UM in 2018 on receiving Postgraduate students from Sri Lanka to UM, research collaborations and staffs & student exchange programs.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the apex body of the University System in Sri Lanka. It is a government agency responsible for overseeing and coordinating the higher education system in the country. The primary function of UGC is to allocate funding to universities and other institutions of higher education in the country. The UGC also promotes and coordinates research and innovation in higher education.
Following this initiation, an effort has been taken to introduce Prof. Dr. Kamila Ghazali, then Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) UM, to UGC Sri Lanka. In response, Prof. Dr. P.S.M. Gunaratne, then Deputy Chairman of UGC, sent an email in March 2018 expressing his interest in starting a discussion with Prof Dr. Kamila. Although the arrangement of such a meeting was discussed, unfortunately, this meeting was not held due to unavoidable reasons.
In a recent meeting of Dr. Ramzy with Air Chief Marshal Sumangala Dias, the high commissioner of Sri Lanka to Malaysia, at his office, he emphasized the benefits of resuming the discussion between UGC and UM. The High Commissionaire was very much interested and gave priority.
Dr Ramzy is from Hemmathagama Sri Lanka and a graduate of Jaamiah Naleemiah. He studied his undergraduate in Peradeniya University.
