SERDANG, 15 Sept – The university’s education internationalization process should benefit students and the alumni, said Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Pro Chancellor, Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Dr. Nayan Ariffin in his speech at the 6th session on the third day of UPM’s 36th Convocation Ceremony held here.
“The presence of foreign graduates should help to build a stronger rapport so that universal challenges that come without borders can be faced effortlessly in the future.
“Local and international graduates should establish a strong alumni alliance and aim to give back and contribute to the university’s growth as well as serving their respective countries,” he said.
He added that last year, UPM had succeeded in sending 271 local students abroad under the international mobility programme while this number increased to 435 students in 2012.
Tan Sri Dato’ Setia Dr. Nayan said the university should transform the system and its operational level to meet international standards.
At this year’s ceremony, a total of 6200 graduates received their scrolls, with 457 PhDs, 1895 Masters, 3,477 Bachelors and 371 Diploma recipients.
In the fifth session the same day, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Lim Ah Lek said in his speech that graduates as youth are expected to steer the economy of a community.
In relation to that, he praised the increased percentage of UPM’s final year students Entrepreneurial Skills, from 56.87% in 2010 to 81.30% in 2011 according to My3S.
“Part of UPM’s efforts is the collaboration with the Malaysia Trade Development Corporation (MTDC) under the graduates’ entrepreneurship programme involving 13 of UPM’s best technology inventions and 16 graduate entrepreneurs through trading companies.
“Another effort is the opening of 18 commercial locations within the UPM campus known as the Putraniaga and Putrabiz which are fully operated by students,” he said at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. Cultural and Arts Centre.
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Lim said UPM’s efforts also include offering entrepreneurial courses to all students to help increase students’ interest and knowledge in entrepreneurship.
“UPM’s has succeeded in their bidding for a total of 17 Knowledge Transfer Programme project grants worth RM2.356mil, the highest achieved among IPTAs,” he said.
