Malaysia Boosts Research Collaboration With Russia To Strengthen Higher Education Ties

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BURIRAM (Thailand), Aug 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Higher Education Ministry is ramping up its collaboration with Russia in research and innovation, marking a key step in a broader strategy to strengthen the higher education ties between the two nations.

The ministry's Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) Datuk Dr Megat Sany Megat Ahmad Supian said Malaysia is keen to secure more scholarships, research collaborations, and knowledge exchange opportunities with Russia through the Joint Russia-Malaysia Commission for Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Cultural Cooperation (JCESTC).

“Our ministry has been tasked with co-chairing the JCESTC alongside our Russian counterparts, with a particular emphasis on higher education,” he told Bernama after attending the 13th ASEAN Education Ministers’ Meeting (ASED) and related meetings on Monday.

He added that the upcoming JCESTC meeting, scheduled for Oct 9 to 11 in Russia, will focus on student exchange, innovation partnerships, and internship opportunities for Malaysian students.

Meanwhile, at the ASED and related meetings, Megat Sany expressed Malaysia's eagerness to collaborate with ASEAN partners to drive national development.

He noted that improving the global rankings of the country's public higher education institutions is a key strategy to increase research grants for Malaysia.

“Malaysia currently has five research universities ranked within the top 200 of the QS World University Rankings 2025. We are particularly proud of Universiti Malaya, which holds the 60th spot globally, along with four other research universities in the top 200.

"This strong academic standing positions us well to secure more grants, foster collaborations, and expand student exchange programmes with countries like the United States, Japan, China, South Korea, and Russia,” he said.

-- BERNAMA