MMU is ranked among Top 3 ‘most entrepreneurial private universities’ and was named ‘Premier Digital Tech University’ in 2017 in Malaysia

Dubai, February 7, 2019: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has entered into a partnership with Malaysia’s leading digital-tech institution Multimedia University (MMU) to establish a new platform for collaboration in higher education with the goal of nurturing a new generation of knowledge workers.

The partnership was sealed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two universities. CUD was represented by its President and Vice Chancellor Professor Karim Chelli, and MMU by Professor Datuk Dr. Ahmad Rafi Mohamed Eshaq, President and Chief Executive Officer. 

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Rafi was very positive on the partnership. As a university recognised in Malaysia as a trendsetter, MMU is keen on developing strong ties with other ranked international institutions, particularly those with inclination towards entrepreneurship, he said.

'We at MMU believe that CUD has chosen the right university in its goal to nurture a new generation of knowledge workers, considering that MMU has extensive experience which we can share in producing graduates that are sought after by the industry. We recognise that CUD has an outstanding reputation of its own, so we are very excited about the possibilities of growth for both sides.” 

Prof. Chelli commented, “As we are gradually embedding entrepreneurial skills into all our programmes at CUD, Malaysia as the ‘entrepreneurial nation’ and MMU as the university of choice for students in Business, Engineering, Communication and Computer Science are the perfect fit for us. 

“MMU has a stellar reputation in Malaysia among leading tech employers, such as Dell, Cisco, Microsoft and Intel. It has been ranked among Top 3 most entrepreneurial private universities in Malaysia, and was given the status of ‘Premier Digital Tech University’ in 2017. The strengths of both institutions are complementary, and I believe this is the start of a very fruitful relationship.”
 
The signing ceremony was also attended by Professor Dr. Ho Chin Kuan, MMU’s Vice President (Academic & Internationalisation), and Professor David Santandreu Calonge, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Arts and Sciences at CUD. 

The new partnership represents a step up in advancing CUD’s vision to become an international, world-class institution by developing mutually-beneficial relationships with leading universities around the globe, and in particular, across the Asia-Pacific region. The collaboration will create opportunities for CUD and MMU academics to work together on strategic intercontinental projects, as well as offering articulation pathways to students of the two universities. 

MMU is the first private university in Malaysia and is credited with establishing a successful model for private tertiary education in the country. It is now host to over 15,000 students across three campuses and 10 faculties, and has served as a catalyst for the development of Malaysia’s high-tech ICT industry, similar to the Silicon Valley-Stanford in the United States. 

CUD’s partnership with MMU will bring forward short-term academic projects, such as the forthcoming International Summer School in Dubai, collaborative symposia and conferences, as well as longer-term initiatives. These include joint degree programmes, reciprocal articulations, and the exchange of students and researchers.