Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) aims to expand its academic footprint in China following a proposal by Baoding University to support the initiative.
During UniKL’s working visit to Baoding University in Hebei Province from 6 to 9 January 2026, the Chinese institution proposed the potential establishment of a UniKL Centre in China.
The proposed centre would serve as a strategic platform to coordinate academic collaboration, research initiatives, industry engagement, and programme delivery between UniKL and its Chinese partners.
It is also envisioned to facilitate joint programmes, academic exchanges, and innovation-driven collaboration in emerging fields of engineering and digital technology.
Discussions during the visit focused on developing long-term institutional collaboration, particularly through the establishment of Sino–Foreign Cooperative Education (SFCE) programmes under a 4+0 offshore delivery model.
The model would allow students in China to pursue UniKL academic programmes locally while obtaining a UniKL qualification, thereby strengthening UniKL’s international academic presence and expanding access to its programmes.
The UniKL delegation was led by Deputy President (Industry, Internationalisation and Institutional Partnerships) Prof. Ir. Dr. Azmi Hassan and Director of UniKL Malaysia-China Institute (MCI) Mohd Firdaus Hassan.
Baoding University was represented by its President Prof. Sun Shengcun, Vice President Prof. Ma Lijuan, as well as deans and academic representatives from the Schools of Engineering and Artificial Intelligence.
Commenting on the collaboration, Prof. Ir. Dr. Azmi said the partnership reflects UniKL’s commitment to strengthening global academic networks and expanding opportunities for transnational education.
“Initiatives such as the proposed UniKL College of Digital Intelligence Engineering and the establishment of a UniKL Centre in China will further enhance UniKL’s international presence while creating pathways for talent development, research collaboration, and postgraduate advancement,” he said.
The collaboration also complements ongoing Sino collaborative initiatives involving the UniKL Malaysian Institute of Industrial Technology (UniKL MITEC) and the UniKL Malaysian France Institute (MFI), particularly in supporting transnational education delivery and strengthening UniKL’s international academic network.
As part of the engagement programme, Mohd Firdaus Hassan also delivered a lecture titled “Agile Engineer: Adapting to Rapid Change” at Baoding University’s School of Artificial Intelligence.
The lecture highlighted the rapidly evolving technological landscape in modern engineering. It emphasised the importance of continuous learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, cross-cultural communication, and ethical engineering practices in the digital era.
Note: In line with Malaysia’s aspiration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) continues to strengthen and expand its efforts through various initiatives. This article particularly supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
