The courtesy visit by the Ambassador of Italy to Malaysia to the Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Italy Design Institute (UniKL MIDI) ushers in a new phase of collaboration between the two countries.
Led by His Excellency Raffaele Langella, the delegation paid an inaugural courtesy visit on 31 March 2026. Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) was represented by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Azman Senin.
Prof. Ir. Dr. Azman Senin said the visit reflects continued engagement following collaborative efforts, including initiatives such as the UniKL–Fassi Teaching Factory, which has set a new benchmark for industry-driven TVET education.
“UniKL will continue to support such initiatives and play an active role in potential collaborative efforts to be developed between UniKL MIDI, the Embassy of Italy to Malaysia, and partners in Italy.
“We truly value our relationship with the Italian Embassy, and we hope that the linkages between UniKL and the Embassy will remain strong in the fields of education, industrial partnership, and other potential areas that will benefit both Italy and Malaysia,” he said during the engagement.
Also present were Second Secretary at the Embassy of Italy to Malaysia, Mr. Francesco Pezzarossi; Commercial Attaché, Mrs. Adele Di Lullo; Chief Executive Officer of Rizoma, Mr. Fabrizio Rigolio; Head of Design School at Istituto Europeo di Design Milan, Mr. Giacomo Bertolazzi; and Dean of UniKL MIDI, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Zaid Abu Yazid.
During the visit, His Excellency also toured UniKL MIDI’s facilities, including railway equipment laboratories such as the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) depot, trackwork system, signalling system, track interlocking system, and the full-scale Operations Control Centre.
Several UniKL campuses were established through government-to-government collaborations.
In the context of Italy, UniKL’s partnership with Italian institutions began in 2009 when it was invited to join the consortium of the Erasmus Mundus project, AREAS.
This was followed by AREAS+ in 2011, led by Politecnico di Torino, one of Italy’s leading technical universities.
Formerly known as Universiti Kuala Lumpur Institute of Product Design and Manufacturing (UniKL IPROM), UniKL MIDI is the first UniKL campus established with a specialisation in design and manufacturing.
UniKL MIDI is also a member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia and actively participates in its initiatives.
As part of the broader Malaysia–Italy collaboration, UniKL, through its UniKL Malaysia France Institute (UniKL MFI), earlier this year officially launched its first off-campus Teaching Factory focused on the crane manufacturing industry.
The facility operates within the premises of its industry partner, Fassi Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd., located in the Arab Malaysian Industrial Area in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
Established in 2013 in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, FASSI Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Italy-based FASSI Group, a global leader in the production of truck-mounted hydraulic cranes.
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).
