President Yu Zhigang (Left) and President Nor Aieni Hj. Hokhtar sign OMU

President Nor Aieni Hj. Mokhtar of the University of Malaysia Terengganu visited Ocean University of China on November 25, 2016. OUC President Yu Zhigang met with the delegation in the Second Meeting Room of Xingyuan Building at OUC Laoshan. The two universities exchanged ideas on cooperation before signing the MOU. 

President Yu expressed his welcome to UMT Presidential Delegation, saying that China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been well responded by the countries along the Silk Road including ASEAN. Taking this opportunity to serve the national strategy and OUC development, OUC as a pioneer in China’s oceanography and fisheries is willing to have wider exchange with UMT and more universities of the ASEAN countries along the Silk Road. President Yu hoped that the MOU would bring two universities into pragmatic cooperation for a win-win outcome. In addition to research and joint application for projects, they can also work with the enterprises to help them go global and do better in technology transfer for the benefit of the local economy. 

President Nor Aieni Hj Mokhtar was glad to sign the MOU with OUC, expecting to cooperate more with OUC in joint research, student exchange and joint education. She hoped that OUC professors can give lectures in UMT and UMT young faculty can visit OUC. President Nor Aieni Hj. Hokhtar hoped that a joint research center of common interest can be established in UMT, a leading aquaculture and marine education institution in Malaysia with favorable research environment by the sea.

Also under discussion was how to promote the exchange and cooperation between OUC and the members of ASEAN Fisheries Education Network, with which OUC signed MOU and joined ASEAN-FEN+ at the end of October this year. As one of the core members of ASEAN-FEN, UMT boasts Prof. Mazlan Abd. Ghaffar, Director of UMT College of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Permanent Co-Chairman of ASEAN-FEN, as well as Associate Professor Yeong Yik Sung, Secretary-General of ASEAN-FEN, who also visited OUC with UMT President this time. This meeting between the two universities will be followed by more cooperation with other ASEAN science and education agencies while connecting OUC with more member universities of ASEAN-FEN. According to the preliminary agreement, a consultation meeting will be held in Qingdao in March, 2017 on China-ASEAN Cooperation on Fisheries Education. OUC will invite the Presidents and Deans of the core members of ASEAN-FEN as well as the representatives of the relevant sectors to the meeting for a new cooperation platform between OUC and ASEAN universities.

Song Wenhong, Director of OUC International Office, chaired the meeting and the signing of the MOU. Introductions were made about the related colleges by Li Qi, Dean of Fisheries College and Bao Zhenmin, Dean of the College of Marine Life Sciences. Also present at the meeting was Qi Zizhong, Associate Professor of the College of Marine Life Sciences. 

By OUC corespondent 

Photo by Zuo Wei

Translated By Liang Hong

Exchanging souvenirs