UMPSA AND UNTAN STRENGTHEN ACADEMIC COLLABORATION THROUGH EXTERNAL EXAMINER APPOINTMENTS

PEKAN, 20 June 2026 – Eleven academics from the Centre for Modern Languages (CML), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), have been appointed as external examiners for the Research Proposal Seminar involving students enrolled in the Master's Programme in Educational Technology at Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN), Indonesia.

The appointment marks a significant recognition of UMPSA’s academic expertise and reflects the growing confidence placed in the university’s scholars by international higher education institutions. It also demonstrates UMPSA’s commitment to supporting postgraduate education, academic quality assurance and scholarly excellence beyond national borders.

The Research Proposal Seminar, which is which is being held from 20 to 30 June 2026, forms an important component of UNTAN’s postgraduate assessment process. Students are required to defend their research proposals before a panel comprising academic supervisors, internal examiners from UNTAN and external examiners from partner institutions.

Through their appointment, UMPSA academics contribute to the evaluation of research proposals by providing objective academic evaluation, constructive feedback and recommendations aimed at strengthening the quality and rigour of postgraduate research. Their involvement also provides valuable opportunities for scholarly exchange and professional engagement between academics from Malaysia and Indonesia.

The eleven UMPSA academics appointed as external examiners are Associate Professor Dr Zuraina Ali, Associate Professor Dr Hafizoah Kassim, Dr Ruhil Amal Azmuddin, Dr Azwin Arif Abdul Rahim, Dr Ezihaslinda Ngah, , Dr Wan Jumani Fauzi, Dr Mohammad Musab Azmat Ali, Dr Nor Yazi Khamis, Dr Wan Raihan Wan Shaaidi, Dr Umi Kalsom Masrom, and Dr Siti Norzaimalina Abd Majid.

According to Associate Professor Dr Zuraina Ali, Dean of the Centre for Modern Languages, their involvement marks a significant recognition of UMPSA's academic expertise and the university’s growing reputation within the regional higher education landscape.

"The appointment of our academics as external examiners reflects the growing confidence placed in UMPSA’s academic expertise. Beyond contributing to postgraduate quality assurance, it also provides valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange and professional networking with international partners," she said.

This collaboration emerged from ongoing academic engagement between UMPSA and UNTAN, which are currently in the process of formalising their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Discussions between the two institutions have identified several areas of mutual interest, including postgraduate education, research collaboration, academic mobility, scholarly exchange and international academic programmes. The appointment of UMPSA academics as external examiners represents one of the earliest outcomes of this growing partnership.

The collaboration is supported by the strong alignment between UNTAN's Master's Programme in Educational Technology and UMPSA's Master of Science in Technology-Integrated Learning (MScTILS), as well as the complementary expertise of academics from both institutions. These common strengths have created opportunities for meaningful academic engagement and knowledge sharing in areas related to educational technology, language education and postgraduate studies. Building on this engagement, both institutions are exploring additional areas of cooperation, including collaborative research, academic publications, Global Classroom initiatives, student and staff mobility programmes, and international scholarly activities. Upcoming initiatives also include a Guest Speaker Series as both universities continue expanding opportunities for international collaboration.

Prepared by: Wan Jumani Fauzi and Ezihaslinda Ngah