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Sunway University Strengthens Collaborations with University of Cambridge


 Minister of Higher Education YB Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad recently witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the University of Cambridge and Sunway University, through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), at the University of Cambridge, to formalise their joint commitment towards strengthening educational and research collaboration between Malaysia and the United Kingdom. 


The MoU was signed by Professor Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge and Professor Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Sunway Education Group. Also present at the signing ceremony were Professor Dato’ Dr. Husaini Omar, Director General of Higher Education Malaysia; Professor David Cardwell, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Strategy and Planning, University of Cambridge; Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President, Sunway University and Professor Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam, Provost, Sunway University. 


“Educational institutions have a crucial role to play in building a brighter future for the generations to come. Therefore, the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia is truly committed to supporting the growth, sustainability and excellence of higher education institutions in Malaysia,” said Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, Minister of Higher Education Malaysia. “Partnerships between renowned institutions and Malaysian entities, such as the one we are witnessing here today, are crucial for Malaysia to achieve its goal of building a sustainable future for our citizens.”


A major highlight of this partnership is the recent establishment of the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the centrepiece of one of the largest biotech clusters in the world. The centre has contributed towards the advancement of biomedical knowledge and research and has enabled scientists to explore cutting-edge research to tackle some of the world’s major health challenges, such as COVID-19.


Professor Dr David Cardwell, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, highlighted his enthusiasm to continue working with like-minded  and visionary institutions passionate about being at the forefront of medical research. “The deepening of this collaboration between two world-class institutions is truly exciting. Our work together so far has produced significant results that can address real-world issues, and we are confident that this partnership will lead to breakthroughs in science and medicine in the coming years,” he said.


Upon the completion of the MoU signing, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and all VIPs in attendance proceeded to tour the state-of-the-art Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Among the delegation were Professor Dr Serena Nik-Zainal, a Malaysian Professor of Genomic Medicine and Bioinformatics at the University of Cambridge who has made outstanding contributions to breakthrough efforts in cancer research.


“The Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, which owns and governs Sunway University is fully committed towards nation-building and supporting Malaysia’s goal to become a strategic transnational education and research hub in Southeast Asia. This partnership with the University of Cambridge is one crucial step we are taking to realise that goal,” said Professor Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Education Group.


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