KUALA LUMPUR, 18 August 2026 - Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) continues to strengthen its academic ties with Iraq through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysian University in Baghdad (MUB), opening new avenues for strategic collaboration in education, research and human capital development.

The signing ceremony, held at the UMPSA Kuala Lumpur Campus, was attended by UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, YBhg. Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah binti Alias; Adviser to the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Iraq and Chairman of the MUB Board of Directors, Professor Dr. Talal Yusaf; Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Kuala Lumpur, Associate Professor Dr. Abduljaleel M. Mageed; and MUB President, Professor Dr. Ismail Abd Rahman, together with the leadership of both institutions.

Under the MoU, UMPSA and MUB have agreed to strengthen cooperation in curriculum development, academic consultancy, benchmarking and programme quality assurance, particularly in the fields of Mechatronics Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The collaboration will also encompass Training of Trainers (TOT) and academic capacity building, including the sharing of expertise and experience among UMPSA academics.

In addition, both parties have agreed to explore student mobility, joint research and publications, as well as professional training.

MUB is currently preparing for its inaugural student intake in October 2026, with pilot programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Law and Mechatronics Engineering.

As a technical university with expertise in engineering, technology, industry and TVET-based education, UMPSA is well positioned to contribute its expertise to the development of MUB’s academic programmes, particularly in curriculum development, benchmarking and quality assurance.

The collaboration with MUB marks a continuation of UMPSA’s established academic network in Iraq. Currently, UMPSA has six strategic partners among Iraqi higher education institutions, namely University of Technology, Baghdad; Al-Mustaqbal University; Al-Maarif University College; Al-Ayen Iraqi University; Al-Farahidi University; and KUT University College.

This network has expanded through various activities, including joint publications, the organisation of conferences and symposia, research, expertise sharing and participation in international grants.

According to the UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, the university’s existing collaborative network provides an important foundation for expanding its internationalisation efforts into the Middle East and developing more strategic and impactful academic partnerships.

UMPSA’s academic ties with Iraqi higher education institutions have also been strengthened through the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Malaysia, particularly in connecting UMPSA with higher education institutions and strategic partners in Iraq.

Such support is regarded as important in expanding institutional networks and facilitating academic engagement, research and the exchange of expertise between UMPSA and Iraq’s higher education ecosystem, including through the new collaboration with MUB.

In her welcoming remarks, Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah said that Iraq holds an important place in the history of knowledge, scholarship, science, culture and intellectual exchange, with Baghdad having once been one of the world’s leading centres of learning.

She said that the establishment of MUB was highly significant as it provided an opportunity to build bridges between Malaysia and Iraq through education, knowledge and competency development.

“The Memorandum of Understanding that we are signing today marks a good beginning. However, the MoU is only the beginning. What is more important is what we do after this signing,” she said.

The signing of the MoU marks a new chapter in UMPSA-Iraq relations by connecting UMPSA’s existing collaborative network with a new strategic partnership with MUB, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Malaysia. It further strengthens the efforts of both countries to advance higher education, research and human capital development in the future.