A world of opportunities
FROM May 2 to 4, Malaysia will be welcoming delegates to the annual Going Global conference. Themed “Global Connections, Local Impact”, the conference will welcome education leaders from around the world.
In preparation for this prestigious event, the education sector in Malaysia has rallied to ensure that this conference reinforces the country’s reputation as an educational hub.
It has been almost 20 years since the University of Nottingham became the first British university to establish an overseas campus. We deliver a world-class British education to 5,000 students every year and recently celebrated our 10,000th graduate.
Recognised globally for our pioneering spirit and excellent student experience, we are pushing the boundaries of global higher education with new initiatives and partnerships that allow us to extend our reach to South-East Asia and beyond.
We try and demonstrate how our global activities benefit the different communities we engage with, as many other universities do. As such, we have planned a few events in London and Nottingham in the run-up to Going Global that will celebrate our contributions in Malaysia and our connection to South-East Asia.
We will be hosting several events in London on April 24 in collaboration with Asia House, The British Malaysian Society, UK-ASEAN Business Council, British Council, the United Kingdom government and UK-based embassies and high commissions of Asean countries. These events will explore the role of education, research and people in building relations between the UK, Malaysia and other nations.
If you are an alumnus and will be in London on that day, e-mail vc-events@ nottingham.ac.uk.
April 25 is Nottingham and Malaysia Day, which celebrates the connection between Nottingham and Malaysia with several events for our staff (many of which have worked in Malaysia), current students (44,000 in total) and alumni (270,000 worldwide). We hope to provide them with more information about studying and working in the UK, Malaysia and at our other campus in Ningbo, China.
After the UK events, our team will be back in Kuala Lumpur for Going Global. The University of Nottingham will be a significant presence at the conference.
Coinciding with the conference is the launch of “Discover our world” on May 3 – a campaign that aims to raise our profile. It will showcase the unique experience we provide, from the world-class British education to the research work that transforms lives and strives to find solutions to today’s societal challenges.
Invited guests, colleagues, friends and keynote speakers will join our president and vice-chancellor Prof Shearer West in witnessing a live Malaysia-themed experiment by Prof Sir Martyn Poliakoff as part of his Periodic Table of Videos series, which has attracted over 175 million hits on YouTube.
Prof Poliakoff will also be participating in guest lectures at Petrosains for schoolchildren and science communicators from across Malaysia.
Our evening event during Going Global will feature inspirational presentations from some of our leading researchers on elephant conservation, mathematics, cancer research and the future of food, which all have the potential to impact and transform the lives of many Malaysians.
Hosting Going Global presents an opportunity to showcase Malaysian education and promote the country. The British Council team, led by its director Sarah Deverall, should be congratulated on bringing this conference to Malaysia.
As the event draws closer, I wish them every success. The Higher Education Ministry also deserves special mention for its support in realising the event.
As provost of the University of Nottingham Malaysia, I think this activity affords us an opportunity to further develop our global connections, showcase that we offer the very best of British education and demonstrate the impact of our research on the societies and economies of Malaysia.
For more information on the conference, visit www.britishcouncil.org/going-global.