For students at Manipur University, a new agreement with a Malaysian university could open opportunities to study abroad, join research projects and gain international academic exposure.
Manipur University and INTI International University, Malaysia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding through a virtual ceremony on September 3. The agreement covers student and faculty exchanges, internships, joint research and collaborative academic programmes.
INTI’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, Professor Goh Khang Wen, said the university could accommodate up to twenty exchange students per semester. He described a one-semester arrangement offering a tuition fee waiver and free accommodation, with a stated visa fee of fifteen hundred Malaysian ringgit.
For interested students, the details will matter. Specific activities, financial arrangements and programme terms will require further written agreement between the institutions, subject to their regulations and available resources.
Prof. M. Premjit Singh, Registrar, signed the MoU on behalf of Manipur University, while Prof. Dr. Goh Khang Wen, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Global Engagement, signed on behalf of INTI International University. Prof RK Hemakumar Singh, Vice Chancellor, Manipur University; Prof. Memcha Loitongbam, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Manipur University; and Prof. Dr. Asokan Vasudevan, Director, International Relations and Collaborations Centre, INTI International University, signed as witnesses.
Speaking at the ceremony, Manipur University Vice Chancellor Professor R.K. Hemakumar Singh expressed readiness to take the partnership forward. Linking the collaboration to the National Education Policy 2020, he highlighted the opportunities that internships and student exchanges could offer.
He also emphasised sustained engagement to turn the agreement into meaningful academic cooperation.
Professor Goh similarly called for partnerships that deliver tangible benefits for students and staff. He identified joint research, visiting scholar programmes, conferences and possible degree collaborations as areas for further engagement.
He also acknowledged Doctor Anne Thingnam’s role in recommending the partnership and introducing Manipur University’s academic strengths.
The agreement extends across science, technology, engineering, business management, social sciences, humanities and liberal arts.
Professor Ch. Ibohal Meitei, Director of the Manipur Institute of Management Studies, highlighted opportunities for joint publications, seminars, workshops and cooperation across disciplines. He said the benefits could also extend to university staff and other institutional functions.
The universities will explore entrepreneurship and incubation initiatives, skill development, language teaching and cultural exchanges. Internships, field studies and collaborative projects are also envisaged.
For Manipur University’s students and scholars, the agreement creates a framework for wider academic contact beyond the campus. The next step is to develop specific programmes and communicate how students and researchers can participate. Those details will determine how the partnership translates into opportunities they can use.
The MoU provides a broad framework for cooperation in education, liberal arts, business management, entrepreneurship, science, technology, engineering, social sciences and humanities. Joint research, exchanges of faculty members and research personnel, and collaborative publications are among its principal provisions.
For students and scholars, the agreement envisages exchanges, internships, field studies and collaborative projects. These activities could widen access to academic expertise, support research across disciplines and provide opportunities to learn in a different institutional and cultural setting.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are also included, with provisions for jointly promoting incubation and entrepreneurship centres, consultancy activities and skill development related to educational technology. The universities will explore cooperative degree and certificate programmes, professional language teaching and cultural exchanges.
Joint conferences, seminars, workshops, training programmes and academic meetings would provide further platforms for sharing knowledge and developing research networks. Other areas identified in the agreement include sustainable development goals, connectivity, culture and responsible tourism.
Specific activities, financial arrangements and programme terms will be developed through mutual written agreement, subject to institutional regulations and the availability of resources.
Others present from Manipur University included Prof. Angom Dilip Kumar Singh, Director, Research and Development Cell; Prof. Mayanglambam Lilee Devi, Director, Women’s Studies Centre and Dr. Sakila Nongmeikapam, Press Relations Officer, Manipur University. Dr. Tafara Mudzengi, Assistant Manager, International Relations and Collaboration Centre (IRCC); Dr. Thingnam Anne, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts, INTI International University, Malaysia; and Miss Tanushri Natasha Anne Paramesvaran, Executive I, IRCC also participated from INTI International University.
