The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) hosted a monitoring visit from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) on 10 June 2024. The delegation, led by Mrs. Karolina Garbaliauskaite, CBHE Project Advisor, along with Mr. Eero Oinonen from the European Union (EU) Delegation in Kuala Lumpur and a trainee, Ms. Aiyani Zakaria, visited to receive updates on the progress of the Postgraduate Micro-credentials for Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) project. This project was granted to the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) by the European Commission ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program. The project is set to run from 2023 to 2026 and aims to provide short-term courses through micro-credentials focusing on food security and climate change concerns. It will also utilize technological advancements to offer online learning modules that address these issues.
During the visit, Prof. Dr. Zalilah Mohd Shariff, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, and UC Executive Officer for UPM, provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s achievements, highlighting its progress and focusing on the contributions made by the Malaysian partners over the past six months. Additionally, the dean emphasized the coordinated efforts of each project leader across the University Consortium in managing tasks under the five work packages. Assisting Prof. Dr. Zalilah was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nitty Hirawaty Kamarulzaman, the Deputy Dean of SGS and UC Coordinator for UPM, along with Ms. Nur Nadjla Ahmad Razei, Ms. Nur Nadiah Abdul Rahim, and Ms. Nursyareiza Azali, all from SGS-UPM.
Also present online were project partners from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azwan Awang, Dean of the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, assisted by Dr. Nurul Mayzaitul Azwa Jamaludin and Dr. Mohamad Asrol Kalam. UMS likewise showcased their progress and contributions to the PMC FSCC project.
At the end of the visit, Prof. Dr. Zalilah expressed gratitude on behalf of the University Consortium to ERASMUS+ for its generous funding support, which has played a vital role in advancing the goals of international collaboration, academic exchange, and innovation in higher education toward food security. She reaffirmed the consortium’s commitment to achieving the project’s objectives with dedication and excellence.
