PETALING JAYA: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has become the country’s first public university to open a campus overseas.

       The Higher Education Ministry said the varsity has opened a campus in Doha, Qatar and its first intake of students would be in October this year.

       UKM signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) in Doha between UKM and The Regional Group of Qatar to expand its campus overseas, the ministry said in a statement on Friday (May 20).

       The Regional Group of Qatar, it said, was a company that manages property development, asset management, agriculture, stock investment and engineering consulting services in Qatar.

       The signing of the MOA was witnessed by minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, who said it opened a new chapter for Malaysian institutions of higher learning to achieve higher levels in terms of research and innovation, teaching and learning, and consulting and community development despite facing challenges brought about by the Covid-19 outbreak.

       “I am happy that UKM has contributed to this achievement and has taken the next step to expand its internationalisation involvement by expanding its wings to Qatar,” she said in the same statement.

       UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman said undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes will be offered at the campus.

       “The opening of UKM’s campus in Qatar will increase cooperation in consultancy and research, apart from offering courses and strengthening UKM’s brand in gulf countries.

       “We are very proud of this recognition,” he said.