Strategic partnership and internationalisation are the key factors to produce holistic, dynamic, and competitive faculty members in achieving Globally Renowned University by 2025. This makes everyone in Faculty of Applied Sciences (FSG) a major and sought-after asset. The direction and scope of FSG Internationalisation Strategy is determined by priorities outlined in UiTM2025 Strategic Plan and takes into consideration a global trend that shape the current international education and research environment. Internationalisation was encouraged via staff and student mobility programmes such as exchange programmes, summer programmes and sabbaticals, a collaborative network involving academic programmes, research, and consultancy activities as well as through an increase in international academic staff.
The faculty always strive to enhance our international research and funding through international joint publications, acquiring international grants, and establishing university and industrial research partnerships.
In 2021, the faculty recognises that the international landscape has significantly changed due to COVID-19 pandemic, thus we promote virtual-based internationalisation activities during travel restrictions. We were fast to adapt with the virtual Mobility Student Exchange Programme, Conference, Summer Programmes and Lecture Series which enable students to receive international education and experiences without having to leave home, both outbound and inbound.
FSG has received a total of 45 inbound and 174 outbound students from ASEAN countries, Japan, UK, Austria, Qatar and Portugal, making it the highest mobility throughout the history of FSG. The virtual mobility amongst staff members were also escalating through joint webinar and lecture series, research co-supervision and meetings to initiate international collaborations. FSG has successfully organised joint events such as EnvChem2021, InSoFoST2021 and FB UKSW-FSG UiTM2021 to strengthen the relationship between universities.
In facing the challenge brought by the pandemic, FSG adopted proactive global engagement strategies by deepening the existing and exploring new partnerships with universities and industries. To date, FSG has established partnerships with 22 international universities through MoU/MoA in which 4 of them are from Top 300 QS World University, and 4 partnerships with international industries through MoU/LoA.
Series of programmes were executed to guide our staff to write papers or applying grants. Through the Ace-Pub Series Programme, incentives were given for articles published in indexed journals, proceedings and chapters in books. In 2021, a total of 194 Scopus indexed publications were produced of which 99 involved international collaborators. Under Ace-Grant Series Programme, webinars and workshops were conducted in which grant recipients were given a platform to share tips on writing high quality research proposal papers.
Consequently, FSG has received more than double the number of internationally funded grants in 2021 than the previous year. FSG also succeeded to earn a spot for Chemistry as one of the 13 subjects listed in UiTM by QS World University Ranking (WUR) by subject 2021. This achievement has granted UiTM to be recognised as the 8th best institution that offers Chemistry subject in Malaysia. FSG will thrive on going above and beyond and with this momentum, it is not impossible that FSG, together with the people of UiTM will reach GRU2025 in style.