A Joint Declaration, between Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) was made during an international workshop on Diversity and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at UiTM recently.
The declaration has been signed by the Dean of Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies (FSPPP), UiTM, Assoc. Prof. Dr Abdul Jalil Mohamed Ali and Vice President of International Relations, JAIST, Prof. Dr. Shungo Kawanishi on 19 February 2020. It comprised of 35 participants consisting of students, academics and administrative members from FSPPP and JAIST. JAIST aims to report to the United Nation agencies and update them regarding the efforts and actions being done in promoting global leadership to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s.
Dr Hajjah Zainab Mohd Noor, Director of the Office of International Affairs (OIA), UiTM officiated the international workshop witnessed by the Dean, FSPPP; the Deputy Dean of Research and Industry Linkages FSPPP, Dr. Memiyanty Abdul Rahim, the JAIST team, Prof. Dr Shungo Kawanishi, Dr. Kotona Motoyama and other participants. They convened at UiTM from 17th to 19 February 2020 to discuss initiatives to enhance global leadership among students and universities. All participants shared their thoughts on the immediate need for a global leadership towards a better future for mankind. They recognized the UN’s 17 SDGs as common goals that need to be achieved urgently with the efforts of everyone.
The workshop had three sessions, firstly lectures on the three themes with a special focus on sustainable goals, diversity, and collaboration. This was followed by a group discussion where students, academics, and administrative staff from both universities shared ideas and opinions regarding the themes reflecting each participant’s background, knowledge, and interest. Finally, the presentation of the selected themes was done before embarking to the declaration session. The workshop acknowledged that it is critical for responsible academic institutions to provide young people with many opportunities for global exposure through collaborations.
Collaboration is a significant human quality that can contribute to the happiness of people. It is firmly believed that the willingness to contribute to one’s diverse abilities and to find solutions for common problems will surely lead to the making of a better future for mankind.