PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT BETWEEN DISTED COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY
SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW
THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT BETWEEN
DISTED COLLEGE AND THE
UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY
28 JUNE 2022
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Her Excellency Pam Dunn,
High Commissioner of New Zealand to Malaysia
Prof Dr Brian Imrie,
CEO, DISTED College
Prof Dr Vikneswaran Nair,
President, DISTED College
Mr Ben Burrowes,
Regional Director Asia, Education New Zealand
Ms Siti Karina,
Internationalisation coordinator of the University of Canterbury
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies & gentlemen
A very good morning to everyone.
Together with Her Excellency Pam Dunn whom I last met in December 2021, I am pleased to be here to witness the formation of a partnership between DISTED College in Penang and the University of Canterbury.
As Malaysia strives to recover and regain our footing from the disruptions over the last 2.5 years, education remains as one, if not the most important tool in nation-building. In this regard, the higher education sector plays an invaluable role in realising Malaysia’s target of becoming a high-income nation. I am also pleased to note that Malaysia’s position as an education hub is consolidated further through initiatives such as today’s collaboration announcement between Penang’s DISTED College and the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
Given that the University of Canterbury is well known for its Engineering and Science programmes, with its Civil Engineering programme ranked 9th in the world (Academic Ranking of World Universities, 2021) and DISTED College holds the distinction of being Penang’s first private college and is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, I am confident that such synergy will not only contribute towards achieving the aspirations contained within the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2015–2025 but one that will also complement Penang’s 50 years of industrial excellence and beyond.
Having marked our transformational beginnings as an industrial hub with the presence of the Eight Samurais in the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone in 1972, Penang’s industrialisation journey has grown from strength to strength. With a robust manufacturing ecosystem in place, Penang’s reputation as the Silicon Valley of the East flourishes with the steady presence of, and strong interest from global investors.
In this context, the matter of talent and expertise for Penang becomes ever more important. If we aim to secure greater accolades beyond being the “Silicon Valley of the East”, for Penang to remain as one of significant players in the global supply chain, and for this state to be the destination of choice for foreign direct investments, it is absolutely crucial that the available talent pool and education standards available in Penang is of the utmost quality possible.
With a reputation for producing industry-ready graduates, I am advised that DISTED College’s new management team comprising of Prof Dr Brian Imrie, a New Zealander, and Prof Dr Vikneswaran Nair, a Malaysian, are the capable hands that will consolidate the institution’s strength in the provision of pre-university/diploma studies, while simultaneously expanding provision of bachelor programmes in the areas of greatest need to the state. The establishment of a partnership with the University of Canterbury will enhance access to higher education, through allowing students to commence their studies in Penang before seamlessly pursuing undergraduate degree studies in New Zealand. This will significantly lower the cost of education and broaden the range of available degree opportunities.
Penang has also embarked on a journey to transform into an internationally recognised smart city, rated amongst the most liveable, not just in Asia, but globally. With the State’s Penang2030 vision to make Penang a ‘Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’, this is a clarion call for a collective and better future that is only possible from affirmative actions from the present state government and the various stakeholders within the Penang society. Indeed, I note that the College’s mission of seeking to ‘collaborate to ensure graduates are change-makers and support the creation of a sustainable and inclusive world’ is a welcomed reflection of the Penang2030 vision.
With Penang being an ideal place to live and study, as evidenced by the increasing number of foreign students who choose to make this state their home away from home, it is hoped that this collaboration will attract students from across Southeast Asia and the world to study in Penang before proceeding to higher level studies. I take this opportunity to emphasise my personal wish, at a time when industry players are trying their hardest to attract and retain the best in the race for talents, that they will return to our shores after completing their studies and make full use of the many career opportunities available in Penang.
May this be a fruitful partnership and I look forward to hearing more of its success. Thank you.