KUCHING: The Physical Education and Health Department of the Institute of Teacher Education Tun Abdul Razak Campus (IPGKTAR) reached another milestone when it became the first Institute of Teacher Education Campus in Malaysia to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the premier University Malaya (UM).
UM is the highest ranked learning institution in Malaysia and also the highest ranked Malaysian university in QS world university rankings at 146.
The MOU between the Sports Centre, UM and the Physical Education and Health Department, IPGKTAR was signed by Sports Centre acting director Dr Lim Boon Hooi, IPGKTAR director Hamsiah Abdullah Masni and head of Physical Education and Health Department Salmi Lilek.
The signing was witnessed by Sarawak Sports Corporation (SSC) chief executive officer Dr Ong Kong Swee, who is also director of Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS), at the Sports Centre in University Malaya.
The Sports Centre – UM is the first tertiary institution in Malaysia to offer the Bachelor of Sport Science degree and has post-graduate programmes (Master’s and PhD) – is well equipped with the latest cuttingedge sports science equipment and laboratories.
Lim said the formal agreement will enable UM and IPGKTAR to continuously enhance research and professional development between both institutions as well as joint research programmes, conferences, intellectual properties, staff and student exchange programmes.
In addition, he expressed his sincere gratitude to Dr Chin Ngien Siong who has been collaborating with UM in research and currently looking into the possibility of patenting intellectual property with him.
Hamsiah thanked the Sports Centre of UM for making the MOU a success, as it provides a framework for both institutions to broaden and deepen the scientific and pedagogical content in sports science and teaching pedagogy that can be practically applicable in a physical education and sports context.
Dr Ong commended Hamsiah, Chin and the Physical Education and Health Department for realising the MOU and their leading roles in developing sports science in Sarawak as it serves an excellent platform for continually upgrading best practices, knowledge and expertise (sports science) shared in this partnership in Sarawak.
He is very keen to have a MOU between SSC and MSNS with the Sports Centre and their collaboration in the Sukma International Sports Science and 2nd Malaysian Sports Psychology Conference (SISSMSPC) before the conference which will be held from May 10-12 next year.
The MOU and collaboration is very important to develop the scientific knowledge and technical skills with UM’s accredited leading experts in sports science for long-term athletics and coaches development in Sarawak. Dr Ong also invited Lim and Dr Teo Eng Wah as speakers for the conference as well as their staffs, researchers, post-graduate students to present papers in the SISSMSPC conference.
He added that SSC and SSSC will be collaborating with IPGKTAR, IPG Kampus Batu Lintang, UiTM Sarawak, Asian- South Pacific Association of Sports Psychology, International Society of Performance Analysis of Sports Asia and Malaysian Sports Psychology Association in hosting the SISSMSPC conference.