FAME, Alibaba.com sign MoU on training

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Zhang Jun (seated left) and Chew at the signing of MoU. Also seen are (from third left standing) Salang, Tan Kai and Khairil.

KUCHING: FAME International College (FAME) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Alibaba.com, the B2B arm of Alibaba Group, to jointly offer e-commerce training designed to equip SMEs and individuals with skill sets required by today’s digital economy.

FAME was represented by its chief executive officer David Chew while Alibaba.com was represented by Zhang Jun. A political secretary to the chief minister Tan Kai who represented Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Julau MP and Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Datuk Joseph Salang and chairman of FAME International College, Dato Sri Khairil Awang witnessed the event.

The signing of the MoU was in line with the state government’s vision to empower the local economy with online business, as well as Alibaba.com’s commitment to supporting Malaysia’s development of digital economy through talent incubation in line with the vision of the Electric World Trade Platform (eWTP), which seeks to remove barriers to trade for smaller firms and emerging nations.

“This event will surely be recorded as historic. I am proud of the fact that a Sarawak-based higher learning institution is collaborating with a globally-recognised brand – Alibaba.com – to establish a platform to provide training to our local SMEs,” said Dr Sim whose text of speech was read by Tan Kai.

He said as the state government aims to transform itself into a digitalised economy, this joint effort will help SMEs in the state to contribute positively to build a pool of e-commerce talents in the local business community.

To promote the digital economy, the chief minister recently announced a RM1billion allocation for the construction of more telecommunications infrastructure in the state.

Khairil, on the other hand, said it was timely that the college and Alibaba.com entered a joint collaboration in human capital development in Sarawak for its transformation into a digital economy.

Since the college’s establishment in 1998, it has continuously striven to develop and conduct programmes and courses that are industry-relevant, he added.

“FAME’s vision ‘A world-class education provider that transform individuals by nurturing, cultivating, and instilling wisdom and high awareness’ is fitting. With the collaborative effort between FAME and Alibaba.com, we hope to play our part in contributing to the state’s attainment of its vision,” he said.

Earlier, Chew said with the signing of the MoU, FAME will implement the ‘Global E-Commerce Talent (GET)’ programme, which is part of Alibaba.com whereby Alibaba.com provide third party trainers to coach FAME staff and students in the field of e-commerce, finance, and other related curriculum.

Subsequently, FAME and Alibaba.com will jointly provide training and certification programmes to SMEs in Sarawak to contribute to the growth of e-commerce talent in the local business community.

The college is a local higher education institution registered and approved by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). It provides certificate, diploma and bachelor degree programmes and professional courses such as Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). These programmes are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).