On 28 November 2024, Dato’ Zahid, accompanied by Ms. Nidyakala Manian, Second Secretary, and supported by Mr. Manlio d'Agostino Panebianco, Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Padua, undertook a visit to Padua to explore the opportunities for collaboration in this city which has a strong entrepreneurial and education ecosystem.
With Prof. Daniela Mapelli, Rector of the University of Padua, discussions were held on cooperation on student exchange, research and accreditation. The university has a high proportion of international students and is one of the oldest universities in Italy.
Dato’ Zahid also met with Mr. Sergio Giordani, the Mayor of Padua. Their discussions focused on enhancing people-to-people interactions including tourism, trade relations, and Malaysia’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
A visit was also undertaken to Gruppo TV7 headquarters, a Northeast Italy media group with over forty years of experience in the television sector. During the meeting with Mr. Alex Chasen, CEO, discussions were held on the role of AI and technology advancements on the television and programming operations, as well as future collaboration between TV7 and Malaysian TV stations.
