REMARKS BY H.E. DATO’ JAMAIYAH M. YUSOF
AMBASSADOR OF MALAYSIA TO MEXICO
FOR THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN
UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA AND
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE STATE OF MEXICO
TOLUCA, ESTADO DE MEXICO
21 JANUARY 2013
Muy buenos dias
Dr. Eruviel Ávila Villegas
Governor of the State of Mexico
Dr. Fernando Serrano Migallon
Deputy Secretary of Higher Education
Secretariat of Public Education
Lic. Raymundo Edgar Martinez Carbajal
Secretary of Education of the State of Mexico
Lic. Martha Hilda Gonzalez Calderon
Mayor of Toluca City
Dr. Eduardo Gasca Pliego
Dean of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico
Lic. Bernardo Olvera Enciso
Deputy Minister for Medium & Higher Education of the State of Mexico
Madam Blanca Sandoval Barragan
Special Cultural Attache of the Embassy of Mexico in Malaysia
Deans and members of the academic communities
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
First of all, allow me to thank you for giving me the opportunity to say a few words at this auspicious ceremony. I would like to thank Dr. Eruviel Ávila Villegas who is with us today for his support to the cooperation between Malaysia and Estado de Mexico in education. I would also like to thank the academic community of Estado de Mexico for their initiatives and efforts in establishing academic links with their counterparts in Malaysia.
2. The National University of Malaysia or UKM is one of the most distinguished higher learning institutions in Malaysia. It was founded more than four decades ago on the aspirations of the indigenous Malay communities of Malaysia to promote national identity and culture. The University is host to the Institute of Occidental Studies which has established links with Latin America since 2008 with the appointment of Dr. Carolina Lopez of Tec de Monterrey as its Visiting Fellow. In 2010, the University appointed Madam Blanca Barragan, Special Cultural Attache of the Embassy of Mexico in Malaysia as its Visiting Scholar. In 2011, the University appointed H.E. Jorge Alberto Lozoya, Ambassador of Mexico to Malaysia as its Adjunct Professor for two years.
3. With Estado de Mexico, the University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universidad Intercultural del Estado de Mexico (UIEM). In 2010 and 2011, the University received UIEM four students respectively to participate in its Mobility programme. UIEM has donated valuable book collections from Mexico to the University as references for students and scholars in Southeast Asia who are interested in the studies of Latin America. The University has also organised the International Colloquium on Latin American Studies in Asia (LASA) since 2008 and the third and most recent colloquium was held in October last year. More projects are being planned between the two universities.
4. I am pleased to announce that through this academic link with Estado de Mexico, the Embassy was able to form a cultural troupe with students of the University of Ixtlahuaca. The troupe has practised with the cultural troupe from our Tourism Malaysia office in Los Angeles last year. This is one of the ways that we are doing to promote and create awareness about Malaysia to the Mexican public.
5. The signing of the MoU that we have witnessed today will take the collaboration in education between Malaysia and Mexico to a higher level. With the links already established and cooperation already in place, the MoU will pave the way for more cooperation in the future, in education and other sectors as well.
Thank you.