Taylor’s University has recently announced a new language and cultural immersion training programme for incoming foreign workers from Bangladesh as part of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The MoU was recently signed with the High Commission of Bangladesh in Malaysia and Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka.
Together with the High Commission of Bangladesh in Malaysia, the training programme by Taylor’s University School of Liberal Arts & Sciences aims to upskill the Bangladeshi workforce in various sectors of the economy and prepare foreign workers to work and live in Malaysia.
Derived from modules approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Education and Malaysian Quality Agency, the training components aim to teach participants Bahasa Malaysia and Malaysian cultural knowledge to enhance their psycho-social adaptation and integration into Malaysian society.
The signing of the MoU is deemed timely as Malaysia approaches its transition to the COVID-19 endemic phase, opening its borders to the rest of the world, and welcoming new foreign workers into the country.
“Malaysian companies employ a sizable number of Bangladeshi workers in mostly construction and manufacturing sectors here, who have contributed immensely to the economies of both Malaysia and Bangladesh. We see it as a mutual benefit to assist in the smooth integration of this workforce into Malaysia,” said Md Golam Sarwar, High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Malaysia.
“I hope effective implementation of this MoU will advance developmental interests and aspirations of both Bangladesh and Malaysia going forward,” he said.
Under the MoU, the three parties agreed to further expand their collaboration in the areas of education, research, academic exchange programmes, training, capacity-building initiatives, and producing publications to disseminate policy expertise or scholarship.
“For over two years, our three organisations have directed our focus and expertise on fostering the spirit of understanding between Malaysia and Bangladesh. Now we are putting an official stamp of solidarity on a strong foundation that has been already built on trust, cooperation, communication, and a dynamic common vision,” said Professor Dr Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences & Leisure Management.
“Celebrating fifty years of the diplomatic relationship between Bangladesh and Malaysia, this MoU will enhance our ties in Education and Research. It will also be an example for other research centres in the future,” said Professor Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, Treasurer of the University of Dhaka.
The MoU was signed to formalise and deepen the collaboration between the three parties, which had been initiated in 2020 by Professor Dr Anindita Dasgupta, Head of the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Mr Mohammad Khorshed A Khastagir, Minister & Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Malaysia, and Professor Imtiaz Ahmed, Director, Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka.
The collaboration has resulted in several events and webinars including the celebrations of International Mother Language Day 2021 and 2022, to promote the preservation and development of native languages globally.