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The Secretary for Education (SED), Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, today (January 7) arrived in Kuala Lumpur for a two-day duty visit to enhance Hong Kong's communication and ties with the government and the higher education sector of Malaysia.
Mr Ng first met with the Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Education of Malaysia, YAB Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Bin Haji Mohd Yassin, and the Minister of Education II, YB Dato' Seri Idris Bin Jusoh, to exchange views on education issues of mutual concern.
Mr Ng introduced to the senior officials the latest developments of the education system and various new initiatives in Hong Kong, particularly those on higher education. He also discussed the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's endeavours to widen students' exposure through student exchange activities, sister school programmes and internship programmes outside Hong Kong, and more.
The SED expressed heartfelt thanks to the Malaysian Government for its continuous support and effort in forging partnership with Hong Kong. Both Mr Ng and the Deputy Prime Minister agreed to strengthen education co-operation between the two places.
Mr Ng took the opportunity to invite the Deputy Prime Minister for a reciprocal visit to Hong Kong. In addition, the two governments will work on a Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education Cooperation with a view to entering into an agreement later this year.
Mr Ng then visited the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), which in 2002 became the first private college in Malaysia to be recognised as a university college.
In addition to offering a variety of programmes, LUCT has also set up the Malaysia Design Innovation Centre to convert creative ideas by students into incubation possibilities for enterprises, and provides students with chances to incubate their businesses, such as a café, a fashion boutique and a fitness centre, in the campus. After meeting with the management of LUCT, Mr Ng toured various facilities in the campus.
The SED will visit the University of Malaya and Monash University Malaysia and meet with the presidents/vice-presidents of major higher institutions in Malaysia tomorrow (January 8).
Ends/Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:01
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