MELAKA: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) showcased its commitment to internationalisation and cultural exchange by participating in the Meet and Greet with International Students 2025 (MAGNET 2025), held at Dataran Pahlawan, here, on Tuesday (Oct 14).
The one-day event, organised by the Department of Higher Education in collaboration with Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) and hosted by Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), brought together around 1,000 international students from 32 countries studying at Malaysian universities.
Representing UNIMAS were two international doctorate students from China, Sun Zhao from the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts and Xu Haibin from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences accompanied by UNIMAS Global officers Mohd Ilham Abdullah and Noor Azfa Sheblee.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who officiated at the closing ceremony, commended the contributions of international students to Malaysia’s higher education sector.
“International students are part of the larger family of the Ministry of Higher Education. At the same time, they are ambassadors of their home countries.
“I encourage them to use their time in Malaysia not only to pursue academic knowledge but also to explore our multicultural society and build friendships that will become bridges between nations in the future,” he said.
Each university was assigned a country theme to represent cultural diversity and UNIMAS proudly carried the “China” theme through an interactive booth featuring calligraphy workshops, lantern decorating, chopsticks etiquette lessons and a tasting corner with traditional snacks and tea.
The booth, which drew strong interest from visitors, served as a platform for cultural sharing and mutual understanding among students of different nationalities.
UNIMAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit thanked UNIMAS Global for its active involvement and dedication in advancing the university’s internationalisation agenda.
“Participation in programmes such as MAGNET 2025 not only provides a platform for cultural interaction and global exposure but also contributes to the growth of our international student community and strengthens our global engagement,” he said.
