UTM CITY CAMPUS TO BE MADE INTERNATIONAL CAMPUS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) City Campus here will be turned into an international campus focusing on intake of foreign students, its Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Zaini Ujang said.

He said the move was part of UTM's plans to internationalise the university
in line with the government's aspiration and the higher education strategic
plan.

He said the campus was the most suitable location for the purpose as the
facilities available in the national capital would be able to cater to the
students' needs.

"They don't come to Johor Baharu because of the lack of facilities. For
example, post-graduate students from Arab countries would want to send their
children to Arab schools, but there are no such schools in Johor Baharu," he
said.

He was speaking to Bernama after a visit to the Malaysian National News
Agency's headquarters in Jalan Tun Razak, here Tuesday.

Zaini said UTM spent RM200 million to upgrade the infrastructure at the city
campus to cater to the needs of 5,000 students pursuing post-graduate degrees.

"We are in the midst of constructing two more buildings, namely a 17-storey
administration centre and 10-storey technology centre.

"Students who are not in the international programme will be relocated to
the Johor Baharu campus," he said.

He said UTM was also planning to increase the number of post-graduate
students from 37 per cent of total students at the moment to 50 per cent,
comprising mostly foreign students.

Apart from rebranding the city campus, Zaini said UTM would also strive to
achieve its target to have 10 per cent foreign lecturers and 200 foreign staff
in its academic line-up. (US$1=RM3.58)
-- BERNAMA