- Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) signed an MoU in Shanghai on 5 November 2025 to strengthen Malaysia-China educational collaboration.
- The partnership covers academic development, research, capacity building, student and staff exchanges, and programs in AI, engineering, medicine, maritime studies, and green technology.
- Initiatives include scholarships, tuition fee support, joint research, and mobility programs, aiming to empower students and deepen Malaysia-China ties.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have marked the beginning of a new chapter in Malaysia-China educational collaboration with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Shanghai on 5 November 2025 in the presence of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Rural and Regional Development, who termed the collaboration an important step in MARA's global education agenda.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ahmad Zahid praised SJTU’s standing as one of the world’s leading institutions particularly in engineering, science, medicine and innovation, and said that MARA holds the university in the highest regard. He said the MoU opens up 'meaningful opportunities' both for the two institutions and the two nations, and marked the formal launch of strategic collaboration in academic development, research and capacity building.
Under the terms of the agreement, MARA will tap into SJTU's expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, computer science, engineering, medicine and maritime studies. A Technical Advisory Committee is to be set up which will concentrate on data analytics, green technology and research commercialization through joint seminars, professional training and benchmarking programmes.
The partnership also envisions student and academic staff exchanges: SJTU academics could give lectures or go on residency at MARA affiliated institutions while MARA lecturers will have the opportunity to receive training at SJTU in quantum technology, aerospace engineering and biomedical sciences.
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Beyond training and exchange, the MoU contemplates student mobility programs including semester exchanges, summer or winter schools, and research internships that would see MARA students immersed in SJTU's advanced research ecosystem, while the SJTU students might come to Malaysia for industry training and ASEAN-focused programs to promote cross-cultural understanding.
Ahmad Zahid also emphasized that special tuition fee categories, merit-based scholarships, fixed discounts, or waivers will be looked into in the hope of making world-class education more accessible to Malaysians, especially Bumiputera students. Joint research and teaching collaborations will focus on the priority thematic areas: AI, sustainable energy, biotechnology, smart cities, digital manufacturing, and maritime technology.
The partnership also involves joint postgraduate student supervisions and co-publishing academic work supported by co-sponsorships and scholarship opportunities, laboratory grants, and fee reductions for Malaysian scholars. Ahmad Zahid said he believed the MoU would be a starting point for a transformative partnership in empowering students, enhancing research collaboration, as well as strengthening the bonds of long-standing friendship between Malaysia and China. He said SJTU is rated among the top universities in the world, adding that at present, about 235 Malaysian students study there.
