Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia and Australia have agreed to the establishment of a Joint Working Group (JWG) aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of higher education. This decision was announced by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir following a courtesy call from Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke, at Parliament.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zambry shared details of the agreement in a Facebook post, highlighting the potential collaborations between higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia and Australia. The discussions included partnerships in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Zambry expressed hope that this meeting would lead to closer collaboration between the two countries in higher education and other fields, building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year.

Zambry noted that Australia is a leading country in higher education, and Malaysia has proposed its direct involvement in the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) programmes. These programmes include the Festival of Ideas (FOI), women’s capacity and leadership development programmes, and student sponsorship under the Colombo Plan.