Partnerships with Malaysian universities focus on AI, data science

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University continues to expand its international horizons through the signing of partnerships with several Malaysian universities focusing on artificial intelligence and data science.

Dimitrios Peroulis, Purdue’s senior vice president for partnerships and online, joined education representatives from the Malaysian government and Malaysian academia and industry in signing memorandums of understanding, or MOUs, laying out goals to create impactful and economically viable educational content and opportunities.

The MOUs’ primary objective is to extend Purdue’s land-grant mission internationally by developing new online programs in the rapidly expanding areas of AI and data science, thereby expanding new educational programs and fostering new research work.

“We are thrilled to take the next steps with our new partners, having gained valuable insights into the needs of Malaysian students,” said Peroulis, Purdue’s Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “These initiatives are set to ignite groundbreaking advancements in education and research, fostering dynamic collaborations between industry and academia.”

While in Malaysia, Peroulis attended signing ceremonies with education representatives from UCSI University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, UCSI College, Universiti Tenaga Nasional and AI Nusantara, a leading institution for AI and semiconductor innovation and talent development. He also met with Zaini Ujang, chair of the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2015-2025 task force and the secretary-general of the Ministry of Higher Education.

The partnerships come on the heels of Purdue announcements of an online Master of Science in data science in August and an online Master of Science in artificial intelligence, which features two majors.

The partnerships with Malaysian education leaders will initially focus on professional development programs and dual/joint graduate-level degrees or certificates. Each MOU lasts for four years.

The agreement with each education partner allows opportunities for online study programs, faculty exchanges and joint research efforts to be explored. Funding for the initiatives may come from Malaysian national sources, international funds and Purdue’s own programs. 

These partnerships are the latest to advance Purdue’s international reach. In July, President Mung Chiang signed three MOUs with premier European research institutions to deepen existing ties and accelerate research and educational opportunities. He signed the strategic agreements with the University of Piraeus and the Technical University of Crete, both in Greece, and King’s College London.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.