PM To Launch Malaysia-Japan International Institute Of Technology On June 1

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak is scheduled to launch the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), here, on June 1. Japanese ambassador to Malaysia Shigeru Nakamura said MJIIT, located at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's international campus in Jalan Semarak, here, offered four undergraduate and post-graduate programmes to Malaysian students. The programmes are Electronic Systems Engineering, Mechanical Precision Engineering, Environmental and Green Technology, and Technology Management and Business. "MJIIT began its session in September last year with an enrolment of 100 students. Six Japanese professors are currently teaching at the institute and in two or three years' time, we plan to have more that 30 Japanese professors to teach at MJIIT," he told a media briefing at his residence, here. MJIIT is an academic institution established under Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to introduce Japanese-style engineering education based on an agreement between the heads of governnment of Japan and Malaysia in April 2010 and the project was approved in May that year. On tourism, Nakamura said Japan welcomed a steady influx of tourists from Malaysia following last year’s earthquake and tsunami. "The number of Malaysian tourists is growing now and we hope that Malaysia can send many more tourists which can really encourage the Japanese people in this regard," he said. Nakamura said the government of Japan had created several programmes after the tsunami to draw visitors by letting them witness and experience the restoration projects going on. One of them is the exchange programme for students and youths under its 'Kizuna' (bond) project called the Jenesys Programme which aims to bring 350 Malaysian youths to Japan beginning July this year. "It is hoped that these youths will then disseminate the information to the rest of Malaysians and convince them that it is now safe to travel to Japan," he said. Nakamura said Japan's Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology recently invited 10 Malaysian university students to visit Japan to conduct a study and prepare a report on the current situation there. "The government of Japan has been working really hard to disseminate information on the recovery and reconstruction process in Japan after the tsunami disaster, in order to gain the confidence and bring back tourists to Japan," he said. -- BERNAMA