The MOU for the Malaysia-France Doctoral Network was signed on Janary 17th of 2008 in Kuala Lumpur. The ceremony was witnessed by the Honourable Dato Ong Tee Keat, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, and H.E. Mr. Alain du Boispean, Ambassador of France to Malaysia.
This project has been designed to facilitate joint-doctorate programmes for Malaysian lecturers or future lecturers from public universities in collaboration with a French university, in all domains of sciences and technology, humanities and social sciences.
The MOU was signed by the Vice-Chancellors of eleven (11) Malaysian public universities identified by the Ministry to take part in this programme. These universities are: University of Malaya, University Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Malaysia Teregganu.
On behalf of the French universities, it was signed by Prof. Olivier Audéoud, President of the Commission for European and International relations of the Conférence des Présidents d’Université, CPU (Conference of University Presidents, an institution under the Ministry of Higher Education, representing all the French public universities). On basis of their collaboration history with Malaysia and the orientation of their international policy, 8 universities have been identified to take part in this specific programme. These universities are the University clusters of Bordeaux, Brittany, NancyParis-East and Toulouse, and the universites of Burgundy, La Rochelle et Tours.
Selected students will be awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Higher Education for the duration of the doctorate (3 to 4 years), and are bound to one of the 11 selected Malaysian Universities to come back and work as a lecturer.
The objective of this programme is to train Malaysian lecturers or future lecturers at doctorate level and to enhance the research links between French and Malaysian universities.
For more details : www.mfuc.org Simon Cordonnier CUFM
