On Monday, August 27, with assistance of the Russian Business Council for Cooperation with Malaysia, two prominent scientific and educational organizations, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and University Malaya’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Academy of Islamic Studies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

Before the signing ceremony parties had a short session where they briefed each other about the background and core activities of Institutions and shared opinions on future collaborations.

In the framework of MOU the parties have agreed to implement the following programmes and activities:student and/or academic and administrative staff exchanges;joint research;exchange of publications, reports and other academic materials andinformation; sharing of other activities and programmes in areas of mutual interest, where such sharing shall result in benefit to both Parties, participation in each other’s Conferences and other events.

The MOU was signed by Dr.Vladimir Sautov, Deputy Director for Development of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Russian Business Council for Cooperation with Malaysia from Russian side, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hanafi Hussin, Acting Dean, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya, from Malaysian side.

Sides have agreed to host a roundtable meeting to draft a Roadmap of activities for the nearest future.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Russian Business Council for Cooperation with Malaysia and University Malaya and received press coverage by Malaysian and Russian mass media and TV.