DRIVING THE NATION FORWARD THROUGH UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
KUALA LUMPUR, 17 October 2019 – International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has officially embarked on its first 2u2i initiative with the region’s largest quick service restaurant operator, QSR Brands (M) Holdings Bhd (QSR Brands) through its subsidiary, QSR Stores Sdn Bhd, for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme.
This collaboration is in support of the government’s mandate to propel Malaysia’s talent development through a redesigned higher education system in spearheading Malaysia’s socio-economic growth, thus driving the nation forward.
In line with the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education), 2u2i academic programme supports the implementation of flexible education through industry participation in curriculum design and experiential learning at the workplace. The embedded curriculum design enriches students’ industrial insights, sets to boost the rate of graduate employability.
The partnership was solemnised with a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by Emeritus Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Rector of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM); and Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azahari Mohamed Kamil, Group Managing Director of QSR Brands. Also present during the ceremony was Prof. Dr. Cairul Iqbal Mohd Amin, Deputy Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
The strategic partnership provides opportunity for BBA students to gain experiential learning through industrial training with KFC restaurants. Adopting the 3u1i model under the 2u2i initiative, students will undergo industrial training for a year- after three years of academic study.
“The first cohort of the final year BBA students who opted for this mode are expected to commence their industry placement at selected KFC restaurants in February 2020. During the attachment, students will be paid RM1000 allowance per month by QSR Brands. The main uniqueness of this initiative is the first cohort that was recruited among the final year students who have fulfilled the three-year university modules,” Emeritus Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, Rector of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) explains.
“As a long-standing establishment in Malaysia, we feel compelled to contribute to the efforts in unlocking the nation’s full potential through robust talent development programmes. We are proud to share our resources and state of the art training infrastructure with IIUM in bridging the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge in the academic programme, thus shaping more industry-ready graduates. During the one-year work-based attachment, enrolled students will complete five modules of 30 credits hours at our KFC restaurants as set and approved by QSR Brands. This will equip them with adequate exposure and hands-on learning in restaurant management global-best practise,” said Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azahari Mohamed Kamil, Group Managing Director of QSR Brands.
Both parties are optimistic that more mutually benefitting collaborations will take place through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was also signed today. This includes initiatives to embark on 2u2i academic programmes focusing halal, promoting innovation in sustainability through joint research, industrial training placements and collaboration for QSR Brands’ restaurant development project.
