Lincoln Alumni Reap Rewards of Malaysian University Partnership

A celebration of a dual award programme offered to students at both University of Lincoln, UK and UoW M KDU Penang recognises a partnership of over 20 years that has offered students in both Britain and Malaysia incredible opportunities.    

A joint conference took place over the summer at UoW M KDU Penang, Malaysia which is part of the University of Wollongong Australia Global Network.  

Alumni speakers from across the world, including four Lincoln graduates, were present at the joint conference to give talks on their experiences, describing how participation in the partnership aided their personal development and professional accomplishments. 

The dual award programme, launched in 2016, gives students a unique international experience, and the partnership between the two institutions facilitates reciprocal cultural and academic exchange programmes with access to diverse teaching whilst sharing research and resources.  

Chan Cheng Yee was one of the selected speakers, having achieved a First Class Engineering degree from KDU Penang in 2003, in collaboration with University of Lincoln. Currently the Manufacturing Operations Program Manager at Intel Malaysia, he recently led a team to deliver a Wi-Fi-6 module to market in addition to working on several motherboard design projects. 

Molly Richardson, a University of Lincoln alumna who visited UoW M KDU Penang in 2017 to participate in an international student conference, spoke about how the experience broadened her horizons and built her self-confidence. Molly is now a Communications Analyst at the Bank of England. 

When speaking about her visit to Malaysia, Molly said: “It was a once in a lifetime experience and I can’t thank the University enough for giving that to me. It had an incredible impact on my last year of university and I met some of my best friends there who I now see on a monthly basis.” 

Dr David Cobham, Associate PVC & Dean for Global Engagement, said: “Working with UoWM for the last eight years has been an absolute pleasure. We have worked in the true spirit of partnership to create a style of dual award that is almost unique in the way it is constructed.  

“It is completely respectful of the local Malaysian curriculum which allows their institution to move forward and meet its goals. At the same time, it provides a robust and transparent framework within which a) students understand that they are studying for two different awards, b) staff know what is expected of them and their students and c) external examiners are able to establish that the standards being achieved in UoWM are not only equivalent to those at UoL, but also to those achieved at other UK Universities.  

“The most recent UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) review into UK Trans-National Education across Malaysia was extremely complimentary about the scheme and gave this novel approach its support.” 

Nine dual awards are currently available across the School of Computer Science, School of Film & Media, School of English & Journalism, Lincoln International Business School and School of Engineering.  

Successful graduates of these degrees can achieve a Bachelor Award from both universities through a detailed mapping of learning outcomes that clearly demonstrate competency in both the local degree and equivalent course.  

More information about the programme can be found at: Partnership with UOW Malaysia KDU Penang | University of Lincoln.