Johor explores the Sarawak Foundation's approach to a powerful educational ecosystem

KUCHING, 2 Oct: The Government of Johor State explores the approach of Sarawak Foundation in expanding access to education, financing management, talent development and human capital building through a landmark visit to its headquarters.

The visit was chaired by the Chairman of Johor State Education and Explanation Committee, Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali, along with the delegation of the committee to Wisma Adenan, Kuching on 29 September.

According to the Sarawak Foundation, the visit is aimed at providing exposure to Johor delegation on strategic initiatives and best practices implemented in developing educational ecosystems in Sarawak.

Among the things shared were the implementation of Free Higher Education Initiative (FTES) at Sarawak Government's fully owned institutions, including Curtin University Malaysia, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) and i-CATS University College.

The delegation was also briefed on the management of institutions under the Sarawak Education Group Foundation (YSEG), which includes higher education institutions, skills colleges and the Sarawak International Secondary School Foundation (YSISS).

In terms of education financing, the Sarawak Foundation shares implementation of various schemes including Tun Taib Scholarship, Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship, UNIMAS Special Medical Program Scholarship, BP40 Bursary as well as domestic and overseas study loans.

The partnership also covers student support and community welfare initiatives such as free laptop provision, book vouchers, school uniform assistance, free school transportation as well as the Sarawak Graduate Home Initiative (iGPS).

The digitization of student services was also highlighted through my-Yayasan app, APPLY@YS review portal and application as well as cashless payment channel collaboration with S-Pay Global.

In addition, the Johor delegation was also exposed to Sarawak Foundation's cooperation network with strategic partners in high-tech industries, including SMD Semiconductor and Sarawak Artificial Intelligence Centre (SAIC), as well as Federal ministries and agencies.

The Sarawak Foundation said that the partnership has the potential to be a guide for Johor in strengthening the state's education ecosystem, in line with the aspirations of the 'Forward Johor 2030' agenda.

The approximately one-hour landmark visit also opened opportunities for the two states to strengthen knowledge and experience sharing in education, especially to support the development of young generation in Sarawak and Johor. -TVS