University of Tsukuba, Malaysia

At the Japan-Malaysia Summit Meeting in June 2018, the Prime Minister of Malaysia requested the establishment of a "branch campus" of a Japanese university. I remember well that later in October the same year, they directly requested our university to establish a branch campus. More than five years have passed since then, and a memorandum of understanding for cooperation has been exchanged between both governments. Henceforth, University of Tsukuba, Malaysia will finally open in the fall of 2024.

The basic philosophy of University of Tsukuba is to create an open university with interdisciplinary and international characteristics. Our mission is to create new knowledge and to cultivate human resources who can realize and disseminate knowledge. Global issues such as global warming, food crises, and increasing poverty are becoming more serious throughout the world, including countries such as Malaysia and Japan. The dream of the University of Tsukuba, Malaysia, which offers a degree program called Transdisciplinary Science and Design (degree awarded is to be Bachelor of Arts and Science), is to design a more open future for the earth while continuing our philosophy.

Based on a request from the Malaysian government, the University of Tsukuba, Malaysia will create a new form of education. We have organized an innovative curriculum featuring problem-based learning (PBL) that combines Japanese-style education based on Japanese culture and ethics with the diverse and international features of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious Malaysia. Our goal is to develop human resources who can contribute to resolve global issues, and we expect that our graduates will create future societies through their initiatives throughout the world.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the companies and organizations such as local communities in Malaysia and Japan for their tremendous support to date. We would like to express our sincere gratitude and look forward to nurturing new talents together.