On August 10, 2026, The International Office of UIN Alauddin Makassar and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, held an exploratory coordination meeting via Zoom to discuss potential academic collaborations for the Master’s Degree Program in English Language Education at UIN Alauddin Makassar.
The virtual meeting brought together key representatives from both institutions. UIN Alauddin Makassar was represented by Dr. Sukirman, Head of the Master’s Program in English Language Education, and Dr. Serliah Nur, Secretary of the Master’s Program in English Language Education as well as Head of the International Office. Meanwhile, UiTM Malaysia was represented by Senior Lecturer Dr. Noridah Sain, Dr. Nurmala Sulaiman, and Haryati Ahmad, M.Ed.
The primary focus of the meeting was exploring the initiation of a collaborative teaching program for postgraduate students. Both parties discussed two candidate courses that could potentially be co-taught by UiTM lecturers, namely Oracy Pedagogy and Research Methodology in ELT. Dr. Noridah Sain expressed her interest in Oracy Pedagogy, highlighting her experience in teaching academic presentation skills. Meanwhile, the Research Methodology course was proposed to cover research paradigms, qualitative and quantitative approaches, and guided development of students’ research projects.
To initiate this prospective partnership, both universities explored the possibility of conducting the initial teaching sessions online. UIN Alauddin Makassar offered to assist with setting up the digital meeting links and coordinating class schedules. Both institutions planned to finalize the preferred course and scheduling arrangements before September.
Beyond teaching arrangements, both sides explored the exciting prospect of organizing a joint Student Mini-Conference. As an initial step, the proposed trial aimed to involve a small group of student representatives from UIN Alauddin Makassar and UiTM to present their research projects, exchange academic ideas, and build international academic networks. The discussion also covered potential future mini-seminars featuring broader topics such as TESOL and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education.
In addition, the meeting touched upon potential long-term academic engagements, including guest lectures, face-to-face sessions in Makassar, joint research initiatives, scholarly publications, and reciprocal involvement as external thesis examiners.
“This exploratory meeting marks a strategic step toward enhancing the academic quality and international exposure of our postgraduate program. We hope this collaborative initiative will enrich our students’ learning experience and pave the way for sustainable global partnerships with UiTM ” stated Dr. Sukirman, Head of the Master’s Program in English Language Education.
This exploratory meeting set a positive foundation for UIN Alauddin Makassar and UiTM to establish a structured, mutually beneficial academic partnership in the near future.
