GOWA, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Alauddin Makassar received an official delegation from two prominent Malaysian institutions, the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books (ITBM) and the Malaysian Scholarly Publishing Council (MAPIM), on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The meeting took place at Campus II of UIN Alauddin Makassar in Gowa Regency to discuss strategic collaboration in scientific publishing, translation, and academic literacy.

The event brought together university leaders, international office representatives, and visiting guests. Among the main delegates were Noor Amin Ahmad (Chairman of ITBM) and Sakri Abdullah (Chief Executive Officer of ITBM) representing ITBM, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Rahmah Awang representing MAPIM, as well as Dr. Serliah Nur, M.Hum., M.Ed., Head of the International Office of UIN Alauddin Makassar.

During the discussion, representatives from both Malaysian organizations shared their vision for the collaboration. Sakri Abdullah and Noor Amin Ahmad explained that ITBM hoped to synergize the strengths of both sides to produce bigger results, particularly in turning campus research into high-quality books that the wider public can easily read and digest. Speaking on behalf of MAPIM, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Rahmah Awang emphasized their commitment to building an active academic network, highlighting plans to organize joint symposiums, forums, and cross-border publishing initiatives.

In response, the Rector of UIN Alauddin Makassar, Prof. Drs. Hamdan Juhannis, M.A., Ph.D., welcomed the ideas and stressed the importance of internal campus consolidation through publishing.

“High-quality books must come from the campus. We need to learn from ITBM so that our academic works can become products that the wider public can easily understand and contribute directly to our institutional reputation,” said the Rector.

The gathering ended warmly with a token of appreciation exchange and a photo session, marking an inspiring step toward deeper regional academic partnership.