By Dr. Cristina G. Gallato, CPA
Dean, School of Business

A group of SMU administrators headed by Rev. Manuel D. Valencia, CICM, Ph. Dem., SMU president, braved the outside world in forging partnerships between the university and other higher educational institutions in Singapore and Malaysia on April 22 to 26, 2009. Although the initial MOU between SMU and Utara Universiti Malaysia (UUM) was signed on May 1, 2008 at the University of Saint Louis of Tuguegarao, the formal MOA between the two institutions was signed at UUM on April 23, 2009. The details of the MOA like academic, research and cultural exchange were discussed between the two parties. They also exchanged best practices in their respective universities.

Before the formal meeting between the two parties, the host university officials brought the SMU representatives to the various facilities inside the campus of UUM, around the very wide university premises, and into the nearby places within Alor Setar.

On their way to Singapore, the SMU representatives dropped by at Kuala Lumpur (KL) to tighten SMU friendship with Binaloud University (BU) of Iran, through Mr. Ali Moayedi, BU’s representative who is based in KL. Mr. Moayedi brought them around KL.

The last leg of the trip was at the Cavalry School of Management and Design (CSMD) in Singapore. Dr. Victor Yu, owner/principal of CSMD, Singapore, showed his school to Fr. Manny and company. Several details of the partnership were discussed between the parties.