IUPUI delegation begins day with Ministry of Education meeting and ends day with a work of art on a plate
With arms across their chests, the IUPUI delegation joins colleagues at the Ministry of Education Community College Division in signaling the ministry’s “soaring upward” goal.
By Becky Wood, Assistant to the Chancellor for Communications:
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017
Chancellor Paydar with Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail, and Dato’ Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly.
Did a little rain in the afternoon dampen the spirits of the IUPUI delegation in Malaysia? Not one bit. From the morning at the Ministry of Education Community College Division to the afternoon with Datuk Professor Asma Ismail, vice chancellor at Universiti Sains Malaysia, to the evening with the Yong family, the IUPUI delegation took the rain in stride.
The first meeting took place at the Ministry of Education in Putrajaya. If you are trying to envision the city, imagine if Washington, D.C., had been built about 20 years ago, so you have buildings that reflect the dignity and solidity of those in D.C. but with modern twists. The meeting was a productive exchange of ideas about the future of IUPUI partnerships in Malaysia, with a specific focus on engineering and technology graduates and online education.
Chancellor Paydar has a chance to spend time with Wae Yong, another of his former students from Malaysia.
Later in the day, members of the delegation met with professor Datuk Asma. In addition to her position as vice chancellor of USM, she serves as president of the Malaysian National Academy of Sciences. Datuk Asma graduated from Indiana University in the 1980s, and in her role as vice chancellor, she is exploring opportunities for partnerships, including post-doc exchanges and collaborative programs in multiple disciplines.
At the start of the meeting, we were fortunate that Dato’ Sri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly happened to be in the same meeting location, and he joined us briefly for a quick chat. Shazalli graduated from IU in the 1980s as well, and now he serves as regional CEO (Southeast Asia region) with Axiata, one of Asia’s largest telecommunications groups.
A work of art on a plate at Fukuda Japanese restaurant.
This evening the IUPUI delegation hosted the Yong family at Fukuya Restaurant. Fukuya, which translates into “house of happiness,” lived up to its name. With breathtaking presentations, each dish deserved a pedestal and a prize spot in an exhibition of food.
After pausing to admire, we dug right in. The conversation was especially lively, ranging from the delicate process of making homemade rice wine to qualities of the best Cuban cigars to fuzzy logic. Punctuation marks throughout the evening: laughter from everyone at the table.
The Yong family joins members of the IUPUI delegation for an evening to thank the family for all that they have done and to congratulate the Yong children on their history as IUPUI Jaguars. Go Jags!
Tags: IUPUI, Malaysia, ministry of education, Nasser Paydar, universiti sains malaysia
