The UNIMAS Edu-Tourism Student Mobility Programme, conducted by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in collaboration with Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN), exemplifies impactful partnerships between local, national, and international health institutions to enhance health and well-being outcomes. Through visits to major healthcare centres such as Sarawak General Hospital and community engagement in Kampung Pichin, the programme integrated interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) to strengthen students’ competencies in teamwork, patient safety, and public health. This cross-border initiative not only promoted experiential learning and cultural exchange but also fostered global readiness among future healthcare professionals to improve patient care and community health through multidisciplinary collaboration.

3.

UNIMAS has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fourier Intelligence, a global leader in smart rehabilitation robotics, marking a key collaboration aimed at integrating cutting-edge technology into rehabilitation medicine. The partnership will enable joint research, teaching, workshops, conferences and student/faculty placements, with a particular emphasis on developing affordable, accessible rehabilitation solutions (such as AI, robotic exoskeletons, virtual reality telerehabilitation and the Internet of Medical Things) for communities—including those in Sarawak—where delivering effective services may be logistically challenging. This collaboration aligns with the World Health Organization’s “Rehabilitation 2030” strategy and highlights how local academic-industry partnerships can leverage global expertise to enhance patient recovery, improve quality of life, and advance public health infrastructure.

“Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) Strengthens Ties with Pontianak Health Institutions in a Strategic Collaboration Visit”

A visit by FMHS to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia (24–29 Jan 2024) to reinforce partnerships with local health-education institutions such as Institut Teknologi dan Kesehatan Muhammadiyah Kalimantan Barat (ITEKES KALBAR) and Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN).

During the visit, the parties discussed a matching-grant proposal to expand joint research, explored increased student mobility and global-classroom opportunities, and reaffirmed a decade-long student- and staff-exchange programme (including a Basic Wound Care Education module for nursing undergraduates).

The delegation also engaged in community outreach — for example on diabetic-foot and wound care at ITEKES’s health-care centre — reinforcing the link between institutional collaboration and direct health-well-being outcomes for local communities.