PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Japan are united in strengthening their cooperation in education to enhance bilateral relations and create a more comprehensive strategic partnership, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The prime minister said several initiatives were discussed with his counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, in this area, including the establishment of a branch campus of the University of Tsukuba in Malaysia.
Other collaborations include partnerships between Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Waseda University and between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the Japan International Institute of Technology (JIIT).
"Keio University is an important institution. It is where Ishiba studied, and I have had a good relationship with them.
"Therefore, I have asked him to ensure Keio University is involved in some of our programmes, including the civilisational dialogue, as there is a keen interest in fostering interaction between Islam and Taoism," he said.
He said this at a joint press conference with Ishiba during the latter's official visit to Malaysia today.
Earlier, Anwar and Ishiba and their delegations held a bilateral meeting to discuss the progress of relations between the two countries. Anwar also thanked Ishiba and his delegation for choosing Malaysia as the first country to visit.
"This shows how seriously he views Malaysia and the cooperation on various issues to strengthen our bilateral relationship into a comprehensive strategic partnership. This includes trade and investment, which are priorities for both countries," he said.