Local SEEDS representatives were recently invited by the Islamic State University Sultan Syarif Kasim II (UIN-SUSKA) in Pekanbaru to attend a formal event for the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the two parties. This new strategic partnership comes with the placement of a SEEDS member in the Faculty of Psychology as part of a new program to support the improvement of Academic English at the university.

Speeches were given to clarify the purpose of this partnership.  SEEDS members explained the role that strategic partnerships such as this play in achieving SEEDS’ vision for the alleviation of poverty in Southeast Asia.  Despite the somewhat formal setting of the signing ceremony, there were plenty of smiles once the documents were finalized and photos were taken together.

A week later, the official opening for the “English for Academic Advancement Program” was held at UIN-SUSKA’s Faculty of Psychology facilities, with SEEDS’ representatives, faculty dean and lecturers, students, and other faculty representatives in attendance.  The dean expressed how this English program was an important step towards achieving what he termed an “international Psychology class”, where students from abroad could come and study at their faculty in English, obtaining a Psychology degree that would be acknowledged on the world stage.

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