NUMed Faculty To Completed By 2011, Says Professor

JOHOR BAHARU, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The construction of Newcastle University of Medicine (NUMed), Malaysia's faculty in EduCity, Iskandar Malaysia will be completed by 2011.

NUMed's chief executive officer Professor Reginald Jordan said earth levelling works had been carried out and physical construction of the branch campus would be started soon.

Met by reporters after the signing of a definitive agreement to set up the faculty between the university and Iskandar Malaysia's investment arm, Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) at the Persada Johor International Convention Centre here Thursday, Jordan said the first batch of the students of the branch campus would be enrolled early next year.

"We will bring the initial batch of students to our home campus and they will come back here when the branch campus is compeleted in 2011," he said, adding the NUMed would be fully operational by 2012.

Jordan represented NUMed while IIB was represented by its managing director, Arlida Ariff.

The setting up of the faculty is in line with Newcastle University's expansion plans in Southeast Asia and is its first outside the United Kingdom.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Iskandar Region Development Authority co-chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, who is also Johor Menteri Besar, British High Commissioner Boyd McCleary, Newcastle University's vice chancellor Professor Christopher Brink and IIB chairman Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.