As part of efforts to improve the quality of higher education in entrepreneurship and strengthen international networks, lecturers from the Entrepreneurship Study Program at the University of Muhammadiyah Lamongan (UMLA) conducted a benchmarking visit to the Entrepreneurship Institute, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) on January 1, 2025.

The visit aimed to study the entrepreneurship education and development system at UMK, which is widely recognized as one of the leading institutions in entrepreneurship education in Southeast Asia. During the visit, the UMLA lecturers were welcomed by the management of the UMK Entrepreneurship Institute, including its flagship units, such as the Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED), the Institute for Small and Medium Enterprise (ISME), and the Global Entrepreneurship Research and Innovation Center (GERIC).

The benchmarking session included academic discussions, presentations on student business incubation programs, startup development systems, and collaboration strategies with industry and the global entrepreneurial community. The UMLA lecturers also had the opportunity to review the facilities and entrepreneurial ecosystem that UMK has developed nationally and internationally.

"We greatly appreciate UMK's openness in sharing knowledge and experience. This benchmarking provided many new insights relevant for implementation within the UMLA Entrepreneurship Study Program, particularly in strengthening the practice-based curriculum and global networking," said Ellis, a UMLA lecturer representative. This activity is expected to be the first step in establishing international cooperation between UMLA and UMK, whether in the form of academic exchanges, research collaborations, or the development of cross-border entrepreneurship programs.

With the spirit of continuous adaptation and growth globally, this benchmarking is an important part of UMLA's commitment to providing high-quality, competitive, and internationally-minded entrepreneurship education. [Kwu-Red]