Touchdown in Kuala Lumpur and before embarking we are herded into the pointy end of the plane for a team photo with the PM – all giggles and subtle positioning.
Straight into business as we are all transferred in convoy with motorcycle outriders (I could get used to this…) to the official residence of the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib for a late lunch. Met with the head of Khasana Nasional, the Malaysian State investment company who have overall responsibility for the Educity development (home of USMC). He is well aware of concerns we have expressed about the planned positioning of overhead power cables on the site earmarked for potential expansion of our campus and assures me that every effort is being made to change these plans.
At lunch I sit next to Uwe Krueger CEO of Atkins Global a massive civil engineering company responsible among other things for the on time/on budget delivery of the Olympic games site. We are delightfully entertained with music, song and dance by schoolchildren, and in between the continuous entertainment we manage to have some useful conversations. Like many of the business leaders I have met he is aware of the University, but is surprised when I describe our achievements and facilities, and I am sure he will accept my invitation to visit our Faculty of Engineering in the coming months.
In the press conference that follows PM Najib singles out the commitment of British Universities to Malaysia as symbolic of a shared history and strong future relations, he specifically names the University of Southampton in his comments to the press (this subsequently makes the front page of one of the national English language papers). I’m a very smiley VC as a consequence.
We set off cross-country to the University of Nottingham campus on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur for a set piece event featuring the two PM’s, and a higher education roundtable discussion facilitated by David Willetts and his Malaysian counterpart Khaled Nordin. It is good to see what a well-established branch campus looks like and I was very impressed with the set up Nottingham have. We have much we can learn from their experience. The two PMs spoke at a meeting in support of the Global Movement of Moderates, David Cameron using the opportunity to again extol the virtues of democracy and attack religious extremism. Questions from the audience of students were brilliant, addressing contemporary international political challenges relating to Burma, Palestine and Iran among others. David Cameron gets the full rock star treatment as he goes on an impromptu walkabout at the University – nightmare for his security staff!
Our Education roundtable that follows was a rather subdued affair – Ministers signing a statement of cooperation followed by a brief discussion of issues. The Ministers tell me unprompted that our power cables are being seriously addressed! The UK team acquit themselves well in the discussions that follow. I used the opportunity to emphasise our desire to build on our existing links with UK businesses located in Malaysia, and to extend our partnerships with key Malaysian businesses. I have greatly enjoyed the company of Martin Bean the impressive VC of the Open University, Bob Craik, Vice-Principal of Heriot-Watt (also opening a campus in Malaysia this year), and Ian Pashby the Provost of the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Disappointingly Joanna Newman Director of the UUK International Unit is laid low with a bug and unable to join us. Joanne has done a sterling job all week in keeping us focussed on key issues for the UK higher education sector, rather than regressing to our natural state of boasting about our own Universities.
A long journey back to our hotel delivers us rather late to the final event – a business reception and dinner. One more speech by the Prime Minister – he can’t be accused of slacking on the job – and the tour is over. In the morning, the PM is making a previously unscheduled stopover in Burma to meet Aung San Suu Kyi with a much reduced delegation. Most including me are staying on to further their business or returning directly home. I have taken up an invitation to visit colleagues in Australia over the weekend and on Monday, but will be back in the office on Tuesday morning for UEG. It has been a remarkable, if occasionally surreal few days.