Contact Information

Available for logged-in reporters only

Newswise Officials of the University of California, San Diego and Perdana University in Malaysia have announced a plan to collaborate on further development of the Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (PUGSOM). UC San Diego was chosen from among the top schools of medicine in the United States to lead this initiative.

UC San Diego has a long history of excellence in education, research and medicine, said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. Our School of Medicine is ranked among the nations top graduate programs, and UC San Diego Health System has been ranked number one in San Diego for four consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. We are excited to share our expertise and knowledge in the power of academic medicine, and collaborate with Perdana University in joint research efforts.

Perdana University is delighted to work together with UC San Diego. This collaboration will bring tremendous opportunities to both institutions. This venture will drive Perdana University towards its goal of achieving international distinction as well as bring it recognition as an elite and successful academic institution, said YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Chancellor of Perdana University.

The collaboration is designed to help Perdana University (PU) capitalize on the breadth and depth of UC San Diegos experience in stimulating and helping to sustain San Diegos status as a major research, health care and biotechnology hub.

The 10-year joint collaboration will focus on enhancing and implementing a forward-thinking medical curriculum, a model for comprehensive patient care and a platform for innovative world-class research in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, said David A. Brenner, MD, vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Opportunities for clinical research from a global health perspective will exist in many areas, including cardiovascular, neuroscience, tropical diseases, diabetes, cancer and trauma care.

This collaboration will help PU to achieve its vision of becoming a top-tier academic medical center serving the 21st century healthcare needs of Malaysia and the broader region, said Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Mohan Swami, Chairman of Board of Governors of Perdana University. It will also accelerate the growth of a vibrant biomedical research, biotechnology and pharmaceutical infrastructure, helping to elevate Malaysia as a global center for translational medicine.

This is an exciting and important collaboration that will benefit both universities through shared knowledge and expertise, and especially through joint research, said Mounir Soliman, MD, MBA, assistant vice chancellor and executive director of UC San Diego Health Sciences International. Joint research will help improve health in Malaysia and empower Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine to train the future health care workforce. Perdana University is the first medical school in Malaysia to offer graduate entry medical education similar to the United States model.

Professor Dato Sothi Rachagan, Vice Chancellor, and PhD Barrister of Law of Perdana University also stated that UC San Diego Health Sciences will assist in creating and refining the organizational infrastructure and facilities necessary for the continued growth of the graduate medical school program, including faculty recruitment, academic program development, student enrollment and the advancement of research and clinical needs.

Read more:

UC San Diego and Perdana University Partner to Advance Medical Education and Research