Dr Tahir, Founder of Indonesia’s Mayapada Group, and his son Jonathan Tahir, have contributed S$1 million to establish the Tahir SMU–UGM Management and Faculty Development Programme (MFDP). The objective of the MDFP is for SMU to organise various events and programmes in collaboration with Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) towards building academic excellence, as well as creating new opportunities for innovation and co-operation, so as to help nurture the next generation of scholars and leaders in Singapore and Indonesia. Besides the gift agreement, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with representatives from UGM. The MOU entails faculty exchange and development, research initiatives, sharing of best practices in university governance, and exchange of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Prof De Meyer said that this collaboration will allow SMU faculty and students to acquire first-hand knowledge and experience in the largest economy and most populous nation in Southeast Asia, and promote knowledge exchange and interaction between the two universities.