WIGAN and Leigh College has won another prestigious contract abroad - this time with the British Malaysian Institute, which is to be opened soon by the Queen during the Commonwealth Games.

The Institute is a partnership between the British and Malaysian Governments and industry from both countries.

The college will provide for the development, training and education of Malaysian lecturers in both Wigan and Malaysia.

Major industrial UK partners include British Aerospace, Vickers, BICC and Rolls Royce.

Project director in Kuala Kumpa is Martin Williamson, of British Aerospace, who along with Saniah Reduan, principal of the BMI, visited Wigan and Leigh recently to finalise the agreement on training programmes for lecturers.

The college staff are currently working with a pilot group of three Malaysian lecturers on the training programme and to develop teaching material for use in Malaysia on electrical, electronic and computer courses.

In April, 26 new lecturers will arrive to undertake a similar teacher and technical training programme at the college. These lecturers will then deliver BTEC HND programmes to BMI students in Malaysia.

College principal Margaret Murdin has been invited to attend the royal opening ceremony.

A college spokesperson said: "It is a particular honour to the college and staff to have been invited to work on this project. It indicates the high esteem in which the college is held throughout the world for its engineering provision."

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