He received the honorary doctorate of philosophy from IUJ president Hiroyuki Itami in a ceremony at a hotel in Fukuoka city where he is on a two-day working visit.

At the ceremony, Itami said the Look East Policy, which was mooted by Mahathir, had had a huge impact on higher education in Asean countries.

“It is recognised and appreciated that many Malaysian young people who studied abroad in Japan have contributed to today’s development in Malaysia under this policy,” he said, according to a IUJ statement released in conjunction with the conferment.

Itami also said the Look East Policy had served as the bedrock of the strong relationship between Malaysia and Japan.

Under the Look East Policy, the Malaysian government has sent hundreds of students and corporate trainees to Japan.

“Upon returning to Malaysia after graduating from universities or finishing their programmes at companies in Japan, these students have played an active and leading role in developing Malaysia and served as a bridge between Japan and Malaysia,” Itami said.

He said IUJ had taught more than 20 such Malaysian students sent by the Malaysian government since the 1990s.

Itami said IUJ also launched a programme called Japan-Global Development Program (JGDP) last year to offer learning opportunities to future top leaders from Japan, Asia, including Malaysia, Africa, and Latin America, about the Japanese experience of economic and societal development since the Meiji restoration, as well as the logic behind this development.

“IUJ warmly welcomes students from Malaysia to join the JGDP,” he said.

Itami also expressed hope that an even stronger bilateral relationship between Japan and Malaysia would grow under the Look East Policy in the new era.

“We believe that IUJ will play an important role in Mahathir’s Look East Policy, and in strengthening the relationship between Japan and Malaysia,” he said.