The International Division, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) was officially formed in 1991. Initially, this Division consisted of five (5) Units—Bilateral Unit 1 (Europe/America/Australia), Bilateral Unit 2 ( Asia), ASEAN/APEC Unit, Multilateral Unit and Administrative Unit. The total staff at that time was 17 people.
During the reorganization of the Ministry in 2007, this Division underwent a minor structural transformation. All Units, except the Administrative Unit, have been aligned under a new section, the Technical Cooperation Section, to reflect the main functions of the Units. Another new section known as the Trade Promotion and Promotion Mission Section has been established to coordinate trade and promotion programs by MOSTI and local agencies related to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) abroad; help formulate MOSTI's position on trade matters related to STI; and to coordinate MOSTI's involvement in trade agreement negotiations among members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly in areas related to STI and MOSTI's functions. The Administrative Unit has not changed to this day.
Currently, the International Division consists of a total of 21 staff members. Thirteen (13) staffs comprise the Management and Professional Group (all are from the Administrative and Diplomatic service scheme) and eight (8) staffs from the Support Group.