Curtin Malaysia and UTS enhance collaboration in education and research

Miri – 23 March 2022 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) to strengthen their collaboration in a number of key areas.

The areas include the sharing of academic knowledge and best practices, staff and student engagement and exchange, joint education and research activities, and joint organising of academic and scientific conferences and symposiums.

Signing on behalf of Curtin Malaysia in a virtual signing ceremony was Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Professor Simon Leunig, while Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Datuk Khairuddin Abdul Hamid signed for UTS.

Signing as witnesses were Curtin Malaysia’s Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Science, Professor Tuong-Thuy Vu, and UTS’ Director of Centre for Research and Development, Professor Salfarina Abdul Gapor.

In his speech at the start of the ceremony, Professor Leunig said that as both Curtin Malaysia and UTS are owned by the Sarawak Government, it is only natural that there be closer ties and strong synergies in their education and research activities.

He added that he looked forward to the commencement of a number of planned joint activities this year, and with further easing of health and travel restrictions, also more face-to-face engagement between staff of Curtin Malaysia and UTS.

Professor Datuk Kahiruddin shared Professor Leunig’s sentiments, saying that the MoU was signed in the spirit of ‘brotherhood’ between the two state-owned institutions, and he too was excited to see research collaborations including joint international grant applications getting underway.

Following the MoU ceremony, Curtin Malaysia and UTS jointly hosted a half-day online research sharing session on 25 February 2022 where 25 academic staff from both universities shared their research work in the areas of energy, biotechnology and food technology, peat soil stabilisation and management, drone technology, block chain and wastewater treatment. The sharing session enabled the academics to establish new research networks for future collaboration.

Staff of Curtin Malaysia will be visiting the UTS campus in Sibu in next month, which will be reciprocated by a visit by UTS staff to Curtin Malaysia thereafter. A joint conference is also being planned for the end of the year.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

Screengrab of the ceremony and Prof Leunig and Prof Datuk Khairuddin Abdul Hamid holding up their copies of the MOU