Prepared by: Assoc. Prof. Dr Alice Sabrina Ismail (Director of Architecture Program, UTM)

A virtual Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) exchange ceremony between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) with Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), Indonesia, was held on 30 December 2021 to have a collaboration and joint funding in research and publication. This MoA constitutes legally expanding the research and publication outreach between UTM and UM networking with aims for excellence in research in enhancing the built environment well being. This is pertinent in fulfilling the demands of both countries while involving the industry and the community.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellors from UTM and UM officiated this historic event. Professor  Dr Rosli Bin Md Illias, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, gave the welcoming speech, whilst the welcoming remark from UM counterpart was presented by the Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs, Professor Dr Budi Eko Sucipto, M. Pd. The ceremony was attended by the Vice Academic Dean of Faculty of Built Environment & Surveying (FBES), UTM, Associate Professor Sr Dr Kherun Nita Ali; Professor Dr Markus Diantoro, M.Pd, Head of Institute for Research and Community Engagement, UM; Dr Evi Eliyanah,  Director of International Affairs, UM, MoA committee members and academic staff, Indonesia -Malaysia Research Consortium (IMRC) Management, Senior Officers, Faculty’s Deans, and Head of Departments.

Speaking on occasion, the Deputy Vice-Chancellors from both universities agreed to strengthen the collaboration, namely in research activities for both institutions to become leadership champions to contribute to the built environment development for both countries. The collaboration agreement between UTM and UM began in October 2017 under the consortium known as (Indonesia-Malaysia Research Consortium) which is the Indonesia-Malaysia network of research-intensive universities and institutions. This IMRC consortium aims to foster institutional innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning student mobility and connect students and staff for broader advocacy for internationalization. In 2018, under this IMRC consortium, five research clusters were established. These are i) Renewable Energy, ii) Humanities and Culture, iii) Biomedicine and Health, iv) STEM kits, v) Disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management. These five research cluster establishments intend to increase the research network intensively to benefit communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. In the year 2020, two of the research clusters under the IMRC consortium, which are the STEM kits and the Humanities Culture led by researchers from both institutions, had embarked on ten research works that had vast opportunities to be patented and commercialized for the development of both countries in the field of science and social science. Under the UTM,  the STEM kits research cluster is led by the Faculty of Science (FS), whereas the Humanities Culture cluster is led by the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FBES).

The agreement to collaborate was discussed virtually on the 29 November 2020, between Associate Prof. Dr Alice Sabrina Ismail, Director of Architecture Program, Head of Social Science IMRC research cluster, Professor Dr Ahmad Syed Iskandar Syed Ariffin and Professor Dr Hadi Nur, Head of STEM kits Research Cluster representing UTM, and the representatives of Universitas Malang being Professor Dr Markus Diantoro,  Head Institute for Research and Community Engagement and Dr Endah Tri Priyatni, Head of Indonesian Language and Literature Education Program, Faculty of Literature, Universitas Negeri Malang.

This collaboration is an essential milestone in the relations between UTM and UM. Both institutions had conducted many international joint colloquium, knowledge and cultural sharing sessions in cooperative research projects as a collaborative effort. These programmes had significantly attained many excellent responses and learning goals that benefit the academic fraternity in both institutions and had successfully reached out to the broader global community. Numerous future collaborations between UTM and UM will be conducted soon, and it is hoped that both institutions will achieve high excellence in research and academic endeavours. In short, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) would like to express gratitude to Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), Indonesia -Malaysia Research Consortium (IMRC) and all the parties involved in ensuring the success of this virtual MoA exchange ceremony.

Director of International Relations, Faculty’s Deans and Head of Departments, Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan (Vice-Chancellor in charge). This MoU constitutes legally expanding and outreach between UTM and SRMIST networking.

Prof. Dr.  Budi Eko Sucipto, M. Pd

Vice Rector of Academic Affairs

Universitas negeri Malang

 

Dr. Evi Eliyanah,

Director of International Affairs, UM

 

Prof. Dr. Markus Diantoro, M.Pd,

Head of Institute for Research and Community Engagement, UM

 

Prof. Dr. Endah Tri Priyanti,

Indonesia Malaysia Research Consortium (IMRC)

The MoU was signed by UTM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Ts. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail and witnessed by Acting Dean of Faculty of Built Environment & Surveying (FBES), UTM, Assoc. Prof. Sr Dr. Razali Adul Hamid. The MoU signing ceremony was also attended by the Deputy of Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, MoU committee members and academic staff of Architecture, UTM.

Meanwhile, SRMIST counterpart was Director of International Relations, Faculty’s Deans and Head of Departments, Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan (Vice-Chancellor in charge). This MoU constitutes legally expanding and outreach between UTM and SRMIST networking.

Speaking on occasion, Vice-Chancellors from both universities were not only agreed to collaborate in learning and research activities, but they also pointed out the importance of both universities to stepping forward and getting involved in CSR activities. This is vital for both institutions to become leadership champions and provide stewardship by addressing the environmental footprint to help the built environment development in both countries for humanity’s benefit, especially during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agreement to collaborate between UTM and the SRMIST, India, was discussed virtually between both universities on the 26 October 2020, which had involved Director of Architecture Program, Assoc. Prof. Dr Alice Sabrina Ismail, representing UTM and the representatives of SRMIST, Director of International Relations, Dr. Kartar Singh, Dean, College of Engineering and Technology, Prof. Dr. T. V. Gopal, Dean, School of Architecture and Interior Design, Dr. P. Satheesh Kumar, Head, Department of Architecture, Prof. Dr. C. Pradeepa, Head (i/c), Department of Design, Ar. Saravana Raja and MoU Coordinator, School of Architecture and Interior Design, Prof. Dr. R.Shanthi Priya.

Since then, numerous academic activities and research alliances had successfully achieved between these two institutions, specifically in the built environment involving the field of architecture. UTM and SRMIST had conducted many international joint design colloquium, knowledge and cultural sharing sessions in cooperative building design projects as a collaborative effort. These kind of programmes had significantly attained more excellent respond and learning goals that benefit the academic fraternity in both institutions and had successfully reached out to the broader global community.

Numerous future collaborations between UTM and SRMISTwill be conducted soon and it is hoped that both institutions will achieve high excellence in research and academic endeavours.

In short, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) would like to express gratitude to SRM Institute Science and Technology (SRMIST) and all the parties involved in ensuring the success of this virtual MoU signing ceremony.