Login
Register

Month: September 2023

UiTM Negeri Sembilan holds Global Citizenship Fostering Program involving four international universities

Posted on by Siti Nor Atika Baharin

Cultivating global citizenship among students is an important effort that needs to be emphasized in order to produce a knowledgeable, responsible, and caring generation. These young people are valuable instruments and assets of the university that will shape the futureof the country and make a constructive contribution to the world. Based on these aspirations, UiTM Negeri Sembilan Branch is making strides through the Kuala Pilah Campus Chemistryand Environmental Studies by organizing the 6.0 series Global Outreach Program (GOP 6.0).

This program was attended by more than 80 students and lecturers from four international universities namely Telkom University, Universitas Negeri Malang, Universitas Islamic Indonesia and Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji who have camped for 5 days from 21 – 25 August 2023 located at UiTM Kuala Pilah Campus. Various activities have been designed with a focus on the scientific and personal development of the students with the theme of ‘Collaboration for Future Empowerment Education’. The students were found to be able to interact very well through the activities of Malaysia-Indonesia Colloquium, Presentation by Special Interest Group, Bilateral Discussion, Traditional Sports, 3 Minutes Research Presentation, Cultural Activities (theatre and dance performances) and International Community Service Program 2023 (ICSP ’23).

Sharing experiences and knowledge obtained from each university is one aspect of fostering a global work culture. Through this GOP 6.0., Malaysia-Indonesia Colloquium was organized with presentation sessions by guest speakers from all universities. Among the topics reviewed are Oil Esters as Potential Emollient for Cosmeceutical Applications, Shaping Future: Biomedical and Healthcare Technologies, Application of Green Chemistry Principle in Organic Synthesis and Statistic and Forecasting in Chemistry: Unlocking Pattern and Prediction.

In addition to scientific knowledge, the application of socio-cultural experience has also been taught through traditional sports activities, theatre performances and dance. The students were very committed and appreciated the experiences of socio-cultural sharing when a series of theatre performed by representatives of each university was shown at the closing session of the GOP 6.0 program. In addition, the attitude of belonging and respect for fellow human beings is also applied to students through traditional sports activities.

The direction towards a more balanced global needs to be applied in the soul of every student. These students need to understand the aspects of empathy, respect and always be grateful. Through International Community Service 2023 organized by the Center for Chemistry and Environmental Studies together with the Faculty of Management and Business, UiTM Kuala Pilah Campus, a community program was successfully held together with CMH Specialist Hospital located at the Royal Gallery Tuanku Jaafar Seremban. Throughout the program, various activities were carried out such as free health screenings, health talks and information related to nutrition. Continuing the agenda of this program, UiTM Negeri Sembilan Branch and international university partners have distributed several wheelchairs to be used at CMH Specialist Hospital.

Finally, the GOP 6.0 program aims to achieve UiTM’s aspirations as a Globally Renown University by 2025 by fostering cultural awareness and understanding among students in addition to encouraging students to explore and learn about the diversity of cultures, traditions and languages. Next, produce students who think globally by appreciating the richness of human diversity. It is hoped that programs like this can be continued in the future.

Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Architecture signs MOU with Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) to develop designs for future diversity

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Architecture showcased its students’ theses and dissertation works, as well as the faculty’s curriculum at YODEX 2023 held from May 19 – 23, 2023, at Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. Asst. Prof. Sarayut Supsook, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, also signed an MOU for academic collaboration with Mr. Chi-Yi Chang, Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) President, with Mr. Taweekiat Janeprajak, Executive Director of Thailand Trade and Economic Office (Taipei), and Mr. Simon Wang, President & CEO of Taiwan External Trade Development Council, witnessing the event. The Dean also visited the office of TDRI for a discussion on possible joint efforts to promote academic activities.

The exhibition marks the second collaboration between the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, and Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI). The first activity, held on May 8, 2023, at the Faculty of Architecture Library, was a talk by Mr. Oliver Lin, executive and representative of Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI), introducing the Ideathon 2023: WeWe Future international contest under the theme “Diversity & Inclusion in 2040.” The contest opened for applications from contestants all over the world from July 1, 2023, at 10:00 am to July 31, 2023, at 5:00 pm (GMT+8).

The event also featured a special lecture on “Space for Contemplation” by Ms. Sanitas Pradittasnee from Sanitas Studio, an alumnus of the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, who shared her ideas for mindful creation that draw inspiration from the environment and encourages the audience to imagine what might happen in the future.

For the full release and more images, please visit: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/128310/

Thammasat researcher presents cross-disciplinary research, a new ground in the world of research

Posted on by Thammasat University

Professor Dr. Sakun Boon-it, Lecturer of the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University and the winner of the National Outstanding Researcher Award of the Year 2023 in Economics said future research will be more complex. There is a body of knowledge in various disciplines used in research works. Therefore, working on research across disciplines or interdisciplinary and with research teams in different fields helps make research respond to complex questions and bring benefits to society better.

Expertise in conducting research work

This research is the research that studies the connection of organizations in the supply chain. It is a collaboration of each business organization that wishes to increase the value of products or services to customers. The research study will be a collaboration to study mechanisms that will help manage the environment, such as reducing air pollution, water resources, or using less raw materials, and even minimizing costs. Currently, business organizations are taking this matter very seriously. During the epidemic of COVID-19, we studied the mechanisms of each supply chain organization in working together to overcome any disruptions during this crisis. Such research also brings academic benefits and in practice that allows certain business operations to be implemented and through a period of business interruption which also known as the disruption from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Research must be implementable

The research I work on focuses on goals in two aspects. The first is academic, which is achieved through publishing in international-level academic journals in order to present knowledge to the academic society and the second aspect is the application of research to the practical use by business sectors, society or the nation, such as research results can be implemented and applied for the development of business operations, therefore, the importance of research is that there must be a balance on both sides.

When in crisis, it shall be able to go on

The benefit that arises from the cooperation of supply chain is that whenever there is a problem such as a business interruption or environmental issues, without academics to guide on what to do, society or the country will be in great trouble. When we have research that is useful in practice, it will be able to help solve problems in society better, business will be better, and eventually the country will be better and continue growing.

Cross-disciplinary research work will help answer complex research questions

In the future, the research problems will become more and more complex, therefore the future trend of research is cross-disciplinary research work. Cross-disciplinary research must begin with research identity. We must be able to identify the key skills or competencies, the others then see that we have this, and how will they benefit from what we do in that regard. For example, I worked on supply chain and other professors saw that I project strong expertise in this field, and that some subjects could be linked across disciplinaries. We then form a better research team and work together to solve complex research problems in all dimensions.

The University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Dubai launches Women in Tech Scholarship

Posted on by Global University Systems

Celebrating Emirati Women’s Day, the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Dubai (UE Dubai), a top ranked German university and the first German university to establish a campus in UAE, announced today the inauguration of the Women in Tech Scholarship, reinforcing its commitment to empowering and bolstering women in the Emirates in their pursuit of careers in the dynamic fields of science and technology.

The Women in Tech Scholarship is open for enrolment in the Winter 2023 and Summer 2024 terms and targets applicants interested in joining the Masters of Science programmes, either Data Science or Software Engineering, scheduled to commence in October 2023. Through these cutting-edge programmes, students will acquire skills vital to navigating big data, emerging technologies, cloud computing, and machine learning. This opportunity is open to UAE nationals or residents who meet entry requirements.

A panel of experienced professors will meticulously oversee the selection process, evaluating academic and professional achievements to ensure scholarships are awarded to the most deserving candidates. Professor Maurits van Rooijen, President of UE and UE Dubai campus commented: “At UE Dubai, we are committed to cultivate a diverse community of experts in the realm of science, a community that mirrors the dynamic job market we envision. Proactively expanding educational pathways for women and being the first German university in the UAE, we are dedicated to empowering and unlocking the latent potential of female talents, promoting inclusivity, and catalyzing transformative growth within the job market. The ripple effect of scholarships that empower women, such as the Women in Tech Scholarship, will undoubtedly contribute to an elevated enhancement of digital transformations within our societies.”

The UE Dubai Women in Tech scholarship supports and empowers Emirati women, both nationals and residents of the UAE, in their scientific pursuits ensuring they are at the forefront of technological advancements and innovations. The scholarship aims to address gender disparities prevalent in science and technology, and addressed by the 2023 World Economics Forum Reports. Just 29.2% of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers are women, and while they make up 29.4% in entry-level roles, these figures drop considerably in high-level leadership positions such as VP & C-suite.

Voicing her support for the Women in Tech Scholarship, Raja Al Al Mazrouei, CEO of Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI) commented: “In a world marked by ongoing advancements in science and technology across diverse sectors, including the domain of digital transformation and FinTech, the inclusion of more talented women is paramount. This inclusion will enrich these fields with a broader skill set and a wealth of innovative ideas. Initiatives like the Women in Tech Scholarship embody this spirit by empowering women through education and equipping them with the necessary tools to thrive.

Collaboratively, UAE companies that embrace, nurture, and retain female talent will pave the way for continuous and robust economic growth in the Emirate.” The Women in Tech Scholarship programme holds the broader vision of enabling women who reside in the UAE to become agents of positive transformation within economies. By nurturing their potential and encouraging innovative thinking, the scholarship aligns with the insights uncovered by McKinsey Global Research.

Their findings in 2015 highlight the immense potential for women’s progression to contribute an astounding $12 trillion to the global economy. With a rich legacy spanning over two decades in Germany, UE holds one of the highest accreditations within the country. The University of Europe for Applied Sciences’ degrees combine theoretical depth with practical knowledge, supported by a global network of 100+ partner universities and 150+ companies, including industry leaders like CANON, IBM, and Borussia Dortmund.

Strategically located at the heart of Dubai’s bustling business hub at One Central, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), UE Dubai offers tailored academic excellence to meet regional market needs, fostering interdisciplinary skills in a multicultural setting, promoting collaboration, creativity, and global readiness. UE Dubai offers cross-campus mobility, online projects, and international knowledge exchange. Applications for the Women in Tech Scholarship are now open. Applications submissions deadline is September 25, 2023. To apply and for more information, please visit: https://www.ue-germany.com/study-with-us/fees-and-finance/ue-scholarships

Towards better batteries, fuel cells with dispersibility estimation for carbon electrode slurries

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

Carbon slurries, which consist of a suspension of carbon particles in a solvent, are used to mass-produce battery electrodes. However, there are no adequate methods to evaluate whether the particles are uniformly dispersed in the slurry during the manufacturing process. In a recent study, researchers from Japan used an innovative approach, combining viscosity and electrochemical impedance measurements, to accurately assess the dispersibility of slurries, opening doors to enhanced electric vehicles and fuel cell batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are the powerhouse of modern-day electronics, and fuel cells are a promising candidate for sustainable energy devices. An important factor affecting the performance of both lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells is the dispersibility of carbon slurries, suspensions made of conductive carbon particles dispersed in a solvent. They can be easily coated on a metal collector to mass-produce electrodes. But the carbon particles in the slurry must be homogenously dispersed to ensure reliable battery performance.

However, evaluating the dispersibility of thick slurries with high particle concentrations is remarkably difficult. The large number of particles prevent peering into the internal structure of the slurries using direct spectroscopic techniques. Moreover, there are no methods to evaluate the dispersibility and conductive properties of slurries in response to shear stress applied during the coating process.

Against this backdrop, a research team led by Associate Professor Isao Shitanda from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) in Japan developed a novel technique to estimate the dispersibility of carbon slurries. Their latest study, published online in ACS Applied Electronic Materials on 1 August 2023, is co-authored by Dr. Yoshifumi Yamagata from Anton Paar Japan K. K. and Dr. Shingo Niinobe from Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

The researchers combined a rheometer—a scientific instrument for measuring the flow/ deformation behavior of fluids in response to applied stress—with a spectroscopy setup to measure the electrochemical impedance of acetylene black slurries with methylcellulose (a cellulose-derived compound used as a thickener and emulsifier in food and cosmetic products, as a bulk-forming laxative and as eye/ear drops) as a dispersant. They conducted experiments under the influence of shear stress at various frequencies to obtain the rheo-impedance spectra, which provide information about the internal structure of carbon particles in a slurry. Interestingly, they noticed that the impedance spectra did not change considerably under applied shear stress for a carbon slurry with good dispersibility.

Additionally, the team developed an equivalent circuit model consisting of three types of contact resistances and capacitances: those between acetylene black particles, those of particle bulk, and those arising from the design of the measurement setup. The bulk resistance of acetylene black showed no dependence on shear rate but decreased with increase in the methylcellulose concentration. Further, the resistance measured at each methylcellulose concentration increased with the shear rate, an observation that was attributed to a partial breakdown of the carbon–carbon network and the decreasing conductivity with rising shear rate.

Together, these results thus show that it is possible to evaluate the dispersibility of electrode slurries based on a combination of viscosity (measured with the rheometer) and electrochemical impedance measurements. Excited about the potential of their new methodology, Dr. Shitanda remarks: “The insights from this study could prove useful for improving the efficiency of large-scale electrode manufacturing processes in which the internal structure of the slurry must be carefully controlled.”

Preparing slurries with higher dispersibility could also lead to improved lithium-ion battery performance and enhanced functional materials. These would be significant contributions toward building a sustainable carbon-neutral society by fostering applications in solar panels, fuel cells, and electric vehicles.

“The proposed method can be used to evaluate the dispersibility of not just carbon dispersions, but a wide variety of slurries. In future studies, we plan to conduct further measurements and equivalent circuit verifications by changing the particle type and binder combinations,” concludes Dr. Shitanda.

Let us hope this study will enable us to produce more optimal slurries, paving the way for more sustainable technologies for next-generation electronics, electric vehicles, and energy storage devices!

Breaking down language barriers to attract international talents to Germany

Posted on by Global University Systems

This week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Gisma University of Applied Sciences in Potsdam as part of his constituency summer tour. He discussed the challenges faced by international professionals in Germany with students and university partners, the main obstacle being the language barrier – especially in German HR departments.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz held discussions at Gisma University of Applied Sciences in Potsdam with students, professors, and academic partners on issues concerning skill shortages and fostering young talent. The primary challenges for international talents in Germany were highlighted: German language skills are often expected both in many companies and in daily life, even when they aren’t strictly necessary for the profession. This deters many international professionals from building a life in Germany.

Prof Dr Stefan Stein, President of Gisma University of Applied Sciences, reflected on the Chancellor’s visit: “We are delighted that the Chancellor took the time to visit our institution and discuss solutions to the skill shortage with our students and us. As an international university, we offer international solutions: German language skills should no longer be the top employment criterion.

“In our modern globalised world, it’s outdated to reject a highly qualified professional simply because they speak only English. The German start-up scene sets the example: Teams are international, office and business languages are English, and German is seen as a ‘plus’. On the other hand, traditional German companies, from SMEs to established conglomerates, are yet to acknowledge that labour migration is the only sustainable way to close the skill gap. Especially when German skills are not necessary to deliver exceptional work in areas like AI, software engineering, and data science.

“Moreover, surveys suggest many foreign professionals don’t feel comfortable in Germany: they find it challenging to settle and make friends. We must become more international as a society to tackle the skill shortage collectively. We simply can’t afford to lose the talented professionals we train in Germany to other countries.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz commented: “It was inspiring to see how many students from around the world come to Germany and wish to work here afterwards. We need these young and well-qualified men and women for the successful economic development of our country.”

London Academy of Trading introduces new post-course trader packages

Posted on by Global University Systems

The London Academy of Trading (LAT) is helping traders get up to speed and stay on track by including a range of valuable post-course support packages at no extra cost with their most popular trading courses.

While LAT courses provide students with the knowledge and skills to trade independently, it is still vital to build good habits and discipline when trading real money. To help students’ trading development, LAT has added a range of additional services within their existing courses to enable students to stick to their strategies and monitor their performance to maximise their chances of long-term success.

“We want our students to stay in touch with us once they complete their chosen course, so we’ve introduced these new complimentary packages to provide them with unrivalled post-course support while they establish themselves as traders,” says Paddy Osborn, Academic Dean and Managing Director. “Our new post course trade packages allow students to stay in close touch with us on a daily basis, with an extra year of free daily webinars and access to our trader forum, as well as free enrolment onto one of our specialist courses and a personalised 1-2-1 mentoring session.”

For students on our 12-week Advanced Trading Course, they will be given up to £2,789 worth of additional support services at no extra cost, including a free LAT specialist course, free access to our daily webinars and the LAT Xchange forum for 12 months, five days of trading desk rental on the LAT trading floor, and a free bespoke 1-2-1 mentoring session with one of our traders.

For students on our 4-week Trading Skills course, an additional £658-worth of post-course services is included, with free access to our daily webinars and Xchange forum for 6 months, plus two days of post-course desk rental on the LAT trading floor.

Lingnan’s President lands major international award

Posted on by Editorial Team

For Professor S. Joe Qin, the new President of Lingnan University in Hong Kong, there was a special reason to attend the recent high-profile event organised by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

He had been invited to receive the IEEE CSS (Control Systems Society) Transition to Practice Award, a prestigious honour which recognises outstanding collaborative scientific interactions between industry, research laboratories and the academic community.

This year’s presentation ceremony took place during the 7th IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (CCTA), held in Barbados in mid-August.

And in becoming the first academic based in Hong Kong and Greater China to pick up this top international award, presented annually since 2009, Qin joined a distinguished list of previous recipients that includes leading figures in the United States, Canada and Japan.

The IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organisation with a stated mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

In selecting Qin, they made special mention of research he conducted when based at universities in the US, and how it had helped to resolve practical problems faced by the chemicals and semiconductor sectors, thereby improving manufacturing and production processes.

The committee also noted his breakthrough contributions in the area of data-driven control engineering. And they noted his successes in promoting methodological advances and knowledge transfer in systems safety, health monitoring and diagnosis.

“Receiving the award means a lot to me because it is for people who have done good original research and seen it transition into practice,” Qin said. “That is the kind of work I always wanted to do. I’ve generally picked research topics that have good potential for application and, for the past 25 years, have focused on new technologies and what can be learned from data analytics.”

In particular, he took an early interest in “model predictive control”, which was an accepted practice in industry. He and co-author Dr. Thomas Badgwell were the first to provide a unified framework to reveal the principles of industrial practice. Using abundant data from operational control systems at AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), Qin co-authored another paper that studied how manufacturing conditions usually change over time, with some causing faults and disruptions, and devised an adaptive algorithm to detect faults.

“We were lucky enough to discover and define what was happening, come up with a framework and put it into practice,” he said. “We made some later adjustments, but [the work] is now considered a milestone in that domain.”

Significantly, the resulting paper has since received more than 6,000 citations on Google, and the project continues to stand out as a prime example of how academic research can have a lasting impact on industry.

In a plenary speech at the IEEE conference, Qin reflected on other career highlights and spoke about a new framework for dynamic latent variable (DLV) analytics.

He also stressed the need for greater domain knowledge in machine learning and data analytics, plus the importance of using innovations in technology to address real-world issues.