The School of Mechanical Engineering from College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (e-MoU) with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and industrial partner, Industry Supply System & Engineering Services Sdn Bhd (ISSES) in a virtual ceremony held on 24th January 2022.
The session began with an opening speech by Ir. Prof. Dr Ewe Hong Tat, President of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). The president congratulated UiTM, UTAR and ISSES for their initiative and commitment towards the success of the e-MoU program and emphasised that the signing sets a significant milestone for closer research collaboration between UiTM, UTAR and ISSES.
The session continued with a speech by Prof. Ts. Dr Hajah Roziah Mohd Janor, Vice-Chancellor UiTM. The Vice-Chancellor of UiTM encouraged more collaborations and hoped that the MoU would be a gateway for more industry and academia joint projects on renewable energy. These include a two-way flow of ideas: results can flow out to industry, and they can also be in-bound to fuel research that benefits all community levels. Bi-directional relationship between the university and industry entities, established to enable the diffusion of creativity, ideas, skills and people to create mutual value over time.
Mr Sam Sir Yong, the managing director of ISSES talked about the importance of industry and academia engagement and commitment in solving industrial problems. He concurs that most academics and industry leaders are like-minded when it comes to collaborations. Smart collaborations benefit the collaborators and, most importantly, the community. These collaborations often come in the form of joint research projects, innovative commercial products, improved teaching and learning, and funding sources for tertiary institutions.
The main expected outcome through this collaboration between UiTM, UTAR and ISSES is to strengthen cooperation, collaboration, academic and scientific thought regarding energy-efficient improvement on rubber glove drying oven systems and move beyond to other areas of sustainability and energy conservation for mutual benefits to both academia and industry. The expected outcome is aligned with the United Nations sustainable development agenda SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 17 (Partnership for the Goals)