Tag: Sunway University

Sunway University recently collaborated with the Embassy of Malaysia, Hungary at the Universities of Nyiregyhaza, Miskolc and Debrecen to promote opportunities for transnational higher education. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed between Sunway University and three Hungarian Universities, paving the way for educational cooperation in the fields of sustainable development, business, cross cultural communication, research and exchanges.

Professor Stephen J Hall, Dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Associate Professor Tamas Kiss, Centre for English Language Studies from Sunway University were physically present at all the signings. The signings were witnessed by the Malaysian Ambassador to Hungary, Francisco Munis. Diplomatic relations between Hungary and Malaysia were established in 1969, with Malaysia establishing an embassy in Budapest since September 1993. “Malaysia is a popular destination for students from many countries around the world to study at the country’s universities,” said Francisco Munis, Malaysia’s ambassador to Hungary.

The importance of sustainability, education for global competencies and effective cross- cultural communication was a theme at discussion and planning after all three MOU signings. Presentations about Sunway as well as seminars on Malaysia and Malaysian culture; Manglish and International English and Identity, adaptability, creativity were shown to Hungarian academics and students. Hungarian students from all three Universities and Sunway University students are currently engaged with shared online cross-cultural projects, as part of Sunway University Centre for English Language Studies (CELS) Communication Skills.

Professor Stephen J Hall said, “Applying globally relevant skills depends on building cross-cultural competencies. In an increasingly digital world such competencies need to be developed through cross cultural education such as we are developing in collaboration with our Hungarian partners”.

In Hungary, higher education institutions are equally committed to broadening their international relations, said Dr Magda Ajtay-Horvath, University of Nyiregyhaza. This was echoed by Dr Agnes Magnucz-Godo, University of Miskolc, who said that the cooperation provided “a framework to organise joint projects and share experience and expertise concerning good practices in the two institutions”. Dr Balazs Venkovits from Debrecen University also applauded the joint projects as “excellent opportunities for students to improve their intercultural and communication skills, and to acquire an international experience”.

The collaboration has also been endorsed by Hungary’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Petra Ponevács-Pana. She said: “In Hungary the internationalization of higher education has reached outstanding achievements. The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship program- established in 2014- is the flagship state project of the student mobility platform of Hungary, including 60 countries and 12,000 students around the world. As part of this programme, the Hungarian government offers 40 full time educational scholarships for Malaysian students at undergraduate, masters, and doctorate levels”.

The ‘Brief Introduction to Hungary and Hungarians’ forum held in Sunway University is part of an intercultural communication learning and research project between Sunway University and three Hungarian universities, University of Debrecen, University of Miskolc, and University of Nyíregyháza.

Sunway University is broadening its collaboration with European universities, including those from Central and Eastern Europe, to increase its presence in the region as a key research partner and education provider. The university will sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with these three Hungarian universities to enable research and teaching collaborations, staff and student exchange in the next three years.

Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies Stephen J Hall commented that “applying globally relevant skills depends on building cross-cultural competencies. In an increasingly digital world such competencies need to be built through cross cultural education such as we are developing in collaboration with select Hungarian universities. Today is the beginning of collaboration between Sunway University and three Hungarian universities, with students’ cross-cultural communication skills in mind”.

The Hungarian partners are equally committed to broadening their international relations, said Dr Magda Ajtay-Horvath Head of Department, University of Nyiregyhaza, which was echoed by Dr Agnes Magnucz-Godo from the University of Miskolc. She said that the cooperation provided “a framework to organise joint projects with our students and share experience and expertise concerning good practices in the two institutions”. Dr Balazs Venkovits from Debrecen University also applauded the joint projects as “excellent opportunities for students to improve their intercultural and communication skills, and to acquire an international experience”.

The forum introduced students and staff of Sunway University to the nation of Hungary, Hungarian culture and educational collaborations between the two countries. Hungary’s Ambassador to Malaysia, her excellency Dr Petra Ponevács-Pana was part of the panel and talked about scholarships the Hungarian government offers for Malaysian students in the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum scheme. She said: “In Hungary the internationalization of higher education has reached outstanding achievements. The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship program- established in 2014- is the flagship state project of the student mobility platform of Hungary, including 60 countries and 12,000 students around the world. As part of this programme, the Hungarian government offers 40 full time educational scholarships for Malaysian students at undergraduate, masters, and doctorate levels”.

Professor Elizabeth Lee, CEO of Sunway Education Group, said “this event marks the beginning of exciting collaborations between Sunway University and Hungarian Higher Education Institutions. I believe that such endeavours will greatly contribute to the development of joint teaching, learning and research projects that benefit both countries.”

Innovation, inspiration, dedication and entertainment were just some of the key factors that brought a city together in a united effort to drive interest and action toward the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a wonderful display of unity, corporate leaders, non-governmental organisations, local school children, special society groups, influencers and over 20,000 students from all across the Klang Valley gathered at Sunway University, Sunway City for a week-long festival of events and activations in support of the United Nations 17 SDGs and its worldwide initiative of Local Action for Global Goals 2022, celebrated from Monday 19th of September through to Friday 23rd of September.

This unique festival and the first of its kind in Asia featured talks, performances, interactive workshops, corporate displays on sustainability from Volvo, Uniqlo, The Body Shop and Huawei, daily flag parades, on-stage demonstrations, a sustainable marketplace and a space to connect with leaders, changemakers, activists, private sector as well as a live musical performance, including a heartwarming rendition by the children from the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor and Federal Territory which captured the hearts of those who are lucky enough to catch the concert.

A splendid and memorable adaptive fashion show by Dawn Adaptive also ensured the occasion was a truly inclusive event at Sunway University.

Joining the excited visitors on campus were a host of international dignitaries including HE Dr Joachim Bergström, Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia who officially opened the event, HE Sami Leino, Ambassador of Finland to Malaysia and Brunei, HE Dr Peter Blomeyer, German Ambassador to Malaysia and Anikó Farkas, Deputy Head of Mission at Embassy of Hungary Ambassador in Malaysia.

Representing the local community was YB Michelle Ng, ADUN Subang Jaya who added, “Slowing climate change requires behavioural change – and it is the duty of governments to facilitate this for its citizens.”

During the event, there was an e-waste collection where staff and students were able to environmentally dispose their unwanted electrical items. Since the start of the initiative, over 34,000kg electrical waste has been collected.

The noteworthy occasion also received royal approval as Selangor Princess Y.A.M Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who delighted crowds with her passionate address on the planet. The environment advocate Selangor Princess mentioned, “It is truly important, how we treat planet earth, other fellow citizens of this planet and every living being here. With the recent climate change we have been experiencing, we must be very concerned about the state of our planet.”

Younger participants enjoyed an interactive “Treasure Our Planet Trail” across the campus, learning new 17 SDG facts every step of their journey of enlightenment, ensuring the next generation will continue to carry the message of influence and action.

Daily on-stage demonstrations included soap making from used cooking oil by Pusat Wanita Berdaya, cooking demonstration of edible vegetable scraps by Professional Culinaire Association Malaysia and a creative upcycling demonstration by Maslisa Zainuddin from Sunway University.

The week-long event was an overwhelming success and a great advert for Malaysia in the global world of sustainability. Professor Elizabeth Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Sunway Education Group said, “This is our aim with the Local Action Global Goals 2022 – to educate and re-educate and also to remind everyone that we need to work collectively to bring about sustainable and meaningful change.”

Whilst President of Sunway University Professor Sibrandes Poppema added he was very pleased the event was hosted at Sunway University as the institution works tirelessly to merit its growing reputation as A Campus With A Conscience.

The Local Action for Global Goals 2022 emphasised the need for the world to work together to deliver the Global Goals by 2030 through a range of special events and inspiring activations for all ages and interests. It brought together world leaders, policy-makers, decision-makers, business leaders, partners, academics, scientists, stakeholders, activists, and advocates from around the world to connect, examine solutions, identify a path forward, and work collectively in achieving the Global Goals at a critical time.

Malaysia can be rightly proud of its exceptional contribution towards this global goal.

#CampusWithAConscience is an underlying principle that embraces everything students will experience during their time at Sunway College and Sunway University. This is the fundamental spirit at the heart of Sunway Campus Life; educating, encouraging, and engaging students in all aspects of a diverse and inclusive community to support them in adopting a lifestyle and lifestyle habits that truly reflect a society determined to create a better living environment for this generation and generations to come.

Three Malaysian organisations including the Sarawak Forest Corporation, Sunway University, and the University of Technology Sarawak have entered into a public-private collaboration with two of Japan’s leading technology companies, Aerosense Inc. and Funlead Corp to improve the mangrove forests in Sarawak through the adoption of drone technology and artificial intelligence.

The research project funded by both Sunway University and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) is necessary to procure evidence-based, systematic mangrove conservatory strategies to promote long-term ecological and economical resilience in Sarawak’s Mangrove forests.

Malaysia is one of the largest mangrove-holding countries in the World, with Sarawak having the second-largest coverage in Malaysia. The mangrove forests have been playing an important ecological, social, and economic role in the ecosystem. However, these covers have inevitably been subjected to threats such as climate change, various land use, and human activities.

Through this project, the team will be able to obtain real-time plant health monitoring, as well as proactively protect the mangrove forest through artisanal fisheries surveillance. This research project is led by Prof. Yap Kian Meng, who is also the Head of Sunway University’s Research Centre for Human-Machine Collaboration (HUMAC), School of Engineering and Technology.

“As one of the collaborative partners, Sarawak Forest Corporation is always in pursuit of useful and innovative technology that helps save the environment. This collaboration between all the parties will help conservation as the focused work targets our concerns of healthy forests and degraded lands that we need to rewild,” said Zolkipli Mohamad Aton, Chief Executive Officer of Sarawak Forest Corporation.

Meanwhile, Prof. Mahendhiran Nair, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research Engagement and Impact of Sunway University said, “This initiative is aligned with the vision for Malaysia as outlined in the 12 Malaysian Plan to protect the country’s natural habitat and create a better return of value from the biodiversity and conservation efforts. Protecting the mangrove using advanced technology will have several economic, social, and environmental spill overs to Malaysia and the regional economies”.

The two Japanese companies – Aerosence Inc., provides drone technology and cloud SaaS (Software as a Service) solution, while Funlead Corp., an ICT company provides support for data acquisition and image analysis with artificial intelligence technologies. Aerosense and Funlead are both the alumni of 2021 JETRO-Sunway Innovation Labs (iLabs) Digital Transformation Accelerator that aims to support the Japanese companies to better position themselves and expand across Malaysia, using the Sunway ecosystem as a launchpad and testbed.

According to Satoru Shimada, Board of Directors of Aerosense, the research will be further complemented with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) technology that will cover up to about 300ha per flight for drone photogrammetry. This will enhance the mangrove monitoring efficiency. Meanwhile, Koichi Kishi, the Senior Manager of Funlead Corp. envisages the deployment of a compact, light-weight hyperspectral sensor in the next phase to improve analytical abilities. This enhancement is supposed to enable the grasping distribution of Mangrove species precisely.

“JETRO works together with the Japanese government to promote open innovation by supporting the collaboration between ASEAN organizations and Japanese companies. Environmental conservation is one of the synergistic areas between Malaysia and Japan and this collaboration uses the advantages and ability of both countries in building meaningful solutions around the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; an excellent example of Malaysia-Japan business collaborations in keeping the environmental ecosystem”, commented Yuhei Enguchi, the Digital Transformation Director of JETRO Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A total of ten scientists from Sunway University are now listed in the top 2% of the most-cited scientists and academics in various disciplines from around the world by the United States based Stanford University.

With the latest addition of Professor Agamutu Pariatamby, Professor Chia Yook Chin, Professor Pervaiz K Ahmed and Professor Teo Kok Lay, Sunway University now has more career researchers, listed in the World’s Top 2% Scientist produced by Stanford University, than any other private institution in Malaysia.

“With more research pioneers joining us, Sunway University hopes to create positive research impacts in various sectors such as engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, computing and information systems, business and management,” said Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President of Sunway University.

“The Stanford list comprises the top 2% of scientists and is based on the number of citations their publications have achieved in their specific field of research, either over their entire career or in recent years. The presence of such successful researchers in our institution serves as an inspiration for young scientists,”

One of the key reasons for Sunway University’s continuous rise towards the pinnacle of research within Malaysia is its international collaborations with colleagues in some of the world’s leading international universities like the University of Cambridge, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Professor Pariatamby joined Sunway University for the Special Studies Division of the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia. Professor Chia Yook Chin is currently the Associate Dean for Sunway University’s School of Department of Medical Sciences.

Professor Teo Kok Lay is currently the Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Studies) for School of Mathematical Sciences while Professor Pervaiz K Ahmed joined recently as the Director of Institute of Global Strategy and Competitiveness & Professor of Management.

Sunway University’s other researchers listed in the Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientist list are Sunway University President Professor Sibrandes Poppema, Distinguished Professor and Head of Research Centre for Crystalline Materials Edward Tiekink, Distinguished Research Professor & Head of Research Centre for Nano-Materials and Energy Technology Professor Saidur Rahman, Associate Den (Research) and Head for Carbon Dioside Capture and Utilisation Professor Mohamed Kheireddine, Associate Dean (Education) and Head of the Department of Computing and Information Systems Professor Yau Kok Lim and Associate Professor Dr Adarsh Kumar Pandey.