Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) key personnel delegation’s working visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of UTM’s firm strategic partners, continues to accentuate the already strong UTM-MIT strategic alliance.
Leading the delegation was Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar, Vice-Chancellor of UTM, and accompanied by Prof. Dr. Nordin Yahaya, Senior Director of UTM International, Prof. Dr. Mohd Hassan Mohd Osman, Dean of the International Business School (IBS), and Assoc. Prof. Dr Rahmat Mohsin, Dean of the Faculty of Petroleum & Renewable Energy Engineering (FPREE).
The UTM team met with several key MIT faculty members who have strong ties with UTM, including Prof. Lawrence Susskind, Vice Chair, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School; Prof. Richard Larson is Mitsui Professor of Engineering Systems and Director of the Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals at MIT; and Prof. Mujid Kazimi, TEPCO Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Director of the Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES) at MIT.
The meeting reaffirmed continued commitment to the MIT–UTM Malaysia Sustainable Cities Program (MSCP). The plan to have ten Visiting Scholars from around the world to be involved in MSCP annually will continue to be implemented. The Visiting Scholars are expected to spend the first half of the academic year at UTM, conducting self-guided research on Malaysia’s cities, with the second half of the year spent at MIT to enable them to use online, digital, and video-based educational technologies to codify and disseminate their findings.
The UTM-MIT BLOSSOMS project also continues to receive firm support. UTM, through its Centre for Engineering Education (CEE) and International Office would intensify efforts to further enhance the program.
Talks with MIT nuclear science and engineering experts led to a proposed establishment of an MIT advisory panel and visiting professor to assist FPREE in establishing a Nuclear Engineering Program. Additionally, UTM also showed an interest in adopting the strategy and research focus of MIT in research, development and innovation (RDI) in Nuclear Engineering.
Apart from affirming existing ties with MIT, the UTM delegation also formed new alliances through their visit to Framingham State University (FSU) and Virginia Tech. New possible partnership with FSU involve collaboration on student and staff exchange, particularly in Business and Marketing, and Life Sciences, while engagement with Virginia Tech involves collaboration in entrepreneurship.
