University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) delegation’s working visit to Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) is a strategic effort in fostering an alliance with a renowned U.S. Public Research University.
The working visit, which took place between 18 and 19 August, 2014 was led by Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar, Vice-Chancellor, and joined 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 delegation was warmly greeted by the Penn State President, Prof. Dr. Eric J. Barron. High on the agenda was the possibility of forming a strategic alliance between UTM and Penn State.
Towards this endeavor, earnest deliberations between the UTM delegation and several key Penn State senior personnel, particularly those from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Smeal College of Business, and EMS Energy Institute, took place.
Discussions with Prof. Montgomery Alger, Director of the Institute of Natural Gas Research (INGaR), and Prof. Turgay Ertekin, Head, Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, both under Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences saw the possibility of future collaboration in teaching and research.
The meeting also agreed in principle for UTM, Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and Penn State to jointly organize tri-party research and consultancy programs, bid in national and international research grants, and collaborates in research initiatives. Staff and student mobility programs between the two Universities were also proposed.
The possibility of appointing Penn State experts as UTM visiting professors, who will be assisting UTM in setting up new postgraduate programs and developing professional courses, was also discussed.
At Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, its Dean, Prof. Dr. Charles H. Whiteman, shared their experience in constructing new buildings and procurement of facilities, largely achieved through private funding. UTM Endowment unit will tap into Smeal College of Business’ expertise in the endowment building concept.
Several state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities at Smeal could also be emulated, particularly at the IBS new building to be funded by the AMBANK Foundation. There were also talks on the possibility of a UTM-Penn State two way student exchange program, in the form of a Summer School.
The final destination at Penn State was the EMS Energy Institute, which currently conducts research, which among others include ultra-clean fuels and fuel cells, CO2 capture, reforming of hydrocarbons for syngas and H2 production.
Discussion with its Director, Prof. Dr. Chunshan Song, led to the possibility of joint research collaborations, and co- supervision of Masters and PhD students.
