15 Jan 2015, TM Convention Centre, Menara TM Kuala Lumpur: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Telecom Research and Development Sdn. Bhd.(TM R&D), and the National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NICT) Japan, had successfully organized the 2nd International Workshop on Convergence of Radio and Optical Technologies, which was held at the TM Convention Centre. The event was listed as the first Malaysian event in 2015 which has been proclaimed as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL2015) (http://www.light2015.org), officially launched on 19 January 2015 in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters.
IYL 2015 is a United Nations observance that aims to raise awareness on the achievements of light science and its applications, and its importance to mankind. The IYL 2015 is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health.
The secretariat of the 2nd International Workshop on Convergence of Radio and Optical Technologies 2015 include representatives from the UTM Lightwave Communication Research Group and TM R&D Access Network Group chaired by Professor Dr. Sevia Mahdaliza Idrus and co-sponsored by IEEE Photonics Society (Malaysia Chapter). The workshop serves as an important platform for inspiring new ideas, presenting cutting-edge studies and encouraging collaborations between international scholars and industry players in the area of radio over fiber (RoF) technology for access networks. This workshop has been inspired through the longstanding mutual understanding and collaborative efforts between NICT, TM R&D and UTM, since 2013. In fact, there are separate MOUs signed between the three organizations, UTM-NICT, NICT-TM R&D and UTM-TM Bhd respectively.
The workshop received an overwhelming response, with the participation of 86 dedicated industry players, researchers and academicians from various organization, including MTSB, MCMC, TM Bhd, Chulalonkorn University, Osaka University, UTHM, UPM, Uniten, MMU, UPM, UKM and UTHM.
The workshop also provided an opportunity for UTM-TM-NICT to hold a roundtable discussion that further strengthen research and development activities between the three organizations on the area of radio and optical technology. UTM was represented by Prof Abu Sahmah Supa’at, the Dean of Infocomm Research Alliance, NICT by Dr. Tetsuya Miyazaki, the General Director of the Photonics Network Research Institute-NICT, and TM by Dr Gopi Kurup, the Chief Executive Officer of TM R&D Sdn Bhd.
