Prepared by: Zarina Md. Yassin, Aznah Nor Anuar & Johari Surif (UTM Centre for Community & Industry Network)
Knowledge transfer activities have been deemed an important activity that binds the University’s expertise with the community. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), as a premier university in technology and engineering, has boasted a lot of Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP), which have vastly benefitted its surrounding communities in Malaysia, transforming them into a better society and community.
As a research university, UTM is committed to strengthening its research and innovation activities through the dedication of its highly competent academics and competitive students. Knowledge advancement is meant to be shared with the communities along with the involvement of the industry and government by academics, which is called the Quadruple Helix Innovation Model to bring about more impactful change to everybody.
These community projects are rated through five levels of a star rating system to distinguish its impactful level to count itself in the annual University MyRA audit as one of the prerequisites to maintain the Research University status.
Impactful projects are shown through positive change in the community’s knowledge, skills, attitudes or aspirations, following the KTP wherein the higher level, they even manage to change practices and independently sustain and transfer the knowledge or technology to others without involvement from the University academia.
Such impactful activities can be proven via documentations such as questionnaires analysis of before and after activities to determine the change of participants’ practice, followed by short videos, photos, social media updates, and the completed star rating form and related collaboration letters. The KTP may last from one day to more than a year, which must result in a change in the community’s practice and skills.
Aimed to assist the communities in further enhancing their living standards, UTM has generated a number of KTP impactful projects. Amongst our impactful KTP are the Solar-Based PV Project by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jasrul Jamani Jamian from the Faculty of Engineering. It has benefitted 38 families and 16 households in Kampung Woh Intake, Tapah, Perak with electric power supply through the centralised solar-based installations in the village.
Similarly, Dr. Mohd Khairuddin Ramliy from Azman Hashim International Business School (AHIBS) has helped generate additional income support among 100 B40s families in Simpang Renggam area by transferring the farming and harvesting of kelulut bee colonies skill technique.
The Kangkar Pulai Kenari Urban Farming led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huszalina Hussin from the Faculty of Science has also proved worthwhile in bringing a significant green change to the surrounding look of the Kangkar Pulai Flat communities and providing extra incomes to them.
The Ask Dr STEM project led by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Ir. Dr. Syuhaida Ismail has also inspired and brought a change in the secondary and primary school students mindset where they are now able to transfer the knowledge and skills obtained from the project to create their own engineering-based product in the form of concrete products, glider, solar car and heat exchanger for other students and family members independently without the initial assistance.
Supported by the KTP grant from the Ministry of Education (MOE) under the 10th Malaysian Plan, KTP is intended to create a knowledgeable and high-income nation through its knowledge transfer implementation. University for Society (U4S) and Johor Innovation Valley (JIVe) are other similar KTP efforts by the MOE and Johor state. Our external stakeholders also help to join in the Quadruple Helix collaborative effort in various forms of support in ensuring the effectiveness and success of the KTP.
Through this sharing of knowledge between the University and the community, we are not only strengthening the gap between the University, society, industry and government but also able to help one another by exchanging creative ideas and skills for the betterment of the nation. Thus, let us share and transfer our knowledge, technology and skills with the broader community to the impactful level for a better, stronger, independent and sustainable society!
The Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) is managed by UTM Centre for Community and Industry Network (CCIN). For more information on the KTP registration and star rating impact programme, join CCIN Roadshows and look out for our regular circulations on KTP and star rating applications.
