UTM and IJN Solidify Decade-Long Research Collaboration with Momentous Signing Ceremony

Office of Strategy and Corporate Affairs | Mohd Fadthul Ikmal Misnal

JOHOR BAHRU, June 21 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) proudly celebrate a decade of successful collaboration as they come together in a momentous signing ceremony held today.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) solidify and reinforce the long-standing partnership between the two esteemed institutions.

Representing UTM was the UTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Dr. Rosli Md. Illias, while Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) Sdn. Bhd. was represented by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Datuk Dr. Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim.

The MoU and the MoA solidify and reinforce the long-standing partnership between the two esteemed institutions.

The signing of these documents not only symbolizes the shared vision and dedication to advancing research and innovation in the field of cardiovascular medicine but also signifies the 10-year milestone in their collaborative journey.

This Memorandum signing serves to further strengthen the 10-year collaboration between UTM and IJN, which began in 2013 with the signing of the initial MoU and has been followed by several MoA signings over the years.

As a testament to their fruitful partnership, the establishment of the IJN-UTM Cardiovascular Engineering Research Centre (IJN-UTM CEC) was established, facilitating greater research collaboration between the two institutions in the healthcare field, extending beyond the cardiovascular domain.

The collaboration between UTM and IJN has encompassed over 15 joint research projects, which have yielded comprehensive outputs, including grants, publications, intellectual property (IPR), awards, and achievements.

Collaboration between UTM and IJN has facilitated greater research collaboration in the healthcare field, extending beyond the cardiovascular domain.

“The 10-year collaboration between UTM and IJN has led to new findings, especially in the field of cardiovascular treatment. In the future, we hope that this collaboration can further explore the advanced technologies of Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality, smart materials, gene editing and data analytics for the benefit of society,” said Prof. Dr. Rosli in his speech.

These initiatives have been tailored to address the needs of cardiovascular patients and have showcased the significance of merging clinical expertise with scientific and technological advancements.

Among the ongoing research projects between UTM and IJN are the development of vascular patches and grafts, rehabilitation and telemetry systems, telerobotic systems, micro-insulin auto-delivery, vascular stents, the development of heart assist devices, and the management of clinical research data.

UTM and IJN aspire to advance medical knowledge, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.

“The collaboration aims to drive these initiatives towards product commercialization and system verification, with the ultimate goal of benefiting humanity. Both UTM and IJN are excited about the future possibilities that this strengthened collaboration brings,” said Datuk Dr. Aizai Azan during the ceremony.

By leveraging their respective expertise and resources, the two institutions aspire to advance medical knowledge, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.