JOHOR BAHRU, June 24 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), successfully organised the FKA Industry–Community Engagement Day 2026 (FKA ICE Day 2026), bringing together nearly 500 participants from academia, industry, government-related stakeholders, alumni, schools, and the wider community in a vibrant showcase of collaboration, innovation, and talent development.

Held across the FKA Block D02, the M50 facility, and several specialised faculty laboratories, the programme exemplified UTM’s commitment to strengthening partnerships through a quadruple-helix collaboration model involving academia, industry, government and society. Participants included undergraduate and postgraduate students, engineering professionals, industry representatives, UTM alumni, school teachers and students.

Designed as an integrated platform for knowledge exchange, FKA ICE Day 2026 connected education, research, innovation, and community engagement under one initiative. The programme strengthened collaboration in civil engineering education, accelerated research translation, enhanced graduate employability and inspired future engineering talent. These efforts directly support the UTM ASCEND 2030 framework, particularly its strategic thrusts of Global Talent and Niche Excellence, in addressing national and societal infrastructure challenges.

The initiative was spearheaded by FKA with support from the UTM Alumni Office and the Civil Engineering Society (PEKA), whose student volunteers played an instrumental role in coordinating the programme’s multi-track activities. The event also received strong support from the industry through the participation and sponsorship of organisations, including Khairi Consult Sdn. Bhd., GreenIBS Consult Sdn. Bhd., GPS Lands (M) Sdn. Bhd., AllTerra (M) Sdn. Bhd., RN Technologies Sdn. Bhd., Kemuncak Pesaka Sdn. Bhd., RSM Builders Sdn. Bhd., China Communications Construction Company (M) Sdn. Bhd., HydroAxys Sdn. Bhd., Yenvirotronik Equipment & Supplies, Obayashi Precast Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., UTM Alumni and EcoWorld Development Group.

The programme was officiated by the Dean of FKA, Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Rosli Hainin, who emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration between academia, industry, and the community in producing globally competent engineering graduates while accelerating research translation for societal and industrial impact.

He noted that initiatives such as FKA ICE Day provide a strategic platform for experiential learning, knowledge exchange and innovation, reflecting UTM’s commitment to advancing the aspirations of the UTM ASCEND 2030 agenda. The programme was led by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Razin Zainal Abidin @ Md. Taib as Programme Director, with support from dedicated organising committees, student volunteers and industry partners.

To maximise stakeholder engagement, the programme featured three parallel tracks, each designed to address distinct strategic objectives.

Track A focused on strengthening research–industry collaboration through structured business matching sessions between UTM researchers and industry representatives. The sessions provided opportunities to review existing collaborations, explore contract research and consultancy opportunities and identify potential joint grant proposals. These engagements laid the foundation for long-term strategic partnerships that translate research outcomes into practical engineering solutions.

Complementing these sessions, an exhibition at the M50 and D02 facilities showcased research innovations and industry technologies from FKA’s specialised research groups and laboratories.

Featured areas included pavement and transportation engineering, geotechnics, environmental sustainability, structural forensic engineering and advanced construction materials, highlighting UTM’s capability to deliver research with direct industrial relevance and societal impact.

Track B focused on graduate employability by providing final-year students with direct access to prospective employers through walk-in interviews, curriculum vitae submissions and networking opportunities involving leading engineering and construction companies.

Industry sharing sessions further exposed students to workplace expectations, emerging engineering trends and professional career pathways, strengthening their readiness to transition from university to the engineering profession.

Track C emphasised community engagement and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach, welcoming approximately 100 students from secondary schools, matriculation colleges and pre-university institutions, including Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bandar Putra 2, SMK Seri Pulai Perdana, Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Johor Bahru and Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar.

Through guided laboratory tours and interactive demonstrations at the Hydraulics and Hydrology, Transportation and Environmental Engineering laboratories, participants experienced first-hand how civil engineering addresses real-world challenges such as flood mitigation, sustainable infrastructure development and environmental protection.

The successful implementation of FKA ICE Day 2026 demonstrates UTM’s continued commitment to fostering meaningful partnerships between academia, industry, government, and the community. By integrating research dissemination, talent development, industry engagement and STEM outreach within a single platform, the programme reinforces the University’s role in driving innovation, strengthening graduate employability and advancing sustainable engineering solutions.

More importantly, the connections established during the programme are expected to catalyse future collaborations in research, consultancy, technology transfer, and innovation, while nurturing the next generation of engineering professionals. Through initiatives such as FKA ICE Day, UTM continues to create lasting value for industry and society, advancing its mission of transforming lives through knowledge and technology while contributing to Malaysia’s sustainable development agenda.

Prepared by: Ahmad Razin Zainal Abidin and Sarehati Umar