JOHOR BAHRU, Jul 16 – An academic connection that began at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is now opening new possibilities for international collaboration. Prof. Dr. Jerry Heng, a UTM alumnus who is currently a Professor in Particle Technology at Imperial College London, visited UTM for a discussion with the School of Graduate Studies (SPS). The engagement focused on strengthening academic networking and identifying practical opportunities for student and staff mobility, postgraduate co-supervision and research collaboration.

The discussion explored ways to build on existing links between UTM and Imperial College London, including internship opportunities for UTM students at Imperial.

Through continued engagement, SPS hopes to create more opportunities for students to gain international research exposure and for academic staff to develop stronger professional and research connections. Potential areas of collaboration included postgraduate co-supervision, doctoral student mobility, staff mobility, research networking and knowledge exchange.

These opportunities could provide UTM students and staff with greater access to international research environments, academic expertise and collaborative learning experiences.

The discussion also identified potential international mobility pathways, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks and Imperial College London’s Global Development Fellowship.

MSCA Doctoral Networks support doctoral training and mobility, while the Global Development Fellowship provides high-impact, short-term placement opportunities for PhD students from Least Developed and Lower Middle-Income Countries. At this stage, these opportunities are potential areas for further exploration, subject to eligibility requirements, funding availability and the relevant institutional arrangements.

The engagement supports the UTM ASCEND 2026 target of establishing 50 joint academic activities with QS Top 100 universities. The activities discussed, including internships, joint supervision, student and staff mobility and knowledge exchange, are aligned with the target’s focus on strengthening meaningful international academic connections. For SPS, the engagement represents an effort to transform international networking into practical opportunities that benefit postgraduate students, researchers and academic staff. It also reflects UTM’s commitment to expanding its global academic network through sustainable and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Jerry Heng is currently Professor in Particle Technology and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London. He obtained his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from UTM in 2002 before completing his PhD at Imperial College London in 2006. His research focuses on the surfaces and interfaces of particulate materials. Prof. Dr. Jerry Heng is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE). He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Chemical Engineering Research and Design and Thematic Editor for Particuology.

Coordinated by the Dean of SPS, Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, the discussion marked a constructive step towards deepening the relationship between UTM and Imperial College London. Further engagement may focus on developing feasible opportunities for internships, co-supervision, doctoral mobility, staff mobility and continued international academic networking.