JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 7 – The Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology (FEST), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), welcomed an academic delegation from Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia, for an academic visit aimed at strengthening institutional ties and expanding opportunities for research, community servicea nd academic collaboration between the two universities.

Held at the Smart Classroom FEST, C14 111, the programme commenced with opening remarks by the Dean of FEST, Prof. Dr. Noraffandy Yahaya, who welcomed the delegation and highlighted the importance of international academic engagement in creating meaningful opportunities for knowledge exchange, collaborative research and sustainable partnerships between higher education institutions.

Following the opening session, academics from UIN Walisongo and FEST participated in a series of focused discussions on potential research and community service collaborations.

The discussions were organised according to three disciplinary areas: Mathematics Education, Physics Education and Chemistry Education, with proposed collaborative projects serving as the basis for exploring future joint initiatives.

For Mathematics Education, the proposed collaboration, led by Dr. Minhayati Saleh from UIN Walisongo, focuses on “Enhancing the Performance of Teachers in Malaysia through Mentoring Based on Pedagogical, Personal, Social, and Professional Competencies.” The FEST collaborator for this initiative is Dr. Najua Syuhada Ahmad Alhassora.

The discussion explored opportunities to combine expertise from both institutions in teacher professional development and mentoring.

Meanwhile, the Physics Education discussion centred on the project entitled “The Implementation of INSETMod-CT Oriented to the Utilization of Artificial Intelligence to Enhance the Creativity of Prospective Teacher Students in Malaysia,” led by Dr. Andi Fadhlan.

FEST was represented by Dr. Nor Farahwahidah Abdul Rahman, Dr. Nina Diana Nawi and Marlina Ali. The proposed collaboration reflects the growing importance of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into teacher education while developing creativity and innovative teaching practices among prospective educators.

For Chemistry Education, Dr. Mohammad Agus Prayitno led the proposed initiative entitled “Strengthening Students’ Entrepreneurship through Training and Mentoring in the Development of STEM-Based Innovative Products (Indonesia–Malaysia Collaboration).”

The FEST collaborators are Dr. Siti Najihah Jamal and Dr. Wimbi Apriwanda Nursiwan. The initiative provides a platform for combining Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, innovation, entrepreneurship and student development through cross-border academic and community-based activities.

Following the collaborative discussions, the programme continued with a Guest Lecture Series, featuring three academics from UIN Walisongo who shared their expertise in science and STEM education.

The first guest lecture was delivered by Dr. Andi Fadhlan, M.Sc., entitled “Teaching Beyond AI: Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking through the Sci-CPS Model.”

The session explored approaches to nurturing creativity and critical thinking beyond the use of AI in science education.

The second lecture, delivered by Dr. Listiyono, M.Pd., focused on “Transforming Biology Practicals through Inquiry-Based Learning for Science Literacy,” highlighting inquiry-based approaches to creating more meaningful and engaging biology learning experiences.

The final lecture by Dr. Agus Prayitno, M.Pd., entitled “Model Pembelajaran TSE (Team-Based SETS–Entrepreneurship Project),” introduced an approach integrating Science, Environment, Technology and Society (SETS) and entrepreneurship through team-based projects.

Overall, the academic visit served as a valuable platform for both institutions to move beyond academic networking towards identifying concrete areas for future collaboration. The combination of research and community service discussions with knowledge-sharing through the Guest Lecture Series reflected the shared commitment of FEST UTM and UIN Walisongo to advancing educational innovation and strengthening international academic engagement.

The programme is expected to further strengthen the relationship between UTM and UIN Walisongo, paving the way for sustainable collaborations in research, community service, academic exchange, joint publications, and other mutually beneficial initiatives in the future.