Oxford, ENGLAND. 12 December 2012 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is enhancing its impactful contributions, global visibility and networking in the field of industrial and applied mathematics by launching the UTM Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (the Centre) and the strategic alliance between UTM and Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (OCIAM), Oxford University.
The launch of the Centre and the strategic alliance with Oxford University was held at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University with the presence of distinguished representatives, including the Minister of Higher Education Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University Professor Andrew Hamilton; the Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK Dato’ Seri Zakaria Sulong, the Chairman of UTM Board of Directors, Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali and the Vice-Chancellor of UTM, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang.
The idea of setting up the Centre in collaboration with Oxford University started after Oxford dons assisted UTM in organising the first Malaysian Mathematics in Industry Study Group (MSIG) in February 2011. MSIG is an international workshop on problem solving of real industrial problems collaboratively between mathematicians and the industrialists. In this workshop, close cooperation between the two sides involved is required to overcome important scientific, engineering and industrial issues particularly to optimise decision-making in a world of increasing competition and limited resources. Any response to these challenges involves the harnessing of high-level mathematical skills in modelling, analysis and computation and MSIG aims to make these skills available where needed as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.
The creation of UTM CIAM is in accordance with its aspiration to become a premier centre of research excellence. This is accomplished by having high-level mathematical expertise in modelling, analysis and computation to solve current industrial and engineering problems.
The centre collaborates with OCIAM, Oxford University in coordinating research in the field and acts as a venue for experts to provide advice and allow informed decisions about future directions to be made in industrial and applied mathematics and their practical applications to industry. Hence this a major achievement for UTM as it brings its research centres to be at par with the best in the world.
This centre works closely with renowned research centres from partner institutions and participating industries locally and abroad in enhancing access to excellent research resources and infrastructures. The major intellectual output is innovative problem-solving, high-quality publications and advanced knowledge transfer that improve technologies. Among the centre’s activities is the annual international workshop on Mathematics in Industry Study Group, exchange of staff and students, postdoctoral attachments, International Modelling summer school and industrial internships.
Under the collaboration with OCIAM, UTM is sending students, post-doctorals and academic staff to Oxford University for research studies in industrial and applied mathematics, and is organising the annual international workshop on Mathematics in Industry Study Group (MISG), modelling courses and summer schools with the participation of experts from OCIAM, its partners and UTM’s partners within the industrial and applied mathematics network, such as ETH Zurich Switzerland, University of Coimbra Portugal, Massey University New Zealand, Institut Teknologi Bandung Indonesia, Malaysian public higher education institutions and UTM’s industry partners such as MIMOS, Johor Biotech, Petronas and KPJ.
The UTM-OCIAM Strategic Alliance and UTM CIAM is part of UTM’s long term strategy in global research engagement through strategic partnerships with top universities abroad as well as capacity building of its student and staff population. The collaboration is also in line with the university’s strategic plan in increasing its academic profile abroad and the Ministry of Higher Education’s overarching principle of internationalising Malaysian higher education.