The UTM-Harvard alliance has further accentuated the knowledge and innovation culture currently practiced in UTM, following a recent working visit by UTM senior delegates to Harvard University on 20 and 21 August 2014.

The UTM delegation, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar, met Prof. Richard Vietor who is the Paul Whiton Cherington Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, and is a panel member of UTM’s International Advisory Panel, whose expertise is tapped into by UTM’s International Business School (IBS). The Faculty of Petroleum & Renewable Energy Engineering (FPREE) also intends to utilize Prof. Vietor’s expertise, particularly in the development of nuclear engineering. His vast experience as a consultant to the Research and Development Administration as well as in reviewing the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) could indeed further advance FPREE’s agenda.

The UTM team also met up with Prof. David Yoffie, who is the Max and Doris Starr Professor of International Business Administration at Harvard Business School. The meeting led to Prof. Yoffie agreeing in principle to be the facilitator for an IBS programme scheduled in December 2014.

The last stop at Harvard was to meet up with Prof. Eric Mazur, who is a Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University and Area Dean of Applied Physics. Prof. Eric Mazur highlighted current issues on Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), and the availability of ready-made instructional videos in certain expert areas. The sharing of experience session opened up possibilities of improved teaching techniques and various approaches to teaching delivery that may be adopted and adapted by UTM, particularly by FPREE’s faculty members.

Photos of the UTM team at Harvard University