By Kew Si Na, Nur’ain Balqis binti Haladin and Hadina Habil
On May 8th, 2024, the “International Research Benchmarking Visit” was held at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Dr. Kew Si Na from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Dr. Elizabeth Koh from NIE organized this event to promote international collaboration and research excellence. The primary goal of the visit was to facilitate the exchange of ideas, establish connections, and identify collaborative opportunities among educators in the fields of language, technology, and education. Various academic staff members from both institutions attended the event.
During the visit, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lee Yew Jin from the NIE Research Integrity Office led a session on research integrity, and then library staff members Chew-Ooi Lian Ping and Wong Yong Yeow gave a presentation on data repositories in NIE. These sessions aimed to enhance the participants’ understanding of research integrity and equip them with research data management skills.
Furthermore, research groups from Language Academy (LA) UTM presented their primary projects and initiatives, including the Language and Communication in Society (LCS) research group, the Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching (ALLT) research group and the Technology and Language Education (TLE) research group. Dr. Elizabeth Koh from NIE and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Victor Lim Fei also shared insights into their respective research endeavors.
The visit facilitated an international dialogue session, allowing for a fruitful exchange of ideas and discussions between UTM participants and NIE staff members. These discussions are expected to encourage knowledge sharing and set the stage for future cooperation. In addition, a visit to the NIE Visitor Learning Centre provided an opportunity for visitors to experience the institution’s modern facilities and resources.
Overall, the research benchmarking visit is seen as the first step towards fostering collaboration to advance research and enhance international connections.
