KLANG, Oct 20 – A group of final year students from the Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering (NAOE) program under the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FKM) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has embarked on an immersive experience aboard the OceanXplorer vessel, joining the innovative OceanX Education tour program in Malaysia. This initiative aims to ignite a passion for ocean exploration and conservation among future generations of problem solvers and advocates.
The tour provides a unique opportunity for NAOE students to engage directly with the OceanXplorer crew, learning about marine science and advanced technologies that facilitate ocean exploration. The OceanXplorer is equipped with a diving center, submersibles, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), and more. Students learned how these technologies support ocean research, fostering hands-on learning experiences that highlight the importance of ocean conservation.
Firdaus Anuar expressed his enthusiasm about the experience, “This trip is an incredible chance to immerse ourselves in ocean studies. We visited both wet and dry labs and learned about the vehicles used on the OceanXplorer, including submersibles, ROVs, and USVs. Additionally, we were introduced to eDNA technology for tracing the presence of underwater species,” he said.
“This trip has taught me that there is much more to explore regarding the ship’s operations with the crew during research, missions, and discoveries, rather than just its engineering and design,” Nurul Ain Amirah added.
The delegation were led by Assoc. Prof. Chm. Dr. Che Rozid Mamat, Director of Office of Strategic and Corporate Affairs (OSCA) UTM and Ir. Dr. Nik Mohd Ridzuan Shaharuddin, Research Fellow of Marine Technology Centre, UTM.
For the record, the Bachelor of Engineering (Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering) degree program is designed to meet the engineering needs of the maritime and offshore industries by providing specialized knowledge required by these industries.
Ir. Dr. Nik Mohd Ridzuan feels that the opportunity aboard the OceanXplorer is an eye opener to the students. “The program integrates the relevant fields of naval architecture and other mechanical engineering disciplines with a special emphasis on offshore engineering, hence the educational visit today were able meet this objective,” he said.
The OceanX Education program is designed to increase young people’s opportunities to learn about and engage with the ocean, creating a community of informed and active ocean advocates. FKM and OSCA are proud to be part of this tour, equipping future engineers with the knowledge and passion to tackle global environmental challenges.
.
