TANJUNG MALIM, 4 Feb – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Fergana Polytechnic Institute (FerPI), Uzbekistan, have officially signed a Letter of Collaboration (LoC), reinforcing UTM’s ambition to become a global education hub while strengthening academic, research, and innovation ties between the two institutions.
The exchange of agreements, held in conjunction with the 1st Malaysia-Uzbekistan Higher Education Forum and Showcase at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), was attended by key representatives from many universities, witnessed by YB Senator Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia and TYT Konratbay Sharipov, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Uzbekistan. During the ceremony, UTM was presented by Prof. Dr. Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, Vice-Chancellor of UTM, and Prof. Dr. Salomov Uktam Rahimovich, Rector of FerPI.
FerPI is a leading technical university in Uzbekistan, offers expertise in engineering, applied sciences, and technology-driven entrepreneurship. With 15 spin-off companies commercializing intellectual property, FerPI is an ideal partner in advancing innovation and industry collaborations.
The LoC was represented by UTM Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (UTM ICC) with the hope of fostering innovation and supporting the commercialisation of research and technological developments between UTM and FerPI. It works on promoting industry collaboration, managing intellectual property, and facilitating technology transfer to bridge the gap between research and practical application. Also present at the event were Prof. Ts. Dr. Ali Selamat, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs & Alumni), along with Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Noor Azurati Ahmad@Salleh, Director and Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak, Deputy Director of UTM ICC.
This collaboration aims to encourage student and staff mobility, facilitating opportunities for academic growth and knowledge sharing between institutions. It also includes co-supervised PhD programs, allowing researchers to benefit from expertise across both universities. Additionally, joint research projects will be developed to address global challenges and drive impactful innovations.
The partnership focuses on establishing robust platforms for technology transfer, ensuring that research outputs are effectively translated into real-world applications. Through this joint initiative, market-driven innovations will be developed to enhance industrial collaborations and commercialization potential.
The UTM-FerPI collaboration is a milestone in fostering international knowledge exchange and technological innovation, paving the way for future joint ventures that contribute to Malaysia’s higher education growth and global competitiveness.
Authors: Ts. Dr. Norhayati Mohamed Noor & Dr. Ma Kalthum Ishak