JOHOR BAHRU – The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Centre for Innovative Planning and Development (CIPD) will form a strategic collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) in the areas of training and development, research, publications, consultations, and staff exchange.

The Director of CIPD, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zaly Shah Muhamad Hussein said that for a start, the NITT will be sending several of its staff to pursue their education for Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Science (MSc) at the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU) and Faculty of Engineering UTM.

“Besides proving that UTM has the brand and expertise in engineering and technological education, this strategic collaboration will allow NITT to position itself as the premier institution in the field of transportation and logistics in Nigeria and the West African region,” said Dr. Muhammad Zaly Shah.

CIPD is a Centre of Excellent (CoE) based at the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, UTM. The CIPD was established with its primary role to spearhead research and development (R&D) in the field of urban and regional planning and development with a clear focus on nurturing innovation within an interdisciplinary platform.

The centre will also play a leading role in fostering effective partnerships between academia, policy makers, NGOs and local communities in the search for new paradigms and approaches to create a sustainable built environment. The value of the centre is aligned with the aspiration of the faculty and university to be a leading research university and to achieve a world-class university stature.