NIBONG TEBAL, 22 September 2025 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Engineering Campus hosted the JSPS Core-to-Core Programme meeting at the Campus Director’s Office today, bringing together 15 international experts from Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, alongside seven researchers from USM’s Engineering Campus.

Speaking about the collaboration, the Director of USM Engineering Campus, Professor Ir. Dr. Mariatti Jaafar @ Mustapha, expressed her deep appreciation for the organisation of the meeting and emphasised the importance of academic partnerships that transcend national borders and disciplines.

According to Mariatti, such programmes not only reinforce strategic partnerships between USM and world-leading universities such as the University of Osaka but also provide invaluable benefits to lecturers, researchers, and ultimately, students.

“These collaborations, which focus on advancing the principles of the Circular Economy, enrich the academic community by exposing scholars to international expertise and networks, while ensuring that students are guided by academics with global perspectives,” she said.

“The initiative is also expected to strengthen efforts in sustainable development, particularly in support of Sustainable Development Goal 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production, and Sustainable Development Goal 17 on Partnerships for the Goals, by fostering impactful international cooperation in research and innovation,” she added.

Meanwhile, Professor Dr. Hiroshi Uyama from the University of Osaka, in his welcoming remarks, highlighted the programme’s goal to build a Japan-ASEAN platform for research on plastic and bio-based material resource circulation, focusing on recycling, upcycling, and biodegradation.

He added that the initiative would drive advanced technologies through joint research across disciplines while fostering sustainable collaboration between academia, industry, and government to support global environmental goals.

Professor Uyama also stressed the urgent need for innovative solutions in plastic waste management, pointing out that low recycling rates, rapid consumption growth, and insufficient infrastructure across the region pose serious threats to ecosystems.

“This collaboration between Japan and ASEAN researchers is designed to co-create solutions that are locally relevant yet globally adaptable, by combining advanced recycling technologies, bio-based materials, and biodegradation strategies,” he said.

The programme also aims to establish a transnational research platform that fosters academic exchange, integration of expertise, and capacity building for future leaders in sustainable materials and environmental solutions.

Among the collaborative institutions involved are the University of Osaka (core), Kyoto University, Hokkaido University, and Tohoku University from Japan; Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, led by Professor Dr. Swabun Chirachanchai; the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), led by Professor Dr. Tran Dai Lam; and Universiti Sains Malaysia, led by Professor Ir. Dr. Mariatti Jaafar @ Mustapha.

Built on long-standing partnerships through the University of Osaka’s ASEAN Campus Initiative and other joint programmes, the JSPS Core-to-Core Programme continues to strengthen Japan-ASEAN cooperation in advancing sustainable research and innovation.

Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photo: Muhammad Taufik Abdul Rahman