PENANG, 15 November 2013 – The University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) is looking forward to collaborate with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) as it was expressed during a courtesy visit to USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman.

Three UCSB professors – Research Director for the Solid State Lighting and Energy Centre Professor Dr. Shuji Nakamura, Director of the Solid State Lighting Energy Centre of California Professor Dr. Steven P. Denbaars, and Professor James Speck of the Materials Department of the University of California – were accompanied by CREST Chief Executive Officer Jaffri Ibrahim.

Jaffri Ibrahim said that CREST, a body that accelerates Malaysia’s electrical and electronics industry economic growth, invited UCSB to visit USM to explore potential collaboration between the two universities.

“We want to leverage on the strength and developments of the light emission diode (LED) industry by collaborating with UCSB to develop on, as what we see, as the next generation of LED technology,” he said, adding that the UCSB professors and CREST held a discussion on different collaborative models.

Omar suggested the use of USM for research facilities as part of the collaborative model.

Jaffri then said that he and USCB team met representatives from local companies yesterday and they identified that the industry has much to develop technologically.

“We are looking at laser LED for use in floodlights as the intensity of the light is so bright that it is useful for use as highbeam,” he explained.

According to him, a laser LED is bright enough to shine a distance ten times that of a normal LED.

Also present at the informal meeting were Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Datuk Dr. Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah; USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Dr. Muhamad Jantan;  Professor Dr. Kamarulazizi Ibrahim and Professor Dr. Zainuriah Hassan from the School of Physics. - Text: Yong Check Yoon/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa.