PENANG, 4 December 2013 - The launching of Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT)-Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Technology Collaboration Centre today creates a new milestone in enhancing a collaboration between Japan and Malaysia in the field of engineering technology.

USM is the first overseas education base for TUT and the centre, located at Jalan Cantonment, allows the two institutions to jointly work with the manufacturing and engineering industries in Penang.

“This triparte arrangement will allow closer university-industry collaboration besides bringing a global perspective to the collaboration,” said USM Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network) Professor Dato’ Dr. See Ching Mey who attended representing USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman.

She explained that students from TUT will be able to gain access to internships in Malaysia and likewise USM students will be able to benefit from industrial internships in Japan.

“About 15 students from TUT will start their industrial internships from January next year in Penang,” she said.

These students will first spend one week in USM to get familiarise with the local surroundings and study environment before their placement at the Centre.

Dato’ See also pointed out that USM is looking forward to more research, consultancy, and community/industry engagement collaboration with TUT which she hopes will further enhance both Universities positions as a leading centre of excellence for technology in the region.

Also present at the opening ceremony of the Centre were the Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia, His Excellency Shigeru Nakamura; Inspector of the Ministry Of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Japan, Minoru Kaneko; President of Toyohashi University of Technology, Professor Yoshiyuki Sakaki; Chairman and President of Mini Circuits Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Dato’ Seri Kelvin Kiew; and USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Professor Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal. - Text: Yong Check Yoon/Photo: Mohamad Danial Shahri