SUNGAI PETANI, KEDAH, 1 February 2017 – Being a sustainability-led university, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) continues its drive for excellence in sustainable practices by introducing the cementless concrete with a low carbon footprint, which is ready for commercialisation. It is the research outcome using green technology by a lecturer from USM School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP), Dr. Cheah Chee Ban.

This was confirmed with the signing of the Licensing and Commercialisation Agreements valued at RM100,000 between a subsidiary of USM, Usains Holdings Sdn. Bhd and Macro Dimension Concrete Sdn Bhd (MDC), a company with the expertise in the production of concrete.

Apart from the agreements, MDC also provided scholarships totalling RM150,000 to five outstanding students from various academic schools (PP), namely the School of Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering as well as the School of Housing, Building and Planning.

According to the USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail, the cooperation with MDC in providing scholarships to students and placement for industrial training would assist in the talent development process of USM students.

“This cooperation between USM-MDC could become a good model, where MDC from the industry that wants to develop cementless concrete with low carbon footprint has worked together with academicians from USM in developing the green technology from an idea into reality, and this has resulted in a fantastic cooperation,” said Asma.

“The School of HBP is looking at the implementation of the 2u2i programme introduced by the Ministry of Higher Education, and MDC could become a strategic partner for this programme, where students will spend two years in USM and the following two years in the industry,” added Asma.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of MDC, Leow Khang Heng said that MDC has set up a laboratory that parallels the one in USM and is applying for ISO 17025 certification at the MDC headquarters in Sungai Petani, Kedah for the purpose of research in sustainable concrete materials.  

 

“Other than providing places for industrial training to those who receive the scholarships, MDC is also offering the same opportunity for postgraduates as I believe that from this cooperation between USM-MDC, the existing talents at MDC could also be improved,” added Khang Heng. 

 

Also present were the USM Deputy Vice-Chancellors; Director of Usains Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Dato’ Syed Mohamad Syed Murtaza; Dean, School of Housing, Building and Planning, Professor Dr. Aldrin Abdullah and Principal Researcher Dr. Cheah Chee Ban.

Text: Nor Rafizah Md Zain / Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin