BAYAN LEPAS, PENANG, 25 June 2023 – Partnerships between university and industry/corporate entities are becoming key to accelerating research, innovation, product development and talent development.

Moving in that direction, USM and Penang-based Keysight Technologies Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 20 June 2023.

Signing on behalf of USM was the Director of Research Creativity and Management Office (RCMO), Profesor Dr. Zainovia Lockman, representing the Vice-Chancellor, while the Vice President of Global Procurement & Materials, Amanda Barnabas represented Keysight Technologies. 

Under this MoU, USM will provide talents from among its pool of graduates for Keysight to nurture further and turned them into an industry relevant work force for the advancement and growth of our nation.

The collaboration opportunities highlight four main pillars that focus on enhancing leadership skills and exposing candidates to the industry's best practices, amongst them:-

i) Industry Exposure & Knowledge Sharing: This pillar will expose candidates to the actual workings of the organization. This includes site visits, exposure to best practices in Keysight such as lean and innovation ("Leanovation") as well as participation in various talks, seminars, and forums.

ii) Competency Development: In this pillar, the candidates will be exposed to various competency enhancement opportunities, including technical skills, soft skills, and leadership management skills. The candidates will also benefit from mentoring sessions where they can dive deep into questions or areas of interest with designated mentors.

iii) Joint Projects: Candidates will have the opportunity to be involved and contribute to joint projects in areas such as digitalization, research, and industry applications. This is an excellent opportunity to experience and learn from industry projects that will provide additional insights and different perspectives.

iv) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Giving back and contributing to society is an essential element of the programme. Candidates will collaborate closely with Keysight teams on various STEM, community outreach, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

Both USM and Keysight are looking forward to this partnership and hope to leverage on each other's strength towards creating a greater synergy between academia and industry.

The USM delegation also included Professor Ir. Dr. Srimala Sreekantan (Director of Centre for Innovation & Consultation), Associate Professor Dr. Shaizatulaqma Kamalul Ariffin (Director of Industry Network, Division of Industry and Community Network); and Associate Professor Dr. M. Selvakumar (Director of National Advanced IPv6 Centre, NAv6).

Text: Tan Ewe Hoe/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa