OSAKA, JAPAN, 2 August 2023 – Delegates from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) are on a 2-day working visit to Osaka University (OU).

The delegation was led by USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, which included Director of Research Creativity and Management Office (RCMO), Professor Dr. Zainovia Lockman; Coordinator of Life Long Learning in Advanced and Professional Programme (LEAP), Professor Dr. Lee Keat Teong; and Senior Assistant Registrar, Division of Research and Innovation, Muhammad Syukri Sa’adon.

Abdul Rahman in his speech thanked OU for the long-term partnership that has been established as well as all the milestones that have been achieved thus far.

Both institutions were delighted with the success of existing programmes under this cooperation that has benefitted both staff and students.

The initiatives highlighted were the Osaka University International Certificate Programme (OUICP), Osaka University Professional Training and an exchange programme between OU Graduate School of Engineering (GSE) and USM.

The OUICP initiative which began last year involves having a collaboration on research, whereby students can attend courses and lectures prior to doing research at OU laboratories for a minimum period of two months.

Four academic staff from USM have completed their duration under this exchange programme and USM plans to continue providing research grants for both students and staff to undergo this programme.

Another point highlighted in his speech was the achievement by USM, maintaining its 4th position globally in the recent Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THE-IR), regarding initiatives implemented by USM in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“USM is interested in working together with OU on SDG related initiatives, particularly on SDG lifestyle among university students. This is in addition to the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (ICSDG2023) that will be held in December this year in Penang,” he said.

He added, “OU had earlier approached USM in 2022, to set up the OU ASEAN Campus-Malaysia. Now the office has been realised at the Toray Building in the Main Campus to facilitate more collaborative efforts especially students and research activities related to SDGs which will be supported by USM.”

OU President Nishio Shojiro congratulated USM for its impressive achievement in the THE-IR and is looking forward to collaborating with USM on several SDG initiatives through their OU ASEAN Campus office in USM.

Meanwhile, the Osaka University Professional Training initiative will offer training on advanced high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) covering fundamental understanding on electrons diffraction, crystallography and applications by renowned professors of OU.

Finally, under the exchange programme with GSE, 2 students have completed a Double Degree programme at OU, with 2 currently undergoing their studies and 2 more to join in October.

Abdul Rahman then had meetings and discussions with Professors from the OU Centre for Global Initiatives.

He also met the President of OU, Nishio Shojiro and the Executive Vice-President, Tanaka Manabu. Other meetings held were with officials at the Graduate School of Medicine, Division of Health Sciences and the Institute for Newly-Emerging Science Design (INSD).

 

Those present at the discussions included the OU Executive Vice-President, Yamamoto Beverly Anne; Professor Uyama Hiroshi; Regional Director of ASEAN Centre for Academic Initiatives, Professor Fuji-ta Kiyoshi; Professor Sumimura Yoshinori; and Professor Quamrul Hasan; along with several researchers and postgraduate students.

Text: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin