AUN/SEED-Net Embarked on a Series of Kick-off Meetings with Three University Consortia in Malaysia

Between June 16 and July 3, 2023, three university consortia officially began their transregional collaboration by holding kick-off meetings with the partners. The consortia, known as R-TUNE, EnviroPComp, and GEnES, were among the seven winning teams of the Research and Education Program for the University Consortium or REd-UC. 

Following the previous success of the Collaborative Education Program (CEP) in AUN/SEED-Net Phase IV, REd-UC is another funding scheme on offer to member universities in the transitional period. It retains the key attribute of empowering universities not only to form their own partnerships as a university consortium but also to tailor their academic activities. The program is expanding to include the optional involvement of universities from South Asia and Africa. Furthermore, the disciplines are not limited to Engineering or the Sciences, with Social Studies also being encouraged. 

The R-TUNE (Real-Time Utility Network Energy Efficiency Optimization with RENKEI) consortium sets out to achieve several objectives. Led by Prof. Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the consortium aims to develop an assessment tool to determine the feasibility of RENKEI control for real-time utility network energy efficiency optimization in industrial settings. Additionally, the team intends to foster knowledge exchange among its members. JEITA and Waseda University will provide expertise in RENKEI control, with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and De La Salle University sharing their knowledge in P-graphs and energy audits.

EnviroPComp (Towards Environmental Sustainability: Plastic Waste and Composite Materials Research Consortium) is initiated by Prof. Ir. Dr. Mariatti Jaafar from the School of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia. The partners include Kyushu University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Tasblock (M) Sdn Bhd, National Research and Innovation Agency, and FP Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. The consortium focuses on research projects and educational activities related to recycling plastic and the production of valuable merchandise based on wood plastic composite. The project is not limited to the engineering aspect but also highlights human recycling behavior.

Using his experience from the previously successful Collaborative Education Program for Sustainable Environmental Engineering Network (CEP-SEEN), Prof. Dr. Muhamad Ali Muhammad Yuzir from Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology is joining forces with Tokyo City University, Tanta University, University of Johannesburg, and Euglena Co., Ltd in establishing GEnES (Research and Education Grant for Innovative Environmental Engineering Solutions). The consortium envisions innovative environmental engineering solutions in the utilization of easily available microalgae and advanced wastewater treatment technologies. The project will recruit potential postgraduate candidates to the joint supervision program on conducting environmental engineering-oriented research. The industrial partner will contribute to knowledge sharing and provide access to its laboratory, site visits, and sampling. Academic mobility is also planned to reinforce capacity building and nurture cultural diversity.

In addition to the three consortia, the remainder are preparing for similar gatherings to embark on the REd-UC journey. The winning teams are listed below.