USM PARTNERS WITH KBU TO BOOST EDUCATION INITIATIVES, EMPOWERED BY SEEE ALUMNI NETWORK

NIBONG TEBAL, 13 December 2024 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Karabuk University (KBU) have made significant strides in their strategic collaboration, marked by the recent visit of Associate Professor Dr. Zaini Abdul Halim from the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering on 3 November 2024.

Dr. Zaini's visit to KBU, made possible by the Industry Innovation Scholarship (I2S) grant, was a key milestone in strengthening the partnership.

Her focus on the joint supervision of Final Year Project (FYP) and MSc students, particularly in innovative areas such as number plate recognition and the Smart Campus initiative, has added tremendous value to the collaboration.

Dr. Zaini, who is also the USM Alumni Coordinator for the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (SEEE), is involved in several projects, including the Smart Campus Project, which is a collaboration between USM (under Usains Holding Sdn. Bhd.) and the Ministry of Higher Education.

This initiative focuses on integrating smart technologies into campus infrastructure to enhance sustainability, security, and student engagement.

"The support and encouragement of Professor Ir. Ts. Dr. Shahrel Azmin Sundi @ Suandi, Dean of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at USM, and the Vice Rector of KBU, Professor Dr Ismail Rakip KARAS, were invaluable in making this visit a success," said Dr. Zaini.

"Their continuous commitment to advancing education and fostering collaboration has provided the necessary platform to make this partnership even more impactful.

"Although they have never met before, their shared commitment paves the way for meaningful discussions and fruitful collaboration in the future during this visit," she said.

With the support of USM alumnus Dr. Tarik Adnan Almohamad, Dr. Zaini was able to connect with institutions such as Ankara Medipol University (AMU) and Ostim Technical University (OTU), both of which are practising a smart campus university.

"The visit to AMU and OTU will undoubtedly strengthen the international dimension of our partnership, especially in the development of the Smart Campus," said Dr. Zaini.

She also stated that during the visit, she met with the Director of the Technology Transfer Office of AMU, Associate Professor Dr. Cevat Ozarpa, and the Director of the Energy Technologies Research and Application Centre (ETRAC) of OTU, Professor Dr. Demiral Akbar.

"With the support of our alumni network, we now have more opportunities to collaborate with global leaders in smart technology, research and innovation," She added.

The collaboration between the USM and KBU, initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2024, is centred upon joint research initiatives, cross-institutional knowledge exchange, and the supervision of jointly conducted student research projects.

Text and Photo: Courtesy of Associate Professor Dr. Zaini Abdul Halim ad Dr. Tarik Adnan Almohamad