Boosting research excellence
IN their bid to up their innovation and research excellence, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HiGi Energy and Mariwealth Engineering & Consultancy Sdn Bhd.
“The purpose of this collaboration is to boost our researchers’ products and findings.
“It is a collaboration between the companies with our university,” said
“I hope our collaboration will continue to prosper in the future,” said Uniten deputy vice-chancellor (Management & Development) Prof Dr Siti Salbiah Mohamed Shariff.
Uniten assistant vice-chancellor (Research) Prof Datin Dr Lariyah Mohd Sidek added that achieving research excellence is part of the varsity’s roadmap called BOLD 2025, which is short for Building Opportunities and Living Dreams.
“We encourage our lecturers to become experts in their area of study and to also create an impact through their research products.
“One way to do that is through social entrepreneurship or commercialisation to generate income for the university and create an impact on society,” she said.
A social startup based in the Philippines, HiGi Energy founding chief executive officer Yap Chee Wei said his company was built after he observed two significant problems that locals faced.
“We are built to solve problems related to the overpopulation of water hyacinth.
“They grow fast and block the flow of water, resulting in floods,” he said, adding that the other problem is how 65% of its population cooks with firewood and charcoal which results in large number of deaths every year due to the emission of smoke.
He said both these problems could be solved together by collecting water hyacinths and subsequently reusing it as charcoal.
“Our team will use technology to ensure the process goes through a cleaner and greener method.
“We need (to work with) people who are experienced in the biomass and energy industry to give us sound advice.
“(Through this MoU) Uniten will provide product and technology development as well for us,” he said of his collaboration with the varsity.
A Uniten alumnus and a graduate engineer, Yap said that by working together with the varsity, he hopes to advise students on how an engineering degree opens up various opportunities.
“An engineering degree can be used to venture into other things such as business.
“So I would like to share with Uniten students that they are not in university to just study engineering but to utilise the skills they have gained and to do good for society,” he added.
Mariwealth Engineering & Consultancy Sdn Bhd managing director Muhamad Sidik Ibrahim said his mission is to generate more ideas with industry experts through their collab- oration with Uniten.
Established in 1998, Mariwealth carries out designing, commissioning and servicing food and beverages as well as manufacturing pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses.
Recognising the growing threat of dengue mosquitoes, Muhamad Sidik said that they also make mosquito busters.
“The purpose of us signing this MoA is to sell our mosquito busters at a more affordable rate for society.
“Our mission is to generate more ideas with industry experts through this collaboration with Uniten,” he added.