UMPSA Organises PIE-WiSE 7 Colloquium to Strengthen Global STEM Collaboration
KUALA LUMPUR – Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), through the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology (FTKEE), organised the PIE-WiSE 7 Colloquium: Talent, Technology and Transnational Pathways to strengthen international collaboration in the fields of STEM education, technology, and innovation.
The programme, held in Kuala Lumpur, brought together representatives from universities, industry partners, and international organisations including Cardiff Metropolitan University, the British Council Malaysia, and TalentCorp Malaysia to share experiences and expand strategic collaboration networks in developing future technology talent.
The event began with a Welcoming Address by the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology, Professor Ts. Dr. Hamzah Ahmad, who emphasised the importance of global collaboration in empowering technology education and innovation.
This was followed by a Strategic Address by the Vice-Chancellor of UMPSA, Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah binti Alias, who highlighted the university’s vision to expand international collaboration and strengthen the digital innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in line with future industry demands.
During the keynote sharing session, Professor Dr. Esyin Chew from Cardiff Metropolitan University presented the journey and impact of the PIE-WiSE collaboration, which has opened opportunities for research partnerships, talent development, and technological innovation between institutions in Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
In her sharing, Professor Dr. Esyin Chew also expressed hope that the collaboration between UMPSA and Cardiff Metropolitan University could be further strengthened through the implementation of a Dual PhD programme, allowing students to spend one year studying in the United Kingdom and two years in Malaysia. This initiative is expected to expand academic mobility, strengthen joint research, and increase global exposure for postgraduate students.
“Through this initiative, students will not only gain international research exposure but also build global academic networks that benefit the development of future technologies,” she said.
Meanwhile, a representative from the British Council Malaysia, Ms. Prabha Subramaniam, shared perspectives on efforts to strengthen UK–Malaysia collaboration through the PIE-WiSE initiative, which supports the development of impactful education and research.
The programme also featured a sharing session from Universiti Malaya on best practices in developing global collaborations. The session was delivered by Professor Dr. Nazirah binti Hasnan, Director and Rehabilitation Medicine Consultant at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), and Professor Dr. Yvonne Lim Ai Lian, Associate Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) of Universiti Malaya. Their presentations provided insights into Universiti Malaya’s experience in building sustainable international partnerships that support academic and research excellence.
As recognition of the collaboration established, the event also witnessed the presentation of a Mock Cheque for the PIE-WiSE Grant amounting to RM31,528.75, supported by the British Council’s Global Partnerships programme together with a matching grant from UMPSA for the development of Edge AI research for real-time environmental monitoring.
In addition, TalentCorp Malaysia announced Project DiME – Digital Making and AI Education Initiative, which focuses on developing future talent in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and embedded systems. The project also received RM50,000 in funding to strengthen the digital innovation ecosystem through the involvement of Malaysian diaspora experts at the global level.
