All delegates and lecturers of Collaborative International Academic Workshop 2020: UTM-DMU

Collaborative International Academic Workshop 2020

Collaborative International Academic Workshop 2020 for Academic Staff and Students between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM) and De Montfort University(DMU) on 23rd January 2020

On 23^rd January 2020, architecture programme of Faculty Built Environment and Surveying has organized a Collaborative International Academic Workshop 2020 for academic staff and students between Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and De Montfort University, United Kingdom. The main objective of the collaboration is to enable the university to produce students who are sensitive to the culture of the international community, thus enabling them to provide professional services beyond national borders and to compete in the international arena and market. During the visit of Mr. Christopher Jones, Principal Lecturer from De Montford University to Malaysia for a lecture on February 25, 2019 at the Faculty of Built Environment and Survey (FABU), he has expressed his desire to forge academic collaboration through exchange of academic staff and researchers, students, joint research, information exchange, materials for academic purposes in fields, architecture and planning. FABU welcomes the desire expressed by the DMU to expand the field of academic collaboration across Asia in the field. This is part of an effort to expand academic collaboration with overseas universities in line with UTM’s expansion and internationalization program.

The workshop involved 20 Master of Architecture students and 2 lecturers from DMU as well as 3 Bachelor of Science (Architecture) students, 1 Post Doctorate student and 4 lecturers from UTM. The group of student from DMU arrived UTM at 10.30 am after 2 days visit in Singapore. All delegates from DMU were given a brief and opening remark by Deputy Director of Architecture Programme, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alice Sabrina binti Ismail. The delegates then were taken to the Student’s Work Exhibition and later visited Cantre of Excellence – Kajian Lingkungan Alam Melayu (KALAM) assisted by Prof. Dr. Syed Ahmad Iskandar. During the visit, the delegates were then briefed on the Malaysian traditional architecture recorded by KALAM through Measured Drawing course done by the 2^nd year Bachelor of Science in Architecture. After the visit to KALAM, delegates were then served with refreshment and local fruit of rambutan sponsored by Institute Sultan Iskandar locally sourced from UTM Orchard.

Testing local fruit of Rambutan by DMU delegates

Delegates of DMU looking at KALAM model

Explanation to delegates by Prof. Dr. Syed Iskandar

The delegates were later taken to visit the Dato’ Mohamad Ibrahim Munshi Government Building in Nusajaya. This building was chosen because of its design concept that adapts traditional malay architecture into modern design. The developer from Cahaya Jauhar Mr. Rashid and the architect, Mr. Zairul gave a brief description of the development of Nusajaya as the new Johor State Government Center as well as the background of the project from the design concept until the building was completed. The delegates then were taken to the last destination of Masjid Daing at Nusa Idaman before they depart to Malacca. The delegates were warmly greeted by the committee member of Masjid Daing during their arrival. Female delegates were given a robe and scarves to cover themselves before entering the mosque. A slot of sharing session in developing the mosque were then given by notable architect in Malaysia, Ar Razin Mahmood. Sharing session with the architect is very important in making the students to realize on the reality of the construction industry as well as giving the international students exposure on modern Islamic architecture. The visit ends at 6pm and the DMU delegates continue their journey to Malacca.

Sharing Session with Ar. Razin Mahmood

Visit to Masjid Daing, Nusa Idaman

Summary

These joint workshops are very useful in providing understanding and access to a country’s society’s culture and are particularly important in developing bilateral economic relationships between the two countries. Universities can produce students who are responsive to the international community’s culture with this kind of collaboration so that they can provide professional services outside national borders and compete in the international arena and market.

Visit to Dato’ Mohamad Ibrahim Munsyi Government Building, Nusajaya