7 receive MAI-Swinburne scholarship awards
KUCHING (7 July 2017): Seven master degree students received the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI)-Swinburne Automotive Research Scholarship Awards at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus here yesterday.
The recipients were Robin Xavier Mowe, Jackson Wong Shee, Abdul Qaiyum Alidin, Mohamad Izuan, Naresh Jayepalan, Chai Poh Chun and Michelle Kuek Shu Wun.
Figure 1: Subic (second row, fifth left) in a group photo with the scholarship recipients, industry partners and others.
The students were awarded stipend and waived tuition fees for a maximum of two years.
They will be attached to the industry for the duration of the research to focus on issues and solutions.
The scholarship awards were the result of MAI and Swinburne’s collaborative research partnership which also includes a joint Transport Innovation Centre (TIC).
TIC is located in Swinburne Melbourne with a node at Swinburne Sarawak Campus.
Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) Prof Aleksandar Subic said the partnership is a strategic alignment between two countries.
“I truly believe that Malaysian automotive industry sector has the potential to become the powerhouse in this part of the world.
“TIC is the first-of-its-kind centre in Kuching and places Kuching on the international map for advanced technology and manufacturing,” he said.
He added that Kuching is a great ecosystem to grow the automotive industry and Swinburne Sarawak Campus provides a wonderful home for TIC.
The collaboration was to find innovative solutions to transportation, auto and manufacturing industry and human mobility challenges.
Subic pointed out the effort is also in-line with Industry 4.0, the current global trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing industry.
He said: “Industry 4.0 will transform and disrupt all of us beyond what we predict. Through this, we are setting up a platform so that we are not taken by surprise by the change brought by Industry 4.0.”
TIC was launched last year as the leading collaborative transport research and innovation organisation in the country.
Swinburne chancellor Graham Goldsmith, MAI chief executive officer (CEO) Madani Sahari, Swinburne Sarawak CEO Professor Janet Gregory and Swinburne Pro vice-chancellor (International Research Engagement and Development) Professor Ajay Kapoor were present.
