A renewed Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) following a visit to Malaysia by Professor Andy Cundy, Dr Ray Whitby and Dr Rob Morgan, University of Brighton experts in geoscience, nanotechnology and clean energy.
The partnership, first established in 2008, has led to collaborative research projects in the field of combustion engineering and supported the development of UTP's industrial research base. The new agreement was signed in Brighton by Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Haji Hashim, for UTP, and Professor Julian Crampton, the University of Brighton's Vice-Chancellor.
The original agreement was made after a visit to UTP by Professor Crampton to discuss closer collaboration between the two universities, Petronas, Malaysia's national oil company, and with Ricardo, a leading multinational engineering consultancy.
Student and staff exchanges followed, to undertake research in the Sir Harry Ricardo Research Laboratories within the University of Brighton's Centre for Automotive Engineering led by Professor Morgan Heikal. Professor Heikal subsequently spent two years on secondment at UTP, developing its industrial research base.
Professor Andrew Lloyd, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, said: "Through strong partnerships of this nature the university seeks to develop and widen its international research base. This partnership exemplifies how universities across the globe can work effectively together for mutual benefit."
Left to right: Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Haji Hashim, for UTP, and Professor Julian Crampton, the University of Brighton's Vice-Chancellor