Wed, 11 January, 2023
NSIRC International, the recently established, and steadily growing, overseas sister organisation to the UK’s National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Monash University Malaysia, home to the third largest campus of Australia’s largest university.
Monash University Malaysia was founded in 1998 and has the distinction of being the first foreign university campus to be set up in Malaysia. Since then it has established strong links with industry and Government, while serving as a platform for research and education engagement within South East Asia and beyond, and seeks real-world solutions to address national and international priorities. Parent Monash University is a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) which comprises the country’s foremost universities leading excellence and debate.
NSIRC International began its journey in early 2022, with the aim of extending the original NSIRC model, delivering novel PhDs based on industrial needs in partnership with leading universities, out to local territories globally. NSIRC has now been providing PhDs, as well as new MBAs and MSCs, for students seeking a career in structural integrity engineering and technologies, for the last 10 years, while NSIRC International, in just under a year, has formed partnerships with premier universities in Thailand and Indonesia, as well as with Universiti Sains Malaysia in September 2022.
NSIRC is one of the ‘four pillars’ of the TWI Innovation Network (TWIIN), a unique innovation ecosystem providing expertise, support and services in collaborative concept and project development, technology acceleration and the targeting of public funding. TWIIN is closely affiliated with TWI Global Technology Centre (GTC), the Singapore offices of global research and technology organisation, TWI Ltd.
This latest MoU will see Monash University Malaysia and NSIRC International work jointly to create an industry-led, postgraduate research centre offering research and development (R&D) programmes, and form academic links for mutual collaboration. Postgraduate students will undertake 3-year PhDs, benefitting from an academic supervisor at the University and an industrial supervisor from TWI, in the topic areas of smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, digitalisation, net zero and circular economy, new materials and structural integrity.
Prof Tat-Hean, Director of NSIRC, and of Membership and Innovation at TWI, said “Since its original foundation in 2012 with our lead partners for industry and academia, namely Lloyd’s Register Foundation and Brunel University London respectively, we have proved the success of NSIRC as a postgraduate platform for training the next generation of engineers. Therefore, it was a natural progression to expand NSIRC out into the territories that TWI is currently active in and contributing to.” “This new venture with Monash University Malaysia will complement the R&D activities being undertaken by TWI GTC in Singapore, where the focus is on initiatives that benefit the ASEAN region, and I envisage exciting prospects ahead for technology innovation with our partners and networks” he added.
Prof Anthony Guo of Monash University Malaysia said “Monash University Malaysia is a research-intensive university with a world-class track record and achievements. The partnership with TWI is an opportunity to strengthen our industrial network towards the betterment of our communities, both locally and globally. The NSIRC programme bridges the gap between academia and industry, through the development of talents and paving the way for innovative solutions for future challenges.”
Photograph shows, left to right, Prof Anthony Guo, Monash University Malaysia and Prof Tat-Hean Gan, NSIRC and TWI, signing the Memorandum of Understanding.