Visit by FEIAP delegates

The FEIAP delegates at Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik

Over 50 delegates from the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) visited Kampar Campus on 13 July 2018.

The delegation, comprising professional engineers as well as engineering researchers from across the Asia Pacific, were cordially received by UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, who is also FEIAP’s Immediate Past President. Also joining the visit were China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU, 西北工业大学) Deputy President and Provost Prof Huang Wei as well as Immediate Past President of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and FEIAP Secretary General Ir Dr Tan Yean Chin.

Extending his warm welcome to the delegates, Prof Chuah introduced UTAR as a not-for-profit private university founded in 2002 and the many attractions available at the award-winning Kampar Campus ranging from the palatial Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik to the lifelike bronze sculptures of Confucius and Albert Einstein. “UTAR’s Confucius-Einstein bronze sculptures symbolise the University as a melting pot of the Eastern and Western cultures and knowledge. The statue of Confucius represents philosophy while Einstein represents Science,” explained Prof Chuah, who added that the presence of the sculptures is a reminder to the UTAR community on the importance of cultivating cultural intelligence, integrity and morality in this day and age. 

Prof Chuah explaining UTAR’s genesis and introducing the places of interests at Kampar Campus

In conjunction with the visit, a simple ceremony was also held at UTAR Gallery where the delegates witnessed NPU’s conferment of Consultant Professorship on Prof Chuah and also the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UTAR and NPU.

Congratulating Prof Chuah on the conferment and also officially becoming a member of NPU to promote strategic partnerships between both universities, Prof Huang said, “As a comprehensive and globalised research university founded in 1938, NPU has been paying great attention to foreign talent recruitment programmes in recent years. Eminent and prolific faculty members and staff are always considered as an asset for NPU’s rapid development. Therefore, we sincerely welcome professors and researchers of the kindred calibre to join us.” Prof Huang also mentioned that NPU has, over the years, trained a sizeable amount of talents in the areas of science and technology which in turn has made essential contributions to China’s socioeconomic as well as science and technology progress. Adding that with Prof Chuah’s world-class achievements in the areas of microwave remote sensing and applied electromagnetics, Prof Huang enthused, “Prof Chuah and his team can certainly facilitate substantial cooperation with NPU’s School of Electronics and Information as well as the Institute of Flexible Electronics, thus introducing development in these disciplines in NPU and helping the growth of faculties and the students.” 

Prof Huang commending Prof Chuah on his remarkable achievements and expressing his confidence in the partnership between NPU and UTAR 

Prof Huang (left) representing NPU in conferring the Consultant Professorship on Prof Chuah 

Prof Chuah and Prof Huang signing and exchanging the MoU documents

The ceremony concluded with a souvenir exchange session between UTAR and NPU. 

Souvenir exchange between Prof Chuah (right) and Prof Huang 

Ir Dr Tan presenting a token of appreciation to Prof Chuah for hosting the visit by FEIAP 

The FEIAP delegates were then introduced to several places of attractions such as the Bird Sanctuary, University Garden, Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and so on during a campus tour led by Prof Chuah. 

Prof Chuah explaining UTAR’s Six Pillars of Education to the delegates 

Prof Chuah explaining the posters depicting Malaysia’s road to independence 

Prof Chuah showing the delegates the carbon dating report of a rare fossilised timber displayed at the UTAR Gallery 

Prof Chuah and the delegates admiring a cornerstone laid down in 2003 

The delegates learning about the significance and details of the Confucius-Einstein bronze sculptures 

Prof Chuah (most left) showing the model of Kampar Campus to the visitors 

Prof Chuah (middle) and some of the delegates at the site of the Solar Concentrator Photovoltaic System 

The delegates listening to Prof Chuah (middle) explaining the origins of the red bloodstone furniture set located at the University Garden 

The delegates learning about the inspiration behind Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik’s architecture 

Prof Chuah showing the delegates the location of the Bird Sanctuary

Founded in 1978, the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (FEISEAP) is an international non-profit professional umbrella organisation for the engineering institutions in the Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. Its objectives include encouraging the application of technical progress to economic and social advancement throughout the world; advancing engineering as a profession in the interest of all people; and fostering peace throughout the world. In FEISEAP’s Special General Assembly on 2 June 2008, a reviewed Constitution was unanimously adopted. The Constitution incorporates a change of FEISEAP’s name to the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP).

The FEIAP delegates were in Ipoh for the 26th FEIAP General Assembly and Malaysian Service Providers Confederation (MSPC) Symposium & Exhibition with World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) – Information and Communication (CIC) Seminar from 11 to 14 July 2018. 

Some of the delegates with Prof Chuah (second row, eight from left) at the UTAR Gallery 

Some of the delegates at the Confucius-Einstein bronze sculptures site