The collaborative workshop between UTAR and Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) once again facilitated a knowledge exchange session at the seventh Building Information Modelling (BIM) workshop, jointly organised by the Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT)’s Department of Construction Management (DCM) and SIT’s Department of Architecture and Building Engineering.

The 10-day workshop, which lasted from 28 February 2023 to 9 March 2023 at UTAR Kampar Campus, aimed at strengthening the close relationship between UTAR and SIT as well as enabling participants to learn about the architectural and construction concepts of Japan and Malaysia’s building and the cultural differences between Malaysia and Japan. The workshop also aimed to facilitate information exchange and establish international networking. 

The workshop was attended by 16 SIT students, who were accompanied by SIT lecturers Prof Dr Hirotake Kanisawa, Prof Dr Kazuya Shide and visiting lecturer Prof Dr Naoto Mine, while 26 students from UTAR participated in the workshop, along with Workshop Coordinator and DCM lecturer Tan Zi Yi. The participants were divided into five groups and were tasked to create BIM modelling based on the on-site building measurements and drawings. The selected building was Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and the software used in the workshop was Autodesk REVIT.

The differences between the construction industry in Malaysia and Japan were highlighted and explained, and participants learnt, for instance, that cement is more widely used in Malaysia, while timber is the preferred choice in Japan. The presentation by the participants also enabled everyone to understand the cultural difference between Malaysia and Japan, and the participants also enjoyed an Origami session. Leisurely, the participants also visited Setiawan and Malacca, and had a great time learning about the local cultures, food and traditions.

SIT student Chihiro Matsumuya enthused, “This is my third time participating in the workshop, and each time was great. I even visited some of the previous UTAR participants who joined this workshop in 2019 and I’m very excited to be able to see some familiar places in this workshop again. Although communication was challenging, it was interesting to learn the local language and speak with the local students. We also learnt about the difference in architecture between Malaysia and Japan. I have never done a full-scale modelling using BIM, but it was a good experience. Our teamwork enabled the work to be done more efficiently.”

SIT student Youyou Li said, “The workshop provided me an opportunity to explore various tools when we were measuring and visiting the site of the actual building. Working with the local students was great and I appreciated the teamwork we had. Although this is my first time in Malaysia, as a Chinese I found some familiarities that I could relate with. The local students were friendly and very welcoming, and I am grateful for their hospitality.”

UTAR student Lim Kar Kei commented, “Each group was assigned their parts, and my group was assigned to gather data on the stairs. It was challenging but teamwork helped greatly in getting the task completed. It was also a good experience using the REVIT in designing the building and I am thankful to have participated in this workshop and to my teammates for making this a good learning experience.”

UTAR student Lim Cai Yi said, “The workshop gave us an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with one another. It was good to learn about Japanese culture and their views on architecture and construction. The workshop also taught me the importance of teamwork and I was happy to learn about BIM and REVIT with my team members.”

SIT student Kieu Tri Cuoung expressed, “I have always liked an international educational environment with cooperation between universities of different economies, in which activities such as workshops are held regularly. Education is not limited to professional knowledge, but we see the need to also acquire socio-cultural knowledge and soft skills. I was able to learn quickly at the workshop, thanks to the guidance of the lecturers and teammates. I also saw that knowledge is best remembered when we put into practice the things we have learnt. Therefore, the workshop was a good learning environment because we were able to exchange cultural knowledge as well as professional knowledge. This is my first time visiting Malaysia, and I feel very happy because of the warm welcome from the local students. I feel the friendliness of the Malaysian people. I was amazed at the ethnic diversity of Malaysia, as well as the cuisine in Malaysia. I was also impressed with many Malaysian architectures, and I hope to visit Malaysia again.”