UTAR strengthens international research ties through educational visits

A delegation from UTAR, led by Prof Ts Dr Lim Yang Mooi, Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research, visited Taiwan from 21 to 25 October 2024. The delegation included Dr Foo Chai Nien, Chairperson of the Centre for Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine; Ir Dr Goh Choon Hian, Head of the Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering; Dr Tan Soon Aun, Deputy Dean for R&D and Postgraduate Programmes at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science; Dr Wei Chooi Yi, Chairperson of the Centre for Learning and Teaching, Head of the Department of Finance; and Dr Deepak Thazhakkattu Vasu from the Department of Physiotherapy, M. Kandiah Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The delegation visited several renowned institutions, such as National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), National Central University (NCU), Academia Sinica (AS), and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU). The initiative sought to enhance UTAR’s academic and research ties with educational institutions, promote knowledge sharing, and explore potential joint research ventures, student exchange programmes, and academic partnerships.

During the visit, the delegation participated in research discussions and explored opportunities to establish international collaborations in areas such as neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience, childhood education, and family studies with institutions including NTNU, AS, NCU, and NYCU. The primary goals for these collaborations focused on fostering cross-regional research initiatives, particularly through the UAiTED consortium, involving institutions from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. These discussions explored research in areas such as bilingualism, emotion recognition, and motor skills, along with an emphasis on securing advanced equipment like 3T MRI, EEG, and fNIRS. Such tools are vital for advancing joint research, and their availability was discussed alongside the idea of establishing a specialised research institute to streamline resources and administrative support.

On the first day, UTAR representatives engaged with NTNU’s Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, where discussions centred on collaborative studies in bilingual learning, cross-cultural emotion recognition, and motor skills. These fields are significant, not only for regional research but also for contributing to a broader understanding of educational psychology. NTNU designated Prof Dr Wang Shinmin, Head of the Department of Child and Family Science as the key person for possible research, symposiums focused on early childhood education and family assessment systems as well as discussion plans for adjunct professor roles. These adjunct roles, particularly for Prof Wang and Prof Ovid Tzeng could offer UTAR valuable expertise in childhood and family studies, marking a promising development for UTAR in expanding its academic resources and partnerships.

The visit to NTNU’s Department of Educational Psychology

On the second day, UTAR visited Academia Sinica’s MEG lab, an advanced facility that could aid in future collaborative research. While the lab tour provided valuable insights into MEG applications by Dr Kevin Chun-Hsien Tsu, UTAR could potentially arrange researcher exchanges or periodic access to these resources to facilitate joint research in cognitive neuroscience.

The visit to Academia Sinica’s MEG lab

In the afternoon session, UTAR’s visit to NCU’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience provided a more extensive overview of potential interdisciplinary research. Through lab visits and presentations by NCU’s delegates from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, namely Assoc Prof Dr Liang Wei-Kuang, Director of Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience; Chair Prof Dr Juan Chi-Hung, Prof Dr Denise Hsien Wu, Prof Dr Cheng Shih-Kuen, Assoc Prof Dr Erik Chang Chih-Hung and their postgraduate students. UTAR delegates visited their labs of Music & Auditory Cognitive Laboratory, Human Memory Laboratories, Action and Cognitive Laboratory, and Visual Cognitive Laboratory.

The visit to NCU’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience

NCU showcased research across language, music cognition, memory, and visual perception. The meeting also discussed the possibility of dual-degree postgraduate programmes and online symposiums in fields such as music cognition and educational neuroscience. Dual-degree programmes present a compelling opportunity for UTAR students, who would gain exposure to advanced cognitive neuroscience techniques.

On the final day, UTAR met with researchers at NYCU’s Institute of Neuroscience, where NYCU presented research on sleep, OCD, and eating disorders, as well as studies on epileptic network localization using EEG and fMRI. These fields of study present UTAR with unique research opportunities, especially if they pursue EEG and MRI collaborations to map brain activity. The meeting concluded with tentative discussions at NYCU’s Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, which hinted at future possibilities in biopharmaceutical research. While these discussions were exploratory, this introduction could lead to more defined projects that align with UTAR’s goals in biopharmaceutical studies, contingent upon further alignment and resourcing.

The visit to NYCU’s Institute of Neuroscience

The visit presented UTAR with numerous opportunities, including the expansion of academic programmes through adjunct roles, dual-degree offerings, and symposiums that could elevate UTAR’s international profile. Furthermore, resource-sharing agreements and equipment access, such as those discussed with NTNU and NCU, would allow UTAR to enhance its research output without incurring the full costs associated with acquiring advanced equipment.

In conclusion, the visit successfully laid the groundwork for a wide-ranging research partnership that could enhance UTAR’s presence in the fields of cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, and biopharmaceutical research.