UTAR, MMCE, and SUCDRI forge tripartite MoU
to advance engineering and infrastructure development

A significant tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchange ceremony among UTAR, MMC Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMCE), and Shanghai Urban Construction Design and Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd. (SUCDRI) was held on 11 November 2025 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus. The partnership aimed at fostering collaboration in engineering, infrastructure development, and green technology.

From left: Mr Zhou, Mr Jiang, Prof Zuraidah, Mr Asroll and Ir Nordey during the MoU exchange

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed to create a collaborative framework between a university and two engineering firms to bridge academia and industry. The partnership will focus on mutual goals, including facilitating the exchange of ideas and staff, organising industrial visits for students, developing targeted skill-training programmes, and enhancing career development opportunities.

The MoU was signed by UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, MMCE Chief Executive Officer Mr Mohamad Asroll Mansor and SUCDRI Group President Mr Jiang Ming. The signing was witnessed by UTAR Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Dr Zuraidah binti Abd Manaf, MMCE Business Development Department Head Ir Ahmad Nordey Mohd Isa and SUCDRI Group Chief Engineer Mr Zhou Liang (China National Master of Surveying and Design).

Prof Zuraidah

In her welcome address, Prof Zuraidah emphasised the strategic importance of the collaboration. She stated, “This event signifies more than a ceremonial gesture; it represents the beginning of a strategic collaboration founded on shared values, aligned goals, and a collective aspiration to create lasting impacts in the realms of education, industry and infrastructure development.” She highlighted that the partnership aligns with UTAR’s mission to connect academic knowledge with real-world practices and innovations, providing students with invaluable exposure and equipping them for future careers through industrial visits, attachments, and joint research initiatives.

Mr Asroll

Mr Asroll outlined the partnership’s goals, which span preliminary project research, technical consultancy, and talent development, and connected the initiative to a broader mission of nation-building. He underscored the philosophy behind the collaboration by sharing a poignant adage, “If you want to go fast, you can go alone. But if you want to go far, you have to go together.” In closing, he expressed his hope that this partnership would become a model for effective international collaboration, one that builds capability and contributes to sustainable growth for the engineering sector in Malaysia.

Mr Zhou

Mr Zhou stated, “I observe that Malaysia’s cities, much like Shanghai, face familiar challenges such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution—issues we also navigated during our development.” He added, “We truly hope to share our successful experiences and lessons learned with Malaysian partners, seeking opportunities to cooperate with local enterprises. Furthermore, recognising that all engineering solutions require solid theoretical foundations, I see great potential in collaborating with institutions like UTAR for basic research, while companies such as MMCE offer vital local engineering expertise.”

A group photo to mark the significant event

Present at the event from MMCE were Technical and Engineering Department Head Ir Oh Soon Hee, Railway, Mechanical and Electrical General Manager Ir Vincent Tan Bun Sen and Technical and Engineering Assistant Manager Mr Ismail Bukhari. The SUCDRI delegation featured Deputy Chief Engineers Mr Peng Jun and Ms Huang Jin, Road & Bridge Institute President Ms Zhu Ming, Rail Transit and Underground Space Institute President Mr Huang Qibin and Overseas Department Head Mr Su Jie.

Welcoming them were Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Head Ir Prof Dr Chang Yoong Choon, LKC FES Head of Programme (MEng (Mechanical)) Ir Dr Ting Chen Hunt, and LKC FES academic Dr Ong Chuan Fang.