UTAR and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) jointly organised the UTAR–NCKU Research Matching Seminar on 9 July 2026 via Microsoft Teams. Held under the theme Sustainable Energy and Green Technology, the seminar aimed to strengthen research networking, promote knowledge exchange, and identify potential areas of collaboration between researchers from both institutions.
The seminar brought together researchers from UTAR and NCKU to present their latest research findings and explore opportunities for future collaborations in sustainable energy and green technology.
Dr Yeoh (top row, most right) delivering welcome remarks at the UTAR–NCKU Research Matching Seminar
The seminar commenced with welcome remarks by Dr Yeoh Wei Ming from the UTAR Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT). In his speech, he highlighted the importance of fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations to drive innovation and address global sustainability challenges.
Representing UTAR were Assoc Prof Dr Zafarullah Nizamani from the Department of Environmental Engineering, FEGT, and Ir Ts Dr Low Foo Wah from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, LKC FES. NCKU was represented by Prof Dr Chia Yun Chen from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, and Prof Dr Chia Yu Lin from the Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering.
Dr Zafarullah presenting his research on floating offshore wind turbines
Dr Zafarullah presented his research on floating offshore wind turbines, highlighting innovative numerical modelling techniques to improve the structural reliability and performance of offshore wind energy systems. His research demonstrated more efficient computational approaches for analysing extreme wave conditions while reducing simulation time. During the discussion session, he expressed interest in establishing joint research projects and collaborative grant applications with NCKU, particularly in offshore renewable energy and the experimental validation of floating wind turbine systems.
Prof Chia Yu Lin sharing the latest advancements in hydrogen technologies for sustainable chemical production
Prof Chia Yu Lin shared his research on electrocatalysis for sustainable chemical production and the hydrogen economy. His work focused on developing advanced electrocatalysts to convert carbon dioxide and biomass-derived feedstocks into value-added chemicals under mild conditions, thereby reducing reliance on high-pressure hydrogen processes. During the discussion, he highlighted that one of the current challenges is the limited applicability of water-based hydrogenation to certain chemical systems due to solubility constraints. He also suggested that postgraduate student exchanges and closer research interactions would serve as an effective starting point for collaboration between UTAR and NCKU.
Dr Low presenting his research on functional and perovskite solar cells
Dr Low introduced his research on functional solar cells and perovskite solar cells, including hybrid solar cells capable of harvesting both solar and rain energy, modifications of perovskite solar cells through electron transport layer engineering, and emerging work on quantum dot solar cells. He openly shared the current limitations in device efficiency and scalability while expressing interest in collaborating with NCKU researchers on advanced photovoltaic materials, quantum dot technologies, and catalyst integration to further enhance solar cell performance.
Prof Chia Yun Chen presenting his research on integrated optoelectronic systems for water splitting
Prof Chia Yun Chen presented his research on integrated optoelectronic systems for water splitting, showcasing novel catalyst designs and low-dimensional semiconductor materials to improve photoelectrochemical and electrocatalytic hydrogen production. His research demonstrated strategies to enhance catalyst stability, charge transport, and conversion efficiency through surface engineering, plasma treatment, and quantum dot modification. During the discussion, he noted that while large-scale quantum dot synthesis is now feasible, achieving uniform dispersion of quantum dots on catalyst surfaces remains a key research challenge. He also proposed collaboration opportunities in materials synthesis, device applications, solar energy technologies, and AI-assisted materials research, noting that these areas complement the expertise available at UTAR.
The seminar provided an excellent platform for researchers from both universities to identify complementary expertise in renewable energy, hydrogen technologies, advanced functional materials, photovoltaics, catalysis, and offshore renewable energy systems. Interactive discussions further identified several promising areas for collaboration, including joint research projects and collaborative grant applications, postgraduate student exchanges and research attachments, collaborative development of advanced energy materials and devices, AI applications in energy materials discovery and optimisation, as well as cross-disciplinary research in hydrogen production, solar energy, and offshore renewable energy technologies.
Following the seminar, researchers from both institutions were encouraged to continue technical discussions to identify mutually beneficial research topics and establish collaborative teams. The seminar laid a strong foundation for future collaboration between UTAR and NCKU, with a shared vision of advancing sustainable energy and green technologies to address global energy and environmental challenges.
Group photo of speakers and participants at the end of the webinar
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