A group of students from the University Tun Hussein Onn in Malaysia were delighted to experience snow for the first time when they visited IT Sligo last week.
The students travelled to Ireland with their lecturer Adnan Zainorabidin and his wife Yusmarwati Yusof, as part of the first Student Mobility Programme between University Tun Hussein Onn and IT Sligo.
During the visit, the group of civil engineering students met with IT Sligo academic staff to discuss courses and resources available for engineering students at the Institute.
They met with research students and visited a number of start-up companies receiving support in the Innovation Centre.
Visits to a number of civil engineering companies in the region were also organised on their behalf.
IT Sligo is home to the only Geotechnical Centrifuge in Ireland, a device which replicates stress conditions in the field in a reduced scale laboratory physical model, and this was a big draw for the Malaysian visitors.
Visiting Lecturer, Adnan Zainorabidin, said that the facilities offered at IT Sligo was one of the main reasons they chose to visit the Institute; “The trip was organised to allow the students to experience a new culture and also to explore the possibility of new collaborations with IT Sligo. We are very impressed with the modern facilities at the Institute, particularly the geotechnical engineering facilities.”
IT Sligo Engineering lecturer, Dr Conleth O’Loughlin, visited University Tun Hussein Onn, in Malaysia earlier this year and was delighted to welcome the visiting delegation to IT Sligo; “There are a lot of parallels between our two research centres, particularly in the area of characterising soft ground deposits for civil engineering projects. I would be hopeful that we could develop these links in the form of a research collaboration which would benefit both students and staff in both colleges. The next step is to send one of my PhD students to spend some time at University Tun Hussein Onn working at their soft ground research site.”
Head of Research at IT Sligo, Dr John Bartlett said: “We are planning to significantly increase the number of international students studying at IT Sligo. This will have many benefits for the students, the Institute and the region. One of the most important ways in which this will be achieved is through bilateral agreements with partner colleges in other countries. These students, from the University Tun Hussein Onn, in Malaysia are an excellent example of the kinds of exchanges that can happen. These civil engineering students saw research and civil engineering practice in the Institute and a number of local firms. In time, it is hoped that Irish students will benefit from similar trips to Malaysia.”
Dr Conleth O’Loughlin shows the Geotechnical Centrifuge to two of the visiting Malaysian students. IT Sligo is home to the only Geotechnical Centrifuge in Ireland. Photo by Sean Mullery.
From left to right: Dr John Bartlett, Head of Research, IT Sligo; Pauline Chiew Yean Lim; Yusmarwati Yusof; Hwey Li Lee; Arvind Sri; Adnan Zainorabidin; Gurmeetpal Singh; Dr Conleth O’Loughlin, Engineering Lecturer, IT Sligo. Photo by Sean Mullery.
The Malaysian students made the most of their first experience with snow when visiting IT Sligo.