A Senior Lecturer from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Dr. Teh Hee Min, had the honour of being invited to the University of Catania (UNICT), Italy, as a Visiting Professor under the Staff Mobility for Erasmus+ Programme: MARE-Marine Coastal and Delta Sustainability for Southeast Asia.
His visit, which took place from 24th to 29th March 2023, marked a significant milestone in fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange. During his visit, Dr. Teh explored academic collaborations with the University of Catania, particularly in teaching and learning coastal, marine, and water courses. He also developed coastal research collaborations with the University of Catania. Both universities are actively exploring research related to coastal vulnerability and marine renewable energy.
During the visit, Dr. Teh engaged in fruitful discussions with the academic staff at UNICT, facilitating the exchange of experiences and ideas. These interactions not only enhanced his knowledge in teaching and learning engineering but also paved the way for future collaboration and research opportunities between UNICT and UTP.
Dr. Teh conducted a sharing session with the UNICT community, consisting of undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic staff, and research fellows. Besides sharing his involvement in MARE initiatives and research, he also shared a teaching innovation – Problem-Based Learning – that he adopted in delivering coastal engineering courses at UTP. The teaching and learning method was claimed to be able to promote immersive learning among students, thereby enhancing their learning experiences and academic performance. Currently, Prof. Dr. Daniele La Rosa from the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Dr. Teh are working on developing a joint engineering project for an undergraduate course that will involve students from both UTP and UNICT.
Two of his PhD students were attached to UNICT from 20th March to 2nd April 2023, as part of the student mobility for the MARE programme. They were supervised by Prof. Dr. Daniele La Rosa and Prof. Dr. Pietro Scandura during their 2-week research attachment at UNICT. In return, Dr. Teh will also host two UNICT students for a 2-week period at UTP from 6th to 20th July 2023. The Italian students will work on projects related to coastal vulnerability assessment and bamboo wave screens.
Dr. Teh's visit to UNICT was a testament to UTP's commitment to fostering global partnerships and promoting academic excellence. Through programs like Erasmus+ and the collaboration with UNICT, UTP continues to enrich the learning experiences of its students and faculty, ensuring they stay at the forefront of knowledge and innovation in their respective fields.
Engagement with the academic staff of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, University of Catania
Joint research discussion with the UNICT supervisors and UTP students.
Sharing session with the students and staff of the University of Catania.
DISCLAIMER: This publication material is designed for the Marine Coastal and Delta Sustainability for Southeast Asia (MARE) (Project No. 610327-EPP-1-2019-1-DE-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP). This project is funded by the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be made responsible for any use which may be made from the information contained herein.
