The MoA Signing Ceremony In Conjunction With The 5th ICBEDC 2011

I would like to take this opportunity to first and foremost thank the School of Housing, Building & Planning as well as the 2011 ICBEDC Organizing Committee in accommodating this significant Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signing ceremony within the sidelines of this conference this morning. This MoA signing between Universiti Sains Malaysia, under the initiative of the School of Housing, Building and Planning with 2 collaborative partners, namely the School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia as well as BW Yee Seng Group Sdn. Bhd. heralds a hallmark of sorts for all parties involved, in ushering a co-joined co-operative endeavour that will undoubtedly bring benefits, advantages and accrued impact to us and ultimately the Built Environment.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

This signing ceremony is indeed special as it involves the collaboration of USM and two entities that represent the realm of the Built Environment, the academia and the industry. It has often been said that most research done in universities is somewhat distant and disfranchised from the practical workings of the industry. With this signing, it clearly goes to prove that here in USM as well as the School of HBP, this misconception is certainly not true. By cementing ties with both facets of the industry, we here are striving to strike a balance between theory and practice; ideologies and innovation; research and results. We are paving a path that embodies both structured academic content and practical applicable methods. Infusing these two complementing aspects may sometimes seem to be arduous but this MoA signing signifies the all important initial step that will hopefully become the platform on which new exciting ventures may take form.

The School of Natural and Built Environments (NBE), University of South Australia (UniSA) has had a long fruitful relationship with the School of HBP and USM. Working on ties first formalized with the former head of NBE, Professor Patrick James, we now welcome a new era in co-operation with the current head of NBE, Professor Simon Beecham, represented here by Associate Professor Jon Kellet and his cohorts. We now seek to work on further expanding our collaboration in terms of student and academic staff exchange, co-joined research efforts, post graduate studies as well as other endeavours, one of which is this conference we are attending here today. With God’s grace and blessing, the 6th ICBEDC next year will be held in Adelaide, Australia; marking a new horizon for this erstwhile locally held conference.

While we embark on an extended working relationship with another institution of higher learning, today we will also witness a collaboration between a key player within the Malaysian construction industry. BW Yee Seng Group Sdn. Bhd. has been a pioneer and innovator within the industry for more than a decade. Their standing as a manufacturing specialist for high quality construction equipment from steel-based fabrication will in turn help us to stand in good stead within the industry. By combining their practical and technological know-how with our academic and research activities, it is envisioned that a fruitful marriage of theory and practice will be solemnized, that will only beget innovative offsprings for the betterment of the industry. This MOA will open up avenues not only for student and academic staff related industry placements, but more importantly this MOA will act as a symbiotic membrane that will allow knowledge transfer to take place in a cohesive and smooth manner.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I am proud to be part of this collaborative exercise and it gives me tremendous joy in representing the university in making these efforts a reality. I thank all of you here not only for your presence and support but as your role in witnessing this significant event. May what we start here today, have a continuous positive effect on the days to come.

Thank you.