UniMAP Collaborates On Wastewater Research With University of Zagreb, Croatia
Zagreb, Croatia, 7 November – Water is considered among the most important natural resource in our lives and clean water has become a critical issue to be addressed to ensure water sources are of good quality especially for cleanliness and public health reasons.
Although water reserves are sufficient now, there is a risk of depleting our water sources in the future and this has to be looked at seriously at an early stage.
Upon that awareness, a group of researchers from the Centre of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology (CEGeoGTech) Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) paved the way in the international arena for implementing a strategic partnership with the University of Zagreb to carry out wastewater treatment research.
The collaboration was signed between CEGeoGTech and the Department of Polymer Engineering and Organic Chemical Technology (ZPIOKT) making it the first collaboration explored by UniMAP in the context of bilateral relations with Croatia.
The collaboration discussion was attended by CEGeoGTech Manager Prof. Madya Dr. Mohd. Mustafa Al-Bakri Abdullah who represented UniMAP Vice Chancellor Brig. Jen. Datuk Prof. Emeritus Dr. Kamarudin Hussin.
The discussion, which was held at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology in Zagreb, was also attended by Dean of Faculty of Engineering Technology UniMAP Prof. Madya. Dr. Che Mohd. Ruzaidi Ghazali and CEGeoGTech researcher Dr. Mohd. Firdaus Omar.
According to Dr. Mohd. Mustafa Al-Bakri, the 300-year-old University of Zagreb is among the oldest university in Croatia and has topped universities of Croatia by being at the 564th best in the world based on data released by the Center for World University Rankings in 2014.
He said that the discussions were focused on high-impact research and production of high-impact journals whereby both parties agreed to run wastewater treatment research using geopolymer materials.
“UniMAP, via CEGeoGTech research has previously performed collaborative research with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) researcher Dr. Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol in an early research on using geopolymers as synthetic aggregates used as alternative materials in wastewater treatment.
“This collaboration with ZPIOKT will help enhance research findings in this aspect seeing that ZPIOKT has carried out a lot of wastewater treatment research in Croatia,” he said in a statement here today.
Both parties signed the letter of intent to seal the agreement with Dr. Mohd. Mustafa Al-Bakri representing UniMAP and Prof. Dr. Ana Lončarić Božić, Head of the Department of Polymer Engineering and Organic Chemical Technology representing the University of Zagreb.
According to Dr. Mohd. Mustafa the study will be headed by Prof. Dr. Ana Lončarić Božić herself and Dr. Hrvoje Kušić who is presently also in collaborations with several institutes in France and America in similar studies.
“May this sharing and collaboration be fruitful and beneficial for society and the country,” he said.
He added that in conjunction with the Croatia visit, UniMAP also held early talks and visit to Karlovac University of Applied Science (VUKA) to discuss on a collaboration in the aspect of Food and Mechanical Technology.
