– The agreement is the result of almost ten years of trust, common goals and good cooperation. For USN, this is an important step forward that strengthens our efforts to be both locally rooted and internationally engaged, says professor Salman Nazir, who represented USN at the signing ceremony.
The agreement will further strengthen the collaboration with one of the top technical universities in Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). The collaboration covers important areas such as system security, maritime safety, green energy and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in education and research.
Connecting research and diplomacy
The agreement was signed during the EFTA ministerial meeting in Tromsø last week, where, among other things, Norway signed a new trade agreement with Malaysia.
– This highlights that education and research play a key role in international diplomacy, global cooperation, and sustainable development. The fact that USN was invited by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries speaks to the credibility and trust we’ve built, says Nazir.
He says that this is not just about projects and fields of study, but also about people and different ways of seeing the world.
– Such collaborations challenge us to think differently, listen better, and find more creative and inclusive solutions. It provides both students and employees with new opportunities, both academically and personally, says Nazir.
A Partnership Built on ENHANCE
The agreement builds on almost a decade of collaboration between USN and UTP, and in particular on the ENHANCE project , an international research collaboration and the first USN-led EU-funded project.
It brought together academic and industrial partners from Europe and Asia, and found new knowledge to improve safety in high-risk industries that use complex technological systems. This can help save lives and reduce costs for, for example, the process industry and the maritime industry.
The researchers have developed new training and evaluation methods based on how humans and technology work together in demanding situations.
– Among other things, we have developed training with simulators and VR technology, created a model for analyzing human reliability and created close knowledge sharing between the maritime and process industries, says Nazir, who was the coordinator of the project, Nazir says.
Beyond Technology and Numbers: A Human Collaboration
The project has published 26 scientific articles and laid the foundation for USN's Center for Advanced Research, COAST .
– But it's not just about technology and numbers. It's about people, collaboration and learning from each other. The project built bridges between academia and industry, and showed what we can achieve when different environments work towards a common goal. It was also an important inspiration for the letter of intent we have now signed, says Nazir.
Together with UTP, USN also plans to continue with joint meeting places for knowledge sharing, such as Loss Prevention Asia 2025. The goal is that what we find out through research will not only remain in academic journals, but also be useful to business and politicians. In addition, this collaboration will provide platform dissiminate USN center of excellence in education (COAST) globally.
– At USN, we value partnerships that turn knowledge into impact. Our collaboration with UTP is a testament to how shared commitment to research and innovation can drive meaningful change across borders. I look forward to seeing the results from this renewed collaboration, says USN Rector Pia Cecilie Bing-Jonsson.