Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor commended national oil company PETRONAS for its initiatives in green energy and human capital development. The Chief Minister stated that these efforts would complement Sabah’s focus on these sectors. He witnessed the presentation of the PETRONAS-Academia Collaboration Dialogue (PACD) Awards and the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) at Menara Kinabalu on Thursday (Feb 8).
Through PACD, seven researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) were granted RM5.75 million to conduct research in green energy-related fields such as clean energy storage systems, bio-energy development, efficient hydrogen generation, and operational efficiency through data science and artificial intelligence. This research is aligned with Sabah’s goal to explore and promote sustainable energy solutions that align with global sustainability goals, according to Hajiji.
He emphasized the importance of adapting to global industry trends locally, and the significance of integrating sustainable solutions in energy-related fields.
Researchers Assoc Prof Dr Mailin Misson, Dr Mohd Azlan Ismail, Dr Zarina Amin, Dr Ng Chi Huey, Dr Nazrien Adrian Amaludin, Dr Goh Poh Wah, and Dr Ervin Gubin Moung were awarded by PETRONAS senior vice president of Malaysia Petroleum Management Datuk Bacho Pilong.
The collaboration between UTP and UCSF was hailed as a positive human capital development initiative by the Chief Minister. This partnership aims to provide top Sabah SPM achievers with education and training opportunities and develop a skilled labor force. Under the agreement, UTP and UCSF will offer the one-year UCSF-UTP Foundation Program based on the UTP foundation curriculum structure for SPM top achievers from Sabah. These students will then have the opportunity to pursue science and engineering programs at the UTP campus in Perak upon completion of the program at UCSF.
Vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib signed on behalf of UTP, while vice chancellor Dr Rafiq Idris represented UCSF.
