50 Indonesian universities first to sign up for QS Stars rating

50 Indonesian universities first to sign up for QS Stars rating

A good number of Indonesian universities show their pioneering spirit by being among the first to register for the new QS Stars rating system. 

University rankings have their limitations since they often provide an oversimplified view of institutional strengths. As specialist strengths of a university are often overlooked, rankings are usually biased towards fully comprehensive institutions. 

The QS Stars system is based on a rating method, which measures university performance against preset thresholds for a more thorough evaluation of each participating institution. It awards up to a maximum of five Stars.

Of the 50 Indonesian universities that have signed up, 17 have received an institutional report that details their results as measured by a comprehensive QS proprietary analysis. The rest will receive their reports by the middle of this year.

KFUPM, Stanford and Saudi Aramco to collaborate on research

KFUPM, Stanford and Saudi Aramco to collaborate on research in petroleum engineering and geosciences

KFUPM, Stanford and Saudi Aramco to collaborate on research in petroleum engineering and geosciences Saudi Arabia: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Stanford University and Saudi Aramco have entered into a trilateral strategic partnership in education and research in petroleum engineering and geosciences. 

They will establish sustainable research and development programs in selected areas of the upstream oil and gas industry. Joint workshops were conducted to define the scope of work and these had identified key areas and outlined the best framework for collaboration.

"This new strategic partnership provides our faculty and students with yet another vehicle to share best practices in education and to engage in collaborative research that is closely aligned with the interests of Saudi Aramco and the kingdom," said KFUPM Rector Dr Khaled S. Al-Sultan.

The university-industry partnership will involve the exchange of faculty, graduate students and researchers through sabbaticals, workshops, lecture series, continuing professional education and short courses.

UPM student wins international architecture competition

UPM student wins international architecture competition in building design

A former student of the Faculty of Design and Architecture at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Mohd Ramadan Shahabudin, has clinched an award in the Metal & Glass category (student) for the design of buildings at the SAIE Selection 10, an international competition open to young designers working on the theme of sustainability with innovative solutions, materials and technologies.

Out of 36 participants, he was the only Asian representative in this prestigious competition dominated by European countries, including host Italy, Denmark, Poland, Romania and Ireland.

Ramadan's design intrigued the jury because of its futuristic concept and application of green technology with design to ensure a quality working environment that helps to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse effects.

Although most architecture students are bound to scientific principles that might limit their creativity, Ramadan revealed that he initially designed with aesthetic values in mind before modifying his proposal according to scientific standards to show the design realistically.

Aalto and Nagoya University achieve world’s first in thin-film technology

Aalto and Nagoya University achieve world’s first in thin-film technology 

Prof Yutaka Ohno from Nagoya University in Japan and Prof Esko I. Kauppinen from Aalto University of Finland and their research team have developed a fast and simple method of producing high-performance thin-film transistors on plastic substrate. 

The inventors believe that the technology for producing semiconducting carbon nanotube plastic substrates will make it possible to manufacture flexible electronic products, such as electronic paper, at a low cost. They used the new technology to produce the world’s first sequential logic circuits based on carbon nanotubes. Light and flexible devices such as flexible mobile phones and e-paper require flexible electronic components that can be manufactured inexpensively and quickly on a plastic substrate.

The new method involves growing the nanotubes in atmospheric pressure gas and collecting them with a filter. The resulting thin film is then transferred from the filter onto plastic, which provides a very clean film of uniform quality in just a few seconds. This process is being developed as a technology for high-speed roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing.

The research was financed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), Japan and Aalto University's Multidisciplinary Institute of Digitalisation and Energy (MIDE) research programme.

Former TMU President becomes Taiwan's new Minister of Health

Former Taipei Medical University President becomes Taiwan's new Minister of Health

Dr Wen-ta Chiu, most recently President of Taipei Medical University (TMU), was appointed Taiwan's new Minister of Health in February. 

Dr Chiu is a highly distinguished neurosurgeon, medical researcher, academic leader and public health advocate. He served as TMU President from 2008 to 2011. He is best known to the public for promoting legislation on motorcycle helmets, which prevented an estimated 30,000 deaths since its enactment in the 1990s.

As President of TMU, he led the successful growth of a world-class medical university and hospital, including doubling the size of the hospital to 3,000 beds. At the same time, he also served as Superintendent of Shuang Ho Hospital and as a professor in TMU's College of Medicine and College of Public Health and Nutrition. In addition, he was Superintendent of Wan Fang Hospital, Chief of Neurosurgery, Director of the Biomedical Informatics Center and Dean of the School of Public Health. 

As the new Health Minister, Dr Chiu will focus on the second-generation health plan, which was passed as an amendment to the National Health Insurance Act by the legislature in January 2011.

HKBU launches professional development series for faculty

HKBU launches Hong Kong’s first internationally recognized professional development series for faculty

To upgrade teaching and learning quality and to enhance Hong Kong Baptist University's (HKBU) quality assurance mechanism, its Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning (CHTL) launched the Faculty Professional Development Series (FPDS), Hong Kong's first internationally recognized professional development series for the university’s teaching staff, in February 2011. 

The FPDS is open to full-time and part-time faculty members, teaching assistants, postgraduate students with teaching responsibilities and academic administrators. It will comprise 10 workshops, covering a wide range of areas, including outcome-based teaching and learning, using electronic platforms in teaching and assessment, learning theories and motivating student learning.

Upon completion of the series, teaching staff will be able to adopt practical pedagogies that will help them provide students with HKBU graduate attributes. They will also be able to make use of electronic platforms and technologies in teaching and the design of assessment strategies. 

The FPDS will lead to an internationally recognized pathway for further study in education. Participants who have successfully completed eight workshops out of 10 and the final assessment will be eligible for exemption from six credits of the Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies or the Master in Education offered by the University of Western Australia (UWA).

PolyU awarded Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant

PolyU awarded South East Asia’s first Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was awarded South East Asia's first Erasmus Mundus (EM) Mobility Grant of nearly €1.4 million (US$1.9 million) by the European Commission in December 2010. The grant will support a large-scale scholarly exchange involving faculty and postgraduate students of nine universities in Europe and South East Asia. The EM Mobility Grant is the joint effort of a consortium consisting of nine higher education institutions across Europe and South East Asian countries, with PolyU's Faculty of Humanities as the initiating institution and coordinator in South East Asia, and Université de Provence as the overall and Europe coordinator.

The grant will be allocated to successful applicants of the nine consortium partners in a project called "MULTI – Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Linguistic Approaches to Transition and Identity". This project, lasting three years, aims to address the linguistic, cultural and technological aspects of multilingualism, and to understand the impact of multilingualism in both European Union and South East Asian societies.

PolyU is expected to send a total of 13 postgraduate students and staff for an exchange programme lasting one to 12 months. The grant will cover their travel costs, monthly allowances and tuition fees for study at partner universities in Europe and South East Asia. The nine universities in the consortium are Université de Provence (France), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong), City University London (UK), Università di Pisa (Italy), Universität des Saarlandes (Germany), Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), National Taiwan University (Taiwan), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and University of Macau (Macau).

EM is a flagship European Commission programme promoting international education. Its objective is to enhance quality in higher education through scholarships and academic cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world.

NTU opens Asia's first solar fuels laboratory

NTU opens Asia's first solar fuels laboratory to develop new energy sources

Asia's first solar fuels laboratory at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), set up in February 2011, aims to create efficient and sustainable sources of solar fuel by developing a device that can extract large amounts of hydrogen from water using sunlight. When perfected, this "artificial leaf" technology can reduce dependence on crude oil and help to ease problems caused by global warming and climate change.

To develop solar-driven technology that is commercially viable, the researchers need to find suitable combinations of chemical catalysts that can speed up the artificial photosynthesis process using minimal energy. That will enable the large-scale production of fuel to be carried out in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

"Nature has lots of wonderful ways to renew itself. We can learn a lot from Nature, if we look hard enough, to find sustainable solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems. Inspired by the way leaves use sunlight to produce energy, we can mimic Nature and perfect water-splitting technology. This will allow for the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen. We can then convert solar energy into hydrogen in large quantities in a clean and sustainable manner," explained Prof Bertil Andersson, NTU's President-Designate and an internationally-renowned biochemist.

"The Solar Fuels Lab is an initiative in support of Sustainable Earth, one of NTU’s Five Peaks of Excellence," said Prof Freddy Boey, NTU's Provost-Designate, who was the previous Chair of the School of Materials Science and Engineering. The laboratory will be jointly managed by NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering and the Energy Research Institute at NTU.

Hiroshima University's spirit drives internationalization pursuit

Hiroshima University's peace-seeking spirit has driven the school's internationalization pursuit

As a school located in Hiroshima where the world's first atomic bombing occurred back in 1945, Hiroshima University has been fully committed to peace. Relying on its peace-seeking spirit from the history, Hiroshima University is striving to become a center for education and research that contributes to the global community. In doing so, the school truly hopes the message of 'peace', an unforgettable lesson from the past, can be delivered to the world.

Hiroshima University's International Center is the firm proof of the school's ceaseless devotion to the peace of the world. Hiroshima University established the International Center last year to promote university-wide international exchange activities. Since then, International Center has been accelerating the school's initiatives of making various intellectual contributions to the international community. Activities for international cooperation are striking examples. 

The center addresses global issues by conducting projects such as the 'African-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development Project', a UNESCO's UNITWIN (University Education Twining and Network Scheme) program and the 'Practical Research on Sustainable Development in Central American and Caribbean Countries'. International Center also encourages global collaboration based upon cooperative agreements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Needless to say, the center provides abundant administrative support for these activities.

Doshisha University launched degree programs for international students

Doshisha University newly launched two degree programs for international students as part of its globalization pursuit

Doshisha University in Kyoto has been gathering pace for its ongoing journey to globalization. Upholding 'Internationalism' as its educational principle throughout the 136-year-long history, the school has been credited to play an important role in promoting the globalization of higher education in Japan. As a result, Doshisha University was chosen one of the 13 core universities for Japanese government's 'Global 30 International Education and Research Initiative' in 2009. Professor Nobuhiro Tabata, Vice President of Doshisha University disclosed: "Today in nearly every aspect of society we face issues that are global in scale. As citizens of the world, Doshisha University is committed to providing as high a standard of education as possible relevant to the challenges of future generations and prepares citizens to act with greater awareness and understanding of these challenges."

In fact, a variety of new undergraduate and graduate degree programs are offered for international students at Doshisha University. Among them, two recently launched courses of 'B.A. Liberal Arts Program' and 'International Science and Technology Course(ISTC)' catch the eyes of overseas students most.

The B.A. Liberal Arts Program at the Institute for International Education represents a coming together of world-class approaches to university Liberal Arts education. The institute combines private American liberal arts college atmosphere with an emphasis on building partnerships between students and professors in small classes. Depending upon personal preference, students can also select their own study cluster such as the 'Japanese Society and Global Cluster'.

The ISTC provides students with an opportunity to learn Japanese industry's ethics and management practices as well as leading-edge technologies. It is important because international business communities still highly trust Japanese technology companies. There is little doubt that these companies have generated series of quality products through efficient R&D management accompanied by profound business moral.

Catholic University's efforts to revitalize the DMZ

Foreign students become aware of how significant peace and co-existence is from Catholic University’s efforts to revitalize the DMZ

Catholic University has been taking colorful initiatives to revitalize the 'DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)' as a place of peace and life. With a mission of presenting not just competent but also ethical and trustworthy leaders with genuine concern for humanity, Catholic university has been a one of the few and the most notable South Korean school which has shown ongoing interest to this area. Such a move especially helps foreign students realize the importance of co-existence and life in this era of chaos and conflict.

Catholic University introduced a DMZ course on its curriculum last year. Named 'DMZ Peace-Ecology', this unique program focuses on subjects such as environment, ecology and history of the DMZ. Started with curiosity at first, students soon mull over the past and the present and the future of the DMZ.

In addition, Catholic University has been arranging DMZ camps on a regular basis from last year. These camps deliver unusual and meaningful memories to students as they can feel the area by heart through special lectures and hands on experience such as a site tour. For students from overseas, camps particularly serve a rare chance to reflect peace and co-existence deep in their mind. Erin Marie Koch from Alverno College in America who joined the last year's summer camp confessed: "My idea of Korea was a country with the state-of-the-art technology. However tunnels in the DMZ gave me a mixed feeling of how sorrowful it is to remain a divided nation for more than half a century."

Depicted as the most fortified barrier in the world since the end of the Korean War in 1953, DMZ is a 4km-wide and 250km-long buffer zone between South and North Korea.

SKKU boasts of Asia's oldest university

SKKU boasts of Asia's oldest university with over 600-year-long history

Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) was founded in 1398 as the highest national educational institute in the early years of the Chosun Dynasty in South Korea. As the oldest university in Asia, it has fostered leaders of the Korean society for more than 600 years. '修己治人,' pronounced as 'Su-Gi-Chi-In,' SKKU's main ideology, teaches that SKKU students sincerely strive to perfect themselves to contribute to the society.

Old Sungkyunkwan was established over 600 years ago by royal decree to promote the scholarship in Confucianism. As a nation's highest educational institution, old Sungkyunkwan went through vicissitudes with the country it had served. Though a long history alone cannot guarantee the excellence of an institution, the rich culture, which exudes from a profound tradition, is surely a unique and valuable asset of the school.

It would be misleading, however, to view the school merely in the context of its pre-modern history. SKKU also takes pride in the school's innovative spirit. As a result of the never-ending efforts to place natural sciences on an equal footing with its strong foundation in humanities, SKKU now operates two campuses: the Humanities and Social Sciences Campus and the Natural Sciences Campus. 

Relying upon a highly successful partnership with Samsung, a Korea-based leading global IT giant, which has generously funded several core initiatives, the school has been alleged to be rapidly developing and prospering since 1996. Mr. Kim Junyoung, President of SKKU stressed: "Under the catch-phrase 'Unique Origin Unique Future,' SKKU continuously pursues to integrate its foundation philosophy with the modern technology with a vision of cultivating global talents who will lead the 21st century."

ChungAng professor becomes a listee on the world's directories

A professor at ChungAng University becomes a listee on all three of the world's directories of biographical information of great achievers

Professor Jung Young-Bok of ChungAng University accomplished the feat of becoming listed on all three of the world's directories containing short biographies of the most noteworthy men and women. He was included in the Top 100 Health Professionals 2010 by the International Biographical Center last year. Further, he was recently selected to become listed on Marquis Who's Who published by News Communications of the US and the Great Minds of the 21st Century published by the American Biographical Institute.

Professor Jung attributed his happiness to his wife. He stated: "From the bottom of my heart, I feel sorry and thankful to my wife at the same time. Thanks to her, I could remain in a university and make various achievements."

Professor Jung, a renowned authority in knee joint and cruciate ligament treatment, is specifically known for successful surgical treatment of the posterior cruciate ligament. He is also an ardent researcher, holding a cruciate ligament related symposium for more than ten years so far. What's more, he is acclaimed for highly complex surgery assisted by arthroscopy and the computer navigation system including artificial joint replacement.

Professor Jung, who has filled many important posts in The Korean Orthopedic Association, the Korea Knee Society; and the Korean Arthroscopy Society; is currently serving for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at ChungAng University Hospital, an Affiliate of ChungAng University. He is now the head of the Knee Center, one of ChungAng University Hospital's special centers. He also teaches students at the Medical Department of ChungAng University.

KAIST professor receives 'Korea Engineering Award'

A KAIST professor receives the 'Korea Engineering Award'

KAIST Professor Kang Suk-Joong of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has received the 'Korea Engineering Award' from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Korea Research Foundation. The award is given to those who have accomplished world-class research and results. The ceremony for the 'Korea Engineering Award' was held at the Seoul Press Center Press Club on the 22nd of December, 2010.

Professor Kang has potentially redirected the direction of research in the field of the microstructure of materials by elucidating the fundamental principles behind how the microstructure of polycrystalline materials evolves. He applied the results of his findings in the manufacture of new materials and has made significant contributions to the Korean materials engineering industry. Professor Kang, known as a ‘quiet scientist’, stated: “I just conducted basic research with my students. I owe this big award to them.”

As a renowned authority in materials engineering field, Professor Kang has published more than 200 papers on top-tier international journals ever since he started his academic career at KAIST in 1980. As a result, he was appointed as Distinguished Professor of KAIST in March 2010 in recognition of his research accomplishments. Actually behind his marvelous achievement, there was always KAIST. The school provided environment where Professor Kang could only devote himself to his research in the basic science field.

The 'Korea Engineering Award' was established back in 1994. A total of 24 recipients have been recognized through this award in various fields such as electronics, mechanics, chemistry and construction so far.

POSTECH professor's research group develops breakthrough method

A POSTECH professor’s research group develops a breakthrough method for extracting membrane proteins

A research group including Professor Kim Ki-Moon of the Department of Chemistry, Lee Don-Wook (Ph.D. candidate), Professor Ryu Sung-Ho of the Division of Molecular and Life Science at POSTECH and NOVACELL Technology, a Bio-Venture, has succeeded in separating cell membrane proteins from a cell using a 'cucurbituril', a pumpkin-shaped coreless compound. The result was published in the latest online edition of Nature Chemistry.

The study finds that using a cucurbituril has many advantages over the commonly used avidin-biotin pair system in extracting plasma membrane proteins for disease analysis. The new method developed by the research group at POSTECH uses a cucurbituril-ferrocene pair system to selectively isolate plasma membrane proteins from their cells. It is shown to be more efficient in capturing membrane proteins with a much lower possibility of potential contamination.

Professor Kim stated: "This research makes the first case proving that a pumpkin-shaped coreless compound can be used not only for the basic biological research but also for various areas such as disease treatment and diagnosis". In particular, this breakthrough method is expected to change the paradigm in biotechnology field in that it can not only analyze disease but also cure patients without any side effects.

As is the often the case with major scientific achievements, the research team had to go through numerous trials and errors. However, nothing could beat them who even returned weekend and holidays. Professor Kim stated: "We will continue to advance the research to be applied to different fields and to make joint efforts with biological section to develop new medicines."