Members of the research project funded under the program-targeted financing of scientific and scientific-technical programs for 2023-2025 by the MSHE Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant № BR21882257 «Constructing a national engineering education model in response to sustainable development goals») - Oxana Denisova, Madina Yussubaliyeva and Saltanat Suieubayeva visited the laboratories of the School of Mechanical Engineering at the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Founded in 1968, the School of Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest engineering schools in Malaysia and is actively advancing CDIO standards, which are of particular interest to D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University.
The laboratories of UiTM's School of Mechanical Engineering are a crucial part of the educational and research infrastructure. The school boasts 21 laboratories designed for hands-on student training and scientific research in fields such as thermodynamics, hydraulics, materials science, robotics, and automation. These labs are equipped with testing rigs for studying material strength, modern CNC machines that allow students to develop and test mechanical designs, as well as robotic systems for process simulation and automation.
The faculty, which has undergone significant transformations since its founding, plays a key role in the country's professional engineering education, making substantial contributions to training world-class specialists. The school's collaboration with international accreditation bodies, such as the Washington Accord and IMechE (UK), underscores the high level of student preparation. This experience could serve as a valuable reference point for improving engineering education in Kazakhstan.
D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University will continue its collaboration with the School of Mechanical Engineering at UiTM, focusing on implementing CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) standards. This partnership will open new opportunities for exchanging expertise and knowledge in practice-oriented engineering education, enabling EKTU to adapt the advanced teaching and research methods used at UiTM.
The partnership also includes the possibility of organizing joint educational programs, internships for students and faculty, as well as the exchange of scientific developments. The focus will be on integrating educational and research processes, which will help strengthen ties between universities and industry, introduce innovative solutions into engineering education, and improve the quality of specialist training.
Joint projects on sustainable mechanical engineering, the exchange of research results, and the use of UiTM's laboratory infrastructure will create a solid foundation for deeper collaboration. This will support the training of specialists in accordance with international CDIO standards and help implement cutting-edge technologies in Kazakhstan.