A group of three researchers from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FEE), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia recently visited B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai in India to work on a collaborative research project.
They were hosted by two professors from the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. The program was jointly funded by ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship Program (AIRTF) and Faculty of Electrical Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam.
The group worked on the fabrication of high sensitivity humidity sensors which could be used in applications such as home appliances, weather forecasting, food storage, health monitoring and more.
The high-sensitivity performance is achieved through advanced nanotechnology by producing a novel nanometer-sized flower-like structure.
The highly porous structure is capable of providing optimum water molecules absorption site and efficient electron transfer which are crucial in humidity detection.
During the program, which lasted for a period of two months, over December 2019 to January 2020, the group produced three joint research articles which have been submitted for publication in high impact journals.
They have also presented their work at the International Seminar on Frontier in Chemistry 2020.
About the ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship Program (AIRTF)
The AIRTF is a fellowship scheme with the following objectives:
- To encourage and promote cooperation in science, technology and innovation, including through joint research activity, and development on cross-sectoral areas such as health, communicable and emerging infectious diseases, environmental management, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, agricultural technologies, alternative energy, biodiversity, food processing, advanced materials for development of value-added products, and space technology and applications;
- To encourage and promote cooperation in biotechnology including through capacity building and joint research and development for mutual benefit;
- To undertake activities and develop program/projects under the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund;
The aim is to support and facilitate mobility among young talented researchers of ASEAN MS, India and ASEAN instituted the scheme ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowship (AIRTF) Scheme for ASEAN young researchers to work at any of the Indian research/ academic Institution.
Under the scheme, 50 (fifty) fellowships per year shall be awarded to young scientists and researchers from ASEAN-Member Countries to get affiliated with Indian academic and R&D institutions.
These Fellowships shall be equally distributed among ASEAN Member Country. Initially, 5 Fellowships shall be allocated for each ASEAN country. However, this number will be re-adjusted in accordance with the number of applicants from respective each ASEAN MS.
The areas or topics of research for availing AIRTF must be ASEAN-centric and must be aligned with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI)-2016-2025.
The fellowship will be offered for working in research topics under any of the following broad disciplines including Agricultural Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Engineering Sciences. Materials, Minerals and Metallurgy, Science Policy / IPR Management / Technology Transfer & Commercialisation, as well as other multi-disciplinary areas of Science, Technology and Innovation in alignment with APASTI.
It is hoped that through these collaboration ASEAN regions like Malaysia can develop stronger academic and economic bonds with India.
