WTUN News Roundup – February 2024 – World Technology Universities Network

Welcome to this month’s roundup of the stories, updates and events happening across the World Technology Universities Network.

WTUN News:

We have welcomed our newest member, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) based in Calgary, Canada. SAIT is a national leader in applied research and development expertise and is committed o sustainable research and innovation. Read the full press release here: Read SAIT Press Release

WTUN Members ONLY:

WTUN for UNESCO’s World Engineering Day programme is available to view. We have confirmed three sessions with a full lineup of speakers. You can view the schedule here: View World Engineering Day Programme
- Monday 4 March: ‘Latest developments in Energy Storage and Conversion’ hosted by Dr Christina Toigo, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
- Tuesday 5 March: ‘Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in STEM’ hosted by Professor Ami Agrawal, Hindustan Institute of Technology and science
- Thursday 7 March: ‘ Theory into Practice: Addressing the Water-Energy-Health-Environment (WEHE) Nexus’ hosted by Professor Iqbal Mujtaba, University of Bradford
You can book your place to attend any of the events here: Book your place

Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, India

HITS hosts ‘International Conference on Integration and Transformation with SDGs’ on the 15 & 16 April 2024. “ICITS 2024 is an essential platform for defining and reaffirming the mutually beneficial responsibilities that National and International academia…play in realizing the SDGs by 2030. This conference will jointly design strategies, harness new solutions and create collaborations to enable the unstoppable movement essential for sustainable development. Find out more about ICITS 2024.
HITS hosted colleagues from fellow WTUN members University of Newcastle, Australia to initiate research and academic collaboration and remain committed to providing global education to their students. Read more here.
HITS unveils two new state-of-the-art labs for Aerospace Engineering and kicks off a 3-day national workshop on Advances in Aerospace Structural Design with guests from the Indian Government’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and their Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL). Read more here.

Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan

Researchers at SIT “present a unique wearable device that can provide personal thermal control, while also being lightweight, compact, and stylish”. The device aims to support body temperature management, offer thermotherapy and act as an alternative to liquid cooling garments for race car drivers, surgeons, chemotherapy and multiple sclerosis patients, and athletes. Read the full story here.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

UTM is one of three universities to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for research on environment conservation with Gamuda Land. “Gamuda Parks and UTM will work together to connect academia and the industry through the sharing of space, materials, equipment, and facilities for teaching, learning and lifelong education.” Read the full story here.

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada

Welcoming SAIT, the newest WTUN member, by introducing their research centres:
- Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials – Read more about this centre here
- Centre for Energy Research and Clean Unconventional Technology Solutions – Read more about this centre here
- Green Building Technologies – Read more about this centre here
SAIT’s Expert in Residence, Dr. Bill Rankin, offered his thoughts on the human side of Artificial Intelligence back in November 2023. He discussed safeguarding the voices of equity-seeking groups as AI tools become more prevalent. Read the article here.

Atlantic Technological University, Ireland

ATU researchers show off their findings:
- Prof Suresh C. Pillai, WTUN Exchange Programme Recipient 2022-23, has partnered with Trinity College Dublin the Nano2H2 project, which addresses three key aspects – energy production, waste management, and environmental protection – to promote circular economy. Read more here.
- ATU’s Dr Marion McAfee is making waves in the world of personalised medicine through groundbreaking 3D printing research. The project focuses on advancing healthcare solutions for the ageing population by utilising 3D printing to create personalised medicine. Read more here.
On 21 February, ATU hosted its inaugural TEDx event on its Donegal Letterkenny campus, under the theme “Seeing the Light.” The lineup included writers, robotics experts, theatre designers and business leaders. Read more here.
ATU takes part in an initiative to introduce higher education courses for students with intellectual disabilities, marking a significant stride towards inclusivity and equal opportunities in education. Read the full press release here.
ATU launches the Local Energy Agencies in Peripheral Regions (LEAP) project. The launch event brought together experts and stakeholders from across the energy sector to discuss strategies for energy retrofitting and achieving Ireland’s Climate Action Plan targets. Read more here.

University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Austria

FHOO student, Patricia, shares her experience attending fellow WTUN member Suranaree University of Technology’s Global Entrepreneurship Camp. Read more here.
FHOO’s International Summer Academy in Engineering for Women 2024 with a theme of Empowering Female Engineers is still open for applications. Female Engineering students between 18-25 are invited to apply to the Academy, taking place 9-24 July 2024. Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to broaden their technical and scientific knowledge, explore the impact of technology on future societies and network and connect with peers across the world. Read more here.

University of Bradford, United Kingdom

A revolutionary method of assessing transplant organs developed at the University of Bradford has been named as a finalist for a major National Health Service (NHS) award. Organ Quality Assessment (OrQA) will employ artificial intelligence-based facial recognition technology to ‘score’ potential transplant organs, saving money, time and potentially lives. Read the full story here.

University of Newcastle, Australia

7 UoN researchers have secured $10.6m AUD to improve the health of the Australian population. Awarded projects include topics such as young people’s mental health, sustainable chronic disease prevention and digital health interventions. Read the full story here.
UoN launches the Central Coast Health & Wellbeing Living Lab. “The Lab presents a unique opportunity for older people to work alongside our University as well as healthcare and aged-care providers to test and deliver solutions to four core challenges our older people face: community connectivity, technology-enabled homes, care at home and preventative technology.” Read the full story here.

To discuss joining the Network please contact the WTUN Development Manager
Denise Whitehead
Email: wtun@bradford.ac.uk