Welcome to this month’s roundup of the stories, updates and events happening across the World Technology Universities Network.
WTUN News:
- Learn more about our member, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, in the latest Member in the Spotlight post. Based in Brazil, they are committed to innovation, social responsibility and sustainable development. Read the full profile here.
- The WTUN Secretariat had the pleasure of speaking to this year’s recipient of the BC Scholarship Prize, Nadiia Sadova, PhD Candidate at University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Read the interview to learn more about Nadiia’s research and what being awarded the prize means for her.
WTUN Members ONLY:
- Registration is now open for World Technology Universities Congress 2024, hosted by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Johor Bahru from Wednesday 02 to Friday 04 October. All members have been contacted with details and how to register. For further information about the congress, please visit our Congress pages here.
News from our Members:
Asia:
King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand
- KMUTT participated in the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2024, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and leadership in promoting sustainable practices in Thailand. The congress brings together higher education providers, government, industrial sectors and civil society to discuss ways to create a more sustainable future. Read the full article here.
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
- Professor Jem-Kun Chen has developed a “fully automated laser diffraction label-free flow cytometry system” that can detect the number of cancer circulating tumor cells (CTCs) within an hour and detect tiny micro-metastasis and disease risk early, supporting early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The research has also won the National Innovation Award. Read the full story here.
- Professor Huei-Tse Hou has developed a game which allows locals and tourists to learn more about the cultural and historical site “Seimokuya” in Puzi, Chiayi, Taiwan and stimulate local tourism. The game is based on principles of cognitive psychology and allows players to glimpse the evolution of urban development in Taiwan, by exploring the streets of Puzi. Read the full story here.
- NTUST celebrates their student team placing third in the WTUN Student Competition. The team, “Let it Go, Let it Flow”, proposed an online feminine hygiene product inquiry and sharing app to help women instantly check where they can get sanitary products. Users are also encouraged to donate the same amount of sanitary products in return, achieving the goal of mutual aid and reciprocity. Read the full story here.
Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan
- Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems use consistent thermal energy below the earth’s surface to provide heating and cooling for buildings, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. Researchers at SIT investigate their efficacy in tropical regions, for sustainable urban development in Southeast Asia. Read the full story here.
Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand
- Associate Professor Dr Sirirat Tubsungnoen Rattanachan presented at the WTUN for International Women in Engineering Day event in June. She presented the work of her research team, a “Customized Calcium Phosphate Bone Augmentation”, or personalized calcium phosphate bone graft material, developed by Thai researchers. Read the full story here.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
- UTM’s Faculty of Computing hosted the ‘Faculty of Computing Research and Innovation (FCRI) Day x Meet & Greet with Industries (MGI) 2024’. The event fosters collaboration, enhances research and promotes innovation within the faculty and industry. The theme for this year’s event was ‘AI Transforming Tomorrow’ and highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence in shaping the future of technology and industry. Read the full story here.
North America:
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada
- SAIT reflects on its efforts to decolonize their education opportunities and to remove systemic barriers to Indigenous success. The journey includes hiring Jennifer Russel, Director of Indigenous Engagement and an Indigenous Graduation Ceremony to honour the First Nation, Métis and Inuit graduates, to renaming SAIT’s Indigenous student support space and a course for employees to engage in anti-racism education and promote a transformative relationship between Canadians and Indigenous peoples. Read the full story here.
South America:
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
- UFRN share their latest research stories. Learn more about a ceramic material which can convert mechanical force into electrical pulses which can then be used to produce hydrogen by “breaking water into its elements. Another project looks at using natural fibers from kapok, a common, non-edible regional plant, to create sustainable and biodegradable disposable mask filters.
Europe:
Atlantic Technological University, Ireland
- ATU researchers working on the Project Tech2Heal have been awarded €1.4 million to bridge technology and care to empower rural workforces, address health disparities and improve patient outcomes. The project aims to support those living in peripheral areas live healthier for longer by proposing suitable changes to work and health policies. Read the full story here.
- Listen to ATU Podcast to hear their latest news and research. Their newest episode covers Dr Edel McSharry and Sean Kelly discuss their inspiring stories of leading nursing students to Uganda to participate in life-changing community projects. Listen to the episode here.
- Ruth Quinn, Assistant Lecturer in Civil, Environment and Water Engineering, shares why we should be collecting and using rainwater, to tackle challenges around climate change such as drought and intense storms. Read the full article here.
Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany
- The EU Commission has approved the network, European University Alliance SUNRISE, led by TU Ilmenau. SUNRISE, standing for Smaller (Strategic) Universities Network for Regional Innovative and Sustainable Evolution), aims o develop concepts for innovative teaching and learning formats, study programs and student mobility, as well as strategies for improved joint research, but also for more intensive cooperation with business and society. Read the full story here.
- Researchers at TU Ilmenau have concluded that the 4-day week can make organisations more flexible and strengthen their workforce when tailored to their company needs. The project tested variants over 6-12 months and established that while some employees felt more relaxed, others felt an increased work pressure. For the companies observed, the 4-day week had no negative effects on figures, customer satisfaction or productivity. In one instance, sickness rate fell significantly. Read the full story here.
University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Austria
- FHOÖ celebrate their PhD Candidate, Nadiia Sadova’s success. Nadiia was awarded the WTUN BC Scholarship Prize 2024 for cutting-edge research which is beneficial to people and society. Her work investigates how the intestinal barrier behaves under different stress factors and the implementation of the Drosophilia melanogaster (fruit fly) model organism. Read the full story here.
University of Bradford, United Kingdom
- The Whole-School Physical Activity conference 2024 (WSPA24) concluded that schools pay a key role in addressing long term health inequalities. The conference hear from academics, teachers, psychologists, locality and national partners, and health researchers and pushed for a Creating Active Schools framework to promote children’s physical activity throughout their school day, and not just in breaktimes. Read the full story here.
Australia
University of Newcastle, Australia
- Clinical researchers look to use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. Standard practice currently involves resecting the tumour to remove as much of the cancer as possible and hasn’t changed much in 100 years. Using MRI hopes to see how deep the tumour is before operating. Read the full story here.
- PhD student Molly Grew has led a study which has uncovered the role stingrays play in shaping estuaries. The threatened stingrays may move more than 21,000 tonnes of sand per year, which is a similar mass to the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt. They do this by creating pits in the sand during feeding and sleeping which helps oxygen penetrate the sand, providing nutrients to organisms. Read the full story here.
To discuss joining the Network please contact the WTUN Development Manager
Denise Whitehead
Email: wtun@bradford.ac.uk