Your browser does not support the JavaScript function. If some webpage cannot be used normally, please turn on the JavaScript status of the browser.
Loading..
Go To Content

New Southbound S&T Cooperation Website logo New Southbound S&T Cooperation Website logo New Southbound S&T Cooperation Website Logo

:::

Taiwan-Malaysia Cooperation on Water-Energy Nexus for Circular Economy

Date: 2021-07-07

Malaysia is located between the Pacific Ocean and the equatorial region of the Indian Ocean, which has rich natural and agricultural resources and ranked as the second-largest economy in ten ASEAN countries after Singapore. With approximately 23% of ethnic Chinese in its 33 million population, Malaysia is closely connected to Taiwan and deeply influenced by Chinese culture. In the past five years, the number of overseas Taiwanese students from Malaysia studying in Taiwan has ranged from 14,000 to 17,000. In addition, Taiwan's imports from Malaysia ranked first among ASEAN countries. It shows that the cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia is considerably close. Also, Malaysia is located in the Indochinese Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago and has land and maritime borders with seven of the ASEAN countries, making it an ideal region among New Southbound countries to link Taiwan, ASEAN, and South Asia.

 

New Southbound countries consist of ten ASEAN countries and South Asia countries. Among the vital issues faced by these countries, clean water and sustainable energy are common issues for many countries around the world, which are emphasized by UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To assist New Southbound countries in acquiring technology for water-energy nexus, National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) started a partnership with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and University of Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) in 2018 under the support of Ministry of Science and Technology. In April 2019, two offices of the Overseas Research Center for Water Innovation and Sustainable Energy (WISE Center) were set up in Johor, the southernmost state of Malaysia, and Perlis, the northernmost state of Malaysia, to promote bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Malaysia. With Malaysia as our research base, we hope to spread the water-energy nexus technology to New Southbound countries in Indochinese Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago in the future.

 

Malaysia's Northern Gem: Perlis

 

It has been more than two years since the WISE Center was established. During our cooperation with the universities in Malaysia, we forged a bond with many of their researchers because we have similar cultural backgrounds and research concepts. Since our offices are situated in the northernmost and southernmost states in Malaysia, we have experienced the folk culture and the real side of Malaysia during the cooperation. In particular, our NTHU research team was impressed by the cooperation with UniMAP. UniMAP is located in the northernmost state of Malaysia called Perlis, with Kedah state in the south and Thailand's Changwat Satun and Changwat Songkhla in the north. The road to Perlis is not convenient. You have to take a flight from Taiwan to Penang and then drive two hours to reach UniMAP in Perlis. Every time the NTHU team sets off for the overseas WISE Center, they have to fly to Kuala Lumpur, transfer to Penang, and then be picked up by the members of WISE Center to arrive in UniMAP. There is only one main road from Penang to Perlis, and along the highway, there are broad rice fields and palm tree fields, which show its rustic and natural charm. This area is similar to the Chianan Plain in Taiwan, which is one of the most important rice-producing areas in Malaysia. On our way to the WISE Center, we get to chat with our UniMAP staff while enjoying the lush natural scenery along the way, which relieves the fatigue of the journey. 

 

The map of Malaysia and Perlis state

Figure 1: The map of Malaysia and Perlis state

 

With the size of 795 square kilometers, Perlis state is the smallest of the 13 states in Malaysia, but it is responsible for a vital task of national security. There are several important cities in Perlis, such as Kangar, the capital of Perlis, and the location of UniMAP. And Arau, where Sultan, the prominent leader of the Islamic community, lives, is therefore considered as the royal capital of the state. In Arau, there are the Royal Palace and Royal Mosque of Perlis, which are worth visiting. In addition, Padang Besar is the border town near Changwat Songkhla in Thailand, and served as an important gateway for business and leisure travel between Malaysia and Thailand, with immigration and customs offices set up by both governments for Entry-Exit Procedures.

 

Although the cities in Perlis are lesser-known to Taiwan, there are many celebrated agricultural produce and tourist destinations in this area. Perlis provides not only abundant rice for Malaysia but also a type of local mango called Harum Manis. As a royal tribute and royal gift to sultans in various states, Harum Manis is only in season from April to June, and it is nearly as good as the most renowned Musang King Durian in Malaysia. Besides agricultural produce, there are many tourist destinations in Perlis, including Timah Tasoh Lake, Kelam Cave, and Langkawi. Timah Tasoh Lake is an artificial lake. Since the two rivers, Sungai Tasoh and Sungai Pelarit, converge in Perlis, the state government built the lake as a reservoir for flood prevention and electrical power generation. Timah Tasoh Lake covers 13.33 square kilometers, which is 1.6 times the size of Sun Moon Lake. The banks are full of plants, providing a resting place for migratory birds, and therefore it has become a famous bird-watching spot in the area. As for Kelam Cave, it is a limestone cave located 1 kilometer from the city center of Kaki Bukit in northwestern Perlis, which is the most well-known cave in Perlis and the second-largest natural rock ecological park in Malaysia. Originally a natural cave through which a stream flowed, Kelam Cave was later converted into an important passage for transporting tin. In addition to the bridge inside, the cave is decorated with colorful lights to illuminate the stalagmite and stalactite, which is quite unique.

 

At Timah Tasoh Lake, you can see the water underneath the swings when the water level is high, which makes swinging on the lake a romantic and relaxed experience

Figure 2: At Timah Tasoh Lake, you can see the water underneath the swings when the water level is high, which makes swinging on the lake a romantic and relaxed experience

 

Gua Kelam (Kelam Cave) Recreational Park in Perlis, Malaysia

Figure 3: Gua Kelam (Kelam Cave) Recreational Park in Perlis, Malaysia

 

Another well-known attraction in Perlis is Langkawi. There are many ways to reach Langkawi from cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Kedah. However, it takes only 45 minutes to arrive in Langkawi by boat from Kuala Perlis, which is quite convenient. Langkawi is the largest of all 104 islands in the Strait of Malacca. Malaysia was the host of the 2020 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, and the 2019 APEC Informal Senior Official Meeting was held in Langkawi. To incorporate APEC activities with bilateral academic cooperation, the NTHU team originally planned to visit the overseas WISE center in UniMAP, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online meetings were held instead.

 

The plaque of the Taiwan-Malaysia WISE center with the signatures of both school representatives, which shows the importance of the WISE center

Figure 5: The plaque of the Taiwan-Malaysia WISE center with the signatures of both school representatives, which shows the importance of the WISE center

 

Vibrant Research Culture in UniMAP

 

The Malaysian higher education system is complicated. There are over 200 universities in Malaysia, which can be roughly divided into four categories: comprehensive universities, universities of science, universities of science and technology, and universities of agriculture and forestry, with top universities in each category. Among all, Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) are the five most renowned research universities. UniMAP is one of the newly established public technical institutions in 2002. Founded less than 20 years ago, UniMAP has younger staff members that are highly interested in international cooperation. Therefore, the overseas WISE center was established in UniMAP without a hitch. Back then, UniMAP consisted of ten schools, one faculty, and eight Centres of Excellence. During our discussion process of the international collaboration, UniMAP chose the Center of Excellence for Biomass Utilization (CEBU) under the School of Bioprocess Engineering as their main contact for bilateral cooperation considering the goal of overseas WISE center and future research potential. CEBU is a research center established by UniMAP in 2015. There are 23 faculty members with different expertise that have been invited to join the research center to develop biomass recycling technology, thin-film technology, splitting technology, catalysis technology, and low-carbon energy-saving technology. Therefore, in cooperation with CEBU, we focused on the circular economy, using agricultural waste such as rice straws, palm leaves, and coconut shells to produce biochar, and applying these materials in water treatment and energy production. This research was strongly supported by Farizul Hafiz Kasim, Dean of the School of Bioprocess Engineering, Ku Syahidah Ku Ismail, Head of CEBU, and Hui-lin Lee, Professor of the School of Materials Engineering. Within three months of the project, we have reached a consensus on establishing an overseas research center at CEBU, and in less than six months, the WISE center was set up in UniMAP. With more than the traditional opening ceremony, UniMAP made it into an interesting experience. They prepared a large acrylic plaque with the name of the Taiwan-Malaysia WISE Center and the school badges of our partners. After the ceremony, the plaque was signed by Vice Chancellor Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal in UniMAP and Senior Vice President Sinn-Wen Chen in NTHU, which brought a creative touch to the special ceremony. After the ceremony, our partners in UniMAP gave NTHU team a tour of CEBU and the School of Bioprocess Engineering. Dean Farizul himself showed our team their instruments and equipment, and he was looking forward to the cooperation with NTHU to enhance the research culture and visibility of UniMAP.

 

The plaque of the Taiwan-Malaysia WISE center with the signatures of both school representatives, which shows the importance of the WISE center

Figure 5: The plaque of the Taiwan-Malaysia WISE center with the signatures of both school representatives, which shows the importance of the WISE center

 

 The WISE center in CEBU, UniMAP

Figure 6: The WISE center in CEBU, UniMAP

 

The shared lab by the WISE center and CEBU, UniMAP

Figure 7: The shared lab by the WISE center and CEBU, UniMAP

 

The Imbalance of Natural Resources: Cooperation on Water-Energy Nexus in a Circular Economy

 

Located in the tropical regions, Malaysia is endowed with abundant water supply. The average annual precipitation is 971 billion tons, which is much higher than the total water consumption in Malaysia, and therefore more than 98% of Malaysia's drinking water comes from surface water. In addition, Malaysia is rich in oil and natural gas. Therefore, natural gas accounted for 41% of total energy production, followed by 35% for oil. There seem to be no water or energy shortages in Malaysia based on statistics. However, the imbalance of water quality and water distribution created by environmental changes, the serious pollution caused by tin mining and palm oil industries, and the pressure of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are affecting the use of water and energy in Malaysia. Therefore, as the Malaysian government strives for the 2030 SDGs, the supply of clean water and affordable clean energy has become an important issue for their universities and research institutes.

 

CEBU focuses on biomass energy research, and it is located in Perlis, which provides abundant rice for Malaysia. Therefore, when we discussed the cooperation in the overseas WISE center, we hoped to focus the research on water-energy nexus by using circular economy technology to prepare carbon materials from agricultural wastes. During the academic cooperation, UniMAP sent two Ph.D. students to NTHU, using the technology developed by UniMAP, to convert waste rice straws into nano-fibers. With the help of technology and instruments in NTHU, we develop biochar and thin-film splitting to carry out research on capacitive deionization and supercapacitor. This is a successful case of international cooperation. With the extraction technology developed by UniMAP and the material preparation and identification technology of NTHU, the material can be prepared into equipment for water purification and energy storage. This attracts scholars from Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines and Thailand to send their graduate students to NTHU to learn the technique of using agricultural waste to prepare biochar for clean water and sustainable energy, thus successfully spreading the reputation and research culture of the WISE center to New Southbound countries. Because of our effective cooperation, the NTHU team was invited to the 1st International Conference on Biomass Utilization and Sustainable Energy 2020 held by UniMAP as a Plenary Speaker to introduce the results of the bilateral cooperation, which left a strong impression on the participants.

 

Benchmark for New Southbound Countries: Cooperation on Education

 

In recent years, world academic rankings are greatly valued by universities in Malaysia, which have adopted rolling wave planning to merge their research centers or schools. For example, UTM, cooperating with NTHU, has merged its 18 schools into seven faculties and further emphasized the roles of research centers in 2018. UniMAP hoped to restructure the school as well. Since Malaysia is the signatory country of the Washington Accord, the curriculum design and education of UniMAP must comply with the accord. Considering the Department of Chemical Engineering in NTHU was already an accredited program, Dean Farizul Kasim of the School of Bioprocess Engineering in UniMAP, and Professor Ku Syahidah Ku Ismail and Professor Hui Lin Ong of the CEBU visited NTHU in February 2020. The visit was arranged by the WISE center for UniMAP's benchmarking in chemical engineering. Together we discussed the requirements of curriculum introduction, research execution, laboratory equipment, and engineering accreditation, and hope that with the help of the WISE Center, the education and research culture of the School of Bioprocess Engineering in UniMAP can meet the challenges of globalization. It is worth mentioning that the meeting was scheduled during the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, and we were hesitant at first but decided to hold the meeting as planned, marking a successful benchmarking meeting. However, as the pandemic raged, this became our only in-person meeting last year.

 

Members of the School of Bioprocess Engineering in UniMAP came to NTHU for benchmarking

Figure 8: Members of the School of Bioprocess Engineering in UniMAP came to NTHU for benchmarking

 

Regular virtual meetings attended by both research teams

Figure 9: Regular virtual meetings attended by both research teams

 

Creating a Win-Win Relationship: Taiwan-Malaysia Cooperation on Water-Energy Nexus for Circular Economy

 

By sharing technologies and exchanging ideas at the WISE center, NTHU has built a brand of academic excellence in New Southbound countries through its academic reputation and research culture. Therefore, some excellent universities in Southeast Asia chose NTHU as a partner for academic cooperation, hoping to enhance international cooperation on clean water and sustainable energy nexus technology. Likewise, NTHU is willing to share with the international community and promote bilateral exchanges to connect internationally and to create an international brand. For the second half of the program, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was impossible to continue the in-person international exchange, so our discussions went online instead. After several video conferences, the research teams of Taiwan and Malaysia reached the consensus on academic cooperation and talent cultivation and chose the Mekong River as the location for water-energy nexus practices to promote the technology in New Southbound countries in the future.

 

 

 

首頁  /  New Southbound Articles