GABRIEL LIHAN & JASMINE BADUN
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is focusing on developments in the area of water and energy by looking abroad to Somalia.
UNIMAS signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal Republic of Somalia on research and human capital development in water and energy at Rumah Universiti yesterday.
Representing UNIMAS and Somalia were the vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi and Director General Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Abdirizak Muhumed, respectively.
In his speech, Kadim said UNIMAS, as a higher learning institution, invited the Ministry of Energy and Water Resource personnel and those from other similar organisations in Somalia to undergo training and postgraduate courses, renewable courses, mechanical engineering courses, chemical engineering courses and environmental courses.
The MOU will enable UNIMAS to work closely with the Somalia Ministry of Energy and Water Resources in educating and training not only engineers and skilled professionals, but also training the environmental and social experts, accountants, economists and financial specialists.
Elaborating further, he added that the MOU would further support modernising initiatives on the implementation, operation and management of power utility and water utility sectors in Somalia.
Abdirizak said that Somalia as a developing nation was recovering from a prolonged civil conflict.
“Therefore, access to affordable and efficient energy is one of the most critical factors for our economic growth and stability.
“To address these capacity gaps, we have come here today to discuss a potential partnership with the University Malaysia Sarawak, with the aim of assisting the ministry in its skills needs through both short to long-term programmes,” he explained.
Abdirizak expressed his gratitude for the initiated collaboration and looked forward to the planned programmes, especially in research and training, to support the agenda of his ministry.
Witnessing the MOU signing ceremony were the Dean of Faculty of Engineering UNIMAS Professor Ir. Dr Siti Noor Linda Taib, and Ministry of Energy and Water Resources SEAP Coordinator Abdisalam Abdullahi.
The ceremony was also attended by delegations from the ministry and UNIMAS.
