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| Monash University Malaysia Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Merilyn Liddell (second from right) exchanging the MOU document with National Instruments Southeast Asia Managing Director Chandran Nair. Also in the picture are National Instruments Malaysia Area Sales Manager James Lai (left) and Monash University Malaysia School of Engineering Head Professor Ian Prince. |
Monash University Malaysia has tied up with leading virtual instrumentation firm National Instruments to support increased research in industrial automation, life sciences, electrical systems and work on engineering problems facing local industries in the mentioned areas.
The deal is a major boost to the university's efforts to intensify research activity and will make a long-term contribution to the industrial sector in Malaysia.
Aside from this, the partnership will also provide Monash University Malaysia engineering students access to a world-class range of scalable test, measurement and control tools made available by National Instruments.
The US-based firm has been a leader in the development of virtual instrumentation for the past 30 years and has direct operations in nearly 40 countries.
"This partnership marks another success for Monash University's effort to work on local and international collaborations that will contribute in a significant way to the communities where we're situated," said Monash University Malaysia Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Merilyn Liddell.
"As an international university with eight campuses in three countries, we truly see the value international collaborations can bring to local communities and the benefit research partnerships produce for growth of the education and industrial sectors," she said after the signing ceremony today.
Monash University Malaysia was represented by head of its School of Engineering Professor Ian Prince, while National Instruments' Managing Director for Southeast Asia, Mr Chandran Nair, represented his firm.
"As a pioneer of virtual instrumentation, we're very keen to work with institutions like Monash University to share our expertise and seek opportunities for collaboration that will benefit both industry and academia," said Mr Nair.
"We hope that this memorandum will set the stage for greater collaboration between National Instruments and Monash University Malaysia," he added.
Professor Liddell said the partnership with National Instruments was also in line with the key aim of the university's 'Engaging the World' programme to develop Monash into one of the top universities in the world by 2025 through excellence in education and research.
The university has been ranked the top 40 worldwide by the reputable Times Higher Education Supplement's World University Rankings.
The partnership with National Instruments will also see the two share the latest technologies and experiences in Virtual Instrumentation applications for test, control and design areas.
NI will also provide training on latest technologies to staff of Monash as part on an effort to help integrate industry standard tools like the company's NI LabVIEW and hardware platforms like the PXI Modular Instrumentation with Monash curriculum.
Monash staff who have undergone the LabVIEW certification exam for instructors will also be allowed to conduct professional LabVIEW course on behalf of NI, with prior permission from NI.
Another area in which the two would collaborate is the development of curriculum based on current and future industry needs to make Monash students highly employable. | 
