UTM-international networking in open learning unit development

Abstract

In view of the identifiable need to provide focused support for education and training in sustainable development, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is collaborating with four other international institutions of higher learning on a project entitled Open Learning Provision for Postgraduate and Industrial training in Sustainable Technology. In Malaysia published policies for education and training on sustainability are still weak with most attention given to school curricula. The Dow Jones Sustainability Group index in 2004 gave a value of 5 for Malaysia as compared to 68 for the UK and 57 for Sweden. UTM is collaborating with institutions from the UK, Sweden, and the North and South of Philippines to address the lack of engineering curriculum development in sustainable technology. Funded by the European Commission under the Asia-Link Program, three open learning units are being developed which can support post-graduate courses in the engineering discipline as well as industrial training. This paper reports the planning and implementation involved, strengths and weaknesses, needs and constraints within the UTM systems.