Initial Meeting for Acadamic Cooperation & Collaboration at Architecture Department IUG, Gaza.

Two academicians from two countries, Malaysia and Palestine but both have common research area and interest have met on the 25^th May 2012 in the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University Gaza (IUG). Associate Prof. Dr Mohd Zin from Department of Architecture UTM is also in the Aqsa2Gaza4 humanitarian mission together with other 100 volunteers from 18 countries known as “Shaddul Reehal Ila al-Quds” Convoy. 

Dr Mohd Zin realise the existance of the Department of Architecture in IUG through the chairman of Islamic Sociaty of Jabalis (IUG), Eng Abdul Rahem Shehab, whom he has two years cooperation on Aqsa Syarif humanitarian mission. Aqsa Syarif Malaysia is an organisation whom, Dr Mohd Zin is one of the Board of Trustee (BoT). More than RM3million has be raised from the Malaysian Public and has been donated to several humanitarian projects in Gaza. 

 

To this date, 30 projects involving foods, health, education and sosio-economic with about 10 local counter-part in Gaza has been started and in progress. A few has been successfully implemented and benefited thousands of Palestinians who are in need in Gaza particularly after the Israeli attack in 2008. 

Eng Abdul Rahem Shehab is an Architecture graduate from IUG,  who introduces Dr Mohd Zin with Associate Professor Dr Farid Sobeh Al-Qeeq, the Dean for Planning and Development at IUG and then Dr Farid introduces Dr Mohd Zin to Assistance Professor Dr Ahmed S. Muhaisen from the Architecture Department in IUG, who has the common area of interest in Sustainable Architecture and Climatic Responsive Building Design.

During one hour meeting in Dr Muhaisen office, several agenda was discussed including;

a. Exchange information on Architectural Programme offereed at both universities.

b. Teaching methodologies and supporting facilities.

c. Postgraduate programme offered by both faculties and possibilities for more students from Gaza to study in Malaysia, especially in UTM.

d. Scholarship opportunities in Malaysia, especially in UTM for Palestinian students.

e. Research interest and possibility of research collaboration and cooperation including possibilities for joint supervision for Post Graduate students.

f. Possible for exchange students and academic staff program.

g. Possiblities for UTM Global Outreach Programme (GOP) to Palestine.

h. Other related matters. 

Dr Muhaisen took Dr Mohd Zin around the Department to see some student’s studio works and studio facilities. Dr Mohd Zin was also shown the new reconstruction of lab building which was totally destroyed by Israeli bombs during 2008 attack on Gaza. The project is funded by the Gulf Cooperation.

The meeting was extremely valuable and fruitfull. May there will be follow-up steps to tightened the relationship, cooperation and collaboration to benefit both parties, both universities and ummah as a whole.

MEETING OF TWO ACADEMICIANS: MALAYSIA & GAZA

Dr Mohd Zin Kandar, member of Aqsa2Gaza4 Mission (MEI 2012), also an Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment (FAB), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) visited the Department of Architecture, Islamic University Gaza (IUG).

Through several e-mail communication a few month ago between Associate Professor Dr Mohd Zin and Assistance Professor Dr Ahmed S. Muhaisen from IUG, it became reality when for the first time Dr Muhaisen came to the Palestinian Hotel in Gaza City to meet Dr Mohd Zin who was together with other delegation stayed for several days here.

The brief meeting was followed by the visit of Dr Mohd Zin in the conference when Dr Muhaisen organised a training on Sustainable Architecture Practices in Building for architects, engineers and students of IUG in the conference hall in Gaza seaside.

This was followed by a long discussion when Dr Mohd Zin visited Dr Muhaisen in his office in the Department of Architecture in IUG, although it was weekend (Friday) in Gaza and the university was closed. The pre arranged meeting was successful for both parties.

Dr Mohd Zin graduated B.Arch from Liverpool and obtained his PhD from the same university in 1994, prior joining Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. He then, moved to UTM Johor, near his hometown teaching in the same area which is sustainable Architecture and Energy Efficiency in Building.  Dr Mohd Zin supervises students at MSc and PhD level and supervise Design Thesis for final year Architecture student as well as lower years undergraduate studio. He has completed several research projects in the area related to sustainable architecture and produced dozens of conferences and journal papers.

On the other hand, Dr Muhaisen graduated BSc in Architectural Engineering in1997 from the Islamic University of Gaza and he obtained his MSc in Renewable Energy and Architecture from the University of Nottingham (UK) in 2001 with Distinction and  PhD in Climate responsive design and building technology from the same university in 2005.

Currently he is teaching architecture in IUG at undergraduate and post-graduate taught course. As an Assistant Professor at the Architectural Department, The Islamic University of Gaza, he teach the following modules:

      -     Buildings acoustics and lighting

      -     Principles of Architectural and Environmental Design

      -     Design Studios

Dr Muhaisen fields of Interest includes;

-         Climatic and environmental design,

-         Courtyard building design,

-         Solar passive design,

-         Solar/shading performance of buildings

-         PV integrated building design

-         Visual Basic solar and thermal modelling

-         Natural and artificial lighting in buildings

-         Buildings acoustics

Dr Muhaisen is actively involve in the development of guidelines on Sustainable Architecture and organising seminars related to Sustainable Buliding Design and Construction.

The meeting between two academician from Malaysia and Palestine (Gaza) is an opening and positive step towards future cooperation and collaboration. The expected benefit is not only in the specific area of Sustainable Architecture, but also in departmental, faculty and as well as at university level at large.

Dr Mohd Zin Kandar, a Board of Trustee (BoT) Aqsa Syarif Malaysia, has previously visited IUG in general (2010 and 2011). During the visit by the Chairman of BoT Aqsa Syarif, Associate Professor Dr Hafidzi Mohd Noor (lecturer from Universiti Putra Malaysia), some donation to assist new 20 IUG students in their registration enrollment were presented to the Chairman of IUG, Professor Dr. Kamalain K. Shaath in January 2012.

Earlier on, Dr Hafidzi (who is also as the chairman of Palestinian Centre of Excellent – PACE), has contributed some donation for the development and construction of IUG laboratories and it was later destroyed by Israeli attack in 2008.

Cooperation and assistance from Malaysian to Palestinian People in several areas either in financial term, technical and expert could also be an issue to be ellaborated in the future.