History
In 1993, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) established communication with RIKEN, which is Japan’s premier research institute. The collaboration was formalized in 2001 through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). This agreement focused on student training through the International Program Associate (IPA) program, offered by RIKEN. The IPA program aimed to provide opportunities for young Malaysian scientists to work at RIKEN for both short-term (3-6 months) and long-term (3 years) placements. The program allowed these scientists to engage in hands-on experience in cutting-edge science and technological research environments. Since 2001, a total of 21 USM graduate students have participated in the long-term IPA program at RIKEN, while 23 students have taken part in the short-term program.
Starting in 2011, a new phase of collaboration was initiated through the signing of MoAs focusing on specific research areas such as biomass, natural product discovery, allergy and immunology, stem cells, and muon science. This collaboration culminated in the establishment of a five-year program called the USM-RIKEN International Center for Ageing Science (URICAS) from 2015 to 2020. URICAS aimed to address the topic of aging through joint research efforts. The success of URICAS prompted the expansion of the program’s second phase to include collaborations in advanced sciences, benefiting a wider range of USM students and researchers.
Throughout the collaborative efforts over the years, RIKEN has made a cumulative contribution of RM 8.2 million, which includes funding for student scholarships, training, facilities, and research materials. On the other hand, USM has provided RM 5.6 million in research grants. These investments from both institutions have supported the strong research collaborations between USM and RIKEN, leading to the publication of joint papers in high-impact journals.
About URICAS
USM-RIKEN Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Advanced Sciences (URICAS), formerly known as USM-RIKEN International Centre for Ageing Science, was established as a collaborative program by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and RIKEN, Japan to undertake interdisciplinary research.
The research theme for the first five years (2015-2020) was on ageing science, and since then URICAS has broadened its research scope.
On 20th February 2015, a memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed between USM and RIKEN at RIKEN’s Wako Campus to establish URICAS. USM was represented by Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman and RIKEN by the then President, Prof. Dr. Ryoji Noyori. This event crowned almost two decades of relationship in collaborative research between RIKEN and USM.
This research programme on advanced sciences would also provide the space and opportunity to young researchers from both countries to be involved in doing intensive research in this area.
One of the main objectives of the formation of URICAS is on the training of bright young researchers from USM at RIKEN in advanced sciences through the joint graduate exchange programme known as RIKEN IPA.