Expanding The Radius of International Collaboration in Europe

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) holds one of the most active MOUs with the University Libre Brussels (ULB) in Brussels, Belgium since 2011. Since the beginning, the Laboratory of Systems Ecology and Resources Management (SERM), led by Prof. Dr. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, is upholding a very strong collaboration with the Mangrove Research Unit (MARU) at the Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS). Together, they have been carrying out numerous academic and research activities, including the Erasmus Mundus excellence labeled TROPIMUNDO program, scientific projects, students’ exchange, joint research supervision, and publications. In fact, the MARU, established in 1997, is known widely for its holistic contributions to mangrove education and research in Malaysia. The accomplishments of MARU have already been recognized nationally and internationally. Supported by a strong team of experts specialized in hydrodynamics, mangrove flora and fauna, pollution, remote sensing, carbon sequestration, and socioecology, the MARU remains dedicated to promoting sustainable conservation and management of the mangrove ecosystems through innovative research. Both past and present international projects, in particularly from Belgium, have explored several key scientific topics in mangrove ecology, ranging from vegetation dynamics to natural/anthropogenic impacts on forest cover/biodiversity, habitat restoration, carbon sequestration, and long-term conservation and management. While building on a remarkable progress achieved through the partnership of UMT and ULB, the MARU is now stepping ahead with the plans of expanding the radius of academic collaborations in Europe with the University of Florence (UNIFI) in Italy. The UNIFI is one of the largest research and higher education institutions and popular in Italy. As part of this initiative, Prof. Stefano Cannicci and Prof. Sara Fratini visited INOS on 13 July 2025 and held productive discussions with Prof. Dr. Zainudin bin Bachok, Director of INOS, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Effi Helmy bin Ariffin, Deputy Director of INOS. In this context, Prof. Dr. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas also joined the meeting and contributed to the development of future collaborative plans. To support and strengthen the emerging collaboration between UMT and UNIFI, the INOS organized a four-day seminar series featuring all three visiting delegates. Prof. Dr. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas held two sessions on the theme of “Scientific Presentation Skills and Career Planning” benefiting both students and staff (14-15 July 2025), followed by Prof. Stefano Cannicci and Prof. Sara Fratini who talked about “The Role of Resident Macrobenthos in Mangrove Ecosystem Functioning” and “New Monitoring Techniques of Mangrove Fauna: The e-DNA based Approaches”, by targeting the early-career researchers and faculty members (16-17 July 2025). As a next step, the formalities to sign an MoU between the UMT and the UNIFI has begun and is expected to be finalized by mid-2026. This agreement will serve as another gateway for enhancing the capacity of UMT to excel the mangrove macrobenthos studies, particularly on brachyuran crab species, and for generating a comprehensive checklist of mangrove crabs in Peninsular Malaysia. The scientific insights of this collaboration will also support the local management authorities to take appropriate decisions and policy improvisation. Meanwhile, the efforts to secure Erasmus Mundus+ funding are underway to facilitate the exchange of both students and staff between the UMT and the UNIFI.