[Portrait Alumni] International Collaboration : Mohd Hazwan Hussin's experience at Universiti Sains Malaysia and the University of Lorraine

On March, 4th 2024 the signing of the memorandum of understanding took place between Universiti Sains Malaysia and the University of Lorraine. 
This renewal between the two universities strengthens their existing ties for nearly 25 years. 

A tangible example of this strong connection is the inspiring testimony of Mohd Hazwan Hussi, a former PhD student who had the opportunity to pursue a joint doctoral program between the two universities. His journey perfectly illustrates the benefits of this fruitful collaboration and highlights the significance of such a partnership in the field of education and research. 

Can you introduce yourself ?
I am Mohd Hazwan Hussin, an Associate Professor in Industrial Chemistry at the Universiti Sains Malaysia. I graduated from Universite de Lorraine and Universiti Sains Malaysia (PhD co-tutelle programme) at LERMAB under the supervision of Pr. Nicolas Brosse. My field of expertise is wood chemistry, corrosion chemistry and coatings and advanced materials. Currently, I’m serving as the Deputy Director of Research Creativity and Management Office (RCMO), coordinator of USM-UL Centre and point of contact for Embassy of France, Malaysia.

Why did you decide to do a thesis at the University of Lorraine?
Frankly speaking, the decision came accidentally when I had the first meeting with my future-to-be advisor Pr. Nicolas Brosse. He was on a trip to Penang, Malaysia and I had a chance to present my PhD research proposal. Pr. Nicolas Brosse is an expert on the valorization of lignin from biomass waste and I am lucky to have met him in person. We had a fruitful discussion and he suggested me to come to Nancy to undergo the research on lignin structure modification and characterization, which I agree immediately. Universiti Sains Malaysia had a long historical collaboration with Universite Henri Poincare (now Universite de Lorraine) since 1999 and I was encouraged by the dean and deputy of the School of Chemical Sciences to pursue my studies there. I was fortunate to received scholarships from Embassy of France, Malaysia and the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia during my stay in France.

How was your experience as a doctoral student?
My experience as a doctoral student in Nancy was fantastic. I have an opportunity to access plenty of advanced instrumentation for my research work in several labs like in ENSIC, ENSTIB and LMOPS apart from the one in LERMAB. I met a few postgraduate students from various countries and we are still collaborating until now. The staff and students at LERMAB were friendly and helped me a lot during my stay in Nancy. I experienced as well the cultural difference between France and Malaysia and enjoyed cool weather in Nancy.

What would you recommend to a Malaysian doctoral student who wishes to complete their thesis at the University of Lorraine?
Of course ! As the current coordinator for USM-UL Centre, I am responsible for promoting and assisting students from USM who are interested to pursue their studies in Universite de Lorraine. France's achievements in science and technology have been significant throughout the past centuries and we would like to learn more from the French people.
 
What is the importance of a partnership between the University of Lorraine and Universiti Sains Malaysia ?
It has been 25 years since the USM-UL collaboration was formalised. USM has always emphasised on the importance of forging collaborative relationships with its strategic partners, locally as well as internationally. Significant research and academic activities have taken place for the past 25 years as a result of the continuous support from both sides, and the Malaysian and French Governments. Various achievements have been recorded thus far, with the latest being the procurement of the USM-UL Matching Grant, where most of the recipients are young researchers coming from different fields. It is hope that the collaboration will be a promising collaboration between the two parties as we embark on greater things to come.

What new perspectives appear with the renewal of a Memorandum of Agreement with University of Lorraine ?
All the while, this collaboration has concentrated on specific areas such as chemistry, physics, materials engineering, chemical engineering and medical/health sciences. The current perspective will look at the possibility to venture into new areas like social sciences, humanities, distance education and computer science.