In early 2024, the Asia Pacific Centre of Robotics Engineering (APCoRE) at the School of Engineering (SoE), Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), achieved a significant milestone by securing the prestigious Erasmus+ grant for the project Agricultural Revitalisation in Higher Education Institutions of Asian Countries (AGRHI). This landmark project, managed by APCoRE, received an impressive €800,000 for the entire project through a collaborative effort with 11 local and international partners.

These 11 local and international partners formed the AGRHI consortium that included APU, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) from Malaysia, the University of West Attica (UNIWA) from Greece, Middle East Technical University from Türkiye, and coordinated by the Vellore Institute of Technology Chennai (VITC) in India, aims to enhance agricultural education and innovation across Asia.

Erasmus+, or Erasmus Plus, is the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, integrating various EU schemes for education, training, youth, and sport since its inception in January 2014.

Securing this grant underscores the dedication of Ts Suresh Gobee, Senior Lecturer at SoE and Head of APCoRE at APU. Alongside Ts Vickneswari Durairajah, a lecturer at SoE, they spent 1.5 years preparing for this successful outcome. Their efforts were bolstered by the unwavering support of Professor Dr Vinesh Thiruchelvam, APU’s Chief Innovation & Enterprise Officer (CIEO), since APCoRE's establishment in 2013.

Following the grant approval, several esteemed faculty members joined the project: Asst Prof Ts Dr Arun Seeralan, Asst Prof Ts Dr Maythem Kamal Abbas Al-Adile, Dr Adeline Sneha John Chrisastum, Ms Shamini Patpanavan @ Pathmanathan, Mr Muhammad Syahmi Afif Mokhtar Yazid, Mr Muhammad Danish Mohd Johari, and Ms Fatin Ayuni Mohd Suhaimi.

The AGRHI project is a transformative initiative that unites higher education institutions from Malaysia, India, and Sri Lanka with European counterparts to enhance agricultural education and innovation across Asia. With support from the European Union, AGRHI is revitalising curricula and introducing state-of-the-art technologies to drive agricultural growth.

Through AGRHI technology hub, educational institutions across countries foster collaboration, share knowledge, and develop new solutions to revolutionise farming practices. A digital platform provides free resources and tools, ensuring inclusive education for rural and underprivileged young farmers. The AGRHI app offers decision support for regional farmers, boosting productivity and sustainability.

APU leads the establishment of the technology hub, which will serve as a centre of excellence with state-of-the-art facilities and resources for research, development, and testing of agricultural technologies. “This hub will foster a collaborative environment for scientists, engineers, farmers, and entrepreneurs to innovate and experiment with new solutions,” said Ts Suresh Gobee. According to him, participating institutions will focus on areas such as precision farming, farming automation using robots, and digital farming using AI, vision systems, IoT solutions for inspection, monitoring, and control, as well as drone technology.

“The development of the AGRHI app and strategic collaborations with local and overseas higher education institutions will further amplify the project's impact and outreach efforts. With APU’s core strength in technology expertise among its faculty members and researchers, we are proud to be the driving force behind the agricultural economy across the Asia Pacific region,” he concluded.

Understand AGRHI at AGRHI.