On March 31, 2023, Dato' Nor Azazi Zakaria, Director of the River Engineering and Urban Water Research Center (REDAC), the University of Science Malaysia, and Senior Lecturer Chang Chun Kiat visited the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES). Prof. Dato' Nor Azazi Zakaria is also the UNESCO Chair on Ecohydraulics for Sustainable Water Infrastructures for SDG 6 in Asia and the Pacific Region. Prof. Zhang Jianli, deputy Director of IRTCES received the delegation, together with related representatives of division of international cooperation, IWHR, and  IRTCES.

Prof. Zhang Jianli introduced to the visiting representatives the historical background, function and objective, international exchange, and cooperation-related platforms of IRTCES, as well as the achievements in research and consultation, international training, international conferences, partnerships, journals, publications, etc. He looked forward to further promoting practical cooperation between the two sides under the framework of MOU.

Prof. Azazi Zakaria introduced the River Engineering and Urban Water Research Center (REDAC) at the University of Science Malaysia, the characteristics and problems of water resources in Malaysia, and hoped to enhance the concept of water solutions and promote cooperation with IRTCES in conjunction with partners such as UNESCO and the Malaysian Stormwater Organization(MSO).

IRTCES and the Malaysia University of Science and Technology have a long-standing basis for cooperation and exchange. The two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on academic cooperation in 2020, which established a cooperation plan and framework agreement for conducting conferences, training, co-publications, exchange visits, joint training, and project cooperation in soil erosion and sediment research.

Both sides had an in-depth exchange and discussion on the research and cooperation in the field of erosion and sedimentation, which laid a solid foundation for future collaboration.