Ts. Dr. Judith Gisip, a senior lecturer from the Eco-Technology Programme, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UiTM Shah Alam had the honour of serving as a member of the accreditation team for the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST) from 3 to 6 December 2023. The four-person accreditation team conducted a site visit at the Department of Wood Science and Engineering (WSE), College of Forestry (CoF) at Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, Oregon, USA. The purpose of the visit was to evaluate the accreditation of the undergraduate programme, Wood Innovation for Sustainability.

Following the accreditation, Dr. Judith was privileged to engage in collaboration meetings with researchers and the International Programs of the College of Forestry. These discussions aimed to explore potential partnerships between UiTM and OSU.

Overall, the experience was highly rewarding and enriching. Dr. Judith was inspired by the opportunity to interact with so many esteemed individuals, including OSU’s Provost and Executive Vice President, Prof. Dr. Edward Feser; Dean of the CoF, Prof. Dr. Thomas DeLuca; and Head of the WSE Department, Prof. Dr. Eric Hensen. The extensive journey from Malaysia was undoubtedly worthwhile, as it allowed her to gain valuable insights from many experts in the field of wood science and technology.