On 27 January 2026, an official visit to the WCFC facility was conducted by YBhg. Datuk Dr. Anesee bin Ibrahim, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), accompanied by the Deputy Secretary-General of MoHE. The delegation was received by the Vice-Chancellor of UMT, members of the University’s Top Management, and the Dean of the Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology (FTKK). The visit reflects strong ministerial and institutional support for advancing high-impact research and industry-relevant education in marine and maritime disciplines. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) has taken a significant strategic step in strengthening Malaysia’s maritime education, research, and innovation ecosystem with the acquisition of a high-technology Wave Circulation Flume Channel (WCFC).

The commissioning of this advanced facility marks an important milestone in the university’s continuous development of state-of-the-art academic and research infrastructure in the field of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. The WCFC was procured through funding under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMKe-12), Rolling Plan 3, which prioritises the development of advanced research facilities aligned with national needs and future industrial challenges. This strategic investment demonstrates the Government’s commitment to empowering public universities as national and regional reference centres, particularly in marine, coastal, and hydraulic engineering. The WCFC received by UMT is the first integrated facility of its kind in Malaysia that combines wave generation, current circulation, wind generation, towing capability, and controlled flow conditions within a single experimental system.

This integrated configuration enables realistic physical modelling of complex marine environments. The flume is capable of generating regular and irregular waves, together with controlled and reversible currents, allowing researchers to simulate a wide range of real-world ocean and coastal conditions under laboratory-controlled settings.  From an academic perspective, the WCFC will directly support Teaching and Learning activities for key undergraduate programmes at UMT, including the Bachelor of Applied Science (Maritime Technology) (Honours), the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Technology (Naval Architecture) (Honours) and Dual Degree program. In addition, the facility is made available for shared use by other faculties and responsibility centres within UMT, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, marine science, and environmental studies. In line with future-oriented educational practices, the WCFC is embedded within a contextualised learning approach, where theoretical concepts taught in classrooms are reinforced through hands-on experimentation and observation.

This approach enhances students’ conceptual understanding while strengthening analytical thinking, experimental skills, and problem-solving competencies that are highly valued by the maritime and offshore industries. In terms of research and professional consultancy, the WCFC provides a versatile experimental platform for studies such as ship resistance testing, Planar Motion Mechanism (PMM) experiments, and mooring system behaviour analysis under combined wave and current conditions. The flume is also suitable for investigations in sediment transport, coastal and hydraulic engineering, and marine renewable energy research, including the testing, evaluation, and calibration of energy-harvesting and marine energy devices. Overall, the commissioning of the WCFC represents a significant enhancement of UMT’s research capability and experimental capacity in marine engineering. UMT is strategically positioned to serve as a centre of excellence in maritime and ocean engineering, contributing to knowledge advancement, technological innovation, and sustainable ocean development at both national and international levels.