Issue 45 Jan - Mar 2013

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS | ISSUE 45 | JAN – MAR 2013 | ISSN 1675-2023
ISSUE 45
JAN – MAR
2013
The University warmly
welcomes Malaysia’s
Prime Minister
At a Glance:
Highlights
Achievements
• The University warmly welcomes Malaysia’s Prime Minister
• UTP Conferred a Tier 5 Rating for D-Setara ‘11
• Towards a Distinctive Reputation – an Annual Address by
the Vice Chancellor
• UTP is now ISO9001 Certified!
• Graduates in the 21st Century – an Annual Address by
the Chancellor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Collaboration
Feature Story
• Raising The Bar – Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim,
UTP Vice Chancellor
• Baker Hughes – Yayasan UTP Scholarship Award
Ceremony and the Launching of Baker Hughes Petroleum
Education Centre
• Shell Professorial Chair in Petroleum Geoscience
Continues
Essence
contents
Highlights
04 Towards a Distinctive Reputation – an Annual
Address by the Vice Chancellor
05 The University warmly welcomes Malaysia’s
Prime Minister
16 Graduates in the 21st Century – an Annual
Address by the Chancellor, Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad
Feature Story
06 Raising The Bar – Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj
Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor
Achievements
10 UTP Conferred a Tier 5 Rating for D-Setara‘11
10 Associate Professor Dr Othman Mamat is Now
a Distinguished Member of AQAN Regional
Assessor!
11 UTP is now ISO9001 Certified!
11 An-Nur UTP Victorious in Marhaban Bahasa
Melayu Competition
Collaboration
12 Baker Hughes – Yayasan UTP Scholarship
Award Ceremony and the Launching of Baker
Hughes Petroleum Education Centre
12 UTP and Transwater Tenaga Sdn Bhd Joint
Forces in Research
13 Shell Professorial Chair in Petroleum
Geoscience Continues
13 Signs MOU with University of Southampton, UK
Events
14 International Goodwill Programme in Siem
Reap, Cambodia
14 Workshop on Way Forward for Student
Industrial Internship Programme
15 Sports & Co-Curriculum Appreciation Night
15 UTP Sponsored Two Schools in Malaysian
Technology Expo 2013 (MTE 2013)
15 UTP Brings Chinese New Year’s Cheer to
Underprivileged Children
the essence
“...the process of learning does not stop in the university, as learning is a lifetime
occupation. The quest for knowledge must go on at all time.”
- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his public lecturer entitled “Graduates of the 21st Century”
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, UTP’s Chancellor has been an inspiration to many, including us.
His vision and thoughts on the value of learning and relearning have inspired us to usher the
year 2013 starting with relearning what would appeal to our readers with UTP Quarterly.
The University’s newsletter, UTP Quarterly has been a continuous work in progress since it was
first published. From the look to the content, we continuously reinvent ourselves by making
it relevant, informative and appealing to our readers. In this first edition for 2013 we have
tinkled with the layout to give it a more focused, clean and “magazine-like” presentation while
maintaining the masthead – UTP Quarterly’s branding trademark.
One of the key hallmarks introduced in UTP Quarterly new “look and feel” is Feature Story and
in this edition, we dived into the thoughts and aspirations of our new Vice Chancellor, YBhg
Datuk Abdul Rahim Haji Hashim on several key themes like managing talents, engaging with
the industry and his plans for the University.
The key highlight of the last quarter was the visit from YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul
Razak, Malaysia’s Prime Minister to the University. Incidentally YAB Dato’ Sri was very
instrumental in the University’s establishment for it was during his time as Malaysia’s Education
Minister in 1996 that he, on behalf of the government issued a formal invitation to PETRONAS
to set up a University. This time, along with his delegation, he was taken for a short campus
tour to witness the development and progress of the University.
Also in the last quarter, the University continued its excellent track with TIER 5 (EXCELLENT)
rating for D-SETARA ’11. D-SETARA is a Discipline-Based Rating System which is almost
similar to SETARA. It is a measurement tool used by MQA/MoHE to measure quality of
teaching and learning for undergraduate programmes. Adding to this accomplishment was the
University’s Quality Management System (QMS) certification for ISO 9001 under the scope of
“Management of Final Examination for Undergraduate Programmes”. The Certification is one
of the University’s endeavours towards nurturing Continual Quality Improvement Work Culture.
The University, in collaboration with Baker Hughes also recently awarded high achievers
with Baker Hughes (BH) – Yayasan UTP (YUTP) Scholarships during the launching of Baker
Hughes Petroleum Education Centre (BH PEC). The scholarships were awarded as part of
Baker Hughes initiatives in developing the industry’s future skilled workforce. Apart from this
synergy, the University also inked MOUs with local and international organisations namely
Shell, Transwater Tenaga Sdn Bhd and University of Southampton, UK.
The students also did well at various fronts – academic competitions, sports and community
service. They won trophies while not forgetting to do their parts to put smiles on the
unfortunates.
Let us all journey through the year with more learning and relearning activities.
Happy reading!
UTP Quarterly is the quarterly bulletin of Universiti
Teknologi PETRONAS. The views and opinions expressed
or implied are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the University’s management. No
article in part of in whole should be reprinted without
written permission.
Editorial correspondence and contributions can be
addressed to:
The Editor-In-Chief UTP Quarterly
Corporate Affairs, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
31750 Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan
Tel: 605-368 8234 Fax: 605-365 4088
For enquiries on photographs featured in this quarterly,
please contact: Mohd Hazrin Ismail at 605 368 8235
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editorial team
Advisor
Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim
Hj Hashim
Editor-In-Chief
Shamsina Shaharun
Editors
M Zairee Shah M Shah
Aslinda Jamaludin
Staff Writer
Suhaila Sharaini
Contributors
Suhana Albakri Abu Bakar
Ahmad PG Abdullah
Raja Shoman Raja Rosdin
M Thavasegaran
Photographers
Mohd Hazrin Ismail
Khalid Asyril Ismail
Circulation
Hafizah Hamzah
Nor’aini Ma’aros
Welcome Aboard & Diary
welcome aboard | january – march 2013
Khairunnisa Aimi Binti Ghazali
Executive, Property Management and Maintenance
Muhammad Bahrul Ilmi Bin Mustapa Kamal
Executive, Centre for Graduate Studies
Dr Mahmoud Sodangi
Researcher, COE: Offshore Engineering Centre
Muhammad Alif Afiq Binahmad Rahim
Technologist, Lab Facilities and Support Unit (EE)
Dr Sardar Ali
Researcher, Centralised Analytical Laboratory
Norlilawati Bt Suboh
Executive, Research and Innovation Office
Dr Mohamed Osman Saeed
Researcher, MOR: Sustainable Resources
Habibah Binti Abdul Rahim
Executive, Chemical Engineering
Muhammad Firdaus Bin Zainal Abidin
Technologist, Information Technology and Media
Services
Mohd Nordin B Abdolatip
Senior Executive, Student Support Services
Nur Nadiah Bt Muhamad Suffi
Clerk, COE: Centre for Intelligent Signal and Imaging
Research
Mohd Salihin Bin Ahmad
Security Personnel, Security
Mohamad Idris Bin Mohd Sharif
Security Personnel, Security
Dr Ooi Beng Lee
Researcher, Centre for Automotive Research
Dr Ghulam Murshid
Lecturer, Chemical Engineering
Dr Aamir Hussain Bhat
Senior Lecturer, Fundamental and Applied Sciences
Dr Salah E. Zoorob
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering
Dr Morteza Khalaji Assadi
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Mohamad Shahrul Ezlan Bin Mazlan
Technologist, Information Technology and Media
Services
Nazrin Shah Bin Azlan
Technologist, Information Technology and Media
Services
Muhamad Firdaus Bin Che Rahim
Executive, Student Support Services
Dr Dereje Engida Woldemichael
Senior Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering
Dr Muhammad Raza Ul Mustafa
Lecturer, Civil Engineering
Dr Sami Ullah
Researcher, MOR : CO2 Management
Dr Lethesh Kallidanthiyil Chellapan
Researcher, COE: PETRONAS Ionic Liquid Centre
Muhammad Faizul Bin Hazizi
Senior Executive, Finance and Asset Management
Chong Yin Yin
Head, UTP Press
Dharma Tussiah Bt Abdul Kadir
Clerk, Centralised Analytical Laboratories
Hasiah Binti Kamaruddin
Executive, Research and Innovation Office
Dr Masoud Rashidi
Senior Lecturer, Petroleum Engineering
Asrol Yazid B Mohd Jais
Clerk, Residential Village
Norshahira Bt Norzam
Clerk, Centre for Graduate Studies
Faridah Binti Harun
Clerk, Student Support Services
Khairulanam Binti Mohammed Rabawi
Clerk, Residential Village
Muhamad Fakhrorazi Bin Ismail
Executive, Finance and Asset Management
Meor Muhammad Faisal Bin Meor Latip
Clerk, Student Support Services
Nor Akma Azira Binti Mohd Rodi
Clerk, Finance and Asset Management
Noor Emma Suria Binti Hamdan
Executive, Academic Central Services
Dr Biruh Shimekit Gebretsadik
Researcher, MOR : CO2 Management
Mohd Syafiq Bin Azmi
Executive, Research and Innovation Office
diary | january – march 2013
January 2013
5-10 PETRONAS Job Hunting Strategis
9
Minggu Aluan Siswa 2013
Annual Address 2013 by the Vice Chancellor:
“Towards A Distinctive Reputation”
16 Health Talk on Sinusitis by Dr Luis Chen Shian
Liang, KPJ Pantai
Oath Taking Ceremony for January 2013 intake
20 Rakaman Bicara Kampus
31 Lecture by Brother Imran Iref, India: Topic “Why
Only Islam?”
February 2013
1
6
7
15
National Age Group 2013 Chees Competition
Launching of Baker Hughes Petroleum
Education Centre and Scholarship Award
Ceremony
SPE talk by YBhg Dato’ Wee Yiaw Hin, Executive
Vice President of Exploration and Production
PETRONAS
Program Bedah Buku: “Biografi Agung
Rasullallah S.A.W.” by Rusydi Ramli Al-Jauhari
SMART Surfing Programme for Sekolah
Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Iskandar
Visit by YAB Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak,
Prime Minister of Malaysia
18 Sports & Co-Curiculum Appreciation Night 2013
23-24 Kursus Pra Perkahwinan “Jalinan Mawwad ke
Syurga”
27
Health Talk: “Successful Aging” by Dr Esther
Gunaseli Ebenezer, Royal Medicine College, Ipoh
Majlis Doa Selamat for UTP R&D Research
Building
March 2013
6
7
UTP Sports Carnival Opening Ceremony
Public Lecture by the Chancellor, Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohmad: “Graduates in the 21st
Century”
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Corporate Grooming Workshop
11-15 KSKKU Ping Pong Tournament
12 Adjunct Lecture Series by Mr Ritakamal
Sadiman: “The Technopreneur’s Journey”
13 PETRONITA Ladies Health Talk on Cervical
Cancer and Pallilative Care
15-16 Paint Ball Carnival
19-20 Village 5 Stay Healthy Campaign 2013
“Prevention is Better Than Cure”
20 Talk by Prof Rod Jones from University of
Dundee
20 UTP Sports Carnival Closing Ceremony
20-21 Petroleum Geoscience Conference and
Exhibition 2013
21-30 Kejohanan Liga Bolasepak Piala Naib Canselor
UTP 2013
23 UTP Family Day 2013
Job Hunting Strategis – Shell Management Skill
Earth Hour in UTP
26 Delta-Tau Seminar Series Adjunct Lecture by
Mr Ashok Siraji from MIMOS UX Lab Head:
“Test Automation: Website User Experience (UX)
Testing Tool Development Using Open Source
Software”
27 Guest Lecture Series by AP Dr Muhammad
Hussain from King Saudi University, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia: “Image Forgery Detection”
Delta-Tau Seminar Series Adjunct Lecture by Dr
Narahari Marneni from FASD UTP: “Unsteady
Magnetohydrodynamics Free Convection Flow Some New Inverse Laplace Transform Formula”
Majlis Istighasah Al-Kubra
30 PETRONITA Bicara Petah Si Anak Kecil
Bengkel Tahsin Al-Quran bersama Johan Qari
Peringkat Antarabangsa – Ustaz Radzi Kamarul
Hailan
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Highlights
Towards a Distinctive Reputation
– an Annual Address by the Vice Chancellor
Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor recently
delivered his 2013 Annual Address entitled “Towards a Distinctive
Reputation” on 9 January 2013 at UTP Chancellor Hall.
The annual address is a platform for the Vice Chancellor to inform
the university’s overall performance, as well as to deliver his aspiration
and direction for the new year.
The session also provided an avenue for intellectual discourse
between UTP Management and staff, especially on the matters of
Academic, Research and Operational Excellence.
Organised by UTP Finance & Asset Management, this year’s address
discussed at length on what makes UTP a high performing university
and the challenges it faces, as well as on the global education trend
and how it will affect the university’s community.
In his address, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim also stressed on the
importance of being agile, adaptive, focused, dedicated and having a
consistent mindset, while striving to create a balanced ecosystem for
academic and research.
The address was very interactive where the audience participated well
in the dialogue session, especially to seek clarification on issues and
strategies for the new financial year.
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Highlights
The University warmly welcomes
Malaysia’s Prime Minister
YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd NajibTun Abdul Razak, Malaysia’s Prime Minister
visited UTP on 15 February 2013. YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib was
accompanied by the Minister of Rural and Regional Development,
YB Dato’ Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal; Perak Menteri Besar, YAB Dato’
Seri DiRaja Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir; Perak State Assembly Speaker,
YBhg Datuk R. Ganesan; Perak State Secretary, YB Dato’ Abdul
Puhat Mat Nayan and Perak State Finance Officer, YBhg Datuk Mohd
Ghazali Jalal.
UTP Vice Chancellor, YBhg Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim and
UTP Management Committee members were on hand to receive the
Prime Minister and his delegation. YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib was
briefed on UTP’s progress by UTP Vice Chancellor and later taken for
a short tour of the University’s facilities which included the Information
Resource Centre and the Chancellor Hall.
The Prime Minister then performed the Friday Prayer at UTP’s An Nur
Mosque together with 3,000 UTP students and staff before departing
to UiTM Seri Iskandar, Perak.
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Feature Story
Raising The Bar
The Vice Chancellor, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim
outlines the game plan for the university to become
an internationally recognised academic and research
institution.
The Vice Chancellor, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim and
his team at the university have a big task ahead of them,
considering the goals and plans that have been outlined for
the institution of higher learning.
One of Abdul Rahim’s priorities as Vice Chancellor – a position he assumed in November 2012
– is for UTP to be a nationally recognised research-intensive university by the end of this year.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – also on the cards is for the university’s engineering
programme to be ranked among the top 80 in Asia by 2014, and for UTP to be among top 200
universities in Asia by 2015.
The ultimate goal is to be ranked among the top 200 universities in the Quacquarelli Symonds
World Rankings by 2025.
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Feature Story
Achieving these goals requires one thing: ensuring a superior academic programme focusing on engineering
and technology studies, and at the same time ensuring excellence in its research and development (R & D)
activities.
“It’s a big task, but I believe it’s manageable and achievable. I have good people working for and with me,
and everyone feels the energy and passion towards achieving these goals,” he says.
Abdul Rahim says securing national recognition, as a researchintensive university by the end of the year is critical, not the least
because of the access to grants afforded by the recognition. Apart
from tapping into the government funds set aside under Budget 2013
for institutions of higher learning to carry out R & D activities, UTP is
also setting its sights on grants from abroad.
Established in 1997, UTP has achieved many milestones over the
years. With an initial intake of 65 students and operating from a rented
premises the university today boasts an enrolment of 7,500 students
at its purpose-built campus in Bandar Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, Perak.
In less than two decades, the university - a wholly owned subsidiary
of PETRONAS – has attained prestigious national recognition. In
July 2012, UTP became the first private university to be accredited
by Standards Malaysia when its Universal Testing Machine (UTM)
Laboratory was recognised under the Laboratory Accreditation
Scheme of Malaysia (SAMM). In November, UTP emerged as the
first private university in Malaysia to be awarded a five-star rating
for research, development and commercialisation. The rating was
conducted by the Higher Education Ministry (MoHE) using the
Malaysia Research Assessment Instrument (MyRA), an established
measurement tool.
“It’s a big task, but I believe it’s
manageable and achievable. I
have good people working for
and with me, and everyone feels
the energy and passion towards
achieving these goals.”
Indeed, over the years, UTP has successfully struck a balance
between research endeavours and its teaching quality. Besides the
5-Star MyRA rating award, UTP has gained national recognition with
a Tier-5 (Excellent) rating in SETARA 2011 and SETARA 2009 (Rating
System for Malaysian Higher Education Institutions) and D-SETARA
2011 (Discipline-Based Rating System) for its teaching and learning
strength.
Managing the talent pipeline
The appointment of Abdul Rahim as the Vice Chancellor is a further
boost for UTP’s goal of attaining international recognition. As the
President of the Malaysian Gas Association and also the Immediate Past-President of the International Gas
Union (IGU) for the triennium 2012 – 2015, the university by default is able to enjoy a connection with global
industry players, and in this way have the opportunity to raise its profile globally.
In leading the university towards attaining international recognition, Abdul Rahim is cognisant of the fact that
sustainability is a major priority area. “We need to ensure that our academic programmes are good and as
such we need to ensure that the talent pipeline is there and that we continue on the same, if not more robust
trajectory,” he says.
At the top of his to-do list in managing and developing the talent pipeline is determining the role of the
academics themselves and identifying the DNA of successful lecturers and professors.
“Given the various responsibilities of our teaching staff from teaching to research and developing
the students, we want to ensure that we get the right people on board. So we’re talking to successful
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Feature Story
professors within the fraternity to determine their attributes and traits, as well as finding out what motivates
them. And when we distil this, we are then in a better position to use this for recruitment, nurturing and
development of academic staff,” he says.
Complicating the issue of managing the talent pipeline is the shrinking talent pool. “Getting people on
board is a challenge,” he concedes, adding that, “more successful candidates may be attracted to
job opportunities in the oil and gas industry. So the question is how do we incentivise people to enter
academia?”
One approach, he says, is to encourage more post-graduate candidates, in particular PhD candidates. At
the moment, he discloses 60% of the 1,000 candidates undertaking their post-graduate studies in Malaysia
are foreigners. “So there are gaps,” he says, adding that as the number of universities increase, the supply
of potential teaching staff will not be able to keep up with demand.
To address that, and encourage more PhD candidates – and in effect, encourage more people to enter
academia – UTP is proposing to remunerate potential post-graduate candidates according to industry
rates. So, for instance, if a fresh graduate is able to command a salary of RM3,000 a month, the university
is proposing to pay the same amount if they were to take up a post-graduate course, says Abdul Rahim.
Apart from securing the numbers where the teaching staff is concerned, he is also keen for members of
the academia to have a greater exposure to industry. “We want our teaching staff to have greater industry
exposure, for them to go out and network, learn as well as understand some of the issues facing industry.
We want our lecturers, for example, to get professional accreditation from the respective professional
bodies, and this in a way forces them to get that industry experience,” he says, pointing out that such an
approach also ensures that its academic staff is also well-rounded and are of high calibre.
Continuous engagement with industry
With his vast industry experience – having spent 32 years in PETRONAS in a variety of roles that include
PETRONAS Oil Refinery Malacca CEO, Vice-President of the Human Resources, Gas Business and
Research and Technology divisions and 4 years with the International Gas Union – Abdul Rahim is also
keen for the university to deepen its collaboration with industry.
“As we strive to become a research-intensive university, the collaboration with industry is crucial. While
within a short period of time we have had a very good relationship with industry, we want to deepen the
collaboration,” he says.
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Feature Story
Enhancing its relationship with industry is also a critical part of ensuring the employability of its students.
“As our students will be part of industry, we want the industry to come on board early on, whether as part
of the Industry Advisory Panel for curriculum development, or in the supervision of final year projects, and
conducting seminars and talks. There is a huge scope for industry to be involved in the university,” he says,
adding that UTP engages with some 400 companies in the oil and gas, and technology fields.
And it is this extensive industrial network, which makes UTP’s seven-month internship programme such a
success. “The internship programme isn’t just to create awareness or expose student to industry but also
allows students to undertake projects, carry out presentations, prepare reports, all of which are monitored
and assessed… so this way, when they graduate they are industry-ready,” he says.
And the proof of the pudding really is in the eating. Every year, 95 per cent of UTP graduates are absorbed
into various local and international oil and gas companies such as Shell, UMW, Siemens, Schlumberger
Limited and BASF within six months of graduating. Its graduates are
also recognised by the Board of Engineers Malaysia and within six
months of graduation gain employment not only in Malaysia but also
across the globe such as in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and Ireland.
“We are also trying to get companies to come on board to sponsor
students,” says Abdul Rahim, adding that over the years several oil
and gas companies have contributed generously to the university.
Moving forward
Although the university’s main source of funding is PETRONAS (only
half of the university’s operating expenses is derived from course fees),
Abdul Rahim is keen for UTP to be more proactive in securing other
means of funding. To that end, he hopes that UTP can learn from the
experiences of universities in the US, which boast of large endowment
funds.
“We are sending staff to Lehigh University in the US to understand how
to set up such endowment funds, how to get donors to contribute to
the university, how to carry out fund raising efficiently as well as how
they secure research grants,” he discloses.
“As we strive to become a
research-intensive university,
the collaboration with industry
is crucial. While within a short
period of time we have had
a very good relationship with
industry, we want to deepen
the collaboration.”
Abdul Rahim also sees tremendous opportunities for the UTP Alumni
to play a role in the university’s future. There are to date more than 9,000 UTP graduates, representing a
large pool of potential agents of change for the university as well as the community. There are, in all, 14
UTP Alumni chapters in Malaysia and seven chapters overseas, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and
Thailand, to name a few.
“It is in the interest of the university to have strong alumni – they are after all our ambassadors. If they do
well, it reflects positively on the university’s brand. It’s also a resource that we need to tap, not only to
support the undergraduates and fund infrastructure development in the university, but also contribute to
society and the community,” he says.
Abdul Rahim also hopes to increase the student enrolment, from the present 7,500 to 10,000 in order
to optimise the facilities on campus. “One advantage we have is the fact that all undergraduates are
housed on site…this allows us to leverage on the learning experience, co-curriculum activities and improve
interaction among students,” he adds.
Looking ahead, he hopes that the university will continue to be able to attract the best and the brightest,
and at the same time for the university to be agile enough to adapt to the changes taking place in education
and industry.
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Achievements
Achievements, Recognitions and Victory
In the last quarter, the University continues its journey in realising its vision to be a
leader in Technology Education and Centre for Creativity and Innovation through
notable national achievement, recognition received by its academic staff and victory
at local and international competitions.
UTP Conferred a Tier 5 Rating for D-Setara ‘11
UTP has been conferred with a TIER 5 (EXCELLENT) rating for
D-SETARA ’11.
D-SETARA is a Discipline-Based Rating System which is almost similar
to SETARA. It is a measurement tool used by MQA/MoHE to measure
quality of teaching and learning for undergraduate programmes in four
cluster of disciplines: Engineering, Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy,
Health Sciences and Hospitality & Tourism.
Participation in D-SETARA is voluntary. Invitations were made to
all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering undergraduate
programmes and have had the first batch of graduates in 2011.
The Engineering discipline however, involved only HEIs which offer
four-year degree programmes. The number of institutions rated in
each discipline were 25 (Engineering), 15 (Medicine, Dentistry and
Pharmacy), 14 (Health Sciences) and 7 (Hospitality and Tourism). This
means that UTP have delivered 5 Star services to its stakeholders in
teaching and learning for Engineering Discipline for undergraduate
programmes. Ten (10) other Institutions of Higher Learning were also
accorded TIER 5 rating.
The full list of the D-SETARA result can be found here: http://www.
mqa.gov.my/portal2012/D-SETARA/THE%20SUN%2037X26.1_.pdf
Associate Professor Dr Othman Mamat is Now a
Distinguished Member of AQAN Regional Assessor!
Congratulations to Associate Professor (AP) Dr Othman Mamat of
Mechanical Engineering Department for his recent appointment as
one of the distinguished members of the ASEAN Quality Assurance
Network (AQAN) Regional Assessor.
AQAN is jointly conducted by the German Academic Exchange
Service (DAAD), the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), and
the University of Potsdam, Germany together with partners from
Southeast Asia and Europe – ASEAN Quality Assurance Network
(AQAN), ASEAN University Network (AUN), European Association
for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and the Regional
Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED). Its
objective is to develop the capacity in the field of quality assurance
(QA) in the ASEAN region.
Dr Othman’s name was first nominated by Malaysian Qualifications
Agency (MQA) as a potential candidate for the AQAN Regional
Assessor. His application was then vetted by pool of experts from
DAAD – Section for Joint Higher Education Management Programmes
(DIES) - HRK, University of Potsdam together with AQAN, AUN, ENQA
and the SEAMEO-RIHED.
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His immediate assignment is becoming an AQAN’s International
Assessor during forthcoming auditing exercise at Institute Teknologi
Bandung, Indonesia from 19 to 21 September 2013. This AQAN’s
appointment is complimenting Dr Othman’s continuous contribution
towards achieving UTP academic excellence through periodical
internal quality audit processes.
Achievements
UTP is now ISO9001 Certified!
SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd,
the
Certification
panel,
approved
the University’s Quality Management
System (QMS) certification for ISO 9001
under the scope of “Management of
Final Examination for Undergraduate
Programmes.
The Certification is one of the University’s
endeavours towards nurturing Continual
Quality Improvement Work Culture
(CQIWC). The achievement was a result
of a concerted effort and commitment in
developing, implementing, maintaining
and improving the QMS that was
designed in accordance with ISO 9001,
MQA and EAC requirements.
An-Nur UTP Victorious in
Marhaban Bahasa Melayu
Competition
Congratulations to An-Nur UTP team who emerged victorious in the
Marhaban Bahasa Melayu competition held on 28 February 2013 at
Perak Cultural and Arts Department (JKKN) auditorium.
Officiated by YB Dato’ Zainol Fadzi Haji bin Paharudin, Perak Exco of
Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Committee, the event was aimed to
revitalise Marhaban culture as well as to attract the public, especially
the young generation, to appreciate Marhaban.
This was the first time that the Marhaban was performed in Bahasa
Melayu, as generally it would be sung in Arabic.
The competition is open to all private and public higher education
institutions, secondary schools, private institutions and government
bodies.
An-Nur UTP team consisted of one UTP staff and 6 students:
1. Zuriat Bin Omar (An-Nur Islamic Center)
2. Mohd Husainni Bin Sa’aid (Chemical Engineering)
3.Abang Abdul Rahman Bin Taip (Information and Communication
Technology)
4. Aidil Yunus Bin Ismail (Petroleum Engineering)
5. Wan Najlin Bin Wan Mohd Noh (Mechanical Engineering)
6. Ahmad Syukri Bin Ismail (Petroleum Geoscience)
7. Mohd Syazwan Bin Mohd Zaki (Information and
Communication Technology)
As the winner of the competition, An-Nur UTP walked away with
RM1,500.00 and a certificate. First runner-up was AzZahidin Group of
Kolej Sains Kesihatan Bersekutu Sultan Azlan Shah while the second
runner-up went to SMKA Kerian’s Nur Rahman Marhaban team.
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Collaboration
Synergy between the University and Industry
The University connects with academic and corporate organisations when it inks MOUs with
international and reputable university and corporations recently.
Baker Hughes – Yayasan UTP Presented Scholarship
During the Launching of Baker Hughes Petroleum
Education Centre
Four talented and high achievers of UTP were recently awarded the
Baker Hughes (BH) – Yayasan UTP (YUTP) Scholarships during the
launching of Baker Hughes Petroleum Education Centre (BH PEC)
on 1 February 2013 at UTP. The scholarship recipients are Christine
Ch’ng Wei Mann (Chemical Engineering), Norshazliana Zainal Abidin
(Civil Engineering), Kishen Nanda Kumar (Mechanical Engineering) and
Sum Yin Yan (Chemical Engineering)
The scholarships were awarded as part of Baker Hughes initiatives in
developing the industry’s future skilled workforce.
Presenting the scholarships to the students was Mr Ng Say Heng,
BH Southeast Asia Vice President, witnessed by Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul
Rahim Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor
YBhg. Dato’ Wee Yiaw Hin, PETRONAS Executive Vice President of
Exploration and Production later on officiated the BH PEC. President
of Baker Hughes Asia Pacific, Mr Zvonimir Djerfi, said that the centre
is established to encourage UTP students to think through their ideas
and learn to innovate things that can be developed into products and
technologies. The PEC is also launched for BH to provide assistance
to young talents from UTP who are interested in joining the industry.
UTP and Transwater Tenaga Sdn Bhd
Joint Forces in Research
UTP, the first and only private university in Malaysia that received 5
Star Rating under the Malaysian Research Assessment System
(MyRA), signed a joint collaboration agreement with Transwater
Tenaga Sdn Bhd (Transwater Tenaga), to pursue collaboration in the
field of research and other areas of mutual interest.
For the signing of the agreement, UTP was represented by its Vice
Chancellor, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim while Transwater Tenaga
was represented by its Executive Director, Mr Tan U-Jiun.
“As the university continues its journey towards excellence, the
creation of partnerships and synergies with the industry is a key
initiative of the university. UTP is always mindful of the importance
of industry-university linkage and that this factor is the differentiator
for success. This is to ensure that UTP remains competitive and
relevant to the industry and nation at large, besides ascertaining global
recognition,” said Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim.
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“The university is extremely appreciative of the support from the
industry, including TranswaterTenaga, and hope that by leveraging on
each other’s talent, research resources and technical capabilities, we
would continue to work in areas of mutual interest,” added Datuk Ir
(Dr) Abdul Rahim
“Transwater Tenaga looks forward to building a symbiotic bridge
between academia and the industry which is essential in the
development of an industrialised nation,” echoed Mr Tan U-Jiun.
Collaboration
Shell Professorial Chair in Petroleum
Geoscience Continues
UTP and Shell, the global leader in power, energy and gas technology
today signed an agreement to continue the sponsorship of Shell
Professorial Chair in Petroleum Geoscience at UTP. The signing
ceremony was formalised between Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj
Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor and Mr Iain Lo, Shell Malaysia Chairman.
The establishment of the Chair was a result of the signing of an MOU
between UTP and Shell in 2006.
The objective of the Chair is to promote an integrated system of
research, training, information and documentation in reservoir
characterisation in the field of Petroleum Geoscience generally. The
Chair also serves as a means of facilitating collaboration between UTP
and high-level, internationally recognised researchers and academics
of other universities and institution
UTP hopes other top-notch and leading industry players will
support the university with the aim to steer UTP academic and R&D
programmes towards international recognition.
Iain Lo, Shell Malaysia Chairman said: “We are pleased to be working
with UTP and look forward to a productive working relationship,
creating greater synergy between the two organisations especially
in harnessing geosciences for the oil and gas industry. The MOU is
further testament of the commitment from Shell and UTP towards
accelerating learning and harnessing the best talents in the industry”.
Signs MOU with University of Southampton, UK
The University of Southampton, a leading UK teaching and research
institution with a global reputation for high quality, top-notch research
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UTP. The signing
was a step towards opening pathways for research and academicrelated collaborations between both universities.
The MoU was signed between Professor Mark Spearing, Pro ViceChancellor (International), University of Southampton and Datuk Ir (Dr)
Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim, Vice-Chancellor, UTP. The event was also
graced by Dr Mohamed Ali Abdul Rahman, Director of Institutions
Governance Division, Ministry of Higher Education.
Following this MoU, University of Southampton and its Malaysia
campus will be forging closer and stronger ties with UTP to develop
academic exchanges and cooperation in teaching and research
through collaborations which include information sharing sessions, joint
academic and scientific activities such as seminars and conferences,
academic exchanges and student exchanges opportunities, and joint
application of research and development grants.
“This MoU reflects UTP and Southampton’s joint commitment
to increasing collaboration on research projects. Through this
collaboration, it is hoped that UTP researchers will be able to move
forward in their research endeavours and are well-equipped to
innovate new products with support provided by one of the UK’s
leading universities in research,” said Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim.
“We are pleased to be working with a great partner in UTP who have
recently achieved a Tier 5 (Excellent) rating under the 2011 Rating
System for Institutions of Higher Learning (SETARA) and a 5 Star rating
under 2011 MyRA (Malaysian Research Assessment Instrument) for
local universities” said Spearing.
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Events
Leaving Footprints
The staff and students organised and participated in various events, at the last quarter. The events
included charity and community stints, industrial internship workshop, exposition, appreciation
function and celebration.
International Goodwill
Programme in Siem Reap,
Cambodia
15 students who are members of the Rotaract Club of UTP traveled
to Siem Reap, Cambodia using their own pocket money and some
sponsorship only to put smiles on the unfortunate people.
International Goodwill Programme is the signature community
programme organised annually by Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi
PETRONAS (RACUTP). This year, the project was conducted in Siem
Reap, Cambodia from 8th to 13th January 2013. Its aim is to promote
peace and most importantly contribute to the community outside
and inside of Malaysia. Throughout the programme, the students
were accompanied by their advisor, En Zulkarnan Abdul, Manager of
Strategic Branding and Communications, UTP.
As part of the activities and contributions to this programme, the
students painted the school walls, taught English and played
games with the students, donated bio-sand water filters, books and
stationery for the underdeveloped Meanchey Primary School in Siem
Reap, Cambodia. 10 units of bio-sand water filters were also donated
to the villagers in Prey Chrouk, near Meanchey Primary School.
Workshop on Way Forward for Student Industrial
Internship Programme
In maintaining the standard of Student Industrial Internship Programme
(SIIP), Centre for Student Internship, Mobility and Adjunct Lectureship
(CSIMAL) together with the Faculty of Engineering, organised a
workshop entitled “Way Forward for UTP Student Industrial Internship
Programme on 21st January 2013 at Impiana KLCC Hotel, Kuala
Lumpur.
The workshop was officiated by Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj
Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor. More than 40 participants from UTP
and representatives from various industrial backgrounds such
as PETRONAS Carigali, Schlumberger, Construction Industry
Development Board Malaysia (CIDB), Ministry of Higher Education
(MOHE), Pricewaterhouse Coopers, General Electric Oil & Gas, Baker
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Hughes, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Halliburton, Total E&P, Petroleum
Geo-Services, Intel Malaysia, PERODUA and Talent Corp came to
give their support and put their thoughts together for the workshop.
Although the participants came from different companies and
background, their commitment and participation were exceptional.
The main focus of the discussion is on the current and future of UTP
SIIP, specifically in responding to the Engineering Accreditation Council
(EAC) concerns and what could be done to sustain and improve the
effectiveness of UTP SIIP. Facilitators for the workshop were Assoc
Prof Dr Fakhruldin Mohd Hashim, Prof Ir Dr Muhd Fadhil Nuruddin and
Assoc Prof Dr Shamsul Rahman M Kutty.
Events
Sports & Co-Curriculum
Appreciation Night
On 18 February 2013, Co-Curriculum Unit, Student Support Services
Department successfully organised the 2012 UTP Sports & CoCurriculum Appreciation Night at UTP Main Hall.
The event was organised with the aim to show appreciation and
acknowledgement to UTP students who had contributed in elevating
the university’s image and reputation through sports and extracurricular activities throughout 2012. In addition, it was held to
celebrate students who had embodied the spirit of excellence and
overcome the challenges in sports.
The event was graced by the presence of Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul
Rahim B Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor; Tn Hj Mohamed Noor Rosli
Baharom, Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Affairs and Alumni, as well
as UTP staff and students.
Sponsored Two Schools in
Malaysian Technology Expo
2013
Faculty of Science and Information Technology (FSIT) of Universiti
Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) recently sponsored two schools, Sekolah
Kebangsaan (SK) Tronoh and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK)
Seri Iskandar to participate in the Malaysian Technology Expo 2013
(MTE 2013).
Supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
(MOSTI), this annual event is a platform for young inventors to
showcase their invention and innovation to the local and international
public. The objectives of MTE2013 participation are:
•To provide educational experience to the students through
participation at science and technology exhibitions
•To introduce students to the world of science fair
•To develop the competencies of the students to participate in
national and international level science competitions
•To develop students’ soft skills through interactions with the judges,
trade visitors and public
•To expand the schools’ network with other schools and institutional
bodies in MTE 2013
UTP Brings Chinese
New Year’s Cheer To
Underprivileged Children
The Chinese New Year festivity continues at UTP as the university
brought cheer to the under privileged children of Pusat Jagaan
Pertubuhan Pengurusan Anak-Anak Yatim dan Miskin Anning, Ipoh,
Perak.
On 26 February 2013, the children (aged 6 to 17) gathered at the
university’s lobby and were warmly greeted by UTP Vice Chancellor,
YBhg Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim, who then handed out
cash and hampers to the children, and donated five computers to the
home’s caretaker, Mr Loke Wai Loon.
Afterwards, the children were treated for a sumptuous afternoon tea
before they headed back home.
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Highlight
Graduates in the 21st Century
– an Annual Address by the Chancellor, Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad
YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Chancellor of Universiti
Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), gave his annual public lecture in front of
a packed audience at UTP’s Chancellor Hall. This year’s lecture was
entitled ‘Graduates in the 21st Century’.
UTP has been organising the public lecture series since 1998 and
since then, has invited many prominent speakers including His Royal
Highness The Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah; YBhg Prof
Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Khoo Kay Kim and the late YBhg Tun Mohd
Ghazali Shafie.
UTP Lecture Series is a valuable forum for knowledge sharing
between the speakers and the university community on various topics
and issues. The knowledge and information that can be obtained from
these sessions complement and enhance what the students gain
within the classroom and formal education. As for the lecturers and
staff, such sessions will provide them with better insights of national
and global issues.
UTP is indeed very honoured to have a very distinguished speaker,
YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom the university look up to on
his views on various issues including politics, national development,
economics, corporate governance and education.
For this lecture, YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir, a remarkable visionary,
shared his thoughts on what makes the 21st century graduates, how
they could fit in the demanding society and challenging international
market, and most importantly thrive in lifetime employability.
In his lecture, YABhg Tun reminded UTP students that in order to
become 21st century graduates, they must continuously upgrade
and enhance themselves with knowledge. Students may think that
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the process of learning ends when they have their degrees, but in
truth, YABhg Tun said that “the process of learning does not stop
in the university, as learning is a lifetime occupation. The quest for
knowledge must go on at all time.”
YABhg Tun also emphasised that apart from knowledge, the 21st
century graduates must possess good character traits, such as
honesty, loyalty and trustworthy. According to YABhg Tun, for
graduates to acquire these traits, parents must do their part “in
moulding and shaping their children with good character traits and
moral values in order for them to be successful in their careers and
lives.”
YBhg Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim, Vice Chancellor of
UTP, UTP management committee members, students and staff,
government officers and the public attended the event and were glued
to their seats throughout the lecture.