Issue 52 Oct - Dec 2014

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS | ISSUE 52 | OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2014 | ISSN 1675-2023
UTP
Achieves
World Class
Rating
At a Glance:
Highlights
•
•
•
•
Celebrated 14th Convocation Ceremony with 1278 Graduates
UTP Achieves World Class Rating
VC Annual Address
MOE Awards HICoE Status to UTP CISIR
Feature Story
• UTP reaches for the star
An interview with Associate Professor Dr Hilmi Mukhtar,
Director of Transformation Office
Achievements
• Hacking at its best at UTP-Hax National Hacking Competition 2014
• Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team (MAMGP F1 Team)
recognised our students’ contribution
MoU/Collaboration
• Centre of Excellence for Virtual Reality established
• UTP Signs MOU with TEES
Events
• UTP inaugurally hosted and organised 23rd SCMSM 2014
• 200 free helmets for UTP students and staff
CSR
• Joy to 100 local students
Essence
contents
Highlights
04 05 15
16 Celebrated 14th Convocation
Ceremony with 1278 Graduates
UTP Achieves World Class Rating
VC Annual Address
MOE Awards HICoe Status
to UTP CISIR
Feature Story
06-07 UTP reaches for the star
An interview with Associate
Professor Dr Hilmi Mukhtar,
Director of Transformation Office
Achievements
8 9 Hacking at its best at UTP-Hax
National Hacking Competition
2014
Mercedes AMG PETRONAS
Formula One Team
(MAMGP F1 Team) recognised
our students’ contribution
MoU/Collaboration
10
11 Centre of Excellence for Virtual
Reality established
UTP Signs MOU with TEES
Events
12
13 UTP inaugurally hosted and
organised 23rd SCMSM 2014
200 free helmets for UTP students
and staff
CSR
14
Joy to 100 local students
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 8230 Fax: 605-365 4088
For enquiries on photographs featured in this quarterly,
please contact: Mohd Hazrin Ismail at 605-368 8235
2
the essence
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS cements its international positioning by placing itself amongst
the top ranking world varsities. UTP Vice Chancellor, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim said
UTP has improved in its overall performance from last year, moving up from three stars to four
stars rating, which indicates excellence in both research and teaching. UTP emerged as the
first private university in the country to receive a four star rating by the world varsities rating
agency, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Prior to this achievement, UTP has also earned a place
in the QS World University Top 200 Ranking by Subject for Chemical Engineering and is the
only private university in Malaysia to break into the QS Asian University Top 200 Ranking.
In this edition also, several activities that have contributed to enhancing the University’s
international repute were documented. UTP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with Virtalis Limited and Thames Technology Sdn Bhd to establish a Centre of Excellence for
Virtual Reality (VR). This partnership is in line with the National ICT Initiative via MSC Malaysia,
for undergraduates and fresh graduates to be up-skilled and equipped with industry-relevant
skills and expertise whilst addressing the Virtual Reality industry’s talent needs.
The University also inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Texas A&M Engineering
Experiment Station (TEES) focusing in the area of process safety. The signing ceremony took
place during the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKOPSC) International
Symposium at Hilton Conference Center, College Station, Texas on 28 October 2014.
Also adding another milestone for UTP is the recognition accorded by the Ministry of
Education to the University’s Centre for Intelligent Signal and Imaging Research (CISIR) as the
National Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE). CISIR focuses on biomedical image
analysis with neuro-chemical imaging as its research niche area.
Another highlight is the 23rd Scientific Conference of Microscopy Society Malaysia 2014
(SCMSM 2014) where Centre of Innovative Nanostructures and Nanodevices, Fundamental
& Applied Sciences Department and Centralized Analytical Laboratory of UTP jointly
organised with Microscopy Society Malaysia. The momentous event gathered experts and
researchers to present and discuss the most recent developments in fundamental and applied
aspects of microscopy, and its future needs.
On another front, our students made us proud by their amazing organising skills and
achievements. Students from 17 institutions all over the country gathered and showed off their
hacking skills at the UTP-HAX National Hacking Competition 2014 (UTP HAX ’14). The two-day
event is a multi-tiered and team-based hacking competition, modelled after the Cyberlympic
Hacking Competition. It acts as the preliminary round for all Malaysian teams to advance to
the Regional Asia and World Hacking Competition. UTP students also assisted Mercedes AMG
PETRONAS Formula One Team (MAMGP F1 Team) to win both the 2014 F1 Constructors and
Drivers World Championship.
Achievements and success deeply hinge on good values. Speaking at UTP’s 14th
convocation ceremony, Tun Dr. Mahathir said each graduate should instill in him/her good
values, as these values will contribute to the success of the individual, society and the nation.
At this year’s ceremony, a total of 1278 of UTP students graduated in their respective fields of
studies and of the 1278 graduates, 210 were postgraduate students.
It was indeed a very busy quarter!
editorial team
Advisor
Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim
Editor-In-Chief
Shamsina Shaharun
Editor
Tajul Ariffin Shamsuddin
Staff Writer
Suhaila Sharaini
Contributors
Ahmad PG Abdullah
M Thavasegaran
Raja Shoman Raja Rosdin
Photographers
Khalid Asyril Ismail
Mohd Hazrin Ismail
Circulation
Azfulredza Abdul Aziz
Hafizah Hamzah
Welcome Aboard & Diary
welcome aboard | oct - dec 2014
Aamir Farooq Malik
Post-Doctoral Researcher,
Research & Innovation Office
Abdul Ghani bin Md Rafek
Professor, Faculty of Geosciences
& Petroleum Engineering
Abdul Halim Abdul Latiff
Lecturer, Faculty of Geosciences
& Petroleum Engineering
Abdul Haque Tunio
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Geosciences
& Petroleum Engineering
Ade Wahyu Ramadhani
Research Scientist, Research
& Innovation Office
Ahmad Sobri bin Hashim
Lecturer, Faculty of Science
& Information Technology
Ahmad Zefry bin Abu Sabry
Executive, Human Resource
Management & Administration
Hanizah binti Hamdan
Clerk, Student Services
Jundika Candra Kurnia
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering
Lam Man Kee
Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering
Marlia Nurhani binti Kamaruddin
Clerk, Lab. Facilities & Service Unit
Mohamad Syazani bin Halim
Clerk, Residential Village
Mohamad Zamir bin Mohd Akib
Clerk, Information Resource Centre
Mohamed Shuaib bin Mohamed Saheed
Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of
Science & Information Technology
Mohammad Fauzan bin Syed Naziman
Clerk, Registry & Management Services
Mohd Adlan bin Zulkafeli @ Zulkifle
Executive, Faculty of Science
& Information Technology
Mohd Farid bin Ismail
Postdoctoral Researcher, Research
& Innovation Office
Nor Amirah Imilia binti Azlan Samudin
Administrative Assistant,
Faculty of Engineering
Mohd Hazim bin Mohd Zin
Technologist, Property Management
& Maintenance
Nor Syafiqah binti Abd Razak
Clerk, Center for Graduates Studies
Mohd Nazren bin Mohd Zahari
Technologist, Health, Safety
& Environment
Muhamad Faiz bin Nasmi
Clerk, Registry & Management Services
Muhamad Syaffiq Syazwan bin Mustafa
Executive, Student Services
Muhammad Azfar bin Awalluddin
Clerk, Registry & Management Services
Muhammad Ruzaini bin Sukian
Technologist, Labarotary Facilities
& Service Unit
Nurul Hanis binti Mohd Ramalan
Research Scientist, Research
& Innovation Office
Raihan Mahirah binti Ramli
Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering
Saeid Kakooei
Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering
Siti Nur Fathiyah binti Jamaludin
Lecturer, Faculty of Geosciences
& Petroleum Engineering
Thar Mohammed Badri
Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering
Vishweshwar Prabhappa Kallimani
Associate Professor, Faculty of Science
& Information Technology
Muthu Vairavasamy Ramkumar
Postdoctoral Researcher, Research
& Innovation Office
diary | oct - dec 2014
7-9
Kejohanan Sukan Masiswa Zon Utara 2014
3
Program Keselamatan Jalanraya dan Pertukaran
Topi Keledar, Anjuran Sirim, JKJR Malaysia dan UTP
8-9
Regional Conference on Student Activism 2014
6-9
HIV, AIDS and Drug Awareness Campaign
11
PETRONAS Young Stars Day 2014
11
Convofest 2014 : Human Versus Zombie Run
Adjunct Lecture Session by Dr Hartini Zainudin,
CEO, Yayasan Siti Sapura
12
SUREMOR Talk Series:
Adjunct Lecture on LED Basics, Present
Youth Empowerment through Sustainable Consumption: Development and Future of Lighting
Insights from WWF Malaysia
(Innovations and Road Map)
Visit by SMK Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh
29-30 Fit-Touch Clinic - Perak 2014
Talk by Visiting Researcher, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chen Hsin
Oct 2014
16-19 Convofest 2014
17
Career Talk by Baker Hughes
KKTM Visit to UTP
17-19 ACADREX 2014
18
14th Convocation Dinner
18-19 The First Big Step: Career Placement Week 2014
19
Majlis Konvokesyen ke 14
Fiesta Perpaduan (Festival of Unity) Programme
20
Visit by Universiti Malaya
21
Visit by Kolej Komuniti Ledang to GDC
23-24 Establishment of MyALumni (Cluster 3 MyAlumni) : “Reunion Hi-Tea: Malaysia Alumni of Indonesia”
28
Motivation Talk - Catching Fire Night workshop
29
Visit by University College of Dublin, Ireland
28-31 6th TPA-UTP Collaboration Lecture Programme
30
Visit by Open University Malaysia (OUM)
31
Visit by Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM)
Pasir Salak
30-31 Program Kesedaran Kesihatan Pergigian - Anjuran
Bersama Biro Pendidikan PETRONITA dan Bahagian
Kesihatan Pergigian Negeri Perak
Nov 2014
1
Colours of Ranggoli Night 2014
5
Career Talk by PETRONAS ICT
7
Usrah Nisa’ Siri 6 | Tadabbur Al-Quran : Surah Al-Fatihah
13
14-15 UTP-Hax National Hacking Competition 2014
14-16 Program HADA (HIV, AIDS, Drug Awareness) &
Program Kenali Malaysia 2.0
19
Talk by Y.Bhg. Dato’ Ramli Md Nor, Group Executive
Chairman, Olio Group of Companies
“Human Capital Development in Oil & Gas Industry:
A Dilemma for Gen Y”
Seminar “Pembangunan Ummah Cemerlang
Berasaskan Al-Quran”
Seminar Maqasid Syar’iyyah
Adjunct Lecture Session by Mr. Aminuddin Zulkipli,
Advocate & Solicitor
23
Menggapai Impian 2014
Kejohanan Bowling Tertutup KSKKU 2014
Visit by UNITEN
26-30 Khemah Ibadah Musim Cuti Sekolah 2014
26
Workshop: 21st Century Learning Design
for Higher Education
Speaker: Datin Dr Norrizan bt Razali,
Education Director, Microsoft Malaysia
Visit by Mogadishu University, Somalia
Adjunct Lecture Session by
Mr. Ahmad Fadzli Yusof, Managing Director,
Global Genius Consultant
Anti Doping Awareness Talk to UTP Sports Team
28
Siri 7 Usrah Nisa’ | Tadabbur Al-Quran :
Tafsir Surah al-Fatihah
Dec 2014
3-4
Short Course on Introduction to COSMO-RS Model
- Theory and Practices
4-5
Registry Open Day 2014
5
Cetusan Fikiran : Memahami Krisis Umat Islam
di Timur Tengah oleh Dr Tengku Shahrom
Tengku Shahdan
5-6
Experimental English Theatre Performance by TTS
8-9
34th Science and Engineering Design Exhibition
10-12 23rd Scientific Conference of
Microscopy Society Malaysia 2014 (SCMSM 2014)
13
UTP Step-Up Challenge 2014
17
VC’s Annual Address
19
MoU Signing Ceremony between
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Virtalis and
Thames Technology
26
Visit by Chairman, Dolma Development Fund
Honorary Professor of Sustainable Business,
The University of Nottingham
27-28 School Holiday Robotics Camp
3
Highlights
Celebrated 14th
Convocation Ceremony
with 1278 Graduates
This year’s Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS’ (UTP) convocation
witnessed a total of 1278 of UTP students graduating in
their respective fields of studies. Of the 1278 graduates,
210 were postgraduate students of Chemical Engineering,
Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,
Civil Engineering, Process Integration, Asset Management
& Maintenance, Electronic Systems Engineering, Petroleum
Geoscience, Petroleum Engineering, Information Technology
and a first time graduation for Master of Science by research
programme (in the area of Applied Science).
The remaining 1,068 students were undergraduates from
various programmes namely Chemical Engineering, Civil
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Geoscience,
Information and Communication Technology and Business
Information Systems.
The ceremony was attended by UTP’s Chancellor, YABhg Tun
Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, UTP Pro-Chancellor, YBhg Tan Sri
Sidek Hassan, UTP Board of Directors and representatives
from various universities.
Speaking at UTP’s convocation, YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir said
each graduate should instil in him good values, as these
values will contribute to the success of the individual, society
and the nation.
YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir also presented the Chancellor Gold
award to Norazwan Wahid and Silver award to Vivian Lim
Zher Yee.
Other award recipients included Tran Duc Chung (Best
International Undergraduate Student Award), Norzaireen binti
Mohd Azmee (Alumni Award for Best Researcher - Master)
and Ali Samer Muhsan (Alumni Award for Best Researcher PhD).
4
Various events were organised in conjunction
convocation ceremony. Academic and Research
2014 (ACADREX 2014) is a structured innovative
and competition which targeted participants
exhibitors, students, individuals and organisations.
with the
Exhibition
exhibition
involving
ACADREX2014 overall exhibition and competition concept
emphasises on “Innovation Community” where it will embrace
the importance of innovation in addressing daily challenges
of the students and universities’ community, and the
community at large.
UTP and its Student’s Representative Council also organised
Convofest at its campus in Bandar Seri Iskandar from 16
October to 19 October 2014, featuring various interesting
activities that include cultural and art performances, futsal,
water games, exhibitions and a talk by Ustaz Kazim Elias.
On 11 October 2014, UTP organised its Convoride 2014,
a cycling event and also CSR programme. More than 200
bicycles were donated to underprivileged school children
from 17 selected schools and one orphanage in Perak, and
students at Kg. Aji, Bota Perak during Convoride 2014.
This year saw the largest number of bicycles donated since
Convoride was first organised in 2012. In 2012, 20 bicycles
were donated while 25 bicycles were donated last year. The
bicycles were sponsored by UTP and PETRONAS staff at
RM300 each.
For this CSR programme, UTP received sponsorships and
donations of more than RM65,000 and 40 per cent of the
donations will be channelled to Yayasan UTP bursary fund to
provide financial aid for UTP students.
As a cycling event, Convoride 2014 covered a distance of
100km involving areas of Seri Iskandar, Bota, Tanjung Belanja,
Manong and Parit. This year’s Convoride attracted more than
500 cyclists from all over Malaysia such as Penang, Kedah,
Selangor and including cyclists from as far as Terengganu
and Kelantan.
Highlights
2015
EMPLOYABILITY
2015
FACILITIES
2015
INCLUSIVENESS
2014
2015
INNOVATION
2015
INTERNATIONALIZATION
UTP Achieves
World Class Rating
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) emerged as the first
private university in the country to receive a four star rating by
the world varsities rating agency, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
“This has certainly raised our international brand awareness
and we can now proudly add this notable achievement to
our credentials,” said Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim.
UTP Vice Chancellor, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim said
UTP has improved in its overall performance from last year,
moving up from three stars to four stars rating, which
demonstrates excellence in both research and teaching.
The QS Stars Rating System is utilised by more than 130
universities in 30 countries. The rating system is an in depth
analysis of a university’s systems to award from one to a
maximum of five stars. It gives an overall institutional rating,
as well as ratings in eight key domain areas namely
teaching,
employability,
research,
internationalisation,
facilities, innovation, access and specialist subjects.
The results include top scores of a five-star rating in five
areas out of eight, namely;1. Graduates’ high employability rate,
2. International feel of the community and the campus,
3. High standard of student facilities,
4. Innovation,
5. Inclusiveness - accessibility of the university to students.
“The QS Stars rating system is widely recognised across
the world and this award will help further develop the
university’s growing international reputation.
With this
recognition, the university can benchmark itself with the
best international universities while also placing it in good
stead when compared with other international institutions.
Incidentally, UTP has also earned a place in the QS World
University Top 200 Ranking by Subject for Chemical
Engineering and is the only private university in Malaysia to
break into the QS Asian University Top 200 Ranking.
These significant and outstanding accomplishments in the
relatively short 17 year history of UTP is something which is
not often seen in the arena of tertiary education, and speak
volumes for the institution’s standards of excellence.
5
Feature Story
UTP reaches for the star
An interview with Associate Professor Dr Hilmi Mukhtar,
Director of Transformation Office
From 3-star to 4-star
The success UTP attained in 2014 was a huge leap and
an amazing improvement in a very short period of time. We
quizzed AP Dr Hilmi to uncover what changed in UTP within
the one-year period that resulted in the jump.
Dr Hilmi first explained that due to the fact that UTP operates
in an increasingly globalised environment, it had embarked
upon a Transformation Plan six years ago as the means to
chart its way towards increased international visibility.
The ongoing effort is meant to not only attract more
international students and academics but is also imperative
for the University to leverage on its facilities, research
development capabilities and capitalise on new opportunities
in contributing to technology advancements around the
world. According to Dr Hilmi, the ‘quick win’ strategy which
UTP had adopted to reach the current state was to
aggressively recruit faculty staff with PhD degrees. With the
current number of recruited academics, the ratio of student
to academic staff has improved significantly. Dr Hilmi shared
with us that the high quality of publications in high impact
areas have also resulted in increased citations per paper.
I
n 2009, UTP embarked on a Transformation Journey
towards becoming a Premier University that is
internationally recognised as a partner of choice for
industries and a respected member of scientific
communities by the year 2025. UTP is currently in the
4th phase of the journey and in 2014, had successfully
attained a 4-star rating from QS World University
Ranking, a step up from its 3-star rating the
previous year. The Editorial Team caught up with
Associate Professor Dr Hilmi Mukhtar, Director of UTP
Transformation Office, to get an insight into the
tremendous consolidation efforts the Transformation
Office had undertaken that had resulted in this stellar
achievement for the 17-year old institution.
6
On the strategic front, Dr Hilmi highlighted that the
University had steadily advanced across geographical
boundaries by collaborating with top oil and gas companies
like Shell, Schlumberger, Technip and Mitsubishi. The
collaborations not only undertake industry-driven research
and consultancy, but also provide sponsorship of Professorial
Chairs, software licenses, networking opportunities and thus
accelerate the response of the QS Global Employer Survey.
The University had also forged academic and research
collaborations (MOU) with national and international
universities in Austria, France, Japan, Australia, UK, and US
as partners in research. He further highlighted that the
successful implementation of the MOU had led to an increase
in number of placement for student exchange and response
rate in the QS Academic Reputation Survey.
Dr Hilmi then shared with us a piece of information that made
us swell with pride. One of UTP’s value propositions is global
employability and for UTP, 95% of its graduates are employed
within six months upon graduation. As the academic
programmes offered by the University emphasises on
well-rounded capabilities, the graduates are highly soughtafter by industries both locally and abroad. The team concurs
with Dr Hilmi when he emphasised that UTP students are
not only well equipped with technical competencies but also
other essential qualities like lifetime learning capacity, critical
thinking, communication and behavioural skills, business
acumen, practical aptitude and solution synthesis ability.
Dr Hilmi and his team acknowledged that the race to
be recognised as a university with the world standard
Feature Story
(5-star) facilities, graduate employability, inclusiveness,
internationalisation and innovation. The team will continue
to drive the transformation as UTP has also set its eyes on
regional and world rankings after successfully being listed in
the top 200 QS Asian University Ranking last year.
The QS-Stars Rating Criteria
We were curious to know the key criteria measured by QS
and exactly how UTP fared in these areas. We asked AP Dr
Hilmi to share the details of the recent QS audit.
The first thing we learnt from Dr Hilmi was that the role of
the audit is that it serves as a health check for the University
which benchmarks it against a predefined standard. The
QS audit measures eight criteria: Teaching, Employability,
Research,
Internationalisation,
Learning
Environment,
Innovation, Inclusiveness and Discipline Ranking and
Accreditation. In the 2014 audit, UTP had obtained an
impressive score of almost perfect 5-star in five out of these
categories. Dr Hilmi reminds us that this is no mean feat for
the 17-year old university, and the University is geared to
soar higher in the coming years. The University has identified
the key areas for improvement and we were told that it has
outlined a 10-year plan towards being listed as the Top 200
World Universities in Engineering and Technology.
As the University moves towards strengthening its research
capabilities, Dr Hilmi says there will be more platforms to help
academics increase the number of paper citations and build
stronger academic reputation through rigorous academic
research networking and collaboration with other institutions.
This will be led by UTP’s Strategic Alliance Office which will
facilitate academics to establish more MOUs nationally and
globally. Also in the pipeline are plans to recruit key experts
particularly Nobel Laureates from key subject domains, and
at the same time provide opportunities for staff exchange
in order to widen the scope of research and fortify the
University’s global networks. We were further enthused to
learn that UTP will also soon join established global university
networks such as the Association of Commonwealth
Universities, Federation of the Universities of the Islamic
World, Universitas 21 and Global University Network for
Innovation which will open exciting new avenues in research
for both academics and students alike.
Dr Hilmi shared with us that the University is looking towards
reinforcing the global marketability of graduates by obtaining
international accreditation for the ICT, BIS and MBA
programmes. This will open employment opportunities with
more global giants of the IT and business industries as well
as industrial research and spin-off companies across the
globe, a move that is in line with the University’s goal of
incubating potential spin-off companies and creating more
conducive conditions to foster greater technological
innovations.
2015 and Beyond
With solid plans in place and a clear goal set, there must
be cultural shifts that are needed to achieve the target. We
enquired about plans for institutionalising these targets and
creating a new UTP culture.
As an academic himself, Dr Himi highlighted that academics
and the support fraternities throughout the university share
symbiotic relationships. He emphasised the need to strengthen these relationships in order to build a pervasive research
culture. For a start, focus will be given to foster greater
cohesion between academics with the communities that
provide laboratory services, research assistance, procurement
and HR recruitment. To achieve that aim, efforts will be made
through persistent advocacy as well as a clear reward
mechanism. Dr Hilmi acknowledged that cultural shifts take
time to materialise but the University is confident that it has
the kind of talent that will openly embrace the new culture.
Facing The Transformation Challenge
Managing transition is not for the faint-hearted. We asked AP
Dr Hilmi how he found the motivation to stay with TO from the
beginning of the journey till today
Fuelled by the thrill of making a positive difference, AP Dr
Hilmi looks at challenges with excitement and enthusiasm.
For him and his team, their experience spearheading the UTP
Transformation helps them build their own resilience and
being able to influence the change process in UTP is in itself
a rewarding experience.
Figures that Matter
Some key information about the results of the QS WUR 2014
for UTP:
::
::
::
::
::
::
Awarded 4-star in the world rating
Ranked 335 for Engineering and Technology
Chemical Engineering programme made it to the Top 200
QS WUR by Subject
Ranked 6th among all universities in Malaysia
Top private university
5 key domain criteria that attained 5-star scoring:
• Employability
• Internationalisation
• Facilities
• Innovation
• Inclusiveness
7
Achievements
Hacking at its best at
UTP-Hax National Hacking
Competition 2014
Students from 17 institutions all over the country gathered
and showed off their hacking skills at the UTP-HAX National
Hacking Competition 2014 (UTP HAX ’14).
The hacking competition was organised by Universiti Teknologi
PETRONAS (UTP) in collaboration with CyberSecurity
Malaysia, KPerak Implementation & Coordination Corporation
(KPerak), Fortinet, Yayasan UTP and Alumni UTP.
The two-day event is a multi-tiered and team-based hacking
competition, modelled after the Cyberlympic Hacking
Competition. It acts as the preliminary round for all Malaysian
teams to advance to the Regional Asia and World Hacking
Competition.
“The UTP-HAX 2014 is a platform for students to exercise
their hacking skills ethically and test to what extent they know
the vulnerability of a computer system. With the loopholes
that they encounter, they should be able to later design a
more secure system, very much like developing an
antivirus to existing and prospective computer virus.” said
Prof. Ir. Dr. Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Hani, Deputy Vice Chancellor
(Academic), UTP.
mind-set from being the hunted to being the hunters. Every
company should establish a “red team” focused on identifying
security weaknesses before the bad guys are able to do so.
KPerak as the Perak state government agencies will intensify
our efforts to provide information related to cyber security to
the peoples. We are also planning to establish a Securities
Data Laboratory in the future,” said En. Mohd Nazaruddin .
Mohd Yusoff, Chief Executive Officer, KPerak INC.
Dr. Amirudin Abdul Wahab, Chief Executive Officer of
CyberSecurity Malaysia said: “We need more than just tools
and solutions to protect against hackers. There must, in
particular, be better training of network administrators or
those entrusted with safeguarding computer networks. These
cyber security personnel have to know how to anticipate the
nature of threats from hackers.To beat a hacker, they need to
think like one. And this is exactly what UTP-HAX 2014
competition is all about. Participants will undertake an
attempt to penetrate networks or computer systems using
the same methods and techniques a hacker utilizes. Through
the UTP-HAX National Hacking Competition 2014, we believe
participants will gain greater experience and insights on how
to ensure a safe and secure cyberspace.”
Dato’ Seri George Chang, Fortinet’s Vice President for
Southeast Asia & Hong Kong said: “Highly skilled security
professionals play a vital role in the war against escalating
cyber crime. As a leading network security player, Fortinet
is excited to be able to partner UTP for this ethical hacking
competition and help hone the skills and instincts of
Malaysia’s next generation of cyber security talent.
“KPerak involvement in organising UTP-HAX can be seen as
a good form of joint ventures. Companies need to shift their
This year’s champion was MMU and they walked away with
RM10,000 cash prize and medals.
8
Achievements
Mercedes AMG PETRONAS
Formula One Team
(MAMGP F1 Team)
Recognised our
students’ contribution
Eight UTP students who completed their internship at
Mercedes AMG PETRONAS did the university proud for their
contribution in assisting MAMGP Fi Team to win both the 2014
F1 Construction and Drivers World Championship.
The students were Wong Yoong Xiang (Electrical and Electronics
Engineering) as Car Build Intern, Lee Vuen Nee (Electrical and
Electronics Engineering) as Aerodynamics Intern, Muhamad
Faidsal Mohd Farid (Civil Engineering) as Aerodynamics
Intern, Arvindran Gopalakrishnan (Chemical Engineering) as
Purchasing Intern, Upenthiran a/l Ganeson (Chemical
Engineering) as Main Inspection Intern, Muhammad Mustaqim
Mustafa (Mechanical Engineering) as Machine Shop
Inspection Intern, Chedtha Intachat Somnek (Mechanical
Engineering) as Machine Shop Intern and Magdalene Lee Jia
Wern (Petroleum Engineering) as Planning Intern.
This feat was achieved during their internship with MAMGP
F1 Team from 30 September 2013 to 17 April 2014 at Brackley,
United Kingdom.
Throughout their internship, the students worked hard and
made an all-out effort so that the tasks and responsibilities
assigned to them in ensuring the winning F1 car, Mercedes
F1 W05 Hybrid Car, was constructed and fabricated in its
optimum performance level.
“We are very proud to have assisted MAMGP F1 Team with
the technical and practical capabilities gained during our
study in UTP. We hope that this internship program with
MAMGP F1 Team will continue for many years to come and
more students representing UTP will value the experience and
knowledge gained from their internship,” said Wong Yoong
Xiang.
For this remarkable achievement, they received tokens of
appreciation from UTP Vice Chancellor, YBhg Datuk Ir (Dr)
Abdul Rahim Hashim. YBhg Datuk also presented medals
and plaque to the students on behalf of the MAMGP F1 Team.
9
MoU/Collaboration
Centre of Excellence
for Virtual Reality
established
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) today signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Virtalis Limited
and Thames Technology Sdn Bhd to establish a Centre of
Excellence for Virtual Reality (VR) at UTP.
The MOU is also expected to see an enhancement from
the view-point of university-industry collaboration in driving
cutting edge research to meet market demand as well as to
support local industries and communities through the joint
research effort between UTP and Virtalis. This possibility will
be explored by jointly enhancing the technology with the
industry’s standard measurement and testing equipment to
support the teaching and R&D activities at UTP.
With UTP’s partnership with Virtalis and Thames Technology,
there will be many R&D opportunities for UTP to work with,
especially in the areas where they can directly contribute to
the building of virtual reality and advanced visualisation
facilities and resources in Malaysia.
“The signing of this Memorandum of Agreement is another
important milestone for UTP’s journey towards becoming an
internationally recognised higher learning institution. Indeed,
we are honoured to have Thames Technology Sdn. Bhd. and
Virtalis Limited to collaborate with us particularly in the
setting up of the centre of teaching, learning, research,
training and technology development of virtual reality and
advanced visualisation technology. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank Virtalis for this collaboration and making
us one step closer to be the first university In Asia to establish
the Centre of Excellence for Virtual Reality,” said Datuk Ir (Dr)
Abdul Rahim Hashim,
“We are very pleased to partner with Universiti Teknologi
PETRONAS. Virtalis is a world leading VR solution provider
and our products have been widely deployed in the United
States and Europe. We have the right visualisation
technologies for business and universities and we are keen to
transfer our knowledge and experience to local talent.
We also hope this collaboration will inspire more innovative
uses and applications that can bring real benefit to the
development of the technology as well as economic
development in Malaysia,” said David Cockburn-Price.
UTP Vice Chancellor, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim,
Virtalis Managing Director, Mr. David Cockburn-Price and
Thames Technology Sdn Bhd Managing Director, Encik Mohd
Kamarul Hisham Hashim signed the MOU on behalf of the
three organisations.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Minister of
Education II, Mr P. Kamalanathan.
This collaboration led to the establishment of a Virtual Reality
Lab and GeoVisionary visualisation centre at UTP. Its specific
objective is to develop talent and certified professionals in the
VR areas to UTP students, as well as to enhance the design,
training and maintenance procedure in engineering and oil
and gas industry.
10
“Thames Technology Sdn Bhd has over the years strategised
and formulated various programmes aimed at meeting the
demand of the current and future workforce requirements of
the local virtual reality industry. Our partnership with UTP is
in line with the National ICT Initiative via MSC Malaysia, for
undergraduates and fresh graduates to be up-skilled and
equipped with industry-relevant skills and expertise whilst
addressing the Virtual Reality industry’s talent needs,” said
Mohd Kamarul Hisham Hashim.
MoU/Collaboration
UTP Signs MOU with TEES
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Texas A&M
Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) focusing in the area of
process safety. The signing ceremony took place during the
Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center (MKOPSC)
International Symposium at Hilton Conference Center, College
Station, Texas on 28 October 2014.
UTP Vice Chancellor, Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim and
TEES Deputy Director, Dr Dimitris Lagoudas signed the MOU
on behalf of the two organisations.
“The signing of this MOU is another important milestone in
UTP’s journey towards becoming an internationally recognised
higher learning institution. Indeed, we are honoured to have
TEES to collaborate with us,” said Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim.
“The collaboration will cover various academic and research
activities, which include technology transfer of advanced
knowledge through sharing of academic materials and joint
publications, staff and student exchange, joint fundamental
and industrial research and services and organising joint
lectures, symposia and conferences,” added Datuk Ir (Dr)
Abdul Rahim.
UTP has recently established a Centre for Advanced
Process Safety (CAPS) to provide support in the advancement
of knowledge, research and services to industries to prevent
major accidents.
The Centre, headed by Prof Dr Azmi Mohd Shariff, has begun
research in process safety since 2003. Since then, a number
of postgraduate students have graduated in the areas of risk
assessment, inherent safety, fire hazard analysis, toxicity and
process safety management. Further, a number of journals
and conference papers have been published in similar areas.
CAPS has completed a number of industrial projects and
conducted a series of short courses in the areas of
Quantitative Risk Assessment and Electrical Safety and
Operability Review. CAPS is currently appointed by the
Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia to
conduct a Regulatory Impact Assessment on the revision and
improvement of Control of Industrial Major Hazards regulations
1996 by including process safety management elements.
CAPS is presently working together with Chemical
Engineering Department, UTP to offer MSc in Process Safety
programme in 2015. Strategic linkages and partnership have
been established with industries, government and
international institutions to this programme with the industrial
needs.
The programme will be conducted in a modular-base mode
and aims to attract practitioners from local and international
companies within Asia Pacific region, with the background in
engineering and other related degrees.
The MKOPSC, TEES was established in 1995 as a centre to
develop training methods and materials for process safety
competency.
The centre, led by Prof Dr M Sam Mannan, receives
approximately USD2.5 million annually from almost 40
industrial consortium memberships and other funding for
research expenditures. The centre offers numerous
academic and certificate programmes in process safety.
The centre has published more than 350 peer reviewed
journals, book chapters, technical proceedings and major
reports. The centre has also collaborated with more than 15
international institutions on academic and research works.
In addition, the centre has been organising the Annual
International Safety Symposium since 1998. This symposium
gathers experts from industry, academia, government
agencies and other stakeholders to discuss critical issues of
research in process safety.
Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim hopes that the strategic
collaboration with MKOPSC TEES will further strengthen the
scientific and technical capabilities of CAPS UTP in research
and academia in advanced process safety.
Apart from TEES, UTP has established various strategic
collaborations with industries and universities to support its
aspiration to be internationally recognised as a partner of
choice for industries and scientific communities.
11
Events
UTP inaugurally hosted and
organised 23rd SCMSM 2014
Microscopy Society Malaysia and Centre of Innovative
Nanostructures and Nanodevices, Fundamental & Applied
Sciences Department and Centralized Analytical Laboratory
of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) jointly organised and
hosted today the 23rd Scientific Conference of Microscopy
Society Malaysia 2014 (SCMSM 2014).
This is the first time UTP hosted and organised this event
which gathers experts and researchers to present and discuss
the most recent developments in fundamental and applied
aspects of microscopy, and its future needs.
The conference was officially opened by YBhg Datuk Abu
Bakar Mohamad Diah, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology
and Innovation on 10 December 2014.
“We believe that hosting SCMSM2014 plays a significant role
in enhancing our branding and networking amongst the public
universities, thus propelling UTP further in our journey towards
becoming a well-recognised university and research centre”,
said Professor Ir Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Hani, Deputy Vice
Chancellor, Academic, UTP.
“With advancement in nanotechnology, better analytical tool is
needed in the form of high-powered microscopes which uses
unique methods to allow them to see the surface features
on the atomic scale, effectively opening the door to modern
nanotechnology. Often hailed as a revolutionary new
technology, nanotechnology has the potential to impact
almost every area of society. Since its impact on human life is
inevitable, researchers and the society as a whole have to be
more aware of developments in nanoscience and
nanotechnology. Therefore, SCMSM 2014 is a platform to
discuss all aspects of microscopy in life and physical
sciences at all levels with the focus on nanoscience and
nanotechnology,” said Datuk Abu Bakar.
Also present at the event was Associate Professor Captain Dr
Farid Che Ghazali, President of Microscopy Society Malaysia.
The conference was officially closed by Dr Rohani Yasin, Head
of Specialised Diagnostic Centre (SDC), Ministry of Health on
12 December 2014.
12
Events
200
free helmets
for UTP students and staff
UTP Health, Safety and Environment Department recently collaborated
with Malaysian Road Safety Department (JKJR) and SIRIM QAS
International Sdn Bhd to organise the Road Safety Campaign and
Motorcycle Helmet Exchange Program for its staff and students.
The objective of this Road Safety Campaign is to promote the importance
of road safety to more than 4,500 car and motorcycle owners in UTP. As
part of the safety campaign, UTP students and staff were briefed on the
importance of road safety by JKJR. They also received 200 free helmets
that meet SIRIM standards, in exchange of their old ones.
UTP hopes that this campaign will increase the level of awareness among
the university’s community on road safety and thus help the
government’s aspiration to reduce the number of deaths and injuries
caused by road accidents in Malaysia.
UTP Vice Chancellor, YBhg Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, JKJR
Director General, YBhg Dato’ Dr. Tam Weng Wah and SIRIM QAS
International Managing Director, Pn. Khalidah Mustafa were present at
the event.
In conjunction with the Road Safety Campaign and Motorcycle Helmet
Exchange Program, there were also exhibition booths from government
agencies such as Road Transport Department, Royal Malaysia Police,
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, Perak Islamic Religious
Department and National Anti-drugs Agency.
13
CSR
Joy to 100 local students
Menggapai Impian, now in its eighth year, aims to
provide underprivileged children a head start in their
education and better learning experience. The event
also encourages UTP staff to foster the spirit of
sharing and giving to those in need.
Under this CSR programme, UTP staff volunteer to
sponsor a minimum of RM200 for one child. Each
child will be given school necessities in the form of
school uniforms, bags, shoes and stationery for the
new school term. Apart from this, each student
also received a cash donation of RM100 in the form
of Bank Rakyat savings account book, contributed
by UTP Alumni Association.
Since 2007, Menggapai Impian has benefitted 624
children from orphanages and schools in Perak.
14
Year No of
Recipients
Children
2007 61
Pusat Jagaan Anak-Anak Yatim & Miskin Nurul Iman, Ipoh, Perak
2008 56
Praise Home, Ipoh, Perak
Rumah Kanak-Kanak Sultan Abdul Aziz, Kuala Kangsar, Perak
Rumah Anak-anak Yatim Maahad Tahfiz Al Taufi Qiah, Kg. Boyan, Taiping, Perak
2009 104
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-anak Yatim Dan Warga Miskin Bait Al-Amin,
Parit, Perak
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Precious Gift Home, Ipoh, Perak
2010 70
Rumah Nur Kasih, Bota, Perak
Rumah Nur Kasih, Air Tawar, Perak
Salvation Army Jalan Kampar, Ipoh, Perak
Salvation Army Tambun, Ipoh
2011 57
Asrama Anak-anak Yatim Darus Salam, Tambun, Ipoh
Persatuan Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Yatim Rumah Wawasan, Manjung
Pusat Jagaan Diamond Hope, Ayer Tawar
2012 116
Asrama Anak Yatim & Warga Miskin Budi Mulia Nurul Huda, Chemor
Pertubuhan Badan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Darus Salam, Sungai Rapat, Ipoh
Pusat Jagaan Pertubuhan Pengurusan Anak-Anak Yatim & Miskin Anning,
Ampang, Ipoh
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Good Shepard, Buntong, Ipoh
2013 60
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Kasih Nurul Iman Negeri Perak
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Harapan Baru, Ipoh
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Anugerah Istimewa, Ipoh
2014 100
SK Tronoh, Tronoh
SK Sri Tronoh, Tronoh
SJK (T) Tronoh, Tronoh
SJK (C) Chung Sun, Tronoh
SMK Tronoh, Tronoh
SK Iskandar Perdana, Bandar Baru Seri Iskandar
SK Seri Iskandar, Seri Iskandar
SMK Seri Iskandar, Bandar Seri Iskandar
Children of UTP janitors
Highlights
VC
Annual Address
More than 500 UTP staff gathered for the UTP Vice
Chancellor’s Annual Address 2015 held at Chancellor Hall,
UTP on 22 December 2014. Organised by UTP’s Finance
and Asset Management Department, the address was
delivered by YBhg. Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim.
This year, the theme for the address was “Towards
Distinctive Reputation”.
This yearly event provides a platform for the Vice Chancellor
to update UTP’s staff on the university’s overall performance
and achievements for the financial year of 2014. Some of
UTP’s notable accomplishments that were highlighted were:
1. The first private university in the country to receive
a four-star rating by the world universities rating agency
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)
2. Top 200 QS World University Ranking by Subject for
Chemical Engineering
3. The only private university in Malaysia to break into the
QS Asian University Top 200 Ranking
The address also provided opportunities for the Vice
Chancellor to deliver his aspiration for the university, as
well as the university’s direction for 2015. Furthermore, it
allowed for UTP Management and staff to have intellectual
discourse, especially on issues related to academic and
research activities.
15
Highlights
MOE Awards HICoE Status
to UTP CISIR
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Centre of Excellence
(COE), Centre for Intelligent Signal and Imaging Research
(CISIR) has been recognised by the Ministry of Education
(MOE) as the National Higher Institution Centre of Excellence
(HICoE) status focusing on biomedical image analysis with
neuro chemical imaging as its research niche area.
UTP is the only HICoE from IPTS out of 14 HICoE.
This was announced at a ceremony officiated by Education
Minister II, Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh.
“With this recognition as national COE and funding support,
CISIR is geared to become a global research centre in
biomedical imaging research.
The centre through
fundamental research, collaboration and networking as well
as contribution to human capital development, will produce
breakthrough research and innovation that will have an
impact on society. This is in accordance with the National
Higher Education Strategic Plan and also UTP’s mission in
becoming an internationally recognised research university,”
said Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor.
As National HICoE, CISIR will receive yearly funding from
MOE for the next 3 years. The centre is also expected to
produce high impact publications in Tier 1 and 2 ISI-indexed
journals, PhD graduates, intellectual property and generate
its own revenue through short courses, consultancy and
commercialisation.
CISIR is one of the leading intelligent signal and imaging
research groups in Malaysia. It undertakes research to
advanced signal and imaging processing techniques and
the implementation of real-time embedded systems. CISIR
conducts translational research in real-world multi-disciplinary
areas such as biomedical engineering, visual surveillance,
remote sensing and neuroscience.
16
It began as a research lab in 2000, became a university
research centre in 2008 and in 2012 recognised as a UTP
COE. The centre is headed by its founding Director, Prof. Ir
Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Hani, who is also UTP Deputy Vice
Chancellor, Academic.
CISIR promotes R&D culture through collaborative and
translational research with local and overseas research
institutions, hospitals and industry such as Hospital Kuala
Lumpur, Hospital USM, Hospital Selayang, Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Universiti Malaya
Medical Centre, Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation
(CARIF), ViTrox Technologies, University of Burgundy France,
Magnetic Resonance Bavaria Germany and Hitachi Japan.
Since 2008, CISIR has produced over 500 research articles,
of which 180 are in journals having a cumulative impact
factor of over 200, and filed 70 patents, of which six have
been granted at the back of research grants amounting to
RM11 million.
Apart from CISIR, UTP Centre of Innovative Nanostructures
and Nanodevices, headed by Prof Norani Muti Mohamed, was
recognised as a national COE in nanotechnology by Ministry
of Science, Technology and Innovation in 2011