A salute to UPNM for going the extra mile

I REFER to the letter by the Academic and International Division, UPNM (The Star, April 16). My gratitude to Dr Tang Siew Mun, a senior lecturer.
Immediately after he had read my letter, published on April 8, he spoke to the higher authorities in the university.
I am too young to study at UPNM as cadet officers need to be at least 17 years and six months.
The concern and urgency that Dr Tang, the UPNM officers and a Major Roziman showed touched my parents and me so much.
I received several phone calls explaining why I was not called for the interview and advising me on what to do. The authorities concerned went a step further to make arrangements for me to attend an interview and a physical test on May 26 to June 10.
All these were done within 24 hours. The efficiency and professionalism in handling my case really befits the name of the university and the army. I have no regrets at all in applying to do a course in this university.
I would like to thank the Public Services Department (PSD) for answering my prayers and making my dream come true. And, you have given my mother the best Mothers Day present from a 17-year-old son.
I checked the JPA website on May 11 and received the good news; I have successfully secured the scholarship to do an engineering course overseas.
I do not want to seem ungrateful to UPNM for helping me secure a place in the university but as I have yet to undergo the tests and there is no guarantee that I will qualify, I have accepted the PSD scholarship on my father’s advice.
He said when I have completed my studies overseas I could apply to the army as a volunteer (Askar Wataniah).
To all the straight As students out there who are unsuccessful in their application for scholarships, be strong, brave and patient.
Pray for a person like Dr Tang or Major Roziman to come to your rescue.
KENG WEI JIN,
Kuala Lipis, Pahang.

UiTM goes from gold to platinum

SHAH ALAM: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has become the first public university to receive the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Platinum Award for its professional accountancy tuition programmes.
The award comes a year after the varsity bagged the Gold Award.
“The short duration that took us to move to Platinum from Gold proves that public universities have what it takes to put themselves on the world map,” UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said.
He received the award from ACCA brand executive director Neil Stevenson at a ceremony witnessed by Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah here yesterday.
Dr Sahol Hamid said the marked improvement stemmed from the efforts of the varsity’s Department of Professional Accounting Studies.
“Unlike students at private institutions, accounting students at public universities take up other subjects which may not be entirely related to the ACCA course.
“The university activities differ as well,” he told The Star after the opening of the National Conference on Student Development and Services at UiTM here yesterday.
Dr Sahol Hamid said UiTM’s decision to bring in lecturers from the industry contributed to the award as students were well exposed to the challenges of the working world.
With the award, UiTM is now officially recognised by ACCA as an Approved Learning Partner.
Saifuddin said the ACCA recognition of UiTM was an achievement at the global level and proved that Malaysia’s manpower, especially that in accounting, was of international standard.

UTeM hoping for more research grants

MALACCA: Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Yusoff Hassan hopes that more research grants would be allocated under the 2012 Budget.
He said the funds are needed to ensure continued research and advances in science and technology.
“We must strive harder as competition for reserach grants is stiff,” he said at UTeM Quality Day 2011 and excellent service award presentation ceremony in Durian Tunggal here.
Ahmad Yusoff said he is proud with the average 82.59% score achieved by UTeM straff and the 41 awards won last year.
The university has 7,500 students and 750 staff and won 18 awards so far including five foreign honours at a design and invention exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland.
He said UTeM will try to secure more research grants and also financial assistance to build a Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
UTeM, added Ahmad Yusoff, would also introduce new Bachelor’s degree programmes in electrical, electronic, mechanical and manufacturing engineering for its intake in September. –Bernama.

Scholarships pour in for UMK

DESPITE been the newest local public university, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) has within eight months secured several scholarship funds for its students.
Maybank Bhd recently became the latest corporate sponsor to give scholarships, laptops and allowances for training courses to three students of UMK, which is at a temporary campus in Taman Bendahara, Pengkalan Chepa in Kelantan.
The three are Chan Khar Hor, 22, from the Entrepreneurship and Business Faculty, Yap Ee Ting, 21, and Nur Fa’iqa Zamri, 20, both from the Agro-Industry and Natural Resources Faculty.
Maybank vice-president of corporate human resource and talent management head Raja Ahhmad Hidzir Raja Muhamad handed over the inaugural scholarships at the Sutera Inn Hotel in Kota Baru.
Present at the ceremony were Maybank vice president (regional retail financial services head) Yusoff Ghani and Maybank assistant vice president (management associates head and scholarship resourcing, talent manager corporate) Hishamuddin Salleh.

Financial support: (From left) Prof Dr Zainai, Chan, Hishamuddin, Yap, Raja Ahamad Hidzir, Nur Fa'iqa and Yusoff Ghani posing at the cheque presentation ceremony.

Besides scholarships, UMK vice-chancellor Prof Dr Zainai Mohamad said grants would also be provided to UMK academicians who are keen to pursue higher studies locally or overseas.He also said earthworks to build UMK’s main campus in Bachok and a satellite one in Jeli would start this year.

UMK has targeted to its own main campus by 2010, Dr Zainai said.

UPSI gets new museum

THE Suluh Budiman building in Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, has the distinct honour of housing the country’s National Education Museum.
The RM9.8mil museum was officially opened by university chancellor Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Bainun yesterday.

Royal archives: Tuanku Bainun (left) and Raja Azureen (second left) accompanied by Dr Aminah visiting the Pameran Payung Negara exhibition during the opening ceremony of the museum.

Work on the museum started in August 2009 and completed in December last year.
It has 19 exhibition galleries, two reading and research rooms complete with a computerised system and a curator room.
The Suluh Budiman building, with its built up area of 3,239 sq m, was opened by the then Sultan of Perak Sultan Iskandar Shah on Nov 29, 1922.
In her message in the Pameran Payung Negara coffee table book, Tuanku Bainun hoped the museum would be able to record and illustrate the glorious history of national education in order to instil an understanding that today’s excellence is the outcome of struggles by past educators.
“I pray that this museum will continue to progress and can serve as an educational institution in a historic and meritorious institution of higher learning,” she added.
UPSI vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Aminah Ayob said the idea to have the museum was proposed even before UPSI was set up.
“The museum became a reality when the Higher Education Ministry allocated funds under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to rehabilitate and re-develop the heritage building,” she said in her speech.
Besides being a tourist attraction, Dr Aminah hoped that the museum would be used by students and researchers as a resource centre.
“We will digitalise the exhibition materials to be unloaded into our UPSI website to enable the world to learn of our country’s education,” she said.
Among those present at the launch were Raja Datuk Seri Azureen Sultan Azlan Shah, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim.
In conjunction with the museum’s opening, an exhibition entitled Pameran Payung Negara will be held for three months.
The exhibition will focus on the world’s royal institutions.

UMT building RM12m research ship

KUALA TERENGGANU: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) will be the first local university to have a research and training ship when its vessel named RV Discovery is completed in April next year.

Prof Dr Aziz: It will provide exposure and training to students.

Its vice-chancellor Prof Dr Aziz Deraman said the ship, costing RM12mil, would have dry and wet laboratories and make UMT the top Malaysian university in oceanography studies.
“Construction began in September last year and is 80% completed. With the vessel, UMT will be able to conduct extensive research across the seas.
“It will provide exposure and training to students taking up Maritime Science, Marine Biology, Nautical Science, Maritime Transportation and Maritime Technology,” he said.
Prof Aziz said this to reporters at the handing-over of a model of the RV Discovery here recently.
Kay Marine Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Wan Mohd Albakri Wan Md Noor also present.

Diversity of creatures: UMT researchers at Pulau Bidong checking on marine life. — File photo

Prof Aziz said the 35m vessel being built by Kay Marine could travel 4,500 nautical miles over three weeks at a time.
Fitted with scientific equipment, the vessel will conduct research involving seaweed and marine organisms, among others.

On-site training: File photo of a UMT student collecting data in waters off Pulau Bidong.

“We are planning scientific expeditions in the South China Sea to collect data. In the long term, we want to establish research co-operation with local and international agencies, especially in regard to the South China Sea,” Aziz said.
UMT currently has nine boats for research purposes in Tasik Kenyir, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Redang and Pulau Bidong. — Bernama

UUM plans to open shops to public and have CIQ on campus

ALOR SETAR: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) plans to set up a duty-free zone in its main campus in Sintok.
UUM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said that if the idea received Cabinet approval, UUM would be the first university in the country to have such a facility on its campus.
He said the idea was still being discussed in detail by the Higher Education and Finance ministries.
“It involves legal and technical aspects and we hope to have the proposal ready before the 2012 Budget in October. If approved, we hope to start the project next year,” he said yesterday.
Dr Mohamed Mustafa said the outlets at the duty-free zone would sell various types of products except cigarettes and liquor.
He said UUM had identified an area within the campus for the project.
Dr Mohamed Mustafa said the duty-free zone would be open to the public as the university also planned to build a Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex (CIQ) in the area.
He said the area earmarked for the zone and the CIQ complex was located about 2km from the Malaysia-Thai border.
Dr Mohamed Mustafa also said the duty-free zone was part of the university’s four strategies in its transformation plan to become a world-class university in management and research and development by 2013.
He said the proposal had received positive reaction from entrepreneurs who were keen to take part in the project.