The University warmly welcomes Malaysia’s Prime Minister

ISSUE 45

JAN – MAR 2013

At a Glance:

Highlights• The University warmly welcomes Malaysia’s Prime Minister

• Towards a Distinctive Reputation – an Annual Address by the Vice Chancellor

• Graduates in the 21st Century – an Annual Address by the Chancellor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad

Feature Story• Raising The Bar – Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim,

UTP Vice Chancellor

Achievements • UTP Conferred a Tier 5 Rating for D-Setara ‘11

• UTP is now ISO9001 Certified!

Collaboration• Baker Hughes – Yayasan UTP Scholarship Award

Ceremony and the Launching of Baker Hughes Petroleum Education Centre

• Shell Professorial Chair in Petroleum Geoscience Continues

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS | ISSUE 45 | JAN – MAR 2013 | ISSN 1675-2023

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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!

AdvisorDatuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hj Hashim

Editor-In-ChiefShamsina Shaharun

EditorsM Zairee Shah M ShahAslinda Jamaludin

Staff WriterSuhaila Sharaini

ContributorsSuhana Albakri Abu BakarAhmad PG AbdullahRaja Shoman Raja RosdinM Thavasegaran

PhotographersMohd Hazrin IsmailKhalid Asyril Ismail

CirculationHafizah HamzahNor’aini Ma’aros

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

the essence

editorial team

contentsHighlights

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 Night15 UTP Sponsored Two Schools in Malaysian

Technology Expo 2013 (MTE 2013) 15 UTP Brings Chinese New Year’s Cheer to

Underprivileged Children

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Welcome Aboard & Diary

Khairunnisa Aimi Binti GhazaliExecutive, Property Management and Maintenance

Muhammad Alif Afiq Binahmad RahimTechnologist, Lab Facilities and Support Unit (EE)

Dr Mohamed Osman SaeedResearcher, MOR: Sustainable Resources

Muhammad Firdaus Bin Zainal AbidinTechnologist, Information Technology and Media Services

Mohd Salihin Bin AhmadSecurity Personnel, Security

Mohamad Idris Bin Mohd SharifSecurity Personnel, Security

Dr Ooi Beng LeeResearcher, Centre for Automotive Research

Dr Ghulam MurshidLecturer, Chemical Engineering

Dr Aamir Hussain BhatSenior Lecturer, Fundamental and Applied Sciences

Dr Salah E. ZoorobAssociate Professor, Civil Engineering

Dr Morteza Khalaji Assadi

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Mohamad Shahrul Ezlan Bin MazlanTechnologist, Information Technology and Media Services

Nazrin Shah Bin AzlanTechnologist, Information Technology and Media Services

Muhammad Bahrul Ilmi Bin Mustapa KamalExecutive, Centre for Graduate Studies

Dr Sardar AliResearcher, Centralised Analytical Laboratory

Habibah Binti Abdul RahimExecutive, Chemical Engineering

Mohd Nordin B AbdolatipSenior Executive, Student Support Services

Muhamad Firdaus Bin Che RahimExecutive, Student Support Services

Dr Dereje Engida WoldemichaelSenior Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering

Dr Muhammad Raza Ul MustafaLecturer, Civil Engineering

Dr Sami UllahResearcher, MOR : CO2 Management

Dr Lethesh Kallidanthiyil ChellapanResearcher, COE: PETRONAS Ionic Liquid Centre

Muhammad Faizul Bin HaziziSenior Executive, Finance and Asset Management

Chong Yin YinHead, UTP Press

Dharma Tussiah Bt Abdul KadirClerk, Centralised Analytical Laboratories

Hasiah Binti KamaruddinExecutive, Research and Innovation Office

Dr Masoud RashidiSenior Lecturer, Petroleum Engineering

Dr Mahmoud SodangiResearcher, COE: Offshore Engineering Centre

Norlilawati Bt SubohExecutive, Research and Innovation Office

Nur Nadiah Bt Muhamad SuffiClerk, COE: Centre for Intelligent Signal and Imaging Research

Asrol Yazid B Mohd JaisClerk, Residential Village

Norshahira Bt NorzamClerk, Centre for Graduate Studies

Faridah Binti HarunClerk, Student Support Services

Khairulanam Binti Mohammed RabawiClerk, Residential Village

Muhamad Fakhrorazi Bin IsmailExecutive, Finance and Asset Management

Meor Muhammad Faisal Bin Meor LatipClerk, Student Support Services

Nor Akma Azira Binti Mohd RodiClerk, Finance and Asset Management

Noor Emma Suria Binti HamdanExecutive, Academic Central Services

Dr Biruh Shimekit GebretsadikResearcher, MOR : CO2 Management

Mohd Syafiq Bin AzmiExecutive, Research and Innovation Office

January 2013

5-10 PETRONAS Job Hunting Strategis9 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 intake20 Rakaman Bicara Kampus31 Lecture by Brother Imran Iref, India: Topic “Why

Only Islam?”

February 2013

1 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

6 Program Bedah Buku: “Biografi Agung Rasullallah S.A.W.” by Rusydi Ramli Al-Jauhari

7 SMART Surfing Programme for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Iskandar

15 Visit by YAB Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia

18 Sports & Co-Curiculum Appreciation Night 201323-24 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 UTP Sports Carnival Opening Ceremony7 Public Lecture by the Chancellor, Tun Dr

Mahathir Mohmad: “Graduates in the 21st Century”

9 Corporate Grooming Workshop11-15 KSKKU Ping Pong Tournament12 Adjunct Lecture Series by Mr Ritakamal

Sadiman: “The Technopreneur’s Journey”13 PETRONITA Ladies Health Talk on Cervical

Cancer and Pallilative Care15-16 Paint Ball Carnival19-20 Village 5 Stay Healthy Campaign 2013

“Prevention is Better Than Cure”20 Talk by Prof Rod Jones from University of

Dundee20 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 UTP26 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-Kubra30 PETRONITA Bicara Petah Si Anak Kecil Bengkel Tahsin Al-Quran bersama Johan Qari

Peringkat Antarabangsa – Ustaz Radzi Kamarul Hailan

welcome aboard | january – march 2013

diary | january – march 2013

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Highlights

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.

Towards a Distinctive Reputation – an Annual Address by the Vice Chancellor

5

Highlights

The University warmly welcomes Malaysia’s Prime MinisterYAB 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

“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.”

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 research-intensive 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.

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 pipelineThe 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

8

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 industryWith 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.

Feature Story

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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 forwardAlthough 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.

Abdul Rahim also sees tremendous opportunities for the UTP Alumni

“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.”

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.

Feature Story

Achievements

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UTP Conferred a Tier 5 Rating for D-Setara ‘11UTP 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

Achievements, Recognitions and VictoryIn 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.

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.

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

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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

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.

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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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 CentreFour 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.

Collaboration

“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.

13

Shell Professorial Chair in Petroleum Geoscience ContinuesUTP 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”.

Collaboration

Signs MOU with University of Southampton, UKThe 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 academic-related collaborations between both universities.

The MoU was signed between Professor Mark Spearing, Pro Vice- Chancellor (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

International Goodwill Programme in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Workshop on Way Forward for Student Industrial Internship Programme

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

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

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.

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.

Leaving FootprintsThe 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.

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Events

UTP Brings Chinese New Year’s Cheer To Underprivileged Children

Sponsored Two Schools in Malaysian Technology Expo 2013

Sports & Co-Curriculum Appreciation Night

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.

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

On 18 February 2013, Co-Curriculum Unit, Student Support Services Department successfully organised the 2012 UTP Sports & Co-Curriculum 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 extra-curricular 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.

• 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

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

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.