July 2018. The 1st International Seminar on Sustainability & Resource Recycling (iSSRR) was successfully held in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China on 2-5 July 2018. The event was jointly organized by the Faculty of Chemical & Energy Engineering (FCEE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and School of Environment Science & Engineering (SESE), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). iSSRR aims to promote knowledge exchange and strengthen the research collaboration in the research field relevant to sustainable development.

UTM delegation comprised of 18 UTM students and 4 staff from FCEE joined the 1st iSSRR, together with 22 students and 8 staff from SESE, SJTU. UTM delegation was led by Prof. Mat Uzir, Deputy Dean of FCEE, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lee Chew Tin. Four local authorities officers from Kulai Municipal Council and Johor State Government also joined this event.

Assoc. Prof Shoaling Ji, Secretary of CPC SESE Committee in his opening speech stated that this program signified another milestone between both universities following the signing of a bilateral agreement in 2017. He believed that this program would strengthen future research collaboration and academic exchange between both universities.

Assoc. Prof Shoaling Ji, Secretary of CPC SESE Committee delivered the opening speech during the 1st iSSRR.

Ms. Guo Liang, the Deputy Director from the International Affairs Division of SJTU, said that SJTU is a comprehensive university with renowned global reputation. SJTU has established strong partnerships with top universities around the world. She wished for the on-going cooperation in the field of sustainable development between both universities.

Prof. Mat Uzir from UTM thanked SJTU for their hospitality and successful organisation. He was happy for the fruitful discussion  and learning experiences through multicultural immersion among the participating students. He cordially invited SJTU students and staffs to participate in the next iSSRR to be held in UTM campus next year.

Opening Speech by Prof. Mat Uzir, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Chemical & Energy Engineering.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Lee Chew Tin, the founder and key advisor of UTM Green DNA club, introduced the goals and the itinerary of the 1st iSSRR. The event was initiated by a group of students under UTM Green DNA student society. iSSRR serves as the platform to groom green champions in various aspects and emphasises on social engagement and training for waste recycling and minimisation, and environmental protection. (More info at FB: UTM Green DNA)

In the week-long program, the participants visited the key labs and several factories for resources recycling in Shanghai.

Advanced environmental engineering laboratory and modern agricultural facilities in SJTU, guided by Prof Chunjie Li, SJTU.

The students from both universities discussed and presented on a range of topics relevant to resources recycling and sustainable development.

Eco-Environmental Protection Research Institute cum Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Low-carbon Agriculture at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) (Note: intensive research work on drought-resistant paddy varieties and mitigation of greenhouse gas in the paddy field).

 

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Briefing at WenXin Biotechnique Co., a company that operates an industrial-scale food-waste composting (200 t/d; 1000 t/d in 2019), a collaboration model between local authorities and a private company towards zero-waste society.

 

CN-NL Waste Solution Co. Ltd, a company specialises in municipal waste transfer stations.

 

SJTU and UTM Green DNA students presented on a range of topics relevant to sustainable development and resources recycling, including on Campus Sustainability, Food Waste Recycling at industry-scale and in the community, nutrient recycling via urban farming and aquaponics, and e-waste recycling.

   

 

 

Mr. Chen Zhe, the Deputy Secretary of CPC SESE Committee of SJTU, in his Closing Remarks acknowledged the successful organisation of the 1st iSSRR and announced that the school will work for the best to send their students to the next iSSRR in UTM next year.

Acknowledgements:
1. Kulai Municipal Council
2. Ergo Global Environment, Waste Solution, A member of CN-HL Waste Solution Co. Ltd.
3. School of Environmental Science & Engineering, SJTU

4. Faculty  of Chemical & Energy Engineering, UTM
5. SJTU International Office
6. UTM International
7. UTM Office of Student Affairs

 

 

greendnaofficial@gmail.com;  ctlee@utm.my

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is proud to highlight that our engineering postgraduate student, Ms. Cassendra Bong Phun Chien, emerged as the first runner-up for engineering category at the National Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held in Universiti Teknologi Petronas on 27 June 2018. Coached by Dr. Jaysuman bin Pusppnathan (FBME), Ms. Cassendra together with Mr. Lim Boon Keong (Social Science category) and Ms. Elsa Sapphira Victor (Science and Technology category) represented UTM to compete with the other 61 contestants from 22 Malaysian Public and Private universities. Participants were assessed on their ability to present a compelling oration on their thesis topic and its significance in just three minutes.

Originating at the University of Queensland Australia in 2008, the 3MT competition has now become an annual communication competition embraced by more than 200 universities worldwide. The national 3MT competition has been organized by the Malaysia Deans of Graduate Studies Council (MYDEGS) since the year 2014. The MYDEGS has been chaired by Prof. Dr. Zaidatun Tasir, the Dean of UTM School of Graduate Studies since 2016. In the past, the national 3MT competition had first been initiated by UTM 2014, subsequently hosted by UTM and UMP in 2015, UUM and USM in 2016 and USM and UTP in 2017.

This year, Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris jointly hosted the national event that serves as a platform for the PhD students to hone their communication skills and develop their capacity to effectively explain research in language appropriate to non-specialist audience. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib, the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Prof. Dr. Mohd. Sahandari Gani bin Hamzah, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & International) of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris were present during the national event for the opening and closing remarks.  The event ended with an announcement of two best contestants, Ms. Yasmin Mustapha Kamil and Mr. Alzamani Mohammad Idrose from Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara respectively who will represent Malaysia at the Asia-Pacific 3MT 2018 in Brisbane on 27th September.

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 July 2018- A Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) alumnus, Yong Bang Xiang (B.Eng. Electrical-Electronic Engineering) has been awarded the most prestigious scholarship in Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship to pursue his Doctoral programme in Engineering (Manufacturing) at the University of Cambridge.

Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong XV, Sultan Muhammad V had officially bestowed the award  to Yong at Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

Yong Bang Xiang followed the footsteps of his former mentor in UTM, Dr Yeong Che Fai, who was also the recipient of the UTM Chancellor’s Award in 2017 and worked as a researcher at the University of Cambridge upon graduation.

“During his undergraduate studies in UTM, Yong actively participated in innovation competitions where he won various awards both at international and national levels.

In addition, he took the initiative to undertake an internship at Intel during his first year of study and another internship program at the University of Cambridge in his third year.

He was also a member of my research group where he received mentorship and valuable experience in innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership,” said Dr Yeong.

Yong’s research field will be in Industry 4.0 at the University of Cambridge, which he strongly believes that it is inevitably going to be the future trend of technology and economic growth.

“Specifically, his research topic is to develop an agent-based metrological framework for industrial Internet of Things (IoT)”.

“He hopes that his research to be conducted at the world’s top university can give significant impact on Malaysia’s industry and community in embracing Industry 4.0,” added Dr Yeong.

He is also thankful to UTM Senior Lecturer, Ir. Dr Michael Tan Loong Peng, an alumni of University of Cambridge, UK, for being his inspiration to seek admission in the University of Cambridge as he often shared many stories and experiences in the world’s top university during his lectures.

With this prestigious scholarship, Yong Bang Xiang hopes to contribute back to Malaysia upon completion of his PhD.

Working with leading engineering organisations in Malaysia and Japan, the Fourth Career Fair 2018 by the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) offers opportunities to prospective graduates in landing their dream career as well as learn all about the corporate world, as part of concerted efforts for career development support for students. The event was held at Dewan Tan Sri Ainuddin Wahid, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur from 10.00 am until 4.30 pm and was open for public participation.

Exclusive sessions were arranged with a mixture of over 37 top-performing experienced engineering companies in a casual and engaging setting. Companies such as Panasonic Group, Honda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Nippon Electric Glass (M) Sdn. Bhd., NTT MSC Sdn. Bhd., Rohm-Wako Electronics (M) Sdn. Bhd. Takasago Thermal Engineering (M) Sdn. Bhd., Daikin Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Toray Group (Malaysia), Daikin Electronic Devices (M) Sdn. Bhd., Hiro Food Packages Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., Ueda Plating (M) Sdn. Bhd., UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd., Roland Manufacturing (M) Sdb. Bhd., Hitachi Chemical Malaysia and Fourth Valley Concierge/ Top Career International Co. Ltd. are among prominent employers offering job prospects on-site at one of the key events for MJIIT this year.

Targeting the millennials as future leaders in the engineering industry, available job vacancies were advertised prior to the scheduled event on MJIIT’s social media platforms such as Facebook (@mjiitutm) and Instagram (@mjiitofficial) whilst some companies advertised opportunities for industrial placement and training.

MJIIT as the Japanese-oriented engineering education provider aims to empower the sustainable development of industry and society by inspiring and shaping Malaysian talents into a more productive workforce for the future. The MJIIT Career Fair serves as a platform both for fresh graduates and experienced professionals who will gain exposure to learn what employers expect from them. In this annual event, 185 final year MJIIT undergraduate students in total participated consisting of 68 students from Electronic Systems Engineering Department (ESE), 61 students Mechanical Precision Engineering Department (MPE), and 56 students from Chemical Process Engineering Department (CPE), respectively.

With the rise of digital revolution and economy, the event was expected to give new influences to prospective graduates and general public attending. The event was officiated by Professor Dr Shamsul Sahibuddin, Pro-Vice Chancellor UTM Kuala Lumpur Campus and attended by MJIIT Dean, Professor Dr Ali Selamat.

MJIIT draws its strength from the long-established research university UTM supported by a consortium of 29 well-established Japanese Universities (JUC) and supported by various Japanese agencies and industries. The Career Fair was organised in partnership between MJIIT and JICA.

Johor Bahru, 9 July, 2018 – A delegation from The United States of America comprising 2 professors and 13 participants  is currently participating in a one-month Global Teach Agriculture to Malaysia programme hosted by the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Funded by Fullbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant, this programme is a joint project involving four universities; UTM, Pennsylvania State University, Iowa State University and Hawkeye Community College. The delegation is headed by Dr. Daniel D. Foster, an Associate Professor specialising in Agriculture Education and Dr. Melanie Miller Foster, an Assistant Professor at the International College of Agricultural Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. This collaborative project which involves Dr. Nur Husna Abdul Wahid, a Senior Lecturer from FSSH UTM as well as the committee members have successfully planned an entire month’s project. Ten students from the School of Education at FSSH also participated in this programme.

This project aims to expand the global experience for both pre-service and in-service agricultural educators as well as to globalise secondary agricultural education due to the ever-growing demand for such experiences. The objectives of #AgEd2Malaysia are to increase the global competence of pre-service and in-service agricultural educators, to focus on the intersection of culture and the agriculture systems in Malaysia as well as to promote the integration of international studies in the secondary classroom.

The programme kicked off at UTM with meeting the UTM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar at UTM International Office while the project was officiated at the School of Education, FSSH. They were also given the chance to take part in the Eid celebration after the #AgEd2Malaysia opening ceremony at the School of Education, FSSH UTM later in the day. Various activities and local festive cuisines have been prepared for the Eid celebration.

 

#AgEd2Malaysia offers various activities such as team teaching at several schools in Johor, staying with local family at Felda Ayer Hitam Kluang, agricultural programme at Tanjung Piai, Pekan Nenas, Sabah agricultural tour and various other workshops conducted inside and outside UTM. The partnership programmes with local agricultural bodies have tremendously helped in increasing the visibility of agricultural activities in Malaysia.

This project marked an outstanding milestone for the School of Education, especially to the members of Technical and Engineering Education and to all partners involved. This historic partnership is hoped to create more opportunities for all participants to venture into international linkage and networks.

Cyberjaya, July 9^th 2018 – Victory for UTM, winning 12 Prizes out of 16 categories in the Innovate Malaysia Design Competition 2018 where four teams were awarded Champion, two teams winning the 1^st place, four teams won the 2^nd runner up and another two teams grabbed the Consolation prizes. This year, the Best of the Best team is also won by UTM, and the team has been awarded the Innovate Malaysia Excellence Award 2018.

Innovate Malaysia Design Competition 2018 is a multi-disciplinary engineering design competition for undergraduates in Malaysia. It is co-organized by 8 technology leaders in the industry, supported by Ministry of Education (MOE), MaGIC and the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. This has been the largest design competition in Malaysia over the years and a platform to groom and acquire engineering talents; to promote adoption of industry platforms in the universities. In short, this programme prepares the brightest talents in pursuit of careers in high-value jobs, further studies, or technology start-ups. The Innovate Malaysia Design Competition 2018 has received registration of 516 teams consisting of more than 900 students. Only 59 teams were selected as the finalist and from UTM, 12 teams were selected as the finalist.

The Technology Track Award is supported by Google, Intel, KEYSIGHT Technologies, MathWorks, Microsoft, SAS, SILTERRA, SOLIDWORKS and Celcom, Cyberview, Daikin, Exabytes, Telekom Malaysia, and WCS who contributed to the Design Challenge Award. Two special categories are Best Paper from Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and the Best Video award.

Malaysian Minister of Education YB Dr Maszlee Malik with the Best of the Best Excellence Award Recipients

The team spearheaded by Lim Ji Chen, Chin Linn Kern and Matthias Tiong Foh Thye focusing on problems in construction sites mainly on Workplace Safety and Security using Deep Learning Application, has won the Excellence Award (Best of the Best) and First Prize Award under Google Track. The team won RM4500 and a trip to Google Regional HQ in Singapore for a Machine Learning/AI Workshop. “We provide not only solution to construction industry but also focusing on better business model for them”, said Mr Lim Ji Chen the project leader who is also known as Jason. Jason Lim, Chin Lin Kern and Mattias Tiong have been working hard for the past several months.

“The team has won the heart and confidence of the two groups of judges through its innovative ecosystem of solution. They are able to make significant connection from every solution they provide”, said Assoc. Prof. Dr Ramesh K S @ Mohd Zaidi Abd Rozan, Director of UTM Centre for Student Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship (UTM XCITE). Dr Zaidi and Dr Mohd Shahrizal Rusli are the supervisors for this project.

Best of the Best Excellence Award and Google Track Champion. Lim Ji Chen, Chin Linn Kern and Matthias Tiong Foh Thye from School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering. Supervised by Assoc. Prof. Dr Ramesh K S @ Mohd Zaidi Abd Rozan (UTMXCITE/AHIBS) and Dr Mohd Shahrizal Bin Rusli (School of Electrical Engineering).

Winners of Innovate Malaysia 2018. UTM grabbed the most prizes in Innovate Malaysia 2018 with 12 prizes that include the Excellence Award (Best of the Best) in Innovate Malaysia 2018

Tan Pei Seng, Lee Chee Heng & Goh Wai Woon won three prizes; CyberView Design Award, IEM Best paper award and the 2^nd Runner Up under the Google Track Challenge with their project entitled “Development of “Joy”, a Service Robot with Social Interaction Capabilities”, supervised by Dr Yeong Che Fai (School of Electrical Engineering)

Solving aging population problems are the main goal for the “Joy” Service Robot. With Joy, the feeling of loneliness and depression would be reduced as Joy aims to be a companion for the elderly.

Winner of Celcom Design Challenge Award : TaBOT- AI Chatbot for Customer Service by Eric Khoo Jiun Hooi, supervised by Prof. Dr Naomie Salim and Dr Anazida Zainal from the School of Computing, UTM

TaBOT is a project to increase the satisfaction and loyalty of customers through Artificial Intelligence Chatbot and has won the Celcom Design Challenge Award. This project aims to engage and educate customers about the products and services provided by companies.

MathWorks Track 1st Runner Up with their project entitled Automatic Prescription Lens Calculator for Myopia using Machine Vision and Proximity Sensor. Team members are Liew Tian Chin and Albert Sia Kah Dak. The Project supervisor is Dr Amirjan Nawabjan (School of Electrical Engineering)

The purpose of the project is to develop a machine vision solution to perform simple and highly accurate eye examination for myopia patient. A conventional eye care services requires the person to be presence with an optometrist. With this device, a real-time method to estimate the level of myopia is developed. Patients could now perform their own myopia examination anywhere and anytime conveniently.

Microsoft Track 1st Runner Up with their project entitled Machine Learning on Fetal Distress during Pregnancy by Lee Kong Yong, Tew Ken Sam, Cheah Weng Soon and supervised by Dr Yeong Che Fai and Dr Eileen Su Lee Ming (School of Electrical Engineering)

The project title is Machine Learning on Fetal Distress during Pregnancy. “bbCare”, is a portable IoT device which can help a pregnant mother to monitor her the condition of her fetus during pregnancy. Fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) and electrohysterography (EHG) are collected and sent to a smartphone for signal processing and transform into cardiotocography (CTG), and then the extracted features of the CTG are sent to Azure Cloud for Machine Learning and online data storage. This project is also clinically advised by Dr. Woon Shu Yuan from Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Bahru. The team members are Lee Kong Yong, Tew Ken Sam and Cheah Weng Soon from FKE. The team is supervised by Dr. Yeong Che Fai and Dr. Eileen Su Lee Ming.

SAS Track 2nd Runner Up: Robotics Diagnosis System Based on Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning. The team members comprised of Tay Yee Yang, The Zhi Huei, Chin Hung Vui and they were supervised by Dr. Yeong Che Fai (School of Electrical Engineering)

With the complexity level and increasing number of machinery in manufacturing plants, this has created monitoring problems. This project introduces four significant features that are visualization, fault diagnosis, optimization through Machine Learning and remote maintenance using Augmented Reality. This is a complete system for fully utilizing industry data and it can provide immediate feedback to the user.

Silterra Track 2nd Runner Up with Multiplierless DCT for Fast and Energy Efficient Image and Video Compression. The team members consist of Nurul Nazikha Ab Rahim, Raja Danish Iskandar Raja Kamal Azali and Dr. Ab Al-Hadi Ab Rahman (Supervisor)

Multiplierless DCT for Fast and Energy Efficient Image and Video Compression is a project with the aim of producing fast 2D – DCT using KSA with low power and efficient energy usage.

SolidWorks Track Consolation: The Rubbish River Collector by Asyraf Sharif Badar Sharif, Adam Maxwell Doumin, Farah Atiqah Ibrahim and Supervised by Dr Muhamad Noor Harun and Dr Muhammad Noor Afiq Witri Muhammad Yazid (School of Mechanical Engineering)

This project entitled The Rubbish River Collector aims to reduce the number of rubbish in the river utilizing SolidWorks.

 

Keysight Technologies Track Consolation Winner: Wireless Power Transfer System for Low Power Electronic Devices. The team members are Teoh Soo Yee, Lai Cong Yan, Cheng Wei Yeap. The Supervisors are Assoc. Prof. Tan Tian Swee (SBHS) and Leong Kah Meng (SBHS)

This project presents a development of a system which transfer power wirelessly, where it enables to charge low power electronic devices without the presence of a cable. This is made possible by using magnetic resonant coupling technique. This is safe for low frequency (700-850kHz) and suitable for low power electronic gadget & implantable medical device application

Summary of the prizes won by UTM teams

No	Prizes	Project Title	Participants	Supervisors
1	Innovate Malaysia Excellence Award(Best of the Best)	Intelligent CCTV for Workplace Safety and Security using TensorFlow Deep Learning Application	Lim Ji Chen, Chin Linn Kern, Matthias Tiong Foh Thye	Assoc. Prof. Dr Ramesh K S @ Mohd Zaidi Abd Rozan (UTMXCITE/AHIBS), Dr Mohd Shahrizal Rusli (School of Electrical Engineering)
2	IEM Best Paper	Development of “Joy”, a Service Robot with Social Interaction Capabilities	Tan Pei Seng, Lee Chee Heng, Goh Wai Woon	Dr Yeong Che Fai (School of Electrical Engineering)
3	Google Track Champion	Intelligent CCTV for Workplace Safety and Security using TensorFlow Deep Learning Application	Lim Ji Chen, Chin Linn Kern, Matthias Tiong Foh Thye	Assoc. Prof. Dr Ramesh K S @ Mohd Zaidi Abd Rozan (UTMXCITE/AHIBS), Dr Mohd Shahrizal Rusli (School of Electrical Engineering)
4	Celcom Design Challenge Award	TaBOT- AI Chatbot for Customer Service	Eric Khoo Jiun Hooi	Prof. Dr Naomie Salim & Dr Anazida Zainal (School of Computing)
5	Cyberview Design Challenge Award	Development of “Joy”, a Service Robot with Social Interaction Capabilities	Tan Pei Seng, Lee Chee Heng, Goh Wai Woon	Dr Yeong Che Fai (School of Electrical Engineering)
6	MathWorks Track 1stRunner Up	Automatic Prescription Lens Calculator for Myopia using Machine Vision and Proximity Sensor	Liew Tian Chin, Albert Sia Kah Dak	Dr Amirjan Nawabjan (School of Electrical Engineering)
7	Microsoft Track 1stRunner Up	Machine Learning on Fetal Distress during Pregnancy	Lee Kong Yong, Tew Ken Sam, Cheah Weng Soon	Dr Yeong Che Fai & Dr Eileen Su Lee Ming (School of Electrical Engineering)
8	Google Track 2ndRunner Up	Development of “Joy”, a Service Robot with Social Interaction Capabilities	Tan Pei Seng, Lee Chee Heng, Goh Wai Woon	Dr Yeong Che Fai (School of Electrical Engineering)
9	SilTerra Track 2ndRunner Up	Multiplierless DCT for Fast and Energy Efficient Image and Video Compression	Nurul Nazikha Ab Rahim, Raja Danish Iskandar Raja Kamal Azali	Dr Ab Al-Hadi Ab Rahman (School of Electrical Engineering)
10	SAS Track 2nd Runner Up	Robotics Diagnosis System Based on Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning	Tay Yee Yang, The Zhi Huei, Chin Hung Vui	Dr Yeong Che Fai (School of Electrical Engineering)
11	SolidWorks Track Consolation	The Rubbish River Collector	Asyraf Sharif Badar Sharif, Adam Maxwell Doumin, Farah Atiqah Ibrahim	Dr Muhamad Noor Harun (SME), Dr Muhammad Noor Afiq Witri Muhammad Yazid (SME)
12	Keysight Technologies Track Consolation	Wireless Power Transfer System for Low Power Electronic Devices	Teoh Soo Yee, Lai Cong Yan, Cheng Wei Keap	Assoc. Prof. Tan Tian Swee (SBHS), Leong Kah Meng (SBHS)

Congratulations to all the winners and UTM is proud of you!

Reported by Ramesh Zaidi Rozan

UTM XCITE

JOHOR BAHRU, 5 July 2018 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has a healthy long-term research cooperation with Imperial College London, through the Center of Excellence (COE) UTM Center for Low Carbon Transport or LoCARtic.

UTM LoCARtic boasts a unique test facility in Malaysia which is capable of advanced experimental and numerical characterization of the turbocharger as part of an engine system, with complete engine control capabilities and drive cycle testing.

The center is also the first independent R&D facility in Malaysia to provide complete engine-turbocharger performance testing services emulating real driving conditions coupled with high-level simulation capabilities.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between UTM and Imperial College London was signed in 2014, which paths the way for both the organizations to jointly offer R&D services for industry through LoCARtic.

The unique selling point for LoCARtic is that turbocharger component level design and testing could be done in Imperial College London and consequently engine system level testing could be done at UTM, completing an essential R&D cycle.

Director of LoCARtic, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Srithar Rajoo said the center which is the result of active research cooperation with Imperial Collage London, enables UTM to enhance local talents and provide R&D services for international turbocharger industry players.

Dr. Rajoo also added that LoCARtic is currently collaborating with companies in Japan and Germany to test and improve their turbocharger performance as part of an engine system.

“This shows UTM LoCARtic talents and capabilities are recognized at the international level,” he said.

Most of the testing and simulations at LoCARtic are focused on improving engine fuel economy with turbocharger application, thus reducing carbon dioxide emission, while maintaining driving demands and legislation.

According to Dr. Rajoo, in addition to turbocharger oriented testing, UTM LoCARtic also has the ability to test other components of the engine such as fuel and lubricants on a real driving ecosystem.

He also added that LoCARtic is also actively researching technologies for waste heat recovery for improving system-level efficiency.

Since its inception in 2014, UTM LoCARtic has secured research funding from various parties such as the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority (MTJA) which worth RM 4.9 million and the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) worth USD 50,000.00.

“The MTJA project is a 5 years research adventure to demonstrate energy recovery potentials in Oil & Gas platforms.

Meanwhile, the JICA project is quite unique in that we are given the trust to develop range extender for electric-powered vehicles focusing on Asian driving conditions,” he said.

Dr. Rajoo stressed that the strength of LoCARtic lies in its people, whose talent and expertise coupled with advanced facilities capable of gaining the trust of industry players. This is surely a winning point for UTM and the key element for LoCARtic to continue to prosper.

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 July 2018- A third-year architectural student of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), David Nee Zhi Kang won a Bronze Medal awarded by the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) Student Awards 2018 for LAM Part 1.

The award was given at DATUM 2018 (Architectural Conference) as part of the ongoing KLAF2018 (Kuala Lumpur Art Festival) event.

The PAM Student Awards is open to all Malaysian PAM Student Members who have completed an architecture course in the preceding year or who will be completing an architecture course in the present year studying both locally or abroad.

The objective of the award is to demonstrate PAM and the benefactor’s commitments to architecture design excellence by recognizing students’ outstanding achievements in architectural design and to introduce final year students to the profession and the industry.

The selection board has identified 4 Award Finalists. The winner of the Bronze Medal took home prizes and Travel Grant valued at RM 8,000 and a certificate. Other finalists took home prize money of RM 2,000 and a certificate each.

JOHOR BAHRU, 2 July 2018 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has embarked on a unique history when undertaking the restructuring of its academic entity and witnessing the merger of faculty from 18 to seven.

The restructuring is effective from 1 July 2018 as decided by the UTM Board of Directors’ meeting which convened on 16 May 2018.

UTM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar said the restructuring, known as UTM Synergy 4.0 leads the university to have only seven faculties.

“This major transformation is meant to open up more opportunities for synergy and collaborations between academicians from different academic disciplines and new innovation in offering academic programs that are able to fulfill the new needs of the society in the future.

“We do not expect a smooth sailing in our new journey, but it is our commitment to iron out any form of challenges and hurdles together,” he said.

Prof. Wahid said that by this transformation, it is hoped that UTM will continue to be relevant as one of the best universities of choice by the local and international students.

The UTM Synergy 4.0 has merged several faculties into seven faculties namely the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Azman Hashim International Business School and Malaysia Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT).

“The Faculty of Engineering is a result of the merger of Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), Civil Engineering (FKA), Mechanical Engineering (FKM), Chemical and Energy Engineering (FKT), Computing (FC) and Bioscience and Medical Engineering (FBME).”

“Meanwhile the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities was formed from the merging entities of the Faculty of Education (FP), Faculty of Islamic Civilization (FTI), Department of Human Resources Development of Faculty of Management (FM), Language Academy, and Center for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilization (CASIS), “said Prof. Wahid.

The new entity of Faculty of Science is a result of the merging between the old Faculty of Science and Faculty of Bioscience and Medical Engineering (FBME), and Faculty of Built Environment (FAB) merged with Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate (FGHT) to form the newly established Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying.

“The restructuring process also involve several schools in UTM Kuala Lumpur such as UTM Razak School, UTM Advanced Informatics School (UTM AIS) and UTM Perdana School. These three schools have merged and formed one entity known as the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics.

“Meanwhile, the Azman Hashim International Business School (AHIBS), Faculty of Management (FM) and Department of Information System, Faculty of Computing (FC) are now merged to form a new faculty that is known as the Azman Hashim International Business School,” he said.
In addition, the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) remains as it is, without any reshuffling.

In April 2018, a delegation from Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering (FCEE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) paid an academic visit to Kaduna State University (KASU) and Kaduna Polytechnic (KadPoly). The delegation  team was headed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norzita Ngadi, while other  members of the team included  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roshanida and Dr. Wong Syie Luing. The purpose of the visit was to introduce Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to the Nigerian students as a place to further their studies, and to discuss future academic and research collaborations between UTM and the participating institutions in Nigeria namely KASU, KadPoly and Sokoto State University (SSU). The delegation team was received by Dr Ibrahim Inuwa, the Head of Chemistry Department, KASU, as well as Dr A.O. Lawal, the Director of College of Science and Technology, KadPoly. Following a series of meetings held at the various institutions, a tripartite letter of Cooperation was signed by the representatives of the institutions.   A proposal of tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also drafted for consideration by the management of UTM.  Highlights of the proposed MoU in academic and research collaborations drafted include the following areas:

• Biofuel
• Wastewater treatment
• Pyrolysis
• Green technologies (concrete technology and flame retardant research)
• Biofertilizer

The general areas of the MoU covered aspects related but not limited to the following:

• co-supervision/remote supervision of projects
• bench support for projects
• simultaneous joint organisation/hosting of international conferences and seminars
• grants from collaborating institutions
• share/donation of institutional facilities
• staff and students exchange
• exchange of information and joint publication of research articles from joint research

The UTM delegation paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hon. Arc. Barnabas Yusuf Bala, Bantex, who represented the Kaduna State Governor Mal. Nasir Ahmad El Rufai. The Deputy Governor expressed his warm welcome to the UTM delegation. He also lauded their initiative and interest in Kaduna state, thus paving way to the proposed tripartite collaborations.

The five-day visit marked an important milestone in the formation of a very strategic partnership, to all the partners and the two governments of Malaysia and Nigeria.  This historic visit and partnership was facilitated by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) as part of their contribution to UTM for the development of Science and technology in Malaysia.

 

 

JOHOR BAHRU, 5 July 2018 – Two Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) academicians and researchers made Malaysia proud when being selected to be recipients for 2018/2019 ASEAN Science and Technology Fellowship award.
The UTM academicians are Prof. Dr. Haslenda Hashim and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hazlina Selamat, both from the Faculty of Engineering.
Prof. Dr. Haslenda Hashim is the Deputy Director of the Process Systems Engineering Center and the Head of the Green Energy and Environmental Planning Research Group at the former Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Her research activities focus on energy and environmental planning, low-carbon society, renewable energy, and resource conservation. Beside conducting Research and Development (R&D), Dr. Haslenda also provides training and technical consultancy services to industry and government agencies.
Her partner, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hazlina Selamat is the Director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and the Director and Co-Founder of Apt Touch Pte. Ltd.
With a team of control engineers, she co-founded the Malaysian Society for Automatic Control Engineers. Dr. Hazlina’s main areas of interest are adaptive control, system identification, modeling as well as artificial intelligence.
There were 17 researchers and academicians from ASEAN member countries selected for the same awards. The recipients were from Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Myanmar, The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology selected fellows through a competitive process involving experts from the ASEAN member states, ASEAN Secretariat for Science and Technology Division, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Mission to ASEAN.
The ASEAN Science and Technology Fellowship provides opportunities for early- and mid-career scientists from ASEAN member states to apply their knowledge and analytical skills to solving public policy challenges.

The Malaysian Water Association (MWA) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to mark the long-established partnership and cooperation in numerous water-associated program and activities. The memorandum was signed by Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar, Vice Chancellor of UTM and Datuk Ir. Abdul Kadir Mohd Din, President of MWA.

Water is invaluable to all economic sectors and is regarded as one of the strategic resources that plays an important role in facilitating environmental sustainability towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Over decades, both water and energy systems have been taken for granted and the perceived values are greatly felt when these resources are slowly depleting affecting human needs and the environment. Water disasters and disruptions in Malaysia metamorphosed into crises inducing critics and attention of the entire nation when water rationing seems to have become not an uncommon occurrence in some part of the country.

Since its establishment as an NGO in 1988, MWA has more than 1400 members representing a cross-section of water industry from water operators, consultants, engineers, academia to researchers. With this large pool of expert and experienced resources within her membership, this has greatly enable MWA in contributing and facilitating the transformation of the water sector by consistently infusing a spirit of advocacy, technical expertise and capacity building in several areas of the industry that still needs urgent attention for sustainable solutions and betterment of water in Malaysia. We do this by working collectively and collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and government in policy direction, technical support, training and research, among others. The signing ceremony marked the instigation of several cooperation between MWA and UTM on the cusp of translating academic credentials into industry-driven certifications for water practitioners. Through the memorandum, UTM that was represented by the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA) and the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) announced their commitment to contribute to the development of human resources, employment and training, promotion of science and technology, collaborative research and knowledge transfer to support sustainable growth of water industry in Malaysia. The meaningful partnership was formed based on the recognition of MWA as the voice for water industry in this country. Realising the importance of linkages between industries and academia, MWA through the Malaysian Water Academy (MyWA) aims to create a coherent academic program with UTM that advocates professional qualification for water managers and practitioners. With an appealing water-oriented academic program by FKA and flexible learning approach such as the Certified Professional Training (CPT) program pioneered by MJIIT, UTM feels proud to be involved with MWA in the joint effort to provide industry-driven certification for water practitioners. In the long run, the conduct of water-related academic program would be tailor-made to accommodate the needs for water professionals in enquiring CPT certification by professional bodies such as the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).

As Governing Member of the International Water Association (IWA), MWA has convened numerous conferences, seminars and activities with UTM since 2000. The first conference on membrane technology was conducted in Johor Bahru back in 2001, which gathered renowned experts and professionals from Sweden, South Africa and United Kingdom. In between seminars and symposiums, UTM under the auspices of IWA and MWA hosted the IWA Young Water Professionals Conferences in 2010 and 2015. Inspiring young professionals from various countries gathered in UTM since 2012 to benefit from the IWA-UTM International Publication Workshop Series, aims to encourage a more vibrant and dynamic scientific communication and engagement in water sciences. The fifth workshop was jointly organised by MJIIT and MWA to commemorate the 7^th IWA-ASPIRE Conference & Exhibition, which was attended by more than 800 participants at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in September 2017. During the conference, UTM hosted renowned Professors and keynote speakers of whom were also IWA Fellows and Visiting Professors of UTM.

Following the signing of memorandum, MWA aims to tailor the existing Master of Engineering and CPT program at UTM as certification mode for water operators. The memorable signing is witnessed by Prof. Dr. Khairul Anuar Kassim, Dean of FKA, Prof. Dr. Ali Selamat, Dean of MJIIT and Dr Hapidah Mohamad, Executive Director of MyWA.

   

Kuala Lumpur, 6 June 2018 – UTM received a courtesy visit from President of Franche-Comte University; Prof. Dr. Jacques Bahi and Mr. Antoine Guillemet, Director of Relation International. The delegation was also accompanied by Ms. Camille Retzignac from Malaysian France University Centre who was present to UTM KL previously on 14 May 2018.

Their arrival was welcomed by UTM International, Dean, Deputy Dean and representative from MJIIT, Azman Hashim International Business School, Razak School, AIS and UTM SPACE.

Franche-Comte University expressed the intention to build partnership with UTM and was keen to carry out and cooperate on the joint academic activities and mobility programs involving students and staff. They also intended to sign an agreement with UTM and the meeting has agreed that MJIIT will be the owner of the agreement later.

It is hoped that UTM will receive and explore more opportunities for cooperation with universities in France.

JOHOR BAHRU, 26 June 2018 – As many as 130 participants from around the world have participated in the Language for Spesific Purposes (LSP) Seminar and Global Advances in Business Communication International Tricontinental Conference (LSP-GABC) 2018.
The two and a-half-day-conference was organized by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Language Academy with the attendance of GABC partners from Eastern Michigan University USA, Antwerp University (AU), Belgium, Technologico de Monterrey, Mexico and Delhi Business School, India.

The representative for GABC 2018, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hadina Habil said that it was the second time the Language Academy UTM to host a joint event that offers local and international academics, professionals, government agencies, corporate bodies and students as an avenue to meet and discuss issues pertaining to empowering future workforce.
“The importance of future workforce as a vital agent of change in meeting the rapid advancement of the global world can be discussed in terms of strengthening individual linguistics and communicative competency in the business world as well as the industry.
“Many views and ideas can be shared among interested parties of different backgrounds on how to equip students and inviduals with good command of the language and communication skills so that they can be competitive in their fields,” said Dr. Hadina.
She was saying that after the opening ceremony of LSP-GABC 2018 by UTM Chancellor, Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah at La Grandeur Palm Resort, Senai, Johor.

Also attending the ceremony were the Vice Chancellor of UTM, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs), Prof. Dr. Durrishah Idrus.
The Chairman of LSP-GABC 2018, Dr Noormala Ibrahim said that through this conference that begun on June 25th 2017, it is hoped that a fruitful exchange of innovative ideas will materialize in helping the government to meet the increasingly demanding age of globalization and the era of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution.
This conference has attracted 92 paper presenters and 38 participants. Out of that, a total of 64 presenters came from several backgrounds such as universities, higher education institutions, district education offices and industrial players in Malaysia.
“There are also 28 presenters coming from several countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, India, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Canada, New Zealand and Nigeria.
“For the first time in this conference there is a virtual presentation of paper works from Mexico participants,” she said.
According to Dr Noormala, the LSP-GABC 2018 Organizing Committee also provides three awards for the Best Paper and Poster.

JOHOR BAHRU, 5 Jun 2018 – The Office of Corporate Affairs of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) or known as Hal Ehwal Korporat (HEK) has officially launched its Corporate playbook titled Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Brand Guidelines.
The book was launched by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar at the Staff Monthly Gathering ceremony for June 2018 which was held at UTM Kuala Lumpur.  Accompanying the Vice Chancellor on the stage for the launching were Director of Corporate Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zaleha Abdullah and Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs (Branding and Corporate Communication), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hadina Habil.

The ceremony was being broadcast to audiences in UTM Johor Bahru at Senate and Banquet Hall, Sultan Ibrahim Chancellery Building, and UTM Pagoh.
Speaking about the book, Dr. Zaleha said that the UTM Corporate Playbook has featured conventions on all matters under the jurisdiction of the Office of Corporate Affairs (HEK).
“This book covers the basics of the UTM brand which encompasses its identity, logo, official anthem, colors and tagline.
“The playbook also includes all UTM policies and guidelines for branding, and the responsibilities of every UTM unit, individuals and faculties in managing the UTM brand,” she said.

Besides, this playbook also details out every process needed when involving the media, such as publication,  graphics and  event management.

“By publishing all the conventions in a single volume, HEK hopes that members of the UTM community would understand the processes required in safeguarding the UTM brand and encourage the university community to manage the brand within their individual or institutional capacity.
“This publication also marks the start of a long-term outreach and engagement by HEK in order to raise the awareness on accurate UTM brand management in the future,” said Dr. Zaleha.
Also attending the ceremony were Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Internationalization), Prof. Dr. Zainuddin Abdul Manan, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Datuk Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs), Prof. Dr. Durrisshah Idrus.