Faculty of Engineering UTM has conducted the High Impact Journal Publication Workshop from 14th-15th of January 2019, specifically aimed to boost the number of paper publication in Q1 and Q2 journals.  This initiative under the leadership of Prof. Dr Naomie Salim, Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation)  targeted those who have high potential to publish their research in Q1 and Q2 indexed journals.

The workshop was officiated by Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Mohammed Rafiq bin Dato’ Abdul Kadir, Dean of Faculty of Engineering. It  was the first phase out of the two phases planned. The first phase equipped the participants with general skills in writing by UTM leading  researchers including Professor Dr. Rosli Illiyas, Professor Ir. Dr. Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi, Professor Dr. Azman Hassan and Dr. Tasneem Darwish. The second phase is scheduled on 12th of February whereby a final version of articles are expected to be ready.

Professor Dr. Rosli Illias, Chief Editor of Scopus-indexed Jurnal Teknologi and Chair of Health and Wellness Research Alliance, gave useful tips on how to motivate members of research groups and students to publish. Professor Dr. Naomie Salim, Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) of Faculty of Engineering shared ways to write different types of papers – review papers, system papers, theoretical papers and experiment result papers based on editorial notes and analysis of those types of papers in Q1 journals. Professor Ir. Dr. Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi, Head of Prospect and Associate Editor of Elsevier Journal of Cleaner Production, a Q1 journal with an impact factor of 5.651, explained on strategies to publish in good journals and how editors make decisions on paper selection. Professor Dr Azman Hassan, Editor-in-Chief of the Malaysian Polymer Journal and Perintis eJournal, shared on how to edit manuscripts and respond to reviewers’ comments. Dr Tasneem, post-doctorate fellow, shared strategies on how she managed to publish a high number of Q1 journal papers during her PhD days.

More than 280 academic staff and their students attended the workshop. Participants brought their draft or rejected papers. They were also given a step-by-step exercises that help them write papers from beginning till the end. With the help of facilitators nominated by the six schools under Faculty of Engineering, they have to prepare papers at research group and school level workshops and submit their papers to be examined and discussed at the final leg of the workshop on 12th February 2019, which hopefully concludes with submission of those papers to journals at the end of the day.

The organizing committee has anticipated that this informative workshop can kick-start the writing spirit among our staff. This spirit can then be an inspiration for the students to continue part of their academic journey.

The Faculty of Science Research Week 2019 was held from 17^th to 24^th January 2019. The program comprised talks and workshops with the aim of disseminating information to new and senior staff with regard to Research, Publication and Innovation KAIs and their importance to the career development of academic staff and UTM as a Research University. More importantly, hands on workshop on journal and creative writing, FRGS grant proposal and Intellectual Property were included. This program started with a sharing session on “Get Your Research Funds Through International Grants” that was held on 17^th January 2019 at Lecture Hall 2, C17.

During this sharing session, five (5) invited speakers from various background shared their overview and experience in applying for international grants, namely the UK-Newton-Ungku Omar Fund, Japanese Grants, AUN/SEED Net Grant, UK Global Challenge Research Fund Grant and Industry Grant. This sharing session aimed to increase the number of International and Industrial grants applied/granted to the staff as well as motivating the staff on the importance of networking with researchers both local and abroad as a prerequisite to securing these grants.

Thanks to the generosity of the James R Webb Foundation under American Real Estate Society (ARES),two postgraduate students from Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), each will receive a scholarship award to present their research paper at ARES’s annual conference. Mohamad Muzzamil Zekri (MPhil- Real Estate) and Muhammad Yusaimi Abdul Hamid (PhD-Real Estate) have been selected from numerous applications from all over the world to receive this award for 2019. They  will be able to use the scholarship award to present their papers at ARES Conference in Arizona, United States from 9^th April to 13^th April 2019. The award also makes it eligible for them to be a professional member of American Real Estate Society. This is also the first time for postgraduate students from Malaysia to receive this award. Both students are currently under the supervision of Dr. Muhammad Najib Razali.

The ARES Foundation was created by the ARES Board of Directors in 1986 and was renamed in honour of founder James R. Webb in 2009. Currently, the primary activity of the Foundation is the funding of over forty PhD students to attend the Doctoral Seminar at the ARES Annual Meeting. ARES Foundation grants and prizes have helped hundreds of scholars. The Foundation has an endowment but it needs  support to fully fund its current and future activities.

Assoc. Prof. Sr Dr. Kherun Nita binti Ali of the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying has been appointed as the Vice President for Academic and Research of Building Information Modelling (BIM) Institute of Malaysia effective 14^th December 2018.  BIM Institute of Malaysia is a multidisciplinary center for the construction industry and academia that focuses on the strategic implementation of BIM in a construction industry.  She received the appointment recently at the institute’s Annual General Meeting.

Dr. Kherun is also the Head of the BIM Center for Digital Innovations and Solutions (BIMCDIS), Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying as well as the Head of BIM Research Group (BIMRG).  Apart from her extensive publications on BIM, she also leads researches in BIM and has been invited as BIM speaker or forum panelist at BIM related events.  She is actively involved in the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM) BIM Sub-Committee and BIM Legal Working Group which is one of the seven pillars of Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) BIM Roadmap 2015-2020.

Dr. Kherun attained  both her MSc in IT Management in Construction and PhD in IT from University of Salford. She was a recipient of the prestigious University of Salford Scholarship for her full PhD research which she graduated in 2004.

JOHOR BAHRU, 4 January 2019 – A group of 39 architectural students accompanied by two faculty members from Kansas University (KU) Lawrence, United States had visited the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU) of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

The visit by KU Lawrence delegation started since 2013 where the university has chosen Malaysia as one of the countries to be a case study for its Study Abroad Programme. Besides Malaysia,  KU Lawrence has also chosen Singapore and Japan to visit.

The Director of Malaysia Architectural Study Tour of UTM Sultan Iskandar Institute (ISI), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gurupiah Mursib said that this study tour which took place between January 4th and 11th received an unexpected response.

“According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kapila Silva, Head of the Study Program of Kansas University, the rapidly developing Malaysia which is rich in culture is the main reason it was selected for the study, together with Singapore, and Japan.

“For this purpose, the UTM Sultan Iskandar  Institute (ISI), supported by the School of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, had prepared a special programme of 8 days 7 nights excursion covering Johor, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor,” said Prof. Gurupiah.

He also stated that Malaysia’s architecture offers a different experience from the modern architectural era (1955-1970), through the postmodern era (1971-1990) and the global era (1991- 2017).

“As the host, we have organized a program designed to provide a comprehensive overview of traditional architecture, to the award-winning iconic architecture.

“Several traditional buildings were visited namely the traditional Mini Garden Malaysia houses, while the National Mosque, the Central Market, the Sultan Abdul Samad building and the Masjid Jamek represent modern early architecture,” said Prof. Gurupiah.

Prof. Gurupiah later explained that the global Era are represented by skyscrapers such as the Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur Tower, The Fennel, and the OBYU Tower. Also included are buildings with special concepts such as PAM Center, Arc Rimbayu, Bamboo Playhouse House and PJ Trade Center.

“The beauty of this programme is that the program directly features architects of the selected buildings. The 2018 study has featured Ar Jimmy Lim as the highlight of the study while for this time, the program featured Dato ‘Dr Ar Ken Yeang and Ar Wooi Lok Kuang.

“Ken Yeang’s architecture was represented by Menara Mesiniaga, Roof-roof House, and the Suasana Putrajaya while Wooi showcased his architecture of houses including his own home,” said Prof. Gurupiah.

Prof. Gurupiah said that in the concept of urban planning, the Putrajaya Federal Government Administrative Centre represents the new and planned city development.

The tours included the Putrajaya Holdings, the Sultan Mizan Mosque, Dataran Putra, the Boulevard and Putrajaya Cruise. In the meantime, DBKL efforts to create urban space have led to historical heritage in Kuala Lumpur such as the River of Life, back lanes, Lake gardens and Batu Caves.

The welcoming session for the delegates was held at the Faculty of Architecture and Survey, UTM Johor Bahru campus on 4th January 2019 followed by a lunch session at Ar Razin Mahmood Denai House in Kempas, Johor Bahru.

Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Survey, Prof. Dr. Mohd. Hamdan Hj. Ahmad, Associate Director (Student Services & Global Education Experience), Prof. Dr. Nor Haniza Sarmin as well as the Executive Director of ISI were also present. A memorable farewell dinner was held the following week at Menara Kuala Lumpur.

This program reflects the strong continuous ties between UTM and Kansas University, soon to be made official via MoU, Prof Dr Mohd Hamdan Ahmad, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Survey mentioned in his welcoming speech.

Starting July 2018, the Faculty of Engineering (FE) has adopted UTM Synergy  4.0 as part of a major re-structuring of the university. With less funding offered by the university and by the ministry, the FE’s Office of Research and Innovation initiated many workshops on international grants. The event on Sunday the 6th January 2019 focused on National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NICT). The workshop was held at the Talent Transformation Center, from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm.

Prof. Dr Naomie Salim opened the seminar by thanking the participants and clarifying the purpose of the program. Welcoming speech was delivered by FE’s Dean, Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Mohammed Rafiq Dato’ Abdul Kadir. He greeted the invited speaker, Prof. Dr. Widad Ismail from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Prof. Dr. Widad received the NICT-ASEAN IVO grant from the previous call. Call for proposals in 2019 has been disseminated through FE’s email and will be closed on 31st of January 2019.

The event started with elaboration by Prof. Ir. Abu Sahmah Mohd Supa’at, Dean of Innovative Engineering Research Alliance,  on the achievement in 2018 by using the score from the latest balance scorecard. The information-packed program continued after lunch break with hands-on session. Facilitators helped the participants by forming focused group according to themes set by NICT themselves which are ICT solutions from farm to meal, ICT for environment protection and disaster prevention and Secure sustainable connected society.

Prof. Naomie again appeared with a closing remark. The host committee hoped that the event will help UTM researchers to apply and continuously working on getting international grant.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur Campus received a visit from Vice President for International Mobility; Prof. Dr. Anne Giroir-Fendler and Ms. Sabrina Baulard, International Cooperation Manager, University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France in December 2018.

Their arrival was welcomed by UTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International), Prof. Ir. Dr. Zainuddin Abdul Manan and Prof. Dr. Nordin Yahaya, Pro Vice Chancellor (International) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nor Zairah Abdul Rahim from Razak Faculty of Technology & Informatics.

University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1 has 46,141 students enrolling from 140 countries with 2,772 teaching staff and faculty members.

It has 3 campuses and 65 research laboratories. Its international reach extends through the fields of science, technology, health and sport.

UTM is looking forward to become a Malaysian university partner with University of Claude Bernard Lyon 1 as UTM is also in the effort to expand its network and increase cooperation partner in Europe.

A global learning experience indeed for 32 participants – 23 students from Kookmin University (KMU), Seoul South Korea and 9 UTM students (as Buddies) are here from 13^th to 26^th January. Initiated and coordinated by Prof Dr. Normah Mohd Ghazali with her 5 team members (Dr Mohd Faisal Hassan, Dr Ummikalsom Abidin, Dr Fairuz Mohd Yasin, Assoc. Prof Dr Norhayati Ahmad, and Dr Noriizah Redzuan), the Summer School SS17 involves in and out of lecture rooms learning experience with laboratory exercises, technical talks, oral presentations, visits to local industries, and etc. with the programme content undergoing slight changes according to the participants’ background. To date, students have been from the mechanical, civil, material, and electrical engineering areas. During the programme, KMU participants stay with the Buddies 24/7, getting to know each other’s differences and similarities through interactions while improving their communication skills and confidence level. Through the programme, participants would be able to understand, appreciate, accept and learn more about each other’s culture and way of life.

SS17 started off with UTM internships at KMU and exchange visits of the academicians.The Summer School has been actively running since 2015 when it was officially advertised 2 years ago as SS17 under the MyTree programme. Every year, 15-20 students registered to attend the programme and this year 23 KMU students have been selected out of many who had applied at their home university. This week, the participants were taken to Sungai Melayu to see the mangroves that grow along the  Malaysian southern coastline while visiting the local mussel farm – some ventured to try the fresh raw mussels.

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The Outstanding Student Awards recognises exceptional academic achievement, leadership and service by students from  universities that offer real estate undergraduate course. Recipients must obtain a minimum grade-point average of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale and are selected by panels from selected companies.

Four UTM students have received this award for the year of 2017 and 2018

The undergraduate students from Bachelor of Science (Property Management), Esther Chin and Nurul Izzati Yahya received this award for 2017 and 2018 respectively. UTM students  managed to show great achievement for two consecutive years. Recipients of this award received RM3000 and job offer at the company. Two other students Elsa Sapphira Victor and Armand Irfan Suhantoro were awarded with consolation prizes.

CBRE-WTW is one of the major real estate companies in Malaysia as well as at international level.

The  award ceremony was held at La Grandeur Hotel, Senai, Johor last December. Sr. Tan Ka Leong, Director of CBRE- WTW presented the awards to the winners. Also present was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ariffian Bujang representing the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU).

JOHOR BAHRU, 7 Jan. — Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) senior lecturer and researcher from School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Abdul Halim Abdullah has been awarded the 2018-2019 International Scholar Exchange Fellowship (ISEF) from Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS).

ISEF is a program offered by Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS). KFAS is a non-profit organization founded in 1974.

To date, KFAS has awarded 50 academic members from Asian countries with grants to conduct short-term research (six months to one year) in any field, in collaboration with professors and researchers at leading universities and academic institutions in South Korea.

Among the incentives given are monthly stipend, initial settlement support, accident insurance, publication incentives anda  round-trip airfare to and from Seoul.

Dr. Abdul Halim will begin his Fellowship for six months starting from 1st March 2019 to 31st August 2019 and will be attached to Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea.

Faculty of Engineering  has taken an early initiative for 2019 by organizing a briefing on MyRAII glossary data extraction. The event was kickstarted by the Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation, Prof. Dr. Naomie Salim. The goal for the half-day workshop is to create a research data reporting awareness amongst Research Group (RG) leaders and Directors of Research Centers under Faculty of Engineering.

The event can be deemed as the second major event after synergy UTM 4.0. This event was attended by more than 80 participants consists of Associate Chairs (ACs), RG leaders, and Research Center Directors.

The short workshop was lead by Miss Nur Amirah Mohd Ali, a Research Officer from Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation office. A detailed briefing on MyRAII  data preparation and achievement for RGs and Research Centers in 2018 was presented. The event took place at Programming Lab 1, Level 2, N28a at School of computing.

The event also focused on the Key Performance Index  for the current year. May this event inspire all researchers under Faculty of Engineering to set a new target and vision for this year. We hope to retain the Research University status and improve from the previous year.

JOHOR BAHRU, 2 Jan.– A Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) final year Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student, Hoo Poh Ying was selected to attend the 11th HOPE Meeting with Nobel Laureates in Japan

The student was selected based on her excellent performance in the field of academics where she graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering (Bioprocess) with a flying colour before proceeding to do her  PhD  through UTM PhD Fast Track Programme.

Being the recipient of Ainuddin Wahid Scholarship, she is currently waiting for the final stage of Viva session of her PhD. Hoo Poh Ying has opted for ‘Spatial Economic Optimisation of Waste to Biomethane in Malaysia’ as her research topic.

Supervised by Prof. Ir. Dr. Haslenda Hashim, Hoo has published two journals with Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) publications and four SCOPUS index publications.
An indexation of a journal is considered a reflection of its quality in which indexed journals are considered to be higher scientific quality as compared to non-indexed journals while Scopus is a bibliographic database containing abstracts and citations for academic journal articles.

Meanwhile, an undisclosed source from the organizer of this programme, the Japan Society For The Promotion of Science (JSPS) said that the HOPE meetings are held for excellent graduate and young researchers specially selected from countries/areas around the Asia Pacific and African region.

“These meetings provide opportunities for the participants to engage in interdisciplinary discussions with Nobel laureates and other distinguished scientists pioneerings the frontiers of knowledge.

“They also give the participants, who lodge together over the course of the event, a chance to make friends and form collegial network with peers from the regions,” he said.
The 11th HOPE meeting is scheduled to take  place from 4th until 8th of March 2019 at The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) in Okinawa, Japan.

Among the activities that will be carried out at the meeting are lectures by Nobel laureates, distinguished researchers and cultural authorities, as well as small group discussions with the lecturers (seminar style).

The participants will also be required to give a one-minute poster presentation and multinational participants team oral presentation besides cultural experience programme and excursion  (visiting research facilities and historical heritages).

About 100 participants from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam will take part in this event.