JOHOR BAHRU, 18 April 2017 – Higher learning institutions that offer aeronautic courses should collaborate with aviation industry players to ensure the syllabus aligns with job requirements.

According to MASWings Chief Excutive Officer (CEO) Aminuddin Zakaria, the aviation industry in Malaysia needs more applied engineers for maintaining aircrafts rather than other fields.

He said, since the airline companies are buying new aircraft to fulfil the demand of carrying passengers they need more manpower to carry out maintenance.

“We do not have an anchor in the aviation industry such as Boeing to produce aircraft, therefore the workforce in aircraft design is limited.

“Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) aeronautical engineering graduates have the opportunities to work in other engineering fields because they hold a degree in aeronautic engineering which is a combination of aeronautics and engineering,” he said when met after a sharing session with staff and students at the Senate Hall, Sultan Ibrahim Chancellery Building, today.

Aminuddin said that UTM’s aeronautics course offered by the Faculty of Engineering trained students on aircraft design and engineering, enabling the graduates to be able to switch to the manufacturing field instead should they find the lack of job opportunity in the aircraft industry.

Further, he added that students should learn how to prepare themselves to enter the workforce where real world job skills are not being taught in the classroom, requiring them to prepare themselves on how to deal with pressure and unexpected problems that may arise.

Aminuddin who graduated from UTM with a Bachelor of  Engineering (Mechanical-Aeronautics) in 1989 was in UTM to deliver an Alumni Talk entitled “From University to Corporate World: Between Dreams and Reality”.

The event was organized by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with the UTM Alumni.

The UTM alumnus who has 27 years’ aviation experience re-joined the MAS family in March 2012 as Senior Vice President, Airline Engineering Group after 14 years working with GE Aviation.

He also joined Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAB) and was responsible for safety operation and reliable aircraft with highest airline quality standard.
Aminuddin was acting CEO of MASWings from September to October 2016 and was confirmed in the CEO position in November 2016.

JOHOR BAHRU, 23 April 2017 – The Dean of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Faculty of Education, Prof Baharuddin Aris was invited as a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Learning & Teaching in Computing & Engineering (LaTiCE) 2017.

The confrence was co-organized by IEEE, Uppsala Computing Education Research Group (UpCERG) Uppsala University, Sweden and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia and was held at the University of Hong Kong from 21 April to 23 April 2017.

The paper reviewing process by the Programme Committee has always been very strict and these full papers will be published in IEEE Xplore. Four lecturers and four PhD students from UTM were given the oportunity to present in this conference.

Participants represent countries which include Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bhutan, China, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Sweden and United States of America.

The aim of the International Conference on Learning and Teaching in Computing and Engineering (LaTiCE) is to create a platform towards sharing current practices and rigorous research being conducted in computing and engineering education.

Besides giving a keynote address and presenting in the conference, an initiative was taken by Professor Baharuddin, Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Sukri Saud and Dr Yusri Kamin to create and sustain networking with the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Education and the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

The University of Hong Kong is ranked 27 in the Engineering & Technology discipline (QS WUR). In the Education discipine, the University of Hong Kong is ranked number 1 in Asia & ranked number 7 in the World (QS WUR) and the Hong Kong Institute of Education is ranked number 13 in the World (QS WUR).

24 April 2017 – Pro Vice Chancellor Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM Kuala Lumpur), Prof Dr Durrishah Idrus has been conferred the Academic Leadership Award at The Golden Globe Tigers Award 2017. Congratulations Prof. Durrishah!

Kuala Lumpur, 21 April 2017 : UTM Toastmasters Club with strong support from Language Academy, UTM International and the Office of Corporate Affairs has organised its first social gathering at UTMKL to bring together UTM staff and students of KL campus and to help set in motion the process of chartering a Toastmasters club for UTMKL chapter. Especially for this momentous occasion, eleven Toastmasters, who are UTM staff, students and alumni, the President and Vice Presidents of UTM Toastmasters Club, and the President of Johor Jaya Toastmasters Club and Kelab Toastmasters Bahasa Melayu Johor Bahru travelled all the way from UTM Skudai campus for a day trip. In this gathering, the club shared information about Toastmasters International, a global community of speakers and leaders, and showcased UTM Toastmasters Club’s programmes and interagency collaborations that empowered all individuals, not only its members, to become more effective communicators and leaders. This gathering was attended by local and international, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and staff of UTMKL campus who are eager to level up their skills on communication and leadership.

The club holds the principle that learning takes place best when individuals have opportunities to project themselves, to express their thoughts and views and to receive feedback from more knowledgeable others in a social, fun and engaging language-rich environment. In line with this principle, the gathering was themed ‘Treats and Treasures’ and included the emphasis on the use of the word ‘cherish’ as the Word of the Day, the use of language games, two prepared speech demonstrations, five impromptu speeches from the audience, and a networking session. The gathering was topped with a discussion on the way forward for the development of a Toastmasters club exclusively for UTMKL residents. For more information about UTM Toastmasters Club and activities, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/utmtmc or contact Dr Farhana Diana Deris (Vice President – Public Relations) at 018 2087678/ diana@utm.my or Prof Dr Nor Haniza Sarmin (Vice President – Membership) at 017 7557660/ nhs@utm.my.

ISKANDAR PUTERI, 25 aPRIL 2017 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (utm) today has signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Government of Johor.

UTM was represented by its Vice Chancellor, Prof.Datuk Ir. Wahid Omar while the Johor Government was represented by the State Secretary of Johor Dato’ Haji Azmi Rohani.

The ceremony was witnessed by Johor Chief Minister, Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The main objective of the MoU is to enhance knowledge and business acumen of administrative officers of Johor by pursuing the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at UTM International Business School (IBS), Johor Bahru Campus.

This special program is the first joint effort between IBS and the Johor State government. A total of 21 administrative officers and officers from the Johor State Local Authority are currently pursuing a modular program over a period of two years.

Kuala Lumpur, 12 April 2017:- Pasukan KameRider iaitu gandingan antara mahasiswa Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) dan pelajar daripada universiti di Jepun dan China telah memenangi tempat kedua bagi ‘RoboCup@Home League’ dalam pertandingan ‘The RoboCup Iran Open 2017’ di Tehran International Exhibition & Convention Centre bermula dari 3 April sehingga 7 April 2017. Kategori ini telah dimenangi oleh pasukan tuan rumah MRL@Home dari Qazvin Islamic Azad University, Iran.

Penyertaan pasukan KameRider dalam pertandingan ini mendapat pembiayaan sepenuhnya daripada pihak penganjur bagi tiket penerbangan, penginapan, makan dan yuran penyertaan yang dianggarkan sebanyak RM 35,000.

Pasukan yang diketuai oleh Dr Jeffrey Tan Too Chuan (Universiti of Tokyo), diwakili oleh pelajar dan pensyarah Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Japan dan University Nankai, China (NKU).

Mahasiswa yang mewakili UTM dalam pertandingan ini ialah Mohamad Syakir bin Mohamad Soberi, Ahmad Muaz bin Abd Mutallib, Muhammad Syazwan bin Azhar dari Malaysia Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) dan Kiong Wey Seng, Cheah Weng Soon, Lim Wen Jin dari Fakulti Kejuruteraan Elektrik (FKE) serta Penyelia pasukan KameRider, Ir Dr Zool Hilmi Ismail iaitu Pensyarah Kanan dari ikohza Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIRO), MJIIT.

Pasukan KameRider pernah menyertai Pertandingan Robocup Japan Open 2016 di Aichi Institute of Technology, Jepun dan RoboCup 2016 di Leipzig, Jerman. Semasa di Aichi, Jepun, pasukan ini telah memenangi 2 kategori iaitu tempat pertama bagi “RoboCup@Home Simulation League” dan Tempat Kedua bagi kategori “RoboCup@Home Education League”. Penyertaan mereka di Leipzig, Jerman pula telah meletakkan mereka ditempat ke-7 dari keseluruhan 21 pasukan yang bertanding.

Gerik, Perak:- UTM Royal Belum Discovery, a UTM University Social Responsibility(USR) programme, took place at one of the many Orang Asal villages in Royal Belum, Gerik, Perak. The programme, which was conducted from 21 to 23 April 2017, witnessed the involvement of international students from Kenya, Bangladesh, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, France and the United Kingdom, besides the participation of the local Malaysian students.

The programme started with team building activities followed by a community service at Aman Damai village, which was the Orang Asal settlement. The community service activities provided a tremendous opportunity for the international students to get close to the indigenous tribe of Malaysia. Such experience will enable the foreign students, particularly, to gain better perspective, understanding and knowledge of the diverse cultures and traditions that inherently existed in Malaysia.

The community service programme was aimed at educating the Orang Asal the importance of conservation and preservation of nature. One aspect of this aim that was emphasised was to keep the environment clean. A Gotong Royong activity to clean the community surrounding was then carried out, involving all the students and the Orang Asal community. Donation in the form of brooms, trash bins and trash bags was then given out as a gesture of goodwill in the hope that the Orang Asal community would continue to keep the environment clean and, thus, preserve and conserve nature.

The programme had benefitted the students a lot and it is hoped that more students, especially the international, will participate in similar future community service programmes organised by the university.

Congratulations to the staff of the UTM Faculty of Computing for winning the Best of Science and Technology Award for Higher Education for in the 2017 National Book Awards, organized by the National Book Development Foundation on 2nd May 2017. The award winning book is entitled ‘Pengaturcaraan Berstruktur Menggunakan C++’ published by Penerbit UTM Press.

Congratulations to the Institute of Sultan Iskandar (ISI) for producing the first policy paper, Open Data Policy for Melaka State Government, an outcome of the Newton-Ungku Omar international grant, ISI & Future Cities Catapult (FCC) in 2016.

The handing over of the said policy took place on 2nd May 2017 at the launching of City Development in Malaysia Project (2017-2022) in conjunction with Melaka Sustainable Cities Conference & Green Exhibition 2017 officiated by Hon. Datuk Seri Utama Ir Hj Idris bin Hj Haron, Chief Minister of Melaka.

The objective of this policy is to provide guidelines in conducting the open data policy so as to encourage the sharing of data and collaboration among government agencies in Melaka. The policy supports the Malaysia Act 2015 – Pelaksanaan Data Terbuka Sektor Awam, defining the big data and open data in the context of Melaka, in addition to principles and advantage in open data as well as the strategy for open data at the state level.

The leading partner, Institute of Sultan Iskandar is led by Prof Mohd Hamdan Ahmad and co-researcher Dr Irina Safitri Zen. UK leading partner, Future Cities Catapult (FCC) is headed by Dr Catherine Mulligan and co-research Dr Adam Rae. The associate partners are Peter Ferguson from UCL-CASA, Datuk Nik Ahmad Faizul, Vice President & Program Director, Smart Communities & Global Cleantech Innovation, Special Projects, President & CEO Office Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) at the Prime Minister’s Department and YBhg. Datuk Haji Kamarudin Bin Md Shah, CEO of Melaka Green Technology Corporation.

6 May, Kuala Lumpur – Dr. Zaid Omar from the UTM Faculty of Electrical Engineering was crowned the best science communicator for FameLab Malaysia 2017. FameLab is one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world organised by British Council.

FameLab is a science communication competition that allows applicants just 3 minutes to talk about a scientific concept while being judged on the 3 ‘C’s – content, clarity and charisma. Dr. Zaid Omar will represent Malaysia at FameLab International in June 2017 in Cheltenham, UK with the chance to win prizes including a scholarship for science communications, a ‘Master Class’ on communication skills and the opportunity to visit any research facility of his choice in Europe (EURAXESS Prize).

Congratulations, Dr. Zaid Omar!

The Management Team of UTM spent a day in Johor Bahru campus doing interesting and effective team building activities.
From early morning, the programme started with a healthy living programme, Senamrobik Perdana and later participants took part in various activities to inculcate positive team spirit, while engaging in creative, innovative and meaningful tasks that bring the spirit of togetherness among different management group members.

Through group discussions implemented through relevant tasks, the groups discussed issues related to financial sustainability of various units at the university.

Suggestions for income generation were also discussed, while measures to resolve issues and find solutions to various challenges facing the university were also put forward.

As part of injecting fun and interest among participants, all groups were asked to do performances like dikir barat and boria, focusing on key issues of the university while doing it in a creative, fun, casual and relaxed manner!

Well done UMG team! Your collective effort has resulted in positive outcomes!

Congratulations to Mohd Fadhli bin Abd Rashid, Doctoral Degree in Civil Engineering (Groundwater), for being the recipient of the prestigious Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Scholarship 2017/2018. The Scholarship Award Giving ceremony will take place at the Istana Negara on 24 and 25 May 2017.

The scholarships, introduced by the Government in 2006 through the Public Service Department, are given to academically outstanding Malaysian citizens who have produced creative and innovative works and have secured a seat in leading universities in the country or abroad.

JOHOR BAHRU, 10 mAY 2017 – Eight Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) students from Bachelor Degree of Science (Property Management), Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate underwent research attachment programme in Sydney, Australia to take up three-week mobility programme from 2 to 23 April involving Western Sydney University (WSU).

This programme is under supervision of Dr. Muhammad Najib Razali who is also alumni of WSU.

Through this programme, WSU provides opportunities for UTM’s students to explore diverse cultures, interact with international faculty and students of the best real estate school in Australia.