Archives for June 2026

Today is the last day of the lecture week this semester before the students have a one-week study break. Despite having a very packed schedule this semester and although we keep in touch via our WhatsApp group, I feel incomplete if I do not meet them in person. Therefore, I decided to meet all students under my academic advising (Penasihatan Akademik) at Tasik Ilmu UTM this evening. We started with physical exercises, a rubbish collection competition, and a chit-chat session. We ended the meeting with an early dinner. Alhamdulillah, everything went well as scheduled.

The recently released 2026 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) provide valuable insights for researchers in the field of Education. In response, I have organised and filtered the latest SSCI and ESCI journal lists for your convenience. Please follow the provided link to view the list.

https://people.utm.my/halim/wp-content/uploads/sites/748/2026/06/SSCI-ESCI-2026.pdf

I have also created a simple infographic to highlight key similarities and differences between SSCI and ESCI in the field of Education for your reference. Click the link to view the infographic as well.

I hope you find this helpful. Please reach out with any questions.

https://news.utm.my/2026/06/dua-ahli-akademik-utm-terima-pengiktirafan-penyelia-penyelidikan-antarabangsa-dari-ukcge

Alhamdulillah.

First, I want to express my gratitude to Allah s.w.t for making this possible.

Many thanks to the School of Graduate Studies (SPS), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), for nominating me to represent UTM this cycle. When I received a call from SPS, I immediately accepted. I enjoyed completing the reflection form, which required me to write no more than 5,000 words. Thanks to all the professors who reviewed my reflection and offered constructive comments and suggestions.

Thanks to my faculty, the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology (FEST), for its ongoing support, not only to me but also to all staff, both academic and non-academic.

Most importantly, I am grateful to all my esteemed students, who have shared the ups and downs, joys and sorrows with me. Without you, I am nothing.

Last but not least, I thank my family, who understand my job, even on weekends, when I invite students to come to our home for supervision.

Congratulations as well to Prof. Dr. Noor Hazarina Hashim. Alhamdulillah, we made it!

Sudi-sudikan membaca makalah saya di Dewan Bahasa melalui pautan berikut:

Since 2022, many students from the People’s Republic of China have come to UTM for postgraduate studies. Initially, I noticed only my colleagues supervising students from China. Eventually, I received an email from a prospective Chinese PhD student, and I agreed to supervise her, assuming she had completed the necessary processes. During our first online meeting, I was surprised at her limited English proficiency, which made communication challenging. Since then, whenever I receive requests from prospective Chinese PhD students, I schedule an online interview to assess communication directly. Following several interviews, five students from China were officially assigned to me as their main PhD supervisor.

Su Xiaomei, Wang Qian, Wang Haosheng, Zhao Shan, and Yao Qi—all from China—recently graduated under my supervision, with Yao Qi being the latest to receive her senate letter. Besides these five, I also supervise students from Malaysia and Indonesia, but this article is dedicated to my Chinese PhD students. With their permission, I share their stories in the order they enrolled. Su Xiaomei was the first. Initially, communication was difficult, so I appointed co-supervisors to support her. When she arrived at UTM, her English improved markedly, likely due to classes and time spent on campus. After collecting data back in China, Su Xiaomei was diagnosed with breast cancer and decided not to return to UTM. Despite these challenges, she was the last of the five to defend her viva, earning a B1. Her perseverance inspired me greatly, and I was moved to tears after her success.

Dr Wang Qian and Wang Haosheng were the second and third Chinese PhD students I supervised. They formed a close partnership at UTM, often working together in the library. Wang Qian, a mother of two, typically stayed at UTM for short periods before returning to China. She was my first Chinese PhD student to graduate under my supervision and publish in a Q1 SSCI journal. Wang Haosheng, working from his hometown, shared similar habits. He became engaged before his proposal defence and married later; unexpectedly, his wife gave birth the day after his viva, which he managed to attend thanks to a quick flight home.

Zhao Shan, my fourth student, also worked in China but visited UTM twice a year, making the most of her time to meet set milestones.

Yao Qi, my fifth student, had just married when she first arrived at UTM. She informed me at our initial meeting that she was pregnant, and I supported her through medical check-ups. She returned to China in her third trimester and safely delivered her baby. She continued her studies, balancing research with family, and delivered her second baby a few months before her online viva.

I am proud that all five of my Chinese students have completed their PhDs at UTM. Every PhD journey is unique. Although your studies have ended, the memories remain.

Saya mungkin pernah menerbitkan beberapa buah esei di Dewan Sastera melalui platform dalam talian Jendela DBP.

Namun, sebagai penulis yang masih bertatih dalam dunia penulisan cerpen, saya terharu apabila melihat karya saya diterbitkan dalam versi bercetak Dewan Sastera edisi Jun 2026.

Dewan Sastera terbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) merupakan antara majalah sastera paling berprestij dan berpengaruh di Malaysia.

Bagi saya, melihat cerpen tersiar dalam majalah ini memberikan suatu kepuasan yang sukar digambarkan dengan kata-kata. Perasaannya seolah-olah seorang penyelidik berjaya menerbitkan makalah dalam jurnal berimpak kelompok 10 peratus terbaik dunia.

Jangan lupa dapatkannya di pasaran. Juga boleh didapati di PBAKL yang sedang berlangsung.

Alhamdulillah