1 Activity 1 Day

PhD Viva for Tan Wan Ting – Exploration of PFAD to Biodiesel

Posted on July 30, 2025 ·

Today, the PhD viva session for my student, Tan Wan Ting, was successfully conducted. Her research focused on the conversion of PFAD to biodiesel using a sulfonated sago pith waste catalyst, an innovative and sustainable approach to renewable fuel production. The external examiner was Datuk Prof. Dr. Taufik Yap, the internal examiner was PM Dr. Muhammad Arif Ab Aziz, and the viva chairman was Prof. Ir. Dr. Nor Aishah Saidina Amin, assisted by Dr. Amnani as co-chair. I had the pleasure of supervising this work alongside PM Ir. Dr. Mazura Jusoh.

Alhamdulillah, it was a very engaging and insightful viva session. I particularly enjoyed the moment when I met Datuk Taufik Yap again—we always end up having a good laugh together, and today was no exception. Hahaha…

Other tasks of the day include checking and commenting on my other PhD student’s thesis draft, and also my Undergraduate student (Sumaiya) research work.

Attending Sesi Ujibakat Innovathon Musim ketiga 2025

Posted on July 29, 2025 ·

The audition session for the third season of Innovathon in the southern region of Malaysia was held at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) on 29 and 30 July 2025. My wife and I participated in this audition. It was a truly fascinating experience, seeing so many innovators coming together to take part in the event. There were three screening stages, and Alhamdulillah, we successfully passed all three stages. From here on, it’s all in God’s hands. If we are granted the opportunity, we may be selected for the final 56. InsyaAllah. Allah is All-Knowing.

#20242025 Day 029

#Tuesday

Filed Under: 1 Activity 1 Day, 2 Research Tagged With: innovathon, inovasi, research, ujibakat

RMC Strategy Review & BTSS Workshop 2025: Two Days of Focused Reflection and Commitment

Posted on July 28, 2025 ·

On 28–29 July 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the Strategy Review and BTSS (Business Technical Support System) Workshop organized by the Research Management Centre (RMC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The workshop was held at Pulai Springs Resort, Johor, and was attended by RMC officers from various divisions and units.

This two-day workshop aimed to assess the implementation status of RMC’s strategic plans for 2025, propose key improvements, and realign the direction and reporting structure for RMC’s BTSS. The event was officiated by the Director of RMC, Prof. Dr. Zulkurnain Abdul Malek, who delivered an insightful address and shared the current strategic institutional focus.

More information and photos from RMC FB here.

The first day featured several key presentations on Blueprint@enVision 2025, KPI action plans, and strategic planning updates. Among the presenters were me myself, Associate Professor Dr. Ezza Syuhada Szazali, and Puan Mazlinda Wati Razli. The sessions included in-depth discussions on Process Evaluation, COI & Innovation Focus, and consolidation of insights from earlier sessions.

Day two focused on detailed BTSS entries by each unit, section, and division. Participants were divided into five major working groups representing the Project Funding Unit, Project Monitoring Unit, Documentation & Data Unit, and other key components within RMC. A central theme across these discussions was the need to reassess workload distribution, clarify scopes of responsibility, and streamline inter-unit coordination.

A major challenge highlighted was the lack of manpower, especially in two critical areas: the Project Funding Unit and the Project Monitoring Unit. With limited officers overseeing numerous proposals and ongoing projects, the workload has become unsustainable. The Double Tax Deduction (DTD) under the Profunds unit is also facing hurdles, not only due to limited personnel, but also a lack of technical expertise in managing industry collaboration tax incentives.

Despite these limitations, the workshop was a valuable platform for reflection, collaboration, and forward planning. I truly appreciate the candid discussions and collective spirit displayed by all participants. It’s encouraging to see such dedication in addressing structural and operational issues with the goal of making RMC more agile and impactful.

May the outcomes of this workshop translate into real, actionable strategies that elevate RMC’s role in supporting UTM’s research ecosystem.

Kudos to everyone involved!
#20242025 Day 028

#Monday

Filed Under: 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, RMC Tagged With: BTSS, research management, research management strategy, strategic planning, workshop

Mock VIVA of our PhD Student on a Sunday

Posted on July 27, 2025 ·

Today is my day off (Sunday), but I’ve set a few important tasks to accomplish. First on the list is to complete the marking for my METE1153 ODL course. I also have a mock PhD viva session scheduled with Tan, which I hope will be a valuable preparation for his actual defense. Additionally, I need to prepare for the RMC Strategic Planning meeting, which is scheduled for tomorrow. There are a few other tasks that I plan to tackle as well, depending on how much time I have left in the day.

Because of time limitations and my intention to attend the Pengajian Kitab after Subuh, I brought my laptop to the surau. While listening to the pengajian—specifically the Kitab Faridatul Faraid—I took the opportunity to continue my marking tasks simultaneously. It was a meaningful way to balance both spiritual enrichment and academic responsibilities.

Other tasks performed on this off-day:

Submit ICLCA2025 paper correction
Insert METE1153 student mark
Read/check Izwan’s draft thesis
Read/check Suhaila’s paper

#20242025 Day 027

#Sunday

Filed Under: 1 Academic, 1 Activity 1 Day, 2 Research, 6 Supervision Tagged With: marking, METE1153, mock viva, occupational safety in energy system, PhD, VIVA

Marking METE1153 ODL Occupational Safety in Energy System

Posted on July 26, 2025 ·

Today is Saturday—an off-day—but official responsibilities still call. Knowing that next week will be packed with activities, I’ve decided to make full use of today to complete the marking for my final exam scripts for METE1153 ODL: Occupational Safety in Energy Systems. There are 28 students, and all their answer scripts are in PDF format, which means I have to do all the marking on my laptop—a task that is both time-consuming and mentally demanding.

In addition to that, I also need to start thinking about how to manage UTM’s FRGS (Fundamental Research Grant Scheme) proposals—an overwhelming total of 598 submissions. Of course, it’s not something I’m handling alone, but within my capacity and scope, I have to contribute as best as I can. We’re all hoping that UTM secures as many FRGS grants as possible. The application process itself has already been delayed since February this year due to persistent issues with the MyGRANTS portal, which had been inaccessible for months.

Despite it being a weekend, the work must go on.

Other tasks of the day include Service Marsya’s Axia’s and Major grocery shopping

#20242025 Day 026

#Saturday

Filed Under: 1 Academic, 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, 2 Research, RMC Tagged With: FRGS, grants, marking, METE, research grants

Another episode, another long day, assisting them

Posted on July 22, 2025 ·

Today, I was called to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (SPRM) to assist with an ongoing investigation. The instruction to come here came 4 days ago, when I was accopanying my wife for a checkup in KPJ Abdul Samad.

As a result, I had to put aside all my office tasks for the day to fully cooperate with the inquiry. I arrived at the SPRM office at 9:40 a.m. and only left at 6:45 p.m. It was undeniably a long and exhausting day, but it was also a unique and eye-opening experience. Being involved, even peripherally, in such a process offered valuable insight into the procedures and seriousness of institutional investigations in our country.

Filed Under: 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, RMC Tagged With: investigation, SPRM

Mesyuarat JK Pentadbiran RMC BIL. 10/2025

Posted on July 18, 2025 ·

Today, the Jawatankuasa Pengurusan RMC (JKP RMC) meeting was held from 9:00 AM to 12:40 PM.
As usual, various issues related to all divisions and RMC operations were discussed. Updates were presented by both the Project Management and Monitoring Division (PMMD) and the Finance Division (FD). Several important decisions were also made during the meeting.

After lunch, I managed to chair the NYR meeting briefly. One NYR student, who had completed one semester, informed us of his decision to withdraw from the program, having secured a decent job opportunity. Unfortunately, about 10–15 minutes into the meeting, I had to excuse myself due to an urgent matter.

Later in the afternoon, in preparation for the iMAP grant submission, I was required to provide comments on behalf of RMC regarding the research progress of five of our researchers.

Now I need to prepare and pack my back for tomorrow’s trip to Tadom Hill Resort, Banting for RMC Team Building.

#20242025 Day 018

#Friday

Filed Under: 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, Meeting Tagged With: management meeting, meeting, mesyuarat, RMC, UTM

Learning Analytics Training

Posted on July 17, 2025 ·

Today was not too packed or hectic, Alhamdulillah.
In the morning, I attended a four-hour online training session on Learning Analytics, delivered by PM Dr. Nurbiha. Initially, I was fully engaged and learned a great deal. However, midway through, my focus was disrupted due to several urgent research management (RM) issues that required discussion with the top management.

At the same time, running in parallel with the training, there was also the MRUN monitoring session – a presentation session for Performance and Financial Report Monitoring under the MRUN Research Officer Grant Scheme (MROGS) – UTM.

After lunch, I joined a meeting to discuss eLPPT research input and output calculation, together with MJ, the RMC Director, and Deputy Director.

#20242025 Day 017

#Thursday

Filed Under: 1 Academic, 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, 2 Research, Meeting, Training Tagged With: elearning, learning analytics, learning research, T&L research

Attended Bengkel MyCite 2025 at USIM

Posted on July 16, 2025 ·

Date: 16th July 2025
Venue: Seminar Room, Level 4, Library, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)
Participants: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zaki Yamani Zakaria, Dr. Nurzal Effiyana, and Wan Akmal Izzati (AJEE Journal Manager)
Driver: Mr. Hussin (UTM Driver)

We began our journey as early as 5:30 a.m., heading to USIM to participate in the MyCite Workshop 2025. Our main objective was to gain insights and guidance on the requirements and evaluation process for journal acceptance into MyCite, with the ultimate goal of paving the way for ASEAN Journal of Engineering Education (AJEE)’s future inclusion in Scopus.

The session, although slightly altered from its original plan, proved highly valuable. The workshop was initially scheduled to be conducted by Prof. Dato’ Roslan Abd Shukor, Chairman of the MyCite Technical Evaluation Committee. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, he was replaced at the last minute by Prof. Dr. Abrizah Abdullah from Universiti Malaya, who is also a member of the MyCite Technical Committee. Her sharing was informative and clarifying, especially for me, as this was my first time attending a MyCite-related workshop.

^{Prof. Dr. Abrizah Abdullah explaining the MyCite evaluation process}

^{It’s funny that I forgot to snap a photo of any USIM signage, but I managed to snap this photo at level 3 of the USIM library, which is quite a unique setup.}

I must acknowledge the excellent groundwork done by our journal manager, Izzati, who has diligently ensured that the AJEE aligns with most of the critical indexing criteria. This puts us in a stronger position as we prepare for MyCite’s 2025 evaluation cycle.

Overall, the trip was productive and meaningful. We return with renewed clarity and motivation to fulfill the remaining requirements for AJEE’s inclusion into MyCite, an essential step toward our broader ambition of gaining recognition under Scopus.

✅ Other Tasks Completed Today:

Finalized and submitted a full paper to ReCASE 2025, targeted for publication in the Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis (BCREC).
Managed miscellaneous RMC-related tasks remotely, including emails and follow-ups.

#20242025 Day 016

#Wednesday

Filed Under: 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, 2 Research, 4 Publication, Workshop Tagged With: ajee, indexing, Journal, mycite, myjurnal, mysitasi, scopus

Sharing Session with RC and RG from Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA) on Research Grant Opportunities

Posted on July 15, 2025 ·

Date: 15 July 2025 | Time: 2:30 PM | Venue: BMU, Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), UTM

I was invited by the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), UTM to deliver a sharing session on available research grants during their Research Centre (RC) and Research Group (RG) meeting. The aim was to provide exposure to RC and RG leaders on potential funding avenues that can support their research initiatives.

Although initially requested to speak about UTM internal grants only, I broadened the session to cover:

National grants (e.g., FRGS, PRGS, TRGS, etc.),
International funding schemes, and
UTM’s internal research grants, including preliminary insights into the 2025 internal grant planning, which is informed by MOHE’s allocated budget.

The session, originally allocated 30 minutes, extended to about 45 minutes due to active engagement and questions from attendees. I shared the PDF version of my slides with participants for future reference and further reading.

Follow-up Invitation

The next day, I was contacted by Prof. Safuan from FKA, who requested that I deliver a similar presentation to a group of new academic staff (under 5 years of service). Insha’Allah, I have agreed to support this initiative, as it aligns well with efforts to strengthen the awareness and readiness of early-career researchers in securing grants.

✅ Other Activities on the Same Day

9:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Attended and actively participated in the Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Dana (JKPD) meeting.

#20242025 Day 015

#Tuesday

Filed Under: 1 Activity 1 Day, 10 Administrative, 2 Research, Meeting, Speaker Tagged With: civil engineering, faculty of civil engineering, FKA, research centre, research grants, research group, UTM