IMU Expands Credit Transfer Options for Biomedical Science Students

16 February 2011



International Medical University (IMU) recently provided another credit transfer
option for students who have applied for its biomedical science programme, giving
these students an exciting new option to continue their education in an overseas university.
Through this arrangement, credit transfer students from IMU will be required to complete
the first part of their studies in IMU before transferring to University of Strathclyde.
These students will receive academic credit for the subjects they have successfully
completed in IMU and use this towards the completion of their degree. The degree
will then be awarded by University of Strathclyde.


"We are pleased to be able to provide an additional credit transfer option for students
in the biomedical science programme. Providing students with this additional credit
transfer option is an affordable way for IMU students to gain access to a UK education
and towards obtaining an overseas degree," said A/Prof Chen Yu Sui, programme
coordinator of the biomedical science programme at IMU.


The University of Strathclyde was founded in 1796 and is Scotland"s third largest,
with some 14,000 students from more than 90 countries. The University is recognised
as a centre of teaching excellence in Scotland and stands among the best in the world.


A/Prof Chen Yu Sui added, "Without doubt, this arrangement would offer vast benefits
to them as it uniquely allows students to experience the learning environments
of two leading universities in Malaysia and the UK. Another benefit for the
students is the discovery and understanding of cultures from around the world
as this is a critical component for a
healthcare professional. This is certainly one of the reasons for us to continuously
look for additional transfer options for students and part of its ongoing mission to train
and promote excellence in the healthcare industry."


University of Strathclyde has been a member of IMU"s network of partner universities
for more than 10 years. Prior to this, the university has collaborative and
credit transfer arrangements with IMU for its pharmacy and psychology
programmes. With this
collaboration, University of Strathclyde will be expanding the number
of IMU
programmes that the university is having collaborative agreements.


In addition to the credit transfer option with the University of Strathclyde, students
applying for the biomedical science programme also have the opportunity to transfer
the credits that they have earned in IMU to the University of Otago in New Zealand or
University of Newcastle in Australia after successful completion of the first part of their
course in IMU. Students also have the option to complete the entire biomedical science
degree in IMU and obtain a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Biomedical Science from IMU.

Introduction of FSKM ICT Week 2010

Come join over 1000 participants from future knowledge workers in
Malaysia and users in the IT carnival which concentrate on green technology
which will be held on 24th March 2010 to 27th March 2010 at Faculty of
Computer Science and Mathematical, University Technology MARA,
Shah Alam Selangor.


IS AND IT GOING GREEN CARNIVAL is heralded as the platform for
“gathering of tribes” of IT communities, as well as businesses,
academicians and its’ communities to
share and show off their thoughts, experiences, ideas and projects.
By end of the event,
it will create awareness to the meaning and importance
of “IS and IT Going Green” and also


cultivating individuals and organization towards the same direction.


As the meat of the event is its presentations and discussions,


we have allocated 6 speaking slots opportunities.
Drawing on a huge community we will discuss some of the most current and
poignant topics in the industry today.


IS AND IT GOING GREEN CARNIVAL is organized by an Executive Committee
comprised of volunteers from FSKM student UiTM.
As such, it requires support through strategic partnerships that will
assist it in fulfilling its role.


IS AND IT GOING GREEN CARNIVAL offers a dynamic opportunity to
strengthen your organization’s exposure to your key target markets.

UNIMAS Upgrades Its Internet Access Capacity

THE increased application of information communications technology is one of the cornerstones of the Educational Development Masterplan 2006-2010 under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.


In line with this, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) has signed an agreement with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to implement a major upgrade of UNIMAS' Internet leased line capacity from the current 8Mbps to 34Mbps by June 1.


This increase in Internet access capacity will meet the administration, study and research requirements of 7,500 UNIMAS students and staff.


TM has been the primary Internet connectivity provider to UNIMAS since 2003, and currently provides its tmnet direct solution to UNIMAS via a dedicated link.


UNIMAS was TM's first tmnet direct customer among institutions of higher learning in the country.


Founded in 1992, UNIMAS is the eighth public university in Malaysia and the first in Sarawak. It currently hosts 19 faculties, institutes and centres in a wide variety of study and research areas, including computer science and information technology, resource science and technology, as well as biodiversity and environmental conservation

Information Technology Unit of Civil Engineering

We establish Information Technology Unit of Civil Engineering to spearhead the IT services in FKA. Starting as a unit with few technical staff 5 years ago, ITUCE is expanding by forming several new sections called Services Unit, Academics Unit, Laboratory Unit and Resources Centre Units. ITUCE is headed by Information Technology Manager. ITUCE now is the only it unit in UTM that served as a department offering IT subjects, laboratory experimentation and modeling for postgraduate programmes.  We are focusing on the knowledge based type of information. Automating the process to database format , such that raw data can be analyzed and interpreted for engineering purposes.

order to fulfil the mission, ITUCE offered three core subjects and two optional subjects for the undergraduate programme while for the postgraduate programme, two optional subjects are offered.  In 2009 ITUCE received excellent feedback in teaching by achieving a minimum of 4.5 over 5.0 in the e-pp evaluation for its lecturers. The excellence in teaching is further proven by completing the teaching records for all courses and the progress of input in  e-learning is 100% for L1 and 70% for L2.  High level facilities in teaching include computer laboratories and engineering soft wares for students to enhance their IT skills in civil engineering.  ITUCE is also actively involved in research especially in the application of Information Technology tools to civil engineering problems.   IBS, Earthquake, Database management system and Vibration based damage detection are the major fields that have been explored. In 2009, ITUCE has been awarded a total of RM290,000.00 grant for research and innovation works. In publication, ITUCE staff have produced 6 international conference papers and 3 international journal papers. Moreover, ITUCE staff are also actively involved as reviewers for International journals.  ITUCE staffs are also active in consultancy. In 2009 ITUCE is able to complete four projects worth RM65,000. One of the successful contributions to the faculty is establishing an online ISO9001 system.  Apart from that, ITUCE also provides IT services for the faculty ranging from computer maintenance, website development to system development.  Source: CLICK HERE

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

The Integrated Management System in used at University Malaysia Pahang (UMP) is one of the best university management systems in Malaysia, and the world over. This claim is supported by several awards conferred since 2004 – among them were Information Technology Prime Award, e-Asia Finalist Award and Pikom Award. UMP’s accomplishments in developing and implementing such a sophisticated system is also recognized and accredited by major information & communications technology multinational companies like AVAYA, CISCO, SUN Microsystem and Oracle – and these testaments are publicly posted on the Internet. The superiority of IMS is also attested by local institutions of higher learning through its implementation at several universities – namely UNIMAP, UMT, UMK, UPSI and UNIKL.

Financial management is a crucial aspect for any university, especially for public institutions of higher learning. A financial management process, which is estranged from other relevant processes like Human Resources Management, Students Finance, Project Management and the administration of departments and faculties, can cause severe delays and negative repercussions. Hence, IMS was developed to integrate the financial management system with the rest through a single and centralized database. The leading advantage of IMS is that it can be tailor-made to the needs of the institutions. This e-Management concept – based on the principles of dynamic paperless integration, automation and intelligence – has materialized into an effective and efficient system, accredited by MAMPU in 2004.

by UMP HOLDING SDN.BHD.

V-C: UKM is working on six Artificial Intelligence projects

PUTRAJAYA, 28 June 2011 – Preserving old Malay manuscripts through a home-grown software called JawiWare and developing a medical data mining system are just a couple of the projects UKM researchers are involved in as the country’s premier research university strives to make its mark in the rapidly-advancing world of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Among other current research projects are on Fuzzy Tabu-based Optimisation for Job Shop Scheduling, University Timetabling, Malaysia Medical Data Repository, and MYNDA: A Data Mining Application Generator.


UKM Vice-Chancellor Prof. Tan Sri Dato' Wira Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin listed them when she opened the 1st International Multi-Conference on Artificial Intelligence Technology (M-CAIT 2011) here, which was organised by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Technology (CAIT) at UKM’s Faculty of Information Science and Technology

.


The three research groups at CAIT -- the Pattern Recognition Research Group (PR), the Data Mining and Optimisation Research Group (DMO) and the Knowledge Technology Research Group (KT) -- combined three conferences into one.


These are the International Conference on Pattern Analysis and Intelligent Robotic (ICPAIR 2011), the 3rd Conference on Data Mining and Optimisation (DMO11) and the 1st International Conference on Semantic Technology and Information Retrieval (STAIR2011).


Prof. Tan Sri Sharifah Hapsah hoped that a sharing of ideas among researchers, developers and practitioners at the multi-conference will not only disseminate state-of-the-art knowledge about Artificial Intelligence but will also help the three main research groups at CAIT to refine their application of AI techniques and methods to support various disciplines through research, teaching and consultancy.


With ICT being one of UKM’s niche research areas, she said the conference allows the researchers to exhibit UKM’s strengths in existing and new areas of ICT, specifically in Artificial Intelligence.


“At the same time we want to learn from the expressiveness and complexity of Artificial Intelligence technology for the benefit of the people whose lives can be enhanced by them,” she added.

Stressing that the research/innovation interface is very important to the university, Prof. Tan Sri Sharifah Hapsah said UKM has engaged vigorously with initiatives to develop a vibrant and sustainable R&D portfolio.




“We do this within our broader aim of creating stimulating learning environments for all who interact with us – our staff, our research students, our research partners and the many communities we work with,” she continued.


“I realise that there are several fundamental problems related to the science and technology of Artificial Intelligence technology. I hope you will create new synergies between the domains of enabling technologies and theoretical as well as pure research. Only by addressing these issues can we be in a position to contribute to the needs of society in a very unique way.”


The Vice Chancellor noted that after more than 50 years of research into Artificial Intelligence programming techniques, “we are not only seeing the dream of smart machines come true as part of our everyday life, but we are venturing into the area of biologically inspired computing or bio-inspired computing.


“From research that creates systems which can mimic the brain and its neural networks, such as mimicking human thought, understand speech and beat the best human chess player, we are now encompassing, among others, evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence, artificial immune systems, fractal geometry, artificial life, DNA computing and quantum computing.


“We are going closer and closer to the total human body and nature.”


The field of bio-inspired computing, a major subset of natural computation, loosely knits together subfields related to the topics of connectionism, social behaviour and emergence, she added.


“It relies heavily on the fields of biology, computer science and mathematics that enable us to use computers to model nature, and conversely use the model to improve the usage of computers,” she added.

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) deploys Blue Coat ProxySG Appliances to Provide Real-time Web Security

SUNNYVALE, Calif., October 5, 2011 – Blue Coat Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCSI), a leading provider of Web security and WAN optimizationsolutions, today announced that Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) has deployed Blue Coat® ProxySG® appliances with WebFilter to provide real-time Web security for more than 180,000 students across nine city campuses in Malaysia. With the deployment of the ProxySG appliances, UiTM now has full control over and visibility into its Web traffic.

“We were having trouble enforcing our corporate IT policies, so students were able to access peer-to-peer (P2P) applications that took up a considerable amount of bandwidth, slowed our network and increased the risk of malware infection,” said Professor Madya Dr. Mat Ikram Yusof, deputy director of information and communication technology (ICT) at UiTM. “Blue Coat ProxySG appliances give us the visibility to accurately filter, categorize and block undesirable websites and malware and have reduced our bandwidth costs by 20 percent.”

UiTM deployed the Blue Coat ProxySG appliances with WebFilter to effectively block objectionable and malicious content while preventing proxy avoidance. UiTM also deployed the Blue Coat Reporter product to increase visibility of Internet usage and potentially infected systems. Using the actionable intelligence of Reporter, the University’s IT department of 10 has reduced its daily work load, freeing the team for other support tasks.

Blue Coat ProxySG appliances are backed by theBlue Coat WebPulse™ collaborative defense, which unites 75 million users worldwide in a real-time defense to deliver real-time web security. When one user discovers a threat, all users are immediately protected without having to update appliances, servers or user desktops. Blue Coat Security Labs continually updates the defenses in WebPulse to protect UiTM and 75 million other users from new and evolving threats.

“By utilizing ProxySG appliances with WebFilter, UiTM is able to efficiently control Web traffic and optimize network and application performance while reducing bandwidth consumption,” said Steve Rowland, vice president of sales, Asia Pacific, Blue Coat Systems. “The integrated visibility, security and control capabilities of the Blue Coat Secure Web Gateway solution allow UiTM to effectively support the infrastructure of its distributed campus and its users’ Internet activities.”

UiTM was established in 1956 and is Malaysia’s largest higher learning institution with 172,000 students and a workforce of 17,000.

UPNM collaborates with MIMOS on WiMAX defence ICT

MIMOS has signed a three-year MoU with the National MIMOS has signed a three-year MoU with the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) on defence- and security-related ICT. The MoU signing ceremony was held at the university on 12 January. UPNM Vice-Chancellor Lt-Gen Datuk Wira Allatif Mohd Noor, who represented UPNM at the ceremony, said that the collaboration with MIMOS was a step towards realising the university’s vision of becoming a premier university of defence for education, training and the creation of knowledge. MIMOS was represented by Chief Operating Officer Abd Aziz Abd Kadir.

The collaboration will entail research and development (R&D) and academic teamwork involving ICT and defence information technology. This will include projects in wireless communication, information security, simulator, microelectronics and semiconductor. Also present was UPNM Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Industry Relations and Corporate Affairs Datuk Jesbil Singh. At the same event UPNM also signed MoUs with Secure Technology Innovations Sdn Bhd and Skyview Communication and Technologies Sdn Bhd where they will work together on maritime simulator and unmanned vehicles, respectively
Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) on defence- and security-related ICT. The MoU signing ceremony was held at the university on 12 January. UPNM Vice-Chancellor Lt-Gen Datuk Wira Allatif Mohd Noor, who represented UPNM at the ceremony, said that the collaboration with MIMOS was a step towards realising the university’s vision of becoming a premier university of defence for education, training and the creation of knowledge. MIMOS was represented by Chief Operating Officer Abd Aziz Abd Kadir.The collaboration will entail research and development (R&D) and academic teamwork involving ICT and defence information technology. This will include projects in wireless communication, information security, simulator, microelectronics and semiconductor. Also present was UPNM Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Industry Relations and Corporate Affairs Datuk Jesbil Singh. At the same event UPNM also signed MoUs with Secure Technology Innovations Sdn Bhd and Skyview Communication and Technologies Sdn Bhd where they will work together on maritime simulator and unmanned vehicles, respectively

AIMST University signs cooperative MoU with MMU

Melaka, Malaysia: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 ― AIMST University, Kedah-based University dedicated to high-quality value-based education, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Multimedia University (MMU) in Bukit Beruang, Melaka to promote cooperation between both educational institutions.

Under the accord of the MoU, the two universities will engage in joint research activities, organizing training programs and workshops, exchange visits by academic staff, researchers and students, exchange relevant information, and developing and implementing R&D projects of mutual interest. The research activities plan and their implementation will be mutually developed on a 'project by project' basis. AIMST University Chief Executive & Vice-Chancellor Prof Frederick Charles Smales and MMU President Prof. Dr. Zaharin b. Yusoff signed the MoU on December 1, 2010.

In northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, AIMST University is playing an important role in training students in the field of Biotechnology, in addition to Medicine, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Engineering and information technology and Business. Currently, AIMST University has about 3,000 students. Postgraduate program such as M. Sc Biotechnology is becoming popular among students, and Ph. D (Biotechnology) program is approved in last year by the Ministry of Higher Education. “The AIMST University has been instrumental in developing and promoting university education in northern corridor of the Malaysia through its various educational, research and development activities and exceptional academic programs. The recent survey of the graduated students in Biotechnology program from AIMST University indicates that placement rate is 99 %. This partnership between AIMST University and MMU will enable us to consolidate our strengths and maintain our distinctive status as leading institutions in our respective areas and our fields of specialization. We are also planning more cooperative agreements

  similar to this MoU with other institutions to strengthen our capabilities by smart partnership to contribute for the overall development of the society," said Prof Frederick Charles Smales, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of the AIMST University.

In Malaysia, MMU is the first private university; MMU developed the pioneer model for the successful establishment of private universities in the nation. As the university at the heart of the Multimedia Super Coridor (MSC), MMU also serves as a catalyst in the development of the high tech ICT industry of the nation, parallel to the Silicon Valley-Stanford model in the United States. Currently, MMU have altogether approximately 20,000 students in Melaka and Cyberjaya campus. MMU is known for wonderful achievements in a relatively short period of time. The university runs in two campuses, its original campus in the historical city of Melaka, and the campus in Cyberjaya that was opened by the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed. A recent survey indicates that 93% students of the MMU secure employment within 6 months of the completion of their studies. MMU have more than 4,200 international students from 75 countries. In short time MMU has established itself as a major player in research and development, and maintaining excellent ties with the strategic partners through smart collaborations and research partnerships.

The AIMST University commenced operations in year 2001 as the first private university in northern part of peninsular Malaysia and has emerged as one of the top private educational institutions. Currently, the AIMST University offers four (4) diploma courses, nine (9) degree programs, and six (6) postgraduate programs under 7 faculties namely, Applied Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry,

AIMST Produces Quality ICT Graduates

THREE to four decades ago, nobody could have imagined that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) would bring tremendous changes to our lives.


ICT is vital in many sectors such as banking and commerce, marketing, health care services, communications, entertainment, transportation, natural resources management, waste management, robotics and manufacturing and space exploration.


AIMST's degree programmes in Computer Science and Information Technology are designed to meet the challenges in the current ICT trend.


A three-year degree programme in Computer Science, with a specialisation either in software engineering, networking or multimedia is blended with other engineering flavour to produce graduates who can meet the current industrial requirements.


Apart from this degree programme, AIMST also offers three degree programmes in Information Technology: Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems), Bachelor of Information Technology (Management) and Bachelor of Information Technology (Multimedia Systems).


The Bachelor of Information Technology (Information Systems) programme


is aimed at producing graduates who are capable of managing complex information systems.


The Bachelor of Information Technology (Management) programme is aimed at producing graduates who are capable of using, designing, developing and managing complex information systems in a business organisation.


The Bachelor of Information Technology (Multimedia Systems) programme will enable students to gain insight into more aesthetic aspects of modern multimedia system implementations.


Besides these degree programmes, AIMST also offers a two-and-a- half year diploma programme in computer networking

UTP: Workshop on Securing Research Funding and Grants

Research Enterprise Office (REO) had organized and conducted a one-day workshop on 25th November 2009 for staff and students on the opportunity to secure funding and grants from Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd, a company wholly funded by Ministry of Finance. One of the grants introduced by Cradle Fund is the University Cradle Investment Programme Catalyst (U-CIP Catalyst). This grant is specifically targeted to researchers and/ or inventors and students of research institutes, private and public universities, colleges and institutes of higher education in Malaysia. The objective of U-CIP Catalyst is to assist researchers/or inventors to commercialize their invention into marketable products, technologies or services by providing pre-seed funding of between RM50,000 to RM150,000 over a period of 4-12 months. The fund covers the development of prototypes, proof of concepts, business plans, IP search and registration, surveys and other expenses related to the product development.

Speakers from Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd, Mr Kenny Mah and Ms Syazwani Ismail urged the staff and students to apply for this grants online via www.cradle.com.my as the grant will assist them into transforming their invention into commercially viable products. They added that the grants focus on both ICT and non-ICT ideas and other interesting ideas with strong innovative technology-related component in any industry that has a strong commercial value and will be beneficial to Malaysians, the economy and the world, will also be considered. Besides offering grants, the company also provides advisory support to inventors, industry mentoring programme, and other services related to personal development and competencies.

Tn Hj Azminuddin, Senior Manager REO in his opening remarks reiterated the importance of U-CIP Catalyst to assist the university in achieving its targets of becoming a Research University by 2013 by producing more inventions and products into the market. .The U-CIP Catalyst grant can be an alternative to other funds as it is easily available and the fund itself covers product which is close to being market-ready. He also encouraged graduating students to apply for the grant and develop their invention into marketable product which can also leading them to become an entrepreneur by establishing their own company. This aspiration suits well with the university’s mission of producing a well-rounded graduate, and the future leaders of the industry.

RM 2 Million to boost Internet access in UTM

Skudai, January 17^th: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia will have the best wireless internet coverage among the Malaysian IPTA’s when its broadband capability increases from 167 Megabyte per second (MBPS) to 425 MBPS, the same speed now being enjoyed at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

With this capability, it will benefit all campus residents with better and faster access to information technology which is essential for their learning process.

The upgrade was announced by the Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin during the groundbreaking ceremony of UTM-MTDC Second Phase Technology Centre on January 16^th, 2010 at the UTM Technovation Park.

“I would like to take this opportunity to announce that the Ministry has agreed to approve an additional funding of RM2 million to increase the capability of UTM’s broadband access.

“This upgrade is not only hoped to increase the effectiveness of staff in doing routine assignments but can alsocreate a huge impact to this university as a knowledge centre and information distributor. The new facility can also boost the working spirit of all its campus residents to be more proactive in contributing to the university and the nation,” Khaled said during his officiating speech.

Also present during the ground breaking ceremony were the Vice Chancellor, Prof.  Dato’ Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang and the CEO of Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), Norhalim Yunus.

Zaini in his statement said that users would be able to access the internet within the whole Skudai Campus after the upgrade.

“We want the students and staff to be able to access the internet wherever they are within the campus area and be well informed,” Zaini further added.

The UTM-MTDC Second Phase Technology Centre will be built on a site of one acre piece of land comprising the development of a four-storey building block with a 40,000 square feet built-up area that includes office spaces, meeting rooms, laboratories and a cafeteria.

This centre will provide the space and opportunities for researchers and graduates to increase their entrepreneurial skills besides offering commercialisation consultation for their products.

 

UTAR Engineering Programmes Get Better(UTAR)

UTAR Faculty of Engineering and Science (FES) welcomed 17 professional representatives from the industry and professional bodies in engineering to the its second Industrial Advisory Panel meeting held on 9 October 2009 at UTAR Kuala Lumpur Campus in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

Ir. Rocky H.T. Wong, a representative from The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) who also attended the first industrial advisory panel meeting commented, "Through my observation, the engineering programmes conducted by UTAR have improved from the time my first assessment was conducted during the first industrial advisory panel meeting."

"UTAR engineering graduates have a competitive edge as they can gain ready employment upon graduation and are candidates of choice when seeking to pursue their postgraduate studies," he added.

During the meeting, FES Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wang Chan Chin briefed the members of the industrial advisory panel on the developments of the University since its first meeting, covering the various programmes conducted in UTAR, the University's organisational structure, student enrolment, faculties, campuses, university achievements, research and collaboration activities as well as research centres.

Dr. Wang also introduced the panel members to UTAR's new faculty - the Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology - and informed them about the new Architecture programme that would be conducted in UTAR starting next year.

He elaborated on the quality improvement measures taken by the FES and particularly emphasised on the importance of receiving input from industry practitioners to improve the Faculty's engineering programmes.

He said, "It is good for us to receive feedback from the industry on the skills that our students should possess in order to gain employment so that we can further refine our engineering programme curriculum to cater to the industry. There may be certain types of skills and soft skills that our graduates need to possess to succeed in the industry such as interpersonal skills, knowledge in law, management, accounting and economic. To gain an understanding of the skills needed, we need to consult with industry practitioners."

In addition to that, Dr. Wang conveyed his aspiration for UTAR engineering programmes to receive international professional accreditation status so that the Faculty�s graduates would find it easier to obtain employment overseas and the Faculty would be able to attract more international students to study engineering in UTAR.

The meeting ended with a departmental group discussion based on respective fields of disciplines and a campus tour of the UTAR Kuala Lumpur Campus.

Members of the Industrial Advisory Panel meet periodically to discuss matters related to the engineering programmes of the University and offer feedback and constructive views that can help further improve the programmes.

IBM and TARC Launch On Campus Center of Excellence for IBM Software(TARC)

Knowledge and skills development in software technology will meet market needs and produce high quality IBM-certified IT professionals

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) to signify the launch of the IBM Academic Initiative On-Campus “Center of Excellence" at TARC.

The MoU was witnessed by the Deputy Minister of Education, Datuk Ir. Dr Wee Ka Siong, who also officiated the launch of the Center of Excellence.

The Center is aimed at enhancing the information technology (IT) curriculum at TARC to graduates and postgraduates with high quality skills and professional IBM certification. The alliance signifies strong commitment by TARC and IBM in supporting the Government’s aspiration toward human capital development, specifically in bridging the shortage in software technical skills in Malaysia. It also aims to position Malaysia as a hub of skilled IT experts and software specialists in South East Asia.

Under the collaboration, TARC will provide teaching resources and facilities, whilst IBM will provide leading software, courseware, training and testing necessary to gain IBM certification. Students will be trained in IBM software technology, particularly DB2, Lotus, Rational and WebSphere capabilities. TARC is the first institution of higher learning in Malaysia to set up a center of excellence for training in software technology. 

From 2012, students will be taught IBM Power Systems, including IBM i and Cloud Computing capabilities.

IBM will also help to identify its clients and business partners to collaborate with TARC for internships and employment of TARC graduates. So far, IBM has identified Scope International – Standard Chartered Bank’s Group Global Technology and Operations Hub, Silverlake Group, a leading banking and finance solution provider, Dynafront, a leading life assurance solution provider, and Computer Business Solutions, IBM premier business partner specializing in IBM systems, for potential internships and employment of TARC graduates who have been certified.

TARC Principal, Dr Tan Chik Heok, said, "The opening of the Center of Excellence on our campus brings us one step closer to realizing our vision of becoming a globally recognized institution of higher learning. We are pleased to broaden our partnership with IBM to add value and increase the number of local skilled computer science and software engineering graduates to contribute to the local and global ICT workforce.”

He added, “We recognize the need for more IT specialists as they are essential to any enterprise, but are hampered by the current lack of such skilled resources. Responding to the demands of the market, and the increased requirement for research and development knowledge, the Center of Excellence is being established with the aim of producing such graduates with the required knowledge, ability and analytical skills to plan and manage IT effectively through innovative learning process and practical teamwork." Since early 2010, TARC and IBM have been working together to develop and spur greater growth of IT skilled resources in the college.

Managing Director of IBM Malaysia, Ramanathan Sathiamutty, said, “IBM is proud to strengthen our cooperation with institutions of higher learning like TARC, that are committed to the development of information technology. The establishment of the Center of Excellence will enable TARC to produce graduates with relevant IT knowledge and skills, to contribute to the creation of valuable work, locally and globally.”

“IBM continues to seek out opportunities to collaborate with leading academic institutions to help build the skill set of students to enhance their employability and to meet the demands of the ICT industry.  This is an ongoing effort by IBM in bringing innovation and progress to the nation, and in supporting the nation’s quest to be a high-income, knowledge economy,” Ramanathan said. IBM celebrates its 50^th anniversary in Malaysia this year, having been set up here since 1961.

TARC is the second institution of higher learning in Malaysia to offer an IBM Academic Initiative On Campus Center of Excellence. In March 2011, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) became the first institution in Malaysia to launch an IBM Academic Initiative On Campus Center of Excellence, teaching its students capabilities of the IBM System z mainframe that comes with features that are fully in line with IBM’s vision of a “Smarter Planet”.

CM: Country needs lots of innovative individuals(UNIMAS)

SHARING THE JOY: Taib sharing the joy of Unimas’ first physically-challenged graduate Ngu Nyok Ping (in wheelchair). Also seen are Khairuddin (third left), Unimas board of directors chairman Datu Dr Hatta Solhi (fourth right) and other award recipients.

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Local universities, especially Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), should immerse themselves in innovative endeavours in order to become effective agent of change for the country.
Unimas pro-chancellor Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday that this was important because institutions of higher learning had the responsibility to produce human capital that was innovative and creative.
Innovation and creativity, Taib said at Unimas’ 15th Convocation, were considered essential elements to bring the country towards its desired development targets and goals.
“Universities, through its innovative graduates and active participation of its academic staff in innovative and creative-related activities, could be the major stimulus for the country’s new economic model.
“Innovative and creative cultures in universities would help not only in  the academic aspect, it would also help to produce competitive human capital.
“Therefore, I hope to see universities acting as an effective agent to further develop the country,” said Taib at Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.
Taib  said he was glad that Unimas had been actively involved in research and development (R&D), such as in green technology, information and communication technology (ICT), and sago-related industry.
He hoped that they could increase their R&D efforts in relation to local indigenous knowledge to benefit the  people.
“I would also like Unimas to utilise the alumni data to keep track of the employment data of its graduates as one of the indexes of the achievements of the university,” he said, adding that Unimas alumni should also help.
Meanwhile, Unimas vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid said in his speech that the university had identified five main research areas in relation to the development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).
They were biodiversity and environmental management; emerging tropical and infectious disease; ICT development; renewable energy/green technology; and industrial design.
“Apart from that, Unimas would continue to encourage students to engage in community services and humanitarian relief activities to produce holistic graduates,” he said.
The university, Khairuddin revealed, was in the midst of introducing a new fundamental programme related to humanitarian work for SPM leavers.
If everything goes well it would see its first batch of students next year.

Extracted from theborneopost.

Center for IT advancement (UIA)

Centre for IT Advancement (CITA) was established in October 2004 at the Kulliyyah of Information and  Communication  Technology  (KICT). Services offered by CITA are therefore further extension to the functions of the Kulliyyah; providing the complete range of educational courses in ICT, including professional certification.

CITA is a Professional Services Center delivering Business and Management Consultancy Services, Project Management Services, Executive Programs ranging from Certification to Masters Degree, Professional Certification  and On-line Programs for corporate executives, professionals and students worldwide.

CITA recognizes the need for continuing education and professional development programs in IT not only for students but also corporate employees, adult professionals, and the general public. We have certified and experienced consultants and instructors, who understand these needs and could meet the demand for new skills and enhancements.

CITA offers executive Masters Programs, Postgraduate Diploma and Certification programs in Protective Security Management  in collaboration with the Chief Government Security Office (CGSO) in the Prime Minister's Department in Putrajaya. CITA also will offer the Executive Masters Program in Information Technology in partnership with the IIUM Kuliyyah of ICT. The Center also offers more than 50 professional certifications ,training programmes and short courses annually.

With the strategic partnership with the Chief Government Security Office (CGSO) , CITA has jointly developed the human capital development program delivering certification programs for all security personnels throughout Malaysia.

Most Somali students are driven to get an education

There is a sizeable number of Somalis studying at public universities in Kuala Lumpur, and the number is growing.

Yasir Mohamed Baffo, a tourism graduate of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), said Malaysia was a choice destination because it was a moderate Muslim country.

He said there were about 1,500 Somali students studying a range of courses from information technology to management courses, including Islamic finance, business, accounting, economics and international affairs.

He said most of the Somali students were enrolled in UUM, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

"The students are funded by their families in Somalia and those who lived elsewhere," said Yasir, whose father works in the private sector in Saudi Arabia.

Yasir's 17-year-old sister is also studying at an international school in Kuala Lumpur. She has plans to pursue a degree in Islamic finance at a public university.

According to Yasir, the Somali community in Kuala Lumpur was close-knit and usually did not mix with those from the other African nations.

Yasir is proud of his Somali heritage and is quick to point out that award-winning writer Nuruddin Farah, well-known writer and Al Jazeera journalist Rageh Omaar and singer K'naan, who sang at the Fifa World Cup last year, are Somalis.

Yasir is hopeful that Somalia will have a stable government some day with a strong leader. He wants to return home after completing his master's next year and hopes to become a tourism minister one day.

He is also involved in youth movements worldwide, where he is striving to unite the educated Somali youth towards helping their country put into place a stable leadership.

On why he chose to study in Malaysia, Yasir said he was taken up by his secondary school teacher who studied in Malaysia.

"He painted such as wonderful picture of his time in Malaysia and I was so taken up, and made up my mind that I would come here."

Professor Dr Musse Mohamud Ahmed of the International Islamic University Malaysia's Engineering Faculty said he was also funded by his family when he came to Malaysia in 1996 to do his PhD.

Musse said Somali students were driven towards obtaining a good education.

"Almost 95 per cent of Somalis here are studying. You will never find a Somali going to a construction site to look for a job."

Ultimately, Musse said, all Somalis living out of Somalia had one goal: to return to Somalia some day.

Musse added that the crisis in Mogadishu was "purely political" and that there was no infighting among the people of Somalia.

It has been reported that Somalia has been without an effective central government since president Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

Although Somalia had been without a proper government for the past 21 years, the country was thriving, said Musse.

"How many countries could thrive under such circumstances? It goes to show that the Somali people are hardworking, which keeps the economy going. It is just that we have a bad political system."

Musse also said the Somalis in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and even in Kenya and Dubai were successful and well-known for their business acumen.

"In Dubai, the Somalis are the second biggest contributors to the economy."

As for Musse, Malaysia is not the sole option to pursue his studies.

"I was offered by the National University of Australia in Sydney to do a PHD, but they told me to come a year later. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia also offered me a place and told me I could start straightaway, so I decided to come here."

To keep the community together, Musse has undertaken the role of chairman of the Somalis in Malaysia, while Yasir is a member of the Somali Students Society in Kuala Lumpur.

Yasir said they held regular workshops and seminars to help the Somali students blend in and learn the culture of the Malaysians.

UUM's assistant director of Centre for International Affairs and Cooperation, Kartini Tajul Urus, said there were 180 Somali students pursuing business and information technology degree courses at the university.

She said many of them had transferred from another local private university because the fees at UUM were cheaper, which ranged from RM7,200 to RM7,500 for a four-year undergraduate course.

Most of them were self-financed, she added.

While there were the "usual social" issues concerning the Somali students, she said there were no major disciplinary problems.

Multimedia University director of International Students Recruitment, Ezral Mokhtar, said it was part of the university's ongoing marketing efforts to get more Somali students to study at MMU.

Challenge to take Malaysia further in IT indexes

BANGI: Malaysia aims to be among the top 10 in the information technology (IT) competitiveness index and top 20 in the digital economy index by 2020, in line with the national digital transformation plan.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this was because information technology was now seen as the key element that would revolutionise and support the growth of many industries.

These include the healthcare, communication and biotechnology industries.

"Malaysia moved 11 places from 32 to 21 in the recent world IT competitiveness index.

"In the digital economy ranking conducted by The Economist and IBM, Malaysia is now 36th among 70 countries.

"Take this challenge to help the country move up to the top 10 in the IT competitiveness index and top 20 in the digital economy index," he said at the second International Conference on Visual Informatics (IVIC) 2011 here yesterday.

His speech was read by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia  board of directors chairman, Tan Sri Dr Zulkefli A. Hassan.

The three-day seminar, attended by some 200 experts in the field of visual informatics from 15 countries, is hosted by UKM and jointly organised by 13 public and private universities in the country.

Themed "Visual Informatics: Sustainable Innovation towards Wealth Creation", the seminar is chaired by seven professors from renowned universities, including Cambridge University and Imperial College, London.

Present were IVIC chair Prof Datuk Dr Halimah Badioze Zaman and UKM deputy vice-chancellor (students and alumni affairs) Prof Ir Othman A. Karim.

Global problems, local answer

The task: Design technological solutions that can be applied to real-world
issues.

From left are Jun Liang, Chien Hui and Kian Long.

From left are Loo, Phiong, Ooi and Liew.

Three undergraduate teams rose up to the challenge brilliantly and won this year’s national-level Imagine Cup Competition, organised by Microsoft.
Rozana Sani writes.
Say goodbye to food supply shortage From left are Jun Liang, Chien Hui and Kian Long.
Champion: Team Capricorn comprising Marilyn Lim Chien Hui, Steven Lim Jun Liang and Lim Kian Long, Universiti Sains Malaysia Winning entry: GreenEve2Peace, a software solution designed to help farmers consider multiple elements affecting crop production, with the end goal of increasing crop yields n Conquering worldwide famine was what Team Capricorn had in mind when they designed GreenEve2Peace, and it proved to be a winner. The software solution not only can systematically address the issue of food supply shortage, but also improve rice productivity yields and eliminate any damage on Earth resources, for example, overuse of chemicals such as pesticides.
Aimed at the agriculture sector, GreenEve2Peace provides accurate and up-todate weather predictions, channels information related to farming activities, acts as an early warning and alert system for crops viruses and diseases, and even offers advice on the timing and amount of pesticides, fertilisers and chemicals to help reduce damage to the environment.
Weather prediction is done by crunching all data elements based on Historical Actual Weather Event, Historical Predicted Weather Event and Historical Recommended Farming Schedule by the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) or the relevant bodies.
“We deployed a Backpropagation Neural Network Algorithm to establish a pattern and a weighted index to relate the weather events. With the weighted index, we applied it to the future predicted event to advise the farmer on activities such as seeding, fertilising and cultivating,” said team leader Lim Kian Long.
In terms of communication, GreenEve2Peace uses all mechanisms available today such as the Internet, text messaging and community network to relay information related to farming activities.
Technology used includes Windows Presentation Foundation, SQL Server 2008, Silverlight and Neural Network.
“To reduce damages of padi culture due to inappropriate water level and toxicity, we hope to enhance our system with water management solutions such as a water-level monitoring system and watertoxicity diagnostic system. We hope to get a grant from MDeC (Multimedia Development Corporation) to commercialise this system in six months. We will work closely with MADA to implement the system stage by stage,” Kian Long said.
“We will also extend our solution to include other agriculture sectors such as livestock (chicken, duck and pig) and fishery, and to our neighbouring countries once we have successfully implemented the system nationwide.” A company from India has expressed interest in GreenEve2Peace.
Team Capricorn will represent Malaysia at the worldwide finals in Cairo, Egypt, from July 3 to 7.
Disease prevention first First runner-up: Team Cosmic comprising Jasy Liew Suet Yan, Loo Wan Koe, Ooi Keng Siang and Matthew Phiong Yoon Kheong, Universiti Sains Malaysia Winning entry: Virtual Health Connect, a software solution that acts as a one-stop centre to electronically store patients’ health information n Team Cosmic’s passion is to help improve the well-being of society through disease prevention initiatives, and it shows in their product.
Virtual Health Connect (VHC) aims to reduce child mortality rates and fight diseases such as malaria, dengue and AIDS by becoming a one-stop centre to electronically store patients’ health information, especially immunisation records. It enables realtime discoveries and monitoring of infectious diseases, presenting health information in a simple, interactive manner.
VHC covers three main areas: immunisation monitoring, disease reporting and response management, as well as interactive health education.
“Using a multi-tier system architecture, all the three main modules run in a server, and users can easily access VHC using a Web browser.
“VHC also interacts with patients through SMS to send immunisation reminders to parents and precautionary messages to the public during an outbreak,” said team spokesperson Jasy Liew Suet Yan.
Technology used includes Windows Live, Silverlight, Virtual Earth, Windows Communication Foundation, ASP.Net, .Net 3.5 Framework and SQL Server.
Team Cosmic is looking for partners to take VHC to the next level, including IP protection and commercialisation.
“We will continue to explore breakthrough technologies in hopes of using the wonders of technology to make a difference in people’s lives. Even VHC is scalable, and we still have many ideas that can be materialised since healthcare is such a huge domain,” Liew said.
From left are Loo, Phiong, Ooi and Liew.
Second runner-up: Team J-TourCare comprising Ng Pek Shi, Pang Yee Yong, Gilbert Puah Leong Siang and Wong Sun Shah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Winning entry: Johor Tourism Caring System, an interactive Web-based knowledge management portal for sustainable tourism n Team J-TourCare saw the online platform as not only able to promote eco-tourism in Johor, but also as generate income for the rural community. Their Webbased knowledge management portal, Johor Tourism Caring System, or J-TourCare, allows stakeholders to interact, educate and promote sustainable tourism to the public while offering homestay packages, eco-tourism programmes, community service projects and even the managing of the Johor Tourism Award.
“Through J-TourCare, homestay and eco-tourism will be able to bring substantial income to underprivileged rural folks, single parents and women entrepreneurs operating the programmes in Johor,” said team leader Ng Pek Shi.
For example, the homestay programmes can afford employment opportunities for the community in general, generate income for idle assets, and encourage the community to develop products and become community-based entrepreneurs.
“J-TourCare also offers a venue for volunteers from all over the world to take part in community service programmes at the homestay and eco-tourism sites, besides being an avenue for sponsors to pledge monetary support. This global partnership will enrich the lives of the participants through their direct involvement in the conservation efforts,” Ng pointed out.
To spur players in the Johor tourism value chain, J-TourCare provides an efficient ranking system to help them select high performers within the tourism industry. The high performers are voted by the public through various methods, including SMS.
“Proceeds from the public voting system will go towards assisting tourism operators for further improvements and preserving the culture and biodiversity of the eco-tourism sites identified by the public,” Ng said.
Technology used in J-TourCare include ASP.Net 3.5, C#.Net, Javascript, AJAX, CSS, HTML, VBscript, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2005 and ActiveXpert.
The Johor Tourism Action Council has expressed interest to use J-TourCare to promote its homestay and eco-tourism programmes.
“We imagine that in time J-TouCare will be expanded to cover Malaysia and the rest of the world and become a successful hub for caring and sustainable tourism,” Ng said.

Malaysia must intensity IT efforts(Monash University Sunway)

Saadat M. Alhashmi

THE next three to five years are crucial for Malaysia to make its mark on the Information Technology (IT) sector, a Monash University Sunway campus academic says. “Countries such as Vietnam and China are growing fast and we need to hasten our pace if we want to turn Malaysia into an IT hub,” says the university’s School of Information Technology head Dr Saadat M. Alhashmi.

“If we don’t pick up our pace, we might miss the boat,” he says, adding that Computer Science degrees and computer analysis skills will continue to be demanded in the IT field.

He was responding to Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong who said recently that Malaysia is facing a shortage of talents in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and that there has been “a significant dip” in students enrolling on ICT courses.
Saadat, who echoed this concern, s ay s that the government, industry and universities need to nurture IT talent within institutions of higher learning.

“We have reached a point where this is a crisis. Big players will only come if they see talent here… there is no point setting up a company and then outsourcing to India.” India, he says, is becoming more expensive, causing companies to look for alter natives. Malaysia is poised to make an impact in the IT sector.

Saadat adds that through the school’s engagement with industry via its Industrial Insight Programme, companies are actively seeking students who can join them upon graduating.
“We have more offers than we have students,” he says, adding industry players search for students with IT know-how, married with soft skills.