BANGI, 24 Nov. 2011 – Developing countries have been urged to grab their share in the nanotechnology revolution which can generate business to the tune of US$2.7 trillion by 2015.
Director of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Center of Science and Technology, Prof Dr Arun P Kulshreshta speaking at the Nanotechnology International Workshop here today said developing countries should invest in the field and forge collaborations to be key players so as not to remain merely as users.
The workshop themed Nanotechnology in the edge of convergence brought participants from 19 NAM member countries to discuss prospects in Nanotechnology.
It is hosted by the Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN) UKM and organised in collaboration with the Commission on Science and Technology Development in the South (COMSATS) of NAM and sponsored by UNESCO.
Prof Arun hoped the workshop would discuss and address such issues including its safety aspects like toxicity and material impacts to the surroundings.
The workshop will draft recommendations to be known as the Bangi Recommendations that will be presented to all relevant parties in the field of Nanotechnology internationally.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) UKM, Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali in his opening address said the technology will change existing and accepted rules in many fields because advancement in nanotechnology will render certain things obsolete.
That was why it was important for everybody to be in the loop of nanotechnology development likening it to a Tsunami and not just a revolution.
IMEN Director, Prof Dato' Dr Burhanuddin Yeop Majlis explained what it is and the seemingly limitless possibilities it offers.
Nano technology, he said, is basically altering materials at the atomic level to produce solutions. Thus if we can master the art of manipulation at the atomic stage then atoms can be denied from performing certain of their specific tasks, such as cancer cell being prevented from multiplying.
This bottoms up approach is the reverse of the classical top down approach. That makes nanotechnology a fundamental subject, as almost everything can be made controllable in the most basic building block, he said.
Under Secretary, National Nanotechnology Directorate, Ministry of Science and Technology, Prof Dr Halimaton Hamdan later gave a presentation of Malaysia’s plan in nanotechnology.
Participants from Malaysia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam attended the workshop.
Present at the opening ceremony was Mohd Zulkifli bin Hashim the Executive Secretary of UNESCO Malaysia, Dr Arshad Saleem Bhatti, Dean of Faculty of Science, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), scientists and students
Thursday, 26 January 2012
University 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.
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.
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.
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.
UniMAP video clips win anti-corruption competition
KANGAR: A video clip produced by the Corruption Prevention Secretariat of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) has won the Anti-Corruption Public Service Announcement 2011 Competition.
The one-minute video clip on "Corruption is about Harm" is eligible for entry into the three-day Anti-Corruption Public Service Announcement Video Competition and Workshop in Hong Kong beginning Dec 7 in conjunction with World Anti-Corruption Day, said UniMAP vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kamarudin Hussin.
"I am very impressed with the students' determination to produce something very creative and boost the name of the university," he said in a statement today.
"I am very impressed with the students' determination to produce something very creative and boost the name of the university," he said in a statement today.
The inaugural competition, from July 15 to Oct 15, was organised by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Information, Communications and Culture Ministry.
UniMAP Corruption Prevention Secretariat president Muhammad Nasrullah Abd Rahman said the competition drew 14 entries from 10 institutions of higher learning in the country.
Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim gave away the prizes at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 23.
UniMAP received the Dr Rais Yatim Challenge trophy, a trophy, RM15,000 cash and a certificate of excellence.
Muhammad Nasrullah, who is a third-year student at UniMAP's School of Business Innovation and Techno-entrepreneurship, said the university's creative arts club also contributed ideas for the video clip.
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) was runner-up and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) third in the competition. - Bernama
UTM spent RM500,000 to fight virus attacks
JOHOR BAHRU: The wars against computer viruses does not come cheap. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has spent close tp RM500,00 on cyber security protection.
The university also conducted a month long campaign on anti-virus awareness among its administration staff in April.
UTM Centre for ICT director Prof Zamri Mohamad said the campaign included the installation of hardware and software protection as well as updating the operating systems (OS).
“We also arranged for talks on healthy ICT lifestyle for our staff so that they realise it may not be safe to visit sites that are not secure,” he said, adding that the university currently had 10 servers alone for anti-virus protection which were updated daily.
The Star had reported on Thursday that the university had been facing a spate of virus attacks that targeted around 6,000 computers belonging to both the university and students.
Prof Zamri said the university also conducted demonstrations on how computers should be maintained and created a website,www.antivirus.utm.my, through the intranet system.
Students with their own personal computers have also been encouraged to obtain the anti-virus protection from the university free of charge.
UTM was also looking towards moving its entire software system from Windows to Open Source as there were fewer viruses created for it.
Prof Zamri said that with viruses and hackers getting increasingly sophisticated, the idea of owning a computer was not the same as owning a radio.
“It is more like owning a car as you need to learn how to operate it. You also need to constantly service and upgrade it,” he said.
According to him, UTM was considering the possibility of making its students and staff obtain a “licence” before they are allowed to use the computers on campus.
Workshops encourage creativity
NUSAJAYA: Some secondary schools students here were given an opportunity to share creative and innovative ICT ideas in a Microchip Controller Project held recently.
Dr Hafizah Husain who led the project, said the workshop was a joint initiative by UEM Land Holdings Berhad and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
“The workshop was held for 40 secondary school students from Taman Nusa Jaya and SMK Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar to gauge their creativity and innovative thoughts,” she said.
Hafizah said throughout the workshop, it was apparent many of these students had an abundance of ideas to simplify their daily chores.
“Some of the ingenious inventions that were installed and showcased included an automated duck feeding system, a portable BMI system and a smart clothes line system,” she said.
The programme was designed to encourage secondary school kids to come up with unorthodox ideas and inventions.
“After watching the students’ creative inventions, UKM has decided to showcase these designs and present the inventors with awards early next year,” she said.
Hafizah hoped to conduct more programmes, as she believed it had taught children important values including responsibility, teamwork and confidence.
UEM Land corporate communications chief Karimah Tan Abdullah said the project was a part of their strategic efforts to develop innovative minds in technology.
“It is also aimed at promoting a sustainable ICT community to benefit the Malaysian community and industry at large,” she said.
All 40 students selected for the programme were required to travel and attend several workshops held at UKM to learn, develop and finally complete their prototype using the microchips provided by UKM.
Two more varsities join EPP programme
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Malaya (UM) joined the Education Partner Programme (EPP) spearheaded by YTL Communications.
Under the programme, students and academic staff at the universities will enjoy the company's 4G Mobile Internet services on campus.
The students will receive free converged data and voice services of up to 300 megabytes per user, on a monthly basis over a period of three years, and will be able to top up their accounts at special student rates.
UPM and UM are the third and fourth universities respectively to join the EPP programme in the last two months, following Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and University Tunku Abdul Rahman.
More of Malaysia's public institutes of higher learning and private universities are expected to join the programme by year end.
YTL Comms is pleased to be a partner with UPM and UM in their vision to create a superior academic environment, said Yasmin Mahmood, executive director of YTL Comms, in a press statement.
The universities announced that the service will come in handy for students and academic staff, especially when conducting R&D work.
Associate Prof Dr Suhaimi Napis, chief technology officer and director of the UPM InfoComm Development Centre, said the service will encourage the university's model of ubiquitous learning, where students learn whether they are in lecture halls or not.
"We call this 'www-learning,' " he added.
The Ubiquitous Learning Environment at UPM, a brainchild of Dr Suhaimi, relies on the Malaysian Research and Education Network (Myren) - a high-capacity broadband network that connects universities, colleges, research organisations and scientific laboratories.
UPM also has a number of cloud services that can support blended learning, i.e. a mixture of remote and on-premises education.
For example, video collaboration services such as 1VideoBridge make live virtual-classes possible. Up to 160 laptops, desktops and other compatible devices can be connected to the service at one time.
"The power of 4G Mobile Internet will create new ways for education to be delivered and we are already working with YTL Comms to enable interoperability between our learning and research cloud-services and all other platforms, including new Android-based devices which we are eager to explore." Suhaimi said.
Meanwhile, Dr David Asirvatham, director at the UM Centre for Information Technology, said the data packages specially tailored for students is the perfect tool to enhance student lives on campus.
"4G Broadband & Voice services under a single account is a great value proposition to our students. When every ringgit needs to be stretched, it helps that our students can use their 300 megabytes of free broadband to make free phone calls, too," he said.
As Malaysia's oldest public university and a recognised research university, UM actively spearheads a number of research-intensive projects in ICT (information and communications technology) and Computational Sciences; Biotechnology and Bioproducts; and Health and Translational Medicine with the help of grid computing.
"With the superior performance of 4G, that delivers connectivity in megabits instead of the kilobits we get with 3G now, the power of grid computing can easily extend all the way to desktops and devices, significantly improving our research process," he said.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
UTM to be given full autonomy
The alumni of a long-established university can play a big part in contributing to an endowment fund for use in scholarship programmes, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said yesterday.
He added that alumni members could contribute not only money, but also share their knowledge in the provision of internship programmes to undergraduates.
Citing a case, Khaled said if each of the 140,000 alumni members of Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) were to give RM10, the collection would come to RM1.4 million.
Khaled said this after attending the presentation of endowment scholarship certificates and offer letters to participants in the "Five Excellent Tracks" programme at UTM here.
The first batch, comprising 52 undergraduates of the academic session 2011/2012, received the scholarship certificates and the offer letters.
The "Five Excellent Tracks" programme helps students to excel in at least one of these fields: leadership, studies, entrepreneurship, sports and Quranic teachings.
A total of RM2.5 million in scholarship had been set aside for high achievers at the university this year.
The fund, which was introduced last year, has grown to RM31.9 million, surpassing its target of RM20 million with contributions from the university's alumni, staff, student associations, companies and the public.
Khaled also announced that UTM was one of the universities in the country to be given full autonomy starting this year.
This will enable the university to enjoy complete governance in institutional, academic, financial and human resource management matters.
Khaled said he would give the names of the other universities to be accorded similar status after the Chinese New Year.
Khaled said it was the vision of UTM to enable every undergraduate to study for free by the year 2020.
The success of the endowment fund system will attract quality graduates to UTM, motivate students to achieve excellence as well as reduce the burden of the government to maintain the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) undergraduate loan system.
The government has spent RM40 billion under the PTPTN, and RM4 billion is needed each year to sustain the programme.
UTM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said 150 undergraduates who excelled in their studies would receive assistance from the university's endowment fund this year.
Each of them will receive RM12,000 a year.
"The students will continue to receive the financial assistance if they maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 each semester."
A Symphony of Chefs: Celebrating Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts (TCHT)’s 25th Anniversary
It was a night of glamour, music and tantalising French cuisine as Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (TCHT) kick-started their silver jubilee celebration with the Symphony of Chefs.
As the theme said it, “A Stellar Past, A Brighter Future”, TCHT, the largest and most established hospitality and tourism management school in South East Asia promised a more vibrant and exciting future, while remembering its 24 years of significant achievements.
The celebration culminated in an evening of fine cuisine, whereby a trio of well-known Chefs or “craftsmen” with the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) title prepared a gastronomic feast for the guests. Among those present were Monsieur Laurent Le Marchand, Acting Ambassador of the Embassy of France in Malaysia; Professor Olivier Dugrip, Rector of Toulouse Academie; Professor Daniel Filatre, President of University of Toulouse 2; Professor Pierre-Yves Boisseau, Vice President of University of Toulouse 2; Dr. Mathieu Guerin, Director of Malaysia-France University Centre (MUFC); Dato’ Loy Teik Ngan, Group CEO of Taylor’s Education Group; Professor Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said, Vice Chancellor & President, Taylor’s University; and Mr Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Taylor’s University; industry experts and partners as well as TCHT alumni members.
taylor's
As the theme said it, “A Stellar Past, A Brighter Future”, TCHT, the largest and most established hospitality and tourism management school in South East Asia promised a more vibrant and exciting future, while remembering its 24 years of significant achievements.
Representatives from Taylor’s University, French Embassy in Malaysia, French Ministry
University of Toulouse and Academie de Toulouse cut a birthday cake to signal the launch of Taylor’s University School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (TCHT)’s 25th anniversary celebration.
According to Mr. Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Dean of Taylor's University School of Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts (TCHT), the silver jubilee celebration has gotten everyone at TCHT renewed with vigour, enthusiasm and determination to continue to touch lives through higher education.
“In the past 25 years TCHT has accomplished remarkable achievements as a result of our graduates’ achievements in the industry; the strength of our education and training programmes; and the quality of the faculty, top class facilities and student learning. We will continue to set new benchmarks in the industry and raise the bar in education for many more years to come,” said Neethia.
The event saw a gathering of three MOFs flew in all the way to work with students and lecturers of TCHT to serve up world renown French cuisine with a slight Asian twist. It was certainly an honour for the students and lecturers as they learned from Chef Robert Bertolino, Chef Jean-Luc Danjou and Madam Chantal Wittmann their secret to the most delicious French gastronomic meal and the French way of servicing, a day leading to the event.
Menu of the Night:
- Foie Gras Tandoori served with Cauliflower Fireworks by Jean-Luc Danjou MOF
- Sea & Garden Bouillon A Mix of Seafood Consomme & Vegetable Bouillon served with Shellfish, Baby Vegetables & Micro Herbs Recreated by Chef Faruok Othman and Chef Frederic Cerchi as per the Original Dish Selon la Recette de Olivier Roellinger
- Pan Fried Red Snapper Fillet with Tapenade, Zucchini Spaghettie & Smoked Salmon Waffles Sewed with a Veloute of Coconut & Ginger Flower by Robert Bertolino
- Bitter Chocolate ‘Gateau’ served with Orange Confit & Extra Virgin Oil by Chef Karam as per the Original Selon la Recette de Pierre Gagnaire
taylor's
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