Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/

UTAR Open Day 2019



Date: 16-17, 23-24 March 2019
Time: 9am-5pm
Location: UTAR Kampar Campus & UTAR Sungai Long Campus

NO CHANGE IN TUITION FEES

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/



UTAR has been awarded the Outstanding Education Institution in the Private Universities/Colleges Category in Sin Chew Education Awards (SCEA) 2018/2019.

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/

Admission Open for May 2019 Intake

Source: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/studen...-pacific-region



UTAR is now ranked Top 120 in the 2019 THE Asia Pacific University Rankings

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=131451

Huawei to offer scholarships to UTARians


From left: Dr Liew, Prof Choong, You, Zhu, Prof Chuah, Prof Faidz, Tan and Gan

UTAR and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd strengthened their existing rapport following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) at UTAR Kampar Campus on 13 March 2019.

Underlining both parties’ commitment in an education sponsorship collaboration, the MoA was signed in conjunction with the Huawei Connected Campus 2019 recruitment event. The signatories from UTAR were UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik and UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong; while signing on behalf of Huawei Technologies Malaysia was Huawei Southern Pacific Region Office’s Director of Talent Acquisition Zhu Rui (朱睿) and witnessed by Principal Human Resource (HR) Director of Regions Recruitment and Allocation Department from the Huawei Headquarters You Jin (游金).

Also present at the MoA signing ceremony were UTAR Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ts Dr Faidz bin Abdul Rahman, UTAR Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) Dean Assoc Prof Ts Dr Liew Soung Yue, UTAR Division of Community and International Networking Deputy Director Dr Chen I-Chi, Huawei Southern Pacific Human Resource Department’s HR Manager for Talent Acquisition Derrick Gan Chyun Chi, and Huawei Southern Pacific Human Resource Department’s Talent Acquisition Specialist Jane Tan Lee Kuen.

Thanking Huawei for their unending support and contribution in the areas of information and communication technology (ICT) teaching and training, Prof Chuah also extended his gratitude to the Chinese tech giant for its new role as an education sponsor. “I’m glad to have one of our very good industry partners, Huawei, to come forth to sign this MoA to offer scholarships to UTAR students,” he announced. He further added that despite the University’s limited start-up fund during its nascent stage 17 years ago, UTAR, as a not-for-profit private university managed to rise above various challenges to be where it is now following the support given by the people from all walks of life as well as both federal and state governments back then. “The trust and support given by industry partners such as Huawei is also one of the reasons why we are here,” Prof Chuah mentioned, reassuring that UTAR will continue to be operated as a not-for-profit institution of higher learning offering scholarships to deserving students and keeping its fees affordable. The University President also took the opportunity to advise the students as well as potential scholarship recipients to be grateful. “Always be grateful, because gratitude gives one motivation to move on to greater heights,” he advised.


Prof Chuah pointing out that UTAR graduates are popularly sought after by Huawei due to their cultural intelligence, multi-linguistic abilities and diligence

Complimenting the UTAR graduates who are currently working with Huawei Technologies Malaysia for being outstanding, Zhu said that Huawei highly values its multi-faceted collaborations with reputable education institutions such as UTAR, which has produced countless talents essential to the country’s human capital growth. “In the past five years, we have established many initiatives such as the ‘Seeds for the Future’ programme which aims to develop ICT talents in the country. I’m really eager to see students from UTAR being selected as Malaysia’s representatives of outstanding young talents to participate in 2019’s programme,” he said. According to the Talent Acquisition Director, scholarship is also another important category in Huawei’s talent programme for Malaysia. “Huawei has decided to invest RM1.5million worth of scholarship in Malaysia’s top universities in the next five years, thus giving financial support to Malaysian students and even work opportunities with Huawei upon graduation,” Zhu revealed, adding that following Huawei’s intention to further expand its Malaysian talent development programme in 2019, the selected students will not only have the chances to work with Huawei Technologies Malaysia, but also enjoy the prospects of working in different countries where Huawei is located.


Zhu expressing his wish that more UTAR students will be a part of Huawei’s talent development programme

The ceremony reached its highlight following the official signing and exchange of the MoA documents, and ended after a group photo and souvenirs exchange session.


Prof Chuah (left) and Zhu sharing a light moment before the signing of the MoA documents


Signing of the MoA documents by Prof Chuah and Zhu, while Prof Choong (left) and You (right) look on


Prof Chuah (left) and Zhu signing the MoA documents


Prof Chuah (left) and Zhu exchanging the signed MoA documents and giving each other a firm handshake to signify a strong partnership between UTAR and Huawei Technologies Malaysia


Prof Chuah (right) and Zhu exchanging souvenirs

The affinity of UTAR and Huawei Technologies Malaysia dates back to June 2012 following the signing of the first memorandum of understanding (MoU) which further paved ways for various initiatives aiming to nurture ICT talents and produce industry-ready graduates. Such initiatives included the establishment of the Huawei University Teaching Laboratory at FICT as well as the collaboration on the “Huawei Authorized Information and Network Academy” (HAINA). UTAR’s FICT has also been working closely with Huawei Technologies Malaysia for recruitment purpose as reflected by the latter’s regular presence in its annual Industrial Exposure Day.

Prior to the first signing of the MoU in 2012, Huawei had already sponsored and presented the prestigious MSC Malaysia Huawei Scholastic Awards to three UTAR graduates for their outstanding achievements in 2011. One of the students was also hired as a global service technical support engineer in Huawei Malaysia.

There are currently over 150 UTAR alumni serving in Huawei Technologies Malaysia.

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=131456

Keeping UTAR's quality assurance at its best


From left: Jayalechumi, Loh, Masfidayanti, Waheedullah, Manu, Prof Ewe, Nurdalila, Dr Nenita, Asmaa and Dr Chong

UTAR welcomed a group of delegates from Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) on 6 March 2019 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus. The official visit saw six MQA delegates, both local and international, visiting UTAR to gain insight on how UTAR maintains its quality assurance and standards.

The delegates from MQA were its Assistant Directors Asmaa Suid and Masfidayanti Mokhtar, Senior Executive Accreditation of Division of Finance Accreditation Agency Nurdalila Mohd Mohtar, Senior Qualification Analyst of Tonga National Qualifications and Accreditation Board Kisione Wesley Manu, Quality Assurance and Accreditation Coordinator of Kardan University Waheedullah Afghan, Coordinator of Accreditation and Operations Assistant of Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation Dr Nenita Belinia Nagarit. Welcoming them were UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Prof Ir Dr Ewe Hong Tat, Dean of Academic Quality Assurance Dr Chong Shyue Chuan, Director of Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) Loh Siaw Yien and DQA Assistant Manager Jayalechumi Gunasegaran.

The delegates were welcomed with an introduction video of UTAR before the room’s attention was switched to Dr Chong. In his presentation, he explained the role, procedures and standards that UTAR applied in its internal quality assurance policy to maintain the quality, integrity and systematic quality control of the university, which was led by the DQA.

“DQA is responsible for the coordination of the activities designed for quality assurance and enhancement of the academic programmes. To achieve the educational quality, the division focuses on compliance to standards set by the University Senate, Ministry of Education (MOE), MQA and professional bodies. Other than that, the division also monitors the implementation of proposed actions arising from external examiners, industry advisors, external review panel reports and MQA reports,” explained Dr Chong.

UTAR’s IQA Policy outlines the significant features of the IQA system, describing how quality assurance is planned and implemented to provide quality education for national advancement in line with the University’s vision and mission. The IQA System covers a wide spectrum of activities, focusing especially on all the areas as described in the Code of Practice for Institutional Audit (COPIA) and the Code of Practice for Programme Accreditation (COPPA) as well as quality assurance documents issued by the MQA.

UTAR’s IQA system also includes University Quality Assurance and Audit Committee (UQAAC) chaired by the Dean of Academic Quality Assurance. The Committee is responsible to ensure the university adheres to internal quality system requirements and external statutory bodies requirements, formulate policies or initiatives on quality assurance and enhancement, keep the university informed of national development in quality management and best practices for quality improvement, and raise awareness of quality policies and procedures among departments and faculties/institutes/academic centres through briefing sessions and publications.

The quality assurance process in UTAR is holistic as it includes the feedback and responses from the students and alumni.

“We have a channel for students to give feedback or appeal if they find out that the marking result of their examination is not up to standard. There is an official appealing system, where we will appoint the second examiner to carry out the marking process again. The dean will then decide whether the marking has been fairly done or not. All of these will be reported to the senates,” said Prof Ewe.

Other than the examination system, UTAR also takes students’ view into account in improving the quality of teaching and facility through feedback available in their student portal every trimester.

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=142843

Discussing MIMOS Technology and Artificial Intelligence

Being in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it has become more pertinent than ever for enterprises to understand the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the opportunities it has to offer. Building their organisations around it ensures their survival in this globalised world.

Seeing this urgency, the Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) together with the Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering (DMBE), and Centre for Computing and Intelligent Systems (CCIS) invited Dr Ong Hong Hoe, senior director of MIMOS Berhad to give a talk about the MIMOS Technology Overview on 5 July 2019 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

Dr Ong is an expert in High Performance Computing, Distributed Systems, Computer Architectures, and Software Engineering. He controls three software departments, namely Cloud Computing, Accelerated Computing and Artificial Intelligence labs.

In the talk, Dr Ong presented some analytics applications developed by MIMOS. He also highlighted some key issues that are present in the analytics applicationsand how to overcome them.


From left: Dr Ong and Janet Lee

Present at the talk were FAM lecturers and students from FAM, Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering, and Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.


Dr Ong and the students


Participating students and lecturers

Dr Ong began the talk by first introducing the background of the company. According to him, MIMOS Berhad is a national R&D company, flourishing in a research environment to cultivate technology areas from ICT to industrial electronics and cognitive analytics. MIMOS Berhad has multi-stakeholders. It has formed smart partnerships with universities, research institutions, government and industries.

During the talk, Dr Ong also mentioned that MIMOS is currently seeking graduates to join its company under their internship programme.

Thereafter, a meeting was held at KA600D after the talk to discuss areas of collaboration. Present at the meeting were representatives of MIMOS Berhad including Dr Ong, Yong Kek Kok, Senior Engineering Staff and Principal Data Scientist Dr Duc Nghia Pham.

Present on behalf of UTAR were FAM Deputy Dean for Academic Development and Undergraduate Programmes Dr Hen Kai Wah, Department of International Business Head Farah Waheeda binti Jalaludin, FAM Academic-cum-Organising Chairperson Janet Lee Sim Kuen, Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering Head Dr Kwan Ban Hoe and Centre for Computing and Intelligent Systems Chairperson Dr Ng Oon-Ee.

“I hope to collaborate with UTAR soon. I also hope to sign a memorandum of understanding with UTAR to explore other areas of collaboration. I hope we can have further discussions in the area of social sciences, in particular, Janet Lee’s research area— Artificial Intelligence Governance simply because Malaysia is still in its infant stage on having a Code of AI Governance,” said Dr Ong.

INTELLIGENCE 4.0 IR

Janet Lee then conducted a short talk titled “Intelligence 4.0 IR”, with the objective of introducing the benefits of Artificial Intelligence Governance and establishing its Code of Ethics. There was also a short video incorporated into the talk which showed an upgraded AI robot with human-like expression was being interviewed by an interviewer.


Janet Lee at the talk


During the collaboration meeting at KA600D, FAM


From left: Dr Kwan, Dr Ng, Dr Hen, Dr Ong, Yong, Dr Duc Nghia, Janet Lee and Farah

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=143859

MoU for international research collaboration


Prof Ewe (left) and Prof Li Zhe with the signed document

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between UTAR and Linyi University, China on 22 July 2019 at Sungai Long Campus.

The MoU was signed by UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik and Linyi University, China Chair of Linyi University Board Prof Li Zhe. Witnessing the signing ceremony were UTAR Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Prof Ir Dr Ewe Hong Tat and Linyi University, China School of Law Dean Prof Yao Jiantao.

Present at the MoU exchange ceremony were Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Dean Prof Ir Dr Goi Bok Min, LKC FES Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Head Assoc Prof Ir Dr Chang Yoong Choon, Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering Head Prof Ir Dr D. Rajkumar, Division of Programme Promotion Yong Chin Yi and Division of Community and International Networking Liu Dan. Linyi University, China was represented by Assistant to the Director of Office of International Exchange and Cooperation Zhang Di, School of Automation and Electrical Engineering Dean Prof Qiu Jianlong, School of Information Science and Engineering Dean Prof Zhang Wenyin.

The MoU aimed to initiate joint projects involving international collaborative research, share expertise and joint development of research, and facilitate academic development exchanges between both parties in the aspect of teaching, seminar, conferences and workshops. Aside from that, both parties have agreed to facilitate study visits and student exchanges to enhance students learning experience and to facilitate industrial placement for both UTAR and Linyi University, China’s students.

The event was followed by a guided campus tour before it adjourned.


From left: Yong, Prof Rajkumar, Dr Chang, Prof Goi, Prof Ewe, Prof Li Zhe, Zhang Di, Prof Zhang Wenyin, Prof Qiu Jianlong and Prof Yao Jiantao during the group photography session


Prof Ewe presenting the token of appreciation to Prof Li Zhe (right)


Prof Ewe (left) receiving a souvenir from Prof Li Zhe

This post has been edited by cnvery: Aug 11 2019, 08:56 AM

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=143881

GUFAE students gain supplemental learning experience at UTAR


GUFAE students with UTAR lecturers

An Accounting, Economy and Culture Learning Programme for a group of 40 students from Guangxi University of Finance and Economics (GUFAE) was organised by UTAR Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) at Sungai Long Campus from 21 July 2019 to 3 August 2019.

The two-week study tour offered GUFAE students a chance to explore the University, as well as to understand more about the learning environment and the culture of Malaysia. A wide range of activities such as visits to Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), Westports, TusStar Malaysia, Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC), Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Tower and Twin Tower were designed for them to provide insights into the culture and economic development of the country. Moreover, the programme included special lectures and talks that could add value to the students’ learning experience as well as enriching their academic credentials.


Dr Lai delivering his closing speech

The closing ceremony was held on 2 August 2019, where all participating students from GUFAE were presented with a certificate for their participation in the programme. Invited to distribute the certificates were FAM Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan and Division of Community and International Networking Director Assoc Prof Dr Lai Soon Onn. During the closing ceremony, Dr Lai shared a brief introduction about the University’s past collaboration and its relationships with universities in China. He hopes the study tour will provide the students with a better understanding of this vibrant multicultural country. He also hopes that the students would share their experience here with their families and friends.


Xiao (right) receiving the certificate of participation from Dr Lai


Tang receiving the certificate of participation from Dr Sia

Sharing his first-time experience visiting Malaysia, group leader Xiao Guang Yang said, “The tour has broadened our horizons. It exposed us to different socio-economic statuses which helped us to build compassion and better understanding for Malaysia. The lectures were informative and interesting, where we were able to learn things effectively and entertainingly.” He also mentioned that the study tour allowed him to see certain issues in a new perspective, which provided him with some insights for his academic studies.

Other members Hu Yun Lan and Tang Xin Juan commented that Malaysia was a place of good food and wonderful natural scenery. They shared their travelling experiences in Malaysia and talked about the similarities and differences between Malaysia and their country. They said the trip has rewarded them a lot, adding that they had no communication barrier while travelling in the country.

Source: http://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=144883

Tea meeting with UTAR President


Prof Chuah reminding graduands to keep a positive attitude during convocation

Graduands of March 2020 convocation not only enjoyed tea with UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, but they were also treated with great pieces of advice at the tea meeting, organised by Department of Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP) on 7 August 2019 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Also present were Faculty of Science Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology Dean Assoc Prof Dr Yap Vooi Voon, Faculty of Arts and Social Science Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Dr Noew Hooi San, Faculty of Business and Finance Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Yew King Tak, Institute of Chinese Studies Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Dr Ling Liong Ngo and DARP Head Lim Swea Jen.


Seated from left: Lim, Dr Lim, Dr Yap, Yew, Dr Ling and Dr Noew

Acknowledging that convocation is a significant event for both graduands and parents, Prof Chuah reminded graduands that convocation is also a formal event. On that note, he reminded them to dress appropriately and decently. He also emphasised that though convocation is a celebration of graduands’ academic achievements, he advised them to keep a positive attitude and avoid upsetting their parents on such a meaningful day.

When advising graduands on choosing a career, Prof Chuah reminded graduands that there is no absolute answer. “When you were younger, your parents made decisions for you. Now that you are about to graduate, it is important you understand what you want and make your own decisions. You need to weigh your judgements and think carefully on what you want to do after graduation,” advised Prof Chuah. He mentioned that some decisions that graduands will have to make include choosing to either further their studies or to work. If one chooses to work, he advised graduands that they will have to decide if they prefer to be self-employed or underemployment.

“Regardless of the choices and decisions you make, I want to advise graduands to be flexible. This is especially true when you are selecting a job. Do not be short-sighted and do not be overly selective. Know the opportunities offered to you and decide carefully,” advised Prof Chuah.

He enlightened graduands with some of the qualities that employers look for when hiring. The qualities were personalities, scholastic record and potential development, communication skills, experience, the ability to cooperate, recommendations, the standing of the University and salary expectation. Meanwhile, the traits that Prof Chuah listed as the reasons for graduands not getting hired were asking for unrealistic salary; being picky about the job or company; having poor character, attitude or personality; poor command in English; and poor communication skills.

However, he assured graduands by listing the personalities that employers look for in graduates. According to the survey done by JobStreet.com, the personalities include employees having the top five skills, which are leadership, technical, multi-tasking, communication and interpersonal skills. The survey also mentioned the top five attributes that make a good employee, which are reliability, trustworthiness, positive, independent and hard-working. Prof Chuah also included the top digital skills, namely digital marketing, e-commerce, big data and analytics.

On securing employment, Prof Chuah advised the graduands to do well in their interview, which includes preparing their resume completely and understanding the background of the company. He mentioned that it is important to know the role graduands are applying for and be prepared with the knowledge about the role by revising on the first two years’ subjects, final year projects and experiences from their industrial training. When attending the interview session, he advised graduands to dress formal, be punctual, alert, truthful and polite, and to communicate effectively. At the workplace, he advised graduands to be a good subordinate, practice good teamwork, ensure continuous professional development, prioritise organisational goals and always be ethical.

Prof Chuah also reminded graduands that the Fourth Industrial Revolution poses threats, such as job inequality and social tension, but the threats can be overcome. In spite of these challenges, he listed some of the opportunities brought forth by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as a rise in global income, improving the quality of lives around the world and technological innovation that will offer long-term gains in efficiency and productivity. To ensure that graduands are prepared to face challenges and embrace opportunities, he listed the top 10 qualities a graduate should have in 2020. Among the qualities are complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordination with others, emotional intelligence, judgement and decision-making, service orientation, negotiation and cognitive flexibility.

He reminded graduands to keep the university’s guiding principles and lastly advised them to seize opportunities, increase productivity, enhance one’s ability to compete in the global market and stay updated with the latest technological advances. He concluded by explaining the importance of human-nature interaction and advised them to maintain good human-to-human interaction. Graduands were also reminded to maintain a good attitude and be positive thinkers.

The graduands were also briefed by DARP and Department of Student Affairs on how they can stay in touch with the university after graduation, with hopes that they will sustain a strong network with the alumni community, and to be updated of the alumni association’s role.


Graduands listening attentively

Source: https://www.utar.edu.my/econtent_sub.jsp?fc...ontentid=148943

UTAR President Prof Chuah retires, Prof Ewe takes over


Prof Chuah

Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik is retiring as President/CEO of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) after more than 11 years with the university. Prof Chuah joined UTAR in March 2008 as the President and Chief Executive Officer and he has since held the position until his retirement.

Prof Chuah has had an illustrious career with UTAR creating many firsts for the university. He is a visionary with a keen foresight whose strategic decisions have elevated UTAR to tremendous heights of achievements that brought the university to the world map.

Under his focused leadership and his commitment to quality teaching and research, UTAR achieved favourable rankings and attained impressive awards from reputable institutions and Malaysian authorities. During his tenure as President, UTAR attained Self-Accreditation Status awarded by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency under the Malaysia Ministry of Education. In addition, for the first time, UTAR was awarded the Sin Chew Education Awards 2018/2019 for Outstanding Educational Institution in the Private Universities/Colleges category. In 2017/2018, UTAR was also awarded the CSR Excellence Award at the Sin Chew Business Excellence Award for its services and projects to the community, an initiative which he fully supports.

UTAR received its Times Higher Education rankings for the first time in 2017 and since then, the university has consistently gotten good rankings while maintaining its position. UTAR is ranked #101 - 150 in the Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2019 and#111 in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2019. UTAR retained its position within the band of #501-600 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and Top 120 in the Times Higher Education Asia Pacific University Rankings for the last two years in 2018 and 2019. UTAR is also ranked #188 in the QS Asia University Rankings 2019, an improvement from 2018.

Prof Chuah introduced and implemented the UTAR Soft Skills Development Certificate (USSDC) Programme for the students in the university. He has always encouraged entrepreneurship and supported many students in their activities including the set-up of a business incubator on campus. All these have contributed to our graduates enjoying a high employability rate of 95% to 97% within six months of graduation.

It was also during Prof Chuah’s presidency that many staff and students won numerous local and international awards for performances in sports, academia, projects, research and publications. He has indeed created a positive and encouraging environment for top performances among both staff and students that led to many milestone achievements.

Prof Chuah will continue to contribute his services in the fund-raising efforts of the UTAR Kampar Hospital and will continue to provide his advice on the development of UTAR Hospital.

UTAR ChancellorTun Dr Ling Liong Sik, UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Sak Cheng Lam and UTAR Council Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Ting Chew Peh expressed their appreciation to Prof Chuah for having served and contributed to UTAR as President for the past 11 years.

Representing BoT and Council, Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Sak Cheng Lum states "as much as we’ve been very reluctant to let him go, we had to accept his decision to retire. His contributions to UTAR have been immense and invaluable with his leadership in guiding the development of UTAR into an esteemed university that benefitted numerous lives and we would like to record that UTAR Education Foundation and Council thank him for the great work that he has done for the university. No words will be able to express our gratitude."

His successor is Ir Prof. Dr Ewe Hong Tat who will assume position as UTAR President/CEO after Prof. Chuah’s retirement.

Prof Ewe graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (1st Class Honours) in Electrical Engineering from University of Malaya in 1992. He completed his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA in 1994. In 1999, Prof Ewe obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University.

After working in Universiti Malaya and Multimedia University for 14 years, Prof Ewe joined UTAR as a Professor in September 2008 and was appointed the Dean of the UTAR Faculty of Information and Communication Technology in November 2008, a position he held until May 2010. Since July 2009, Prof Ewe assumed the position of UTAR Vice President (Internationalisation and Academic Development).

He was also the recipient of a number of awards including The Young Scientist Award of URSI (International Union of Radio Science) in 1996, The Outstanding Young Malaysian (TOYM) Award in 2005 for Academic Leadership and Accomplishment, and The Toray Science and Technology Award by Malaysian Toray Science Foundation in 2011.

He is currently a Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), Fellow and Secretary General of ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET), Chair of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society Malaysia Chapter, Deputy Chairman of Science, Technology and Innovations Consultative Committee of ACCCIM, Educational Counsellor and Regional Chair (Malaysia) of MIT Educational Council, and he was also a Council Member of Malaysia Qualifications Agency (MQA) from 2013-2018.

In publications, he has published 7 books and book chapters, more than 160 international journal and conference papers, and more than 150 newspaper and magazine column articles. His research interests include microwave remote sensing, satellite image processing, wireless sensor network and intelligent computing. He is also active in consultancy and technopreneur development works and was a consultant/advisor for several listed and start-up companies in Malaysia.


Prof Ewe

Source: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/201...in-2020/1789633

Congrats UTAR is ranked Top 600 in THE World University Ranking 2020, which is 2nd in Malaysia!



UTAR also ranked 6th in ASEAN ranking, and the only private university in Top 10.


This post has been edited by cnvery: Sep 16 2019, 09:33 AM

Source: https://www.utar.edu.my/dcinternet/index.jsp?fcatid=36161

Endowed Chairs

The University is committed to promoting research and scholastic development in diverse fields and has initiated the establishment of endowed chairs in 2009. This initiative has received good support from individuals, corporates, and foundations through the generous provision of endowments for the establishment of professorial chairs.

Since 2009, nine chairs have been established and the active chairs as of today are four. This has enabled the appointment of professors to develop and achieve excellence in research, development, education, and training in the respective fields of specialisation. Listed below are the endowed chairs and professors of the University.

Endowed Chair Holder
1. The Star Foundation Professor of Creative Industries - Prof. Dr. William Ray Langenbach
2. SHL Professor of Construction Management - Open for application
3. Brunsfield Professor of Civil Engineering - Open for application
4. Tan Sri Dato’ Philip Kuok Hock Khee Professor of Agricultural Science - Professor Dr Minoru Murata (Department of Agricultural and Food Science, Faculty of Science)

For information about establishing an endowed chair, please contact Dr. Lai Soon Onn, the Director of Division of Community and International Networking at 603 9086 0288 Extension: 385 or email laiso@utar.edu.my

Source: http://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2019/77/77.html

First place at the Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge Finals in New York


Keysight Technologies Chief Marketing Officer Marie Hattar (left) and Keysight Technologies Portfolio Marketing Senior Director Joel Conover presenting the winning prize of USD25,000 to Au Jin Cheng and Lim Wen Qing (second and third from left)

UTAR Lee Long Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science students Lim Wen Qing, Au Jin Cheng, Yap Sheng Yao, Tan Kai Siang and Khor Jun Bin won first (1st) place in the Smart Water category at the finals of the Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge held in New York, USA from 21 to 22 September 2019. The winning prize was USD25,000 and Keysight test equipment worth USD25,000. Keysight Technologies Inc sponsored two students from the UTAR team, Lim Wen Qing and Au Jin Cheng for an all-expenses paid trip to New York covering the airfare, accommodation, meals and transportation, to present their invention at the finals before a team of judges.

The Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge is a design competition that challenges engineering students worldwide to conceptualise low-power sensor networks to tackle issues brought on by today’s rapid urbanisation. The competition had two tracks/categories, namely The Smart Land challenge and The Smart Water challenge and the challenge was open to all countries in the region of Asia Pacific and Greater China, Europe, and the USA.

The UTAR students invented a smart device that can monitor water pollutants in rivers and lakes with readings that can be downloaded (through an app) by the community to monitor the quality of water. This device, titled the IoT Detachable Waterway Monitoring Device with LoRa and Self-Sustainability, uses natural energy sources from the sun, wind and water. It is truly an ingenious invention with much engineering and scientific principles applied.

The team members, at the idea conception and construction stages, worked rather independently on their own, seeking assistance for supporting resources from their advisor and lecturer Ir Danny Ng Wee Kiat. They spent hours and brainstorming sessions looking into the intricacies of the device to ensure that the model is tested for practicality and precision.


Jin Cheng (left) and Wen Qing, receiving the prize on behalf of the team, from Joel Conover


The UTAR team inventors of the IoT Detachable Waterway Monitoring Device (From left): Ir Danny Ng, Khor Jun Bin, Au Jin Cheng, Lim Wen Qing, Yap Sheng Yao and Tan Kai Siang

The preliminary stage of the Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge required participants to present their design ideas via online written and video submissions. It saw the participation of universities from three regions, namely the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific & Greater China. The preliminary stage attracted nearly 300 entries worldwide in both tracks.

Among the countries which participated in the Asia-Pacific and Greater China region were Australia, China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Within this region, more than 30 universities took part in the competition. From Malaysia alone, 10 universities, both public and private, participated in this challenge. Ultimately, the UTAR team was the only team selected as the finalist from the Asia-Pacific and Greater China region.

A total of six teams from both tracks (Smart Land and Smart Water), including UTAR, advanced to the final stage. The other five finalists were student teams from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA), Stanford University (USA), Massey University (New Zealand), Institute of Engineering & Management (India), and the University of Technology of Compiègne (France).


From left: Au, Lim, Joel Conover and Keysight Technologies Test Gear Expert and Content Strategist Daniel Bogdanoff

UTAR team’s winning entry, the IoT Detachable Waterway Monitoring Device with LoRa and Self-Sustainability, is a system device that consists of four major component functions which are, monitoring of the water contents— its acidity, temperature, turbidity, etc; reporting of the data using peer-to-peer LoRa Mesh network; analysis of data collected in the cloud using machine learning algorithm; and energy harvesting system which includes solar, hydro and wind energy for self-sustainability of the device.

According to the team, the node to node communication present in each device enables it to form a large sensor monitoring network. Moreover, Machine Learning is used to analyse the data collected for anomaly detection. The data collected can be used to predict the future condition of waterways for preventive purposes. It is self-sustainable with the help of renewable energy integrated into the system. The monitoring device is modular and can be modified based on the environment. Another feature of the system device also allows the public and community to report on any pollution found in waters, hence making it more community-driven.

By creating a massive monitoring network, the team believes that the system will be able to monitor every single point from all around the world and an immediate response can be taken whenever the water quality reaches a critical stage.

The concept and idea, according to the UTAR winning team, was inspired by the recent water pollution and contamination incident that took place in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Over 2,500 people were affected by gas poisoning and 111 schools were closed as a result of illegally dumped chemical wastes in the river. With a great concern to help solve this problem to prevent the people and the environment from suffering the same fate again in the future, the UTAR team discussed in great length and came up with this brilliant invention to help monitor and report on the quality of water in the waterways.


The IoT Detachable Waterway Monitoring Device being tested at the Kuala Selangor River for 1 week

Wen Qing said that, “In my opinion, the two possible reasons why we won this competition are that firstly, this device was created in relation to an actual problem that took place in Malaysia. Secondly, this device is modular. We have incorporated three energy harvesting systems to charge the battery. They are solar, hydro and wind energy. The solar panels, wind turbine and water turbine are detachable. Only the necessary parts will be installed on the device depending on the environment. For example, in the forest, solar and wind energy are not reliable. Thus, only a water turbine is attached to the device.”

He added further that, “This device was put to actual test on a river and it worked. We spent one week to test out the device in the Kuala Selangor River. The judges were also impressed that this device is very much community-oriented. People can easily report on any pollution found in waters by merely using an app. They can easily gain access to the data (condition of water) as well.”

He elaborated that the most amazing feat was that this device was created and built from scratch with support from the University. The process itself was educational and the team members were very hardworking and focussed. The collaborative teamwork to design and put all pieces together eventually was truly gratifying in the end.

Wen Qing, on behalf of his team, said, “I find the idea behind this challenge very useful as it greatly benefits the society and it looks into sustainability. The challenge was well organised and professionally implemented despite being held for the first time. Personally, it was an amazing experience. My team members and I feel very fortunate to have won this challenge.”

The team’s adviser and lecturer, Ir Danny Ng said that, “The IoT Keysight Challenge presented an opportunity for the students to compete with others on the world stage. The opportunity presented also enabled our students to compete and interact with students from other international universities during the time spent in New York. Through this challenge our students also gained valuable technical knowledge that will enhance their employability.”

At the finals in New York, the students demonstrated their design and systems device at a live-streamed event before a panel of esteemed judges. These judges include United Nations Public Information Officer Ariel Alexovich, Founder & CEO of LunaSonde-cum-Student Innovator Jeremiah Pate, Electrical Engineer and YouTube star a.k.a. “ElectroBOOM” Mehdi Sadaghdar, Senior Technical Editor for Aspencore Media Martin Rowe, Keysight Corporate and Portfolio Marketing Vice President Jeff Harris, General Manager of Keysight Electronic Industrial Products Christopher Cain, and Keysight Education & General Electronics Measurement Solutions Vice President Ee Huei Sin.


Wen Qing presenting the team’s IoT Detachable Waterway Monitoring systems to the panel of judges

UTAR is a not-for-profit university, so the students did not have access to huge funding for a start. However, these students were ingenious and resourceful. With much hard work and determination, they exceled and built the device using existing resources available to them. They also managed to source a sponsor who lent them testing equipment for the device. These students have brought much pride to their friends in the faculty, their family, the university and the country. Well done.

For more information on Keysight’s IoT Innovation Challenge, check out the event website at https://www.iotchallengekeysight.com/. A video on the competition is available here.

Keysight Technologies, Inc. is a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight's solutions optimise networks and bring electronic products to market faster and at a lower cost with offerings from design simulation, to prototype validation, to manufacturing test, to optimisation in networks and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defence, automotive, energy, semiconductor, and general electronics end markets. With the IoT Innovation Challenge, Keysight is looking for next-generation engineers who can think big and small to innovate solutions to the challenges that arise in this ever-changing world.


The IoT Innovation Challenge 2019 Award trophy

Source: http://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2019/75/75.html

Champion in CFA Society Malaysia Ethics Challenge 2019


From left: Hor, Kong, Lay, How and alumnus Jeff Tan Heng Siang

Four Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) students emerged as the Malaysia National Champion in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society Malaysia Ethics Challenge 2019 held at the InterContinental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 21 September 2019.

Organised by the CFA Society Malaysia to improve students’ awareness of the potential ethical dilemmas and issues faced by investment professionals in the investment management industry, the challenge required the participating teams to analyse real cases and formulate solutions to them.

Mentored by Finance lecturer Lim Chong Heng, the UTAR FBF team comprised Finance students Lay Yi Cong, Hor Cindy, Kong Jia Hui, and Financial Economics student How Chao Xun. Throughout the competition, the quartet proved their mettle in a 10-minute presentation which saw them demonstrating their maturity and understanding of the case, further impressing the judges with their precision in answering the judges’ questions in the subsequent session.

The quartet will represent UTAR at the Regional Grand Finals in Singapore on 19 October 2019.

Source: http://news.utar.edu.my/awards/2019/76/76.html

PR graduate wins fourth Supernewsroom Young PR Professional Award


Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Public Relations graduate Ku Wen Xin has added another mark of recognition to UTAR’s list of academic achievements by winning the “Supernewsroom Young PR Professional Award 2019” on 29 July 2019 at Kampar Campus.


Proud winner Ku (middle) with Maartandan (left) and Dr Lee

The award was presented by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of intelectasia Consultancy and Founder of Supernewsroom Manminder Kaur Dhillon, who is also the Industry Advisor (IA) for UTAR’s Department of Public Relations. Others present at the award ceremony were intelectasia Chief Strategy Officer Puspavathy Ramaloo, Dean of UTAR Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) Dr Lee Lai Meng, Department of Public Relations Head S. Maartandan, UTAR staff and students.

Ku, the fourth recipient of the award, received RM500 cash prize. She was selected among three shortlisted names for the interview process with FAS Dean, Deputy Dean, Head of Department and Manminder.

She was selected based on her excellent academic, soft skills and co-curriculum performances. Apart from acknowledging students for their outstanding achievements, the award also aims to recognise students’ excellence in their academic journey as well as to encourage their continuous contributions to the field of PR and in their future career.

“I am pleased and very thankful to have received this award and I would like to thank Ms Manminder for her initiative in motivating public relations graduates to strive for greater success and heights by recognising their academic accomplishments,” enthused Ku. She added, “Receiving recognition for your efforts is definitely a feel good emotion and I will certainly take this award as an opportunity for me to further propel in the field of communication and public relations.”

Ku also thanked UTAR and expressed, “This award would not be possible without the great guidance and support from my lecturers. UTAR has provided a well-structured syllabus and the lessons that I learnt in my three-year university life has given me plenty of exposure to public relations and event management. I am grateful to UTAR for its education and it has truly prepared me for my future career development. Thank you UTAR.”

Supernewsroom Young PR Professional Award was inaugurated to encourage and recognise PR students for their exceptional dedication, outstanding achievements and academic excellence throughout their academic journey. It is an initiative by UTAR and intelectasia Consultancy to understand and appreciate young PR talents who will help contribute to developing a collaborative network for advancing education and vacation.

New UTAR Hospital will locate within UTAR Kampar Campus.

You may refer below brochure for more details:



Official UTAR Hospital Page:
http://www2.utar.edu.my/uef/h/online_flyer_en.jsp
http://www2.utar.edu.my/UTARHospital_development.html

This post has been edited by cnvery: Oct 6 2019, 04:19 PM


Attached thumbnail(s)

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2...ion-in-new-york


(From left) Keysight’s chief marketing officer Marie Hattar presents a mock cheque to representatives from the UTAR team, Au and Lim, at the finals in New York.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2...66qsjZdjYMfW.99

A TEAM of students from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) has emerged as winners at the Keysight Internet of Things (IoT) Innovation Challenge grand finals held in New York.

They were crowned champions under the Smart Water category and won a prize of US$25,000 (RM106,000) in cash and US$25,000 (RM106,000) of select Keysight Technologies test equipment.

The UTAR team, which comprised Lim Wen Qing, Yap Sheng Yao, Tan Kai Siang, Au Jin Cheng and Khor Jun Bin, outdid nearly 300 participating teams from around the world and were ranked at the top alongside leading universities like Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The group won with their project entitled IoT Detachable Waterway Monitoring Device with LoRa and Self-Sustainability.

The team was inspired to design the water monitoring system to prevent major chemical incidents such as the ones in Pasir Gudang this year.

The UTAR students presented their innovation at a live event to a panel of judges including Ariel Alexovich from the United Nations division for Sustainable Development; Martin Rowe, Senior Technical Editor at Aspencore Media, the largest media company for the electronics industry; senior representatives from Keysight Technologies and more. Their project was scored based on metrics such as sensor ingenuity, measurement quality and frequency, cost/manufacturability/durability, insight gained from data analysis and battery life.

“This outstanding achievement by the team from UTAR is testament of the high level of innovation that Malaysian talents possess, with the capability to compete among the smartest and greatest on the world’s stage.

“At Keysight, we are proud and committed to enable next-generation student innovators in Malaysia and all over the world.

“This competition is one of the many ways Keysight is inspiring them to use technology to address real-world challenges, to innovate new solutions that positively impact the world,” said Keysight vice-president of education and General Electronics Measurement Solutions vice-president and general manager Ee Huei Sin.

Alexovich said that it was inspirational to see young smart talents creating projects that contribute towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – solving some of the world’s biggest issues in public health, water, air and food sources among others.

The Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge is a design competition challenging graduate and undergraduate engineering students to conceptualise low-power sensor networks to tackle issues brought on by today’s rapid urbanisation.

The contest had two tracks: the Smart Land challenge and the Smart Water challenge. Students submitted IoT sensor network ideas via online written and video submissions from April 1 to May 15.

The competition attracted nearly 300 participating teams of which six were shortlisted for an all-expenses paid trip to New York to compete live at the grand finals.

This post has been edited by cnvery: Oct 6 2019, 04:30 PM

Source: https://utar.edu.my/events/2019/oct/28.html

UTAR's JomPAY Campaign

Source: http://study.utar.edu.my/ddp.php

UTAR Double Degree Programmes (DDP)

UTAR Double Degree Programmes (DDP) is a special academic programme that allow students to graduate with two different undergraduate degrees in two discipline areas withing the the same faculty or in two different faculties.

It enables the students to complete the two degrees in a shorter period than it would take to complete both degrees separately.

The Double Degree Programmes available are:
- Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) & Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) Psychology
- Bachelor of Science (Hons) Construction Management & Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Entrepreneurship
- Bachelor of Communications (Hons) Public Relations & Bachelor of Business Administrations (Hons) Entrepreneurship

For more info, kindly visit http://study.utar.edu.my/ddp.php