5th Article : Establishing strategic collaboration and alliances

   THE Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)’s Advanced Technology & Innovation Centre (ATIC) was officially opened at the Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil by Institute of Technology Petronas (ITPSB) chairman Juniwati Rahmat Hussin recently.

  ATIC is established in line with the government’s policy that encourages transfer of knowledge and technology between universities and industries.

   It functions as a ‘one-stop centre’ for UTP to provide for the needs of industry and a ‘shop window’ to display UTP’s expertise and facilities worldwide.

   The centre was set up at Technology Park Malaysia to support collaboration between the university and external entities such as industry and government agencies.

   With the opening of ATIC, the university aims to promote collaboration and establish strategic alliances with the industry, academic and research institutions.

   It will provide support to academics and researchers at UTP in dealing with industry and research organisations, transfer knowledge and technology and promote deployment and commercialisation of IP through business collaboration and joint ventures through its commercialisation and IP unit.

4th Article IPTA : USM creates oil absorbent product from prawn shells

GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) researchers have created an oil absorbent substance from prawn shells.

   GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) researchers have created an oil 

absorbent substance from prawn shells.

   Research group head, Dr Suzylawati Ismail said the 10-year research found some special characteristics of the prawn shell that were effectively able to enhance the decomposition process in chemical and oil wastes in polluted water.

   The product known as Chi-Sorb, was created using oxidation technology that would enable simultaneous absorbing, clotting and scouring process, besides  having a faster reaction.

   "Chemically, the prawn shells modified by certain processes make for an effective absorbent substance to clean up oil-contaminated water.

   "The product is comparable to the normal synthetic absorbent material and is more environmental friendly because it is metal-free," she told reporters, here today.

   She said apart from treating water in industrial areas, the absorbent substance could be used to remove oil spills along the coasts, by scattering the substance onto the affected areas.

   She added that used Chi-Sorb could be used as fertiliser and easily disposed of.

   Last month, the research product won the main award at the Korea International Women's Invention Exposition (KIWIE) 2012 held in Seoul. -- BERNAMA

3rd Article : UPM gets AACSB accreditation

   SERDANG: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) is the first university in the country to receive an accreditation from the international body, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), recently.

   Among the universities which had received the recognition were Texas University of the United States, Chonnam National University and Dongguk University in South Korea, Istanbul University in Turkey and Peking University in China.

  Among the universities which had received the recognition were Texas University of the United States, Chonnam National University and Dongguk University in South Korea, Istanbul University in Turkey and Peking University in China.

   UPM vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi said, the recognition was for the Economic and Management Faculty and Putra Business School, making UPM the sixth university in South East Asia to receive the accreditation.

   "AACSB accreditation is a feature of excellence in business education which is only obtained by less than five per cent of business programmes in the world," he told a press conference, here, today.    

   AACSB, which was set up in 1916, is the oldest international accreditation body for business education at universities offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees programmes.    

   UPM's success was announced by AACSB president and chief executive officer John J. Fernandes in Tampa, Florida, United States through the website www.aacsb.edu on July 26.

   Dr Radin Umar said the accreditation process involved a stringent internal study, evaluations and adjustments and took several years to meet the 21 stipulated criteria.

   Among the criteria, he said were quality teaching activities, deciding on challenging but realistic standards, guiding improvement in education programmes and providing challenges to education to carry out continuous improvements.

   Furthermore, also taken into account was the academic quality as a result of the faculty communicating with students in a scientific programme which was supported by the institution including the existing quality of education in the institution.    

   Dr Radin said all business schools which received the recognition must undergo a 'Peer Review' process every five years to ensure their accreditations would be maintained. -- BERNAMA

2nd Article IPTA : UiTM to extract energy from 'petai belalang'

 Varsity teams up with Thai university to explore new green fuel.

BANGKOK: IN what is believed to be the first of its kind ever, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and a Thai university will "steam up" energy from a tree species.

UiTM rector (Pahang campus) Associate Prof Datuk Dr Hilmi Ab Rahman said UiTM would collaborate with Kasetsart University of Thailand to explore the new renewable energy source from "energy plantations".

He said wood from the Luceana tree could be burnt to produce steam, which could be turned into new energy to serve as an alternative to prominent energy sources such as oil, gas, coal and hydro.

"It is a green technology and renewable energy as the Luceana tree can be harvested in just 18 months compared with thousands of years for fossil fuel to develop."

He said, so far, no other country had produced energy based on Luceana wood.

The Luceana species is known as petai belalang in Malaysia, and ipil-ipil, in Sabah.

Dr Hilmi said the new renewable energy could offer a cheaper solution to the depleting fossil fuel and higher crude oil price, which hit about US$120 (RM365) per barrel.

"Investors are keen to look at the source of energy as they move towards green technology."

He said Kasetsart University had the expertise and technology in energy plantation as they had been carrying out research for 40 years.

UiTM has also engaged in the research of energy plantation, and together with Kasetsart University, the varsity aims to enhance its research, especially in the genetic engineering of Luceana tree, in ensuring the sustainable supply of the tree.

Dr Hilmi said UiTM had planted the Luceana species on a 5,000ha plantation in Merchang, Dungun, as its pilot project.

He said the new renewable energy had vast potential, not only for Malaysia and Thailand but also for the Asean region and worldwide.

"We need to educate the industry players that tree plantation is not merely for producing wood for furniture."

In Thailand, the tree is used to prevent soil erosion and its leaves are used as animal feed.

"Energy plantation may seem like a crazy idea, but it is doable," said Dr Wan Mohd Nazri Wan Abdul Rahman, a scientist of UiTM Pahang.

He added that the new renewable energy had been proven to produce one megawatt of electricity and generate a diesel engine in Sabah.

"We used two combustions, with 80 per cent consisting of the renewable energy and 20 per cent of diesel in generating the engine."

Dr Nazri said more research was needed if 100 per cent of the new renewable energy were to be used for the diesel engine.

He said the energy plantation pilot project was supplying energy for a timber factory in Kertih. Bernama

1st Article IPTA : UTM launches mobile hotspot bus

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) recently launched its first UTM Mobile Hotspot bus which is equipped with modems to enable 200 people to be connected to the Internet at the same time within a 100 metre radius of the vehicle.

Prof Dr Zaini Ujang launching the UTM bus equipped with Wi-Fi technology. Pic courtesy of UTM Johor

1 / 1

 JOHOR BARU: UTM Vice-Chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Zaini Ujang said the product combined Internet access with the smart antenna technology produced by UTM Wireless Communication Centre (WCC).

 "The WCC Mobile Hotspot  is UTM's latest technology product that is overseen by the Innovation and Commercialisation Centre. It will be commercialised by the private sector," he said at the university campus in Skudai here recently.

   Zaini said the  project  is WCC's collaboration with Maxis and bus provider Mara Liner. Maxis sponsored the SIM cards.

 The pilot project took three months to ensure that  the mobile hotspot quality is stable and consistent.

    "The use of mobile Wi-Fi on public buses will be a boon for  bus operators  as it would enable them to attract more passengers," Zaini said.

    UTM plans to use the product in all its buses as well as introduce it  to  Mara Liner buses, airport limousines and other transport  services.

    So far, the WCC has created  products like the smart antenna technology and the flat antenna, which is more effectiveness than the conventional antenna.

5th Article IPTS : Students recycle items into eye-catching stuff

ECO FRIENDS:Sunway College Johor Baru students show they can be both environmentally conscious and creative when they marked Earth Day recently
1 / 4   Themed "Earth Day Every Day", college principal Hor Poh Choo said the event aimed to cultivate a caring attitude towards Mother Nature among youths, raise awareness and involve students and the public in the environment protection movement.
   One of the main programmes of the day was the Recycling Awareness Project which is a campus-wide joint effort between staff and students whereby items made from paper, plastic and aluminum were collected for recycling.
   Information technology diploma student, Choong Han Sheng, 19, said the papers he collected for recycling were  mainly contributed by his relatives and friends.
   "I enjoyed the whole process of collecting and recycling because I know I am doing something very meaningful," explained Choong.
   Another student, Kow Yong Hui, 19, said, "We should learn to be more mindful of the environment and not to simply waste resources."
   A competition, "Re-Create", was held and the  pre-university, diploma, degree and professional accounting programme students were challenged to produce an item by re-using everyday materials such as magazines, aluminum cans, envelopes, plastic bottles and newspapers within 30 minutes.
   "The whole idea behind this competition is to test the creativity of the students and to help them realise how used materials could be re-used," said lecturer Thevidarsny Kaliapan who was in charge of the competition.
   A group of  A-Level  students won the hearts of the judges with their masterpiece which took the shape of a poodle.
   Team member Haran Mohanadas, 19, said, "We didn't just want to make something which served no purpose so we came up with an idea of a decorative cum storage object."  
   Another event held in conjunction with the event was the "Eco-Fashion" competition, coordinated by English lecturer, Vimala Devi, who was proud of the creativity shown by the students.
   Devi said the competition was meant to emphasise the merits of the 3R's -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- while having the interests of today's youth in mind.
   "In a group of five, the students were asked to design an outfit made out of used materials. I am impressed with the teamwork the students had shown through their outfit creations, many of which impressed the judges and made it difficult for them to decide," said lecturer and competition judge, Yoong Wai Sin.
   Winners of the competition was a group of A-Levels and Monash University Foundation Year  students who designed a Hawaiian-themed outfit made with aluminium foils, straws, egg trays, newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes.  
   "We watched the fashion footages from the television show Project Runway to gather ideas for our outfits which we completed within two days," said team member and appointed "designer" Wong Wye Kin, 19.
   Visitors  had a fun-filled morning with families  participating in games and activities which made use of reusable and recycled materials such as tissue boxes, paper cups, paper rolls, plastic bottles and cans.

4th Article IPTS : Innovation meaningless if remained in showcase

   CYBERJAYA: Any innovation would not be meaningful, if it only remained in a showcase, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili said today.

   He said it was not the creation of an innovation that should be the trophy of success but instead, the real victory would be when the innovation makes a

difference in the life of others.

   "For this we should not only look at the outcome in economic gain, but we should also celebrate creative innovations that affect simple positive changes in our society, those that make our lives a little easier, those that make us a little bit happier or even help us smile more," he said at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Graduation 2011, here today.

   Ongkili said the government with its clear foresight had outlined definitive strategies of transformation with an ultimate goal of ensuring prosperity and equitability for the people, which also seek to change the mindset of the people to embrace innovation and creativity as the very pillars for these changes.

"It is imperative that we work together for these common goals," he said.

   During the graduation Ongkili was also conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Leadership in Innovation, for his efforts in spearheading Prime Minister Datuk

Seri Najib Tun Razak's vision for innovation across all levels of society, upgrading Malaysia and it's citizens and enabling them to compete with the best

in the world.

   Besides him, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill in the City of London, the first Muslim elected into the British House of Lords, was also conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Social Development for championing a harmonious relationship between the respective traditions in Great Britain as well as across the world.

   Both were conferred by Limkokwing University of Creative Technology President Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing.

   About 1,000 students from 59 countries, including Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Denmark, Japan, Singapore, China and the Middle East who graduated, received

their scrolls. - Bernama

3rd Article IPTS : First Tourism Club for melaka multimedia university

 

   MALACCA: The country's first ministry-endorsed Tourism Club will be established by the Multimedia University (MMU) at its Malacca campus to promote tourism.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the 12-year-old university was an ideal choice for such a club to be initiated based on its strategic location in Malacca, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

   Students who are taking up courses in creative multimedia and information technology at MMU could help promote tourism using the digital and multimedia platforms, she told reporters after launching the 15th Chinese New Year Extravaganza organised by MMU's Chinese Language Society in Bukit Beruang on Thursday night.

Dr Ng said the club would initially function as a source of information on the uniqueness of Malaysia's tourist attractions to the estimated 2,000 international students studying at the Malacca campus.

    She also pledged RM10,000 as set-up fund for the club to implement its activities.

“The ministry will also assist the club, including training members who are keen to become part-time tour guides,” she added.

MMU president Prof Datuk Dr Muhamad Rasat Muhamad said Dr Ng's initiative was welcomed by the university.

   “We have more than 70 clubs initiated by students in MMU Malacca and I am sure there will be those thrilled with the idea and have what it takes to make this club a success.

“The combination of tourism with creative multimedia is interesting and will be an eye-opener for the students,” he added.

   Meanwhile, Dr Ng refuted claims that many Wanita MCA members were leaving the party.

She said such claims were not true at all and not even mentioned during the party's central committee meeting a day earlier.

“I can say confidently that no one has left Wanita MCA.”

2nd Article IPTS : College gives RM1.6mil in scholarships

For SPM school-leavers: Professor Dr Hashim (right) presenting a mock cheque of the college’s contribution to MIC to Devamany (in red batik shirt) during the cheque presentation ceremony at University Malaya recently.

     METROPOLITAN University College (KLMUC) contributed RM1,560,000 to help deserving students during the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Scholarship Day held in Universiti Malaya recently.

KLMUC Vice-Chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Hashim Yaacob presented the cheque to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk S.K. Devamany.

“We see this as an opportunity to contribute back to society by allowing the students who excelled in their studies to obtain higher education,” said Datuk Hashim Yaacob.

“More importantly, this scholarship will help KLMUC to fulfil its corporate vision to contribute to the progress of humanity and the advancement of knowledge.”

   The MIC scholarships are available from March 24 at all its Seminar Halatuju Lepasan SPM which will be held in Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Pahang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor.

All eligible SPM school-leavers can apply for the scholarship to further their studies.

The MIC Scholarship is a joint effort by the National MIC Youth Higher Education Bureau with 1Malaysia Indian Student Movement (1MISM).

   In conjunction with the March to June 2012 intake, KLMUC has developed the ‘Discover U Personality’ test to help SPM school leavers to match their personality with their future careers.

Students can play the “Life’s a Trip” game at the KLMUC microsite www.DiscoverU.com.my to find out more.

   KLMUC currently offers more than 50 courses under seven faculty schools.

Students can pursue courses in Media Studies, Built Environment, Health Science, Art & Design, Engineering & Information Technology, Business & Management as well as Hospitality & Tourism.

   For details, contact KLMUC via SMS to KLMU TAGN NAME STATE to 36600 or Toll-free line to 1800-88-5588. You can also visit KLMUC’s website at www.klmu.edu.my.

1st Article IPTS : Kolej Laila Taib – a varsity soon

SIBU: Kolej Laila Taib here will be turned into a full-fledged university in two to three years’ time in an effort to produce more engineers and technicians to meet manpower demands of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, said at the 110th Anniversary of the Foochow Settlement in Sibu celebration on Wednesday, that a 20-acre land next to the college’s present site would be used for expansion.

Taib announced a sum of RM10mil to start the project to turn it into a university.

“I have just completed the first draft of a detailed map survey. I tell you one thing – of all 1.6 million jobs which will be created up to the year 2030, more than 52% are for skilled workers who are diploma holders or graduates with degrees in engineering.

“In other words, SCORE is going to demand us to train more skilled workers. This is where the private sector can come in to complement the government’s effort for this purpose,” he said.

R&D: Accelerating development of science, technology and innovation Read more: R&D: Accelerating development of science, technology and innovation - Extras - New Straits Times

25 June 2012 | last updated at 11:32AM Science and technology have always played a pivotal role in Malaysia’s development and as the country continues to develop at a rapid pace this has become more apparent. This was the thought process for the development of the first National Science and Technology Policy that spanned 1986 to 1989.

It was established to promote the utilisation of science and technology to be used as a tool for economic development and the improvement of people and physical well-being, among others.

The policy encompassed the promotion of scientific and technological self-reliance in support of economic activities through the enhancement of research and development capabilities. This was done by creating an environment that was conducive to scientific creativity and the improvement of scientific, educational and other relevant infrastructure.

Next, the Industrial Technology Development: A National Action Plan, which ran from 1990 to 2001, was formulated focusing on three thrusts – strengthening institutions and support infrastructure for technological development, ensuring diffusion and application of technology, and elevating science and technology public awareness.

The Second National Science and Technology Policy (NSTP2) was formulated in 2002 and runs until this year.  The NSTP2 provides a framework for improved performance and long-term growth of the Malaysian economy with a special focus on seven strategic thrusts:

• Enhancing national capability

  and capacity for R&D, technology

  development and acquisition

• Promoting partnerships between

  public funded organisations and

  industries

• Accelerating the transformation

  of knowledge into value added

  products, processes, services or

  solutions

• Positioning Malaysia as a

  technology provider in key

  strategic knowledge industries

• Fostering societal values and

  attitudes that recognise science

  and technology as critical to future

  prosperity

• Utilising science and technology

  that are in conformity with

  sustainable development

• Developing new knowledge-based

  industries.

The policy will accelerate the development of science and technology capabilities and capacity for national competitiveness. It advocates maximising the utilisation and advancement of science and technology as a tool for sustaining economic development, the improvement of quality of life and safeguarding national security.

1st --> Make IT new

Innovation is key when a second- generation SME owner successfully transforms its core business for the digital age, writes Rozana Sani

1 / 5

“When I wanted something, I had to work hard for it. This meant either doing well in school — which would take time but I was too impatient — or having to go and make money,” says the spirited 35-year-old with a sparkle in her eyes.

Nadira fondly recalls her first business venture in Standard 1 where she bought sweets in bulk from the neighbourhood grocer and sold them to classmates for a handsome profit.

The effort resulted in her being able to buy her first Barbie.

“When I did my bachelor degree in electrical engineering at UTM (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia) in Skudai (Johor), I found time to give tuition to schoolchildren. I also had small business ventures with friends.

“During my third and final years, I even found time to work in Singapore — I would head down to the city-state in the evening and return to university at night, in time for my classes in the morning. I did sales and with what I earned, I bought myself a car — while still studying,” she says with glee.

Upon graduation, she entered the engineering field. But that stint lasted only three years, in part because of her outgoing nature.

“When my father asked me to take over the family business at the age of 25, I welcomed it with open arms,” she says with a smile.

Read more: Make IT new - Tech - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/tech/make-it-new-1.74315#ixzz20eu7FxOh

THINKING out of the box and finding a solution to a problem that works, and works well, is second nature to ICT entrepreneur Nadira Mohd Yusoff.

From a very young age, she had learnt that thinking creatively, studying trends, having the right strategy and having the guts and will to pull it off are what’s needed to achieve one’s target in business. She is, after all, the daughter of a seasoned businessman.

The eloquent and energetic CEO of Nadi-Ayu Technologies Sdn Bhd says: “My father had always been doing business and as a family, we went through the ups and downs with him. He wasn’t easy on us and he expected us to appreciate what it means to earn a living.

“I was hooked on business ever since. I later offered car wash services to the neighbours.

China Has the U.S. Beat

By Adam Aston

Published December 07, 2010

I've been watching China's ascent in cleantech for a couple of years. In that time China's potential to leapfrog the U.S. has gone from talk to substantive examples of leadership. Even so, I've been surprised by the increasing frequency with which China is pushing ahead in new fronts of cleantech development.

Earlier this week, the latest surprise came from energy secretary Steven Chu, who's been talking up China's green progress in an effort to boost Washington's resolve on clean tech policy.

In a talk at the National Press Club, with characteristic forceful clarity (PDF of slides), Chu illuminated the growing list of sectors where China's emerging leadership threatens U.S. players, and added leadership in supercomputing as the most recent Sino-superlative. China's success in these technologies represents a "Sputnik Moment" for the United States, Chu said.

"When it comes to innovation, Americans don't take a back seat to anyone -- and we certainly won't start now," said Secretary Chu at the event. "From wind power to nuclear reactors to high-speed rail, China and other countries are moving aggressively to capture the lead. Given that challenge, and given the enormous economic opportunities in clean energy, it's time for America to do what we do best: innovate."

China's ascent to the top of the list for supercomputing speed reveals a new front in this race. Last month China's Tianhe-1A, developed by Chinese defense researchers, became the world's fastest supercomputer, with a performance level of 2.57 petaflop/s (quadrillions of calculations per second, for all the geeks in our audience, based on a standard test), substantially eclipsing the U.S. DOE's Cray XT5 "Jaguar" system at Oak Ridge national labs in Tennessee, which runs at 1.75 petaflop/s. Third place is also held by a Chinese computer.

Supercomputers may seem long way from grid-competitive solar panels, long-range electric car batteries, or other cleantech gizmos, but advanced computational simulation is the keystone of most leading-edge scientific research, including nuclear energy, nanotech and materials science, proteomics and other advanced biotech applications. Basically, any very advanced science these days needs big computing horsepower. Leadership on the fastest-computer league tables has been traded off many times, between U.S., Japanese and European computing centers. China is a relative newcomer to the race, but is clearly the new elite.

Chu highlighted several crucial technologies -- mostly in the areas of power generation and  transportation -- where China is already outpacing U.S. efforts, adding the U.S. must innovate or risk falling far behind. The following is from the DOE:

Noteworthy International Environmental Regulations in 2012 and Businesses' Response Strategies

Principal Investigator : Jang Hyun-suk(zestjang@kita.net) Research.

With growing interest in climate change and environmental protection, countries around the world have expanded their technology regulation for reasons of saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and protecting the environment. With the number of TBT notifications issued around the world reaching 1,101 in 2011, the number of technology regulations related to energy and the environment has soared from 99 in 2004 to 200 in 2011. The share of developing countries among the TBTs submitted to the WTO has also surged from 51.6% in 2004 to 81.2% in 2011. In addition, unlike in the developing countries, the regulations related the energy and environment sectors in advanced countries were introduced through a very thorough, careful, and detailed process. Therefore, if Korea is not well-prepared to tackle this issue, its export will meet a big obstacle. 

on Import and Export of Korea's Businesses>

From 2012,  airlines that land and take off at the EU countries must be taking part in its emission trading scheme(EU-ETS). Cars that emit more carbon dioxide than mandated by the CO2 emission regulation will be fined. All the imported tires should be labeled with the information about their CO2 emission as well. As Korea, the U.S., and China will ban the sales of 100W or higher incandescent bulbs, the import and export of the product will be impossible. In addition, India is also strengthening its technology regulations to the level of that of Europe, as shown in its recent move to oblige labeling of information about six toxic substances that are banned on electric and electronic products imported to India. Against this backdrop, South Korea needs to closely monitor the developments and prepare response measures. 

<Influence of International Environmental Regulations

Pricing worries cloud outlook for India's IT industry

Reuters Jul 13, 2012, 09.44PM IST

• 

(A squeeze on billing rates…)

BANGALORE/MUMBAI: A squeeze on billing rates is clouding the outlook for India's IT industry, which is feeling the pain of discount demands from its key financial sector clients.

Infosys, India's No.2 software services exporter, said on Thursday pricing fell by 3.7 percent in the June quarter from the previous quarter, and larger rivalTata Consultancy Services said prices fell about 1 percent.