April Issue - UTAR News - Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Wholly owned by UTAR Education Foundation (Co. No. 578227-M)BROADENING HORIZONSTRANSFORMING LIVESH ORIZONAPRIL 2011UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMANPP13003/04/2012(029707)Professorial chair established > p2Mock cheque presentation (from left): From UTAR, Registar Dr Tan Kee Kong, Dean of the Faculty of Science Dr Lim Tuck Meng and President Ir Prof Dato’Dr Chuah Hean Teik; Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dato’ Dr Hou Kok Chung; from Kouk Foundation, Trustee and Deputy Chairman Kay Kuok OonKwong, Trustee Dato’ Oh Bak Kim and General Manager Lynette NgUTAR-JACTIM career fair > p3UTAR to offer Journalism inChinese Media > p9Sinergi strategik UTAR-PERPEMA > p20Mydin’s boss shares > p4Tapioca biofuel > p12Historian talks on WWII > p6Earth Hour 2011 > p14UTAR hosts Plymouth U,Tamkang U, Karsertart U,… > p8副 部 长 与 学 生 领 袖 交 流 > p19UTAR 12th Convo > p10&p11Publisher : Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman9, Jalan Bersatu 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul EhsanPrinter : Printplus Sdn BhdNo 26 & 28, Jalan 8/155, Perindustrian Bukit O.U.G, 58200 Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur

UTAR-JACTIM career fairUTAR and Japanese Chamber of Trade and Industry Malaysia(JACTIM) jointly held a one-day career fair at UTAR Kuala LumpurCampus on 2 March 2011.The career fair aimed to provide opportunities for leadingJapanese companies to recruit UTAR students on campus beforethey graduate. Fourteen JACTIM members participated in the fair.They included world-class electronics manufacturers such as Canon,Hitachi, Panasonic, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba, and Toray MalaysiaGroup.“Through collaboration with external corporations, the Universityserves to bridge the students with these corporations for internshipand employment through career fairs and career days organised byUTAR Department of Alumni Relations and Placement,” said UTARPresident Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, after thanking theparticipating organisations and JACTIM for jointly organising thefair.“The career fair acts as a [quality] checkpoint for students asthey complete their studies; because we provide opportunities toonly deserving bright individuals by taking them under our wingsand flying with them to success,” said Managing Director of SharpElectronics (M) Sdn Bhd Takashi Mikami, also a member of Board ofDirectors of JACTIM, adding that JACTIM members were more thanhappy to meet UTAR students.“Having the right attitude towards work, pleasant personality andgood communication skills are values the prospective employeesTun Dr Ling (centre), Prof Chuah Hean Teik (left) and Mikamilaunching the UTAR-JACTIM career fairUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 3should possess,” said Noor Afifa Kamarudin, a human resourceofficer.“The career fair has served as a guide for me to be better preparedfor the competitive working world,” said second-year ChemicalEngineering student Ngoo Cheong Hing, adding that the fair was aneye-opener for him on what the employers required of employees.Also present at the opening ceremony was UTAR CouncilChairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.UTAR receives RM100,000 computer lab from OSKDato’ Lim (sitting) trying out a computer in the lab with ProfChuah (right), U (behind Lim) and the prize-winning studentsUniversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) officially received a computerlab worth RM100,000 from OSK Investment Bank Berhad (OSKIB) ata ceremony at UTAR Kuala Lumpur Campus on 24 March 2011.The computer lab was a prize won by 20 students from thecampus in the inaugural OSK Investment Challenge in October2010, a seven-week-long online stock trading competition whichmore than 29,000 students from 592 institutions of higher learningparticipated. The 20 students used the investment skills theylearned online and secured the first place in the campus categorywith the highest combined portfolio value of RM5,323,278.25 andwon a computer lab and equipment worth RM100,000 (UTAR NewsOctober 2010 issue page 8).“Our students are encouraged to participate in healthycompetition to expand their potentials and talents beyond theclassrooms and to put what they had learnt from lecture intopractice,” said UTAR President Ir Professor Dato’ Dr Chuah HeanTeik, adding that apart from the versatile, broad-based and industryalignedcurriculum, UTAR students were introduced to a variety ofleadership and soft skills development programmes that preparedthem to meet the demands of the competitive world and to thrivein it.Applauding the 20 UTAR students who had contributed to thewin, OSKIB Chief Executive Officer U Chen Hock said, “It is yourstrong gumption and business acumen, your passion, confidence,competitive spirit and your drive for entrepreneurship that havehelped you to succeed in your endeavours.” He added that he waspleased with the success of the inaugural OSK Investment Challengeand the enthusiasm shown by UTAR.“We have identified the domestic financial industry as one of theprimary contributors to the growth of our new service economy;in this regard, we already possess a proud body of work, especiallyin our Islamic capital market,” said Deputy Minister of FinanceMalaysia Dato’ Ir Donald Lim Siang Chai, who was speaking as theguest of honour for the ceremony.“However, Malaysia needs to continue to develop its other capitalmarket segments in order to stay competitive in this global market,”Dato’ Lim continued, adding that he was glad that OSKIB and UTARhad worked together to contribute constructively in meeting thecountry’s agenda.

UTARHORIZON4 From Talks to ForumsAPRIL 2011Mydin’s boss shares experiences“You decide what you want to do; you must [then]like what you do and do it with a passion,” saidMydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad ManagingDirector Dato’ Haji Ameer Ali Mydin, sharing hisexperiences with an audience of more than 200at UTAR Perak Campus on 23 March 2011.Dato’ Ameer Ali was invited byUTAR Department of Consultancy andCommercialisation to speak in UTAREntrepreneurial Talk Series. He was the secondentrepreneur to speak in the series; the first wasthe president of Associated Chinese Chambersof Commerce and Industry of Malaysia and theGroup Chairman and Chief Executive 0ffice ofthe Lion Group Tan Sri William Cheng Heng Jemin January 2011 (UTAR Horizon February 2011,page 4).Mydin, a household name, operates 79retail outlets of hypermarkets, emporiums, bazaars, mini-markets,convenient stores and franchise outlets throughout the country.Enlivening his talk with occasional humorous remarks thattriggered laughter from the audience, Dato’ Ameer Ali highlightedthat hardworking, determined, being ambitious, honest, punctualand having good communication skills were the common traitspossessed by a successful entrepreneur.“Never underestimate your competitors, learn from yourcompetitors and do better than them,” he added, advising studentsto stay competitive and not to be afraid of positioning themselvesnext to competitors.Responding to a question, he advised students to secure theirqualifications and work after graduation to accumulate experiencebefore venturing into business, and aptly invoked a Malay saying,“Naik tangga jangan berlari, kerana jika berlari, kita mungkin akanterjatuh satu hari nanti (Do not run up the stairs, if we do so, wemay fall one day).”Dato’ Ameer Ali presentingAgricultural Sciencelecture series launchedUTAR constantly support the development of fields of study ofemerging importance to national economy such as AgriculturalScience. For that reason, the University launched the lecture seriesat Petaling Jaya Campus on 25 March 2011.Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry MalaysiaChua Tee Yong, who was officiating the launch, said that agriculturesector remained as an important sector for the economy of thecountry and added, “The holding of the Agricultural Science lectureseries by UTAR is therefore timely and will contribute constructivelyand in line with the ministry’s efforts to promote the agriculture andagro-based industry.”UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik said thatAgricultural Science was essential to food production of not onlyMalaysia but also the world and agro-based industry was thus veryimportant to the country’s economy. He added, “Therefore, it isvery important for UTAR to support the development of agro-basedindustry.”The inaugural lecture entitled ‘Food, fibre and fuel never go outof style’ was presented by Fellow of Academy of Sciences MalaysiaDr Tan Swee Lian. She started on the impact agriculture had onhuman history and civilisation and ended with what were to comein the future. She said today’s challenges in agriculture were climatechange, shrinking accessibility of land, diminishing water resources,and world’s population exceeding food supply around 2020, andadded that ways must be found to overcome these challenges.New fields of specialisation emerged today were biotechnology,nanotechnology, food safety and sustainability and impact on theenvironment.Through Genetic Engineering, commonly known as GM, a form ofBiotechnology, we now have pest- and herbicide-resistant soybean,cotton and corn; increased shelf life tomato, ringspot virus-resistantChua (left) receiving a basket of fruits from Prof ChuahDr Tan (left)with Dr Wongduring the Q&Asessionpapaya, and nutrient-improved ‘golden’ rice.“In the future, we even have chewing gum that you can chew, andchew, and chew, and the taste is still there,” said Dr Tan, previewingthe future nanotechnology ‘Willy Wonka’ gum.Moderating the lecture session was Associate Professor Dr WongHann Ling from the Faculty of Science, UTAR.

Forum on commercialisationUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 5“For the nation, the more innovations produced, the more robustthe economy will become in the face of global competition,”said Dr Mohamed Majid Konting, the moderator of forum on‘Commercialising Research and Development Findings’ held at UTARPetaling Jaya Campus on 29 March 2011. Dr Majid, an associateprofessor from Universiti Putra Malaysia, added that the forum wasto address the various issues pertaining to commercialising researchfindings of academicians.The forum was one the many activities organised by UTAR andMalaysian Association for Education. Earlier that day, the two partiessigned a memorandum of understanding which was witnessedby Deputy Minister of Higher Education Malaysia Dato’ SaifuddinAbdullah (see page 20).“There are a lot of research done in universities, a lot of articlesin the shelves, a lot of findings, but no expertise to commercialisethem,” said forum panellist Prof Dr Barjoyai Bardai, adjunct professorand director of Global MBA Program, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak. Hespoke of his sabbatical leave in Silicon Valley during the digital boomin the 1990s. While the venture capital setup in Malaysia was not asdeveloped as that in USA, Prof Barjoyai advised start-ups to exploitwhatever resources available to them.“The National Biotechnology Policy was launched by Pak Lah[former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]in 2005,” said panellist Dr Kodi Isparan Kandasamy, Vice President(Agriculture) of Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation. He addedthat the policy had three phases of implementation. First phasewas for capacity building, the second phase from 2011 to 2015 wasto nurture existing biotechnology companies to ensure extensivecommercialisation, and the final phase from 2016 to 2020 was toraise the standards of these local companies to compete globally.The third panellist was Ong Chui Koon, senior general managerand senior principal consultant of SIRIM Berhad, and intellectualproperty (IP) consultant to the Ministry of Science, Technologyand Innovation. He said that laws protecting IP, research findings,inventions and innovations were available. Ong added that therewould be a central depository for research findings ready forcommercialisation to promote to potential investors.Dr Yap (right) presenting a souvenir to Prof YeapCan this photo be trusted?Prof Dr Alex Kot Chichung from Nanyang Technological University,Singapore gave a talk on ‘Can this photo be trusted?’ at UTAR PerakCampus on 13 April 2011. He was serving as the external examiner forthe Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Electronic Engineering programmeof UTAR.Prof Kot said because digital cameras were so common nowadaysthat photos from the public were readily available for journalisticreports. But there was the challenge of how to authenticate thesephotos. His talk introduced several techniques used to detectcommon image forgeries. These forensic techniques generally usedstatistical detection of image tampering anomalies.On ‘perceptual mapping’“How humans integrate successive views to form a perceptual mapis a paradox,” said Director of the Centre for Artificial IntelligenceResearch, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, ProfAlbert Yeap Wai. He was invited to talk on ‘A Theory of PerceptualMapping: How Humans Integrate Successive Views’ at UTAR PerakCampus on 4 March 2011.He added that humans need to integrate successive views witha certain transformation process. And recent studies on the longtermperceptual map indicated that we do not remember muchof what we have seen due to a phenomenon known as ‘changeblindness’.Prof Yeap’s research interest is on how the mind works. Hehas developed computational theories explaining how humansperceive large-scale spaces and understand a language. He saidthe theory presented in the talk, which explained how the processprobably worked, had been proven through tests on a mobilerobot.After the talk, he met with Head of the Department of ElectronicEngineering Dr Yap Vooi Voon and other UTAR staff to discuss oncollaboration.Prof Kot

6 UTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011Chye during the talkLocal historian talkson WWII“During the Japanese occupation, we werenot permitted to speak in English and wererequired to learn Japanese in school,” said 82-year-old historian Chye Kooi Loong in his talkon ‘Dark Days: the Malayan Campaign andthe Emergency’ at UTAR Perak Campus on 23March 2011.Chye was a young boy in Kampar whenthe Japanese invaded Malaya. He wrote abook entitled ‘The British Battalion – MalayanCampaign 1941-1942’ after seven years ofresearch on the Battle of Kampar. His bookand unflinching efforts to preserve thebattlegrounds in Kampar had led to his awardof the Member of the British Empire (MBE)from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.Chye recalled, “Students who went to schoolcould bring back some rice, a little sugar andother foodstuffs. We did not have enough foodso we only had tapioca in the morning andporridge and salted fish for dinner.”The Battle of Kampar was part of the MalayanCampaign during World War II where Britishand Indian troops fought against the Japaneseand suffered heavy casualty. Chye attributedthe British defeat to the lack of preparedness,weapons and training for jungle warfare of theBritish forces. The Japanese were patriotic totheir country and emperor and well trained toDeputy Dean of Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) Dr Wong Wun Bin (secondfrom right) handing over a souvenir to Chye, while Mrs Chye (third from left)and other ICS staff look onendure hardships and fighting in the jungle, and had an establishedspy network in Malaya since early 1900s.After the war, the Malaysian Communist Party, which foughtin the war, demanded independence from the British but failed.Discontented, they caused tension forcing the British governmentto declare a state of emergency. During the Emergency, thecommunists, mainly Chinese, fought with arms they obtainedfrom the British and Japanese. Many Chinese rubber smallholdersand tappers were coerced into paying ‘protection money’, buyingsupplies, giving information and keeping silence. To prevent Chinesepeasants from aiding the communist guerrillas, the British resettledthem away from the jungle in guarded fenced compounds called‘new villages’.The British eventually defeated the communists. Chye attributedthe British victory to the counter-insurgency tactics of the BritishHigh Commissioner of Malaya Sir Gerald Templer, which includedan Orang Asli (aborigine) reconnaissance taskforce that couldeffectively locate enemy camps in the jungle. The communists didnot gain the support of both the Chinese, whom they had ill treated,and the Malays, who, unlike the atheist communists, had strongreligious faith.Sudoku Godfatherarrives at UTAR“Is Sudoku a puzzle or a quiz?” Maki Kaji, who first coined the word‘Sudoku’, began his lecture with a question.Kaji was invited by Malaysian Sudoku Society and UTAR to give aspecial lecture entitled ‘Behind and Beyond the Borderless Grid’ atthe National Sudoku Seminar held at UTAR Petaling Jaya Campus on19 March 2011. Fondly referred to as the ‘Godfather of Sudoku’ bythe puzzle fans, Kaji was instrumental in a chain of events that madeSudoku a worldwide phenomenon. Currently he is the president ofNikoli Co, Ltd, Japan, a leading publisher of popular puzzle magazinesand books, which was founded 25 years ago.“A puzzle can be solved in a logical way, and there is always asolution; so Sudoku is a puzzle,” Kaji answered his own question,suggesting that unlike a puzzle, a quiz needed no logical deduction.He had been travelling around the world since 2005 and foundthat Sudoku was widely accepted as a popular pastime across allage groups and socio-economical backgrounds.More than 150 participants, ranging from the youngest six-yearoldSudoku fan to students, educators, and members of seniorcitizen associations, attended the seminar. Also present were TohPuan Ena Ling (wife of UTAR Council Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik),UTAR Council Member Dr Milton Lum and Director of the Centre forExtension Education Dr Prudence Goh.During the seminar, there was a Sudoku contest. Kaji had alsoautographed on Nikoli’s books of those donated to the relief fundfor Japan. According to Nikoli, 88,000-yen donation was received.The youngest and one of the oldest participants with Mr Kaji.Mr Kaji is signing his autograph on the booklets. All proceeds collected wereto be used for disaster relief for the recent Japanese Tsunami victims.

UTAR to offerJournalism in Chinese MediaIn Search of ExcellenceUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 9Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dato’ Hou Kok Chunghanded over the approval letter from the Ministry of HigherEducation for UTAR to offer its Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Journalismin Chinese Media at a ceremony held at UTAR Petaling JayaCampus on 4 April 2011.“In deciding to launch a new programme, we conduct marketsurveys to ensure our graduates are absorbed into employmentmarket to continue our trend of 97 percent of our graduatesbeing employed six months after their final exam,” said UTARPresident Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik. Prof Chuah addedthat UTAR had decided to offer the Journalism in Chinese Mediaprogramme in view of the growing number of users of Chineselanguage, the mushrooming of Chinese media in the countryand also the emergence of China as a global economic power.“While it is trivial for an institution to receive approvalletters, what not trivial is that Chinese has been approved as amedium of instruction,” said Dato’ Hou when commenting onthe approval for the programme to be conducted in bilingual –English and Chinese. “For the Master of Arts (Chinese Studies)programme [currently conducted in UTAR], it was approvedthat its thesis could be written in any of the three languagesUTAR best social entrepreneurDato’ Hou (centre) presenting the letter ofapproval to Prof Chuah while Dr Nge looks on– English, Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese,” continued Dato’ Hou,adding that his ministry had taken on the liberal stand on theuse of more than one medium of instruction with the view ofachieving greater academic excellence.UTAR anticipated that there would be ample employmentopportunities for graduates of the programme not only inMalaysia but also in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore andother countries with growing Chinese readership.Also present at the ceremony was UTAR Dean of Faculty ofCreative Industries Dr Carmen Nge Siew Mun.Starting from fifth left: Prof Chuah, Yeoh, DrTeh and Dr Nge with the contestantsThe best ‘social entrepreneur’ in UTAR emerged when theLittle Rain Children Trust Social Entrepreneurship Business PlanCompetition 2010-11 concluded at UTAR Perak Campus on 9March 2011.The Little Rain Children Trust, which sponsored thecompetition, was established by Mark Chang Mun Kee, chiefexecutive officer and founder of JobStreet.com, with theobjective to provide opportunities for the development ofyoung adults and children for the betterment of mankind.The Best Social Entrepreneur Award of the competition wasgiven to the UTAR student with the best project plan to solvesocial problems faced by the poor with innovative applicationof entrepreneurial principles. The contesting students werejudged for the sustainability and impact on the community thattheir project plans provided.“Today’s competition is very special because it is not just acompetition about entrepreneurship business plans, but [theaspect of] the word ‘social’ is emphasised in this competition,”said UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, addingthat as members of society, every one of us, rich or poor, shouldcontribute to the society and students could do so by giving“Today’s competitionis very special because itis not just a competitionabout entrepreneurshipbusiness plans, but [theaspect of] the word‘social’ is emphasised inthis competition.”Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teikideas to help the community.Three contesting project plans, ‘AV-1 Win’, ‘Going Green’ and‘Straight Workshop’, were shortlisted for the final and werepresented to the three judges, Yeoh Liew Se (representingChang), UTAR Vice President (Student Development & AlumniRelations) Dr Teh Chee Seng, and Dean of the Faculty of CreativeIndustries Dr Carmen Nge Siew Mun.“My visit to a mushroom farm when I was in form six hadgiven me a better understanding of the business and promptedme to propose a plan to start a mushroom farming business,”said second-year Computer Engineering student Athel She TuChun Ket, after winning the best social entrepreneur award andcash prize of RM1, 000 with his entry ‘AV-1 Win’.She Tu, from Sabah, proposed to the rural community inSabah to work together to grow Oyster mushroom and sellthe produce to complement their other incomes. The extraincomes could also help improve the healthcare quality of thecommunity.“Mr Mark Chang has decided to give a further RM10, 000 tothe winner to implement his project to test its feasibility,” saidYeoh, who announced the winners on behalf of Chang.

10 UTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011UTAR celebrates 12First 1,195 Perak GraduatesUTAR 12th Convocation, which was held at Dewan San Choon, Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur on 19 and 20 March2011, saw UTAR’s first PhD graduate, inaugural batch of 1,195 graduates of 22 honours bachelor’s programmes from PerakCampus, and 17 pioneer Mechatronics Engineering graduates. At the convocation, 1,626 students graduated from one PhD, sixmaster’s and 38 honours bachelor’s programmes. Among the bachelor’s graduates, 91 received first-class honours.Deputy Education Minister graces ceremonyThe three sessions of the convocation ceremony spanned over the weekend. The guests of honourwere Deputy Minister of Education and National Chairman of MCA Youth Datuk Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong(left) for the first session, member of UTAR Council Dato’ Dr Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Rouse, secondsession, and member of the Board of Trustees of UTAR Education Foundation and UTAR Council DatukLeong Tang Chong, third session.Part-timers make itHo Chan Wai, an IT engineer working in Seremban and Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) (part-time programme),said, “It was hard to juggle both work and study but I was determined to finish what I started. This ceremony [convocation] isan unforgettable day for me.”R Jeevan Raj, an assistant manager working in Kuala Lumpur and Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) (part-timeprogramme), said, “UTAR has offered me a good foundation which will help me to climb the corporate ladder in the future.”Graduates share…Pathmapriya (left), Dr Seng (centre) and Tan (right) Ang Cheong Ong Siti ShahidahFrom Petaling JayaAng Swee Yoke, production assistant, Prima Media andBachelor of Communication (Hons) Broadcasting who was also inthe Dean’s List in May 2008 and October 2009, said, “I thank UTARespecially for the support and help given us to win the best shortvideo awards in Astro Nexgen and MAViC in 2010. I was an assistantproducer for both competitions. I had a lot unforgettable momentsof wearing costumes of the 1950s’, travelling around the country forshooting, and attending the award presentation ceremonies.”Cheong Kar Kiet, Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) BiomedicalEngineering who was also in the President’s List in January 2008,said, “We gained a lot of valuable experiences through universityactivities. In the IEEE student conference, I met students from othercountries and learned about the latest technologies. My internshipat Radiacare allowed me to learn technical skills and aboutadministrative work systematically. UTAR had prepared me well formy future career.”Ng Tong Lip, process engineer, Lipotech Engineering Sdn Bhd,Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Chemical Engineering with first-classhonours and a book-prize winner, said, “UTAR Chemical EngineeringDepartment has trained me to apply relevant knowledge inChemical Engineering calculations, analysis and design. I was veryfortunate to have been an intern in Titan Chemicals Corp Bhd as ithas taught me how to deal with people at all levels professionally,allowing me to expand my networks in future.”From PerakTan Jiunn Han, a UTAR Master of Philosophy (Social Science)student, Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) Psychology withfirst-class honours and a book-prize winner, said, “The quality ofUTAR is contributed by the qualified lecturers who are patient andenthusiastic in bringing up [the standards of] the students. The firstclasshonour and book prize will drive me forward for greater thingsin the future.”Pathmapriya Ganasan, customer service engineer, ScopeInternational, Standard Chartered Bank, Bachelor of Social Science(Honours) Psychology with first-class honours and a book-prizewinner, said, “UTAR has taught me that nothing is impossible aslong as I’m willing to work hard. Studying in UTAR had moulded mypositive character and improved my interpersonal skills.”Aster Kyle Gunasekera, music director, Icepeak Solutionsand Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Public Relations, said, “Myinternship in Institute of Public Relation Malaysia has given mevaluable hands-on working experience which will benefit my future

thconvocationFirst UTAR PhD graduate“I’m honoured to be UTAR’s first doctorate graduate and owe it all to my lecturers, family and friends,” said DrSeng Hoi Ling (left), UTAR’s first PhD graduate who worked as a lecturer in a private university.Dr Seng started with a Master’s programme at UTAR, which was later upgraded to PhD level, and her researchthesis was on “Duplex and G-quadruplex DNA Binding, Nucleolytic Property and Topoisomerase I Inhibition ofDifferent Series of Metal (II) Complexes.” She, who was working to finance her studies, had worked hard andpersisted to complete her studies within three-and-a-half years.International graduates praise UTARUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 11Toni, Indonesia, Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) Communications and Networking, said, “UTARwas where I had many experiences. First, city life at Petaling Jaya Campus during my foundation programme andthen country life at Perak Campus for my degree programme. Life in Kampar is not as boring as many may think,because of the scenic campus, close friendship and interesting studies. I have really enjoyed my life in UTAR.” Heplanned to continue to study Master of Computer Science in UTAR.Sandy Christian, Indonesia, Bachelor of Information Technology (Hons) Communications and Networking,said, “I have enjoyed the diversity of cultures in UTAR very much and learned many cultures, languages, andexperiences from friends around me. UTAR have offered me good education through a learning environment of agreat campus, complete facilities, and qualified lecturers. Life was great when I was in UTAR.”Shieh, Pey-Jiee, Taiwan, Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Broadcasting, said, “Studying in UTAR was theright choice for me because my proficiency in English improved during my three year studies in UTAR.”(Left: Dato’ Mohd Aminnudin giving out scrolls to Toni (top) and Sandy)Yap (second left)Ng with parents and brotherChang with parents and sistercareer. UTAR also gave me knowledge on management andcommunication that had helped me do my part-time job in anevent agency better.”Jolyn Ong Chooi Leng, English teacher, Hin Hua HighSchool and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) English Language, said, “Ihave fond memories of studying hard during my three yearsin UTAR. I listened attentively during lessons and if I did notunderstand the lessons well, I would look for the lecturers anddiscussed with them. They had been very helpful.”Soon Jiunn Yann, project coordinator, Mutiara (FE) PteLtd, Singapore, Bachelor of Science (Honours) ConstructionManagement with first-class honours and a book-prize winner,said, “UTAR curriculum is quite sufficient for us to start work. Thelecturers assigned us additional activities such as site surveying,3D modelling, defects checklist, and risk assessment; these reallyhelp much in the industry, especially in Singapore, where lots ofpaperwork are required to be approved before starting work.”Kow Kwan Yee, reporter, The Star, Penang and Bachelorof Communication (Honours) Journalism with first-class honoursand a book-prize winner, said, “What I learned in UTAR definitelyhelp me a lot in my current job, since my major was Journalism.I’m very happy to be a first-class student; all my previous effortslet me harvest such a wonderful fruit.”Yap Wei Wen, an Intern in Financial Sector TalentEnrichment Programme and Bachelor of Business Administration(Hons) Banking and Finance with first-class honours and abook-prize winner, said “My degree is a stepping stone for meto enter the banking and finance field, which has a lot of futurepotentials. Studying in UTAR has enabled me to be independent,to cope with stress and work with others. The soft skillsprogrammes have been useful to me, especially on interviewskills, thinking out of the box and taking charge.”Siti Shahidah Mohd Hassim, Bachelor of Commerce(Hons) Accounting, said, “I decided to study in UTAR because ofthe University’s reputation. I also found all my fellow universitymates very helpful.”Chang Kok Yung, project coordinator, Liew Yin YinConstruction Sdn Bhd, Ipoh, Bachelor of Science (Honours)Construction Management with first-class honours and a bookprizewinner, said, “Studying in UTAR allows me to understandeasier the real environment of construction and the practicalaspects of work. I am planning to continue with a Master’sdegree in near future.”

UTARHORIZON12 In Search of ExcellenceAPRIL 2011Tapioca biofuel“Rising global crude oil prices has prompted the search foralternative energy sources to reduce the reliance on crude oil, andthis has opened up a lot of opportunities worldwide,” says Dr LowChong Yu from UTAR Faculty of Engineering and Science.An alternative energy source is biofuels, which are derived fromorganic materials or biomass. Dr Low says unlike fossil fuels whichare depleting, biofuels are renewable energy sources, which notonly can reduce air pollution and greenhouse effects caused byburning of fossil fuels, but also enable sustainable developmentthat provides employment and improves economy.Dr Low adds that the development of biofuels in other countriesis quite advanced. For instance, ethanol (an alcohol) as a biofuel iswidely used in gasohol – a mixture of gasoline (petrol) and alcohol –in Brazil, USA and Thailand. Although the development and use ofbiofuels is critical, it is unpopular in Malaysia. Therefore, UTAR hasurged its Chemical Engineering students to study the developmentof biofuels.Led by Dr Low, a research group on biofuels was set up. Itcomprises three students Lim Syly, Koh Cin Cong and Voon MengSeap. While most UTAR Chemical Engineering students studythe production of alcohol using crops such as cassava (commonlyknown as tapioca locally) and sweet potato, and biowastes such asbanana peels and weeds, the group focuses its attention on the useof cassava and sweet potato, because studies on their use are moreextensive and they give high ethanol yield.“Our studies involve using cassava and sweet potato as rawmaterials to produce biofuels; through fermentation they produceThe biofuel group (from left): Lim, Koh,Dr Low and Voonethanol, a type of alcohol,” says Lim.Koh concurs and says, “Both cassava and sweet potato are richin starch and suitable for the fermentation process to produceethanol.” He adds that ethanol can replace petrol and as it produceslesser carbon dioxide, it reduces the greenhouse effects. Thetropical climate of Malaysia is suitable for planting these two crops.They grow fast and have no special cultivation requirements, justonce or twice application of fertilisers. They are cash crops and notstaple food of the people. Therefore, they do not cause increasein food prices. “Most importantly, planting of cassava and sweetpotato creates job opportunities and provides farmers with a steadyincome,” Koh concludes.Voon says that ethanol also increases the octane number of thefuel and hence reduces vehicle fuel consumption and harmful gasemissions. Started their research in the 1970s, Brazil is the world’sleader in sugarcane cultivation for ethanol production and in usingethanol as a fuel. “Brazil has produced ‘neat’ [purely] ethanolvehicles whose engines are different from those of usual vehicles,”says Voon, adding that Malaysia should emulate Brazil to progressin developing ethanol technology.UTAR staff receivesACU fellowship“It has been an honour working with Professor Samjid Mannan ofKing’s College, London,” says Deputy Dean (Student Developmentand Industrial Training) of UTAR Faculty of Engineering and ScienceDr Rajkumar Durairaj.Dr Rajkumar was awarded the Wishton Titular Fellowship of theAssociation of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) to work togetherwith Prof Samjid Mannan from the Department of Physics, King’sCollege, London, the United Kingdom from October to Decemberlast year.He adds that Prof Samjid, who has more than 15 years’ experiencein electronics manufacturing, is one of the foremost researchers inthe UK. Prof Samjid receives more than £1.5 million from bodiesincluding Engineering and Physical Science Council of the UK for hisresearch and consultancy activities.Dr Rajkumar has gained much knowledge from his trip to Londonand is kept abreast with the latest developments of his field inEurope.“The research culture in King’s College is very different from thatin Malaysia; theoretical and planning stages of publication receivemore emphasis there,” he says, adding that quality of research workin Malaysia will be improved tremendously if the same approach isadopted here.Dr Rajkumar with an FEI Quanto FEG scanning electronic microscopeat King’s CollegeLikewise, UTAR can also benefit by emulating the researchculture of King’s College as it works towards achieving the researchuniversity status. For that reason, UTAR is planning to have moreactive collaboration with King’s College.“The postgraduate students in King’s College are very thorough,independent and have good communication skills; my experienceworking with them is guiding me on how to nurture and guide UTARpostgraduate students in that direction,” says Dr Rajkumar.

UTAR wins prizes inpublic speakingUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 13UTAR first-year English Education student VictoriaAnak Akiew won second prize, while UTAR secondyearBiotechnology student Lovinia Sugunasilan wasin the fifth place in the Inter-Varsity Public SpeakingCompetition held at Universiti Teknologi Mara(UiTM) Perak on 8 March 2011.Organised by UiTM, the competition aimedto promote public speaking skills in English. Tencontestants from six universities and collegesparticipated in the competition. The competitionwas divided into two sessions. In the first session,students presented a seven-minute preparedspeech, while in the second, an impromptu speech.“The competition was challenging as thecontestants had to give an impromptu speechimmediately they received their topic,” said Victoria,adding that she felt confident after seeing judgesnodding their heads when she was speaking.Though Victoria had been participating in publicspeaking competitions and debates since hersecondary school days, she was still nervous but thejudges did not notice that because she was able tocompose herself throughout the competition.“I always want to win in every competition but Idon’t feel bad for not winning the first price in thiscompetition because the [first prize] winner wasreally strong,” said Victoria, adding that she hadlearnt much from this competition.The guest of honour, who gave out the prizes,was Dato’ Mohammad Zahir bin Dato’ Abdul Khalid,Perak state executive council member for education,higher education, ICT, human resources, scienceand technology.Victoria delivering her speech atUiTM PerakUTAR hauls six medals inSukan PerakCompeting against 15 other contingents,10 from Perak districts and five from otherinstitutions of higher learning, UTAR won sixmedals in this year’s Sukan Perak, the first ofsuch meet that it had ever participated in.Three female foundation students won fourmedals. Chan Wai Man won a gold medal intaekwondo women’s poomsae event. CheongWei Ying won gold in women’s kumite (65-kilogram) event and bronze in women’s kataevent in karate-do. Foo Lih Yie won a bronzemedal in women’s kumite (65-kilogram)event. UTAR men’s and women’s basketballteams each won a silver medal.UTAR taekwando teamwins bigUTAR taekwando team won five medals in the firstcircuit of Perak Taekwando Junior Development LeagueChampionships, which was held at Dewan SMK AirKuning, Kampar on 26 February 2011.The competition, organised by Kelab TaekwondoImperial BG, Persekutuan Taekwondo Negeri Perak, andMajlis Sukan Negeri Perak, aimed at preparing studentparticipants for the upcoming Sukan Perak. The winners(top picture from left): Ooi Pei Wan (Biochemistry)and Gan Xiang Yan (Accounting) won gold medals inwomen’s poomsae events; Low Seng Hwa (Chemistry),silver in poomsae; and (bottom picture from left) CheeChung Yean (Psychology), gold and Yap Thai Ming(Foundation in Science), silver in sparring.

UTARHORIZON14 Community at HeartAPRIL 2011UTAR goes dark forEarth HourAll lights were switched off and candles were lit at SportsComplex, UTAR Perak Campus, at 8.30pm on 25 March2011, 24 hours before the official Earth Hour. Some 320UTAR students and staff supported the initiative which wasorganised by Community Service Society and Kampar DistrictCouncil. The event started with a speech by Chai Wai Kit, theorganising committee chairman, and a performance by the ⅓Band (bottom left) from Perak Campus, before the purposefulblackout. In darkness, the participants were entertained byperformances by UTAR students and Chinese festive drumband of Pei Yuan High School, Kampar. The night climaxedwhen the participants formed the figure ‘60’ (top right) for the60 minutes of Earth Hour with their candles and observed amoment of silence (top left) for the victims of the earthquakeand tsunami in Japan. A flying lantern ‘kongmingdeng’, with astring attached for security, was released sending the people’swishes to heaven before the one-hour darkness ended.Month-long voluntary workin TronohUTAR Public Relations students engaged in voluntary work to improve theeducation, health and environment aspects of Tronoh Mines New Village from14 March to 10 April 2011. Deputy Home Minister Dato’ Lee Chee Leong wasinvited to officiate the campaign on 9 April and present were (top left picture,from left) Keranji State Assembly Coordinator Chang Gwo Chyang, Village HeadCheah Ah Low, Dato’ Lee, Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Science Dr SebastianFrancis, UTAR Vice President Dr Teh Chee Seng, and Kampar District CouncilRepresentative Khairiyah Abdul Halil. Projects undertaken included blooddonation, free medical examinations, pap-smear test and advice from traditionalChinese medical practitioners; cleaning up and beautifying of community halland the old market; and charity run for building a mini-library.Concert for a good causeCommittee members with the home’schildrenCharity Concert 2011 filled the night of 23 February 2011 with music anddance performances for a good cause. The proceeds from the concerttotalling RM4,000 went to the welfare home Ruman Angels Kanak-Kanak, Kuala Lumpur, which housed 14 children. UTAR CommunityService Society and Music Club, who took two months to prepare theconcert, was also collecting clothes, books and money donated by thepublic for the home’s children for a few weeks before the concert. “Theconcert and donations is a way we give back to the community,” saidHow Kha Tiam, the organising committee chairman.

A night withChemistryOnce again, UTAR Chemistry Society cooked up a night of music,songs, dances, food and lucky draws at Perak Campus on 27February 2011. Chemistry Night 2011, themed ‘Sapphire &Moonlight’, started with a dance to the 2010 FIFA World Cupofficial song Waka Waka followed by two songs by KevinderSingh, jazz by flautist Siah Yi Lyn and saxophonist Tan Jing Cong(bottom) and a sensual dance (top).Colours & RhythmsUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 15A karaoke star isbornAfter two months and three rounds of selection, the UTARkaraoke star was finally born. From 200 participants whocame for the five-day audition from 24 to 28 January 2011, 20semi-finalists were selected and after the semi-final on 19 February, 10 finalistsemerged. At the final on 26 March, Chew Shernhui (bottom) emerged aschampion while first and second runners-up were Cheong Hui Ting and NoelTan Xin Ngoh. The chief judge Christopher Lay (top) performed in the final.The UTAR’s Idol 2011U.Star Singing Competition, which emulated the famous US reality show,was held at Petaling Jaya Campus on 12 March 2011. The contest open tostudents of Klang Valley campuses saw eight finalists competing in threerounds. In the first round, contestants selected their songs from a givenlist; second round, a duet, and third, a song of their choice. Chew PohHua emerged as this year UTAR’s idol and she received her prize from VicePresident Dr Teh Chee Seng (picture).Lifestyle photo expoThe Photography Society showcased photos on lifestyles from UTAR students and staffin a photo exhibition at Heritage Hall, Perak Campus from 7 to 9 March 2011. There wasa board presenting 1,240 photos of ‘Faces of UTAR’ students and staff (right), exhibitionbooth called ‘The House’ (left top) made of recycled materials and a shooting studio (leftbottom) which charged RM2.00 for a 4R photo.

UTARHORIZON16Students in ActionAPRIL 2011Tea meeting with the President“There are advantages and disadvantages working in big or smallcompanies; the early you realise your own strengths, the early youcan find a suitable job for yourself,” said UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’Dr Chuah Hean Teik, addressing graduating students who filled upthe Heritage Hall of Perak Campus on 23 February 2011.It was during the Tea Meeting with the President, an annual eventorganised by the Department of Alumni Relations and Placementfor UTAR President and the University to give advice to graduatingHeritage Hall-full of graduating students during Prof Chuah’s addressstudents before the convocation.“Attending an interview is an art; thus, students should preparewell and do a survey before attending an interview,” said ProfChuah, urging students to be good employees who would abide tocompany rules, conform to corporate culture and able to work in ateam. He also encouraged students to continue to learn to updatethemselves for the changes ahead.55 companies seek UTAR graduatesCareer talk at FICTStudents visiting booths at the career fair“Our past experience has given us confidence to recruit more UTARgraduates this time,”said Recruitment Manager of S P Setia GroupCarmen Lim May Yuen, adding that her company had recruited afew UTAR graduates last year and some UTAR students were doinginternship, and they were all performing well.S P Setia Group was among the 55 companies that participated incareer fair held at Perak Campus on 30 and 31 March 2011 to grabUTAR graduating students as their employees.The other companies included manufacturers Carsem (M) SdnBhd, Flextronics Technology (Penang) Sdn Bhd, J.K. Wire HarnessSdn Bhd, LB Aluminium Berhad, Pacific Food Products Sdn Bhd,Plexus Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Top Glove Sdn Bhd and Unisem(M) Sdn Bhd; banking groups CIMB, Hong Leong Bank Berhad,Maybank, OCBC Bank and Public Bank ; insurance groups PrudentialAssurance and Great Eastern; and accounting firm and professionalbody Deloitte Malaysia and Chartered Institute of ManagementAccountants. Those participated for the first time were AEON Co.(M) Berhad, Amcorp Properties Berhad, Famosa Resort Hotel SdnBhd, Hai-O Raya Bhd, Popular Book Co. (M) Sdn Bhd and Sushi KinSdn Bhd.A total of 1,722 students registered for the career fair where 11career talks were held by companies and a professional body.Earlier, on 8 March 2011 the Faculty of Information andCommunication Technology (FICT) in Perak Campus also held itscareer day. Twelve companies and organisations participated inthe career day and they were software developers Centric128,Datamicron, eBworx, and Silverlake; system integrators Cominteland Recogline Technology; banking groups HSBC and OCBC;government agency CyberSecurity; non-governmental organisationCyberCare; and recruitment agencies JobStreet and JobMarketMalaysia. The prospective employers conducted career talks andinterviews at the faculty.

Teambuilding onBroga HillUTAR Career Development Club took some 40 students to ateambuilding camp on the weekend of 9 and 10 April 2011 aroundBroga Hill, Semenyih, Negeri Sembilan.Obstacle course activities with fancy names such as Crocodile’sPit, Giant’s Finger and Whale Watch were already waiting for thestudents when they arrived at the campsite near Broga Hill. Ofparticular interest was the Flying Fox activity which challenged theparticipants’ physical and mental endurance. After the obstaclecourse, it was free for the students to explore the campsitesurrounding, go mountain-biking and kayaking, and play basketballand volleyball. In the evening, the students gathered around acampfire to have barbeque and fun.Sunday, before dawn, the campers hiked up Broga Hill for abreathtaking view of sunrise – a priceless moment for those whoreached the hilltop on time. Soon after they descended the hilland had breakfast, another round of obstacle course awaited them.Every one was drenched with sweat after the grand finale.Students descending Broga HillUTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 17Psychology WeekImprove your memory at...UTAR Psychology Society held an exhibition, workshops, videopresentations, games and treasure hunt during the PsychologyWeek from 14 to 19 March 2001 at Perak Campus.Information on symptoms and prevention of insomnia, phobias,On 9 April 2011 UTAR Vice President (Student Development andAlumni Relations) Dr Teh Chee Seng flagged off the first treasurehunt ever organised by the Traveller’s Den – a UTAR student club.The treasure hunt from Perak Campus, Kampar to Virgo BatikResort, Lumut attracted eight competing four-in-a-car teams.Before the flag-off mechanics had a safety check on all the cars.Along the way, contestants were required to answer 50 questionsand find five treasures items within the stipulated times with theaid of clues and maps provided.At dinner, the winners were announced. Being the first to arrive atthe finish line with the most correct answers, the team comprisingLiew Sung Han, Ng Tze Khei, Hong Lin Kern and Ronald Siaw SoonLoong, three UTAR students and one Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahmanstudent, emerged as champion. First runner-up went to a team offour Biomedical Science students - Yeap Hong Kheng, Lim Pooi Gaik,Kang Chin Hooi and Lee Kah Leng, while second runner-up wentto Ong Aik Cheng, Eng Jia Ming, Wong Kit Lee and Yong Jia Hui -Accounting, Banking and Finance, and Environmental Engineeringstudents.obsessive compulsive disorder, stress and eating disorders wasdisplayed at the exhibition. There were also three booths for mentalgames such as crossword, and psychological and memory tests.In a lecture hall, a video on cognitive psychology was shown andworkshops were held.Low See Kim conducted a workshop on active imaginationtechnique devised by analytical psychologist Carl Jung, where aperson could probe his unconscious and subconscious mind andhence gaining a degree of control over the mind through relaxingthemselves by listening to soft music and following specificinstructions.In the narrative therapy workshop, participants drew their lifestory as ‘tree of life’ and painted different parts of the tree withcolours they preferred. Developed by David Attenborough fromDulwich Centre Foundation and Ncazelo Ncube from REPSSI, themethod enables participants to understand themselves better andimprove their cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects.Participants also learned in the relaxation workshop the properbreathing techniques to de-stress their body and mind to have ahealthier lifestyle.First UTAR treasure huntSafety check before the startDr Teh flagging off the hunt

18UTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011Lion dance in actionAt the launch (from left): Dr Teh, Lee, Dato’ Mah and Prof ChuahFour-season wushuUTAR students demonstrated the ‘four-season’ wushu to Perak Executive CouncillorDato’ Dr Mah Hang Soon and an audience of about 450 in Wushu Night on 9 April2011.Held at Kompleks Rakan Muda, Kampar, it was the first Wushu Night organisedby UTAR Wushu Club. Dato’ Mah officially opened the event with UTAR PresidentIr Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah Hein Teik, Vice President (Student Development and AlumniRelations) Dr Teh Chee Seng, and Advisor to Wushu Club Mr Lee How Chinh.The performers welcomed the audience with an auspicious lion dance, a musthavefor the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year cerebration. It was followed bythe spring’s 24 festive drum performance; summer’s Hong Quan ( 洪 拳 ); autumn’sNanquan ( 南 拳 ), Changquan ( 长 拳 ), and spear performance; and Taiji ( 太 极 ) whenall martial artistes clothed in winter white. The night climaxed with the comicalsketch entitled ‘Fighting for the Bride’ as the finale. Blending martial arts withhumorous dialogues, the sketch won the audience’s laughter and applause.Winter’s TaijiA trip to NirvanaForty UTAR students visited Nirvana Memorial Park, ShahAlam, Selangor on 9 April 2011. It was one of the ‘corporatetrips’ organised by the Business Administration Societyto expose students to actual corporate environment. Thestudents were given a guided tour of the memorial park andbriefing on the services the park offered. The party latervisited Sin Chew Daily head office in Petaling Jaya, Selangor,where they learned about the history and operations of theChinese daily.Presentation at NirvanaMooi is Chinese Chesschamp againMooi Yung Pin defended his champion title in the UTAR ChineseChess Championship 2011 organised by Board Games Club at PerakCampus. He took home a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize.Dominic Tan Haw Chuang, Heng Yak Siang and Sem Jun Jie won thesecond, third and fourth prizes respectively. The championship wasconducted according to the rules and regulations of the Asian ChessAssociation. It was held over two days on 19 and 20 February 2011.The Swiss system was used on the first day to determine the eighttop players based on the points they scored. On the second day, theeight top players went through the elimination or knockout methodto determine the four winners in the finals.Players in full concentrationMooi receiving his prize from Department ofStudent Affairs Officer Khor Chien Yen

拉 大 视 野UTARHORIZONAPRIL 2011 19高 等 教 育 部 副 部 长 拿 督 何 国 忠 博 士 于 2 月 19 日 , 于 金 宝 大 酒 店会 见 拉 曼 大 学 76 位 学 生 领 袖 。 出 席 交 流 会 的 包 括 霹 雳 州 行 政 议员 拿 督 马 汉 顺 、 拉 曼 大 学 校 长 拿 督 蔡 贤 德 教 授 、 副 校 长 李 仕 伟教 授 ( 研 究 与 商 品 化 ) 及 副 校 长 ( 学 生 进 展 与 校 友 联 系 事 务 )郑 志 成 博 士 。“ 大 学 生 活 是 人 生 最 珍 贵 的 体 验 。 念 大 学 不 只 是 为 了 一 纸 文凭 , 也 是 学 习 如 何 生 活 的 一 个 过 程 。”然 而 他 提 醒 学 生 说 , 当 所 作 的 选 择 不 是 那 么 美 好 的 时 候 , 这些 挫 折 却 能 让 生 命 更 有 痕 迹 。文 学 戏 剧 相 结 合孙 春 美 老 师 分 享 中 。沟 通 与 成 长中 华 研 究 院 现 代 华 文 文 学 研究 组 、 中 文 系 及 中 研 会 联 办的 马 华 戏 剧 工 作 坊 , 于 3 月26 日 及 27 日 在 霹 雳 总 校 成 功举 行 。 戏 剧 工 作 坊 邀 请 本 地著 名 戏 剧 工 作 者 孙 春 美 老师 担 任 课 程 导 师 , 吸 引 了 约100 位 同 学 参 加 。戏 剧 工 作 坊 的 主 要 目 的 是将 文 学 以 及 戏 剧 相 结 合 。 除了 让 学 员 感 受 文 本 的 动 感 ,也 希 望 学 员 们 能 够 从 中 学 习戏 剧 的 演 绎 技 巧 以 及 发 挥 本身 的 演 艺 潜 能 。文 学 修 行 之 路拉 曼 大 学 中 文 系 、 拉 曼 大 学中 华 研 究 中 心 现 代 华 文 文 学组 、 拉 曼 大 学 中 研 会 于 3 月23 日 在 霹 雳 总 校 联 合 主 办 《因 为 阅 读 , 所 以 书 写 : 文 字的 修 行 之 路 》 讲 座 , 邀 请 到马 华 文 坛 传 奇 作 家 黎 紫 书 讲述 她 这 十 多 年 来 的 创 作 道 路及 其 在 文 字 修 行 之 路 上 的 成长 过 程 。 黎 紫 书 在 讲 座 会 上分 享 了 她 在 马 来 西 亚 、旅 中 、 旅 英 的 生 活 道 路 , 以及 她 的 所 思 所 感 。( 左 起 ) 马 汉 顺、 何 国 忠 与 蔡 德 贤 在 交 流 会 上 。副 高 教 部 长 与 拉 大 学 生 领 袖 交 流此 外 , 他 也 提 及 高 等 教 育 部 正 积 极 的 推 广 高 等 教 育 国 际 化 及多 元 化 , 包 括 外 国 学 生 到 本 地 就 读 , 本 地 大 学 和 台 湾 大 学 合 办双 联 课 程 , 中 国 在 马 来 西 亚 设 立 孔 子 学 院 , 以 及 拉 曼 大 学 的 媒体 与 中 医 药 学 士 课 程 以 中 文 为 媒 介 语 , 让 学 生 在 国 际 化 及 多 元化 的 冲 击 下 , 能 够 有 更 多 面 向 的 思 维 。心 理 系 一 年 级 学 生 罗 伟 志 在 问 及 高 等 教 育 学 府 以 英 语 或 国 语作 为 媒 介 语 的 利 与 弊 时 , 何 国 忠 博 士 说 ,“ 我 们 必 须 学 习 多 种语 言 , 好 与 不 好 都 是 相 对 的 , 但 我 们 往 往 都 能 在 学 习 语 言 的 困境 与 压 力 中 熬 过 来 。 这 样 的 环 境 虽 然 不 是 那 么 顺 遂 , 可 是 培 养出 我 们 可 以 更 从 容 的 面 对 不 同 困 境 的 个 性 。”文 学 天 后 黎 紫 书 风 姿快 乐 地 享 受 文 学中 华 研 究 中 心 当 代 中 国 研 究组 和 中 文 系 联 合 主 办 , 在 霹雳 校 区 举 行 的 “ 沟 通 与 成长 ” 讲 座 会 邀 得 新 加 坡 宝 路集 团 董 事 长 张 露 教 授 主 讲 。张 露 教 授 主 张 沟 通 是 一 种新 能 源 。 这 一 种 人 类 成 长 过程 中 不 可 或 缺 的 能 力 并 非 与生 俱 来 , 而 是 需 要 在 社 会 网络 中 通 过 学 习 及 体 会 来 造 就的 。张 露 ( 右 ) 赠 送 其 著 作 给 图 书 馆 , 由 许 文 荣 代 接 收 。郑 明 俐 风 趣 地 带 领 大 家 畅 读 文 学 。3 月 16 日 下 午 , 访 问 教 授 郑 明 俐 老 师 在 霹 雳 校 园 举 行 的 讲座 中 , 为 出 席 者 带 了 满 堂 欢 笑 和 丰 富 的 文 学 知 识 。郑 教 授 为 台 湾 师 范 大 学 国 文 研 究 所 博 士 , 她 与 出 席 者分 享 了 文 学 作 为 人 类 精 神 食 粮 的 重 要 性 及 特 殊 性 。 她说 , 写 作 是 抒 发 情 感 的 一 种 方 法 , 更 是 心 理 转 化 的 一 种程 序 , 能 给 作 者 的 心 里 带 来 巨 大 满 足 感 。 同 样 的 , 通 过阅 读 文 学 , 读 者 有 共 鸣 之 余 , 也 有 疏 解 情 绪 的 作 用 。

UTARHORIZON20 Sudut UtarwanAPRIL 2011Sinergi strategikUTAR-PERPEMADari kiri: Prof Lee, Prof Chuah, Dato’ Saifuddin, Prof Ibrahim dan Dr Raja Mohamed FauziUniversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) dan Persatuan PendidikanMalaysia (PERPEMA) telah menandatangani memorandumpersefahaman (MoU) serta mengadakan forum bertajuk‘Pengkomersialan Hasil Kajian Penyelidikan’ di Kampus UTARPetaling Jaya pada 29 Mac 2011.Majlis ini disaksikan oleh tetamu kehormat Timbalan MenteriPengajian Tinggi Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah. Memorandum tersebuttelah ditandatangani oleh Presiden UTAR Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Chuah HeanTeik dan Presiden PERPEMA Prof Dato’ Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid.Timbalan Presiden UTAR (R&D dan Pengkomersialan) Prof Dr LeeSze Wei dan Ketua Setiausaha, Profesor Madya Dr Raja MohamedFauzi Raja Musa yang menandatangani sebagai saksi.Seperti yang termaktub dalam memorandum tersebut, UTAR akanbekerjasama dengan PERPEMA dalam menjalankan penyelidikan,pembangunan akademik, pertukaran pelajar, lawatan bersama,pembangunan innovasi dan menganjurkan program-programakademik seperti persidangan, bengkel, penerbitan dan seminar.“UTAR amat berbangga kerana dapat bekerjasama dengan sebuahorganisasi yang bergerak aktif seperti PERPEMA; kami menghargaikerjasama ini,” kata Prof Chuah. Beliau turut menambah, UTARbergerak maju ke hadapan dan akan terus berusaha untukmempertingkatkan kecemerlangan dalam bidang pengajaran danpenyelidikan.Prof Ibrahim berharap sinergi strategik antara UTAR dan PERPEMAakan membawa manfaat kepada Malaysia. “Justeru kerana tujuanperjanjian ini menuju ke arah landasan yang betul, maka sudah tibamasanya untuk kepimpinan UTAR dan PERPEMA mengambil langkahseterusnya yang membawa kebanggaan kepada Malaysia,”katanya.“Saya ingin mengucapkan tahniah kepada UTAR dan PERPEMAdi atas semua aktiviti-aktiviti yang dijalankan dan percaya usahausahaini akan diteruskan pada masa hadapan,” kata TimbalanMenteri Pengajian Tinggi Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah.Selepas majlis menandatangani MoU selesai, forum bertajuk‘Pengkomersialan Hasil Kajian Penyelidikan’ yang dianjurkanbersama oleh UTAR dan PERPEMA telah diadakan. Ahli-ahlipanelnya terdiri daripada Dr Barjoyai Bardai dari Universiti TunAbdul Razak, Ong Chui Koon, SIRIM dan Dr Kodi Isparan Kandasamy,Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation; pengerusi forum ialah ProfMadya Dr Mohd Majid Konting, Akademi Kepimpinan PengajianTinggi.Ratu Sari danMalam Prom IndiaUTAR CAMPUSESPemenang-pemenang RatuSari: Renukha (tengah), YowChin Hwa (kiri), dan DarsyiniRani (kanan)Pertandingan Ratu Sari dan Malam Prom India yang dianjurkan oleh ‘Indian Cultural andLanguage Society’ (ICLS) dan ‘One Malaysia Society’ telah diadakan di Kampus PerakUniversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) pada 27 Mac 2011.Pertandingan Ratu Sari dan Malam Prom India tersebut bertujuan untuk membantumasyarakat yang memerlukan pertolongan dan sokongan. Pihak penganjur akanmendermakan 50% daripada jumlah keuntungan iaitu sebanyak RM400 dalam bentukbarangan harian kepada rumah kanak-kanak Hope Mission Home di Teluk Intan, Perak.Ratu Sari dimenangi oleh Renukha a/p Ramachandran, pelajar jurusan kejuruteraankimia tahun empat dari Kampus Kuala Lumpur. Naib Johan dimenangi oleh Yow Chin Hwa,pelajar perhubungan awam tahun tiga dari Kampus Perak, dan tempat ketiga jatuh kepadaDarsyini Rani a/p Raja Mohan, pelajar kejuruteraan kimia tahun satu dari Kampus KualaLumpur. Pertandingan Ratu Sari terdiri daripada tiga bahagian iaitu persembahan peragaan(catwalk), sesi soal jawab oleh panel juri, dan persembahan individu.Pertandingan Ratu Sari diadakan pada waktu petang dan keputusannya diumumkan padaMalam Prom India. Juri-juri Pertandingan Ratu Sari terdiri daripada Baskaran dan isterinyayang merupakan penganjur Ratu Sari Perak Tahun 2010, Subasminee, naib johan Ratu SariPerak 2010, dan Ma Hooi Shie juara Model UTAR 2010.Turut hadir dalam Malam Prom India ialah Dr. Sebastian K. Francis, Dekan Fakulti Sasteradan Sains Sosial dan Geetha Veerappan, penolong penasihat ICLS.Petaling Jaya Campus(KPT/JPS/DFT/US/B07)9 Jalan Bersatu 13/446200 Petaling JayaSelangor Darul EhsanKuala Lumpur Campus(KPT/JPS/DFT/US/W05)Jalan Genting Kelang53300 Kuala LumpurSungai Long Campus(KPT/JPS/DFT/US/B12)Lot PT 21144Jalan Sungai LongBandar Sg. LongCheras, 43000 KajangPerak Campus(KPT/JPS/DFT/US/A04)Jalan UniversitiBandar Barat31900 Kamparwww.utar.edu.my