Cultivate research for the benefit of society

PEKAN, 4 October 2022 – In enhancing the role of the university, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) needs to advance research and harness the strengths in the intellectual field to impact the community, technology, economy and society.

This is in line with UMP’s aspiration in realising the ‘Technology for Society’ agenda which conducts research and the output is the answer to the various problems faced by the society today.

In fact, the research could greatly impact the government, community, industry and academia.

According to the Chairman of the UMP Board of Directors, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, the world’s best research culture, such as in Oxford University and Cambridge University in the United Kingdom as well as Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, is among the factors in the institution being an interesting and productive place to conduct research.

“If we want outputs and to go through a good research process, Institutions of Higher Learning (IPT) need a positive research culture that supports all researchers.

“For that, UMP managed to bring together a total of 457 experts in various fields who will assist the country, especially Pahang, whether in sustainability or any field.

“There are 11 clusters of knowledge in UMP, namely smart city, sustainable energy, vehicular technology, material sciences, industrial biotechnology, fine and specialty chemicals, management and social sciences, agriculture and food security, rare earth minerals, petrochemicals, and construction,” he said.

He added that UMP now continues to intensify its agenda in sustainable development to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This effort is not just about protecting the environment but also the health of the community and overall economic growth, and UMP’s commitment in the SDGs can be seen from the development of UMP sustainable campus and its achievements in the implementation of various initiatives such as the UI greenMetric World University Ranking and THE Impact Rankings rating,” he said.

He was present to deliver his keynote address at the Research and Innovation Culture Discourse at the Multipurpose Hall, UMP Pekan, recently.

Regarding UMP’s latest achievements, UMP is in the seventh best place in Malaysia and ranked 128th in the world rankings through the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking.

UMP is also ranked in the top 301 to 400 in the world for the achievement of THE Impact Rankings in 2022.

At the Malaysian level, UMP is in eighth place and first among MTUN universities.

He hoped that the achievement of this rating would continue to increase in the future.

He added that the world, which is now vigorous with the Industrial Revolution 4.0, requires all parties to act quickly in tandem with the rapid development in technology and research.

“Therefore researchers need to be creative in formulating research that target the needs of the market and industry and comply with the requirements of the SDGs.

“I believe that if it meets these criteria, UMP’s research products will be marketed internationally,” he said.

He also shared the ongoing initiatives at UMP to reduce carbon dioxide through solar technology, electric vehicles (EV), electronic scooters and centralised parking.

The implementation of this initiative is expected to reduce the total carbon by 6,708 tonnes of carbon dioxide (48%) in UMP.

In addition, savings should be emphasised, especially water resources through rainwater catchment activities to be reused for tree watering activities and others.

The programme was also attended by UMP Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Ts. Dr. Yuserrie Zainuddin, the official representative of the Chief Executive Officer, Pahang State Secretary Corporation, Nor Shahirah Mohd Hadzir, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, top management and over 500 UMP staff.

The programme organised by the Research and Innovation Department also showcased more than 20 UMP research and innovation products.

By: Nor Salwana Mohammad Idris, Corporate Communications Division, Chancellery Department

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, Engineering College/Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology