JGI journal UMPSA earns recognition Crème Award

PUTRAJAYA, 7 November 2025 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) continues to make its mark in the world of academic publishing when its journal, the Journal of Governance and Integrity (JGI), was announced as one of the recipients of the CRÈME Journal Award for the MyCite Indexed Journal category (Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences) in conjunction with the Malaysia Scopus Research Star Award (MRSA) 2025.

The prestigious ceremony organised by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in collaboration with the international publishing company Elsevier and IIUM Press, held at The Everly, Putrajaya, was officiated by the Minister of Higher Education, Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

This ceremony brought together researchers, journal editors, and academic figures from across the country to celebrate outstanding achievements in research and scholarly publishing.

In his speech, Dato’ Seri Diraja Dr Zambry described MRSA not only as recognition of research excellence, but also as a reflection of collective efforts to build a knowledge culture that creates impact on society and the world.

“We gather to celebrate the excellence of scholars and the knowledge that illuminates the path of human progress through exploration and discovery.

“I believe that MRSA is not simply a ceremony to acknowledge achievements, but a reflection of our commitment to knowledge that is hoped to transform lives and inspire society,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of UMPSA, Professor Dr Yatimah Alias, who attended the ceremony, also conveyed her congratulations and high hopes for the achievement.

“This recognition is clear proof that UMPSA is on the right track in elevating world-class research and scholarly publishing.

“The university extends its heartfelt congratulations to the entire JGI Editorial team for their dedication and hard work.

“This achievement is hoped to become a catalyst for more researchers and editors at UMPSA,” she said.

She added that this recognition proves UMPSA’s commitment to strengthening a culture of research and academic publishing that is ethical, competitive, and impactful at the national and international levels.

“As a reputable academic journal, JGI creates impact by providing a platform that enhances ethical and integrity-based governance practices.

“I also hope that this success will serve as a driver for more high-quality publications at UMPSA, thereby strengthening the university’s reputation as a leader in knowledge, integrity-based governance, and impactful solutions for the nation,” she said.

In addition, JGI, led by Professor Dr Yudi Fernando as the Chief Editor, has shown consistent performance in publishing high-quality articles that contribute significantly to the fields of governance and integrity.

It also contributes to solutions for current issues in management, business, and sustainable development, as well as increases the visibility of local research on the international stage through high-quality open-access publishing.

For Professor Dr Yudi, this success is the result of close collaboration between the editorial team, authors, and article reviewers who consistently uphold academic values and publishing ethics.

“I express my appreciation to the UMPSA management for its continuous support of the development of the university’s academic journals.

“Heartfelt appreciation goes to UMPSA Press, which has played an important role in supporting the publishing process of the journal professionally and efficiently,” he said.

This ceremony also served as an important platform to recognise the efforts of editors and researchers in contributing to the nation’s knowledge ecosystem, in line with Malaysia’s aspirations to become a world-class education and research hub.

By: Fadhilah Abdul Ghaffar, UMPSA Press
Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press