Sunway University researchers among Malaysia’s Global Top 1% researchers by Clarivate’s Web of Science

Professors Dr Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua and Dr Saidur Rahman of the School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Sunway University were recently celebrated as Malaysia’s Global Top 1% Researchers by Clarivate’s Web of Science, at a virtual award ceremony that feted 19 of the top researchers in Malaysia. Both professors were also named among the top 2% of scientists in the world in the recently released list by Stanford
University.

Clarivate annually identifies a list of Highly Cited Researchers who have demonstrated significant influence in their research field through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.

Their names are drawn from publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science citation index. Of the world’s population of scientists and social scientists, Highly Cited Researchers are 1 in 1,000. In 2020, approximately 6400 of the world’s researchers were selected for this recognition in 21 research fields and across multiple fields.

Earning his third recognition in a row by Clarivate’s Web of Science, Professor Kheireddine is the Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Studies) and Head of the Research Centre for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilisation. His researches focus on three challenges mankind is facing, which are water security, energy security and environmental and climate
change.

“This is a very inspiring international award. It is a great recognition of my research output and impact in the field of my expertise,” said Professor Kheireddine. His ultimate goal is to translate his research findings to practical solutions which aims to mitigate the emissions
of carbon dioxide, the major contributor to global warming.

“This issue cannot be addressed by a singular individual, team or institution. Collaboration and partnership involving multiple research teams, universities and stakeholders is the key to successfully tackle this task,” express Professor Kheireddine as the challenge
of solving the carbon dioxide problem.

Professor Saidur is Distinguished Research Professor and Head of the Research Centre for Nano-Materials and Energy Technology, whose expertise is in nano-materials, energy storage, heat transfer, energy policy and renewable energy. This is his seventh recognition
in a row by Clarivate’s Web of Science, implying his passion and dedication in
his areas of research.

“It is an exciting moment and certainly drives me further towards high quality and impactful research,” said Professor Saidur upon receiving the prestigious recognition. Through his research, he intends to have an impact on academic, industrial, societal and environmental. Aside from producing high-quality research publications in top-ranking journals, Professor Saidur also educated several knowledgeable postgraduate students who advanced their career in top universities globally.

Professor Saidur’s consistent achievement in his field of research does not stray him away from advancing his research for a better future. “Cost-effective, fast charging, longer duration, utility-scale energy storage would be my future research topic as these are grand challenges in my field,” he added.

Not only do Professor Kheireddine and Professor Saidur devote themselves to their field of research, but they also wish to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) through their innovative ideas. Sunway University is rapidly developing an ever-increasing reputation for its research activities that contribute to the economic and social development of the nation. These efforts are developing world-class researchers, supported by world-standard laboratories and international collaborations with some of the world’s leading international universities including joint research centres.

Image activity in the context of managing the internal university environment

In the context of modern trends in the field of higher education in Kazakhstan, as well as the global trend of globalization, the issues of quality management of university education, its competitiveness are of particular importance and relevance.

Educational institutions are forced to develop and implement in their practice a marketing system that most effectively allows you to plan, organize and control the efforts of an educational institution to implement its activities.

In the current conditions, strategically thinking administrations and many institutions try to use modern management technologies that increase the potential of universities, their ability to win the fight for applicants, grant programs, and orders from production. One of these technologies is the technology of image work or image-making, which is a system of procedures and operations aimed at forming and spreading an attractive image of the university.

Successful image promotion makes the university attractive to consumers of its products, whether they are applicants, scientific institutions or enterprises of any field. At the same time, the image is one of the most effective ways of reengineering the university environment, ensuring the build-up and mobilization of internal resources in order to improve the quality of vocational education.

In the modern scientific literature, the concept of “image” is interpreted as a set of values, thanks to which an object becomes known and “with the help of which people describe it in a certain way, remember it, relate to it”, i.e., a system of people’s ideas about an object. And, therefore, the image of the university is a general idea consisting of a set of beliefs and feelings that consumers (real and potential) of educational goods and services have about the educational organization.

Traditionally, the components of the image of the University there are: educational services of the University ( professions, the quality of teaching, the prestige of diplomas, cost of services, employment opportunities); the teaching staff of the University (socio-demographic characteristics, General knowledge, competence); founder/leaders of the University (socio-demographic characteristics, psychological characteristics); students ( style of life, the General cultural level); the socio-psychological characteristics of University (organizational culture, socio-psychological climate of the team); the visual characteristics of the University (architecture, interior design, branding, appearance of personnel); social characteristics of the University (social aspects of the activities of the University).

The image of the university consists of many internal and external components. The opinion about each component of the image of the university, in turn, influences the formation of the image of the organization as a whole. However, to build an adequate strategy for managing the image of the university, it is necessary to know which of them are of priority importance, which components of the image of the university act simultaneously as criteria for choosing this organization.

I Verona Forum Outreach Session held at TPU

On April 21, the I Verona Forum Outreach Session was held in the TPU main building. The first session of the Urals, arranged by the Administration of the Tomsk Region and TPU, gathered the representatives of Russian and Italian public authorities and companies.

Andrey Yakovlev, Acting Rector of TPU, Pasquale Terracciano, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Russian Federation, Antonio Fallico, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Banca Intesa and President of the Association Conoscere Eurasia, Andrey Antonov, Deputy Governor for Economy, Tomsk Region, greeted the participants of the Session.

Yury Agapov, Director General of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Vittorio Torrembini, Vice President of GIM Unimpresa, the Association of Italian Entrepreneurs in Russia, representatives of universities and institutes, Tomsk and Italian business took part in the work of the Session.

They discussed cooperation in the fields of Commercial Procedure Code, high technologies, IT and engineering. Andrey Antonov, Deputy Governor for Economy, Tomsk Region, was a moderator of the Session.

Dr Rajnish Sharma of Chitkara University entrusted as secretary of IEEE, Delhi Section.

Dr. Rajnish Sharma, Dean, Research & Academics, Chitkara University has been entrusted as secretary Of IEEE, Delhi Section. Dr. Sharma has volunteered for various activities of IEEEin the past ten years and is well known in the IEEE circle with high regard and respect.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a professional association for electronic and electrical engineering and its corporate office is located in New York City, United States of America. It is the world’s largest technical professional organization with more than 419,000 members worldwide and 4000 + members in the Delhi section.

Individuals, who by experience, give evidence of competence in an IEEE designated field become the member of this reputed institution. The designated spheres are Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law andPolicy.

Eligibility to become the Secretary Of IEEE, Delhi Section is that the candidate must be an IEEE member in good standing and should be of IEEE Senior Member grade or higher.

Dr. RajnishSharma, in accordance with his roles, shall be serving as a Corporate Officer of the IEEE, as a member of the IEEE Board of Directors and also will Chair the IEEE Governance Committee.

Two patents, “Improved Multilevel food tray” and “Circuit for Noise Mitigation”, have been filed in the name of Dr. Sharma. He has more than 50 research papers to his credit in international journals and conferences of repute. Besides this, he has got published one book titled “Solid State Electronic Devices” from OxfordUniversity Press to his credit.

None the less, he has been on the reviewer’s panellist for many journals of international repute like AppliedPhysical Letters, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, Carbon, Journal ofNon- rystalline Solids Current Applied Physics and many other journals from publishers like IEEE, IET and Springer.

Chulalongkorn University launches a campaign to communicate innovations developed for fighting COVID-19

Chulalongkorn University has taken a bold step in commutating its transformation to an innovation-centric university with its “Innovations for Society” campaign.

The campaign uses a short movie to inform the public about the various innovations that Chula has successfully developed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of Chula’s mission to play a leading role in “Creating Knowledge and Innovation to Promote Sustainable Development for Society”.

The short film, “Innovations for Society: Innovations against COVID,” uses a storytelling technique from the point of view (POV) of an ad agency person who has to dig deep into her creative arsenal to come up with a pitch for the client to approve.

Chula’s target is “to communicate a myriad of innovations against COVID-19 that are full of technical and complicated jargon in a fun and engaging way in 3 minutes.”

The film director is able to successfully tie all the information into a coherent, cute and funny storyline that the audience has to smile at.  The storyline is divided into 3 parts.

First, it starts with “preventive innovations” such as a face-mask spray to protect us from virus and dust, and CU-RoboCovid — the medical-support robot. Then, it describes “screening innovations” such as the Chula Covid-19 Strip Test, Chula Express Analysis Mobile Unit (EAMU), and COVID-19 data incubator website that’s developed with other partners.

Finally, the story concludes with “remedy innovations” such as COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, tobacco vaccine, Chula MOOC (massive open online course), and Quick MBA from home that provides cutting-edge professional knowledge to the Thai people with novel ways to earn a living during the COVID-19 crisis.

Chula’s innovations against COVID-19 are part of the university’s mission to serve society with technological breakthroughs as well as to be a driving force for Thai society to continue along the path of robust growth.

Watch the full clip at https://youtu.be/3gYGcX5H9l8.

MMSU to become micro campus of University of Arizona

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the University of Arizona (UA) in the United States have agreed to establish the first micro-campus in the Philippines this year in order to bring global educational opportunities to Filipino students.

MMSU is the first Philippine university that has become a member of the UA’s world campus network, joining the top world universities implementing the American Degree Pathway (ADP) and Global Campus Experience (GCE) programs.

This partnership was formalized through a global direct agreement between MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis and UA Global Operations Chief Executive Officer Brent White through a virtual program held on Monday, February 8.

The ADP program enables incoming students to earn up to two years of direct, undergraduate credits from UA through a mix of in-person and online courses offered through a micro-campus. It includes multiple academic pathways which will enable students to take courses that will satisfy UA’s degree requirements or transfer to other US universities.

On the other hand, GCE program offers over 60-degree programs delivered fully online in English by UA professors, with student access to micro-campus’ facilities and services, providing a unique in-person college experience, with the convenience of online education.

Hillary Vance, Senior Director of Southeast Asia UA Global, represented White in the virtual signing of the agreement. She hopes the new partnership can help MMSU in advancing its academic excellence, research and global engagements, thereby achieving its vision to become a Philippine premier university by 2028.

“It is thrilling that MMSU is now our first Philippine university partner in the world campus network, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with you in the years to come,” Vance said, adding that the collaboration also includes new initiatives in research and educational exchange between the students, faculty, and staff of the two universities.

For his part, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson J. Prospero E. De Vera III congratulated MMSU and UA Global Operations for the new partnership, saying that “the establishment of an international micro-campus in collaboration with an outstanding Philippine public university is a first of its kind.”

De Vera said the pact between the two schools is in line with the Republic Act 11448 or the Transnational Education Act, which is designed to accelerate partnership between Philippine and international universities, thus providing access to quality global education standards, services, and scholarships.

Expressing support to the partnership, De Vera also hopes that through the initiative, MMSU will soon join the Asian Ranking of Universities in the future.

Matt Keener, Cultural Attaché of the US Embassy Manila, said the partnership between MMSU and UA “sets the bar for Philippine universities and leading the way in providing new opportunities for Filipino students,” adding that it is essential for the youth to have international education in the face of the increasingly competitive global economy.

With the new pact, President Agrupis expressed joy and gratitude because “this is the first agreement that MMSU has entered into with one of the US top public universities this year, with the aim of upholding academic excellence and internationalization.”

In the agreement, UA will provide MMSU with the following: special discounted rates; large selection of top-ranked Arizona online courses; professors to teach online courses; academic advising and support; access to its Center for English as a Second Language; and connection to the Arizona main campus through “Arizona live”.

Also, MMSU has agreed to give the following: access to its campus and facilities; inclusion in its students programming and activities; the opening of opportunities for social networking and community building; on-ground tutors and academic support; navigation of regulatory environment and assistance securing all necessary approvals in its host country; marketing, recruitment, and enrollment advising; reporting and payment of taxes for its taxable program revenue; and miscellaneous logistical support.

Established in 1885, UA is widely recognized as a top-ranking university worldwide. As an institution, it aims to advance and introduce interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships and attempts to redefine “global university” in the 21st century with an expanding network of global partners. -with reports from Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

UNAIR Pharmacy lecturer develops injection-based bone substitute

Bhagalen, an injectable bone substitute is developed by Dr Aniek Setiya Budiatin, Apt., M.Si., lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangg UNAIR. Bhagalen is an innovation in the form of injectable bone fillers for bone fractures and osteoporosis that oral drugs cannot handle.

This innovative product has received funding from the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Innovation, Indonesia.

Aniek revealed that the product is in the form of a powder and a solvent. This powder is mixed and then injected into the cavities, both fractures and osteoporotic bones.

Bhagalen consists of bovine hydroxyapatite, gelatin, and alendronate. Bovin hydroxyapatite is a powder obtained from cow bones. The cow bones are produced in-house in UNAIR’s Teaching Industry to reduce imports of materials.

Aniek explained that the composition of Bhagalen consists of 80 percent hydroxyapatite which is part of the components of bone so that it is easily recognized by the bones and can fuse well.

Aniek also explained that bone has two components besides cells and water, organic and inorganic. The organic component used in Bhagalen is gelatin, and the inorganic is hydroxyapatite.

Interestingly, with this Bhagalen, all the damage to the bones can be treated. Bones that are damaged due to fractures or holes continued Aniek; to recover quickly, injections can be made to form new bones to prevent deformities.

“It should be faster with the injection due to the wider surface shape so that it will take about a month,” she explained.

She also said that this injection model is still rare in Indonesia because of its high price. For this reason, Aniek hoped that Bhagalen would be used widely at a more affordable price.

Aniek hoped that her innovation could be widely recognized and used so people in need can be helped and avoid bone defects.

President University and City of Glasgow College discuss about education system

President University (PresUniv) and City of Glasgow College (CoGC) held a webinar as a form of implementation of its partnership.

The webinar’s topic was about the education system in Scotland and how CoGC was able to maintain the quality of education amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This topic was brought up by Joe Mulholland, Associate Dean of CoGC.

Currently, Mulholland is in charge of teams covering Electrical Engineering, Electronic Machinery, Automation, Cyber Security, and Software Development.

For 15 years, he was a recognized electrical contractor and led many of Glasgow’s renowned electrical installations before entering the world of education. Thanks to his experience, Joe could share his knowledge and experiences with students of the Faculty of Engineering, PresUniv.

Joe discussed the different ages in the Scottish education system, what students do after completing their education, what students and society expect from lecturers or teachers, and many more.

Hopefully, with this webinar, the cooperation between PresUniv and CoGC can be increased into other activities, such as student exchanges or faculty members.

Sunway TES ACCA student stands among the top in global chart

Ng Chuan Hooi started studying accounting in her high school and it immediately became her favourite subject. After graduating from high school, the 22-year-old from Bukit Mertajam, Penang pursued her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) programme at Sunway TES CAE, an ACCA Platinum Approved Learning Provider and believed that the first-rated institution will be the propeller towards her success and future in accountancy.

In spite of the continued global disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ACCA exam sittings were carried smoothly throughout the globe. The results saw over 92,000 students around the world entering almost 112,000 exams. A total of 3,440 students completed their final exams to become ACCA affiliates, in addition to the 13,404 new affiliates created throughout 2020.

After years of perseverance, Ng has proven once again in her final exams that being among the top in the world is possible with passion and dedication. In the recent March 2021 sitting, she bested all ACCA students in the nation and worldwide by achieving ACCA World Top Affiliate – 3rd Placing Worldwide and ACCA Top Affiliate in Malaysia. With an average mark of 80.75%, she has achieved the third-highest mark worldwide for the Strategic
Professional Level exams and was ranked No.1 in Malaysia.

“I am extremely happy and honoured to receive this award and it means a lot to me,” shared Ng as she received the delightful news. She has also gotten an ACCA Malaysian Prize Winner award for the Advanced Financial Management (AFM) paper along with being the top affiliate.

This incredible feat certainly serves as a motivation for Malaysians pursuing their studies to dream big and strive towards global rankings. “The awards served as motivation to help me keep moving,” said Ng as she aims to achieve greater results for herself and her family. She credited Sunway TES for her triumph by providing top-tier
education, dedicated lecturers and a comfortable campus environment.

She was certainly not a stranger to ACCA awards as she was previously the Malaysian Prize Winner for Strategic Business Leader (SBL) December 2020 sitting, World Prize Winner for Financial Management (FM) September 2019 sitting and Malaysian Prize Winner for Audit & Assurance (AA) December 2019 sitting.

“The fruit of your success is the sweetest. Always believe that you can, so you will!” said Ng to those who are eager to follow her path towards worldwide recognition. Upon completing ACCA with astonishing results, she has planned to take a few months break before entering
the industry with a hunger for success.

“After I pass my exams I will have to find employment to complete the Practical Experience Requirement (PER). I would like my first job to be with a large accountancy firm as I want to work with knowledgeable and well-trained professionals who can help me enhance my skills.  Looking further ahead in my career, I don’t mind working for a large or small firm but I do want to work abroad at some point, which is why it is also important to me that ACCA is internationally recognised”, said Ng as she planned towards her bright future.

Sunway TES is no stranger to world-class achievements, as they have accumulated 35 ACCA Top Affiliates, 218 World Prize Winners and 682 Malaysian Prize Winners for the CAT and ACCA programme for 27 years since its incorporation into Sunway College. To date, Sunway TES has nurtured 6,385 CAT graduates and 6,755 ACCA graduates.

Sunway TES ACCA Global Leaders Scholarship is also offered for SPM 8A and above achievers. For more information, please visit
https://sunway.edu.my/scholarships/scholarships-awards/sunway-acca-global-leadership-scholarship.

TPU students are first in Russia to learn robotics using new domestic equipment

Tomsk Polytechnic University has become the first among Russian universities to own a robotic system from a domestic manufacturer Promobot. The system includes Promobot V.4, a service robot and Promobot Robox, a specialty of the manufacturer representing 10 educational systems. Promobot representatives note that it is the first procurement of this system in Russia.

The new robot and educational systems have already been delivered at the university. It is planned that the new robotic systems will be used at the TPU Division for Automation and Robotics already in the next study year.

“Promobot V.4 is a good example of a domestic robotic product that is successfully used in different countries. The new robot and building kits will be used in the educational process of students of all years of study depending on a task. Students, studying mechatronics, automation and metrology will use the robotic system,” Andrey Yakovlev, Acting Rector of TPU, says.

“They will practically learn robotics programming, sensors, aspects of using robots indoors and interaction of a robot with a human, as well as general concepts and principles related to complex technical systems.”

Promobot V.4 robot is a service robot of the company’s latest model aimed at operating in mass gathering places. The robot can do the functions of a shop assistant, administrator, guide or airport worker. Arrays of Promobot Robox include such robot components as an interface board, a distance sensor, a servomotor and software. All the components included in Promobot Robox are components of a real robot used in 40 countries and are not toy or virtual models. Students will complete laboratory works using them.

“It may seem obvious, but it is important to learn robotics using real robots. We offer students a unique case: a Russian robot, exact copies of that is currently operating all over the world from the USA to Australia. Any successful solution may come from a university laboratory to our developers and then can be used in a robot, for instance, in an American airport,” Oleg Kivokurtsev, Chief Business Development Officer, comments.

It must be added that the TPU Division for Automation and Robotics includes the Research Laboratory for Industrial Robotics, one of the largest laboratories in Russia equipped with KUKA manipulators.

Students of three TPU schools: the School of Computer Science and Robotics, the School of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and the School of Non-Destructive Testing are trained in this laboratory. Students of the TPU Division of Automation and Robotics also learn robotics and mechatronics using Festo Robotino, KUKA youBot and develop their own robots.