Tag: Universiti Teknologi MARA

In the month of Ramadan, UiTM Terengganu Branch lecturers of Kuala Terengganu Campus have taken the initiative to organize the Qaseh Ramadhan Program on the last day of school, 6th May of 2021 at two primary schools around Chendering, namely SK Kubang Ikan and SK Chendering. This initiative was taken to alleviate the burden of the needy from these two schools as well as to cheer up their Aidilfitri celebrations. This Qaseh Ramadhan 2021 program is the fifth program held to celebrate the less fortunate around the UiTM Kuala Terengganu campus.

A total of 45 families from SK Kubang Ikan and SK Chendering have received donations in the form of cash and various kitchen items such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, cookies, healthy drinks, juices, wheat flour and others in preparation for the upcoming Aidilfitri through the fund. Contribution of the Qaseh Ramadhan Program was launched at the three campuses
of UiTM Terengganu Branch, namely Kuala Terengganu Campus, Dungun Campus and
Bukit Besi Campus.

An internal contribution fund was launched for two weeks from 18-29 April 2021 to fund this program. A total of RM11,590.00 of donations from academic and non-academic staff was successfully collected. A total of RM6190.00 has been allocated for the purchase of kitchen items while RM5400.00 was distributed in cash to 45 families to enable them to buy raw materials to be cooked on Eid.

It is hoped that this assistance will lessen the burden of recipients who are orphans, single mothers, the disabled and families severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which has not yet fully recovered as well as bring UiTM closer to the hearts of the local community.

This good deed was a collaboration effort from UiTM Terengganu campus with guidance from Puan Nor Jawanees Ahmad Hanafiahas the Chairman of the Qaseh Ramadhan 2021 Program with her 20 committee members, and support from the UiTM Terengganu Rector, Prof Ts Dr Mazidah Puteh and UiTM Kuala Terengganu Deputy Rector, Assoc Prof Wan Dorishah Wan Abdul Manan.

The Covid-19 pandemic posed significant impacts on mobility and international activities on higher-educational institutions. Nonetheless, despite the growing concerns about the crisis that has left institutions worldwide to shut “physically”, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Pahang Branch, Malaysia capitalized on the opportunity to strengthen the internationalization agenda with university partners from abroad through the virtual platform.

In this “new normal”, UiTM Pahang Branch hosted their first Global Lecture Series 2021 in collaboration with Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) and Halu Oleo University (UHO), Indonesia. The event held on 22nd and 23rd June is one of the strategic activities planned under the MoU signed with both institutions.

This Global Lecture Series was one of the international programs that served as a platform to engage academics and students from the three universities to share their expertise, ideas and experiences on current issues and education. The lecture sessions were made accessible to all UiTM staff and students and other universities in Malaysia and the public. Around 400 participants took the opportunity to attend the two-day
lectures.

The series featured four speakers from UiTM Pahang Branch, two speakers from UNHAS, and two speakers from UHO. Associate Professor Ts. Dr Megat Ahmad Kamal Megat Hanafiah, Associate Professor ChM. Dr Nor Yuziah Mohd Yunus, Dr Nur Fakhzan Marwan, and Dr Nor Hidayatun Abdul Razak represented UiTM Pahang Branch campus while Dr Rina Masadah and Dr Muhammad Junaid represented UNHAS. UHO was represented by Dr Ramadhan Tosepu and Dr Muhammad Arba. The event covered multidisciplinary topics such as building academic careers, industry expectations on graduates, graduate entrepreneurship, cervical cancer, plant-microbe interaction, accelerating drug discovery process targeting Covid-19 and the impact of Covid-19 on climate change, economic
growth and its influence on future job demands.

The Acting Rector of UiTM Pahang Branch, Professor Ts. Dr Mohd Ilham Adenan, emphasized that “The main purpose of this program is to provide opportunities and experiences for lecturers and students to interact, share expertise and knowledge. The program also encourages all students to be rational and open to receiving opinions from university partners. This mindset is the foundation to creating a conducive platform for strategic and comprehensive partnership between students of both countries.”

Echoing the statement, the Deputy Rector of Research and Industrial Linkages, Associate Professor Dr Wan Mohd Nazri Wan Abdul Rahman also hoped that the program could be an ongoing project to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise between Malaysia and Indonesia. This effort will also further enhance the quality of students and academics of the institutions involved.

The program is also aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 4, which is to implement comprehensive and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities to all levels of society. Emphasis is also given to SDG No. 8, 13 and 17, which is to promote sustainable and comprehensive economic development by providing employment opportunities for all, developing mechanisms for devising efficient climate change-related efforts, and intensifying international cooperation and networking for holistic development.

The Faculty of Law, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia (UiTMLaw)  is always committed to prepare future-proof and quality graduates. In line with this, UiTMLaw Career Path Webinar Series 2.0 “What’s Out There ?” has been organised to gear up the students for the new
job market.

This 3-day webinar series commenced on 3rd March 2021. Eminent figures in the legal fraternity shared their immense experiences and practical knowledge in various aspects relevant with students soon to embark on their legal career.

The webinar series set off with an enthralling topic, “Money Laundering: What Should You Know?.” Three distinguished speakers were invited to discuss this topic, namely; Mr Mohamad Faizal bin Sadri, Deputy Director II, Anti-Money Laundering Division, Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr Amir Zharif Abdullah and Mr Nizamuddin Hamid, the Managing Partner and Partner of Messrs Zharif Nizamuddin, respectively.

The webinar series continued with inspirational sharing by UiTMLaw Adjunct Professor Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum on the topic “Strategic Approach on Civil Litigation and Writing Impactful Submissions-Sharing Experiences.”

Sound financial management, including debt management, is essential to inculcate positive financial behaviour and prevent individuals from falling into the debt trap.

Mrs Nirmala Subramaniam, Manager, Financial Education Department, Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) and Ms Elena Cho, Legal Executive, Modalku Ventures Sdn Bhd, spoke on the important topic of “Managing Financial after Graduation: How to Avoid Debt Trap”.

Next, to find out the reality behind “Life as a Deputy Public Prosecutor”, Dato’ Masri bin Mohd Daud, Head of Special Litigation Unit, Prosecution Division, Attorney General’s Chambers, who is also UiTMLaw Adjunct Professor, was specially invited to share the ups and downs of being part of the prosecution team.

The final day of the webinar series featured Mr Justice Dean Wayne Daly, High Court Judge of Miri, Sarawak, who clarified the distinction between pupillage in East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia in a talk entitled “Pupillage and Legal Practice in Sabah and Sarawak”. Datuk Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham, UiTMLaw Adjunct Professor who is now the Deputy Director, Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), offered invaluable insights on the question, “How to Begin your Legal Career as an Arbitration Counsel?”.

The programme was well-received since the scope covered were not restricted to conventional civil and criminal litigation but extended to other critical areas, including money laundering, financial management and alternative dispute resolutions. Engagement with prominent legal personnel and industry players has
offered distinct outlooks to the students. Overall, this program will help them shape their careers, explore their niche and better prepared to handle the future.

A virtual academic roundtable discussion focusing on teaching International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in an online learning environment was held on 29 March 2021, involving a think
tank across the Asian region, including Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Timor Leste and Morocco. This event was jointly organized by the Faculty of Law, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia (UiTMLaw) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

 

This roundtable discussion offered an opportunity for academicians in the region to learn from
each other and share ideas on teaching IHL in a flexible learning environment. The initiative was in response to a significant shift in the teaching approach that was forced upon universities and learning institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

The roundtable discussion reveals that teaching IHL during a pandemic is challenging as some students may not have access to the Internet and the gadgets to facilitate online learning. In addition, there is a lack of engagement and motivation among students in the learning process. Apart from the difficulties faced by students, the lecturers equally struggle to set up and design the appropriate content for online learning. 

 

To overcome this challenge, the participants agreed that lecturers must adapt to new technology and become tech-savvy. They may use pop culture references, Kahoot and Wooclap to make the lesson more exciting and pleasant. Additionally, the participants also propose establishing a regional platform among academicians to facilitate the exchange of ideas and good practices. Simultaneously, this platform can assist lecturers in developing IHL teaching materials based on the Asian or the Southeast Asian experience. 

 

Acting as a key person in charge of this program on behalf of UiTMLaw, Dr Ummi Hani’ binti Maso’od hopes a similar collaboration can be held in future to allow the sharing of ideas for the mutual benefit of students and academicians at the regional level.

Issues concerning environmental law have long been discussed on an international scale, as the problems faced by nations are interconnected. The Faculty of Law of Universiti
Teknologi MARA (UiTMLaw) environmental law expert, Dr Irini Ibrahim, shared her knowledge at the International Share Lecturer and University Collaboration lecture series.

The event was part of a series of lectures, a collaboration between Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, Universitas as-Zahra and Universitas Tulungagung, both from Indonesia. This platform encourages multidisciplinary knowledge-sharing among lecturers from various ASEAN universities.  The sharing session was attended by academicians and students, who posed questions on, among others, the role of wetlands as the “Kidneys of the Earth”, wildlife and migratory birds.

Dr Irini said, “Despite the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on public health, economy and social movements, the pandemic can be seen to be a blessing to the environment. When the global community went into isolated lockdown within the confines of their homes, the environment sighed a relieved breath. Nature blossomed. Global
pollution rates plummeted drastically.”

She continued, “The Ganga and Yamuna rivers of India became extremely clean. Closer to home, the pH levels of the Malacca River have improved. Faunas of the world enjoyed momentary freedom as animals roam the Earth more freely.”

She concluded that these are solid evidence of the negative impact that the human race has on the environment.

Dr Irini added that issues of the wetlands are not new issues. Under the RAMSAR Convention, several wetlands in Malaysia are registered for possessing international importance. However, more needs to be done to spread awareness of the importance of wetlands as the “Kidneys of the Earth”.

UiTMLaw takes pride in Dr Irini for shedding light on issues of the wetlands during these troubled times. The session illustrates the serious need to tackle issues concerning the environment. It is hoped that the audience benefitted from this sharing session.

The Faculty of Law of Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia (UiTMLaw) participated in the Jessup Intercontinental Friendly 2021 which was held online for the first time since its conception due to the pandemic. The Jessup Intercontinental Friendly 2021 was organized by a collective group of four European universities from Bulgarian, France, Latvia and Portugal.

The team made it to the finals of the Intercontinental Friendly and went up against Portugal’s top law school from the University of Lisbon, having beaten out the top-ranked team in the group stage from Sweden in the semi-finals. They emerged proudly as the first runner-up. Ameerah Batrisyia added a feather to her cap when she was named the 8th Best Oralist of the Jessup Intercontinental Friendly 2021.

The team from UiTMLaw, led by Wardah Yumna binti Yunus (a winner of the Jessup Best Oralist in the Malaysian National Rounds in 2019 and 2020), also consisted of Ameera Batrisyia binti Reza Andrian Malikwi Wan Nur Fatini binti Wan Abd Halim, Farah Nurizzaty Afifa binti Azhar and Muhammad Iqmal Hazim bin Khairuddin. The team was trained by moot coaches Prof. Dr Irwin Ooi Ui Joo and Dr Ummi Hani Masood.

Teams were given a fictional legal case or a moot problem on issues of international law and must plead their stance before the International Court of Justice. This year, the competition embraced the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the world’s landscape and based the competition to appear before the court concerning the J-Vid-18 Pandemic.

Several similar friendly rounds such as the Jessup Intercontinental Friendly 2021 are also held in the Asia Pacific region and the South Asia region. These friendly rounds are treated as training.

These friendly rounds are treated as training grounds, culminating in the anticipated Jessup Global Rounds as the final leg of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Jessup is widely held as the most prestigious mooting competition in the world and as the largest gathering of international law students in history.

In line with the needs of the legal industry, UiTMLaw believes that participation in mooting competitions will enable its students to develop their soft skills of critical thinking, research, writing and advocacy.  The UiTMLaw Mooting Team continues to be a powerful force nationally and continues to make Malaysia proud internationally.

Honouring the beauty and significance of mathematics, the International Day of Mathematics (IDM), known before as Pi-Day, highlights the important roles played to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Supported by 16 international and regional organizations and coordinated by the International Mathematics Union, IDM featured a mixture of over 410 individual physical and virtual celebrations scheduled in more than 70 countries including in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia.

This year’s theme “Mathematics for a Better World” is hoped to spark creativity and further enlighten the relevance of mathematics to other fields, concepts and ideas. International events complemented by national programmes include the organization of webinars, conferences, exhibitions, mathematics competitions, recreational mathematics, and classroom activities.

They demonstrated how mathematics helps improve the world as highlighted by Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, “Mathematics, with its many technical applications, now underpins all areas of our lives. Together with algorithms, mathematics plays a key role in artificial intelligence and technological disruptions – and, as we address global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, we are reminded of the importance of mathematics in responding to the challenges of our time.”

UiTM was honoured to share a spot on the IDM‘s world map, for the second time. Themed Mathematics for Life, and working hand in hand with the Mathematical Sciences Association (PERSAMA) of Malaysia, the event started off on Friday, 12 March 2021 with a webinar on Mathematics and Humanity: the Past, the Present and the Future that detailed the interlocking among mathematics, the universe and civilization.

The webinar was aired on Webex and Youtube of Centre for Mathematics Studies, Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, UiTM and was presented by Dr Muhammad Ikhwan bin Azlan from Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor (KUIS). He specializes in Islamic Thoughts and Civilization and was with the Malaysian teams for the International Mathematical Olympiad in The United States of America and Scotland.

His session clarified the dependencies between mathematics and humanity but at the same time opened up interest in the issues relating to humanity that mathematics had failed to expose.

UiTM is determined to support the Dasar Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi Negara (DSTIN) 2021–2030 and the government’s STEM agenda to realize the National Science and Technology Enrolment Policy of 60:40 of science to arts streams that are far beyond reach.

On Monday 15 March 2021, the celebration continued with Maths Mind, an interactive online workshop for school students that helped to create awareness on the use of various mathematical software and their applications in real life situations and problem solving so that they are technologically literate and able to perform in a global work environment.

UiTM students facilitated 109 school students, including 6 teachers as observers, from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK, Shah Alam through some virtual mathematical modelling and graphing activities, and fun quizzes and games.

UiTM students boosted their leadership talent when taking responsibility to organize and manage the workshop. They exercised their communication and social skills to guide and inspire the school students to build up confidence in their future studies and careers.

On a positive note, the workshop had successfully raised interest towards mathematic in 80% of the students. Nevertheless, only 48% of the students expressed their intention to pursue in mathematics at their tertiary level. Therefore, UiTM wishes to collaborate with the National STEM Association and other organizations to plan and build a solid STEM foundation through a well-rounded curriculum to ensure that school students are exposed to and interested in the STEM subjects from a very young age and throughout their educational career as to respond to the second wave (2016-2020) of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.

The Mathematics and Life video competition completed the UiTM IDM 2021 celebration. Besides the UiTM students, it welcomed our global partners, the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology of India, the National University of Uzbekistan and Samarkand State University of Uzbekistan.

The competition aims for the students to showcase their ideas and bring mathematics to life in a way that can help to break barriers for those who may not otherwise understand how mathematics is used around us.