R & D ANNUAL REPORT 2015

FOREWORD BY PRESIDENT

As we journey through another year, it is my pleasure to pen this foreword for the UTAR R&D Annual Report 2015.

Since UTAR's establishment, every step taken has been a process of learning and growing that has brought forth improvement in various areas. I am indeed pleased to witness the continuous success in research and development. These progressive steps will be the thrust in helping the university achieve greater heights in research and development.

With the Sungai Long Campus beginning its operations in June 2015, I am also delighted to see an increase in the number of student and R&D activities. The consolidation of our Klang Valley campuses has enabled the university to strategise and focus on its vision to be a global university with societal impact. Our strength in the research and development reflects the commitment of the university towards excellence in education and research.

To-date, UTAR's growth is further proven with having more than 25,000 students and an alumni base of more than 43,000. Continuing its global collaborations with more than 200 local and foreign partners, staff and students are able to gain greater access to knowledge and network with foreign partners for information exchange.

It is with pleasure that I present to you the following highlights in the UTAR R&D Annual Report 2015:

• The Centre of Social Change and Trends and Centre for Media and Creative Communication were merged under the Centre for Social and Media Studies. The Centre of Sustainable Architecture and Centre for Cyber Security were added in 2015 making a total of 28 research centres.
• Cumulative internal research funds awarded totalled RM35.16 million as of 31 December 2015, an increase of 26 percent since 2014.
• Cumulative external research funds solicited as of 31 December 2015 amounted to RM35.11 million, an increase of 11% since 2014.
• Scholastic articles cited in Scopus rose from 2,095 in 2014 to 2,408 in 2015 and consequently the cumulative number of citations increased from 6,470 in 2014 to 8,878 in 2015.
• The cumulative number of publications accepted by the Thomson Reuters Web of Science databases increased from 1,112 in 2014 to 1,326 in 2015.
• Citations in the Thomson Reuters Web of Science increased from 1,377 in 2014 to 1,779 in 2015.

Showcasing the excellence of our staff and postgraduate students are the following achievements:

• Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) Senior Lecturers' research paper was awarded as "Most Cited Article" by Elsevier (USA)'s Telematics and Informatics Journal;
• Two UTAR researchers obtained the Malaysia Toray Science Foundation (MTSF) Science and Technology Research Grant (STRG);
• Head of Department of Environmental Engineering in UTAR Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology, Dr Sumathi a/p Sethupathi, was awarded the Green Award Country Winner and 2nd Runner-up in the ASEAN Green Award Grand Winner;
• Four researchers, with their invention, Bio-Crypto Authentication Solution (BCA), won Gold prize at the 26th International Invention and Industry Design and Technology Exhibition (ITEX), Kuala Lumpur.

The highlights above are just a few of the many accomplishments that UTAR has achieved. With these successes, UTAR is set to aspire further towards more collaboration in research and development especially joint research projects with the industry.

The university's plan to set up a new hospital in Kampar has brought much excitement among both staff and students. The hospital is planned to have facilities for research, teaching, and training for our medical and health science students. As we also hold true to our principle - By the People, For the People, the hospital also aims to provide quality medical services to the people, in ensuring the community is cared for.

There will be challenges in the years ahead, but our determination will not falter because we are able to learn from it. Challenges will improve our students and staff, and enabling them to be recognized leaders in their field of study. This determination will be the motivation for us to continuously reach greater excellence in the R&D projects.