THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Developing
vaccines

2 Postgraduate

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Advancing
humanity
through research
By IAN JEROME LEONG
IN November last year, the World
Health Organization highlighted
the Zika virus outbreak in its
Weekly Epidemiological Record and
has since paid close attention to its
rise, subsequently issuing an alert
regarding the effects of the virus
and sending out guidelines for
laboratory detection.
This year, the numerous news
reports coming out of Brazil
brought to light the occurrence of
microcephaly (shrunken heads)
among newborn babies of women
who were infected during
pregnancy.
Considering its quick growth as
an epidemic, the first case of Zika
in Malaysia at the beginning of the
month and the fact that there is no
cure for the disease put much
pressure on researchers and
universities to develop a vaccine.
Unfortunately, the Zika virus is
only one of the many diseases
humankind has yet to find a cure
for. From cancer to Ebola and HIV/
AIDS, these deadly diseases will
continue to claim more lives until
there is a medical breakthrough.

Making worthy
contributions
According to Prof Victor Lim,
pro-vice-chancellor of education at
International Medical University
(IMU), many groundbreaking
discoveries would not have been
possible without the research
conducted at universities.
A good example is penicillin, the
first antibiotic to be discovered.
Alexander Fleming was a professor
of bacteriology at St Marys
Hospital Medical School in London
while Howard Florey and Ernst
Chain from Oxford University
succeeded in producing penicillin
in large enough quantities to be
used clinically, he says.
On the local front, Malaysian
academics are also leaving their
mark in the field of health sciences
such as Prof Chua Kaw Bing from
University of Malaya who was
instrumental in establishing the
causes and origins of the Nipah
virus during its initial outbreak in
the late 1990s.
Prof Dr Ngeow Yun Fong,
senior professor of the Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences at
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
(UTAR), gives the examples of two
other diseases that are highly

studied in Malaysia.
Many publications related to
dengue have come from local
medical and scientific researchers
on the virology, disease burden,
epidemiology and clinical
management of the disease and its
complications.
The vaccine research cluster in
Universiti Sains Malaysia has been
working on a tuberculosis vaccine
for the last 10 years, collaborating
with scientists in Cuba, Mexico and
at the South African Tuberculosis
Vaccine Initiative, she says.
Speaking about the importance
of university research especially in
developing cures for prevalent
diseases, Prof Ngeow continues,
Universities lead with
investigations at the cellular,
protein, gene and nucleic acid
levels to amass information on
microbial pathogens that are
useful for the development of
vaccines.
Many vaccination successes
were built on university research
where fundamental and applied
studies are undertaken to delineate
the nature of each disease,
understand how it develops and
causes damage to tissues and
organs, and how the disease
process can be prevented,
interrupted or aborted in the
infected individual.

Being held back

Unfortunately, no Malaysian
university has to date developed
human vaccines or drugs for
global markets.
Assoc Prof Sharifah Syed Hassan
from the Jeffrey Cheah School of
Medicine and Health Sciences at
Monash University Malaysia says,
Vaccine development is a
challenging, complicated and
multi-step process that
encompasses identifying antigens
in the preclinical phase,
conducting clinical trials and
getting approvals from the
relevant ministries and agencies
through to post-licensure activities.
This may take 10 to 15 years or
sometimes up to 30 years.
She continues to describe the
constraints facing Malaysian
universities that include having
limited time and funding, inability
to provide evidence of economic
value for the development of
vaccines, the lack of state-of-the-art
facilities and laboratories and lack
of expert collaborative partners

Vaccine development
is a challenging,
complicated and
multi-step process
that encompasses
identifying antigens
in the preclinical phase,
conducting clinical
trials and getting
approvals from the
relevant ministries
and agencies through
to post-licensure
activities. This may
take 10 to 15 years
or sometimes up to
30 years.
Assoc Prof Sharifah Syed Hassan

Innovation at IMU, says, The

Government has been investing
heavily in research universities,
providing them with much higher
research funding.
The initial funding is required
to boost the research output and
capacity, which are hoped to
ultimately raise the reputation and
ranking of research universities,
he says.
His colleague Prof Lim, however,
admits, Malaysian universities lag
considerably behind established
international universities in terms
of discovering cures or making
new vaccines.
Cutting-edge research is very
expensive and Malaysias total
funding for medical research per
year is less than what is spent by a
single leading university in the
United States or the United
Kingdom.
While the funding provided by
the relevant ministries are less
than that of international
funding bodies, these
grants are crucial for
early career
researchers who
are working
in a

who can help push for

development.
In addition, although many
researchers are involved in the
discovery stage and identification
of antigens for vaccines, Assoc Prof
Sharifah believes they are
not prepared for the rigorous
processes of vaccine development
as these activities are not part of
their main scope of research or key
performance indicators.

Element for survival

The average cost internationally
to develop a single antibiotic or
vaccine can rise up to a billion US
dollars, causing even
pharmaceutical companies to
sometimes shy away from making
such huge investments.
But it is a common
understanding among
academicians that research is part
and parcel of the higher education
industry insisting that research
and teaching complement one
another and that excellence in
research will significantly enhance
the quality of teaching in a
university.

> TURN TO PAGE 4

Making it a possibility
Yet, there are reasons to believe
that Malaysia will eventually have
the resources and capabilities to
make this a reality as the country
has produced skilled researchers
such as Prof Mary Jane Cardosa
who was involved in developing
vaccines against enterovirus
infection and the setting up of
Malaysias first dedicated vaccine
manufacturing facility, which is
expected to begin operation soon.
Furthermore, research
universities are beginning to get
support from the Government.
Prof Chu Wan Loy, dean of the
School of Postgraduate Studies and
deputy director of the Institute for
Research, Development and

country that is relatively new in

the areas of vaccination.
Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, vice
president for research and
development and
commercialisation at UTAR,
recognises that funding is often a
problem for many researchers but
believes that it should not be the
main obstacle.
Most of those who have been
productive are people who are
creative and innovative in
planning and carrying out research
work with minimum funding, he
says.

University research
has contributed to
the success of
many vaccines.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

4 Postgraduate

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Race at your own pace

SEGi University and Colleges (SEGi)
has been equipping bright young
minds of the nation for almost 40
years.
As a result of its legacy, it offers
one of the widest ranges of
programmes in the country.
To meet the rising demand for
capable leaders, SEGi offers a new
breakthrough method to enable
adult learners to pursue their
studies at their own convenience,
anywhere and anytime.
PACE (Professional and
Continuing Education) is a
consortium of global
universities
that
enables
adult
learners to
advance at
their own
pace and
complete
their studies
with the assurance
that they are
able to attend to
other obligations and
have a fulfilling

PACE (Professional and

Continuing Education) is a
consortium of global universities
that allows mature students to
learn at their own pace.

work-life balance.
Students have a choice to select
the study mode that is best for
them.
They have the option of
attending either weekend or
evening classes, or to opt for
supported or independent
learning.
With these choices, students
have the opportunity to network
with like-minded coursemates,
meet their lecturers and gain
additional support they may
need while they complete their
studies.
There is a wide range of
undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes to pursue under
PACE, from a range of universities
under the consortium:

l Australia

The University of Southern

Queensland (USQ) is one of
Australias leading providers of
education both on campus and
through its distance education
option.
The university is ranked by
MyUniversity as the top university
in Queensland in 2013 for
graduates in full-time work.
The Good Universities Guide 2015
awarded USQ the top national
rating of five stars for graduates
getting a full-time job.
Its School of Management

and Enterprise was ranked No.1

for its Master of Business
Administration (MBA) programmes
in The Australian Financial Review
Boss MBA Rankings last year.

l United Kingdom

The University of Greenwich

was the proud recipient of the
Queens Anniversary Prize for
Higher and Further Education for
last year.
The university offers MBAs with
specialisations in banking and
finance, logistics and international
business.
The University of Sunderland
(Sunderland) is an innovative,
forward-thinking university with
high standards of teaching,
research and support.
Sunderland was ranked the Best
New University in the North East of
England, according to the Guardian
University Guide 2012 and the
Whatuni Student Choice Awards
2015.
It was also shortlisted for the
University of the Year award in the
Times Higher Education Awards
2012.
The University of St Mark & St
John was set up about 175 years
ago in London, the United
Kingdom.
According to the results on the
National Student Survey, the
university was awarded 91% for

student satisfaction in 2013.

This places the university in the
top 10 of higher education
institutions in England.
The York St John University
located in York, UK, was founded
in May 1841. In addition to its
wide range of undergraduate
programmes, it offers postgraduate
programmes.
The University of London is truly
one of the great universities in the
UK. Its reputation for high
academic standards has been
built on the outstanding teaching
and research of its colleges since
1836.
Today, the University of London
degrees are accessible to students
all over the world through the
University of London International
Programmes, which are truly
international with more than
50,000 students in more than 190
countries.

n For more information on

PACE, call SEGi University

(03-6145 1777/1800 887 344),
SEGi College Subang Jaya
(03-8600 1888/1800 888 622),
SEGi College Kuala Lumpur
(03-2070 2078/1800 888 028),
SEGi College Penang (04-2633 888)
or SEGi College Sarawak
(1300 887 344), e-mail
askme@segi.edu.my or
visit www.segi.edu.my.

Financing growth
> FROM PAGE 2
Moreover, many of them
believe that universities can
operate sustainably with high
research focus, if done correctly.
A university with high
reputation in research will be
able to attract students,
especially in recruiting
postgraduate students. In
addition, international
recognition can lead to
international funding, says
Prof Chu of IMU.
He suggests, For a research
university to be self-sustainable,
it should adopt the
entrepreneurial university
model, where the university
demonstrates its capacity to
engage in fruitful and mutually
rewarding collaborations with
industry partners.
Prof Chu proceeds to
propose that researchers and
universities focus on niche areas
such as tropical medicine and
tropical biodiversity as Malaysia
is rich in such resources
compared to other countries
that are known for greater
facilities and experience in the
sciences.
Both Prof Lee and Prof Ngeow
of UTAR believe that a
diversified income stream that
includes support from
philanthropic and not-for-profit
organisations will tremendously
help in financing research.
While Prof Lee says
commercialisation of intellectual
property and know-how is a
source of income that has not
been fully explored, his
colleague Prof Ngeow says,
Instead of competing against
each other, universities and
vaccine production companies
can form public-private
partnerships to enable
accessibility of safe, effective

and affordable vaccines to all

communities.

Vaccination advocate
Prof Lim of IMU says,
Universities have a societal
obligation to inform and serve
the public. Universities should
work closely with the Health
Ministry to promote vaccination
and to counter the anti-vaccine
lobby, which appears to be
making much progress in
Malaysia.
Supporting his point is Assoc
Prof Sharifah of Monash who
says, Malaysia needs a central
biologics centre or a national
network of academics to engage
expertise for the continuous
development of human
vaccines.
Unlike large companies that
are forced to recover their
development costs through the
sale of vaccines, research
universities do not have to
recoup such figures.
Hence, whether it is to
develop vaccines or other
helpful innovations, universities
must always be at the forefront
of research and dabble in its
related activities such as
educating the public and
encouraging the use of vaccines
especially during times when
a portion of the national
population are choosing not to
be vaccinated for myriad
reasons.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Postgraduate 5

FBF postgraduates with their scrolls during the convocation on Aug 21

at Dewan Tun Ling Liong Sik, UTAR.

Milestones and
achievements

THROUGH the years of constant

growth, Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UTAR)s Faculty of
Business and Finance (FBF) has
produced a cadre of business
professionals, with the very first
group graduating in 2008.
Starting with only 512 students,
FBF has become the biggest
faculty in UTAR, comprising
seven undergraduate
programmes and three
postgraduate programmes.
The May 2016 trimester also
saw the implementation of three
double-degree undergraduate
programmes. Currently, there
are more than 6,200 students
enrolled in FBFs undergraduate
programmes.
At UTAR, students are
nurtured and trained to make
opportunities out of challenges,
echoing its mission tenacity in
overcoming challenges.
Besides providing a range of
undergraduate programmes,
UTAR offers postgraduate
programmes such as the Master
of Philosophy, Master of Business
Administration (Corporate
Management) and Doctor of
Philosophy to give knowledge
seekers the right resources for a
continuous learning experience.
For example, UTARs Master of
Business Administration (MBA)
programme has been positively
received by many fresh graduates
and industry candidates as the
insights offered have enabled
them to acquire specific skill sets
to become effective corporate
managers.
With its rigorous, interactive
and practical learning
opportunities, MBA candidates
are ingrained with the capability
to develop holistic views and an
in-depth understanding of social,
cultural and ethical issues.
UTAR FBFs programmes are
actively being developed,
incorporated with soft skills
competency and implemented
with strategic plans.
Those strategic plans are
aimed at enhancing and
maintaining the high standards of
the programmes, developing and
implementing research strategies,
and intensifying collaboration
with local and international
industry and professional
bodies, says FNF dean
Dr Au Yong Hui Nee.
FBF programmes are
recognised and accredited by the
Malaysian Qualifications Agency
(MQA) and the Education
Ministry.
In addition, FBFs strong
collaboration with industry

partners such as Public Bank

Berhad, Dell, OCBC Bank and
Phisontech enables students to
obtain hands-on industrial
experience.
Our programmes are
planned and set to meet the
global benchmark for
competency, ethics and
professional practice standards
in accounting, business
administration and financial
planning services, says
Dr Au Yong.
The successful approach of
FBF programmes can be seen in
the achievements of staff and
students. For example, the
conference paper Smartphone
Credit Card: The Future of Mobile
Payment System? was awarded
the 2015 Highly Commended
Award by Journal of Service
Management of Emerald Group
Publishing Limited.
A team of UTAR students was
ranked in the top 18 among 215
participants in the ESPRIEX
(Entrepreneurial Spirit
Exchange) Business Model
Competition Asean 2016 while a
UTAR FBF alumna won fourth
place in the Bloomberg Aptitude
Test.
In addition, FBF has been
organising the International
Conference on Business,
Accounting, Finance and
Economics (BAFE) since 2013.
UTAR encourages students to
participate in extracurricular
activities, community projects,
and student exchange and study
programmes, such as the UTAR
Explore the World Programme,
to expose them to cross-cultural
learning and enrich their
student life.
In conjunction with the
October student intake, UTAR is
inviting school-leavers, their
friends and families to the UTAR
Guided Campus Tour led by
UTAR ambassadors.
The Guided Campus Tour will
be held on Sept 24 and Oct 8
from 10.30am to 4.30pm at
UTAR Kampar in Perak and
UTAR Sungai Long in Bandar
Sungai Long.
UTAR also has extended
counselling hours at the Sungai
Long and Kampar campuses
daily from 9am to 5pm
(excluding public holidays).
n For more information,
call 03-9086 0288/016-2233 559
(Sungai Long Campus),
05-468 8888/016-2233 557
(Kampar Campus), e-mail
enquiry@utar.edu.my or
visit www.utar.edu.my.

6 Postgraduate

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

The Innovation and Collaboration Day is part of Monash Malaysias engagement strategy that
aims to work with the community.

Cultivating
collaboration
INDUSTRY engagement, innovative research,
entrepreneurship and employment
opportunities were some of the core themes
surrounding Engage Monash 2016, a
platform for students and staff to showcase
their capabilities as well as engage with the
industry and community.
An Engage Monash feature event was the
inaugural Innovation and Collaboration
Day, which showcased a display of the
universitys research strengths.
The Innovation and Collaboration Day
is part of Monash Malaysias wider
engagement strategy, which aims to work
with the community, identify potential
partnerships, and explore ways to work
together to solve key issues and problems,
shared Monash University Malaysias
president and pro-vice-chancellor Prof Helen
Bartlett.
While Monash Malaysia currently has
approximately 1,000 different industry
engagements, we are keen to deepen many
of these relationships as well as forge new
partnerships for greater strategic and
long-term impact, she continued.
In the last 17 years, Monash Malaysia
researchers have made breakthroughs and
discoveries in various fields. Open to the
public, the event featured 19 inventions and
44 research projects by academics and
students.
The event was host to the Science,
Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk
Seri Panglima Madius Tangau and Monash
University Malaysias chairman of the board
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, AO.
The Minister spoke to students on
Uncovering the Hidden Gems of
Entrepreneurship Opportunities in
Innovation and STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics). Notable
projects on display included four projects,
which have been submitted for patenting.
The first invention was a UV LED
(light-emitting diode) mask aligner system
by Dr Narayanan Ramakrishnan and PhD
(Doctor of Philosophy) student Lee Neam
Heng from the School of Engineering.
A mask aligner is generally used for
carrying lithography processes and the
investment in these types of set ups can be
expensive.
In Malaysia, the integrated circuit (IC)
fabrication industries, research and
development institutions, government
research centres and universities import
these machines for RM400,000 to RM500,000
for a basic bench-top system.

With this invention of a UV LED

lithography mask aligner system, production
cost can be reduced to between RM15,000
and RM20,000, with operational functions
equivalent to the state-of-the-art bench-top
mask aligner system.
The second creation was the worlds first
pH-sensitive inorganic nanocrystals by
Assoc Prof Md Ezharul Hoque Chowdhury
from the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine
and Health Sciences.
To serve as a super-efficient drug
transporter, this product is designed
based on pH-sensitive and biodegradable
inorganic nanoparticles that have
properties of electrostatic binding to DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid), siRNA (small
interfering ribonucleic acid), proteins and
small molecule drugs.
It can deliver a capacity across the blood
stream and cell membrane efficiently to
exert a therapeutic effect.
The third invention was an aquatic animal
growth enhancement by Prof Ishwar Parhar,
Dr Satoshi Ogawa and Dr Shogo Moriya of
the Brain Research Institute Monash Sunway
(BRIMS).
Aquaculture is one of the solutions for
meeting the global demand for food.
Growth-rate enhancement is the key
approach in aquaculture.
This project develops a new method for
the growth enhancement of aquatic animals
with a combination of two proteins
kisspeptin and ghrelin.
The last project was engaging next
generation medical students in active
learning through an ecosystem of
multi-touch tabletop computers in an
innovative smart lab by Assoc Prof Dr
Arkendu Sen and Assoc Prof Dr Lakshmi
Selvaratnam of the Jeffrey Cheah School of
Medicine and Health Sciences.
Practical teaching of foundational medical
science within a medical curriculum with
escalating student enrolments and a
shortage of medical teachers prompted
Assoc Prof Dr Sen and Assoc Prof Dr
Lakshmi to design and develop a hi-tech
collaborative learning ecosystem of lecturer
and student multi-touch tabletop computers.
The Engage Monash 2016 included the
Malaysia Telemedicine Conference 2016,
Career and Internships Fair 2016 as well as
the inaugural South East Asia Community
Observatory (SEACO) Science Forum.

n For more information, visit

www.monash.edu.my.

Postgraduate 7

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

HEALTH sciences are the use of

science, technology, engineering
and mathematics in the delivery of
healthcare.
As the worlds population heads
toward 7.5 billion, with about
350,000 babies being born daily
and only half of that number of
people dying, health sciences are
becoming increasingly important.
The population is also ageing. In
2000, life expectancy in Malaysia
was 64.2 years, rising to 66.5 years
last year.

Contemporary processing
Health science research faces
many challenges as it explores how
to cope with the growing ageing
population.
However, with challenges come
opportunities and big data is an
example of this.
Big data refers to the discipline
that investigates the processing of
huge datasets that traditional data
processing methods are unable to
handle.
Big data deals with missing data
as well as combining data from
different sources that would not
have been previously processed
together.
For example, The University of
Nottingham and the University of
Malaya have been collaborating on
a project that attempts to predict
where the next dengue outbreak
will occur.
Traditionally, you would use
various prediction algorithms
(such as regression or artificial
neural networks), which only
operate on a single dataset to make
its predictions.
The big data approach would
take data from a lot of different
feeds. We might monitor Twitter to
see who is tweeting about people

Big data breakthrough

By PROF
GRAHAM
KENDALL
having dengue.
We might access hospital records
to see when dengue cases are
reported. We could access mobile
phone data to see if people are
moving from areas with large
numbers of dengue cases to areas
with a lower number of cases.
If we could access data from
wearable devices, we might be able
to see the temperature and blood
pressure of the people concerned.
The challenge is to find a way to
process all these data in a way that
makes sense, to predict more
accurately than currently possible.
Initial research results are
promising and we are confident
that the work we are doing will
lead to better predictive models for
dengue.

For the future

It is not difficult to imagine other
applications for big data in health
sciences, but it is not without its
problems.
Data ownership and the digital
trail that everybody leaves is one
of them. If you provide data, who
owns it? Do you, as the original
provider, have rights to that data?
This is an open question that
humanity struggles with. There is

The University of Nottingham and the University of Malaya have been working together on a project that attempts
to predict where the next dengue outbreak will occur.
no easy answer, which is worrying
as the data you provide under the
banner of health sciences is more
sensitive than your bank account
data.

Data sensitivity
There are also questions around
what companies and governments
should be allowed to do with your
data.
Should an insurance company
be allowed to process your data to
decide whether they can insure
you?

In the same way that we are

trying to predict dengue, should
insurance companies be able to
predict that you are susceptible to
a certain disease and set your
insurance premium based on that?
If they do, do they have to disclose
it to you or your employer?
When you sign up for a service
and click accept, you may have
already agreed to give your data
away.
Do you read the terms and
conditions anyway, or do you have
the option not to accept the terms
and conditions and still access the

service? Probably not.

The application of big data in
health sciences can be a significant
aid to humankind but it throws up
many moral and ethical questions,
which we are now only just
starting to think about.
We have few answers at the
moment but we have to address
these issues at some point.

n Prof Graham Kendall is the chief

executive officer, provost
and pro-vice-chancellor of The
University of Nottingham Malaysia
Campus.

8 Postgraduate

THE Management & Science

University (MSU) is one of Malaysias
top universities.
It focuses strongly on in-demand
areas of study, which encompass
medicine, health sciences, pharmacy,
information sciences and
engineering, business management
and professional studies, education,
social sciences, hospitality, culinary
arts, music and fashion.
As Malaysias best teaching and
learning university, MSU gives
priority to quality education and
creative teaching methodologies in
producing quality and holistic
graduates.

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Establishing a global network

offers student an experiential
learning opportunity in a crosscultural communications,
building a global network and
possibly creating a future
international career.
In addition, students will have
the opportunities to develop
management skills and
techniques, obtain strategic
orientation and implement the
strategies formulated.

An international experience
Besides incorporating
international exposure in the
student learning experience,
extensive industrial training
components and personal
enrichment competency elements
are also blended into the
programme to ensure the graduates
employability.
MSUs Graduate School of
Management (GSM) recognises that

Leaders with an edge

The Master in Business Administration by MSU nurtures leaders with
entrepreneurial and strategic management skills.
todays global companies require
managers with a broader outlook.
The university attracts top
students through its
internationalisation effort of

employing faculty members with

overseas experience and forming
effective links with businesses.
The Master in Business
Administration by MSU (MSU-MBA)

The MSU-MBA programme

helps students develop skills in
leadership, entrepreneurship,
strategic management and
decision-making so that they
become successful leaders in
their area and entrepreneurial
thinkers in the most competitive
markets.
The programme provides
sufficient knowledge for
students to understand the
various facets of an organisation
to formulate successful
strategies. It also instils
confidence in them.
Active learning exercises
within the programme act as a
basis for verbal analysis and
discussion, allowing for a rich
learning environment through
the integration of the the
classroom with real-world
experiences.
These exercises broaden
students understanding of
issues by inviting them to think
beyond their text materials.

New terms and concepts are

defined in the margins to
facilitate learning.

Learn from the best

GSM has established
collaborative educational links
with a number of top overseas
universities, including those in
the United Kingdom, the United
States, Australia, New Zealand,
South Korea, Japan, Germany,
Russia and China.
The Global Mobility
Programme provides the
opportunity for postgraduate
students to develop an
awareness and appreciation
of other cultures, political
and economic environments,
and approaches of doing
business.
Professors of the MSU-MBA
are accomplished educators
who have made significant
contributions to the business
world, both as academics and
working professionals.
They have conducted research
and published articles across a
broad range of business and
professional areas.
They have also taught
university-level business courses
abroad, thus bringing their rich
multicultural experience to
Malaysia.

n For more information,

call 03-2718 4302/4300/4301 or

e-mail gsm@msu.edu.my or visit
www.msu.edu.my.

Progression
in pharmacy
FOR a rewarding educational
experience that enhances your
career prospects, enrol in
postgraduate study at the
International Medical University
(IMU), Malaysias first and most
established private university
with more than 24 years of
dedicated focus in health

professions education.
The Master of Pharmacy
Practice (MPP) enables working
pharmacists to expand their skill
sets and develop a reflective
approach to the practice,
whether this is primarily in
patient care, corporate or
academic settings.
The programme facilitates the
learning and application of
conceptual tools for decisionmaking in pharmacy practice.
Expanding your knowledge
and developing your cognitive
ability empower you to think in
new ways and seek innovative,
creative yet rigorous solutions to
practice, research, leadership
and management problems.
School of Pharmacys acting
dean Dr Wong Pei Se says, The
pharmacy profession continues
to evolve in many ways. This
masters programme is aimed at
providing useful learning that
enables passionate pharmacists
to advance their pharmacy
practice skills.
We accomplish this through
the delivery of an innovative
curriculum by a team of
dedicated faculty and
professional staff.

> SEE NEXT PAGE

IMUs Master of Pharmacy Practice
gives working pharmacists the
opportunity to enhance their
knowledge and skills.

Postgraduate 9

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

THE October intake is your

golden opportunity to enrol in
Unitar International University
(Unitar), which has a variety
of more than 60 exciting
programmes for your potential
future career.
Dedicated to be the leading
innovative social sciences
university, Unitar offers a
diverse range of programmes
through its faculties.
These faculties include the
Faculty of Business Technology
& Accounting, Faculty of
Education & Humanities, Faculty
of Culinary & Tourism, Faculty of
Architecture & Design, Unitar
Foundation School as well as the
Graduate School of Education
and Asia Graduate School of
Business for postgraduate
programmes.
Unitars main campus in
Kelana Jaya collaborates with
eight independent campuses
nationwide to assist a combined
population of more than 9,000
students nationwide.
The university provides
affordable programmes with
high-quality learning through
its conventional and distance
learning programmes.
Here are some of the courses
offered by Unitar:
l Asia Graduate School of
Business
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in
Business Administration
Master of Business
Administration
Master of Management
l Graduate School of
Education
 octor of Philosophy (PhD)
D
in Education
M
 aster of Education
(Early Childhood Education)
M
 aster of Education

Advancing social sciences

(Educational Leadership
& Management)
Master of Education (Teaching
of English as a Second Language)
l Faculty of Architecture &
Design
Diploma in Architectural
Technology
Diploma in Interior Architecture
Diploma in Product Design
Foundation in Built
Environment
Foundation in Design
l Faculty of Business
Technology & Accounting
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
in Information Technology
Master of Computer Science
Master of Information
Technology
Bachelor of Business
Administration (Hons)
Bachelor of Management (Hons)
Bachelor of Information
Technology (Hons)
Bachelor of Finance (Islamic
Finance) (Hons)
Diploma in Logistic Management
Diploma in Retail Management
Diploma in Accounting
l Faculty of Culinary &
Tourism
Master of Science (Hospitality
Management)
Bachelor of Culinary Arts (Hons)
Bachelor of Hotel Management
(Hons)
Bachelor of Tourism
Management (Hons)
Diploma in Tourism and
Management
Diploma in Hotel Management

Pioneer of
health education
> FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
The MPP programme from
IMU is unique and the first of its
kind to be offered with three
specialisations by a Malaysian
university.
The specialisations are
clinical pharmacy, social and
administrative pharmacy, and
pharmacy management.
The programmes schedule
allows working pharmacists to
undertake campus-based classes
and work-based experiential
learning.
Experiential learning gives
students the opportunity to
apply knowledge and skills in a
real-world setting. Students can
expect personalised attention
from lecturers and research
supervisors.
The programme is offered in a
blended mode, which means
that you can undertake much of
the studies online, with some
weekend on-campus sessions for
face-to-face teaching and
learning.
Most of the face-to-face
sessions will be held on
Saturdays, thus allowing you to
continue your practice while
pursuing postgraduate
education.
With IMUs commitment to
educational and research
excellence, students can benefit
from the universitys research
collaborations in various areas
such as cancer, bioactive

molecules, nutrition and

environmental health.
Links in clinical pharmacy
practice have also been
established with the Health
Ministry hospitals such as
Hospital Tuanku Jaafar,
Seremban.
Students may design and
conduct research in areas
pertaining to pharmacy practice,
including clinical pharmacy,
social and administrative
pharmacy, and healthcare
management.
Upon successful completion of
the MPP programme, graduates
will be eligible to apply for a
PhD programme. The MPP
programme will commence in
January next year. If you wish to
advance your career in
pharmacy, apply online today.
IMU offers other postgraduate
programmes, including taught
masters in science programmes
in environmental health, public
health, molecular medicine, and
analytical and pharmaceutical
chemistry. It also offers masters
in science and PhD by research
programmes.
IMUs main campus is located
in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. It
has branch clinical schools
located in Seremban, Kuala
Pilah, Batu Pahat and Kluang.
n For more information,
e-mail postgraduate@imu.edu.
my, call 03-2731 7272 or visit
www.imu.edu.my.

lF
 aculty of Education &
Humanities
Bachelor of Education (Early
Childhood Education) (Hons)
Bachelor of Communication (Hons)
Diploma in Children Performing Arts
Diploma in Early Childhood
Education
l Unitar Foundation School
Foundation in Management
Foundation in Commerce
Foundation in Information
Technology
Unitar is the place to be, with wide
access to learning for everyone, be it
at the main campus in Kelana Jaya or
its independent campuses nationwide
Alor Setar, Ipoh, Johor Baru, Kota
Baru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Malacca
and Penang.
For the October intake, registration
fee is as low as RM50 to give an
advantage to all those who are
interested to pursue any full-time or

Unitar offers more than 60 programmes that are affordable and of high
quality through its faculties.
part-time programme at Unitar.
The October intake is ongoing until
Oct 15 this year.

n For more information, visit

www.unitar.my, call 03-7627 7200
or e-mail enquiries@unitar.my.

G
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Postgraduate & Undergraduate

Programmes:

Business & Accounting

Communication Studies
Early Childhood Care & Education
Engineering & The Built Environment
Technology & Innovation
Law

SUBANG JAYA
KUALA LUMPUR
KOTA DAMANSARA
SARAWAK
PENANG
A member of SEGi University & Colleges

pace.edu.my

TOLL FREE

WHATSAPP

1800 88 8622
1800 88 8028
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016 212 9354

018 211 8653
011 1210 6389
017 859 2566
017 320 3038

10 Postgraduate

WORKING professionals and

students seeking to boost their
career prospects can enrol in the
Master of Business Administration
(MBA), Master of Science (MSc),
PhD in Science or Doctorate in
Business Administration
programmes at Quest International
University Perak (QIUP).
The MBA programme is by
coursework while the MSc and
PhD programmes are by research.
The MBA programme allows
students to take courses/subjects at
their own pace. Students can take
two to four subjects per semester
and complete the whole
programme in 18 months.
Classes are conducted during
weekday evenings and weekends
to enable working adults to pursue
the programme.
The minimum duration for fulltime study is 24 months for the
MSc and 36 months for the PhD.
For the part-time mode, the MSc
takes a minimum of 36 months
while the PhD takes at least 48
months to complete.
These are ideal for graduates
and working professionals who are

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Programmes for career boost

QIUP offers a range of postgraduate programmes to bring you closer to your

ambitions.
motivated to upgrade their
qualifications, knowledge and
employability but are not able to
pursue full-time programmes.
Due to strenuous lifestyles and

competing priorities, people find it

difficult to upgrade their skills
conveniently and efficiently.
Our programmes are aimed at
equipping students with the

required managerial and technical

tools that will prepare them to take
up new challenges and excel at
work, says QIUPs chief operating
officer Nicholas Goh.
Prof Dr Abdul Latif Salleh, acting
dean of Faculty of Business,
Management and Social Sciences,
firmly believes that the QIUP MBA
programme is designed for highachieving professionals with the
drive and ambition to move into
senior leadership roles.
Assoc Prof Dr Vilasini Pillai,
director of Centre for Graduate
Studies and Research and head
of biotechnology, is confident that
the MSc and PhD programmes,
which can be undertaken in any
principal areas of scientific
research, will allow graduates to
find employment in research,
scientific analysis, tertiary level
education, consultation and
product development.
Home to excellent academicians

with strong credentials and

expertise in their fields, QIUP
exposes candidates to impactful
research work and work ethics.
There are four faculties and two
centres at QIUP Centre for
Foundation Studies, Centre for
Graduate Studies and Research,
Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of
Integrative Sciences and
Technology, Faculty of Business,
Management and Social Sciences,
and Faculty of Pharmacy offering
foundation, diploma, degree and
postgraduate programmes.
Join QIUP on your quest to gain
practical, entrepreneurial and
intellectual skills to reach the
pinnacle of your career.
The postgraduate programmes
are now open for registration.

n For more information,

call 1800 88 QIUP (7487),

e-mail enquiries@qiup.edu.my
or visit www.qiup.edu.my.

Making it possible
MALAYSIAN students who want to further
their studies in Australia, New Zealand or
Singapore can visit the Study in Australia,
New Zealand & Singapore Fair hosted by
JM Education Group this September and
October.
The event will take place in Johor Baru,
Penang, Ipoh, Petaling Jaya, Kuching and
Kota Kinabalu.
JM Education Group has been sending
students overseas for the past 27 years. Its
counsellors are well versed in matters of
education, be it for secondary school,
foundation, diploma, TAFE (technical and
further education), undergraduate or
postgraduate studies.
According to the groups managing
director Teh Cheong Hua, smart parents
know the strength of the Australian, New
Zealand and Singapore currencies and that
these countries well-connected alumni
network is a gold mine for long-term
investment.
Graduating students can apply to live,
study and work in Australia and New
Zealand temporarily under the post-study
work visa scheme.
Admission to the event and JM
counselling services are free. Students are
advised to bring original or photocopies of
certificates to apply for scholarships,
on-the-spot offers and fee waivers.
The University of Melbourne
International Undergraduate Scholarships
offer 50% to 100% fee remission valued up
to approximately A$138,000 (RM430,549)
for the normal duration of an
undergraduate degree (excluding honours)
or A$10,000 (RM31,199) fee remission in
the first year of an undergraduate degree.
Next year, Trinity College will be
granting to 30 students a 50% tuition fee
remission based on academic merit to be
allocated on a competitive basis, subject to
intake and region.
Students can also get a head start at

Deakin University this November with

scholarships of up to 25% for each year of
study. This applies similarly to students
applying to the University of Tasmania and
many others.
Murdoch Institute of Technology (MIT)
offers A$2,000 (RM6,240) and A$4,000
(RM12,480) scholarships for Malaysian
students who wish to join its February
intake in either the Murdoch University
Preparation Course or diploma
programmes.
Upon completion and receiving grades of
distinction at MIT, students may further
apply for a A$5,000 (RM15,600) scholarship
from Murdoch University.
Other study and scholarship options for
study in Malaysia are available at higher
education web portal UniDigest.com.
SPM, O-Levels, International
Baccalaureate, A-Levels, UEC, STPM and
diploma students are welcome to apply to
JM for next years intakes.

n For more information, call 03-5633 4732,

e-mail inquirydata@jmecc.com or visit
www.jmeducationgroup.com.

Postgraduate 11

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

Leading in
education

THE University of Nottingham Malaysia

Campus (UNMC) is at the forefront of British
education in Malaysia.
It carries with it the elements of
top-quality education and a broad range of
expertise deriving from its strategic industry
partnerships to provide the best learning
experience for all its students.
Entering academia with close to 20 years
of information technology experience in the
United Kingdom, Prof Graham Kendall has
held numerous positions with the university
and made substantial contributions to the
academic world before landing his latest
appointment as provost and chief executive
officer at the beginning of last month.
Taking over from Prof Christine Ennew,
Prof Kendall has seen his job scope grow
exponentially from focusing on research and
knowledge exchange to overseeing the daily
operations, learning outcomes and quality of
education throughout the university.
In what he describes as his biggest
promotion to date, Prof Kendall attributes
the new role to his strong work ethic and
significant managerial experience.
Even though I was on the management
board before, I am now responsible for the
whole campus and therefore, have new
responsibilities. However, my industry
background, management experience and
being the chair for various strategic boards
have prepared me for the role and gave me
a good understanding of how the university
works, says Prof Kendall.
Besides being provost and chief
executive officer, Prof Kendall is also a
pro-vice-chancellor of The University of
Nottingham and director of MyResearch Sdn
Bhd, Crops for the Future Sdn Bhd and
Nottingham Green Technologies Sdn Bhd.
Furthermore, not only is he associate
editor of 10 journals and editor-in-chief of
the IEEE Transactions on Computational
Intelligence and AI in Games, his literary
contributions include more than 230
peer-reviewed papers.

Making a difference
As provost, Prof Kendall is determined to
uphold the universitys core values that
include being committed to providing a truly
international education, inspiring students
and producing world-leading research.
Aware of its role as a top tertiary
education institution, UNMC is dedicated to
expanding its influence to also benefit the
communities around the campus.

Part of his plans for the university is to

increase the student population from 5,000
to 6,500 by 2020 and he is determined to
achieve this target without compromising
the quality of education at the university.
We are not running courses solely to
provide a revenue stream or only running
courses aimed at specific career
aspirations. We want to run a diverse
range of courses so that our students have
many options.
It is also not necessarily about
discontinuing underperforming courses
but to maintain the quality of courses
offered and gradually increasing our
student intake, he says.
Prof Kendall stresses that a university
operates primarily to teach students and
conduct research, thereby imparting
known philosophies and encouraging
knowledge growth. The Professional
Services teams are also an important
element, which underpins teaching and
research activities.
As a private university, Prof Kendall is
aware that he carries the task of keeping
the university sustainable.
The environment for private
universities is challenging as the only
revenue we get is from student fees.
Diversifying our income stream through
activities such as conferences, summer
schools and rental income from
accommodation will not generate the same
levels of revenue as student fees.
Therefore, we have to provide an
excellent student experience so that our
students become ambassadors for the
university, enabling us to recruit more
high-quality, motivated students, he says.
Despite the challenges ahead, Prof
Kendall is confident UNMC can operate
sustainably by continuously achieving a
steady turnover, recruiting high-quality
students and meeting the challenging
targets that they have set themselves.
We are continually reviewing our
programmes and monitoring the quality of
each degree offered. We are aware that we
are operating in a rapidly changing,
competitive environment and we have to
be both nimble and flexible.
Reaching 6,500 students in four years is
a challenging target but we are confident
that we can get there, he concludes.
n For more information, visit
www.nottingham.edu.my or follow Prof
Kendall on Twitter (@Graham_Kendall).

The University of Nottingham Malaysia

Campus' main aim is to teach students and
carry out research, thereby encouraging the
growth of knowledge.

Become the Future of

Better Healthcare

Take the Next Step Forward

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
at a Leading Private Medical &
Health Sciences University
Programmes:
MSc in Analytical and
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KPT/JPT(N/442/7/0001)01/2017

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MSc in Environmental Health

KPT/JPT(N/422/7/0005)07/2019

Mar & Sep

MSc in Molecular Medicine

KPT/JPt(N/421/7/0010)07/2017

Mar & Sep

Master of Pharmacy Practice

KPT/JPT(N/727/7/0051)03/2019

Jan

MSc in Public Health

KPT/JPT(R/720/7/0077)09/2020

Mar & Sep

Postgraduate Certificate /
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KPM/JPT(N/145/7/0064)09/2020
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Postgraduate Diploma in Implant

Dentistry - NEW
KPT/JPT(N/724/7/0019)06/2021

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KPT/JPT(R/720/7/0049)06/2019
KPT/JPT(R/721/8/0043)01/2020

Throughout the year

+603 2727 7450

start@imu.edu.my

www.imu.edu.my/pg

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus hopes that through its excellent student
experience, students will become ambassadors to recruit more motivated learners.

KP/JPS/5195/US/2, KP(JPS)/DFT/US/W03

126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

12 Postgraduate

THE STAR, TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2016

DECISION-MAKING is vital in the competitive

and rapidly shifting global business. For a
company, any decision made is important,
no matter how trivial it may seem.
Every day, business leaders are constantly
faced with dozens of decisions, which play
an important role in the success of their
businesses, while having an impact on
their employees, customers and the
marketplace.
All decision-makers experience systematic
biases that affect the decisions they make. At
the Sunway University Master of Business
Administration (MBA) Masterclass, Sunway
University Business Schools dean Prof Dr
Steve Williams put a spotlight on the
importance of understanding the process of
decision-making to make the right decisions
with a talk entitled Judgmental Biases
Influencing Decisions.

Limitations of decision-making
In this class, Prof Williams explained that
most of our judgments are a result of
decisional shortcuts that we use to generate
solutions, which are good enough most of
the time.
However, as human beings, we are limited
in our decision-making capabilities. He
demonstrated some of the systematic
judgmental biases that all humans suffer
from when making decisions.
He also discussed how decisional shortcuts
can lead us astray and stressed the need to
be aware of how inbred biases have a
predictable and, often, negative impact on
our decisions.
To overcome systematic judgmental
biases, you need to first understand how
it affects you, said Prof Williams, author
of the popular textbook Making Better
Business Decisions: Understanding and
Improving Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving Skills.
At the end of the class, the dean of Sunway
University Business School revealed some of
the methods that would lead to better
decision-making.
Prof Williams has written several dozen

The Masterclass at Sunway University is a complimentary class specially conducted by the MBA dual-award programme with the University of
Lancaster.

Surpass with master class

articles in prominent journals. His research
area focuses on managerial risk behaviour,
the effects of moods on decision-making,
creative problem-solving, and generational
influences in education and the workplace.

Most of our judgments

are a result of decisional
shortcuts that we use to
generate solutions, which
are good enough most
of the time. However, as
human beings, we are
limited in our decisionmaking capabilities.
Prof Dr Steve Williams

New perspectives

This topic is crucial for the current

corporate world during decision-making.
Instead of just relying on several
individuals or data, it is important for
decision-makers to take in different
perspectives to achieve a potentially better
decision, says Sean Heng, one of the
attendees of the Masterclass. Heng is
currently pursuing the MBA programme in
Sunway University.
Heng shares that due to his accounting
background, he is constantly looking at
facts and data. The class elaborated parts
of organisational behaviour, which I felt is
vital for my career development. He
hopes that the class and MBA programme
can help him further develop his soft skills.
The MBA dual-award programme is
one of Sunway Universitys premier
programmes, tailored for aspiring
managers with the ambition to become
strategic leaders within an increasingly
complex organisational and business
environment.
The MBA is validated by the University
of Lancaster, England. Upon completion of
the MBA programme, graduates will
receive two certificates, one from Sunway
University and one from the University of
Lancaster.
Sunway University is a renowned
business education provider within
Malaysia, while the University of Lancaster
is ranked in the top 1% of universities
globally, delivering MBA programmes that
are triple-accredited and globally
recognised by the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB),
European Quality Improvement
System (EQUIS) and Association of
MBAs (AMBA).
To maximise the career potential of
Sunway Universitys dual-award
premier MBA, you can join a preview
session on Oct 8 from 12.30pm to
2.30pm at the Graduate Centre,
Sunway University.

n For more information or to reserve a

place at the preview, call 03-7491 8701 or
visit university.sunway.edu.my.

Sean Heng, a student in Sunway

Universitys MBA programme,
attended the MBA Masterclass.