UKM v-c starts work
UNIVERSITI Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) will produce more quality research and continue to live up to its name as one of Malaysia’s five research universities.
Newly appointed vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor said this will be a key focus. He will serve for a three-year term effective Jan 1.
“I want to give my firm commitment to the university’s research agenda, which is the core of the work we do in UKM,” he said during the handover of vice-chancellor duties ceremony on Thursday.
Prof Mohd Hamdi said it would be a disaster if UKM lost its research university status.
He takes over from Prof Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali whose term ended at the end of December.
Prof Mohd Hamdi previously served as Universiti Malaya deputy vice-chancellor (Academic Affairs and International) from 2011 to 2014.
Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said his appointment is based on Section 12 (1) of UKM’s constitution.
Prof Mohd Hamdi said that enhancing the university’s internationalisation efforts was one of the mandates given to him by Dr Maszlee.
He added that the minister wanted more UKM alumni and staff to be “international champions” in their respective fields. These included an increase in the number of UKM’s citations, which is an indicator of how well its research is recognised and trusted.
“My vision is to see the university continue climbing in the international rankings,” added Prof Mohd Hamdi.
He thanked Prof Noor Azlan Ghazali for his achievements for the university.
“I think my work is going to be slightly easier because Prof Noor Azlan has built a strong foundation for success,” he added.
UKM Board Of Directors chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar said Prof Mohd Hamdi’s qualifications and extensive experience would bring a new perspective to UKM.