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UMT outlines four main focuses for 2023, approves allocation of over RM1.26 million

UMT outlines four main focuses for 2023, approves allocation of over RM1.26 million

Tuesday, 21/02/2023

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Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) has approved a special allocation for a mentoring programme and publication and research proposal strategic training in an effort to motivate the academics who have not very active in producing impactful publications.

UMT Vice Chancellor Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mazlan Abd Ghaffar said the focus is on the aspect of academic talent development to ensure the academic will be actively contributing to the development of the country and the society.

“Academic talent is a key enabler in ensuring UMT’s main players progress excellently.

“Special attention will be given to 30 percent of the academics so that they will be applying for grants, producing publications, and supervising postgraduate students. This initiative is hoped to increase the number of approved grants and impactful publications between 10 and 20 percent from the current level.

“This year, the target number of research proposal submitted through the Research Management Centre is 300. High-impact research is a key factor in the production of excellent outputs. It is important to enable UMT and its researchers to be consulted by overseas researchers and institutions.

“As an incentive to increase Q1 and Q2 (WoS) publication articles especially in the nice area, we will provide a publication allocation totalling RM400,000 in 2023, and the Special Internal Grant will be continued with an allocation of RM1.26 million (higher than last year). RM540,000 from this internal grant will be allocated to the Research Intensified Grant Scheme, RM300,000 to the Private Partnership Research Grant, RM300,000 to the International Partnership Research Grant, and RM120,000 to Matching Grant 1+3.

He said that the success of an organization is aided by the skills and experiences possessed by the members.

Thus, UMT will also set aside a special staff development fund for producing excellent and holistic employees.

“To support this program, UMT allocates RM2,000 per non-academic staff to enable them to increase the capabilities and skills they learn from visits to overseas institutions and to introduce them to the geographical varieties, and the different management cultures and administrations at higher learning institutions.

In addition, he said that an innovation fund totalling RM45,000 will be set aside to encourage innovative practices to increase work productivity.

“Various work aspects can be improved through innovative approaches, which will yield significant results that will enhance work competencies and productivity.

“Therefore, to provide exposure to innovative practices to the staff, UMT will set aside RM45,000 in 2023 to enable the staff to participate in innovation competitions at the national level.

He said that UMT will continue to support the Ministry of Higher Education’s aspiration, as explained by the Minister of Higher Education during his mandate speech recently, which is about giving the autonomy to students to manage businesses in an effort to enhance student entrepreneurship.

“In line with the ministry’s aspiration, which he shared during his mandate speech recently, I would like to announce the establishment of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence (CFEE UMT) in an effort to promote the entrepreneurship culture among the students.

“CFEE functions as knowledge giver, facilitator, and a practical training centre that can help improve student entrepreneurship in a systematic manner while motivating the students to venture in entrepreneurship.

“We need to conduct programmes and activities that will encourage students to become entrepreneurs through collaborations with outside agencies.

In addition, Prof. Mazlan stressed that several elements have been considered as the main aims for the university for 2023.

“These aims include financial sustainability, talent enhancement, increased reputation, and improvement of the community through research-based knowledge transfer and assimilation,” said Prof. Mazlan during the 2023 Vice Chancellor’s Mandate Speech held recently at UMT’s Auditorium Mahyudin.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) is the 14th public higher learning institution in the country and has become a centre of reference for activities related to oceanography as a result of its Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS) recognized as a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) and its Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP) recognized as a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) that supports the Nation’s Food Security Policy through the institute’s expertise in the field of aquaculture.