UPM SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS

3 rd International Conference of Sustainable Higher Education (USM)

2009-11-24T02:59:00.000-08:00

I had an opportunity to present my paper in 3 rd International Conference of Higher Education for Sustainable Development and visiting some old Friends and become acquainted with some new friends who are working in the realm of sustainable Higher Education here.

Several people including different scholars from Germany, USA, China, Philippines, Mexico, South America presented their papers. The conference encompassed 4 important instalment.

The first one was the key note speaker, which Prof. Dr. Hans van Ginkel, Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen, Dr Zakri A Hamid presented spoke as 3 key note speaker. I myself personaly liked more since he depicted the current situation in a simple philosophy free perspective and also told us that he watches movies with his children which indicates he is strongly committed to his family which most of us are not cause of too much job.

Another issue which took my fancy was employment of a girl who was the correspondent in this programme naming Chin Chin. She was a handicapped girl which was recruited by USM in order to prove how committed USM is to sustainable Campus. She was a clever girl with CGPA 3.8 whom Prof Dzulkfi addressed her as an different able not diss able

interview with Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak

2009-06-11T02:55:00.000-07:00

After waiting for four months, finally I manged to get an appointment to interview
Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak who is USM Vice Chancellor.

It was a quiet long way driving from KL to Penang. Getting lost in Penang and being forced to pass Penang marvelous bridge several times and pay USD 3 toll for every time made me frustrated .

I dont know why my GPS was so interested to make me pass the bridge and pay Penang bridge that much. Any way it was worth to see that spectacular Island and that fantastic university.

Since I had to wait to wait one night to visit Mr Vice Chancellor, I preferred to stay a night in USM guest house.

I dont know how to describe but I can just say the vista of the guest house window was extremely beautiful. You are at the middle of a jungle over the hill and viewing sea and Penang bridge simultaneously .

It was slightly (25%) more expensive in comparison to UPM guest house but I dont regret to stayed there as I kept on of my most fascinating life in nature.

Finally I went to professors office in 6 th floor of chancellery there was a conference room attached to his office which I was led there waiting for USM VC.

At 2 PM, VC came in and greeted me very hospitably and eagerly. I introduced myself and told him that I am one of his article's fan which he was writing in different news paper and in Comment and Views. It had a positive effect and he become more interested to answer my questions.

Generally speaking I found him as brave as our VC who had enough fortitude who was not afraid to declare the defficincies of Malaysian Universities in a positive rational and logical manner.

Another interesting point about his character was most of his examples and line of thinking was referring to medical issues. He was also confessing that people are most important thing in his vision.

He said that environment, development, economic and so forth are some instruments that help people and students to live more comfortable. Therefore a sustainable campus orbits over the students life both in present as well as future.

There was a common idea that Professor Lik Meng and VC were declaring in different language which was ; in sustainability it is better not to measure and not to go to indicators because the concept of sustainable university is being translate differently and can not be measured by some simple indicators.

Any way there are always this kind of disagreement between different scholars, but the good thing is that this VC was a really flexible intellectual and open minded person who changed USM to one of the world top universities and APEX University.

The thing that I never forget is his saying ;" We want to teach students that campus belongs to them and it is not our campus that is theirs and it is not a hotel."

He confessed that Malaysian Higher education have some different problems which referes to the Malaysian special specification. He ratified that unbalance proportion of female to male, poor command of English and ethnically polarization exist and theses are real concern. But he said more important than command of English is common way of communication which will not preserve the campus sustainability.

Interview with (Professor Datuk Dr.) Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah

2009-03-18T02:56:00.000-07:00

Finally I managed to catch Professor Datuk Dr Nik Mustapha to interview. Professor Datuk Dr. Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah is looking to a very serious and practical man and that is why he was a successful dean and consecutively a successful vice chancellor for these long time.

He was very strict and accurate in his words and very bravely criticised some environmentalist ideas. For example he said:" I dont understand what the slogan of we should have a sustainable education is ? in stead we should be sustainable in operation and in agriculture. when we care about green lands, trees, sustainable agriculture we will save the environment as well." He was addressing this notion that" the future generation needs is embedded in using new technology and conserving the environment for economic prosperity . "
UPM vice chancellor is well known among economist and that was why he was viewing the issues through the lens of an economist and not as an environmentalist .
I think he was right since if there is no money there is no life to strive for conserving the environement. Datuk Nik siad he has a good relationship with Iranian since he has visited there, many times and has some students who were studying under his supervision and now he( on of his students) is the deputy of Iranian environment minister.
Datuk Nik was among the minority which wasnt afraid to declare that there are some racial polarization and poor command of english in Malaysian universities. He was also brave enough to say at the time being the dramatic rise in the female proportion against male students concerns the authority. I am proud of myself to study in a university who has that excelent, brave and practical vice chancellor.

Interview with Professor Datuk Dr Khaw lake Tee

2009-02-15T03:05:00.000-08:00

The thing that is really makes me surprised is that as much as one encounters to higher persons and higher managers in this beautiful Malaysia, they are simpler, more modest and more humble.
It shows that Malaysia in term of assigning suitable persons for specific jobs has done meticulously and very well. Professor Datuk Khaw is among of these managers. I was anticipating to be faced with a very strict lady which has a big frown on her face and always looks at her watch to indicate that my time of interview is over and I should leave. However It wasn't true She was that much kind and were behaving that much friendly that It was being assumed that I know her for 20 years. She answered my questions very delicately with Passion and in a very simple and strict manner.
She was also very brave to confess her organization deficiency and its reasons. I dont know how she dared to describe it that much straight forward to a foreigner? But she was clever enough to distinguish between different people. She got very happy when I proposed her to operate the university in style of sustainable campus and even asked me to send her some guidelines or whatever I have to use it in her organization. Actually such a university, UM, which is oldest university in Malaysia has been very successful in term of academic and research however it seems it has a long way to reach to the summit of sustainable campus.
Professor Khaw has been dean of faculty of Law for 12 years and in 2007 was assigned as the deputy of vise chancellor.

Interview with Dr Halimaton

2009-01-30T03:42:00.000-08:00

Datin Paduka Dr. Halimaton Saadiah is an pioneer scholar in realm of campus sustainabilty. Finally I managed to find this nice lady to perfom an interview. My objective of this interview was to get her points of view on campus sustaianbity, current Malaysian Higher education Institutaions challenges and to propose new indicators for creating a new assessment tool for Malaysian Higher Education Institutaion. She was that much humble that I really marvelled and lost the thread of conversation and my questions.
The interesting part was after analizing erinterview and sending her the result she edited all defficiencies and replyed very fast. UKM should be proud of this modest scholar. Later on I will write more about her pulblications and achievments.

Ulu Geroh with environmental field work group

2008-11-20T00:34:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting parts of the trip was visiting Orang Asli people. They were living at the middle of Jungle. They were semi nomad and had their own regulation, their own language and their own governance. On the way to go to their village we saw how the rubber is being extracted from the trees. We went to the village and interviewed with some residents. They were mostly Christian or Animistic. They were hunting, fishing, capturing butterfly for selling to tourists, harvesting Durian and so fourth. However now a days the globalization has changed everything. These people were working in construction or industry in the city and were returning to their house in the night. The compelling issue was Malaysian government has catered solar panel for every household. They still use timber and wood for the only source of cooking.

The settlement of Ulu Geroh, where the indigenous Semai community protects the world's largest flower has a very specifc and unice character that you wil not feel it unless you go there.

Living in the nature and struggeling with its roughness is an unseparatable of Orang Asli's life component.

Comming back from Orang Asli we hungout in the city with kind, nice, hospitable and decent friends and drunk Teh Taree a favourate Malaysian drink.

1-Here you can find about Ulu Geroh Rafflesia and Rajah Brooke's Birdwing Conservation Area
2- What can one do there
3-Orang Asli are going to receice Titel and land
4- Prevention of logging near Orang Asli
5-A ducumentary movies about there
6- Creating opportunity for theri women
7- The bar team report

Trip : Inside the cave

2008-11-19T23:17:00.000-08:00

On the second day we wend inside the cave wow It was unbelievable amazing. Creeping through the tunnel less than 50 cm diameter, climbing up and down the very slippery sharp rocks was a good assessment to evaluate our stamina and our strength. Gils and boys together were exploring the tunnel. To me it was strange cause in my country doing these things with a group of girls leads to be held in custody. Be as it may it got finished and all the group members full of mud over their clothes tired by cheerful came back to the hostel.

I really can not judge weather the cave was more beautiful or the water fall where Mr. Goh lead us there. This Mr Goh is a real gentleman and can be very good friend of mine. He is a golfer and knows all the interesting places of Perak. I have to keep it as my friend. Maybe our Iranian club can arrange a trip to Cameron Highland with using his help.

He is both an excelent environmentalist and a good dance trainer. In the last night we all enjoyed from his tremendous dance performance.

How was the Trip to Gua Temperung

2008-11-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning we gathered at the assembly point of Faculty of Environment. I was a memebr of Logistic committee therefore with the help of Sabri the leader of the logistic committee we moved the luggage inside the bus. This Sabri is a nice Malay Guy. He is very hospitable, polite and smart one which is really a good representative for Malay community.

Dr Ahmad Makmom came with a quarter delays with his expensive Honda Accord but like always was smiling. He is a real nice lecturer which is very knowledgeable and at the same time behaving in a very friendly manner with students that you do not feel he is your lecturer and you are his students. Most of Malaysian lecturers have the same habit they are very humble and smart as well.

The bus started going toward to Perak a 9. On the way to Perak we stopped for a break and toilet on that palce I viewed an squad of Malaysian soldier . They look great. I didnt know that this peacefull country has an army.

We were housed in a student hostel belongs to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). The place was extremely beautiful. Three story building with Danish façade which accommodate the 46 students and stuff in three building; one was for stuff and lecturers another one for females and the last one for males.

In the first day we went to Gunung Tempurung area which is the most majestic white marble and limestone towers in Malaysia. Concealed within this limestone massif is an intricate system of caves of various dimensions honeycombed inside the limestone hills. These caves are actually a breathtaking gallery of stalagmites and stalactites and other amazing rock formations which are wonders found only over there.
We had to do interview with local and tourists to understand what does lack in the area and what is the perception of tourists and indigenous to promote the situation. The interview technique was employed to fulfill the subject . I was with Miss Goh a nice Chinese girl and Engco another kind Malay gal and Mangala a Knowledgeable Indian girl in the same group. I was so lucky to have these group mates other vise I couldn’t have communicated with the local at all since they did not knot know English. We understood that in term of economy the local are not very happy with the current situation cause there are only 20 -40 visitors in the working days and 300- 400 visitors in the holidays . After four o’clock everything is over and the place is so deserted and not alive. It seems that constructing a land mark like a glassy elevator at the entrance of the cave which people can ride it and view all around will increase the number of tourists which intend to visit cave and enjoy the sightseeing as well. This land mark will increase the legibility and robustness of the quarter. Santos’s glassy elevator is a good exemplar. Beside more creating some complementary activity like horse riding, Tennis, Hokey, rock climbing could be done very easily and must be very influential in term of ecotourism.

It got raining cats and dogs and we entangled under one canopy. After waiting for half an hour we saw that it doesn’t seem to be stopped so under the heavy rain ran toward the group which were sitting under a shelter doing “ Makanan” (eating). The Malay food s great even though a little spicy.

We came back to the hostel I got a room with a Malay boy as room mate named Helmy. He was a nice guy. Like the other Malaysian he was a little shy but after I started to bombard him with questions he felt brave and started to speak. Ok finally I made him speak and get very good information of Malaysian life style.

At night we had Malay dinner and watched a power point of our activity during the day. I discussed with Dr Makmum regarding Malaysia, Durian, UPM and every thing s. Man, he is a great man although he is an environmentalist but his domain of knowledge was so big that covers even some architectural and political issues.

GUA TEMPURUNG ENVIRONMENTAL FIELDWORK 2008

2008-11-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

We are going with a group of students to visit Gua Tempurang in the next week 15-19 Nov 2008. This trip is a part of Environental Field work class which is being held under a committee including : ASSOCIATED PROF.DR. AHMAD MAKMOM BIN ABDULLAH as chair
GOH SENG CHEE as co chair man- AHMAD KAMARUDDIN SULAIMAN as secretary and SERI WIRDANINGSIH BINTI AHMAD WASIL as treasurer and ASMINAH BINTI RAJULI a member.
The students has been categoriezed in four groups to handell the requirements of trip.
The first one in Logistic whcich I a a meber aswell. Those are:

LOGISTIC:
ADILA SABRI BIN MUHAMMAD
NORFAIZAH AB AZIB
OMIDREZA SAADATIAN
ABDALLA BAKHEIT AHMED GUMA'A
WONG JUN LANFOODS

Food;
NORLAFIFAH BT RAMLI
SUHAILI BINTI SUIB
FARHANA ZULKIFLI
WONG JUN LAN

PROGRAMME

ZAMRI RAML

IMANGALAMBIGAI A/P

NAMASIVAYAM

BANGES MUNGA

MOHD EDZUAN BIN ABDULLAH SANI

SOUVENIR

NORAZMA MOHD NOOR

HASLINA MANSORNUR

HANANI ISMAIL

GOLYASAMIN KHANEHZAEISPECIAL

This is the link of place http://www.guatempurung.com/

ths USM campus sutainabilty blog

2008-11-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

here had a meeting with senior manager of the University a few days ago and learnt a new terminology. You could even call it a philosophy for management. "Don't know, Don't care". Ironically, the philosophy, if you will, though crude and shocking, is meant to facilitate decision-making. Just get it done! Don't bother me with all the procedures and red tape. Bent the rules, ignore it? Get it done now.

Some usefull links

2008-06-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

These are Some use full links.
Sustainable Community Development
AASHE
Journal of record
Green Mountain college

list of Journals for people who are willing to publish in Malaysia

2008-06-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

To me finding a suitable Journal to publish my finding is not easy. This is a series of Journal name and address that one can submit his/her manuscript there. click here

The 4 R

2008-05-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

"The four R’s": Refuse, Reuse, Repair, andRecycle.

The four R’s are listed in the order of their importance in contributing to sustainability:
1. Refuse. Begin by asking, "Does this product meet a true need?" By refusing to buy
a product, we eliminate any impact and create no further demand for its production.

2. Reuse. If a product is necessary, it should be sturdy and capable of repeated
use.
3. Repair. The product should be easy to fix, thereby maximizing its useful life.

4. Recycle. The product should be capable of being recycled when its useful life
is over.

.

a conference in Lund University

2008-05-21T00:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.ch.lu.se/index.php?id=593
Our abstracthas been accepted for this conference however Dr Osman didnt show interest to edit it.

Starting a Blog on Sustainable Campus

2008-05-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is a start for UPM Campus sustainabilty.