ANNUAL REPORT

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

2008-2012

Annual Report

School of Graduate Studies

2008-2012

Foreword

UPM’s School of Graduate Studies (SGS) was established on the 9th of February,

1993, and has since been responsible for coordinating all matters pertaining to

postgraduate studies for the university.

As UPM continues to evolve as a global institution that is serious in its efforts to cultivate knowledge and research, most of its development has centred on and revolved around the upgrading of its postgraduate programmes. The School of Graduate Studies now offers more than 400 fields of study, offering internationally recognized academic programmes at Masters and PhD levels.

UPM currently has the highest percentage of academic staff with PhDs in Malaysia. The university’s varied programmes, as well as its facilities and conducive learning environment, has attracted students from more than 60 countries to pursue their postgraduate education here.

The School of Graduate Studies makes it its mission to be the leading graduate

school in Malaysia. It aims to do this by ensuring that it provides the best

programmes which prepare students for the rigours of postgraduate study and the

challenges of academia.

We truly hope that through the assistance provided by SGS, students will find that their educational experience at UPM is very much enhanced.

School of Graduate Studies February 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Administration 1.1 SGS Organization Structure 2012 1 1.2 SGS Dean 2 1.3 Financial Report 3 1.4 Workforce 4

2. Student Enrollment 2.1 Student Enrolment 5-6 2.2 Nationalities of UPM’s International Students 7

3. Thesis 8-10

4. Financial Assistance 11-12

5. Learning Support Programme 5.1 Putra Sarjana 13 5.2 Conference/Seminar Attandance 14

6. Networking and Internationalization 6.1 MoU/MoA 15-16

6.2 Mobility 17 7. Quality Benchmarking 7.1 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) 18 7.2 Graduate Employbility 19

8. New Initiative in 2012 8.1 Prudent Spending 20 8.2 Alumni Success Stories 20 8.3 Quality Manual 20-21 8.4 Alumni Support Group 21 8.5 Peer Support Group 21 8.6 The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) 21-22

8.7 Book Project 22 8.8 Star Rating and Role Model Supervisor 22 8.9 Supervision Handbook 22-23

1.1 School of Graduate Studies Organization Structure

Since 2011, the administration of the School of Graduate Studies has

grown to be led by one dean and four deputy deans. The following is the

organization structure and portfolio of each unit in 2012.

DEAN

PROF. DR. BUJANG KIM HUAT

DEPUTY DEAN

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

AND RECORDS

PROF. DR. ZULKARNAIN

ZAINAL

DEPUTY DEAN

STUDENT AFFAIRS,

LEARNING SUPPORT AND

PUBLICATION

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

DR. NORITAH OMAR

DEPUTY DEAN

THESIS

PROF. DR. SEOW HENG

FONG

DEPUTY DEAN

INDUSTRIAL NETWORK

AND

INTERNATIONALIZATION

PROF. DR. LOQMAN CHUA

CHUAH ABDULLAH

DEPUTY REGISTRAR

FINANCE, HUMAN

RESOURCE, QUALITY

ENVIRONMENT AND OSH

MR. SUHAIFI SULAIMAN

ASSISTANT REGISTRAR

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES,

SCHOLARSHIPS AND

RECORDS, MR. NASRUL AMRI

SELAMAT

ASSISTANT REGISTRAR

THESIS

MS. MAIZATUL AFZAN

TAJUL ARIFFIN

ASSISTANT REGISTRAR

STUDENT INTAKE

MS. RAHMAWATI UMAR

ASSISTANT REGISTRAR

INDUSTRIAL NETWORK

AND

INTERNATIONALIZATION

MR. JIVANANTHAN

ARUMUGAM

ADMINISTRATION

1

1.2 Deans of School of Graduate Studies (2008-2012)

Prof. Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris

1 May 2001 – 30 November 2008

Prof. Dr. Hasanah Mohd Ghazali

1 December 2008 – 30 November 2011

Prof. Dr. Bujang Kim Huat

1 December 2011 – Present

2

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2,399,000

3,005,000 2,744,800

3,726,880

1,673,000

RM

Year

Total Allocation 2008 - 2012

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

P24601 0 0 0 45,600 0

P50000 (Others) 5,000 15,000 3,000 3,700 2,500

P20000 (Supply Services) 1,145,0001,285,0001,247,0001,375,980 619,500

P23200 (Utilities) 10,000 80,000 9,000 60,000 1,500

P29101 (Medical Services) 35,000 25,000 58,200 75,000 50,000

P29300 (Wages) 100,000 200,000 200,000 192,000 135,500

P10000 (Emoluments) 1,104,0001,400,0001,227,6001,974,600 864,000

RM

Breakdown Of Allocation

1.3 Financial Report

3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Em

plo

yees

Year

Workforce

Executive Staff

Support Staff

1.4 Workforce

Year Exercutive Staff Support Staff

2008 7 47

2009 7 55

2010 8 61

2011 7 64

2012 7 62

4

2427 2794

3149 3520 3683

2259 2585

2908

3040 3568

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

N

o. of

Stu

dents

Year

Actual Vs. Target Enrolment of PhD Students

Actual Enrolment

Target Enrolment

2.1 Student Enrollment

Graduate student enrolment has grown significantly from 7,000 in 2008 to

nearly 11,000 in 2012. UPM aims to further increase its graduate student

enrolment to 13,000 by the year 2015. This is to reach its target of the

graduate to undergraduate student ratio to be 1:1.

7349 8626

9731 10664 10780

7223 8421

9472 9640 10794

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Actual Vs. Target Enrollment

Actual Enrolment

Target Enrolment

STUDENT ENROLMENT

5

4922 5832

6582 7144 7097

4964

5836 6564 6600

7226

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Actual Vs. Target Enrolment of Masters Students

Actual Enrolment

Target Enrolment

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Enrolment of International Students By Programme

PhD

Masters

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Enrolment of Local Students By Programme

PhD

Masters

6

2.2 Nationalities of UPM’s International Students

The graduate student population comprises of students from over 60

countries.

Algeria Brunei Canada Egypt Pakistan Sierra Leone Japan France Ghana Iran Colombia Thailand Nigeria Myanmar

Korea Malawi Morocco Nepal Oman Philippines

Turkey

United States Vietnam Yemen Zimbabwe

Bahrain

Cameroon Ethiopia Fiji Island Germany India

Laos

Jordan Kenya Maldives Namibia Palestine

Mongolia

Singapore Tanzania Uganda Venezuela

Uzbekistan

Syria Botswana China Gambia Indonesia

Libya

Mauritius Saudi Arabia Sudan Bangladesh

Cambodia

Iraq Mauritania Cote D’Ivoire Somalia Sri Lanka

Sweden

7

Up to UPM’s 36th convocation ceremony in October 2012, the School of

Graduate Studies has recorded a significant increase in the number of students

graduating with Masters and PhDs, from only 380 in the year 2008 to 1,328 in

2012.

Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

PhD Graduates 161 137 247 358 435

Masters Graduates 219 264 324 491 893

Total 380 401 571 849 1328

THESIS

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No.o

f G

raduate

s

Year

PhD and Masters Graduates (With Thesis)

PhD

Masters

8

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

PhD

Mast

ers

PhD

Mast

ers

PhD

Mast

ers

PhD

Mast

ers

PhD

Mast

ers

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No.o

f G

raduate

s

Year

International Students Graduated in last Five Years (PhD & Master with Thesis)

No. Of International Students Graduating With Phd And Masters

(With Thesis), 2008 - 2012

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

PhD Masters PhD Masters PhD Masters PhD Masters PhD Masters

66 121 60 184 132 372 249 312 297 269

9

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No.o

f G

raduate

s

Year

Pass with Distiction Based on the Programme

PhD

Masters

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Gra

duate

s

Year

Pass with Distiction

No. Of Graduates Pass With Distinction , 2008 - 2012

Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

PhD 0 1 6 6 11

Masters 2 2 0 2 3

Total 2 3 6 8 14

10

In 2012, eighty-seven percent (87%) of UPM’s local PhD students were

recorded to have received financial assistance for their studies.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Ministry of Higher

Education (Government

Officials/SLAB/SLAI) 23%

Ministry of Higher

Education Malaysia (MyPhD)

17% Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF),UPM

6%

Department of Public Service

(JPA) 4%

Ministry of Higher

Education Malaysia (Bajet

Mini) 3%

Special Graduate Research Allowance

(SGRA), UPM 3%

Ministry of Education Malaysia

3%

Other Government/Priv

ate Agencies 4%

Labor 24%

No Financial Support/Sponsor

ship 13%

11

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Scholarship/Sponsorship Recipient From UPM and External Agencies

Graduate ResearchFellowship (GRF)

International GraduateResearch Fellowship(iGRF)

Graduate ResearchAssistantship (GRA)

Special GraduateResearch Allowance(SGRA)

My Brain15 (My Master)

My Brain15 (My PhD)

No. of Scholarship/Sponsorship Recipient From UPM and External Agencies

In 2011, the number of sponsored international students decreased due to

unforeseen circumstances such as political instabilities in the Middle East.

No. Type of Scholarship/Sponsorship Year

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

1 Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) 1311 1649 1684 1811 1641

2 International Graduat Research Fellowship (iGRF) 460 405 203 72 61

3 Graduate Research Assistanship (GRA) 183 167 118 58 46

4 Special Graduat Research Allowance (SGRA) 258 685 596 528 462

5 My Brain15 (My Master) 0 0 0 826 1136

6 My Brain15 (My PhD) 0 0 0 282 347

7 All Overseas Sponsorships* 311 297 365 186 234

12

5.1 Putra Sarjana

The Putra Sarjana programme is a series of learning support seminars/workshops specially designed to help ease students’ journey in postgraduate education and help them grow and mature into their roles as graduate students and academicians. The programme comprises of seminars/workshops with experienced academics or practitioners, covering topics deemed relevant to the students’ development as researchers and scholars.

At the end of the programme, students are expected to have acquired the necessary knowhow and skills to be well-rounded individuals and trained academics, able to cope with the high standards of communication, language competence, leadership, creative and critical thinking, as well as developing sound moral integrity and professional ethics. At the same time, students will be able to form strong networks of like-minded scholars through the social opportunities provided by such events.

The following are records of student attendance of the Putra

Sarjana seminars or workshops between 2009 and 2012.

Years Percentage of students who attended at least one

seminar/workshop

2009 28

2010 21

2011 44

2012 42

LEARNING SUPPORT PROGRAMME

28

21

44

42

0 10 20 30 40 50

2009

2010

2011

2012

No. of Students

Year

Percentage of student attendance of at least one seminar/workshop

13

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2010 2011 2012

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Students attending Seminars/Conferences Each Year

International

Local

5.2 Conference/International Seminar Attandance

The university, through the School of Graduate Studies, has a conference

support fund which provides opportunities for students to attend local and

international seminars/conferences. The students who are successful in

acquiring the fund are those who have met the requirements, especially

publication requirements.

The following graph shows the number of local and international students

who received funding to attend seminars/conferences from the year 2010

to 2012.

14

6.1 MOU/MoA

MoUs/MoAs with local and foreign institutions led by SGS .

Year No. MoU / MoA

Remarks

2008

1

University of Diponegoro

(UNDIP)

MoU entails:

Exchange programmes involving students, academic staff, administrators and researchers

academic collaborations such as dual degree programmes

research collaboration

other areas of collaboration as agreed by both parties

2

The Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and

Social Development in

Asia and the Pacific

MoA entails: UPM and CPS Long Term

Scholarship Plan (LTSP)

2009

1 Universite Henri

Poincare Nancy-1

MoU entails: exchange programmes

involving academic staff, administrators and researchers

academic collaborations such as dual degree programmes

research collaboration

other areas of collaboration as agreed by both parties

2 University of

Sheffield MoA entails: the jointly awarded research

NETWORKING AND INTERNATIONALIZATION

15

degree programme

2010

1 University of Kufa

MoU entails:

One KUFA staff member is currently doing her PhD in Mathematics at UPM: Miss Najlea F. Hameed Al Saffar / GS 31477

2 Umaru Musa

Yar’adua University

MoU entails:

collaboration between the two universities

2012

1 University of Wollongong

MoU entails: collaboration between the

two universities

2

The Southeast Asian Regional Center For

Graduate Study and Research in

Agriculture (SEARCA)

MoA entails:

SEARCA playing its role to enhance and strengthen Southeast Asia’s institutional capacity in agriculture and rural development through Graduate Scholarship, research and development, and knowledge management

3 Buriram Rajabhat

University

MoU entails:

collaboration between the two universities

4 Ataturk University

MoU entails: collaboration between the two universities

5 MIROS

MoA entails:

MIROS Scholarship for MIROS staff

6 TWAS

MoA entails:

Graduate Scholarship

7 OWSD MoA entails: Graduate Scholarship

16

6.2 Mobility

Inbound Research Attachment

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

78 23 30 19 23

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

No. of

Stu

dents

Year

Successful Application of Research Attachment at UPM (Mobility: Research) Inbound

17

7.1 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI)

The CSI measurement for SGS was implemented from the year 2010.

In 2010, the Management Review Meeting reported that SGS had exceeded

the target of 70% customer satisfaction index, reaching 82%. However, in

2011, as reported in the management review meeting, the CSI of the

School of Graduate Studies decreased to 75%. In 2012, under the QMS

certification of UPM, SGS achieved a customer satisfaction index of 76.5%.

Year

Customer Satisfaction Index (%)

Target Achievement

2010 70 82

2011 70 75

2012 70 76.5

QUALITY BENCH MARKING

64

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

82

84

2010 2011 2012

Cust

om

er

Satisf

act

ion I

ndex (

%)

Year

Target Vs. Actual Customer Satisfaction Index

Achievement

Target

18

0%

50%

100%

2011 2012

81% 87%

72% 72%

GE

Year

GE of Graduants of Postgraduate Programmes For 2011 and 2012

PhD

Masters

The breakdown of the Customer Satisfaction Index categories are as

follows:

Evaluation category

Achievement

Average (Mean)

Standard

deviation

Mean score of 3.5 and

above

Mean scores of 3.49 and

below

Service Quality 73.3 26.7 3.8 0.6

Supervision Quality (for students with thesis/project)

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Professionalism 77.0 23.0 3.9 0.8

Quality of resources 73.3 26.7 3.7 0.9

Total 76.5 23.5 3.8 0.6

7.2 Graduate Employability

The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education has set quality objectives for

public universities to have 75% of their graduates employed in sectors

relevant to the graduates' qualification or skills within six months upon

graduation.

Only 81% of PhD graduates were employed within 6 months after

graduation in 2011. This increased to 87% in the following year. The rest

are continuing their studies, participating in skill enhancement programmes

or participating in other relevant programmes.

19

The School of Graduate Studies introduced various new initiatives in 2012.

Among them are:

8.1 Prudent Spending

The School of Graduate Studies has taken great effort to reduce its

spending by enforcing rules which will cut down on its overall expenses.

These efforts include: energy saving (switching off lights during break

time, turning off air-conditioners when not in office, reducing use of papers

through recycling); digitalizing project; and 100% online handling of all

postgraduate processes to support reduction in the use of papers as well

as reducing space for storing documents.

8.2 Alumni Success Stories

The objective of publishing the Graduate Alumni success stories is to

recognize and appreciate UPM’s graduates who not only contribute to the

university’s good name but also to the general benefit of society. In

addition, alumni success stories can be considered as a motivation and an

inspiration to prospective students and current students in continuing their

education to the highest level. The publication of the Graduate Alumni

Success Stories is to strengthen and support the university’s efforts in

establishing a network with its graduates. This annual publication will

select ten individuals from both local and international alumni according to

outstanding positions held in their research specializations/work place and

also outstanding positions in their community.

8.3 Quality Manual

The SGS Quality Manual (QM) booklet provides a regulatory framework for

matters related to graduate level teaching, learning, supervision and

admissions at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The purpose of the QM is to

function as an informative resource for SGS staff as well as staff members

from other faculties. The QM booklet contains best practice principles and

quality indicators in postgraduate education. The best practice principles

include Graduate Selection (based on the ‘five Rs’: right student, right

8 NEW INITIATIVE IN 2012

20

research project, right supervisor, right time, and right resources);

Admissions Process; Research Project Supervision; Ensuring quality in

research project supervision; Governance (process and proceedings);

Academic Progress; Research Environment; Research Skill and Professional

Development; Support and Awareness (Procedure of Handling grievances).

A number of quality indicators used to gauge if the standards set out by

the QM, the SGS, the faculties/research institutes/departments and the

University are being met are: Student satisfaction, Completion rate, Good

supervision, Publications from thesis and conference presentations,

Professional development, Success Stories, and Alumni Support.

8.4 Alumni Support Group

The School of Graduate Studies has established the Alumni Support Group

(ASG), made up of selected UPM alumni, to attend to specific questions

students may have. Current or potential students of UPM may seek

guidance from the ASG for any questions they may have about course

selection, programme of study, and area of specialization. The ASG also

acts as ambassadors of UPM in their countries, and can help disseminate

information on academic programmes, as well as share their knowledge of

opportunities and possible career paths.

8.5 Peer Support Group

The Peer Support Group (PSG) of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) was the

first of its kind in Malaysia established in 2012. The group consists of

student volunteers who assist current and potential students in matters

relating to accommodation needs, immigration requirements, admission

criteria, English language requirements, academic based problems, and

attending to complaints needed to be forwarded to the higher

management.

8.6 The Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

3MT is an annual event conducted by the School of Graduate Studies as an

effort to showcase research students’ work. The competition encourages

students to learn to present their research project in three minutes which

can be understood by a non-specialist audience. Through 3MT

21

competition, UPM emulates the academic tradition of prominent

universities which organise 3MTs annually such as the University of

Queensland, the University of Melbourne, the University of Western

Sydney, the University of New South Wales, Victoria University, and the

University of Auckland. The competition creates a vibrant academic

community and is seen as part of UPM’s research culture and enhances the

university as one of Malaysia’s best research universities.

8.7 Book Project

The Book project refers to the publication of seminar presentations in the

Putra Sarjana Programme. The publication includes all certificate courses

and core courses. The certificate courses entail: Academic Career

Preparatory Certificate, Write Right© Academic Writing Certificate, and

Professional Skills Certificate. The Core courses include Thesis Preparation

Skills, Research Skills for the Social Sciences, and Research Skills for the

Sciences.

8.8 Star Rating and Role Model Supervisor

The Star rating and role model supervisor recognition is an effort by the

School of Graduate Studies to value and measure excellence in supervision.

The evaluation and nomination are based on aspects of supervisory

commitment to supervision such as availability and timeliness in feedback,

supervisor-student work relations, successes in supervision, and student

graduating on time. The evaluation and nomination of supervisors are

made by students, department and faculty. The School of Graduate Studies

will set up a review committee chaired by the Dean of School of Graduate

Studies to facilitate the nominations made by faculties. Those who are

successful will receive a certificate of Recognition at the Putra Academic

Excellence ceremony.

8.9 Supervision Handbook

The Supervision Handbook was produced as a collaboration project of the

Council of Deans of Graduate Studies (Malaysia) whereby UPM’s SGS is the

leader of the project. The project was funded by the Department of

Higher Education of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education. This book

22

guides both new and experienced supervisors through the best practices in

the supervision of graduate students. The book contains numerous

examples from around the world, including supervisory experiences in

Malaysia.

The book is divided into 8 sections, and focuses on the following issues:

Facilitating the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies

Good practices in supervision

Assisting students to write

Assisting students with publishing

Examination and Viva

Developing a vibrant research culture

Concerns in supervision

Resources and software for supervisors

The whole text can be downloaded from the SGS website at

http://www.sgs.upm.edu.my (under SGS Publication).

23