By Nisa Khairina Amirudin
PUTRAJAYA, August 1– The InfoComm Development Centre (iDEC), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), had organised the 2019 University ICT Administration Conference (PPICT2019) at Putrajaya Marriott Hotel.
With the theme “Empowering Smart Campus”, PPICT2019 is a platform for sharing informal experience, research results and best practices in smart campus administration, an exhibition of ICT technology exploration, as well as a platform for sharing financial technology practices and smart environment by administrators of institutions of higher learning (IPT), industries and related agencies.
Among the IPTs and agencies that were involved in the informal sharing session on smart campus initiative were UPM, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Universiti Multimedia (MMU), Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, as well as the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU).
The conference which was held from July 31 to August 2, 2019, is a collaborative effort among iDEC UPM and the Council of ICT Directors (MAPITA), Association of Administrators, UPM (PPUPM), Database Technologies and Applications Research Group (DbTA), Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, UPM, Bursar’s Office, UPM, as well as the Ministry of Education.
It was officiated by the Menteri Besar of Selangor, Amirudin Shari.
He also launched the Putra® Virtual ID (Putra®VID), a virtual student identification card based on smartphone and website environments, which forms a basis for the beginning of UPM towards the development of smart campus with the Internet of Things (IoT) as its core.
According to Amirudin, the existence of smart campus will be able to assist and complete the ecosystem on building smart city and smart community.
“There is no doubt that a smart state is born out of a smart community and a smart city. The implementation of the smart city does not only focus on the technological aspect, but also on the usage aspect.
“For instance, a community will advance from the cash payment method towards e-payment and from buying tickets to using applications,” he added.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. TS. Dr. M. Iqbal Saripan, mentioned that as a university that advances towards the direction of digital campus, learning in UPM goes beyond learning in the classrooms. Learning outside of the classrooms is also very important.
Among other UPM initiatives towards the effort in realising a smart campus is the Putra Future Classroom with technology assisted learning and teaching sessions, which will be more conducive and enjoyable for students and campus members.
PPICT2019 is also a corporate social responsibility activity of Putra Bakti UPM through the knowledge sharing between the ICT industry and various agencies. - UPM
