By: Noor Eszereen Juferi
SERDANG - The Ministry of Higher Education has announced the appointment of Prof. Dr. Nazamid Saari as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) of UPM, effective from October 25, 2021, until his compulsory retirement on September 19, 2023.
His portfolio includes leading the administration of the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) and managing the university's research affairs and commercialisation of research products.
His appointment is to replace Prof. Dato' Dr. Zulkifli Idrus who completed his 3-year service as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) of UPM on April 14, 2021.
UPM board members believe the appointment of Prof. Dr. Nazamid will strengthen UPM’s position as a Research University through his commitment to research activities, innovation and commercialisation of research products.
His extensive experience in research and consultancy is expected to enhance UPM's main thrust area, namely agriculture, which in turn will boost UPM’s research and innovation achievement at the international level.
Prof. Dr. Nazamid, a native of Padang Rengas, Perak, was born on September 20, 1963, and is an expert in biotechnology and food enzymology. He completed his Bachelor of Science and Technology in 1986, Master of Food Biochemistry from Saga University, Japan in 1993, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Kagoshima University, Japan, in 1996. He joined the Faculty of Food Science and Technology, UPM, in 1996 as a lecturer before being promoted to an Associate Professor in 2001 and a full Professor in 2008.
He was appointed as the Head of the Faculty Consultancy Unit in 1998, Head of the Food Science Department between 2001 and 2003, Deputy Dean (Academic and Student Affairs), Faculty of Food Science and Technology, UPM, from 2003 to 2011, and Deputy Director, Centre for Academic Development (CADe), UPM, between 2013 and 2016. He is known as a speaker on outcome-based education and higher education curriculum development. He was also entrusted with the responsibility to develop assessment method guidelines for the publication of the 2U2I Programme Implementation Guidelines book for the Ministry of Higher Education.
He has published over 219 publications in high-impact refereed journals in addition to other publications, such as proceedings, books, chapters in books and technical reports of research conducted. He and his group have also supervised over 24 postgraduate students at the master’s and PhD levels.
In addition, he has ten patent filings and has presented over 200 papers at various national and international conferences. Prof. Nazamid is well known both locally and internationally in the field of Food Biotechnology and Enzymology and is regularly invited as a speaker and panellist in forums, seminars and conferences related to Food Science and Technology. He is much in demand as a strategic article evaluator for high-impact journals, including Food Chemistry, Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Food Research International, Journal of Functional Foods, Food Hydrocolloids, Journal of Food Microbiology, Food Control, International Journal of Food Microbiology and Food Biochemistry.
He serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, a journal that focuses on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in line with the action plan to achieve a better future under the United Nations (UN). He is also an Honorary Editorial Board Member for International Food Research Journal (IFRJ), the former Chairman of the Board of Deans of Food Science and Technology at Public Universities, and member and former Chairman of the Board of Deans of Food Science and Technology for universities at the ASEAN level. He is also the Chairman of the Ajinomoto Scholarship Selection Committee.
Prof. Nazamid has led several large-scale strategic research projects, including research projects related to peptides as food ingredients and functional foods through a grant worth RM1.8 million from MOSTI/ABI and also a Teknofund grant of RM1.8 million for the development of SME milk tablets. His research has won many awards both nationally and internationally. He is also very active and leads many consultations service projects for SMEs, especially in developing high-quality food products.
Over the past few years, he has started and led research on the Future Food project and development of food based on plant protein at UPM to boost UPM’s role, in particular, and Malaysia, in general, at the international stage in future food research and development in line with current global market trends and demands. - UPM
