| Universiti Putra Malaysia

UPM boosts national agricultural education to international level

By Khairul Anuar Mohamad Noh
Photo by Marina Ismail


UPM Chancellor with the University Awards winners


SERDANG – The Chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, said that the success of UPM in being ranked among the world’s top 51 – 100 universities in agriculture, forestry and education by the QS World University Ranking 2014 has placed Malaysian agricultural education on the international stage.

“This meets the purpose for which UPM was established: to spearhead agriculture and agro-related education in the country.  I hope the university’s position in the rankings will prompt the government to optimise resources and expertise in the university to spur the nation’s excellence in education to greater heights.

“UPM has strengthened its Putra Global 200 Initiative strategies to be ranked among the top 200 universities in the world and top 30 universities in agriculture by 2020,” he said today at the first session of the 38th UPM Convocation being held in the Great Hall, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Cultural and Arts Centre.


Sultan Sharafuddin presenting the Honorary Doctorate scroll to Dato' Sri Abdul Wahab Maskan


Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is conferring degrees to Doctoral (Ph.D), Masters, Bachelors and Diploma graduates on the first and second days of the UPM Convocation Ceremony being held from 1 to 4 November, 2014. 

In his speech, the Sultan said that he was satisfied with UPM’s recently achieved 376th  place out of 20,000 higher learning institutions worldwide, as indicated in the QS World University Ranking 2014.

Sultan Sharafuddin expressed his hope that the university will continue to champion sustainable development, which covers the sustainability of natural resources and the environment, as well as the preservation of a culture of scholarship rich with eastern values.


Sultan Sharafuddin mengurniakan Anugerah Profesor Emeritus kepada Dato Dr Makhdir Mardan


"I am pleased with the university’s efforts in establishing the Food Security Institute and the Plantation Research Institute, with the aim of addressing the problems in food security and the plantation industry, which are among the top areas of economic growth. “Both institutions play important roles in the production of high impact research in these areas," he said.

The Sultan said the launch of the UPM Strategic Plan 2014, which extends beyond 2020, is aimed at developing UPM into a university of international repute. "This is in line with the government's call to place UPM at the helm of efforts to elevate agricultural education to higher levels, and to conduct relevant research so that the findings will benefit the public," he said.

The Sultan expressed his pleasure at UPM achieving MyGAP (Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices) status for the Livestock Sector in dairy cattle, beef cattle and  sheep husbandry, which will lead to UPM producing safe and high-quality products.

"The implementation of MyGAP will reduce agriculture-related environmental pollution. GAP certification strengthens UPM’s competitiveness and establishes it as a benchmark entity based on standards set by internationally recognised bodies such as the ASEAN GAP and the Global GAP," he said.


The Sultan presenting the Ph.D scroll to Puan Norasmat Hassan, the widow of the late Hazril Azmin Saari, a graduate who died of cancer


The Sultan said the launch of the UPM Strategic Plan 2014, which extends beyond 2020, is aimed at developing UPM into a university of international repute. "This is in line with the government's call to place UPM at the helm of efforts to elevate agricultural education to higher levels, and to conduct relevant research so that the findings will benefit the public," he said.

The Sultan expressed his pleasure at UPM achieving MyGAP (Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices) status for the Livestock Sector in dairy cattle, beef cattle and  sheep husbandry, which will lead to UPM producing safe and high-quality products.

"The implementation of MyGAP will reduce agriculture-related environmental pollution. GAP certification strengthens UPM’s competitiveness and establishes it as a benchmark entity based on standards set by internationally recognised bodies such as the ASEAN GAP and the Global GAP," he said.

The 4-day Convocation event will witness a total of 6,116 graduates from various programmes, consisting of 391 receiving Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D), 2,123 Masters, 3,380 Bachelors and Diplomas with 222 recipients.



On the first two days, Dato' Seri Abdul Wahab Maskan was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Plantation Management, Dato'  Aripin Said was conferred the Honorary Master of Letters, and  Megawati Suzari was conferred the Honorary Master of Science. Professor Emeritus were conferred to Dato' Dr. Makhdzir Mardan, Dr. Zakariah Abdul Rashid and Dr. Md Ariff Hussin. The Sultan also presented the University Awards. The Chancellor’s Gold Medal, the Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Rashdan Baba Gold Medal and Putra Agribio Medal were awarded to Anna Arina Ab. Halim, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science graduate. The Royal Academic Awards were presented to Ana Masara Ahmad Mokhtar, a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Sciences) student and Sugentiran a/l Mane, a Bachelor of Computer Science (Software Engineering) student.

Other university medals and awards presented by the Sultan were the Alumni Gold Medal which went to Ong Chia Lin (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), the Yayasan Pak Rashid Gold Medal which was won by Faslina Habeeb Mohd (Bachelor of Computer Science), and the Syed Kechik Award which was given to Nor Amira Mohamad (Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Language, majoring in Arabic).


Student Representative, Anna Arina Ab. Halim, the winner of the the Chancellor Gold Medal, the Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Rashdan Baba Gold Medal and Putra Agribio Medal, giving her speech during the first session


Two new university awards, the Doctor of Philosophy Gold Medal and the Master with Thesis Gold Medal were won by Ir. Effendy Mohammad Yaacob (Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Engineering) and Loo Yuet Ying (Master of Science in Food Security, Faculty of Food Science and Technology), respectively.


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