UTM-ISI Institut Sultan Iskandar

Decoding Sustainability Course (Operationalizing Sustainable Development)

On the 8th and 9th September 2021, Institut Sultan Iskandar organized the first run of the Decoding Sustainability Course (Operationalizing Sustainable Development). This course was organized to provide exposure and operational knowledge to executives, managers, and unit leaders in an organization or business to understand more about corporate sustainability including ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) as well as re-aligning their organizational/business practices and approaches with their sustainability goals.

In the first module by Dr. Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd Rani, ISI’s Sustainable Urban Form expert, the participants were introduced to the deeper origins of Sustainable Development, and how its main framework and principles can be utilized and operationalized in an organizational or business setting in practice.

Through the second module by Datin Nur Nazifah Ahmad Rosland, Manager of the Center for Sustainable Small-Owners, Asia School of Business, participants were introduced to the processes behind stakeholder engagements and the methods of approach in relation to stakeholder management.

In the third module the environmental requirements aspect was shared with the participants through the third speaker, Mr. Ahlami Mirza Ahmad, Manager (Environment) - Southern Office, AESSB, a Certified Erosion Sediment Control and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI).

The fourth module was presented by Dato' Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini Bin Ujang, the Secretary General, Ministry of Environment and Water, which focused on the Ministry’s present-day issues of concern such as climate change, and how some transformation towards change can be strategized via the “Eco-Shift” transformation.

The fifth module was a sharing session by a renewable energy entrepreneur who has years of experience using his business to contribute towards environmental, social, and economic goals under the SDGs. Mr Noor Shahiwan Ismail, the Founder, Suncrox Solar (Renewable Energy Entreprise) and the Top 10 Social Entrepreneur, 2017 Collective Global Accelerator Program, shared his hands-on experience and lessons on building a sustainable business legacy for the future.

The last module was presented by Ms Nadia Zaifulizan, a graduate of the Environment (Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions) major from The University of Melbourne who is a certified Sustainability Practitioner by the ICSP and a GRI Certified Professional. The last module covers aspects of ESG, as well as sustainability standards and expectations in a form of reflections for the entire course.

The Decoding Sustainability Course (Operationalizing Sustainable Development) is a comprehensive package of framework ideas and concepts combined with practical information, strategies, and methodologies to execute them. It provides a holistic basis of knowledge and practice for organizations who are planning to move towards a more sustainable pathway in their operations or supply chains.

For those interested to experience the course on behalf of their organizations or businesses, or for their own professional development, pre-registration of the next Decoding Sustainability Course (Operationalizing Sustainable Development) is now open and the program is scheduled to take place on 12-13 January 2022. You can also join the pre-registration if you would like to know more about the program, but have yet to decide on participating. Pre-registration links can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3hyvXy8

15-year Vision of Strategic Frameworks for an Inclusive and Sustainable Islamic University In Uganda Campus Master Plan

Johor Bahru, 18 November 2021- Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Research Collaboration on the Development of IUIU Main Campus Master Plan between the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) and UTM has reached the finishing line, marked by the presentation of the Final Report on 25th August 2021.

The research collaboration was ratified online by the Rector of IUIU and the Vice-Chancellor of UTM on the 1st July 2020. Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI), was bestowed with the task of completing the research collaboration and developing the Master Plan. For these purposes, ISI created and coordinated a multi-disciplinary team of specialists and professionals among IUIU and UTM staff with backgrounds in urban planning, strategic planning, architecture, landscape architecture, real estate, quantity survey, civil and structural engineering as well as mechanical and electrical engineering. The multi-disciplinary research collaboration led by the Executive Director of ISI, Prof Syed Ahmad Iskandar Syed Ariffin also involves the collaboration of various specialized centres such as the Centre of Innovative Planning and Development (CIPD), Centre for the Study of Built Environment in the Malay World (KALAM) and Centre for Real Estate Studies (CRES).

The research collaboration focuses on the physical development of the IUIU Main Campus located in Mbale, Uganda, encompassing an area of 255.14 acres of land. The Master Plan envisioned IUIU - as the only Islamic university in the country, to become an Edupolis by the year 2035, and one that is sustainable and inclusive physically, economically, and socially, while staying true to its Islamic values.

Due to several series of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia and Uganda, the UTM team were required to resume the research and development work using various collected data and information obtained via the representatives in Uganda in online mode, together with the analysis and review from the UTM team in Malaysia. Although the UTM team were unable to physically attend to the site which was located about 7,499km away from Kuala Lumpur, moderated by the power of the internet and the advancement of virtual communication, this research collaboration and master plan development was still made possible.

We sincerely thank all of the specialized centres for the cooperation and all the specialists, professionals, researchers, and members of staff who were involved with this collaborative work from the beginning until its completion. Special mention to all principle investigators from Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics; Dr Wan Nurul Mardiah Binti Wan Mohd Rani and Ir. Ts. Dr Noorazizi Bin Mohd Samsuddin, Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying; Assoc. Prof. Dr Khairul Anwar Bin Mohamed Khaidzir, Dr Noor Aimran Bin Samsudin, Ar.Noraslinda Binti Abdul Rahman,LAr Dr Muhammad Farid Azizul Bin Azizui, Assoc. Prof. Sr Dr Maimunah Binti Sapri, Assoc. Prof. Sr Dr. Sarajul Fikri bin Mohamed and Prof. Dr Muhammad Zaly Shah Bin Muhammad Hussein, and Faculty of Engineering; Prof.Ir Dr Mahmood Tahir.

We look forward to more opportunities such as this in our initiative to support more sustainable planning and design for the future.

Webinar on the Building Information Modelling (BIM)

14 AUGUST 2021 (SATURDAY) - Thirty-three (33) participants, professionals from construction industry field as well as students of the built environment attended the webinar organised by Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI)

The moderator for the webinar is Associate Professor Dr Khairul Anwar bin Mohamed Khaidzir, a member of the academia at the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). He is also the former Deputy Director of ISI. The three invited guest speakers for the webinar are Ts. Muhammad Khairi bin Sulaiman, BIM Expert from Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia (JKR), Ts. Mohd Rizal bin Mohd Rosly, Chief Operating Officer for BIMASIA Sdn. Bhd and Associate Profesor Surveyor Dr Kherun Nita Binti Ali, Head of Building Information Modelling Center for Digital Innovations and Solutions (BIMCDIS) Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, UTM. The topics discussed in the webinar are the lessons from before BIM and the journey to BIM engagement in the Malaysian context, the importance of Common Data Environment (CDE) in building projects and the requirement and challenges of BIM collaboration.

The webinar is to highlight the importance of BIM in the construction industry. It is also part of ISI commitment to disseminate the BIM knowledge and awareness, which aspires to ensure the sustainability of the built environment and construction industry. In the opening remark, Profesor Dr Syed Ahmad Iskandar bin Syed Ariffin, the Executive Director of ISI stated, "Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process for creating and managing information on a construction project lifecycle. The advantages of BIM are applicable with any project size and most impactful when working with large construction projects, where you'll be able to benefit heavily from clash detection, cost tracking, and scheduling. The ability to share these relevant data with all of the project participants makes BIM an excellent collaboration tool in general."

New Appointment 2021

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ts. Gs. Dr Robiah binti Suratman as the Deputy Director III with effect from 1st June 2021 and Ar. Ts Samsiah binti Abdullah as the New Deputy Director I of Institut Sultan Iskandar with effect from 1st July 2021. Welcome to ISI!!

We also would like to express our appreciation to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khairul Anwar bin Mohamad Khaidzir for his contributions in providing the leadership to the company during his appointment tenure. Thank you Dr Khairul!!!

60 Peserta sertai Program Latihan Penjana

Johor Bahru – Seramai 60 orang peserta dari sekitar dari sekitar Johor Bahru dan luar Johor iaitu Pulau Pinang, Pahang, Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur dan Melaka telah hadir menyertai program PENJANA HRDF INISIATIF yang mendapat tajaan sepenuhnya Kementerian Sumber Manusia yang dianjurkan oleh ISI Ventures iaitu anak syarikat milik penuh Institut Sultan Iskandar.

Program latihan secara percuma iaitu Kursus Autocad Modelling With 3d Printing dan Kursus Augmented Reality (AR) Developer - Marker For Android, selama 5 hari ini telah diadakan di Fakulti Alam Bina dan Ukur, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Johor Bahru, Johor bermula 28 Mac 2021 sehingga 1 April 2021.

Bagi 30 orang peserta yang menyertai kursus Autocad Modelling With 3d Printing telah didedahkan dengan penggunaan AutoCAD 2D & 3D, asas cetakan 3D serta membuat model 3D secara fizikal menggunakan pencetak 3D manakala bagi 30 orang peserta kursus Augmented Reality (AR) Developer - Marker For Android telah diperkenalkan dengan teknologi Augmented Reality (AR) terkini. Peserta juga berpeluang meneroka pengembangan aplikasi AR menggunakan Blender dan Unity3D dan didedahkan dengan asas pemodelan dan pengprograman AR. Kesemua peserta yang hadir penuh selama 5 hari ini telah dianugerahkan sijil penyertaan yang disampaikan oleh Pengarah Eksekutif ISI, Prof. Dr Syed Ahmad Iskandar bin Syed Ariffin sebagai tanda penghargaan komitmen mereka menyertai kursus ini.