USM, PENANG, 11 May 2016 – A Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM) and an expert in Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, Air Pollution Monitoring and Control, Fuel Technology and Nanotechnology, Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed, 52, has been appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network/JIM) of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for the next three years effective 1 May 2016.

The former Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering USM and currently the Director of  “Sciences and Arts Innovation Space” atau dikenali sebagai Sains@USM is taking over from Professor Dato' Dr. Susie See Ching Mey, who has been the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Network/JIM) since 1 February 2011.

Abdul Rahman completed his higher education with a B.Sc. (Chem. Eng.) from the University of Southern California, USA; and later graduated with a M.Sc. (Chem. Eng.) and Ph.D in the same field from the University of New Hampshire.

He has been lecturing at USM since 1993 and has been the Director of the Industry Collaboration Centre as well as being among the main academicians heading the Research and Development Division of 'Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology' (CREST), an initiative which mobilises collaborations with various partners to prepare an ecosystem and to intensify the involvement of the academia with the industry in this country.

Abdul Rahman is well-known as a researcher and scientist with more than 80 grants awarded to him internationally, valued more than RM18 million, and having publications with high-impact citations included in the Scopus bibliographic database, in addition to hundreds of research papers in various well-renowned academic journals, along with academic and professional networks from various countries including Japan and France.

There was no doubt of his calibre when he was selected to be one of the seven researchers from USM to receive the Malaysia’s Rising Star Award as a recognition in successfully producing articles with publications cited in the top 1% in the world, in reference to the data from the Web of Science (WoS) Thomas Reuters and Incites.

Meanwhile, Professor Dato' Dr. Muhamad Jantan, 60, is resuming his service as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) for the next two years beginning 1 May 2016. He has been holding the post since 1 February 2013.

Muhamad holds a Bachelor’s in Science (B.Sc. – 1st Class) from the University of Warwick and Ph.D from the University of Wales, United Kingdom.  After serving as a tutor at the College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1979, he returned to Malaysia to begin his career at USM in 1982 at the School of Mathematical Sciences, moving then to the School of Management in 1990. He was appointed as an Associate Professor in 1993 and later as a Professor in 2000.

Muhamad has been appointed into various key positions at USM, being involved in the primary plannings in various committees in developing USM beside providing his expertise to external parties such as the Ministry of Higher Education, including through the Committee for the APEX University, Research University, Government Research Institutes (GRIs), Higher Institutions’ Centres of Excellence (HiCoEs), FRGS Grants and for the “Top Business School”. 

Muhamad has also provided his expertise through the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), National Accreditation Board (LAN), National Council of Professors and the Committee for the Standardisation of Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (SETARA 2011).

Muhamad has also been involved in providing consultative services to various businesses and industries including Motorola, Intel, Solectron, and Matsushita among many others, in addition to organisations such as the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) as well as being actively involved in voluntary bodies such as the Cooperative for Spastic Children, Penang.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin / Text: Mohamad Abdullah