PENANG, 4 Jan 2012 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI) community members were urged to maintain a spirit of cooperation and mutual assistance to raise excellence in academic research at international level.

USM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Omar Osman said that having reached a decade’s old, AMDI is expected to improve performance quality and productivity to continue to drive USM to a class of its own.

He said that the AMDI has the strength and foundation of its own besides having the ability to explore the international arena to constantly improve the quality of achievement towards meeting global standards and criteria.

“Therefore, as a centre under USM, AMDI should work together with other parties in the university to find a suitable method to improve the quality of the university’s Key Performance Index (KPI) each year.

“Early planning needs to be considered before doing things to ensure that it is done properly to produce the best output, quality and gets global recognition,” he said.

Omar was speaking at the opening celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI) USM, in which he also launched a book entitled Sedekad IPPT (A Decade of AMDI) here recently.

The book was published as a record of AMDI trials, tribulations, and achievements over 10 years of its establishment while taking on the challenges and responsibilities to develop the institution of excellence as a leading centre of knowledge and make it world renown.

In the meantime, A Decade of AMDI celebration was held at the Clinical Complex with a variety of interesting activities which also included the inaugural IPPT Staff Day 2012.

All IPPT staff including top officials from various departments participated in the activities which featured a variety of games.

Also present in the ceremony were the Academic and International Affairs Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal; Bursar, Pn. Salmiah Che Puteh; and IPPT USM Director, Prof. Abdul Aziz Tajuddin. – Translation: Yong Check Yoon