University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus

The University of Nottingham
Malaysia Campus

Former names	University of Nottingham in Malaysia (UNiM)
Motto	Latin: Sapientia urbs conditur[1]
Motto in English	A City is Built on Wisdom[1]
Type	Private
Established	2000
Chairman	YM Tengku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen Bin Tengku Ismail
Chancellor	Sir Andrew Witty[2]
Provost	Professor Christine Ennew[3]
Vice-Chancellor	David Greenaway[4]
Students	3,224[5]
Undergraduates	MY 2,297[5] UK 21,093[6]
Postgraduates	MY 529[5] UK 13,284[6]
Other students	1,200 (further education)
Location	Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia 2°56′42″N 101°52′26″E / 2.945°N 101.874°ECoordinates: 2°56′42″N 101°52′26″E / 2.945°N 101.874°E
Campus	Rural
Colours	The University: Notts Blue House of Arts House of Social Science House of Medicine House of Engineering House of Divinity House of Science
Affiliations	Russell Group,[7] Universitas 21,[8] Sutton 13. ACU, EUA. Universities UK
Website	www.nottingham.edu.my
Satellite campus of the University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus is an overseas campus of the University of Nottingham. The university is situated in Semenyih, Selangor, a town part of Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The university has been ranked as "excellent" or tier 5 in a scale of tier 1-6 and is classified as a private institution, by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education.^[9] The Malaysia campus was the first campus of a British university in Malaysia and one of the first to open outside Britain thus earning the distinction of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2001 and the Queen's Award for Industry (International Trade) 2006.^[10][11][12] The University of Nottingham's other overseas campus is in Ningbo, China.

History

The Malaysia campus was established in 2000 when the first batch of students were enrolled, students were then taught in a rented building. The idea for the university to open a foreign branch was suggested as early as 1992. It is the first purpose-built UK university campus in a foreign country. Formerly, the university was known as the University of Nottingham in Malaysia or UNMC.

The campus' incumbent chairman is Ahmad Rithauddeen, an honorary Nottingham graduate and former Malaysian Defence Minister. The present campus at Semenyih was officially opened by then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, an alumnus himself, on 26 September 2005. The campus was made possible by a consortium of partners which includes the Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera or Armed Forces Superannuation Fund (LTAT) via its subsidiary Boustead Holdings Bhd, YTL Corporation Bhd and the University of Nottingham and the Alumni Association.^[13]

Prior to the opening of the main campus in Semenyih, the university operated at the former Majestic Hotel building near Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and at Wisma MISC or MISC Tower. Following the opening of the Semenyih campus, most of the teaching departments were moved to Semenyih, only certain post graduate courses still remain in Kuala Lumpur. In 2007 the campus reopened a Kuala Lumpur branch in Chulan Tower on Jalan Conlay.

Campus

Semenyih campus

The Malaysia campus is primarily based on a 101-acre (0.41 km²) plot situated in Semenyih, Selangor.

The campus is equipped with student recreational facilities such as a sports complex which houses an outdoor 25m swimming pool, two tennis courts, six basketball courts, a multi purpose hall, a 60m² gym, hockey/futsal field, a frisbee court, a dodgeball arena and a football field. A students association building forms the connection between on-campus housing and the teaching buildings.

The campus has two research centres.

KL Teaching Centre (KLTC)

Besides the main campus in Semenyih, a city teaching facility is maintained in Chulan Tower in Kuala Lumpur's central business district. Postgraduate programmes, such as applied psychology, business and management, are taught at the KL Teaching Centre.

Academics

Being a satellite campus of the University of Nottingham, students are taught with the same course materials as those in the UK and in China and are under the jurisdiction of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).^[14] Upon completing a degree at the Malaysia campus, students are awarded a University of Nottingham degree certificate which is indistinguishable from the certificates awarded at the Nottingham campus. The degrees that are awarded are accredited by international professional bodies such as the Association of MBAs and the UK Engineering Council.

The excellent Engineering Degree courses are accredited by the Board of Engineering Malaysia (BEM).

Placements

The university's career office and the Wall Street Society co-organized numerous company talks and at least one career fair each year. The career office also organised workshops to teach students how to present themselves during interviews, how to write a winning CV etc. Many of its graduates join some of the most prestigious companies located in Kuala Lumpur, such as Shell, Petronas, CIMB, MayBank, Affin Investment Bank, Securities Commission, Accenture, Roland Berger, Boston Consulting Group, Nestle and P&G.

For students who are interested in academia, the university also prepares them well for postgraduate studies both locally and overseas, such as University of Malaya, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and University of Nottingham, UK. In recent years, there is also an increasing number of its students going to the United States for further studies.

Research

Apart from the taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, the university conducts projects for research-based postgraduate studies. There are more than 20 research programmes being carried out at the Malaysia Campus. This has led to joint research and the setting up of local companies.

The Sahz-UNMC Pilot Plant

The Sahz-UNMC Pilot Plant is a small prototype manufacturing plant built inside the engineering faculty building (D-Building) occupying a space of no greater than 25 square metres (270 sq ft). Research is focused towards mass fabricating supercapacitors. Funding for this project is granted from a RM6.5 million Technofund grant by the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI). The research project also has links with SEMYUNG Ever Energy Co. Ltd. (South Korea) and 2M Engineering Ltd. (Netherlands).

Biotechnology Research Centre

The Biotechnology Research Centre is a 986-square-metre (10,610 sq ft) research centre specialising in the applied research of biotechnology products, specifically palm oil crop. The building cost RM3.5M, excluding internal fittings and scientific equipment.^[15] Inside the main research building there are two labs, one for the teaching of UNMC biotechnology students and the other for research.

The research centre is operated as a joint collaboration with Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd (AAR), a start-up company.^[15][16][17]

Environmental issues

During the design and planning phase of the Semenyih campus, there were issues that a planned incinerator was to be built in Broga, something which the university and local area residents protested about.^[18] Eventually, the incinerator plant was reportedly moved to a new site in Kampung Bohol, Puchong.

Sport

The University of Nottingham Rugby Club Nottingham Knights were champions at the 2011 Malaysia Association of Private Colleges and Universities (MAPCU) Rugby tournament. The team beat all opposition without conceding a goal.^[19]

The Malaysia campus played host to the Nottingham Tricampus games in the summer of 2010. It will play host again in the summer of 2013.

Student life

Block E

Housing

Priority for on-campus residence is allocated to international students and first year freshmen, while senior students generally stay off-campus in the nearby neighbourhood of Taman Tasik Semenyih. Although there are plans to further increase the number of on campus student accommodation, the university is focused on expanding off-campus housing. On-campus housing is made up of five residential halls - Pangkor Hall, Redang Hall, Tioman Hall, Kapas Hall and Langkawi Hall, which are named after resort islands in Malaysia.

Student Media

IGNITE Magazine is the official student media in the Malaysia campus. It is an online media platform originally founded by Ben Hunte and Eiman Mirghani. The magazine is now supported by the University's School of Modern Languages and Culture. The online magazine is open to the existing student population and provides coverage of both on and off campus events.^[20]

Mobility programme

As part of Nottingham's advantage scheme, students may be exchanged to other campuses. In the words of Vincenzo Raimo, director of Nottingham’s International Office “Students can continue studying exactly the same modules available at Nottingham in the UK but overseas instead — experience the excitement of Asia but within the familiar academic setting of Nottingham University, ... Transfers are open to anyone getting good grades and whose degree subject is among those taught overseas. Air fares may not be cheap, but the cost of living is — and anyone spending the full year at a branch pays just half the UK tuition fee. "^[14][21]

Besides exchanging to the UK campus or the CN campus, students may also take part in Universitas 21 mobility programme in which students may also be exchanged with universities partner to Universitas 21 in Spain, France, Germany, Japan, China and South Korea. ^[13]

Transportation

Semenyih campus

KTM Kajang - Campus Shuttle Route
Legend 00'00" University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus +07'00" Taman Tasik Semenyih +15'00" Semenyih Town +17'00" Sunway Semenyih +19'00" Billion Supermartket +21'00" HSBC Kajang Prima Bus Stop +22'00" Sunway Semenyih +30'00" Pangsapuri Damai Mewah +40'00" Syabas Building Bus Stop +43'00" Bank Islam +44'20" New Era College +45'00" Kajang Railway Station  RS

There is no direct public transportation connected to the university, other than that of university shuttle buses commuting between the campus and Kajang railway station. Shuttle bus services are offered free as a university incentive to provide greener sustainable transport and to alleviate on-campus parking issues. However, shuttle bus services are by regulations restricted to students and staff of the university. The nearest public bus route is at the nearest town of Semenyih, approximately 3 km from campus.

The university also provides other free bus services such as bus services to the nearby Tesco super store, special bus service to the Semenyih mosque for Friday prayers, and a shuttle bus service for students living in the student town of Taman Tasik Semenyih or Semenyih Lake park. A pedestrian bridge connects the neighbouring Taman Tasik Semenyih to the North entrance.

See also

• List of University of Nottingham people
• University of Nottingham Ningbo, China

References

1. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/shared/shared_cpi/documents/What_makes_a_good_university_1.pdf
2. Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Ennew ushers in new era for UNMC". Alumni Online. University of Nottingham. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
4. "Staff Listing – The University of Nottingham". Nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
5. "Student population 2009/2010 - The University of Nottingham". Nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
6. "UCAS stats". Retrieved 4 February 2013.
7. "The Russell Group". Retrieved 10 November 2007.
8. "The University of Nottingham". Universitas 21. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2007. External link in |work= (help)
9. "THE 2009 RATING OF MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITIES AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES" (PDF). Rating System for Malaysian Institutions of Higher learning. Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
10. "Malaysia Campus - The University of Nottingham". Nottingham.ac.uk. The University of Nottingham. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
11. "It's in the bag ... Firms and uni win recognition from Queen". TMCNet. Northcliffe Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
12. Baker, R. "Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards: Our Sponsors". This is Nottingham. Nottingham Post. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
13. Theophilus, Claudia (29 January 1999). "Move to limit foreign university branch campuses to prevent competition". Malaysiakini.com. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
14. Gosden, Emily (3 June 2009). "Good University Guide 2010: Studying overseas". The Times. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
15. Dr. Wong Wei Chi. "Opening of Applied Agricultural Research Research Centre". Applied Agricultural Research. Applied Agricultural Research. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
16. Dr. Sandy Hwei San Loh. "The AAR - UNMC Biotechnology Research Centre". Nottingham Website. Nottingham University. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
17. Kang, Soo Chen. "Right on track". Star Online. The Star. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
18. Theophilus, Claudia. "British U’s local campus project in limbo due to incinerator". Malaysiakini.com. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
19. "University of Nottingham Rugby Club Wins Tournament". University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus Website. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
20. http://www.unmcignite.com/get-involved
21. "The Malaysia Campus". Impact Magazine. The University of Nottingham. Retrieved 31 March 2011.

External links

• University of Nottingham, Malaysia
• University of Nottingham, UK