SIO 7 – Development, Climate & Resiliency Sustainable Activities

S70219/02
Green Activity:
Imagine Cup Asia 2019 Innovation Highlight

S70219/03
Green Activity:

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Date:
28 February 2019

Place/Venue:
KANZU Office

Participants:
WWF Committees and KANZU Founder

Description:
A meeting involving WWF Malaysia was regarding the ongoing project of Tiny Forest in UTHM. Briefing on the project was given to the WWF volunteers before they were taken for a site view.

MARCH 2019

S70319/01
Green Activity:

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Date:
6 March 2019

Place/Venue:
Hutan Kg. Gajah, Kahang and Kg Gajah Nursery, Kluang.

Participants:
Planeteers Club volunteers, Development and Maintenance Office Staff (P3P), Sustainable Campus Unit (SCU) and Johor State Forestry Department (JPNJ) staffs.

Description:
27 students and 11 staff from Johor State Forestry Department voluntarily joined the third series for the taking of tree saplings and being care for by the nursery of Johor State Forestry Department. They went to Kg. Gajah Forest and the volunteers were divided into five groups and started to do the activities after been briefed about the right techniques taking the tree saplings. With the provided equipment for taking the tree saplings, they started the activity. A briefing by Sir Azamuddin bin Kassan, the forest ranger from JPNJ helps the volunteers to apply the best techniques to take the sustained tree saplings.

The participants then started digging the soil around a tree using the hoes, diggers, shovels. 10 tree saplings succeeded taken by them with different species. There were bintangor, gerutu-gerutu, balau, meranti rambai daun, pokok rambai, rambutan pacat, kulit kayu manis, melinjau, and keladan. They will plant the tree saplings in UTHM site project when they have scheduled the date later on. This ongoing activity is to realize the initiatives by Sustainable Campus Unit (SCU) towards a broad area with full of forest tree species in the main campus of UTHM. This activity was aimed to foster love with the environment along with the green elements. Nevertheless, this activity also helped to strengthen the relationship between staffs from PPP, SCU, JPNJ and the students.

S70319/02
Green Activity:

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Date:
7 March 2019 until 10 March 2019

Place/Venue:
Johor National Park Endau Rompin

Participants:
Students and lecturers from UTHM and UTM

Description: A collaboration between Research Center for the Conservation and Use of Natural Resources (CoR-SUNR) Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for collecting and recording the specimens of flora and fauna in Johor Natural Park Endau Rompin (TNJER). The research activity is to make the MyDNAmark project: Nation-wide Genomic Sequencing Project for Malaysian Species involving 13 researchers and coordinated by Ts. Dr. Kamarul Rahim Kamarudin, a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST) and head of research for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, CoR-SUNR.After collecting and recording specimens of this flora and fauna, the UTM represented by the Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Science, Dr. Faezah Mohd Salleh coordinates the process of tissue-taking from accumulated specimens for DNA analysis purposes.

The results of the DNA analysis are very important in establishing an informative database to be the reference genomic DNA of various species of flora and fauna found in Malaysia. Besides, related mobile applications are being developed to assist in the implementation of the National Biodiversity Policy (DKBK) 2016-2025. According to Dr. Kamarul Rahim, although this fieldwork has ended, the collaboration between CoR-SUR UTHM and UTM Skudai is still in progress until the stated objectives are achieved.” The CoR-SUR UTHM hopes such cooperation will continue in the years to come and will be one of the efforts to further strengthen the existing good relations between UTHM and UTM,” he said.

APRIL 2019

S70419/01
Green Activity:

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Date:
20 April 2019

Place/Venue:
Balai MPKK, Batu 10 Kebun Baharu, Selangor

Participants:
Few farmers from Kuala Langat, UPM and UTHM Vice-Chancellor and several UTHM researchers.

Description:
An Official Launching Ceremony for Pineapple Hub was officiated by YB Dr. Xavier Jayakumar a / l Arulanandam, Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources on 20 April 2019. This program is a pilot project that potentially increases the income of farmers and locals through the sale of fruits and other downstream products based on that tropical fruit. According to Kuala Langat Member of Parliament, Dr. A Xavier Jayakumar, the program, which started with the cooperation of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), allows residents to not only sell the fruit but they are also taught on how to produce other materials by using agricultural waste such as leaves and pineapple stems. He said that when he first came to this district last year before contesting as Member of Parliament, he saw that there were already farmers working on pineapple but the organizations involved in the company at the community level were messy.

As such, he urged the state government to jointly increase the income of the villagers through pineapple farming in the area. According to him, there is already a pineapple product that penetrates the market and now the price of pineapple outside can be said to be high. According to him, this industry can be developed if there is an overall program that can be followed by residents in the area, in collaboration with UPM and UTHM when officiating the Kuala Langat Pineapple Development Program at the New Garden. The Opening Ceremony was attended by UPM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Datin Paduka Dr. Aini Ideris and UTHM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr. Wahid Razzaly and several UTHM researchers. Dr. Xavier, who is also Water and Natural Resources Minister, said he realized that without fund injection, it was difficult to carry out the project, so he would work with all the agencies to start the project as a pilot project. He said it included bringing investors from outside to start a small-scale project to ensure stockpiles were available to allow downstream pineapple products to continue.

The income of local residents has the potential to be increased if the pineapple hub results are diversified beyond the sale. Dr. Xavier said the collaboration and affiliation of all government agencies, especially those involving research and development (R & D) or new research studies were needed in challenging times. He said that once the pineapple was only eaten, nowadays many products could be produced using pineapple leaves as basic materials such as paper, handicrafts and other by-products. Meanwhile, Dr. Xavier said he planned to set up a cooperative in the area to help the pineapple planters to make the industry successful. He said the pilot project needed an estimated budget of RM50,000 and currently, he has received a small injection of funds through UPM.

The collaboration project between locals, UPM and UTHM, there were three villages namely Kampung Batu 9, Batu 10 and Jenjarom involved in planting and production of pineapple-based materials, with the introduction of machines, the results of both the public universities remove pineapple fiber from pineapple leaves. The pineapple fibers are then used to produce paper, handicrafts, animal feedstuffs and composite materials for high technology biotechnology applications for the automotive and aerospace industry including building a drone frame with the cooperation of Malaysia Unmanned Drone Activist Society (MUDAS).

S70419/02
Green Activity:

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Date:
23 April 2019

Place/Venue:
Hutan Lipur Gunung Berlumut, Kluang, Johor.

Participants:
Forest Ranger from Segamat, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students and lecturers from the Faculty of Technology Management and Business (FPTP) and the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Environment (FKAAS), and staff from Sustainable Campus Unit (SCU).

Description:
There were 27 undergraduate and postgraduate students, 6 lecturers, 3 staffs from Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia (UTHM) join this activity called Tiny Forest (4th Cycle) was held in Hutan Lipur Gunung Berlumut in Kluang. The objective of this activity is to make a tiny forest near the library of UTHM. The participants arrived in Kluang at 9 am and given a brief from the forest ranger on how to pick the suitable tree for this activity. They were divided into 4 groups and start to do stretching exercise to keep our energy maintained. The forest ranger gave few guidelines to each group on steps that they should do throughout the whole process. They started the activity at 9.40 am by digging the surrounding plant in a round shape. They keep digging until 7 feet deep.

After that, the students will sew the guns to cover and keep the shape of the plant. By noon, once they had removed the plant from the ground, the students carried the plants, one by one to the provided lorry. This process took a while due to the heaviness of the plants. Throughout the whole process, the students had 7 plants altogether. Once the plants put in the lorry, they had lunch there before heading back to the UTHM campus. By 6 pm, the students arrived in a plant nursery in UTHM to put the plants there. Throughout the activity, the students were very satisfied and proud of their achievements and they hope that the plants that they picked will keep alive and grow big to make this activity more success. The forest ranger himself was very proud of the students because the students followed his instructions carefully and accordingly. The students also understand the process of removing the plants.

S70419/03
Green Activity:

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Date:
27 April 2019

Place/Venue:
Ningbo Polytechnic, China

Participants:
UTHM Vice-Chancellor and his team and a few representatives from Ningbo TVET Centre

Description:
On 27th April 2019, a collaboration has been made between Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and Ningbo TVET Centre in Ningbo Polytechnic, China. UTHM continues to build a collaborative network of the international higher education institution to build partnerships to design strategic actions and plans among institution involved. The establishment of UTHM-Ningbo TVET Centre is the first in Asia region and will be the gateway to other institutions for both countries, especially in the field of TVET to collaborate in the future. In addition, this TVET Centre has good potential to become a TVET institution in Malaysia to attract international students, especially from China to further their studies in various fields in UTHM, including the Faculty of Technology Engineering (FTK) and the Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education (FPTV).

S70419/04
Green Activity:

Place/Venue:
Glenville State College (GSC), West Virginia, USA

Participants:
A representative from FAST UTHM and Glenville State College (GSC), West Virginia, United States of America

Description:
The Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Glenville State College (GSC), West Virginia, the USA on April 26 to collaborate in academia and research for mutual benefits.

At the brief ceremony, UTHM was represented by Head of Department of Technology and Natural Resources, FAST, Associate Professor. Dr. Alona Cuevas Linatoc when she attended a five-day working visit at GSC from April 22 to 26. Cooperation between UTHM and GSC began in September 2016 when students began registering the Global Biodiversity and Environmental Change (BWJ30503) UTHM and Ecological Forest (NRMT 2010) GSC. The students are required to complete a full-time online semester through Online International Learning (COIL) organized by GSC. UTHM and GSC students are required to complete 11 online learning modules under the supervision of Dr. Rico M. Gazal from the college and followed by another COIL class in the second semester of 2016/2017. Under the MoU involving the five years, students and staff mobility between UTHM and GSC will also be implemented according to plans while online learning through the COIL class will continue on Semester 1 2019/2020, September 2019.

She also had the opportunity to present four talks involving the title “Forest Management in Malaysia,” “Capacity of Tropical Plants Carbon Absorption,” “Maintaining Biological Diversity and Conservation in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution,” and “Conservation in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, “and” The Transition of Ecosystemology on Land-Consumption Change from Forest to Monotropic Plantation-Impact of Volatile Organic Emissions in Atmospheric Chemistry – Case Study in Southeast Asia.

She also followed several activities organized by GSC such as dendrology walk which identifies the trees in moderate forests, cutting trees under the Forest Technology Program, set fire (medium forest) and visiting the dam while assisting the locals. She was also appointed as a jury during the Pioneer Showcase program, the annual symposium organized by GSC, aimed at presenting students’ research and project outcomes.

SEPTEMBER 2019

S70919/01
Green Activity:

Date:
19 September 2019

Place/Venue:
Banquet Hall, Level 5, Tunku Tun Aminah Library, UTHM

Participants:
Prof. Datuk Ts. Wahid bin Razzaly, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Datuk Haji Jeffri Bin Abd. Rasid (Director of Johor State Forestry Department (JPNJ)), Encik Mohd Zain Bin Arris (Johor Regional Manager SWM Environment), Profesor Madya Dr. Noor Yasmin Binti Zainun (Director of SWIDWEB Solutions, Sr. Dr. Noralfishah Binti Sulaiman (Director of Sustainable Campus Office,  and Senior University Officer), Prof. Ir. Dr. Md Saidin bin Wahab (Pusat Kemajuan Kerjaya dan Alumni) Planeteers Club, SIO Members.

Description:
The opening ceremony of Earth Day@UTHM 2019 is the launch event of the Tiny Forest, UTHM-Coca Cola Recycling Centre and Earth Hour (Straw-Free UTHM Campaign and Bring Your Bottle (BYOB 2.0) which held at UTHM that has become one of the highlights of UTHM’s sustainability mission. This program was organized by the Sustainable Campus Office and attended by Prof. Datuk Ts. Wahid bin Razzaly, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Datuk Haji Jeffri Bin Abd. Rasid, Director of Johor State Forestry Department (JPNJ), Encik Mohd Zain Bin Arris, Johor Regional Manager SWM Environment, Profesor Madya Dr. Noor Yasmin Binti Zainun, Director of SWIDWEB Solutions, Sr. Dr. Noralfishah Binti Sulaiman, Director of Sustainable Campus Office and Senior University Officer, Planeteers Club and SIO Members. Therefore, Earth Day @ UTHM 2019 program is a platform that serves as a key resource to support the activities of existing sustainability programs that actively working towards a more sustainable UTHM.

The Earth Day @ UTHM program aimed to build a strong UTHM community that passion for the environment. Besides, it educates the UTHM community on the importance of creating sustainability on campus. In addition, it provides great opportunities for the UTHM community to contribute to the environment through these sustainability activities that held along the program. Thus, this program helps and inspires UTHM community to work together on environmental recovery activities that eventually turned UTHM into a green and sustainable campus. Moreover, it helps to promote the research activities, education, and training in the field of sustainability for university community.