Network of Excellence

ARI was visited today by three officers and the management team of a local company (with vast international linkages), InnovationXChange Bhd. The company acts as an intermediary to match "like entities" or organisations for possible "network of excellence". In the case of ARI, it is extremely important that we network with national and international research institutes who specialize in forensic accounting and conduct research in financial criminology. The company has international partners and associates in the UK, Australia, USA and the Middle East. Through national and international collaborations, ARI hopes to position itself on the world map....

Corporate Integrity System Malaysia (CISM)

ARI is collaborating with the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (MII) to develop a Malaysian-based Corporate Integrity System. Five academics - Prof Dr Normah Omar (ARI-UiTM), Prof Datin Dr Hasnah Haron (USM), Dato' Dr Ishak (USM), Prof Dr Salleh (NBS) and Prof Dr Syed Abdul Hamid (INCEIF) have been assigned to develop the CISM model and to benchmark the integrity framework with global best practices. In a meeting held today at MII, it was decided that the project will commence immediately and the proposed skeletal framework will be produced by July 2010.

ARI-CITU Research Workshop

One of ARI's first research collaborative projects on Islamic Financial Criminology is with the Malaysian Centre of Islamic Thought and Understanding (CITU). A half day research workshop was organised to identify suitable topics for both concept papers and research proposals on Islamic Financial Criminology. Topics identified include: Shari'ah-based Financial Criminology In Banking & Finance; Role of Shari'ah Advisory Council in Developing Fraud Deterrent Programs in Islamic Organisations; Development of Financial Reporting Standards for Non-Profit Islamic Organisations etc.

Collaboration with Malaysian Institute of Directors Academy

ARI and the Faculty of Accountancy hosted a working visit of three officers from the Malaysian Institute of Directors Academy (MINDA). Discussions were focused on both research and training programs that could be embarked by both entities. It is hoped that Malaysian-based case studies could be developed and used for directors' training programs. A working committee comprising members from MINDA & UiTM has been set up to plan for the projects. MINDA was represented by Dato' Abd Aziz. CEO, Mr Noor Iskandar & Ms Zarina.

Talk on Anti Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing

Today, the AFC713 class invited Inspector Mohd Noor Firdaus from the AMLATFA Division, Royal Malaysian Police (RMP)to give a talk on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing. The course is part of the Master in Forensic and Financial Criminology program at the university. Mohd Noor Firdaus shared with the students real cases involving money laundering that he had personally investigated. Thanks Inspector Mohd Noor Firdaus as we all had a great time learning from you....

Give Change a Chance

Today the university's corporate communication department organised a "100-days as VC" event for UiTM VC Dato' Ir Prof Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar. The occasion was also used by the vice chancellor to launch UiTM's Transformation Plan themed "give change a chance"; UiTM's new website and UiTM's web television.
All in all it was an impressive 100 days - a successful succession indeed, a continuation from our previous VC Tan Sri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah....

VC Visit to ARI & Faculty of Accountancy

The VC's brief visit (yesterday) to meet with staff and students of the Faculty of Accountancy & ARI meant a lot to our members. They were able to discuss and ask questions directly to the VC; shared his vision and plans for the university. Thanks VC Dato' Sahol for taking your time off to meet the staff and students.
One interesting comment given by the VC (when he was the university's deputy VC) was how he was directly responsible in introducing the Forensic & Financial Criminology program at the faculty. Yes, we remember that clearly sir....

Council of Professors

The Ministry of Higher Education had also recently launched the formation of the Council of Professors for Malaysian Public universities. To date there are a total of1,426 professors, whose expertise could be tapped by the government to spearhead Malaysia's economic activities. Fifteen clusters were identified to categorise the professors.
They are namely (1) Education (2) Economy & Finance (3) Politics, Safety and International Affairs (4)Socio-culture and artifacts (5) Natural resources & Environment (6) Health & Medicine (7) Industry & Innovation (8) Agriculture & Food Safety (9) Local Development (10) ICT (11)Social Development (12)Science & Mathematics (13) Technology & Engineering (14) Management & Human Skills and (15)Governance, Law & Public Policy.

Launching of HICoEs

The launching of six Higher Institutions' Centres of Excellence (HICoE) was formalised today and graced by the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Razak at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
The six HICOEs are namely (1) UM Centre of Research Power Electronics, Drives, Automation & Control (UMPEDAC)Universiti Malaysa; (2) UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI) of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; (3) Institute of Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Mlaysia; (4) Institute of Bioscience (IBS), Universiti Putra Malaysia; (5) Centre for Drug Research (CDR), Universiti Sains Malaysia and
(6) Accounting Research Institute (ARI) Universiti Teknologi MARA. The Ministry of Higher Education hopes to recognise twenty HICoEs by the year 2020. Currently there are 166 registered CoEs in the country.

Welcome Diane Russel

ARI welcomes Ms Diane Russel, a Research Analyst from the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore who is on a two-day working visit to our university.
Ms Russel's research interest is in countering the financing of terrorism. ARI hopes that the two universities could come up with numerous collaborative research in financial criminology...