ARI Receives Two International Recognitions

Following a successful 2015 in terms of global recognitions, members of the Accounting Research Institute (ARI HICoE) is equally excited for hopefully another interesting year in 2016.  As of early June 2016, ARI has received confirmation for two international awards from the Acquisition Finance Online Magazine which is based in the United Kingdom: (i)  Islamic Financial Criminology Research Body of the Year for a Consecutive Year,  ACCOUNTING RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM) and (ii) GAMECHANGER of the Year, Prof Dr Normah Haji Omar,  ACCOUNTING RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).  This is indeed a significant awards for ARI as "Islamic Financial Criminology" is niche research agenda for the HICoE initiative.  When we first started in 2010, Islamic Financial Criminology was just Buzzwords.  Today, it is a new corpus of knowledge for the Islamic Finance Industry.  The focus of Islamic Financial Criminology is three-prongs: (1)  Identification of new products for the Islamic Finance Industry; (2) Developing enterprise governance mechanism for the Islamic Finance Industry and (3) to propose effective anti-fraud programs for the industry.  Listed below is the actual confirmation from ACQ.

We are pleased to confirm the category win(s) as

MALAYSIA - ISLAMIC FINANCIAL CRIMINOLOGY RESEARCH BODY OF THE YEAR FOR A CONSECUTIVE YEAR, ACCOUNTING RESEARCH INSTITUTE - UITM

receiving the highest number of nominations in the indicated category.

Working Visit from Malaysian Institute of Integrity

The Accounting Research Institute welcomes officers from its long-standing research and consulting collaborative partner - Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM) - Mr Mohd Nizam Ali, Wan Noraini and Mr Rais from the Centre for Knowledge and Consultancy on Integrity for their visit today.

IIM's role is crucial in the establishment of one of ARI's leading research cluster in Corporate Ethics and Integrity.  In 2010, researchers from ARI together with some leading researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC) developed a Corporate Integrity Assessment Questionnaire (CIAQ).  The Corporate Integrity System Assessment Questionnaire (CIAQ) is used to evaluate implemented Corporate Integrity Systems.  CIAQ comprises twelve important dimensions namely Vision & Goals, Infrastructure, Confidential Advice & Support,

Ethics communications, Ethics Training & Education, Disciplinary Rewards & Measure, Measurement Research & Assessment, Organisational Culture, Whistleblowing, Leadership, Legal Compliance, Policies & Rules and Corporate Social Responsibility.  During the visit today, the team discussed strategies and efforts to enhance wider implementation of CIAQ among corporate players.  The meeting further discussed the need to source research budget to support research and the digitization of CIAQ as a measure of corporate integrity at workplaces.  In the long run, CIAQ will form an important "CEO Dashboard" item in corporations.  It is expected that a strong corporate integrity culture will result in healthy capital market development. Through digitized corporate Integrity Assessment tool, corporations can analyse and measure their own integrity implementation scores.  This preventive measure will hopefully reduce corruption and financial leakages in organisations.

Courtesy Visit to Inland Revenue Board

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) team from Universiti Teknologi MARA paid a courtesy visit to Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) Head Office in Cyberjaya to meet up with Tan Sri Datuk Wira Dr Mohd Shukor Mahfar, Chief Executive Officer and his team.

The main aims of the visit was (i) to promote ARI's four post-graduate programs - Master in Islamic Financial Criminology, Master in Islamic Finance & Muamalat, Doctor of Philosophy in Financial Criminology and Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Finance and Muamalat; (ii) to promote ARI's upcoming "Corporate Governance Symposium"; (iii) to promote ARI-PBBM Jeddah Leadership Training program in November 2016.  Thank you Tan Sri for your kind hospitality and openness towards new ideas.....

ARI Journal Online System

The Accounting Research Institute  (ARI) is happy to introduce its Journal Online System (JOS) for its two indexed journals: Malaysian Accounting Review (MAR) and Asia Pacific Management Accounting Journal (APMAJ).  Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Journal is jointly published by the Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Association (APMAA - which is based in Japan), Accounting Research Institute & Faculty of Accountancy and University Publication Centre (UiTM Press) ofUniversiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Its initial publication was once a year but effective 2010, the journal issue is increased to twice a year.  APMAJ focuses on showcasing findings related to management accounting theory, concepts and empirical research within the Asia-Pacific region. Every year, APMAA hosts a management accounting forum. One of the main source of papers or articles for this journal comes from such forum.  Effective April 2016, the Accounting Research Institute has developed a journal online system (JOS).  Interested researchers can register and submit their articles in the following two URLs: 

http://arionline.uitm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/APMAJ and 

http://arionline.uitm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/MAR.  

The Malaysian Accounting Review (MAR) is an international refereed journal of the Accounting Research Institute and the Faculty of Accountancy, University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. This journal is launched in the hope of stimulating quality research into accounting and accounting related areas. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use this publication as a platform for disseminating their research findings to the members of the academia and the community at large. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Journal is jointly published by the Asia-Pacific Management Accounting Association (APMAA - which is based in Japan), Accounting Research Institute & Faculty of Accountancy and UiTM Press, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).  Its initial publication in 2006 was once a year but effective 2010, the journal issue was increased to twice a year. APMAJ focuses on showcasing findings related to management accounting theory, concepts and empirical research within the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.  Every year, APMAA hosts an international management accounting conference. One of the main sources of papers or articles for this journal comes from such conference. The two journals are currently indexed by Excellence Research Australia (ERA), Australian Business Deans Councils (ABDC), Ebscohost, Ulrich. In addition, APMAJ is also indexed by the Thomson Reuters Emerging Citation Index.

Certified Internal Auditors

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates its two officers: The Institute of Quality and Knowledge Advancement, or InQKA of Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.  As internal auditors, the two officers are now responsible to do the following tasks:

Ms Wan Mariati Wan Omar and Ms Azizah Hamzah who received a certification as "Certified Internal Auditors" for ISO9001:2008 from

• Gain a comprehensive overview of the ISO 9001:2008 series 
• Learn how to set objectives for, plan and perform a quality standards audit
• Understand the implications of employee behaviour on quality management audits
• Gain the ability to confidently report findings and take corrective action.

Congratulations Farah Aida Nazri

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates its first Young Researcher Scheme (YRS) scholar, Farah Aida Nazeri who has recently successfully completed her PhD program for her thesis titled "Critical Success Factors of Micro Entrepreneurs Under the AIM And Asnaf’s Economic Development Programme".  The YRS program was initiated in 2012 by the university to support the development and sustainability of Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Universiti Teknologi MARA.  Successful scholar will be placed at the CoE where their main core activities will be research  and he/she will need to teach 1-2 courses in area of expertise.  Farah Aida's VIVA VOCE was held at the university's Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPSIS) on 13th June 2016.  She was supervised by Professor Dr Normah Omar and Professor Dr Rashidah Abdul Rahman.  Thank you examiners, Associate Professor Dr Nawal Kassim from UiTM, Prof Dato' Haji Mustafa USIM and Prof Dr Hakem from Tunisia Business School.  Appreciation also goes to Professor Dr Nafsiah Mohamed who chaired the VIVA VOCE.  Farah's PhD will be PhD in Accounting (AC990) from the Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA. Congratulations from all of us at ARI.

Congratulations Dr Norazida

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) of Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM) congratulates its research associate fellow, Dr Norazida Mohammed for her recent appointment as an external examiner for an international baccalaureate program, B Tech (Hons)degree in Forensic Accounting and Auditing at Harare Institute of Technology Zimbabwe.

Dr Norazida obtained her PhD from Teesside Business School (UK) in 2013 with a thesis titled Financial Statements Fraud Control: Exploring Internal Control Strategies in Two Malaysian Public Interest Entities'.  The appointment is a great opportunity for Dr Norazidah and other ARI fellows to forge potential research and academic collaborations with countries in the African continent.  Congratulations....
 

Cambridge Islamic Finance Leadership Program (IFLP)

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) of Universiti Teknologi MARA has been invited by Edbiz Consulting, a renowned UK-Based global organisation to co-organise a five day Cambridge Islamic Finance Leadership Program on 20-25 August 2016 at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.  Edbiz Consulting is a truly unique, international Shari’a / Shariah advisory firm, committed to engendering the value proposition that Islamic finance serves to offer in the global financial markets. Edbiz Consulting provides multiple services that balance the dual purpose of developing thought leadership in this niche industry and strengthening the Islamic finance capacity for businesses and banks. Its client base is diverse and includes financial institutions, governments, education providers, established businesses and entrepreneurs.  Edbiz Consulting is also the global organisation that initiated the globally famous Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA).  In fact, the Accounting Research Institute had won two awards respectively in 2014 (Best Education Provider in Islamic Finance) and 2015 (Best Pioneering Research in Islamic Financial Criminology).  It is through our involvement with GIFA that ARI has been invited to co-organise this prestigious training programme. In line with ARI's research agenda in Islamic Financial Criminology, this is a great opportunity for ARI to showcase its research findings and expertise with other leaders within the Islamic Finance Industry.

MyRA Central Audit 2016

Professor Dr Normah Omar, Director, Accounting Research Institute (ARI) of Universiti Teknologi MARA has been appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia as one of the national level assessors for the Malaysia Research Assessment or more commonly known as MyRA. The MyRA instrument is used to gauge the research, development and innovation (R&D&I) activities of Malaysian tertiary institutions (i.e. public universities, private universities,  the branch campuses of foreign universities and university colleges).  chronologically, the MyRA assessment for 2015 went through various phases.

 Phase One (December 2015 - February 2016) was the online submission of MyRA data by the universities.  Universities submitted their data togther with a Masterlist of  nine important sections of the MyRA instrument.  Phase Two (Mid March 2016) was the document audit of all submitted data.  During the document audit, submitted data was gauged against the Masterlist that has been prepared by the institutions.  Any discrepancy or questions related to the data are subsequently noted by the assessors as future references during the site audit.  Phase Three (May - June) is the site audit.  In previous years, site audit meant an actual visits by the MyRA assessors to respective universities.  In 2016 however, actual site audits were only conducted for Research Universities (RU).  For the other universities, a Central Audit was carried out instead.  The processes for the Central site audit are exactly the same as in actual site audit.  Universities need to show evidences of everything that has been included in the Masterlist.