Congratulations Dr Farah and Dr Nizam

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates two of its associates who recently achieved significant milestones in their career. Firstly, congratulations to Dr Farah Aida Ahmad Nazri who completed her PhD in Islamic Finance from the Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA.  Dr Farah untertook her PhD program under the university's Young Researcher Scheme (YRS) and will be attached with ARI as a researcher and lecturer.

Recently Dr Farah Aida also sat and successfully completed her professional examination in Enterprise Risk Management with the global body, Enterprise Risk Management Academy and received the ERMCP professional designation.  

Secondly, congratulations to Dr Md Nizam Ali, Senior Director and Chief Coordinator of Centre for Knowledge and Consultancy on Integrity at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM), who successfully completed his PhD program at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.  

Dr Nizam is instrumental in the establishment of the Corporate Integrity System for IIM.  Through him, ARI was involved in the development of the Corporate Integrity Questionnaire - an instrument used to measure corporate integrity at workplaces.  This collaborative project between the industry and academia was very engaging.  We had at least two laboratory-style meetings at the

Securities Commission office to discuss the fundamentals of corporate integrity; several round-table discussions at IIM, presentation of the preliminary instrument to the Federation of Public Listed Companies and meetings with corporate CEOs at Bursa Malaysia, pilot testing the instrument and actual evaluation of corporate integrity at various organisations such as Celcom, TNB, KPJ, MARA, UDA and many others.  Today, the instrument has been used widely by corporations in Malaysia.

Congratulations Professor Emeritus Dr Takiah

Members and staff of the Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulate our distinguished research scientist Dr Takiah Iskandar for recently being conferred her Emeritus (or Emerita) Professor status by the Faculty of Economy and Management of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).  Professor Takiah has served UKM both as a lecturer and as dean of the faculty of economy and management.  Her expertise and research interests are in the areas of auditing and corporate governance. At ARI, Professor Takiah is heading one of ARI's research clusters within the Islamic Financial Criminology research niche.  Professor Takiah is a prolific researcher and writer.  She has authored more than one hundred journal papers.  To date her accumulated citations stand at 748 with a personal "H-Index"of 14. This is certainly a commendable standing, Congratulations and well done Professor Emerita Dr Takiah Iskandar.  We are very proud of you. 

Promoting Research with Impact

Research impact is, in general, the effect research has beyond academia. Research Councils UK (RCUK) for example, defines research impact as 'the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy'. This can involve academic impact, economic and societal impact or both:

(i) Academic impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent social and economic research makes in shifting understanding and advancing scientific, method, theory and application across and within disciplines; (ii) Economic and societal impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent social and economic research makes to society and the economy, and its benefits to individuals, organisations and/or nations.  The impact of research, be it academic, economic and social can include:

1. Instrumental: influencing the development of policy, practice or service provision, shaping legislation, altering behaviour; 2. Conceptual: contributing to the understanding of policy issues, reframing debates and 3. Capacity building: through technical and personal skill development.  At the Accounting Research Institute, research impact relates to its ability to make a difference - to the society, the policy makers and human kind.  The New Straits Times newspaper in its Learning Curve column provides a good illustration of what research impacts constitute.  Included in the write ups is ARI's research niche agenda in Islamic Financial Criminology under the heading "Advancing Knowledge for the Common Good". Congratulations all ARIANs. 

Congratulations Professor Dr Faizah Darus

Congratulations are in order for the newly promoted Dr Faizah Darus to a full professor. She received her promotion letter later from the vice chancellor, Emeritus Dato' Dr Hassan Said at his office today.  Currently, Professor Dr Faizah is a research fellow at the Accounting Research Institute (ARI) and heading the Asia-Pacific Centre for Sustainability Research. Professor Faizah's research interests are in the areas of Sustainability Reporting and Corporate Waqaf Governance. Congratulations and well done..

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 Winners

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates all ARI Contingent members who have participated in the 3-day Invention, Innovation and Design Exposition 2014 (IIDEX 2014) and won big: five golds, six silvers and second runner up for the best contingent awards (from a total of 45 contingents).  Lists of  winning products are as follows:
1. Composite Integrity Index (CII) for Public and Private Sector Organisations: The New Frontiers (GOLD)
2. i-TRITS - Individual Tax Return Integrity & Transparency System (GOLD)
3. Self Governance Assessment Tool for Social Entrepreneurs (GOLD)
4. Risk Management Assessment Tool for Social Entrepreneurs (GOLD)
5. FINDS: Fraud Digital Forensic Tool (GOLD)
6. Integrated Accountability System (SILVER)
7. i-CSR Statement of Recommended Practice (SILVER)
8. Financial Health Check-Up Kit for Local Authorities towards Better Governance (SILVER)
9. Apis (SILVER)
10. sRQ Reform (SILVER)
11. Social Collateral Analyser (SILVER)
Well done all winners.  In its effort to drive its research in Islamic Financial Criminology, ARI inculcates the culture of innovation. Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in-articulated needs, or existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies or ideas that will be made available to markets, businesses, governments and the society. 

PAIB Articles Merit Award

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates researchers from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)  for winning various awards for "PAIB Articles Merit Awards 2013".   Prof Dr Normah Omar, Director of ARI attended the prize giving event which was held at the Malaysian Institute of Accountants' office in Kuala Lumpur.  The two winning articles are respectively titled "Voluntary Risk Disclosure and Firm Value Creation of Malaysian Firms" and "Governance and Financial Reporting Framework of Non Profit Organisations in Malaysia". Congratulations all and well done. 

Congratulations Prof Dr Ibrahim Kamal

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates our associate member Professor Dr Ibrahim Kamal Abdul Rahman for a special service recognition award given by CPA Australia this evening.  The award acknowledges Prof Ibrahim's wide contributions both to the accounting academic and the accounting profession.  A special event known as "CPA Members' Recognition Evening" (i) recognizes newly admitted  CPA members, (ii) awards CPA fellowship to qualified CPA members and (iii) awards long standing service contribution of CPA members.  Prof Ibrahim was admitted as a CPA by CPA Australia in 2003.  During the past ten years, Prof Ibrahim has held various positions: Dean of the Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA; Council member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA); Committee member and later on a Chairman of the Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee and Steering Committee of the  MIA's "Halatuju" for the accounting programs in Malaysia.  Indeed, Professor Dr Ibrahim Kamal Abdul Rahman has contributed  a lot.  Congratulations to you Prof Ibrahim Kamal and well done.  You certainly deserved the recognition...