UiTM Website Competition

In a recent website competition organized by the university (Universiti Teknologi MARA), the Accounting Research Institute (ARI) won the "third place" position of the competition.  Congratulations all ARI members for your continuous cooperation in keeping the website up-to-date.  In particular, we wish to thank our web administrator, who is also our research officer, Ms  Munirah for her dedication and hard work.  ARI website address is: http://ari.uitm.edu.my

 

UTM RU Visit

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) was the last Research University (RU) to be audited recently.  Unlike the other four "matured" RUs who were assessed using the "MyRA 2" instrument, UTM is assessed using the first MyRA tool or better known as MyRA 1.  A total of nine RU panels (assessors) were assigned to audit UTM.  The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) director, Professor Dr Normah was appointed as the Head of RU panel for UTM.  One very interesting and successful RU initiative undertaken  by UTM is the establishment of its "Research Alliance", which is a research-based responsibility centre.  Currently, there are ten Research Alliances.  Each Research Alliance is headed by a research dean.  In principle, the Research Alliance constitutes a strategic partner to the faculty, who in turn is headed by an academic dean.  Whilst academic deans focus on students, programs and academic matters, research alliance deans dedicate their efforts on research-related activities and output.......

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ARI Upcoming Events

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) will be co-organising several international conferences between May and November 2013.  The 5th International Conference on Financial Criminology (ICFC 2013) will be held in Holiday Inn Hotel, Glenmarie, Shah Alam on 28-29 May, 2013.  Themed "Global Trends of Financial Crimes in the New Economies", the conference which is co-organized with ACFE and ACAMS will showcase renowned global researchers and practitioners as speakers.  A total of fifty research papers will also be presented during the conference.  Just like in previous years, the conference expects to attract about 300 participants.  On 24-25 June 2013, ARI will jointly co-organize the International Seminar on Government and Financial Criminology (ISGFC 2013)which will be hosted by the Faculty of Accountancy, University of Chullalongkorn, Thailand.  ARI will send twenty paper presenters to Bangkok for the event.  Following ARI's visit to the Philippines in March 2013, the International Conference on Islamic Finance, Muamalat and Financial Criminology (IFMFC 2013) will be co-organized with the Philippines Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PIPA Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Chapter), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) and Mindanao State University.  IFMFC 2013 will be held on 23-24 October 2013 in Cagayan.  Prior to the conference, a roundtable discussion will be held to discuss the viability of initiating Islamic Microfinance project with the Islamic community in the state.  ARI will send 20-30 paper presenters to the conference.  Two of ARI's research centres: Corporate Governance Research  Centre and the Public Sector Accounting Research Centre will co-organize the International Conference on Corporate Governance (ICGC) 2013 with two international research centres - Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) India and the Institute of Business Research (IBR), University of Waikato, New Zealand.  ICGC 2013 will be held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2013.  The annual  Asia Pacific Management Accounting Association (APMAA) International Conference 2013 will he hosted by the University of Nagoya Japan on 1-4 November 2013.  As steering committee members of APMAA, several ARI researchers will attend the management meeting as well as present papers at the conference.

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...

Congratulations Scholars

 

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) congratulates all recent graduates of Universiti Teknologi MARA who, today, received their scrolls from the university's Pro Chancellor, Tan Sri Dato' Seri Utama Arshad Ayub.  In particular, congratulations to two PhD graduates: Dr Adnan Ameen Abdullah Bakather (Thesis: The Impact of Board and Ownership on the Value of Firms Listed on FTSE Bursa Malaysia Shariah Index) and Dr Yosef Kalefa Hosen (Thesis: The Influence of Change in Business Environment on Change in  the Adoption of Management Control System).  Also our congratulatory messages and best wishes go to all graduates of the Master of Accountancy and Master in Forensic Accounting and Financial Criminology.

 

Research University Audit

As a member of the Research University assessment committee of the Ministry of Higher Education, Professor Dr Normah Omar, director of the Accounting Research Institute (ARI) has been and will be involved with the audit of the country's five research universities: University of Malaya (UM); Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM); Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM); Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).  UM, UPM, UKM and USM (the first four research universities) are considered as "matured RUs" and MOHE uses the MyRA 2 instrument to evaluate them.  Meanwhile, UTM as a relatively new RU,  is assessed using the MyRA 1 instrument.  A total of fourteen assessors are involved with the research university audit, which is expected to be completed by the end of May 2013.

Professional Linkages with the Philippines CPA

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM) and the Accounting Research Institute (ARI) has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Philippines Institute of CPA Chapter in Cagayan.  The MOU was respectively signed by UiTM's Vice Chancellor Dato' Seri Prof  Ir  Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar and the President of Philippines CPA Cagayan, Mr Eshmael Amanoding. Among  the programs agreed by the MOU include (i) the organization of a joint conference in Islamic Finance and Financial Criminology in October 2013, (ii) collaborative research in Islamic Finance and Financial Criminology between ARI and Philippines CPA (Cagayan), (iii) joint publications by researchers from ARI, Mindanou State University (MSU) and (iv) joint training programs in Islamic Financial Criminology.

ARI's Upcoming Visiting Professors

The Accounting Research Institute (ARI) is happy to announce the arrivalof two visiting professors in April 2013.  Professor Stuart Locke from the University of Waikato, New Zealand will be in Universiti Teknologi MARA for a week from 22nd April to 28th April 2013.  Meanwhile, Professor Kabir Hassan from the University of New Orleans will be visiting the university for two weeks from 22nd April to 3rd May 2013.  Professor Stuart Locke has a background in finance, economics, valuation and chartered accountancy, and is Chairperson of the Department of Finance. His current research interests are in corporate governance, agribusiness finance, small business finance and personal financial planning, and he is a frequent media commentator on these topics. Stuart oversees the Management Research Centre, the commercial consultancy arm of the School which is now part of the IBR. The MRC produces financial benchmarking and business performance studies in conjunction with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA).  Stuart has been on the Board of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce and is actively involved with NZICA facilitating professional accountancy school programmes.  ARI's first collaboration with Stuart was the coorganization of an International Corporate Governance Conference in New Delhi, India in February 2012.  Professor Kabir Hassan has been with the University of New Orleans since 1990.  Prof. Hassan is a financial economist with teaching, research and consulting experiences in financial markets and institutions, Islamic Finance, corporate finance, applied economics and development finance. He has published a lot of articles in refereed academic journals such as Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Financial Services Research, Applied Financial Economics, and Atlantic Economic Journal, and presented numerous papers in professional meetings in many parts of the world. Prof. Hassan has received many awards and recognition for his outstanding teaching and research performances. He has received a number of research grants to conduct research in international trade, banking and finance areas.  In fact Prof Kabir Hassan was one of the keynote speakers at the last Islamic Accounting conference in November 2012.  We welcome both of them.  A lot of activities have been arranged for both scholars.

 

ARI-CPA Philippines Conference

As a result of a successful recent visit to the Philippine, the Accounting Research Institute (ARI) and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants  (Cagayan Region) will be co-organising a two-day international conference on Islamic Accounting/Finance and Financial Criminology on 23rd-24th October 2013.  The event which will be held in the Cagayan City will be hosted by the regional Philippine Institute of CPA.  From the Philippine, participants will comprise academics, accountants, ulamaks and non governmental organizations (NGOs).  Prior to the two-day conference, a roundtable meeting will be held with Muslim Ulamaks, professionals and Philantrophists to discuss the viability of setting up a microfinance project there.  Interested participants and ARI members who are interested to take part in the event can contact the organisors.  Committee members from ARI will be Prof Rashidah (shidah@salam.uitm.edu.my), Associate Professor Dr Abd Halim (drabdhalim@bdrmelaka.uitm.edu.my) and Prof Normah (normah645@salam.uitm.edu.my).  Committee de lo Santos (cheddars_05@yahoo.com).  A website and brochures will be produced soon. 

ARI-INFORMM-SAHABAT Project on Harm Reduction

In their effort to complete their ongoing research project on "Harm Reduction", three researchers from the Accounting Research Institute recently visited an NGO - SAHABAT in Kota Baru Kelantan.  The project focuses on the cost effectiveness  of two harm reduction or intervention programs: Methadone and NSEP administered upon drug users to minimize the occurence or spread of HIV/AIDS.  Currently the research group is comparing the cost-effectiveness of Methadone and NSEP treatments under four different environments namely (i) NGO, (ii) Public Hospital, (iii) Private clinic and (iv) Prison.  In Kota Baru, the research group obtained NSEP cost/effectiveness data from SAHABAT as well as Methadone cost/effectiveness data from a private clinic that drug users in the state capital.