Agong Opens UTM Advanced Informatics School
Bernama (24 May 2011)

KUALA LUMPUR' May 24 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin today declared open Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Advanced Informatics School (AIS)' a world-class software engineering centre' here' Tuesday.

The King was accompanied by UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang and pro-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor' and New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia' David Pine.

Zaini said UTM AIS would be helming the academic programme' research and consultations involving the application of information communications technology (ICT) in the region.

"The contribution of the ICT sector which recorded 9.8 per cent to Gross Domestic Product in 2009 is expected to increase to 10.2 per cent by 2015'" he said in his speech at the opening ceremony.

Zaini said UTM AIS was also collaborating with government agencies like CyberSecurity Malaysia' and Microsoft' IBM and professional bodies such as IASA' EC-Council and Royal Holloway of the University of London in ensuring that the programmes offered were relevant to the industries.

"For the coming five-year plan' UTM AIS will have 625 post-graduate' Master's and PhD students with 50 per cent of them from foreign countries'" he said.

Earlier' Tuanku Mizan also launched the autobiography of Salleh titled' "Portrait Of A Thousand Smiles" about the journey of his life from his younger days in his village' his youth at school' university days' and his times in the Forestry Department and Forest Research Institute Malaysia to his foray into business.

Salleh was president of the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO) from 1990-1995' the first to be elected not from Europe or America.