University of Putra Malaysia
The University Putra Malaysia (Malay: Universiti Putra Malaysia), abbreviated as UPM, is a Malaysian research university which focuses on agricultural sciences but since the year 1997, expanded to wide range of scientific research and education including medicine, engineering, computer science, biotechnology and so on. Moreover, Universiti Putra Malaysia is offering courses in veterinary medicine. Although, it was founded as a university on 29 October 1971, Universiti Putra Malaysia could trace back its history all the way from the year 1931 when it was just a small agricultural school. Currently, UPM has a main campus in Serdang , Selangor which is south of Kuala Lumpur and a branch campus in Bintulu, Sarawak. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the fields of agriculture, engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, business, languages and social sciences. It was ranked as the 143rd best university in the world in 2021 by Quacquarelli Symonds and it was ranked 27th among Asian universities and the 2nd best university in Malaysia. In the Integrated Rating of Malaysian Institutions of Higher Education (SETARA), UPM maintain its six stars rating, which is "Highly Competitive". History. On 21 May 1931, UPM was established as  School of Agriculture, it is located on Serdang with 22 acre (9 hectares) land. The only two programmes offered were three-year diploma programme and one-year certificate course in agriculture. On 23 June 1947, the school was upgraded as College of Agriculture Malaya by Sir Edward Gent, the then Governor of Malayan Union. On 29 October 1971, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Agricultural University of Malaysia) is officially established through the merger of College of Agriculture Malaya and the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Malaya. UPM began with three faculties which are in the field of agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine . On 23 July 1973, UPM had its first academic session with intake of 1,559 students. On 30 July 1977, UPM held the first convocation ceremony, it is also the ceremony that declaring the appointment of UPM's first Chancellor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. On 3 April 1997, UPM has changed the name to Universiti Putra Malaysia, declared by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia. The reason of changing name is to indicate UPM has diversified the fields of study especially in Science and Technology. The word "Putra" is taken from Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj , the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. One of the reasons the word "Putra" was chosen is because the location of UPM near to Putrajaya. As the name has been changed, UPM changed the logo as well. In 2006, UPM is recognised as a Research University in Malaysia. The autonomy university status was given by Ministry of Higher Education in 2012. Vice Chancellors. The list of the Vice Chancellors of Universiti Putra Malaysia. Campuses. The university since its inception as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, has had two branch campuses apart from the main campus at Serdang, Selangor. The UPM branch campuses were  in Bintulu, Sarawak and Mengabang Telipot, Terengganu. The background of Bintulu campus can be traced back to 10 August 1974, it was a temporary campus under the National Resources Training Centre in Semenggok, Kuching and relocated to Bintulu in June 1987. On 27 August 1987, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Sarawak was officially established as a branch campus and offered three diploma programmes. The Bintulu campus was once closed down in 1994 and converted into a temporary site for a teacher’s training college. On 5 November 2001, it become UPM's branch campus again until now. The branch campus in Terengganu  began as UPM's Centre for Fisheries and Marine Science. When the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science transferred to there, the centre transformed into a branch campus in June 1996, named Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Terengganu. With the approval from Cabinet of Malaysia, Terengganu University College (KUT) was established on 5 May 1999 as an associate campus of UPM. However, it was given autonomy on 1 May 2001 and renamed as Malaysian Science and Technology University College (KUSTEM) on 20 June 2001. On 1 February 2007, KUSTEM was upgraded into a full-fledged university and renamed again as Universiti Malaysia  Terengganu. Academic profile. UPM began its academic life in 1973 with three founding Faculties and a Division of Basic Sciences. The first intake of 1,559 students were for the bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science, Forestry Science, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Diploma in Home Technology, Diploma in Animal Health and Production, Diploma in Science with Education, and Preliminary Programme. As of 2021, UPM has 15 faculties, eleven institutes, two schools, offers 8 diploma programmes, 80 bachelor programmes, 66 Masters programmes by coursework and more than 300 fields of study in Master and Doctoral programmes by research. The Doctor of Medicine  program provided by the Medical and Health Science division of the university was fully recognised by the Malaysia Medical Council on 5 June 2001. Faculties and Schools. As of 2020, UPM has 13 faculties and two schools at Serdang campus, and two faculties at Bintulu campus. In Serdang campus, most of the faculties are located on academic zone (northern part of UPM), except Faculty of Agriculture on the southeast, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences on the south. In Bintulu campus, there is only one faculty before the restructuring, which is Faculty of Agriculture and  Food Sciences, consists of five departments. Starting from 1 July 2020, the only faculty is split into two different faculties and the campus is offering more diploma and bachelor programmes than before. The diagram below shows the formation and development of faculties in Serdang campus. Solid lines denote succession of an institution, either rename or upgrade; dashed lines denote detachment of a department from its original faculty whereas dotted lines denote inclusion to another faculty. Faculty of Agriculture. The Faculty of Agriculture (Malay: "Fakulti Pertanian", abbreviation: FP) is one of the three founding faculties as the establishment of UPM in  1971. The faculty of agriculture was originally a faculty of Universiti Malaya, it then merge with the College of Agriculture and formed Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in 1971. The first dean of the faculty is Prof. Dr. Mohd Zain bin Karim. In Julai 1973, together with another two founding faculties, which are Faculty of Forestry and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Husbandry Sciences, and the Division of Basic Sciences, UPM began its first academic session with intake of 1,559 students. As of 2021, the faculty comprises seven departments: Agrobio Complex. With the expansion of faculty, more buildings were built in UPM  to suit the need of faculty including a multi-purpose hall (Dewan Pertanian). In 2000s, the faculty was separated into Complex 1 where four departments were situated and Complex 2 which houses the administrative office and three departments, both complexes are 3 kilometres apart. In the 9th Malaysia Plan, fund was allocated to build a new complex on a pasture land beside Equine Unit UPM. The construction began in 2009 and completed in early 2011, named as Agrobio Complex. The complex consisting of five blocks for the departments, a gallery which houses two lecture theaters, nine lecture rooms, canteen, surau  and a multipurpose hall. From 25 July 2011, the staff moved to new complex gradually whereas the administrative office moved into the gallery building in December 2011. Faculty of Forestry and Environment. Faculty of Forestry and Environment (Malay: "Fakulti Perhutanan dan Alam Sekitar", abbreviation: FHAS) is one of the three founding faculties as the establishment of UPM in 1971. Prof. Dr. Abdul Manap bin Ahmad is the first dean who led the faculty from 1972 until 1982. In August 1976, the Department of Environmental Sciences was formed under the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. The department then separated from  its faculty (which renamed again as Faculty of Science) on 1 September 2004 and became an independent faculty, namely Faculty of Environmental Studies. The Faculty of Forestry and Environment was established on 1 March 2020 as a result of the transformation of governance between the faculties. The faculty works closely with other faculties in UPM as well as other forestry related or environmental agencies and institutions. As of 2021, the faculty comprises four departments and one section: Sultan Idris Shah Forestry Education Centre. Sultan Idris Shah Forestry Education Centre (Malay: "Pusat Pendidikan Perhutanan Sultan Idris Shah", abbreviation: SISFEC) was inaugurated  on 21 March 2012 by the Chancellor of UPM, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, located at Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, approximately 20 kilometres from the campus. The construction began in October 2009 and completed in September 2011. SISFEC consists of four blocks which include administrative offices, lecture halls and laboratories for the purposes of teaching, training and researching. It is administrative by Natural Resources Section, all activities held at SISFEC are planning by the section too. Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve is a permanent forest reserve in Puchong which was awarded to UPM through a long-term agreement with the Selangor state  government. UPM is granted a permission to manage and conduct activities related to education, research and forestry development for 99 years (1996 until 2095). In 1906, the total gazetted area of the forest reserve was originally covered 4,270.7 hectares. However, due to urban development and industrialisation in Klang Valley, the forest's area has dropped to 1,176.1 hectares. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Malay: "Fakulti Perubatan Veterinar", abbreviation: FPV) is one of the three founding faculties as the establishment of UPM in 1973. The faculty was formerly known as Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Husbandry Sciences. The  first dean of faculty is Prof. Emeritus Dr. Omar Abdul Rahman who led the faculty from 1972 until 1978. The formation of the faculty began in the 1960s, a number of students were selected for veterinary studies (with scholarships) in foreign countries. The Department of Veterinary Services perceived the need for veterinary education in Malaya, and submitted a memorandum to the Higher Education Planning Committee. In 1968, the first annual conference of the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Malaysia-Singapore was held. Sir William Weipers, a faculty from Veterinary School of Glasgow University has been invited by the Department of Veterinary  Services and the Association of Veterinary Surgeons Malaysia-Singapore to present a paper on veterinary education: A study of the needs of Malaysia and Singapore. Since the issue was again discussed publicly, the Prime Minister of the time, Tunku Abdul Rahman has promised to probe the need of the establishment of the veterinary faculty if the proposal is submitted. The proposal has been made and recommended the establishment of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Malaya, it has been submitted to the Higher Education Planning Committee but no action was taken. However, the first faculty of veterinary  education in Malaysia, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Husbandry Sciences is successfully founded in October 1971, and establishing UPM with the another two faculties. As of 2021, the faculty comprises six departments: University Veterinary Hospital. University Veterinary Hospital (Malay: "Hospital Veterinar Universiti", abbreviation: UVH) is a veterinary hospital which was established by the faculty in 1975, it is the first public university veterinary hospital. UVH began as a pet clinics and large animal ambulatory clinics as well as laboratory services, and developed into well-equipped hospital, offering diagnostic, treatment, surgical and care services for various animal species. As a teaching  hospital, UVH equipped with diagnostic and laboratory equipment which are designed for training the students, the cases referred to UVH are also sources of teaching material. School of Business and Economics. School of Business and Economics (Malay: "Sekolah Perniagaan dan Ekonomi", abbreviation: SPE), was established in January 1974 as Faculty of Resource Economics and Agribusiness, it is the fourth faculty in UPM after the three founding faculties. On 11 February 2020, the 140th meeting of board of directors of UPM has approved the restructure of the faculty and renamed as School of Business and Economics starting from 1 Mac 2020 . Before the restructuring in 2020, the faculty had been renamed and known as Faculty of Economics and Management for many years. Besides the Master and PhD programmes, SPE offering also 3 undergraduate programmes which are Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Accounting and Bachelor of Business Administration. SPE has been accredited by AACSB for business programme. It is an accreditation that recognised an institution is providing quality education to students. Faculty of Engineering. Faculty of Engineering (Malay: "Fakulti Kejuruteraan", abbreviation: FK) was established in 1975 as Faculty of Agricultural Engineering which comprised only four departments, the first dean of faculty is  Ir. Abdul Rahman Yaacob. Starting from 2001, the faculty has moved to the new engineering complex, which is located on northeast of UPM, close to the Faculty of Design and Architecture. The students from both faculties are live at the 10th College of UPM (including the past 11th college). As of 2021, the faculty comprises eight departments: Faculty of Educational Studies. Faculty of Educational Studies (Malay: "Fakulti Pengajian Pendidikan", abbreviation: FPP) was established on 15 January 1975 as the Faculty of Educational Services. The faculty originally offered courses to students who pursuing the Diploma in Science with Education and the  Bachelor of Science with Education, both programmes were offered by the Faculty of Science before FPP is founded. The faculty also offered elective and general courses which were taken by students from various faculties in UPM at that time. Currently the faculty offers bachelor of education in languages, counselling, physical, agricultural science and home science. Besides the Bachelor of Education degree, the faculty also offers Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development, Bachelor of Counselling, and a diploma programme. In the early years of establishment, FPP consisted three departments. A structural reorganisation in 1989 has detached the Department of Social  Science and merged with Department of Human Development Studies from Faculty of Agriculture, formed Faculty of Human Ecology. In 1995, the Department of Language was upgraded to the Faculty of Modern Language Studies. At that time, the Department of Education is the only department under FPP. The inclusion of Department of Extension Education into FPP occurred in 1996 and it has renamed as Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education in 1997. FPP once again underwent a structural reorganisation in 2002, the Department of Education was reorganised into four new departments. One of a department, the Department of Human Movement  and Behavioural Studies were split into two departments in 2004. As of 2021, the faculty comprises six departments: Faculty of Science. Faculty of Science (Malay: "Fakulti Sains", abbreviation: FS) was established as the Division of Basic Sciences in 1972. Its objective was to offer basic science courses required by students from other faculties. In 1975, the division's status was upgraded to be a faculty and named as Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. The first dean of faculty, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ariffin Suhaimi served as dean until 1982. The faculty has gone through several restructuring processes, the then Department  of Environmental Sciences and Department of Computer Sciences were upgraded into two new faculties. In 2004, The Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology merged with the Department of Biotechnology from Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, formed a new faculty known as Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences. Ever since the restructuring, it was renamed again as Faculty of Science. As a faculty that achieved five star rating in the Ministry of Higher Education’s Malaysia Research Assessment Instrument (MyRA), currently the faculty has three RCoE and eleven nanotechnology research labs. As of 2021, the faculty comprises four departments: Faculty of  Food Science and Technology. Faculty of Food Science and Technology (Malay: "Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi Makanan", abbreviation: FSTM) was established in 1976 as a department under Faculty of Agriculture, namely Department of Food Science and Technology. On 1 March 1982, it was detached from its faculty and upgraded into Faculty of Food Science and Technology that consisting of two departments, which are Department of Food Science and Department of Food Technology. With the establishment of the Department of Biotechnology, the faculty was renamed to Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology in 1986. However, the faculty renamed to its former name  because the Department of Biotechnology was detached and merge with another department to form Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences on 1 August 2004. The Department of Food Service and Management was founded on 16 January 2005 and offer the food service and food management courses. In 2005, the Food Service Complex (also known as Food 6) was built to accommodate the teaching and learning process. Besides the practical operation and research activity at Food 6, it also performs commercialization activities through "L’apprenti Café", "L’apprenti Dèli" and "L’apprenti@Putra Restaurant". As of 2021, the faculty comprises three departments: Faculty of Human  Ecology. Faculty of Human Ecology (Malay: "Fakulti Ekologi Manusia", abbreviation: FEM) was established on 1 April 1992 through the merger of the Department of Human Development Studies from the Faculty of Agriculture with the Department of Social Sciences from the Faculty of Educational Studies. The faculty is located at the historical building of UPM where the building was the administrative office before the formation of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, it also become the office of Vice-Chancellor in the early years of UPM era. The historical and iconic building is built in 1931, it had been extended to accommodate the needs  of faculty. As of 2021, the faculty comprises five departments: Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication. Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication (Malay: "Fakulti Bahasa Moden dan Komunikasi", abbreviation: FBMK) has a history started from the college era. The College of Agriculture Malaya founded Division of National Language and Division of English Language when the enactment of Language Act, 1967 took effect. In 1971, both divisions were combined to form one division, namely Division of Language which encompassed the National and English Languages. The division was upgraded to status of department in 1972 and placed under Faculty of Agriculture. On  15 January 1975, the Department of Language was transferred to the Faculty of Educational Studies (FPP) until 4 January 1995, the department itself was detached from FPP and upgraded to the Faculty of Modern Language Studies. On 1 January 1999, the Department of Development Comminication detached from Faculty of Human Ecology and merged with this faculty. Due to the inclusion of the department, department renamed as Department of Communication while the Faculty of Modern Language Studies renamed to the current name, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication. As of 2021, the faculty comprises four departments: Faculty of Design and Architecture . Faculty of Design and Architecture (Malay: "Fakulti Rekabentuk dan Senibina", abbreviation: FRSB) was founded on 26 June 1996 and began with the Department of Landscape Architecture, offering Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture programmes. The Department of Architecture and Department of Industrial Design were established in 1999 and 2002 respectively. The idea to establish such a faculty began with a proposal paper entitled "Proposed Establishment of the Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.", which was submitted to the Faculty Agriculture in 1976. However, the faculty didn't take further action. In 1991, the Faculty of Engineering of  UPM proposed to offer the Architecture programme. A committee was formed in the Faculty of Agriculture in 1994 to survey the feasibility of offering both landscape architecture and architecture in UPM. In 1995, a report was sent to the Vice Chancellor, proposing to set up a faculty offering courses in design and the creative arts. With the approval from UPM's Senate, Board of Directors and Ministry of Education, a new faculty named Faculty of Design and Architecture was established in 1996. As of 2021, the faculty comprises three departments: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Faculty of Medicine and  Health Sciences (Malay: "Fakulti Perubatan dan Sains Kesihatan", abbreviation: FPSK) was established on 1 August 1996 through the merger of the Department of Biomedical Sciences from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Husbandry Sciences and the Department of Nutrition and Community Health from Faculty of Human Ecology, the faculty began with these two departments and a newly created department, the Department of Medical Sciences. On 18 June 2006, the faculty moved to a new complex on UPM's southern part, adjacent to the newly built Serdang Hospital and the Seventeen College, a residential college of UPM. As of 2021, the faculty  comprises 18 departments in various field including medicine, nursing, psychiatry, nutrition and occupational health. Besides Serdang Hospital, the Universiti Putra Malaysia Teaching Hospital (HPUPM) also serves as a teaching hospital for students from FPSK. Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology. Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (Malay: "Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Teknologi Maklumat", abbreviation: FSKTM) was established on 1 October 1998. It was originally the Department of Computer Science under the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies from 1992 to 1998. When it was detached and upgraded as a faculty, other departments were formed as well and developing  until today. As of 2021, the faculty comprises four departments: Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences. Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences (Malay: "Fakulti Bioteknologi dan Sains Biomolekul", abbreviation: FBSB) was established on 1 August 2004 when two departments detached and merged to become a faculty. The two involved departments are the Department of Biotechnology from Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology and the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology from Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. Since the inception of FBSB, all activities related to biotechnology at UPM are coordinated under one administration. As of 2021, the faculty comprises four  departments: Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry. Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry (Malay: "Fakulti Sains Pertanian dan Perhutanan", abbreviation: FSPH) was established on 1 July 2020, as a result of restructuring in UPMKB. Before the restructuring, the only faculty at Bintulu campus is the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences (FSPM) that consists of five departments, three are inherited by FSPH; another two has been reorganised and placed under FKPS. As of 2021, the faculty comprises three departments: Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science. Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science (Malay: "Fakulti Kemanusiaan, Pengurusan dan Sains", abbreviation: FKPS) was  established on 1 July 2020. The restructuring of UPMKB began in 2018, five main thrusts have been identified, which are agriculture, forestry, industrial chemistry, renewable energy and ethnic study. The five main thrusts help Bintulu campus positioning itself and restructure the FSPM to become two faculties. As of 2021, the faculty comprises two departments: School of Graduate Studies. School of Graduate Studies (Malay: "Sekolah Pengajian Siswazah", abbreviation: SGS or SPS) is a service and administrative centre which had a status that equivalent as other UPM's faculty, its role is to assist postgraduate students in the processes involved from their  registration at UPM up to their completion of studies. Not only connecting the relationship between UPM and graduates, SGS also strengthening UPM's status as a research university. SGS is founded in 1978, named as Graduate Study Unit and later become Graduate School Office in February 1993. In March 2002, it was finally renamed as School of Graduate Studies. Institutes. Institute of Bioscience. Institute of Bioscience (abbreviation: IBS) was established on 1 August 1996 and was the first research institute founded in UPM. IBS was established to boost research and development (R&D) and postgraduate training in fields of biological sciences . The emphasis on research was given to strengthen the scientific and technological capabilities of the country as well as to develop relevant human capital to support the Industrial and Agricultural Master Plan. In 1995, the Senate of UPM supported to establish "Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Research Institute" which it will organise the research and development programmes in line with the corporate plan of UPM. The proposal was then agreed in principle by Board of Directors of UPM, and a detailed proposal was requested. The name was revised to "Institute of Bioscience" and accepted by the Senate, the Board of Directors also  agreed the formation of institute. In April 1996, the Committee on Education Planning under the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of Institute of Bioscience. On 1 April 2010, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Sri Najib Razak announced that IBS is recognized as a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE). Over the past 20 years, the IBS has rearranged and developed into four laboratories. Each laboratory has two main functions, which are doing research and provides the service and facility unit. The four laboratories are: Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (abbreviation: ION2) was established  on 1 November 1999 as Institute of Advanced Technology to lead research and development on areas of physical sciences, information technology and engineering. On 1 November 2021, the institute has been rebranded to ION2 that focus the niche area on Nanoscale "Green Synthesis" and applications. In line with the rebranding, the laboratories are: Institute for Mathematical Research. The Institute for Mathematical Research (abbreviation: INSPEM) is a research institute specialising in research in mathematics and other areas whose major components are areas in mathematics. The institute was established to fill the need for such a research centre in the country. It  began operating on 1 April 2002 after its establishment was approved by the Division of Higher Education in November 2001. The institute is under the administration of UPM and is subjected to the regulations and stipulated in the statute on the establishment of institutes in UPM. The main activities of INSPEM include planning, identifying and implementing research in Theoretical Studies, Applied and Computational Statistics, areas of Computational Sciences and Informatics and Innovational Methods in Education. The institute also serves as two-way channel between it and the public and private agencies through which research products can be channelled and problem  requiring mathematical treatment can be received and examined at the institute. At the same time it provides opportunities for collaborative research with agencies from inside and outside UPM. It is also a primary function of INSPEM to invite potential young researchers to carry out research that leads to postgraduate degrees. Four research laboratories have been formed, each led by a head of laboratory: Halal Products Research Institute. This establishment has submitted proposals to the management of the University in 2003 and was approved at the Management Committee Meeting University 110th on 26 and 31 March 2003. However, the establishment of  this institute can not be implemented because of financial problems the university at the time. Therefore, Faculty of Food Science and Technology has taken the initiative to establish the Halal Food Unit in June 2003. In August 2004, the Halal Food Unit in collaboration with Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) has organised a "Workshop on Global Halal Hub Development Malaysia" in conjunction with the 1st Malaysian International Halal Showcase (Mihas) 2004. Resolution of the workshop titled "Proposed Development of Halal Food Hub Global Malaysia" was presented to the Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia by Y.Bhg. Vice-Chancellor of the university  in the opening MIHAS 2004 on 16 August 2004. Following this development, the Ministry of Higher Education has approved and agreed that UPM lead the national agricultural education center on 30 August 2004. To support this initiative, UPM has proposed the establishment of Halal Food Institute and has received approval from the Ministry of Higher Education on 1 June 2005. this initiative was implemented to help Malaysia to realise the aspiration to emerge as a global hub for halal food. Following the change in administration policy UPM, several workshops were held to address the future direction related issues RMK9 and  strengthen the position of UPM as a research university. Thus, on 1 July 2006, after UPM implement changes Basically, the name Halal Food Institute (IMH) was converted to Halal Products Research Institute (IPPH). This amendment is to broaden the scope of research IPPH beyond the scope of food and put some new research scope of consumables Muslims and Islamic business. Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products. The Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP) was established on 1 October 2006 by merging the Institute of Biocomposite and the Rain Forest Academy. It was a very timely merger and  it consolidated UPM's expertise and resources to provide solutions to current issues such as the dwindling supply of natural resources and the optimisation of bioresources. INTROP's activities focus on forest canopy management, bioresources valuation and sustainability, sustainable utilisation of biocomposite products, product development and innovation and also market exploration and competitiveness. Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing. Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (abbreviation: MyAgeing™) was founded on 1 April 2002 as Institute of Gerontology, and then rebranded in 2015. The fields of study are including social gerontology, medical gerontology and gerontechnology. Institute of Plantation Studies. Institute of Plantation  Studies (abbreviation: IKP) is an institute that focus on assisting the Malaysian plantation sector. The research activities and professional services will be enhanced while strengthening the collaboration with the government and private agencies in the plantation sector. Institute for Social Science Studies. Institute for Social Science Studies (IPSAS) was established as a center of excellence for research and development (R & D) in the field of social sciences. It examines and analyses current social questions and provides answers and solutions. Along with this focus study focuses on youth development issues of the country. The journey from its early formation as an  Institute Community and Peace Studies (PEKKA) in 2001 to its current name of Institute for Social Science Studies. A transition of change in the research focus towards Youth Development and efforts into making the institute as a regional centre of reference in this field. Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security. The Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITA) was established on 1 January 2007 through merging of various institutes including the Institute of Plantation Studies. The establishment of this institute was the outcome of the restructuring and rationalisation process of institutes, academy, and centres in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). This rationalisation  process was implemented as a proactive and integrated effort taken to strengthen UPM status as a Research University (RU) and to become the center of excellence in agriculture education in Malaysia. The University has identified six new research clusters: Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Environment, Health, Social Science and Science, and Engineering and Technology to enhance research activities in UPM. In addition, UPM has identified eight specific research thrusts for each cluster, in line with the government's emphasis on the country's agriculture development agenda. In 2005, Institut Kajian Dasar Pertanian dan Makanan (IKDPM), or Agricultural and Food Policy Studies  Institute (AFPSI) was established in response to the increased government emphasis on agriculture in the Malaysian economy. ITA has been rebranded as the Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security (abbreviation: ITAFoS) in 2016. In 2020, it has merged with the IKDPM. International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences. The International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences (abbreviation: I-AQUAS) was originally established as Centre of Mariculture Studies (COMAS) in 1991 under Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, and has started to operate in 1993. In 1996, the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science moved to Terengganu, COMAS was once  placed under the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, and later under the Office of the Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation). Furthermore, COMAS had been renamed as Marine Science Centre. On 15 December 2017, this centre has upgraded into international institute, named as International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, also known as I-AQUAS. It is located in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, intend to provide a new platform for research and development in field of aquaculture and aquatic sciences, as well as its ecosystem and natural resources. Institute of Ecosystem Science Borneo. Institute of Ecosystem Science Borneo is established  in 2020, it is the only research institute in the Bintulu campus. Its goal is to be a referral center for ecosystem quality in Borneo. The fields of study of IEB including agriculture, biodiversity, economics, environment, microbiology and land management. Putra Business School. Putra Business School (abbreviation: PBS) is an autonomous business school in UPM. It is founded in 1997 as Graduate School of Management (GSM). On 6 July 2011, the UPM's Board of Directors decided to reorganise the GSM in response to a Cabinet Memorandum in 2007. Thus, the Yayasan Putra Business School (YPBS) was formed on 23  August 2011 to manage the reorganised institution. On 12 October 2012, Putra Business School was established officially as a private business school with full-fledged university status. UPM and YPBS has signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 31 December 2012, wherein UPM grants YPBS the licence to offer and conduct academic programmes by the standard of UPM and to use UPM's facilities. PBS offers business and management related postgraduate programmes, all programmes are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). Besides local accreditation, PBS also receive accreditation by AACSB and ABEST21. Currently PBS is located at the Deputy Vice  Chancellor (Research and Innovation)'s office building (nicknamed "White House UPM"). Campus life. Residential Colleges. The accommodation units in UPM are called as "college", however, the colleges are not related with education, they are built to provide accommodation for students, known as "residential college" or "kolej kediaman". Before the UPM's Governance Transformation Plan, there are 17 residential colleges in Serdang campus and one in Bintulu campus. The residential colleges in Serdang campus can be divided into four zone, which are "lembah", "pinggiran", "bukit" and "serumpun". The Mohamad Rashid College (KMR) is the first residential college in UPM, originally named  as First Residence College. In May 1995, the college was renamed again, named after Mohd Rashid Ahmad (also known as Cikgu Rashid or Pak Rashid), the founder and pioneer of the establishment of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. The restructure in 2019 has moved KMR to the Block P1 and P2 in "zon serumpun", adjacent to K13. The KMR's original site is transformed into KMR OnePUTRA Residence that managed by UPM Holdings. There are three residential colleges providing accommodation specialised for students who join uniformed unit (but still available for ordinary students). The Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah College (KOSASS) accommodates Reserved  Officer Training Unit (ROTU); the Pendeta Za'ba College (KPZ) accommodates Student Police Volunteer Corps (SUKSIS); the Chancellor College (KC) accommodates Civil Defense Student Corps (SISPA). Students who join the uniformed unit will live at the particular colleges, except students from K10, K11 and K17 will stay at their original college. The Tenth College (K10) and Eleventh College (K11) are both adjacent to the Engineering Complex of UPM, accommodate the students from Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Design and Architecture. Another college at "zon pinggiran" is Seventeenth College (K17), it specialised accommodates the students from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and  Faculty of Medicine and Health Science. The Twelfth College (K12), Fourteenth College (K14), Fifteenth College (K15) and Sixteenth College (K16) are located at "zon serumpun" and known as "Serumpun Colleges". They are built by PJS Development, a private construction company through the form of BOT. The BOT agreement stated that PJS Development are responsible to monitoring security and maintaining the colleges for 25 years. The Sri Rajang College (KSR) is the only residential college in Bintulu campus, consists of 10 blocks that could accommodate up to 1,770 students. The Governance Transformation Plan in 2019 has restructured the residential colleges in  Serdang campus. Most of them has been merged with another college to save costs and improve administrative efficiency. The table below shows the situation of 18 residential colleges before and after 15 June 2019, which is the date that colleges merged officially. Main hall. The Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Cultural and Arts Centre (Malay: "Pusat Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah", abbreviation: PKKSSAAS) is the main hall in Serdang campus. It was completed in 1978 and known as the Great Hall of UPM ("Dewan Besar UPM") before change the name. On 25 April 1996, the hall was  inaugurated by Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the eighth Sultan of Selangor. Since then, UPM renamed the Great Hall to its current name. PKKSSAAS is the place held the orientation, convocation, and even the examination. The Experimental Theatre ("Panggung Percubaan") is part of PKKSSAAS. It is a place for workshops on culture and arts, suitable for theatre performances and debate competition. It could also be used as a platform for the trial of performances. Libraries. UPM has one main library and three branch libraries in Serdang campus, and one library in Bintulu campus. The Sultan Abdul Samad Library (Malay: "Perpustakaan  Sultan Abdul Samad", abbreviation: PSAS) is the main library of UPM. It is actually exists before the establishment of UPM in 1971. The library is renamed as Sultan Abdul Samad Library and inaugurated on 23 May 2002, named after Sultan Abdul Samad, the fourth Sultan of Selangor. PSAS consists of block A and B (completed in 1982 and 1969 respectively), with total floor area of 19,007 square metres. Another three branch libraries in Serdang are Medicine and Health Sciences Library (1998), Veterinary Medicine Library (1999), and Engineering and Architecture Library (2008). The library in Bintulu start operating when the campus  was reopened in 2001. Mosque. The UPM's Mosque (Malay: "Masjid UPM") is the university's mosque that built to fulfill the needs of UPM's and Taman Sri Serdang's Muslims community to perform prayers. The construction started in 1987 and completed in 1989, the exterior design of the mosque is inspired by Saladin's war helmet. The Islamic Centre is founded on 1 October 1988 that responsible to manage the mosque and Islamic affairs of UPM. Expo Hill. The Expo Hill (Malay: "Bukit Ekspo") is a recreational place in UPM, close to the office of University Agricultural Park  (TPU) and managed by it. Expo Hill is located at between Thirteenth College and UniPutra Golf Club, with the area approximately 13 hectares that divided into five zones. The Expo Hill was used as the site of the Agricultural Expo and Convocation Festival for the first time during the first convocation of UPM in 1977. Universiti Putra Malaysia Teaching Hospital. Universiti Putra Malaysia Teaching Hospital (Malay: "Hospital Pengajar Universiti Putra Malaysia", abbreviation: HPUPM) is a teaching hospital that managed and operated by UPM. The location is adjacent to UPM's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Serdang Hospital . The construction of HPUPM started on 27 October 2014 and completed on 15 March 2019, with contract price of as much RM 582,227,497.73 (original contract price is RM 488 millions). Besides being a teaching hospital, HPUPM also share the burden borne by Serdang Hospital since it has started operate in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, HPUPM is chosen as one of the PPV in Selangor. UPM Press. UPM Press (Malay: "Penerbit UPM") is an entity placed under the Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation. Founded in 1977, it is a self-sufficient entity that generating income by  providing publication services and selling published books. UPM Press has upgraded on 1 February 2020, now comprises five sections to operate, which are Administration Section, Editorial and Production Section, Design and Creative Media Section, Sales and Marketing Section, and Pertanika Journal Section. The publication services are not limited to staff and student within UPM, but provided to agencies outside UPM also. On average, UPM Press had published 50 book titles annually in the past ten years. The Pertanika Journal Section under UPM Press is responsible to publish official journals of UPM. In 1978, Pertanika Journal began publication as the Pertanika  Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science (JTAS). Since 1992, Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology (JST) and Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities (JSSH) are included in Pertanika series. Currently the Pertanika Journal is an international peer-reviewed journals and has been indexed in Scopus (Elsevier), ESCI (WoS), BIOSIS, National Agricultural Science (NAL), Google Scholar, MyCite and ISC. On 27 September 2019, the UPM Press Bookshop was inaugurated by Dr. Aini Ideris, the Vice Chancellor of UPM. The bookshop's location is near to the main library and selling the published books. UPM Holdings. UPM Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (abbreviation: UPMH) is a  company wholly owned by UPM which was incorporated since 2009. The history of UPMH could be traced back in 1980 when it began as the Consultancy Unit in UPM, it then upgraded into University Business Center in 1996. The asset based business scopes such as UniPutra Golf Club, KMR OnePUTRA Residence, Banquet Hall of UPM and OnePutraMart are managed by UPMH. As of 2021, there are five subsidiaries under UPMH: Putra Science Park. Putra Science Park (abbreviation: PSP) is the centre for innovation management or technology transfer office (TTO) in UPM. It was established on 1 April 2006, originally named  as Innovation and Commercialization Center (ICC) and has been rebranded as UPM technology transfer center in 2010. PSP responsible to transfer the latest research or potential technologies from laboratory to market, through various channels such as exhibition, publication, press conferences, and business matching programmes with industry. Besides, PSP also protect UPM’s innovation through Intellectual Property protection. The eDU-PARK is an edu-tourism programme managed by PSP, the locations including: Putra FM. Putra FM (also known as Campus Radio Station) is the first digital campus radio station among the public universities in Malaysia. Since 1998, UPM offers Bachelor of  Communication, a unit called Radio Production Unit was built to fulfill the needs of a broadcasting laboratory for the programme offered. The unit was later upgraded and named as Campus Radio Station. Although the Putra FM is built for academic purpose, however it is available for community either within or outside UPM, at FM 90.7. The designing of studio, and selection of appropriate equipment for studio was assisted by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). Putra FM has been operating under the auspices of the RTM (or specifically Selangor FM). As there is a MoU signed, the cooperation between Putra FM and  RTM has been continued. Putra Agriculture Centre. Putra Agriculture Centre (Malay: "Pusat Pertanian Putra", abbreviation: PAC or PPP) was restructured from University Agricultural Park (TPU) on 10 February 2021. The main roles of this entity are facilitate the teaching and research in agricultural related fields, and also provide services for the students, staffs and the community. In 2018, there are 341.58 hectares of land are under management of TPU (now PAC). PAC was originally known as Plantation Division in 1971, as a platform to provide practical training in agriculture, and the services to campus. In 1998, Plantation Division was restructured  and became University Research Park to provide research facilities and services in agricultural field. On 1 December 2001, it was renamed as University Agricultural Park to uphold the agricultural sector in line with the desire of government and UPM itself. Rankings. Times Higher Education. Impact rankings. Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UI GreenMetric. In 2020, Universiti Putra Malaysia is ranked 28th in the world. The ranking of UI GreenMetric is based on: The ranking also placed UPM third in Asia, second in Southeast  Asia and maintains first position within the country for 11 consecutive years since the ranking was introduced in 2010.