Plans are underway for female faculty members from the University of Taibah (TU) to pursue their doctoral degrees at UTM. The discussion took centre stage during a recent visit by a UTM delegation to TU in Madinah.

UTM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar, heading UTM’s delegation, together with Prof. Dr. Awaluddin Mohamed Shaharoun, and Assoc. Prof. Dr.  Othman Che Puan,  met TU’s representatives headed by its President, Prof Dr Adnan.

Also present were other TU’s senior personnel, namely, Dr Saud Taher (Vice President -Development and Innovation),  Prof Khalid Khoshhal (Deputy Rector for Graduate Studies and Research), and Dr Abd Khalique (Dean, School of Graduate Studies).

TU has indicated a strong commitment to send their female faculty members to pursue their doctoral degrees in UTM, commencing September 2014.  UTM PhD programmes that interest TU include Science, Mathematics, Computer Science/Information Technology, and Education. TU has also requested that their female faculty members be assigned UTM female supervisors. A detailed service contract will be signed in June.

The discussion also touched on other pertinent topics, one of which is the need to enhance TU’s staff leadership traits, achieved through a staff attachment programme.  Another possible collaboration area, broached by TU’s Dr Wasim Orfaili (Dean, School of Engineering) is in developing TU’s Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (Industrial Engineering) programme.