PPKK Reveives Prestigious International Recognition

PENANG, 28 Dec – The study programmes at the School of Chemical Engineering (PPKK), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) have been accorded international recognition after being accredited by the United Kingdom-based Institute of Chemical Engineers (IchemE).

USM is the first university in the country to receive accreditation for the Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from IchemE for a period of five years, from 2009 till 2013.

IchemE is a prestigious world body that has a membership of almost 90 countries world-wide, including New Zealand, Australia, India, Singapore, China, Ireland and others.

The Dean of PPKK, Professor Abdul Latif Ahmad said that this accreditation follows the success of USM as one of the universities recognized by IchemE for the Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering in 2006.

He added that this success, one of the highlights of 2009, proves that USM is on a solid track to continue with its excellent performance.

“PPKK is especially proud of this achievement; more so because it is a concerted effort by lecturers, university administrators and also the students.

“This success will spur PPKK onward to continue with its excellent performance and at the same time enhance the quality of higher education in the country,” he said.

Prof. Abdul Latiff stressed that the IchemE accreditation is prestigious and not easily attained by any university unless it meets all the criteria that have been set.

“Our success also means that the quality of the courses offered by USM meet certain standards that are internationally recognized. We also restructured our curriculum so that it can compete with other universities which are far more advanced internationally. This ensures that we are not backward in providing the best education to undergraduates,” he explained.

Prof. Abdul Latiff who became the Dean of PPKK in 2005 added that in the five years of helming PPKK, he is satisfied with the success achieved by PPKK, particularly the strong position in terms of the standard and quality of studies.

He said that PPKK has set a high benchmark in ensuring that the curriculum is always in line with developments in the field of chemistry, especially at international level.