UTAR and Building Management Association of Malaysia sign MoU

UTAR and Building Management Association of Malaysia (BMAM) signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) on 8 June 2012 at UTAR  Petaling Jaya Campus.

Signing on behalf of both parties were UTAR President Ir Professor Academician Dato' Dr Chuah Hean Teik and BMAM President Dato' Teo Chiang Kok. Signing as witnesses were UTAR Vice President (Internationalisation and Academic Development) Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat and BMAM Secretary General Prof S Venkateswaran.

Under the MoU, BMAM would recognise two UTAR's degree programmes - Bachelor of Building and Property Management (Hons) and Master of Business Administration (Building Management).

Prof Chuah said, "Through UTAR Faculty of Accountancy and Management, the University would collaborate with BMAM in joint research, publication activities, organising training workshops and conferences, and curricular development in the area of building and property management".  He explained that such cooperation  would ensure the quality of UTAR students and subsequently the supply of suitably qualified graduates as employees to the industry.

"Students who successfully complete either programme will be able to join BMAM as 'Graduate Members' and eventually be admitted as 'Registered Building Managers' upon satisfying the necessary criteria for registration", said Dato' Teo, adding that the property industry had been experiencing drastic development and buildings had become bigger and more sophisticated. He added that those were the reasons for the need for skilled and well-equipped building managers.

At present, UTAR has already ventured into many R&D projects including the application of green materials such as the collaborative project with Doshin Rubber Products (M) Sdn Bhd on an improved rubber base-isolator with greener, more sustainable and economical features, and the collaborative project with Ken Holdings Berhad on an energy-efficient design system for housing involving energy efficient roofing tiles, walling blocks and panels. UTAR's partnership with BMAM will further strengthen the University's position as a research university.  

Prof Chuah exchanging  MoU documents with Dato' Teo while (from left) Prof Ewe and Prof Venkateswaran look on.