BINTULU, Nov 1 - The Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPMKB) is capable of producing graduates in agricultural sector through the curriculum and support of the existing learning and teaching system, said the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

The UPM Chancellor said that as an agriculture-oriented university, UPMKB could play the pioneering role to ensure the supply of the agri-food industry remains stable and continues to grow.

“I, therefore, hope UPM Bintulu Campus in Sarawak can be improved in terms of infrastructure to encourage and sustain students' interest in agriculture," said His Royal Highness at the 46th UPM convocation here today.

 The Ruler also expressed his confidence that as the country's leading research university, UPM was able also to produce graduates who will make a great impact on Malaysia’s development and the well-being of its people.

Sultan Sharafuddin also said the campus had done a lot of strategic work for high-impact research with government agencies, especially the Sarawak government.

 The Sultan said among its achievements was the establishment of ‘Kursi Tok Nan’ with an allocation of RM2.54 million to defend the unique identity and rich cultural heritage of Borneo's indigenous people.

 He said UPMKB has reached an agreement with the Sarawak Forest Department to set up a Sarawak Forest Research Hub with an allocation of RM10.95 million.

 This includes a forest restoration project on a 47.5-hectare UPMKB land that will contribute signiô€€cantly to forest management and research.

 Other contributions include the padi transformation project called AgriHub or Gedong, which aims to increase rice productivity from two tonnes per hectare to 10 tonnes per hectare through ô€€ve harvests every two years.

“This can be achieved through the use of soil improvement technology and smart farming with a research fund of RM3 million. It is hoped that this will turn Sarawak into a food producer with the help of UPM's research findings.

“This achievement shows that UPM Bintulu Campus has been able to contribute knowledge and expertise towards the prosperity of the state," said His Royal Highness, hoping that the success of the research could beneô€€t the local community.

 Sultan Sharafuddin said the role of UPM and its twin campus in Bintulu will be further strengthened by the establishment of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

 His Royal Highness also believes that the implementation of the UPM Strategic Plan 2021-2025 has brought positive development to UPMKB.

A total 405 graduates received their PhDs, masters' and bachelor's degrees and diplomas at the the Frst session of the convocation held at Dewan Sri Kenyalang.

Tarikh Input: 04/11/2022 | Kemaskini: 04/11/2022 | lanz