Located in the state of Perak, Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) is the place where students from all over the world come to pursue an extraordinary career. It offers one of the most enigmatic and atmospheric location in the country. It sits on a wonderful land with its 400-hectare campus surrounded by verdant hills and with dotted lake. Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017 named Perak as one of the world’s top 10 regions for the year, placing the state in the same company as Taranaki in New Zealand and The Azores in Portugal. It is only a two and half hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. The campus is also accessible by train and bus.
UTP is the first and only private university in Malaysia to be rated a maximum 5-star overall rating in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) ™ University Ratings System. The university has moved up its position to 521–530 band in the QS World University Rankings 2019. It has also made the list in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2016-2017 for the first time and is ranked in the 601-800 band. Ranked 77th in the THE Emerging Economies Rankings 2018 (previously known as BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings). The university jumped to 14 places prior from its previous ranking of 91st in 2017.
Offering Extraordinary Educational Facilities
UTP offers a wide range of industry-relevant engineering, science and technology programs at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and aims to produce well-rounded graduates with excellent leadership qualities and communication abilities. It has a potpourri of faculty, staff and students from more than 60 countries all around the world. The campus is designed from the open space to well-decorated and connected network of indoor and outdoor spaces. Lab and academic facilities are integrated and connected to encourage interaction. As a student, one will experience a sense of belonging to a learning community.
A Perceptive Leadership
The university attributes its achievements due to the solid foundation laid by previous Vice Chancellors Datuk Dr Rosti Saruwono and Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Kasim and the dynamic leadership from immediate past Vice Chancellor Datuk Abdul Rahim Hashim who drove the research and excellence agenda for the last few years. The university has also marked many milestones over the last two decades, including accolades and recognition for the standard of teaching, the quality of academic programs and research achievements. These milestones and achievements would not have been possible without the direction of PETRONAS and the leadership of UTP’s previous Vice Chancellors, as well as the contributions of the university Board, Pro Chancellors and Chancellors, past and present. Their experience, influence and guidance cannot be overstated – the university is where it is today thanks to their support and assistance. PETRONAS has connected UTP to a global network and given the university the corporate culture of an international company. Other people recognize PETRONAS standards which gives its graduates recognition of excellence as well. This is especially important for the seven-month internship the university arranges for 1,500 undergraduates every year.
Professor Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib is the newly appointed UTP Vice Chancellor who will drive UTP forward towards global prominence.
University’s Exceptional Financial Aid
The university plays a key role in seeking donations and forging new partnerships with individuals and organizations. With the establishment of its foundation, Yayasan UTP or YUTP, in 2007, it supports UTP’s future development as an academic institution of excellence that promotes creativity and innovation. It also provides opportunities for the next generation of students to pursue knowledge, especially in an effort to promote and enhance education, in the fields of engineering, science and technology, as well as it helps to prepare them for a career in the increasingly challenging global economy.
Career Opportunities
UTP offers a seven-month internship program which is recognized by Talent Corp as the best-structured internship program offered by the educational institutions in Malaysia. A degree from UTP is a first step towards a bright career in the sector of oil and gas, energy or any of the science and technology related industries. It offers multiple opportunities for the students to learn directly from prospective employers – through internship stints, industry talks and visiting lectures. More than 600 local and global companies offer internship opportunities, including PETRONAS, Shell, ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Technip, BASF, GE Oil & Gas, Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Hitachi Ltd. A student can apply the fundamentals of their studies to complete real-world engineering and technology tasks and projects. They gain confidence and understand the complexity, challenges and revel in the thrill of working life.
Events of International Reputation
World Engineering Science and Technology Congress (ESTCON) is a biennial event organized by UTP. It is an excellent center stage for knowledge sharing and intellectual discussions; for all academics, researchers, scientists, engineers, interest groups and industry experts from all around the globe. Each ESTCON will feature different theme that is relevant to the current world affairs. For ESTCON2018, it will cover a wide range of fields in innovation, engineering and technology as well as in humanities addressing the latest trends and challenges that the world is facing in embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through this congress, delegates and participants will work together to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends and concerns, practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in this new revolution.
Technology, Education and Career (TEC), an initiative solely by UTP students for students, aims to bridge potential graduates and job seekers to the external working world, thus exposing one to not only local but multinational companies as well. The event served as a platform to help students equip themselves with the essential skills when hunting for a job and better understand the challenges of the job market today.
UTP Students Who Have Made a Benchmark in the Society
UTP students break Malaysia Book of Records 2017
UTP students made it to the Malaysia Book of Records for the longest great ball contraption machine. 52 students from Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering and Computer and Information Sciences were involved in the making of the 21.6-metre high machine which incorporated 50 engineering, scientific and programming concepts.
Institutional Champion of the Asian English Olympics 2017
UTP emerged as the Institutional Champion of the Asian English Olympics 2017. The event featuring students from 10 countries and 82 institutions, AEO 2017 is the most prestigious English language competition held in Asia encompassing many various disciplines under one competition which includes debate, speech, spelling bee, short story writing, news casting, scrabble, storytelling and radio drama. The competition aims to provide a platform for the development of student’s communicative abilities and critical thinking skills in line with UTP’s mission to produce all-rounder students.
Winner of the Varsity Entrepreneurship Skills and Talent (VEST) 2017
Three UTP students made the university proud when their app-based business proposal was announced as winner of the Varsity Entrepreneurship Skills and Talent (VEST). VEST is a competition where participants from higher learning institutions nationwide pitch their business ideas.
Words of Trust
“My experience during my undergraduate studies was an important push in the right direction. My lecturers were personable and we were able to have meaningful dialogues. One of the professors used to tell us that one goes to university to school the thought process besides gathering academic knowledge. This holds very true – apart from studying, I learned a lot through my interactions with the campus community”.
– Dr Chan Tuck Leong, Head of Digital Projects Steering, PETRONAS, Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering 2001, MSc in 2004 and PhD in 2008
“I look at my learning in UTP from two perspectives, from the academic and soft skills angle. The academic learning helped me on all the theory to be applied when I entered the workforce while the projects, assignments and group tasks were vital for my soft skills development. I learnt to manage time, work in a team and carry our presentations”
-Muhammad Shafiq Shahrul Amar, Founder & Principal Creative Minds, Bachelor of Technology in Computer & Information Sciences in 2006
“UTP offers a platform for personal development. Here, I have the chance to develop my sporting abilities, especially in athletics. The management has been very supportive all these years. I have been exposed to people from different cultures, I learnt leadership and sportsmanship, and I am being prepared for the current global environment. Here, I have found friends who make me feel at home and who have made me feel like family”.
-Previna Arumugam, currently pursuing Bachelor of Technology in Petroleum Geoscience
“After completing my BSc in Electronics and Biomedical Engineering I started work as a teaching assistant at my alma mater the University of Gezira in Sudan. It was here that I learnt that PETRONAS was offering scholarships for staff of some Sudanese universities to further their studies at UTP. Although I had not heard of UTP, I applied and secured a scholarship to undertake my MSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. I completed this in 2011 and subsequently commenced with my PhD in the field of Biomedical Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems. In the time that I have been at UTP, the university has helped shape my personality in terms of leadership, project management and communication skills. I have grown academically through meetings with other academicians at conferences, workshops and seminars”.
-Almur Abdelkreem Saeed Rabih,
currently pursuing PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
