Biografi (Biography)
PROF. DATO’ IR. DR. ZAINI BIN UJANG
DSNS, DNS, PPT, B. Eng. (Chemical), M.Sc., Ph.D., CEng (UK), CSci (UK), P.E. (M), MCIWEM (UK), MIWA (UK), MIEM, EPRM, MIChEM, MMIM
Prof. Zaini Ujang is well-known in Malaysia as a professional environmental engineer, academic leader, environmentalist and environmental regulator, as well as motivator, prolific writer and essayist. The New Straits Times daily described him as “a Malaysian water icon” in 2004. BERNAMA, the Malaysian national news agency, in an exclusive interview in 2006, introduced him as an “environmental ideologue”.
Zaini received his B.Eng. (Chem.) from UTM, and MSc and PhD in environmental engineering from Newcastle, UK. He started his academic career in UTM in 1988, and well-known as an exemplary-multi-tasking academic and opinion leader, particularly in research and development, postgraduate studies and policy formulation. His academic experience portfolio encompasses strategic and corporate leadership, institutional restructuring and research profiling. He was also the “back room boy” for various national intiatives in higher education in the late 1990s during his tenure as Special Officer to the Minister of Education with special tasking on higher education policy, particularly on corporatization of public universities, formulation of private universities and academic R&D strategic portfolio.
His professional expertise covers water and wastewater engineering, integrated ecosystem management, industrial ecology, as well as corporate environmental strategy. He is an international academic figure in water and environmental engineering, and is regularly invited to deliver key note address, to provide expert advice as visiting professor and consultant, and to serve many advisory bodies and prestigious committees. He was elected Vice President, International Water Association (IWA, 2004-6, London), and serves as Deputy President, Malaysia Water Association (2007-9). Prior to being IWA Vice President, he served on the IWA Strategic Council (2000-2004) and was Chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Developing Countries (2004-2008), a member of the IWA Publication Committee (2000-2004) and chair of four IWA conferences. He has recently been appointed Congress President of IWA Global Development Conference 2012. He is a Chartered Engineer (Engineering Council, UK), a Chartered Scientist (UK Science Council), a Chartered Water & Environmental Manager (CIWEM, UK) and a Professional Engineer (chemical engineer, Board of Engineers, Malaysia). His vast expertise and experience qualify him to be appointed as Founder-Member, National Commission on Water Services (SPAN, http://www.span.gov.my) since its establishment in Feb 2007, to regulate water services industry in Malaysia.
He was the sole recipient of the prestigious Malaysia Water Award 2004 (Research), the Outstanding Young Malaysian Award 2004 (Academic Leadership) and Anugerah Melayu Cemerlang (Akademik) 2006, presented by the Malaysian Prime Minister. He was nominated for the prestigious Langkawai Award 2006/7/8 to mark his significant contribution to environmental management and education. He was conferred Darjah Dato Setia Negeri Sembilan (2007), Darjah Setia Negeri Sembilan (2005) and Pingat Pekerti Terpilih (1998) by DYMM Yang Dipertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan for his outstanding contribution to society and academia at national and international level.
Link to personal/academic web site and CV: http://www.fkkksa.utm.my/staff/zaini
Career
Zaini has been UTM Vice-Chancellor since October 2008. Prior to the appointment, he served as UTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) since March 2007, as well as the Dean of UTM Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering (July 2006 – March 2007) (the first alumni to head the faculty). His outstanding professional and leadersip skills were also demonstrated during his tenure as Director, UTM Institute of Environmental & Water Resource Management (IPASA) (2001-2006). He has extensive experience in formulating and implementing strategies towards positioning UTM as Malaysia’s primier university in engineering and technology and as a Research University. He drives intiatives to position UTM as an academic research and innovation hub. He chaired the UTM Environmental Technology Focus Group (2002-6), a research alliance of professors on environmental engineering and applied sciences. The Group is widely recognised in promoting high quality research and innovation, and in 2005, won a special award for significant achievement in R&D. He has headed the ICT committee of Malaysian Higher Education Institutions, since 2007. His management style is widely appreciated by all who work with him including his former teachers and seniors, especially for his participatory commitment and team building approach and his role as a strategic planner, team player and academic mentor.
Zaini is also instrumental in outsourcing research and innovation funds, from both local and international agencies. Besides the of Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MOSTI), he has strong research affiliation with the Netherlands Tropical Research Foundation (WOTRO), the European Commision, the Swedish International Development Corporation (SIDA), the Japan Socety for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Rockefeller Foundation and leading universities in Europe, Japan, Australia, Switzerland and the United States. He was the Chairman of the IWA Conference & Exhibition on Water & Wastewater Management for Developing Countries (October 2001 and 2007), and IWA Conference on Environmental Biotechnology (Dec 2003), and served as a member of many local and international technical committees, including World Water Congresses 2000/2/4/6/8.
He has registered about 20 intellectual properties jointly owned with his former students, and has commercialized six research products i.e. (a) StormWater Filter (b) software for wastewater treatment plant design advisor (WASDA), (c) hybrid membrane bioreactor (d) river bank infiltration system (e) software on environmental health risk assessment (RISKAS) and (f) software on integrated solid waste management plan (ISWAM). He is in the process to commercialise a software on the cost estimation of water and wastewater facitities (COWAS) and granule production for activated sludge processes.
Publication
He has published more than 200 technical papers, 14 books, chapters, monographs and technical reports on environmental engineering, and more than 1000 articles on environment and higher education. He co-authored a best-seller textbook with Prof. Mogens Henze on Municipal Wastewater Management for Developing Countries (IWAP, London, 2006), and co-edited WEMS series on Environmental Biotechnology. He was appointed Member of Editorial Board, Water Science & Technology (impact factor 1.24 in 2007, Publisher: IWA Publishing, London), WST Water Supply and later appointed editor of Water and Environmental Management Series (IWA Publishing) in 2003.
Advisory services
He has been involved in many high profile projects as technical consultant and corporate advisor, such as in the case of arbitration with Singapore on the reclamation of the Johor Straits, water pricing with Singapore and technical assistance to developing countries. He was the principal consultant for the master plan development of river rehabilitation in the city of Johor Bahru, and formulation of the national master plan for the implementation of cleaner production practices. He also involved as principal consultant in preparing the master plan for lake eutrophication management in Malaysia, and contributed to the development of scientific laboratories and pilot plants of environmental bioengineering and biotechnology, including membrane bioreactors, constructed wetlands and sequencing batch reactors. In 2005, he was appointed chairman of the technical committee to advice the State Government of Negeri Sembilan to overcome the water crisis in Seremban. Since 2000, he was appointed principal consultant for the implementation of various environmental initiatives on water supply, sewerage, river rehabilitation and industrial ecology.
