ISDEV WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

With the blessings of this Holy month of Ramadhan, ISDEV welcomes its four new supporting staff. They are Tuan Haji Abd Aziz Tahar (Statistician) (above left), Nor Diana bt Mohamad (Publication Assistant Officer) (above right), Hanim Noor (Administrative Assistant) (below right) and Noor Shazila bt Ishak (Administrative Assistant) (below left).

Tuan Haji Abdul Aziz Tahar is an experienced research practicioner specialising in data collection and data quality control. Previously he worked at the Centre of Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS). The other three staff Hanim, Nor Diana and Noor Shazila replaced respectively, Melyssa Nadiea who was transferred to the School of Housing, Building and Planning, Nor Hidayah Saad who resigned to work in a private company in Sabah and Jawani Abdul Hamid who resigned to work in a government agency in Penang.

With the coming of the four new staff, ISDEV currently has a new batch of supporting staff that is believed to be not only able to continue the excellent work of the previous batch of staff but also to move ISDEV further towards a more rapid progress, InshaAllah.

ISDEV DIRECTOR AT UniSZA

Announcing Prof Syukri's Discourse Series

On 6th till 9th June 2011, ISDEV Director Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh was at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) in Kuala Terengganu, fulfilling his first trip as a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Business Management and Accounting of the university.

His four-day presence was filled with academic discourses and consultancies, viz. Teaching-Learning Discourse: Heart-to-Heart Method in Teaching-Learning Process on the first day; Graduate Discourse: Proposal Presentation on the second day; Writing Discourse: Integrity in Academic Writing - Free Riderism? on the third day; and Research Discourse: Islamic Research Methodology - Why and What on the fourth day. Academic consultancies with lecturers and graduate students were held in between the discourses.

Professor Muhammad Syukri was appointed as a Visiting Professor of UniSZA since 1st May 2011 till 30th April 2012. He is expected to be at UniSZA two times more during the remaining duration.

Currently Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh is also in his second term of his appointment as a Visiting Professor at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia ending on 30th November 2011. During the last two years, in 2010 and 2011, he was also a Visiting Professor at Institut Islam Hadhari of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Islamic Finance and Wealth Management Institute (IFWMI) of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Visiting Fellow of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in Oxford UK, and Visiting Scholar of Islamic Research and Training Insitute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Some of the participants

A farewell shake hand from Acting Dean of the Faculty of Business Management and Accounting, Dr Ahmad Azrin Adnan (left)

ISDEV DIRECTOR MOVES TO OXFORD, UK

Professor Syukri working at his Clevedon House in Oxford

After being in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for about three and a half months, ISDEV Director Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh has now, since 18 July 2010, moved to Oxford, United Kingdom.

Professor Syukri has been in Jeddah from 1 March to 17 July 2010, attaching to Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) as a Visiting Scholar. Here he undertook a research on "Islamic Management of Poverty".

In Oxford, Professor Syukri is attached to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) as a Visiting Fellow, undertaking a research on the "Conceptualisation of Islamic Project Management". He will be in Oxford until 16 July 2010, afterwhich he will be back in Universiti Sains Malaysia to resume his normal duties.

ISDEV DIRECTOR FOR A SECOND TERM

Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh has been given the mandate to continue to head ISDEV for the next three years. In a letter dated 14 December, 2009, the Vice-Chancellor’s office confirmed Professor Syukri’s appointment for a second term as ISDEV Director to take effect from 1 January, 2010 until 31st December, 2012. ISDEV fraternity is confident that the timely appointment provides the impetus to the continuity of the development and success of ISDEV.

Congratulations Prof. Syukri!

DR FADZILA AZNI AHMAD IS ISDEV NEWLY APPOINTED DEPUTY DIRECTOR

ISDEV is steadily but surely growing. With this growth, more responsibilities and more challenges await. As such the appointment of Dr Fadzila Azni Ahmad (or affectionately known as Dr Sukainah among ISDEV members) as the Deputy Director of ISDEV came as no surprise. In fact it is news that is greatly anticipated by many within ISDEV. Her appointment as ISDEV 1st Deputy Director which commenced from 15 May, 2009 until 31st December, 2011 is definitely a boost to ISDEV and an indication of ISDEV growing recognition.

Heartiest Congratulations to Dr Fadzila Azni!

ADIEU...AZIZAH

Azizah receiving a farewell gift from Dr Fadzila Azni Ahmad, representing ISDEV

It came as a surprise. Little did we know that 3rd April, 2009 signified the last day that Azizah Abu Hasan will be part of ISDEV. Commencing 9th April, 2009 our beloved sister Azizah is to start to report for duty at the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (Academic Division), situated at Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang which is situated close to her hometown at Tasek Gelugor.

Azizah, or Kak Azizah, as some of the ISDEV members affectionately call her, has been with ISDEV as its first supporting staff since 2006. Her line of service at USM actually dates back 20 years ago. She had started her career as a Junior Assistant Administrative Personnel at the School of Distance Education. Upon her promotion to Assistant Administrative Personnel (N17) in 2006, she had been assigned to ISDEV, where she began to be one of the most important back-bones in the daily functioning and running of ISDEV.

A brief farewell gathering for Azizah was held at ISDEV on 8th April, 2009. Indeed it is a sad occasion for members of ISDEV. We will definitely miss her all too obliging and yet affable personality.

Azizah besides her ISDEV's work station

FADZILA AZNI AHMAD APPOINTED AS A LECTURER OF ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

ISDEV Research Associate Fadzila Azni Ahmad has been appointed as a lecturer of Islamic Development Management Programme of the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia beginning 1 April 2008. The Islamic Development Management Programme was established recently following the approval of the University of the Master of Islamic Development Management (Mixed Mode) programme initiated by ISDEV. Fadzila Azni is the first lecturer appointed to the Islamic Development Management Programme.

Fadzila Azni Ahmad is currently at her final stage of her PhD, awaiting to defend her thesis entitled Management Methods of Islamic Development Institutions in Malaysia. She was appointed as the lecturer in view of her outstanding accomplishment in research, writings and publications as well as her commitment in the field of Islamic Development Management since it was introduced at ISDEV 12 years ago. She also has eight years experience as a part-time lecturer at the School of Distance Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Welcome to the field Fadzila Azni!

DR ZAHRI HAMAT NOW A LECTURER AT THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA

Former ISDEV Research Associate Dr Zahri Hamat has been appointed as a contract lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia for two years beginning 1 September 2007. He is attached to Development Planning and Management Programme at the School, teaching Economics for Development. Simultaneously, he continues to help School of Distance Learning to teach courses in Management Studies.

Dr Zahri also co-supervises Ekarat Sitisan, a Master student working on Potentials for the Establishment of Zakat Fund in Bangkok, Thailand. A couple more PhD candidates from Malaysia and Indonesia who will be working on Zakat are also expected to be co-supervised by Dr Zahri soon.

Currently, Dr Zahri also chairs the Organizing Committee of ISDEV Graduate Workshop III. The Workshop is an ISDEV annual occasion and specially organized for graduates working on Islam related research in universities worldwide. It will be held on 12-13 December 2007. In this Workshop, ISDEV Best Master Thesis Award and ISDEV Best PhD Thesis Award for 2007 will be given away to the winners.

In a very near future, Dr Zahri Hamat will be ISDEV Management Committee Member and will undertake a research with Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh on Zakat Accounting in Southeast Asia. The research investigates zakat accounting practices in Muslim majority countries of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and Muslim minority countries of Thailand and Singapore. It will be funded by Research University Grant. Another research (consultancy project) on The Impact Study of Zakat Distribution in Penang would also be done by Dr Zahri with Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh and Dr Hasanah Abd. Khafidz. It is expected to be funded by Pusat Urus Zakat of the Religious Council of the State of Penang.

NEW RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: IZWANI SAHARDIN

Izwani Sahardin (right), a doctorate candidate of ISDEV Fellow Dr Fatan Hamamah Yahaya of the School of Distance Education, has been appointed as ISDEV Research Associate beginning 11 July 2007.

Hailed from Acheh Darussalam, Izwani has actively participated in almost all ISDEV activities since 2005. She is currently working with Dr Fatan Hamamah on Food and Culture in Acheh, Indonesia.

Welcome to ISDEV family, Ibu Izwani.