MARLINA EKAWATY - OUR NEW PHD CANDIDATE

Islamic Development Management Programme (PPI) has another new graduate student, Marlina Ekawaty (left) - a lecturer from Universitas Briwajaya, Malang, Indonesia. She has registered recently as a PhD candidate to work on a research tentatively entitled "Optimizing of Zakat to Increase Public Prosperity". She will be working with Dr Zahri Hamat and Associate Professor Dr Abdul Fatah Che Hamat.

A NAS A WEEK - 25 RAJAB 1429H

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A strong person is not the person who throws his adversaries to the ground. A strong person is the person who contains himself when he is angry" [Hadith from Malik's Muwatta', Book No. 47: Good Character, Hadith No. 47.3.12]

ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME HAS 33 GRADUATE STUDENTS NOW

With the establishment of Islamic Development Management Programme (PPI) at the School of Social Sciences recently, eight graduate students (MA and PhD by Research) supervised by ISDEV members were now moved from Development Planning and Management Programme to the new Programme. They were Fadzila Azni Ahmad, Muhammad Tahir, Ekarat Sitisan Fahad, Ahmad Azrin Adnan, Mohd Salleh Abdullah, Raziah Md. Tahir, Suhrawardi and Sukiman. The move were done in order to provide suitable administration, training and guidance for the students.

Apart from the eight students, four new graduate students - Farid Wajdi, Ali Mukti, Datuk Khairil Anwar and Marlina Ekawaty - had registered as new graduate students in the Programme, while another one who had been offered a place, Al-Umry, will be registered soon. Five other applicants for the Programme had also been accepted and will be offered letters of acceptance by Institute of Graduate Studies soon, totalling 18 research students altogether in the Programme.

Beginning July 2008, the Islamic Development Management Programme also manages the Master of Islamic Development Management (Mixed Mode) programme which has 15 students. Such a number of students - 33 altogether - is encouraging indeed, especially for a new Programme such as Islamic Development Management Programme. Enquiries and statements of interest for both the research and mixed programme of the Islamic Development Management Programme are still continously flowing in.

One of the intellectual discourses held for the graduate students

RAZIAH MD. TAHIR REGISTERED AS A PHD STUDENT

Raziah Md. Tahir (left) of the College of Arts and Sciences of Northern University Malaysia has registered as a PhD student of the Department of Islamic Development Management at the School of Social Sciences and appointed as a Research Associate of ISDEV. She is working on the Micro-Credit System of the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) with special emphasis on the analysis of the "Islamicity" of the AIM's micro-credit system. She is working with Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh and Dr Zakaria Bahari.

DR ZAHRI HAMAT RECEIVED OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD 2007

Dr Zahri Hamat (left) has been announced as one of the recipient of Outstanding Educator Award of the School of Social Sciences for 2007. He is the second ISDEV member being awarded with the Award, apart from Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh who had been awarded with the Award for fifth consecutive year. The Award was based on their teaching performance as evaluated by students.

A NAS A WEEK - 18 RAJAB 1429

Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and reject not Faith [al-Baqarah, 2:152]

SUHRAWARDI & AZRIN GIVEN GREEN LIGHT TO PURSUE THEIR PHD RESEARCHES

After presenting their PhD Research Proposals on 11 June 2008, Suhrawardi (right) and Ahmad Azrin Adnan (left) were given green light by their Committee of Assessors to pursue their researches. Suhrawardi got the nod to pursue his research on Cash Waqf of Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah of Northern Sumatera, while Azrin on Choice Determinants of Islamic Banking Among Muslim Consumers in Terengganu.

Suhrawardi is currently a Deputy Rector of Universitas Muhammadiyyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) in Medan, Indonesia, while Azrin was a Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business and Financial Management of the Universiti Darul Iman (UDM) in Terengganu. Both are working for their PhD under the supervision of Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh and Dr Zakaria Bahari.

A NAS A WEEK - 11 RAJAB 1429H

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Part of the excellence of a man's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him."

[Hadith from Malik's Muwatta', Book No. 47: Good Character, Hadith No. 47.1.3]

A NAS A WEEK - 4 RAJAB 1429

O ye who believe! If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly. [Muhammad, 47: 7]

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY, NADIA

ISDEV supporting staff Nadia was 22nd years old on 1 July 2008. A feast was held at ISDEV to celebrate her birthday and a special prayer was said by ISDEV Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr Muhammad Abdullah. A birthday cake was presented by ISDEV Management Committee Member Fadzila Azni Ahmad while foods and fruits were prepared by ISDEV Research Associate Raziah Md Tahir in conjunction with the receipt of payment for her first article on riba' appeared in Dewan Ekonomi. The celebration was done soon after ISDEV Study Session Series on the Methodology of Hadith for Beginners delivered by Dr Muhammad Abdullah.

Nadia cutting her birthday cake witnessed by Fadzila Azni Ahmad while other male ISDEV members (background) are waiting in the next room

15 MASTER OF ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT STUDENTS REGISTERED

Out of 21 successful applicants of the Master of Islamic Development Management (MISDEV) programme, 15 have registered yesterday, Thursday 3 July 2008. Such a number is considered as encouraging in view of the fact that this is the first time the programme is offered. The number is at par with other older Master programmes at the School of Social Sciences and in some cases, may be higher than some of them. This excludes the possibility of late registration by the rest of the successful MISDEV applicants as the registration duration is stretched until 18 July 2008.

During the registration yesterday, the students have been introduced to the programme lecturers and briefed by programme Coordinator Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh, apart from having breakfast with them and other senior graduate students (by research).

Some of the new students registering for the programme

Briefing by programme Coordinator Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh

Some of male students

FIRST BATCH OF MASTER OF ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT STUDENTS REGISTERING FOR THE PROGRAMME

Tomorrow morning, Thursday 3 July 2008, a total of 20 first batch students of the Master of Islamic Development Management are expected to register for the programme. They have been accepted to pursue their graduate study in the field of Islamic Development Management that has been pioneered and initiated by ISDEV. Such a number of students applying and being accepted for a programme that being offered for the first time is encouraging indeed.

The registration will start at 8.30am at ISDEV. This will be followed by breakfast and a briefing and dialogue. Lecturers of the programme as well as graduate students (by research) of the Islamic Development Management Section are expected to join the new students.

The classes of the Master of Islamic Development Management programme will start on the week of Monday 7 July 2008.