JANUARY 2020 GREETS ISDEV WITH 3 SUCCESSFUL VIVA

A grateful Nurul Izza (seated centre) with her husband Assoc Prof. Abdul Hafiz (seated right).

Alhamdulillah and its January 2020. A new year for all and the Centre for Islamic Development Management Studies (ISDEV), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is of no exception. For this year, ISDEV is greeted with a series of viva voce for RISDEV (ISDEV Postgraduate students by research) students who had submitted their PhD theses to the Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS), USM sometime in the final quarter of 2019. ISDEV received the great good news that one of the PhD theses deserved a noination for the "Best Thesis Award". 

Nurul Izza during her viva session.

The first viva was held on 7 January, 2020. It was held at the Graduate School of Business (GSB) Meeting Room. RISDEV student, Puan Nurul Izza Abdul Aziz had to face her panel of examiners to defend her thesis related to the Concept of Wellbeing for Women in the Workforce's from an Islamic Perspective. Associate Professor Dr Fadzila Azni Ahmad is her main supervisor while Associate Professor Dr Aswati Hamzah is Nurul Izzah's co-supervisor.

Staying true to ISDEV tradition, just before a viva session a congregational solat hajat was done.
Picture taken after the solat hajat at Anjung ISDEV (ISDEV's musolla).

After a gruelling close to 3 hours viva responding to the questions and comments from her External Examiner, Dr Nor 'Azzah Kamri of the Academy of Islamic Studies (API), Universiti Malaya (UM) conveyed by ISDEV Director, Dr Shahir Akram Hassan, and the two internal examiners, Dr Wan Norhaniza Wan Hasan and Dr Murni Yusoff, with Professor Dr Ahmad Sanusi Hassan of School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP) chairing the whole session, Nurul Izza nonetheless received the jubilant news that she had passed her viva voce.

Another one of ISDEV's viva tradition - conducting a mock viva just a day or two before the real viva voce.

Next in line was Puan Shahirah Said. Her viva voce was held on Friday, 10 January, 2020 also at GSB Meeting Room. Shahirah's PhD thesis was regarding the Philosophy of Halal Sciences based on the Qur'an by means of Tafsir Mawdu'iy (Thematic Exegesis). She embarked on her PhD endeavours with the guidance of Dr. Mohd Shukri Hanapi as her main supervisor while her co-supervisor was Dr. Mohd Syahmir Alias from the School of Humanities (PPIK).

Shahirah during her viva voce.

After a tense and another lengthy viva session, Shahirah's panel of examiners made up of Professor Dr. Engku Ahmad Zaki Engku Alwi from the Faculty of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) as well as the two internal examiners, Dr. Shahir Akram Hassan and Associate Professor Dr. Fadzila Azni Ahmad both from ISDEV with Professor Dr. Nabsiah Abdul Wahid of GSB chairing the examination session, declared that Shahirah has succeeded in her viva voce. To add to the good news her thesis was nominated for the "Best Thesis Award".

One for the album for Shahirah and her husband (seated left).

The final viva voce in this line up was Wan Nornajwa Wan Othman. Her viva was held on Tuesday 14 January, 2020 at the Social Sciences Conference Room (C23). Her panel of examiners consisted of Professor Ruslan bin Rainis of PPIK as the Chairperson, Associate Professor Dr. Che Zarrina Sa'ari from API UM was the External Examiner while Dr Murni Yusoff and Dr Shahir Akram Hassan were the two internal examiners. 

Wan Nornajwa listens carefully to a question posed by one of the examiners.

Wan Nornajwa had to defend her PhD thesis on Stress Management for Human Wellbeing based on Kitab Hikam but she was able to be fully composed, coherent and calm in explaining her justifications in pursuing the research, the methodologies used and of course her findings throughout the more than two hours session. Wan Nornajwa's main supervisor is Associate Professor Dr Fadzila Azni Ahmad and her co-supervisor is Dr. Rehanah Mohd Zain from School of Health Sciences, USM.

A smiling Wan Nornajwa with her examiners.

Wan Nornajwa too received the good news of her success in passing her viva voce with six months given for her to make the necessary corrections to her Phd Thesis and submit to IPS thereby.

A group photo taken prior to one of the viva sessions.

Alhamdulillah and Heartiest Congratulations to all three RISDEV students!