His Highness was accompanied by Penang Governor, Tun Dato’ Seri Utama (Dr.) Haji Abdul Rahman Abbas; Perlis Speaker, Datuk Yazid Mat,;University; Chairman of the University Board of Directors, Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Dr.M. Zawawi Ismail; Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak; and the university’s principal officers.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the book is about university’s journey encompassing developments and efforts that have been implemented under the Accelerated Programme For Excellence (APEX) development plans.
“Various efforts and challenges have been included in the book to be shared with others. It is like a report of USM’s efforts to realise the nation’s hopes of seeing an APEX University in the near future,” he said.
In conjunction with the book launch, USM signed a MOU with St.Nicholas Home for the Blind and The National Council for the Blind Malaysia.
The MoU is aimed at helping teachers and parents explore opportunities to teach children who are visually impaired using the Online Braille Tutorial System that can be used as platform for the sighted to learn Braille and then use it to advantage in education.
The first of its kind, this system was developed by Assoc. Prof Dr. Lee Lay Wah and her team of co-researchers from the School of Educational Studies (PPIP).
Assoc. Prof Dr. Lee Lay Wah, who is also the Programme Chairman (Special Education) at PPIP said that the research, which began in 2010 was funded by a Research University (RU) grant of RM100, 000.