PADANG, Sept 16 – A gathering of UTM alumni and academic leaders in Padang, Indonesia, on 15 September 2026 has opened discussions on bringing industry experts and academics back to campus to share their expertise with students and faculty members.
The UTM Alumni Networking Session, held at Pangeran Beach Resort, Padang, brought together 42 participants, including senior academics, industry practitioners and institutional leaders who are UTM graduates.
The session was attended by a representative of the UTM Alumni Association (PAUTM), Ir. Ts. Khairul Shah Zainal; Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), UTM, Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Rosli Hainin; and UTM Senate representative, Prof. Ts. Dr. Abd Latif Salleh.
Also present were the Rector of Universitas Negeri Padang (UNP), Dr. Ir. Krismadinata, S.T., M.T., and Rector of Universitas Bung Hatta (UBH), Prof. Dr. Diana Kartika, alongside faculty members who are also UTM alumni. Four representatives from Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) and seven FKA UTM staff members also attended the session.
A key proposal discussed was the establishment of a structured UTM Alumni Expert Series, which would bring successful alumni from Indonesia and the region back to UTM to deliver specialised lectures, workshops and masterclasses.
The proposed initiative would cover areas including advanced pavement engineering, sustainable construction materials, research methodology, Scopus-indexed publication strategies, industry-ready skills for civil engineering graduates, academic leadership and emerging technologies for infrastructure assessment.
Participants also discussed a collaborative framework connecting UTM alumni across Indonesia, Malaysia and Southeast Asia to coordinate knowledge-sharing activities throughout the academic year.
Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Rosli emphasised the value of alumni contributions, saying, “Our alumni are not just graduates; they are experts, leaders and innovators. By bringing them back to campus, we provide students with real-world insights that textbooks cannot offer. This is about transforming alumni success into student empowerment.”
A pilot series of alumni lectures and workshops is planned for the 2027 academic session, featuring alumni from UNP, UBH and other Indonesian institutions. The proposed activities would align with FKA’s curriculum priorities and emerging industry needs.
The discussions also covered structured mentorship and career guidance for undergraduate and postgraduate students, joint research and publication initiatives involving UTM faculty and alumni experts and a regional alumni knowledge hub to support ongoing knowledge exchange.
The session reflects efforts to strengthen alumni engagement through knowledge transfer, student mentorship and research collaboration, with the proposed initiatives offering opportunities to connect alumni expertise with UTM’s academic and research priorities.
Co-authors: Ir. Dr. Wan Ikram Wajdee Wan Ahmad, Sr. Ts. Dr. Radzuan Sa’ari, Faculty of Civil Engineering, UTM
