​MOE Awards HICoE Status to UTP CISIR (9 October 2014)

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Centre of Excellence (COE), Centre for Intelligent Signal and Imaging Research (CISIR) has been recognised by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as the National Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) status focusing on biomedical image analysis with neuro chemical imaging as its research niche area.

This was announced at a ceremony officiated by Education Minister II, Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh.

“With this recognition as national COE and funding support, CISIR is geared to become a global research centre in biomedical imaging research.  The centre through fundamental research, collaboration and networking as well as contribution to human capital development, will produce breakthrough research and innovation that will have an impact on society.  This is in accordance with the National Higher Education Strategic Plan and also UTP’s mission in becoming an internationally recognised research university,” said Datuk Ir (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, UTP Vice Chancellor.

As National HICoE, CISIR will receive yearly funding from MOE for the next 3 years.  The centre is also expected to produce high impact publications in Tier 1 and 2 ISI-indexed journals, PhD graduates, intellectual property and generate its own revenue through short courses, consultancy and commercialisation.

CISIR is one of the leading intelligent signal and imaging research groups in Malaysia. It undertakes research to advanced signal and imaging processing techniques and the implementation of real-time embedded systems.  CISIR conducts translational research in real-world multi-disciplinary areas such as biomedical engineering, visual surveillance, remote sensing and neuroscience.

It began as a research lab in 2000, became a university research centre in 2008 and in 2012 recognised as a UTP COE. The centre is headed by its founding Director, Prof. Ir Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Hani, who is also UTP Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic.

CISIR promotes R&D culture through collaborative and translational research with local and overseas research institutions, hospitals and industry such as Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital USM, Hospital Selayang, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation (CARIF), ViTrox Technologies, University of Burgundy France, Magnetic Resonance Bavaria Germany and Hitachi Japan.

Since 2008, CISIR has produced over 500 research articles, of which 180 are in journals having a cumulative impact factor of over 200, and filed 70 patents, of which six  have been granted at the back of research grants amounting to RM11 million.

Apart from CISIR, UTP Centre of Innovative Nanostructures and Nanodevices, headed by Prof Norani Muti Mohamed, was recognised as a national COE in nanotechnology by Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in 2011.