Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) denied involvement in organising a conference that allegedly used the university’s name unlawfully and promoted UMS as the organiser and venue for the programme without permission on several websites.
Its Corporate Communication Centre said the website promotes the International Global Multidisciplinary Engineering Conference (IGMEC) and the International Conference on Biomedical Engineering & Instrumentation (ICBEI), which falsely claim the university’s involvement.
According to UMS, the website also displayed the names of its lecturers, including Prof Ts Dr Rodeano Roslee as the keynote speaker, without the knowledge or permission of the university or the individuals involved.
In this regard, UMS emphasises that it has never granted permission to any party to use the name of the university, faculty, or academic staff for the purpose of promoting the programme in question.
“UMS takes this matter seriously as it has the potential to mislead the public and tarnish the university’s reputation. Therefore, a police report and a complaint to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will be made to enable further investigations to be conducted,” according to the statement.
UMS also advises the public, especially the academic community, to always conduct proper checks to ensure the authenticity of any programme, seminar, or conference claiming to be affiliated with the university.
“The university authorities also urge the public to report any such activities or suspicious use of the UMS name to the university for verification and immediate action.
“All official information related to university programmes will only be channelled through UMS’s official communication channels,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, UMS and the University of Pristina in Kosovo are exploring collaboration in academic programmes following a recent visit by UMS to the institution.
UMS Faculty of Engineering’s Built Environment Programme lecturer, Assoc Prof Dr Nur Fadilah Darmansah, said the discussions held during her visit focused on student mobility programmes and joint publications.
“In addition, research collaboration and the joint organising of academic conferences were also discussed,” she said.
Nur Fadilah added that the invitation acknowledged UMS’s expertise in the built environment and created new opportunities to expand the university’s global network.
She hoped the partnership with the University of Pristina will positively impact UMS’s academic and research development.
“This will simultaneously strengthen UMS’s position as an institution active in the internationalisation of higher education. These efforts not only allow for the exchange of knowledge and expertise but also increase UMS’s visibility globally,” she added.
She added that the visit reflects UMS’s ongoing commitment to expanding strategic international relations and fostering impactful collaborations.
