Department of Natural Resource Industry
The Department of Natural Resources Industry at the Faculty of Forestry and Environment is the new name given to the Department previously know as the Department of Forest Production since 1973. The aim of this newly named department is to produce professionals and graduates in the field of wood industry. The department offers a four years Honors bachelor’s degree program in Wood Science and Technology. In order to further strengthen the program, the department is constantly involved in the improvement of relevant infrastructures and human capital for research and community involvement.
The Bachelor of Wood Science and Technology program is a multi-disciplinary program, which incorporates basic sciences, wood science, processing technology, as well as marketing and management of wood products. Apart from that the students are also exposed to professional training, where the students undergo various internships in public and private sectors, aimed at improving their soft skills in solving practical problems.
The faculty at the department come from various backgrounds and are experts in the fields of forest resources and wood industry. The research and consulting tasks undertaken by the faculty include wood science, fiber science, wood processing, enhancement of wood products, bio-composites, pulp and paper technology, economics and marketing of wood products and carbon-footprint.
The department is equipped with teaching and research laboratories, such as Wood Technology Workshop, Wood Anatomy lab, Wood Chemistry, Pulp and Paper, Materials Testing, Composites, Wood Deterioration and Protection lab, Forest Product lab and a Xylarium. Among the notable equipment in these labs include the INSTRON Universal Testing Machine, image analyzer, spectrophotometer, woodworking machines, hot press, kiln, treatment chamber, pressure-vessel and industry-scale microwave oven.
The department also offers short courses to the wood industry community interested in enhancing their knowledge and skills in specific areas of their industry. Courses offered include wood drying and treatment, pulp and paper, GIS application in forest industry, financial analysis in wood industry and statistical analysis for the wood industry. The department members have also forged excellent relationship with the industry relevant government sectors, with the aim of improving the quality of the programs offered by the department. In fact, through these engagements, parts of the classes are conducted by industry experts, who would share their experiences, which enriches student learning.
The department regularly organizes seminars and conferences, aimed at disseminating relevant information to both students and the public. These events help the students to broaden their networks and better understand the industry. The students attending these events will be able to improve their soft-skills related to communication and public-speaking. Perhaps, the learning environment in the department and the faculty of forestry and environment allow the students to develop their full potential in the field of Wood Science and Technology. The Bachelor of Wood Science and Technology graduates are trained to excel both in the private and public sectors. Many of the graduates are holding high ranking positions in the private sector, especially in senior management roles. On the other hand, quite a few of our alumni have also become Senior Directors in many of the wood industry related agencies in the country. This is an important contribution in terms of national human capital, as the wood industry in Malaysia requires almost 10,000 graduates to fill the various vacant positions in the industry. At this moment, the total workforce in the Malaysian wood-industry stands at about 185,000 and increasing, with many graduates venturing into this sector in the coming years.
Wood is highly appreciated and used for construction, furniture design and increasingly also to produce clothes and other everyday products due to its special qualities and appealing aesthetics. As such, it is expected that the global demand for timber will only increase in the future. In this context, the Wood Science and Technology education is here to stay and will flourish in the years to come.
The Bachelor of Wood Science and Technology program is a multi-disciplinary program, which incorporates basic sciences, wood science, processing technology, as well as marketing and management of wood products. Apart from that the students are also exposed to professional training, where the students undergo various internships in public and private sectors, aimed at improving their soft skills in solving practical problems.
The faculty at the department come from various backgrounds and are experts in the fields of forest resources and wood industry. The research and consulting tasks undertaken by the faculty include wood science, fiber science, wood processing, enhancement of wood products, bio-composites, pulp and paper technology, economics and marketing of wood products and carbon-footprint.
The department is equipped with teaching and research laboratories, such as Wood Technology Workshop, Wood Anatomy lab, Wood Chemistry, Pulp and Paper, Materials Testing, Composites, Wood Deterioration and Protection lab, Forest Product lab and a Xylarium. Among the notable equipment in these labs include the INSTRON Universal Testing Machine, image analyzer, spectrophotometer, woodworking machines, hot press, kiln, treatment chamber, pressure-vessel and industry-scale microwave oven.
The department also offers short courses to the wood industry community interested in enhancing their knowledge and skills in specific areas of their industry. Courses offered include wood drying and treatment, pulp and paper, GIS application in forest industry, financial analysis in wood industry and statistical analysis for the wood industry. The department members have also forged excellent relationship with the industry relevant government sectors, with the aim of improving the quality of the programs offered by the department. In fact, through these engagements, parts of the classes are conducted by industry experts, who would share their experiences, which enriches student learning.
The department regularly organizes seminars and conferences, aimed at disseminating relevant information to both students and the public. These events help the students to broaden their networks and better understand the industry. The students attending these events will be able to improve their soft-skills related to communication and public-speaking. Perhaps, the learning environment in the department and the faculty of forestry and environment allow the students to develop their full potential in the field of Wood Science and Technology. The Bachelor of Wood Science and Technology graduates are trained to excel both in the private and public sectors. Many of the graduates are holding high ranking positions in the private sector, especially in senior management roles. On the other hand, quite a few of our alumni have also become Senior Directors in many of the wood industry related agencies in the country. This is an important contribution in terms of national human capital, as the wood industry in Malaysia requires almost 10,000 graduates to fill the various vacant positions in the industry. At this moment, the total workforce in the Malaysian wood-industry stands at about 185,000 and increasing, with many graduates venturing into this sector in the coming years.
Wood is highly appreciated and used for construction, furniture design and increasingly also to produce clothes and other everyday products due to its special qualities and appealing aesthetics. As such, it is expected that the global demand for timber will only increase in the future. In this context, the Wood Science and Technology education is here to stay and will flourish in the years to come.
Figure 1. Students learning experience thru visitation to industrial sites has proven to be among the best method of learning about forest products and processing
Figure 2. Students were able to learn about the technical know-how and hands-on experience given by industry practitioners
Figure 3. Thru visit to the industry, students were able to relate between learned theory and the actual on-field practice
Figure 4. The department encourages interactive learning experience for the student to learn about forest products and processing
Figure 5. The department is equipped with high-tech testing facilities to provide the students with the best learning and research experience
Figure 6. At the department, the students were given technical training on product fabrication and testing equipment by our experienced trainers
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| Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia | ||||||||||||||||
 | @forenvupm |  | @forenvupmi |  | 603-9769 7171 |  | https://forenv.upm.edu.my |  | dean.forenv@upm.edu.my | |||||||