| SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

UPM launches six handy books to train and guide students opting for business

By  Noor Eszereen Juferi
Photo by Muhamad Izrul Abd Jabar



SERDANG, 2 Oct (UPM) –  Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has launched six handy books to train and guide its students who may choose to go into business after graduation.

These “Enterprising School” books for entrepreneurship development and guidance are in the form of ‘Popular Books’ and they can also be used as a reference by those graduates who chose to go into business and become an employer, rather than an employee.

The books in English which were written by UPM’s teaching staff, were launched by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and Alumni Affairs) Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shatar Sabran on 6th Sept, 2013, in conjunction with the Undergraduate Entrepreneur Mind Transformation Forum, here.  

In addition, Prof Shatar also launched the Career Club to ensure that  ‘Jobs in Campus’ are handled by students for the students. The club also provides  students with the latest information on career choices and options.



The books in teaching module formats are entitled Business Branding, Customer Service Management, Financial Information and Management, Human Resource Management, International Business, and Essence of Marketing.

The book on “Business Branding” is meant to enhance the knowledge of students on how to brand a product in business, case studies and how to test their ideas on the brand they want to create.

The book on “Customer Service Management” talks about, among other things, bad customer services, communication, handling complaints, positive behavior and case studies.

“Financial Information and Management” is the book that will teach the students to identify source documents and their importance in the financial statement, how to structure proper documentation for business transactions, internal control system, financial statement analysis and project budgeting.

The book on “Human Resource Management”  talks about job analysis, training, pay structure, performance management and even legal issues.

For “International Business”,  all these UPM students who have to attend the university’s “finishing school” will be taught to know their products and services, their competitive advantages before they initiate contacts with their intended foreign partners.



The book on “Essence of Marketing” entails among others, situation analysis, marketing strategy, service marketing for business.

The Director of the Center for Graduate Entrepreneurship Development and Marketability (CEM) of UPM,  Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zulhamri Abdullah, said the books produced by the UPM’s teaching staff aimed to develop entrepreneurship among students in the campus in a more effective and efficient way.

“The students can apply the modules learnt to become entrepreneurs after graduating,  and thereby attesting to the efficiency of entrepreneurship education at the Institutes of Higher Learning level,” he said, after the forum. .

The books could be used as reference by the students to understand the real business world and as a special guide for them when they chose an entrepreneurship career.

 “Business development studies and coaching can make these students to become  successful entrepreneurs,” said Dr Zulhamri whose CEM is in charge of equipping the students with extra skills to meet the manpower needs of  internal and global market for well-trained and well-rounded human resource.

To make the work of CEM more effective, UPM also provides hands-on business exposure in real-time businesses within the campus that are managed totally by the students themselves.

Among the businesses are the Putra Business Shop located at CEM and Putra Niaga at all the 17 students’  residential colleges.

The Undergraduate Entrepreneur Mind Transformation Forum for the new students discussed matters concerning entrepreneurship in campus.

Among the members of the panel of speakers were the Principal Senior Assistant Secretary, Education Ministry of Malaysia, Datin Dr. Syahira Hamidon and UPM Entrepreneurship Icon, Sabri Salleh. -- UPM

- nej/ao/kgo


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