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Department of
Geology is the oldest geology department in the country.
It was founded in Singapore in 1956 and relocated to The Kuala
Lumpur Campus in 1960. From
its modest beginning with only 4 academic staff and 2 final-year
students in 1962, the Department has expanded and evolved into a
multidisciplinary department, committed to the development of academic
excellence in teaching and research.
Each year, the
Department accepts about 40-60 undergraduates for their 3-year BSc
Degree in Geology and Applied Geology.
As
an integral part of the undergraduates’ education, the Department
carries out fieldwork training in various part of the country.
To ensure that our undergraduate programme is at par with the
rest of the educational programmes in the developed nations, the
Department has a panel of international geoscientists who are
acknowledged experts in their respective fields to review the
Department’s programmes regularly.
The Department has been actively
engaged in postgraduate
research. Currently we have more than 15 local and foreign postgraduate
students. The field of research being pursued ranges from fundamental
geology to more applied fields such as geophysics, geochemistry,
hydrology and petroleum geology.
In
line with the Department’s pursuit of educational excellence, the
facilities are continuously being upgraded.
In 1998, a new wing was built to house new laboratories and
lecturer offices. We have a library with a comprehensive collection of geological
books, and a range of modern and sophisticated equipment to aid in our
teaching, research and consultancy work.
The Department also houses a Geological Museum showcasing diverse
collection of geological items ranging from common rocks and fossils
found in Malaysia to rarely found tektites and replicas of skulls.
The Department is also the hub for the exchange,
discussion and dissemination of geological knowledge in the country and
the region. It houses the Secretariat of the Geological Society of
Malaysia (GSM) and Institute Geology Malaysia (IGM).
GSM is a body that actively organizes workshops, seminars,
conferences and fieldworks to promote geology both regionally and
internationally while IGM is formed to improve the professional practice
of geology.
Through
the academic staff and alumni, the Department have established a good
rapport with the petroleum, mining and engineering industries as well as
with other universities (local and foreign), relevant government bodies
such as the Mineral and Geoscience Department of Malaysia and
international agencies like UNESCO.
Apart from excellent career opportunities for our graduates,
these efforts and contacts have opened up avenues for joint research,
funding, industrial training and consultancy work for our staff and
students.
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