UTM Johor Bahru – UTM’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning hosted Y.Bhg Emeritus Professor Dr. Azman Hj. Awang, property developer and Director of UTM Holdings Sdn Bhd, at the Department’s inaugural Emeritus Professor Program on 29 October 2015.
Emeritus Prof. Azman gave a thought provoking lecture entitled “Politics, Planning and Profit – an unholy alliance” to a packed audience of about 150 planning students and academics.
In a forthright, engaging and humorous manner, Emeritus Prof. Azman enlightened the audience with a formula for transforming the “unholy alliance” of politicians, planners and developers into a “holy alliance” of newly reformed politicians, professional planners and responsible developers.
Such a holy alliance, which is built on professionalism, honesty, integrity, sincerity and ethics of all parties will give rise to more sustainable and high quality living environments for all.
A lively exchange ensued between Emeritus Prof. Azman and the audience after the intellectual sharing of his beliefs and philosophy in development, a culmination of his wide ranging experiences.
Emeritus Prof. Azman was Faculty Dean at UTM’s Faculty of Built Environment and UTM Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic). Apart from being a property developer and Director for UTM Holdings Sdn Bhd, he also serves as Non-Executive Director of FSBM Holdings Bhd as well as Advisor to the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) on the Corridor Development between Kunming in Southern China and Northern Thailand which include Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.
The organisation of the Emeritus Professor Program as part of the JPBW Monthly Seminar Series is the Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s continuous efforts to enrich students’ learning through engaging prominent corporate figures, professional practitioners and internationally renowned academics in related fields to share their valuable knowledge and experiences.