MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: The Star

He is the first Malaysian to win a prestigious award from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC).

The 27-year-old Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) lecturer received the Klaas Jan Beek Award – granted each year to the author of the best MSc thesis – last month from the institute in Enschede, the Netherlands.

A panel comprising both internal and external professors picked his thesis from among 40 submitted by ITC students from around the world.

He was presented with €1,000 (RM4,437) and a seven-day holiday in Amsterdam worth RM10,000 for his award-winning thesis entitled Digital Surface Model (DSM) Construction and Flood Hazard for Development Plans in Naga City, Philippines.

Muhammad Zulkarnain said his coursework took him to Naga City during the time when two typhoons – Unding and Yoyong – struck in late 2004.

"One morning, I was on my way to the mayor’s office before the start of work when I noticed everyone rushing to put in place the crisis plans for the typhoon," he said, adding that rooftops had been blown off and trees uprooted in some areas.

"As the rain and strong winds lasted for the entire day, I was only able to collect data that night."

Muhammad Zulkarnain, who obtained his MSc in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation with specialisation in Natural Hazard Studies, attributed his success to the informal study environment in the Netherlands.

"Compressing two years study into one-and-a-half years was not stressful as everyone was so friendly and shared their knowledge freely. Students were also encouraged to be vocal and to present their views," he told a press conference on Wednesday.

One of the most distinctive memories he has of the Netherlands is of the cycling culture.

"You can be cycling and find your dean just in front of you and your supervisor behind. Even if you cycle into town at night, you always feel safe," he said.

In December, Muhammad Zulkarnain, who is from Muar, will be starting his PhD research at the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology.