…..and yes! It was Batam!

That was where we were heading last Friday, =>> to Batam Island, for an academic visit to Universitas Batam (UNIBA). This public university offers programmes in Medical and Health Services, Information Technology, Law, and Management. The purpose of this visit is to initiate various forms of academic co-operation between the two universities. We started off by exchanging current information about our universities and the progress made so far. I presented a briefing on our Post Graduate Programmes and did some promotion on that especially to their academic staff and Under Graduates. We also presented three research papers (Mine and two of our students' paper; Rosli and Fadillah) and the respond we get from the academic staff was quite encouraging and beneficial to the students.

At the university, before leaving campus
(From L-R) Shah, Adel, Kecik, Me, Rosli, Fad and Azrul =>>


At the ferry terminal (Stulang, Johor Bahru) =>>




Lunch in Batam


Batam Island, is actually a small Indonesian island city and is said to be the second most popular destination in Indonesia for international tourists. It is located in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia which is known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle. The 715 km² (160 miles²) island has a population of 915.882 in December 2008. In the 1970s, the island underwent a major transformation from a largely forested area into a major harbor and industrial zone. The population drastically grew from a few thousand in the 1960s into hundreds of thousands. The official language on the island is Indonesian, but due to the sizeable Chinese population, Chinese dialects like Teochew and Mandarin are somewhat widely spoken.

Apart from industrial zones, the islands have several resorts and tourist destinations. Famed for its nightlife and youthful vibe, Batam is also rich in cultural and religious attractions. The wide range of sites to explore includes Kampung Jabi Tourism Object, the Vietnam Refugees Camp, Setokok Village , Duta Maetreya Vihara, Cetya Tri Darma Pagoda as well the Japanese Cemetery – an ancient burial yard – and Tumenggung Abdul Jamal's Tomb.

Batam Island Map =>>



At Universitas Batam (UNIBA)=>>




























Sightseeing =>>



















At the Ferry Terminal in Batam =>>


Selamat Tinggal, Batam!