Clare Chan Suet Ching, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty of Music and Performing Arts
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
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Chief Editor
Malaysian Journal of Music
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Deputy Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) since 2011-2017
Developments and Achievements of Key Performance Index
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As the Deputy Dean of Research and Graduate Studies since 2011, my aims were in line with the university’s trajectory to elevate the university to a recognized and reputable university in both national and international standards. Our faculty began with motivating and inspiring our academic staff to conduct research important to their field and publish their findings in reputable refereed journals. The educational process on conducting research and publication gradually developed in our faculty through constant strategizing and monitoring. In the last two years, UPSI has moved forward to requiring their academic staff to publish in indexed journal which, inevitable required higher impact research that solved significant nation and worldwide problems. In 2016, we begin to strategize on achieving UPSI’s elevated goals through different strategies. While the universities' KPI is motivated and influenced by the Ministry of Higher Education’s goals, my personal motivation for conducting research and publishing lie in the pursuit of new knowledge to evolutionize the way humans think about and see the world today and tomorrow.
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
In the area of research, with the support of the Dean and faculty, I have established new activities and programs to promote academic scholarship and to inspire our faculty academic staff to conduct research through the founding of programs such as academic seminar series, conferences, colloquiums, lectures and workshops. We have also created some unique branding titles to these programs such as the Talk, Play and Think Series, the Music and Performing Arts (MusPA) research colloquium and the International Music and Performing Arts Conference (IMPAC). The aims of these programs include 1) to increase academic scholarship 2) to expose our students to the international research and global ideas 3) to bring FMSP to the international limelight 4) to draw international student’s interest into our programs. Below are the programs we have founded under my direction, constantly advised by the dean and supported by the faculty.
Conferences (2012 – )
2012
Secretary
4th Music Education Conference
2013
Vice Chair
Cage 101 Conference
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/cage101/
Selected papers contributed to the Malaysian Music Journal issue Volume 3, No.1
2014
Chairman
1st International Music and Performing Arts Conference (IMPAC2014)
CD and online publication of proceedings
2016
Chairman
2nd International Music and Performing Arts Conference (IMPAC2016)
Forecast:
Publication of proceedings in print and online. Selected papers to be published as MMJ Special Issue 2017
Colloquium (2012 – )
2012
Chairman
1st MusPA Research Colloquium
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/conferences/muspa-research-colloquium
online proceedings
2013
Chairman
2nd MusPA Research Colloquium
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/conferences/2nd-muspa-research-colloquium
Printed and online proceedings published
2014
Advisor
3rd MusPA Research Colloquium
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/conferences/3rd-muspa-research-colloquium
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2015
Advisor
4th MusPA Research Coloquium
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/conferences/4th-muspa-research-colloquium
Printed and online proceedings published
Talk, Play and Think Seminar Series (2012 – )
2012
Coordinator
Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series 2012
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2012
2013
Coordinator
Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series 2013
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think
2014
Coordinator
Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series 2014
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2014
2015
Advisor
Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series 2015
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2015
2016
Advisor
Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series 2016
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2016
2017
Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series 2017
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Chief Editor
Malaysian Music Journal (MMJ)
I am the Chief Editor for the Malaysian Music Journal (2015 until now). MMJ is placed under the care of the Deputy Dean (Research and Graduate Studies). I have worked closely with Dr. Sharon Lierse and Dr. Jean Penny, previous Chief Editors to establish the journal, promote its visibility monitor the consistency and quality of the articles in the journals. I managed much of managerial and administrative parts of the journal such as the sales, promotion and publicity by delegating work to various staff. Our hard work has paid off as we are now (2016) indexed under Scopus.
The Talk, Play, Think Seminar Series
Talk, Play, Think (TPT) is a monthly series of lecture demonstrations on music and the performing arts by the academic staff from the faculty, visiting speakers, as well as professional practitioners. "Talk" refers to an academic lecture, while "play" involves performance demonstrations. The "think" element refers to the stimulation of new knowledge and the creative ways generated from the presentations. Talk, Play, Think (TPT) presentations bridge the gap between theory and practice, the academician and practitioner, and diversify ways in which knowledge may be acquired in an academic setting. The Faculty of Music and Performing Arts is proud to present performing arts academicians and scholar-practitioners who combine performance with research and scientific-based findings, in addition to professional practitioners' experiences in performance, composition or choreography. TPT broadens our knowledge base through the sharing of undeniably rich sources of information by local, national and international researchers and practitioners alike.
Talk, Play Think 2012
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2012
Talk, Play, Think 2013
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think
Talk, Play, Think 2014
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2014
Talk, Play, Think 2015
http://fmsp.upsi.edu.my/index.php/events/talk-play-think-series/talk-play-think-2015
RESEARCH
The application of research for various grants has grown since 2011. During the first few years, we focused on university grants and some grants from the Ministry of Higher Education. We aim to diversify our grants to more international and external grants in 2017.
2011
9 GPU
1 NCDRC
2012
2 GPU
1 FRGS
2 ERGS
1 KIA
2013
5 GPU
2 FRGS
1 NRGS
2014
2 GPU
2015
11 GPU
1 Top down
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PUBLICATIONS
The number and variety of publications has also grown since 2011.
In 2016, UPSI has made it compulsory for lecturers to publish in indexed journals. We have designed a workshop calendar to facilitate our lecturers to achieve this aim.
AWARDS
In 2015, the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts won their first Gold Medal for the research “Digitalization of Orang Asli folktales, original music and sound design: Sustaining and internationalizing the indigenous culture of Malaysia” during the 2015 International Exposition of Research and Invention of Institutions of Higher Learning (PECIPTA2015)
The research team comprise of
Head Researcher: Dr. Clare Chan Suet Ching
Co-Researchers: Associate Professor Dr. Juli Edo, Dr Loy Chee Luen, Dr Mohd Nizam Nasrifan, Mr. Mohd Azam Sulong.
We hope to earn more medals in the commercialization and product development in the years to come
GRADUATE STUDIES
For the Graduate Studies, several new programs in research mode have been approved adding to the variety of graduate programs we have now. The new programs are highlighted.
Master of Music Education- Mode A, B and C
Master of Arts – Ethnomusicology, Performance Studies, Dance Studies, Theatre in Education
Master of Music- Performance, Composition, Creative Music Technology
PhD – Music Education, Ethnomusicology, Music Composition, Music Performance, Dance Studies, Theater and Drama
Master of Performance Studies – Mode B approved by MQA in May 2017.
One of the achievements that of the graduate Studies is the development of an assessment approach for the Master of Music programs that emphasizes on the creative work project, rather than a conventional thesis. This assessment method has been approved by the university and is constantly being monitored and improved by our faculty.
The faculty hopes to promote the Mode B programs as we see this program effective in producing competent researchers.
GRADUATE STUDENT’S COMMITTEE
A student club that organizes and suggests programs and activities for the Graduate Studies has been set up in 2015. This club brings the issues of the students to the faculty and suggests ways and strategies to solve the issues.