UCSI Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment Academician Prof Dato’ Dr Ahmad Ibrahim (second from left); UCSI Institute of Music Senior Prof Dr P’ng Tean Hwa (second from right).

Kuala Lumpur: People often assume Senior Prof Dr P’ng Tean Hwa to be a perfectionist, but his students and his teaching methods paint a very different picture.

His students recalled that his lessons were never about rushing toward perfection, but about finding meaning through patience and depth, often repeating the maxim, “Practice makes permanent, not perfect.”

For Prof P’ng, perfection is beyond reach. What matters is the chase — because in striving for perfection, we discover excellence. And excellence, he emphasised, is at the heart of the Institute of Music.

His career is also a path less travelled. An engineer by training, he reflected, “I realised I could give up engineering, but I could not live without music. That was when I discovered my identity as a piano teacher.”

“Once I chose music, I committed to excellence because my students deserved nothing less. I pursued higher qualifications not to collect titles, but to become a teacher of teachers. To me, excellence is the path to success,” he shared.

Under his leadership, UCSI’s Institute of Music ranked 32nd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for Performing Arts in 2025.

Academician Prof Dato’ Dr Ahmad Ibrahim, meanwhile, believes in lifelong learning and follows a simple formula, “When you write, you read, and when you read, you learn.”

Sharing his research writing methods, he emphasised, “In writing, always strive for perfection but never expect your work to be perfect. The act of writing itself is a journey of learning. Knowledge is everywhere, as even a single review paper can open doors to new insights in music, education, pollution, or the economy.”

Prof Ahmad continues to shape scientific research and science-and-technology policy. Through his writings and thought leadership, he drives systemic sustainability transitions and underscores the vital role of policy and collaboration in advancing sustainable development in Malaysia and beyond.

Four of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia’s 28 Senior Fellows currently teach at UCSI, with Prof Ahmad recently honoured as a Senior Fellow and Prof P’ng inducted as a Fellow.

The Prominent Professorial Lecture Series was launched in 2024 and has since quickly become a hallmark event at UCSI University, now having featured six engaging sessions on globally relevant topics.

Classified in the world’s top 1% in the QS World University Rankings 2026, UCSI University stands out as one of Asia’s leading private universities.

It is ranked in Asia’s top 30 and eighth in Southeast Asia in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026.