STRETCHING as far as the eye can see, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) can claim to be among the country's foremost academic and research institutions.
Its Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Zohadie Bardaie astutely points out that in the last decade UPM has consistently been awarded the largest grants from the IRPA (Intensification in Research for Priority Areas) programme. Under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, the university saw a total of RM167mil in research grants being awarded to its various projects.