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Nottingham to provide entrepreneurship training for Malaysian Government

Malaysian Government civil servants and key executives of government-linked companies are to benefit from postgraduate training on innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship (ICE) delivered by The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC).

The initiative is led by Teraju (Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputra), a unit under the Prime Minister’s Office which spearheads, coordinates and drives the Bumiputera agenda — part of the Transformation Plan that aims for Malaysia to become a high-income, developed, resilient and competitive nation.

The partnership between UNMC and The Government of Malaysia was announced at a key event of the Program Transformasi Ekonomi Bumiputera presided over by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Datuk Seri Haji Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak was announced on November 26, 2011.

“We are very privileged to be part of this initiative, especially since this is the first time the Malaysian Government has established a strategic research and knowledge-transfer partnership with a private university,” said Professor Ian Pashby, CEO & Provost of The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

“This partnership highlights our established position in research, knowledge-transfer and education in the nation and through this partnership we will also be part in the country’s nation building,” Professor Pashby said. “Entrepreneurship is embedded throughout the University at every campus.”

The objectives of the partnership are to:

enhance the capabilities of innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship (ICE) for the Malaysian Government, in order to fully embrace the new National Economic Plan.
provide further education opportunities to government officials to develop capabilities on ICE.
improve the academic levels of government officials, in adherence to the National Economic Plan.
further assist in the development of ICE for the Malaysian Government.

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) will provide scholarships for part time courses for a total of five years to civil servants and key executives in government-linked companies.

The degrees include Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) / Master of Research (MRes) / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Degree registration will be assessed by project and academic staff in conjunction with Teraju.

The University of Nottingham was the first ever winner of the Times Higher Education Award for Entrepreneurial University of the Year in 2008-2009. Nottingham encourages staff and students to be innovative, creating new commercial ventures and spin-out companies. It has also won several UK Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, one for its campuses in Asia.

The scope of studies is in line with key-focal areas of ICE for the nation. Areas of the research will be chosen from, but not limited to, the following list, in accordance with the National Economic Plan:

advanced materials and nanotechnology
aerospace technologies
economics of ICE
environmental research and sustainable technologies
Halal food and medicine
industrialised building systems
information technologies
local food and crops
palm oil technologies
policy and infrastructure studies of ICE
information and computer technologies (ICT) to underpin any of these projects (eg. operations research, optimisation, scheduling, etc)

The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) first opened its doors in Kuala Lumpur in 2000. Since then, our student body in Malaysia has grown to around 4,000 — including more than 70 nationalities — based at our 101-acre dedicated campus in Semenyih. It celebrates its 11th anniversary this month.

You can find out more about courses offered by The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus at: www.nottingham.edu.my. You can also email: enquiries@nottingham.edu.my (for Malaysian students) and international.enquiries@nottingham.edu.my (for International students).

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Tracking endangered elephants with satellite technology

A hundred years ago wild elephants on the Malay Peninsula could be counted in their thousands - now there are less than 1500. In the last 50 years around 50% of forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia has been lost.

Using the very latest GPS and satellite communication technology experts from The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) and the Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks are tracking some of the remaining elephants to assess the effectiveness of the Malaysian Government’s elephant conservation and management practices.

Today, to coincide with National Diversity Day, The Malaysian Ministry of Natural Resources through its Department of Wildlife and National Parks is signing memorandums of understanding on research collaboration with the UNMC and ten public Malaysian universities. The Department and UNMC are also signing a Memorandum of Agreement specifically for MEME, the Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants research project.

MEME is a five year research project led by Dr Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, an ecologist and conservation expert, in the School of Geography. The project has received funding of RM3.36m (£700,000) from a foundation set up by the Malaysian based multinational Sime Darby to help MEME develop a long term strategy to protect the country’s elephant population. Other important donors for the project are Singapore Zoo, Copenhagen Zoo, the National Zoo (US), US Fish & Wildlife Service and private philanthropists.

Dr Campos-Arceiz said: “If we lose the elephants we lose a unique element of tropical ecosystems. When elephants walk they trample the soil and impact the forest in a way that no other animal does. When elephants eat, they modify the structure of vegetation, releasing plant parts that can be consumed by other herbivores. When elephants eat fruits, they disperse seeds. Ultimately, elephants create habitat heterogeneity and promote forest regeneration. All this will be lost and we will have a much more simplified ecosystem that is less resilient and has lost a lot of its diversity.”

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Mitigating human-elephant conflict

Hunted for their tusks and stripped of their natural habitat to make way for crops, roads and new settlements the Asian elephant is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.

MEME will produce information on how elephants move in natural habitats as well as in human-dominated landscapes and how they respond to translocation - – one of the practices used to move elephants away from areas of human-elephant conflict (HEC). The project is also looking at non-invasive techniques to extract DNA and hormones from elephant faeces, developing cost-effective strategies to mitigate human-elephant conflict and improving our understanding of elephant ecological function in tropical rainforests.

Tracking technology

MEME and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks aim to develop a conservation strategy based on scientifically sound knowledge of elephant behaviour, ecology and a clear understanding of the underlying causes of human-elephant conflict. In the next few years they intend to fit 50 elephants (3% of the Malaysian elephant population) with GPS-satellite tracking devices to monitor how they are responding to the changes in their habitat, how they react to translocation – and what effect current conservation measures such as highway viaducts and wildlife corridors are having on the elephant population on the Malay Peninsula.

Once the GPS collar is fitted the elephant’s whereabouts can be tracked in the field using VHF radio signal or at any location with internet connection to access the GPS locations transmitted by the collar via satellite phone. Indeed, thanks to USB internet modems, the team is often able to access internet in the field, which makes field tracking far easier.

Tropical forest at risk

Recent research led by Dr Campos-Arceiz has shown that the elimination of seed-dispersing animals such as the Asian elephant puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk.

His team of international experts have confirmed that not even herbivores like tapirs can replace them in doing this essential job. Their research ‘Asian Tapirs Are NO Elephants When it Comes To Seed Dispersal’ has just been published in the academic journal Biotropica.

Dr Campos-Arceiz said: “Elephants and rhinoceroses play a unique ecological role that cannot be replaced by other species. These mega herbivores act as the ‘gardeners’ of humid tropical forests. They are vital to forest regeneration and maintain its structure and biodiversity. If the elephants and rhinoceroses are lost the ecological trajectories of the ecosystem will change irreversibly.”

MEME in action

Dr Campos-Arceiz and his team work in close collaboration with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Peninsular Malaysia. They have a permanent field centre deep in the Malaysian jungle, a field project manager and a team of research assistants and field assistants who are already monitoring nine elephants which have been fitted with the specially designed tracking collars.

The new funding will help to support three PhDs specifically for Malaysian students to study elephant stress levels, the development of genetic molecular tools to study elephant populations in tropical rainforests and the characterisation and mitigation of HECs.

Dr Campos-Arceiz said: “These scholarships will help to establish a bigger pool of local experts in wildlife management. We also employ staff from the Orang Asli community, Malaysian indigenous people, to tap into their expertise and knowledge of the elephants and their habitat in the rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia.”

For more information go to: http://www.camposarceiz.com or www.meme-elephants.org

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UTAR and Huawei to set up teaching lab

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) was one the 10 leading local universities that signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Huawei Technologies Malaysia Sdn Bhd on 14 June 2012 to set up a Huawei University Teaching Laboratory at their campuses.

Huawei, headquartered in China, is a global technology company supplying telecommunication and networking equipment and solution. At a ceremony where Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak officially opened the Huawei Malaysia Global Training Centre in Cyberjaya, the signing parties exchanged MoU documents.

Also present at the ceremony were Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, Huawei Senior Vice President Victor Wang, Chinese Ambassador Chai Xi, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Halim bin Ali and Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof.

Signing for the two parties were UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato' Dr Chuah Hean Teik and Huawei Technologies Malaysia Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Dai Jingyue. UTAR Vice President (R & D and Commercialisation) Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei and Huawei Technologies Malaysia Sdn Bhd Deputy Chief Executive Officer Foo Fang Yong signed as witnesses.

Under the MoU, the two parties agreed to work together to set up a Huawei University Teaching Laboratory at a UTAR campus to deliver industry-relevant curriculum to UTAR students to enhance their employability after graduating. The arrangement would contribute to providing competent talents to the growing human capital need of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

UTAR would fund the setting up of the teaching laboratory, while Huawei would highly subsidise the necessary courseware, which UTAR would adopt or adapt for teaching. Collaborating with Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), Huawei would conduct the train-the-trainers sessions to prepare UTAR lecturers. Huawei would also facilitate internship placements for UTAR students and job placements for UTAR graduates within Huawei group of companies and partners. In return, UTAR would promote ICT studies to more students.

The partnership with Huawei was yet another all-win initiative UTAR had engaged itself in. It would benefit the students, the University, Huawei, the industry and the country.

Prof Chuah (front right) exchanging MoU document with Dai; while (from left) Tan Sri Ong, Wang (hidden), Dato' Sri Najib, Chai (hidden), Datuk Fadillah and Tan Sri Abdul Halim look on.

Dato' Sri Najib (centre) officially opening the Huawei Malaysia Global Training Centre, and Wang (left) and Chai look on.

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Khaled: Use Facebook in varsities

Written by Administrator.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin has welcomed the trend of institutions of higher learning using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter for educational purposes.

"I believe that higher education should grow along with the latest developments in information technology in order to stay current with students. Social networks get the message across effectively and that is what matters most.

"Students usually respond faster to Facebook threads when compared with university portals. Hence, it is a good move."

Khaled said institutions of higher learning should look into using more interactive teaching methods, adding that communicating via social networks was a good start.

Universiti Sains Malaysia Associate Professor Mohd Kamarul Kabilan said the use of social media for educational purposes inculcated a more positive attitude towards learning.

He said his research showed that 67.9 per cent of the students interviewed said they had gained confidence when communicating with their classmates as well as their lecturers.

Kamarul said the question of whether the tool was useful or not depended on the lecturers and students.

"Facebook's features such as the 'wall', 'notes' and 'video uploads' can be used for learning in the form of exchanging and sharing of ideas, thinking critically and encouraging collaboration."

International Islamic University Malaysia macroeconomics lecturer Riasat Amin said communicating with his students through the Internet had a profound impact on the dynamics of his classroom.

"Social networks have definitely helped bridge the gap we had with my students. We connect better in class now."

Riasat explained that online platforms had made the teaching and learning process more interactive as students who were too shy to raise questions during class could express themselves online.

A survey conducted by Taylor's School of Communication found that students tend to respond better through Facebook compared with university online portals.

"When they use student portals, they feel like it is work.

"But communication through social media is a more relaxed process," said Taylor's Communication and Media Management programme director Catherine Lee Cheng Kiat.

She said 99 per cent of her students had Facebook accounts, hence the possibility of students being left out of online discussions was rare.

Students, in turn, have responded positively to this new method spearheaded by their lecturers.

Communications student Hoh May Kay, 22, said social networks had made it more convenient for her to follow course announcements and assignment updates.

She said she preferred chatting with her lecturers through Facebook as she could get an immediate response from them.

Mechanical engineering student Mohd Akram Mohd Yusof, 21, said social media could become an important tool for teachers to reach out to unresponsive students.

"We spend half our time on the Internet and by engaging students here, lecturers get to reach out to those who are beyond the barrier." By Nicholas Cheng and Kanyakumari Damodaran

Source from - NST

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Fugro-Jason Donates Jason Software Licenses to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (14 March 2012)



*Fugro-Jason Donates Jason Software Licenses worth USD17 million to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS*





March 14, 2012, Bandar Seri Iskandar – Fugro-Jason, the leader in reservoir characterization technology for the oil and gas industry, announced a major donation to the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) in the form of Jason™ reservoir characterization software licenses. These licenses will be used by students and faculty within the Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering Department. Fugro-Jason will also provide initial training on all aspects of the software, including petrophysics and rock physics analysis, geologic modeling, and seismic inversion.







“UTP places a strong emphasis on research and development with specific value to industry and nation,” said Eric Adams, Fugro-Jason Managing Director. “Our hope is that this donation of leading edge geoscience software will inspire creativity, innovation and leadership in UTP students and prepare them for a bright future in the oil and gas industry.”


UTP was founded in 1997 and is wholly owned by PETRONAS, the national oil company of Malaysia. The university offers a range of engineering and technical programmes designed to develop the nation’s skilled workforce. The university offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.


This is invaluable for the geoscience students to have access to technology so crucial to oil and gas development. This donation by Fugro-Jason will enable them to become more proficient at oilfield assessment and advanced in their analyses.


Jason reservoir characterization software is well suited for the challenges routinely faced in Malaysia and the region. Many companies in Malaysia have been using Jason technology since the 90’s and it has become their standard software and workflow.


The handover ceremony was held in Senate Hall of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. In attendance were Mr Jimmy Ting, Region Manager, Fugro-Jason, UTP Management Committee, Faculty members of UTP Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering Department and executives from Fugro-Jason




ABOUT - FUGRO-JASON


Fugro-Jason (www.fugro-jason.com) delivers innovative software products and services to help clients identify and produce hydrocarbon deposits by integrating information from the various geoscience disciplines. Fugro-Jason software applications make it possible to integrate geological, geophysical, geostatistical, petrophysical and rock physics information into a single consistent model of the earth. Applying Fugro-Jason’s technology through its software and consulting services substantially improves E&P investment return by adding invaluable reservoir model information to reduce the risks, costs and cycle-times associated with exploration, appraisal and field development and production. Fugro-Jason is an operating company of Fugro NV. Fugro was founded in 1962 and is listed on Euronext NV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fugro has more than 13,500 staff and a permanent presence in more than 50 countries.




Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)


Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) was established in 1997 and offers a wide range of engineering and technology programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, complemented by a strong focus on Research and Development (R&D). The programmes are designed with high industry relevance. It has grown to be one of the most prominent private universities in Malaysia and currently has about 5,600 undergraduates and 900 postgraduates. Recently, UTP along with 17 other universities, has been rated as Tier 5 (Excellent) University for year 2009 Rating System for the Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (SETARA ’09) by Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia.

In addition to its engineering and technology based programmes, UTP also provides quality education in the areas of management and the humanities, with the aim of producing graduates who are well rounded exhibiting excellent leadership qualities and communication abilities. Research at UTP is focused on Biomedical Engineering, CO2 Management, Deepwater Technology, Enhanced Oil Recovery, Hybrid Energy Systems, Green Technologies, Intelligent City, Nanotechnology and Sustainable Resources. The researchers are carried out in collaboration with PETRONAS and other institutions and industries locally and abroad.

For more information on UTP, please visit http://www.utp.edu.my

For more information, kindly contact:

Aslinda Jamaludin, Media Relations, UTP : 05-3688243\| 019-4762124\| aslinda_j@petronas.com.my
Joe Jacquot, Fugro-Jason Marketing Manager, Houston, USA : 713-369-6938 / mailto:jjacquot@fugro-jason.com.

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World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress (ESTCON 2012) (12 – 14 June 2012)

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) and Yayasan UTP organised the World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress (ESTCON2012), deemed as one of the largest world congresses Malaysia has ever hosted. It was officially opened by the Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato’ Sri Mohamed Khaled Nordin on 12 June 2012 and closed by the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, YB Dato’ Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui on 14 June 2012. Themed "Towards Sustainability: Bridging Engineering, Technology and Humanities", it successfully gathered about 1,200 experts from 45 various countries representing diverse fields of research and innovation in the spirit of sustaining knowledge for the betterment of humanity.

In his opening speech, YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khalid remarked that the theme of the congress was indeed relevant to Malaysia’s transformation into a developed country by 2020. He said, “Malaysia has come a long way in promoting research and understanding in the various areas on science and technology. While science and technology are important, social sciences and the humanities should never be marginalised and should be treated as equally important. The moment we neglect the arts and humanities, which nurture the critical and the creative perspective, then we are in fact neglecting the need for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for the adventure of ideas, and for the search of truth.”

For the Opening Ceremony, two notable speakers delivered their keynote addresses. The first keynote entitled ‘Sustainability, Energy, and Civilization: Issues and Options’ was delivered by Professor Dr Michael A Celia, Professor of Environmental Studies and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, USA. He is also the contributing author to IPCC Working Group III Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage who shares in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. In delivering his keynote, Professor Celia revealed that science and technology provided the best options in solving the sustainability-energy problem.

The second keynote entitled “Roles and Responsibilities of Humanity Facing Global Challenges in the 21st Century" was delivered by Professor Dr Feng Da-Hsuan, Vice President of Global Strategy, Development and Evaluation, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. Professor Feng concluded that in order to solve global challenges, one must not be totally dependent on science and technology, but to also understand human behaviors and public policies, as they would help in building a better world for the human race in the 21^st century.

This biennial three-day congress also included 23 parallel sessions with 26 renowned plenary speakers who are experts in their respective fields. It comprised eight simultaneously-held international conferences, namely the:

1.	International Conference on Integrated Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences (ICIPEG 2012)
2.	International Conference on Civil, Offshore & Environmental Engineering (ICCOEE 2012)
3.	International Conference on Production, Energy and Reliability (ICPER 2012)
4.	International Conference on Process Engineering and Advanced Materials (ICPEAM 2012)
5.	International Conference on Intelligent & Advanced System (ICIAS 2012)
6.	International Conference on Computer & Information Sciences (ICCIS 2012)
7.	International Conference on Fundamental and Applied Science (ICFAS 2012)
8.	International Conference on Management, Social Sciences & Humanities (ICMeSH2012

ESTCON2012 has also worked on a special Carbon Offset Project (COP) called “Save the Earth” to help minimize global warming by planting trees during the organization of the congress. For this project, UTP focus on reducing and reworking strategies to minimise carbon footprint in three key areas involved in organising the Congress, namely air travel, paper usage and electricity consumption. To achieve this, trees are planted to minimise or counter back the carbon emission level. Some of these trees are sponsored by the staff of the university. The sponsorship received for this congress are also channeled to fund the tree planting activities.

This is the second time that UTP had embarked on the project. For ESTCON 2010, 200 trees were planted at UTP and another 200 trees were planted last week in conjunction with this year’s ESTCON.

During the closing ceremony of the three day congress, YB Dato’ Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Science, hoped that UTP have set the precedence and foundation for more practical sustainable solutions in various disciplines and increase efficient use of energy, water and materials. He also congratulated UTP as ESTCON 2012 has met its objectives of serving as an important platform for academic, researchers, scientists, engineers, interest groups and industry experts from all the around the world to share knowledge, have fruitful intellectual discussions and forge meaningful networking on various areas of interest. Later, YB Dato’ Sri Peter also gave away certificates to the 25 best papers presented during the congress.

Earlier, the speakers and delegates were treated with a delightful dinner, accompanied with songs and cultural performances by UTP students on the evening of 12 June 2012. After the dinner, the delegates also had the opportunity to experience ‘batik chanting’, pewter smithing, mengkuang weaving and many more local handicrafts making activities.

The next ESTCON is scheduled to be held from 3 – 5 June 2014.

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UTP signed agreement with Huawei (14 June 2012)

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) signed an agreement with Huawei in a commitment to further create and enhance UTP graduates’ employability in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector globally. The signing was in conjunction with Huawei Malaysia Global Training Center (MGTC) official opening by the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Hj Abdul Razak at Cyberjaya on 14 June, 2012. This new establishment in Cyberjaya is in line with Multimedia Development Corporation Malaysia (MDeC) and Huawei’s continuous support to the Malaysian Government’s aspiration to accelerate the creation of ICT professionals in the industry as well as to contribute towards the success of Malaysia in becoming a high income economy by 2020.

Huawei is a leading global ICT solutions provider. It is dedicated towards customer-centric innovation, strong partnerships and has established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. Through this agreement, Huawei will set up a Huawei University Training Lab (HUTL) under MSC Malaysia MyUniAlliance (Huawei) programme in UTP to further cultivate the interest of students in the field of next generation ICT technologies, such as Cloud Computing, Long Term Evaluation (LTE) and Fixed Broadband.

Also present at the ceremony were the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting; China’s ambassador to Malaysia, Mr. Chai Xi; Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali; Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof and Huawei Senior Vice President, Mr Victor Wang.

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BioSciences Students Excel at University of Queensland - News & Events : Taylor's University

It was a proud moment for four students from Taylor’s University School of Biosciences (SBS) when they each received the distinguished honour of a Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement at University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. The award was given based on the students’ admirable results by achieving an overall semester Grade Point Average of 6.0 out of 7.0, or higher.

Dean of Taylor’s University School of Biosciences, Dr. Stacey Yong, commented that the students have made their alma mater proud. “It is very encouraging to know that the students’ hard work and efforts are recognised, proving that excellence is one of the integral pillars of their education experience that they have received during their study at Taylor’s,” she said.

As part of the articulation programme offered with the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Hons) and Bachelor of Biotechnology (Hons) degrees, the four students were transferred to University of Queensland during their first semester with Taylor’s University School of Biosciences (SBS).

(From left)Nursaedah, Christine, Tse Chien, and Maisarah, at the Great Court,University of Queensland

“Being awarded ‘Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement’ is what I’ve always strived for. Pushing myself beyond the limit to achieve this meaningful award gives me immense satisfaction and motivation to go further,” said Maisarah Mahbon, one of the proud recipients of the award.

While the other recipient, Nursaedah Abdullah Aziz, attributed her success to the invaluable learning experience she had in UQ, Koo Tse Chien, a student of Biomedical Science, was thankful to have a team of supportive lecturers and academic staff in the university.

“I have gained in-depth knowledge and valuable experiences within these last 3 years of my programme in Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science), both in Taylor’s University and UQ. It feels very rewarding to be on the ‘Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement’ list because I know that my hard work has paid off,” quipped Christine Teo, the fourth recipient of the award

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2-Dimensional Electrophoresis' Workshop for Aspiring Scientists

Taylor's University School of Biosciences (SBS), Chemoscience Malaysia Sdn. Bhd and Bio-Rad (USA) organised a three-day workshop titled, "2-Dimensional Electrophoresis - Beginners to Advanced Users". Opened to the public, the workshop saw an attendance of 20 postgraduate students and researchers from various institutions in Malaysia who intend to venture into proteomics and to master skills in the 2-DE area of biotechnology.


Participants of the workshop with front third from the left; Dr. Anthony Ho, Dr. Anton Posch and Dr. Phelim Yong

Proteomics is the large-scale study and screening of the proteins of a cell, organism or biological fluid, a process which requires stringently controlled steps of sample preparation, 2-D electrophoresis, image detection and analysis, spot identification, and database searches. The core technology of proteomics is 2-DE. At present, there is no other technique that is capable of simultaneously resolving thousands of proteins in one separation procedure.

2-Dimensional Electrophoresis (2-DE) is a form of gel electrophoresis commonly used to analyse proteins, and is currently the most powerful protein separation technique available in the biosciences market. In the laboratory, it has proved useful in the discovery of novel biomarkers that can be potentially developed into diagnostic kits and therapeutic agents for infectious diseases, cancer and others. Moreover, 2-DE has the ability to study proteins that undergo post-translational modification as the protein spots will appear as distinct spot clusters in horizontal or vertical axis in 2-DE gels.

Since its introduction by O'Farrell in 1975, 2-DE has been one of the driving forces behind the development of proteomics. This gel-based proteomics has the capability to analyse protein composition of a cell besides quantitative and qualitative analysis of complex mixtures of protein that made up various cellular functions. The advantage of proteomics is the ability for direct use of various biological samples such as blood plasma, serum, urine, cerebral fluid and other secretions in its analysis without any intermediate steps.

According to Dr. Phelim Yong, lecturer at Taylor's SBS, getting the most out of proteomics especially in 2-DE remains a challenge for beginners in the biosciences field. As this approach demands the mastering and perfection in hands-on techniques in conducting experiments, participants were exposed on how to initiate, decide what to use and what they should expect from a 2-DE gel. He added that the training workshop will empower the participants to understand the key aspects of 2-DE which will make them much competent to embark into proteomics.

"This training workshop emphasised on the fundamental concepts of proteomics which comprised of understanding various strategies in sample preparation, techniques for reducing proteolysis, how to maximize the output in 2-DE, how to analyse the proteome map and others," Dr. Phelim Yong said.

Among the benefits of having completed this training, participants were able to identify strategies for protein extraction, the usage of practical techniques in 2-DE, utilise effective ways in time management during 2-DE experiments, decide the appropriate staining methods for spots detection and apply suitable statistical tools for proteome map analysis.

The guest presenter during the workshop was Dr. Anton Posch, who received his Bachelor of Food Chemistry and doctorate degree from Technical University of Munich in 1988 and 1995 respectively. Dr. Anton was also a postdoctoral fellow in the Research Institute for Occupational Medicine (BGFA), Germany. Since 2003, he has been the leading scientist at the New Technologies Research and Development, Bio-Rad USA, where he contributes to various research and training programmes. Currently, Dr. Anton embarks on a journey to share best practices in proteomics especially in sample preparation for 2-dimensional electrophoresis and Malaysia is one of his many stops.


Dr. Anton Posch

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University of Hertfordshire’s Link Tutors Reinforce High Quality of INTI's Business Degree

Regular visits by link tutors from INTI College Sarawak’s partner universities abroad add a unique dimension to the overall teaching and delivery of degree programmes at the College. A recent visit by Christine Seamark, a link tutor from the UK’s University of Hertfordshire (UH), was an affirmation of the university’s ongoing commitment to support the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration programme offered at INTI.

UH was recently selected as one of the world’s top 100 universities aged under 50 by Times Higher Education (THE) in a new addition to its World University Rankings portfolio. The rankings are based on excellence across teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook. UH scored highly for the citing of its academic research on a global scale and for its international outlook and mix.

INTI’s management team and academics (from left) Mark Edmund Kasa (Business lecturer), Stanley Gona (Vice-Principal of Administration), Voon Boo Khoon (Head, School of Business and Information Technology), Desmond Sateng (Head of BA (Hons) in Business Administration programme), Ivy Lau and Hong Siew Choo (Business lecturer) with Christine Seamark (3rd from right).

Commenting on the link tutor visits, Ivy Lau, Chief Executive and Principal of INTI College Sarawak said, “The visits by Ms Seamark and other link tutors go a long way in ensuring that our students enjoy the same learning experience as students at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK and is an integral part of INTI’s Quality Management Processes. Our students get the opportunity to learn from leading academics from UH and our programme manager and academic team benefit from the support they receive in managing and delivering the programme.”

Since 1999, INTI’s Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration programme which is offered in collaboration with UH has been the programme of choice for learners seeking a specially designed business degree that offers valuable insights into real-world business management. As the entire degree can be completed at INTI College Sarawak, students have the opportunity to earn a prestigious internationally recognized degree without having to incur the high cost of tuition and living expenses usually associated with pursuing tertiary level qualifications abroad. Working adults and fresh STPM school leavers who wish to pursue tertiary level studies while embarking on a career can opt to join the specially-tailored evening classes.

The programme is designed to boost employability prospects and career advancement in the field of business. Learners will develop the ability to plan, organize, lead and control work teams. All important areas of a business organization are covered in the programme so as to produce well-informed and farsighted business professionals. The programme is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and recognized by the Public Service Department (JPA).

Students of INTI benefit not only from the institution’s over 25 years of experience and strong track-record, but also gain from the global synergy and resources that Laureate International Universities provides. INTI is a part of Laureate, the world’s largest private education network with a presence in 29 countries, with more than 60 accredited universities and 130 campuses, serving more than 700,000 students globally.

A Level or STPM students with 2 principal passes or 5 Bs in UEC or students who have completed accredited Foundation in Business programmes are eligible to enter the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration programme. Those with a diploma which has been accorded minimum standard by MQA are eligible to transfer a maximum of 30 credit hours to the degree programme.

For further information about INTI’s academic programmes, please call 082-570888 or visit INTI College Sarawak at Jalan Stampin Timur in Kuching.

♥ Thank you because you willing to stop here for awhile ♥