Tag: Malaysia

Over the past few years, we have begun to detect a pattern of declining student interest for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based be it in school and at the university level. This phenomenon will affect the ‘output’ of engineers, scientists, and doctors. Adding to this, it will also have implications for the specialist workforce, even thwarting efforts to achieve the status of a developed country. Industry players especially those involved in the industrial revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) have aware of this issue and creating concern among them. Effort has to be made and one of the ways to overcome this phenomenon is to diversify methods in conducting STEM-based experiments at the high school level by leveraging the experience and expertise of lecturers and graduate students at local universities.

In order to implement this effort, a group of lecturers and graduate students from the Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan Branch (UiTMCNS) Malaysia have implemented a joint venture program with one of the high schools in the state, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seremban Jaya 2 (SMKSJ2) entitled “STEM Empowerment Program”. The main objective of this program is to guide students to carry out an experiment by hands-on experience. Besides that, this program is also focusing to enhance their skills in handling the experiments to prepare them to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination practical papers.

In this program, the subject areas involved were Physics, Chemistry and Biology. For the Physics experiments, the students were performing two experiments: the free fall and thermodynamic. As for the Chemistry, the students have carried out copper electroplating and titration experiment. Last but not least, students have carried out experiments related to Biology in which they studied the effect of temperature on the activity of amylase enzymes and carried out cell division by mitosis. All experiments were successfully conducted with the guidance of professional facilitators from each field. On top of that, the students were given the opportunity to explore and conduct each experiment themselves. In this way, students can develop their passion in STEM and hopefully pursue their studies in the STEM fields. Apart from conducting experiments, the students were also guided on how to produce a good scientific report. These skills are very important to prepare them as future scientists and researchers in STEM fields.

The “STEM Empowerment Program” ended successfully and received amazing feedback from the students and their teachers. This kind of program provide hands-on and minds-on lessons for the student. It has made STEM activities fun and interesting which in turn helps the student to do much more than just learn.

It is hoped that more programs outside the school in collaboration with UiTM can be continued, especially for rural students who lack in terms of laboratory facilities and expertise. Together with the Malaysian government support toward the IR4.0 industry, this program can generate a positive impact to increase the student’s interest in STEM-based area and eventually prepares professionals who can transform society with innovation and sustainable solutions.

On 9th September 2022, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Negeri Sembilan (UiTMCNS) held virtual appreciation ceremony to celebrate the success of securing 15 Memorandums of Understanding and Agreements (MoU/MoA) with respected institutions and industry players throughout 2021. Of all the 15 MoU/MoA signed, 10 of them were from international indurstries while the other 5 were from national institutions and industries. The international institutions involved were Yamanashi Gakuin University (Japan), Global University Lebanon, Universitas Pahlawan Tuanku Tambusai Indonesia, Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Palangka Raya Indonesia, Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji Indonesia, Universitas Brawijaya Indonesia, Universitas Padjadjaran Indonesia, Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz Iran.

On the other hand, the national institutions and industry players who signed the agreements were Multimedia University Malaysia (MMU), National Audit Department, Nanyang Dreams International Trading Sdn. Bhd., Genting Malaysia Berhad, Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre Berhad (MaGIC) and South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP). The objectives of these agreements are multifaceted which include elevating excellence in teaching and learning, producing globally recognized graduates, flourish research, innovations and publications activities, stimulates consultation and commercialization, encouraging students’ mobility programs (inbound and outbound), hold mutually beneficial activities together such as international seminars and knowledge sharing, advancing fields such as forestry, agriculture, sports science, food technology, big data analytics and developing human capital among staff and students.

Among activities that have been conducted with the strategic partners were big data analytic course with National Audit Department Malaysia, consultation for MMU athletes, joint international conferences and research activities, students’ mobility program between UiTMCNS and few institutions, food product development competitions with Nanyang Dreams, collaborative teaching, supervising students, joint examination, industrial talk, recruiting graduate students, acceptance of students for research, organization of short courses and meetings with SEARCA, exchange of information on student development and teaching and research innovations. Professor Datuk Ts. Dr. Hajah Roziah Mohd Janor, UiTM Vice Chancellor also congratulated UiTMCNS for securing these new national and international partnerships for UiTM. She asserted in her speech during the ceremony, “I truly hope these MoUs and MoAs will encourage better mobility programs, industrial training and academic visits. We also need to produce a more robust ecosystem that stimulates new research and innovations.” All these efforts are geared to fulfilling UiTM goals of becoming Globally Renowned University (GRU) by 2025 by anchoring on three strategic thrusts which are quality education, global excellence and value-driven performance.

Professor Dr. Yamin Yasin, Rector of UiTMCNS in his speech during the ceremony added, “I am certain that the collaboration with strategic partners have significant contribution in transforming UiTM into GRU. Hence, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the strategic partners and to congratulate the Faculty of Sports Science & Recreation, Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Academy of Language Studies, School of Biology, School of Industrial Technology, Faculty of Communication & Media Studies and Faculty of Business & Management of UiTMCNS. They have given solid commitments in initiating these collaborations” Overall, most of the strategic partners mutually agreed that the signed MoUs and MoAs are not only beneficial to UiTM but to their institutions as well. Dr. Dadang Rahmat Hidayat, Dean of Faculty of Communication Science from University of Padjadjaran regarded this partnership with UiTM as an outstanding opportunity to extend the outreach of their university in improving international recognition to their institution.

As Malaysia moves towards the endemic stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UiTM Music Business faculty took up the challenge to produce something special despite the restrictions from holding physical shows in the past two years. The concept began with an independent music concept with the collaboration of Viva Vertical Circus Academy and the sponsorship of Respack Sdn.Bhd. With this unique collaboration, the showcase was successfully held in Publika on the 8th of July 2022. A total of 500 tickets were redeemed rapidly within 72 hours on the Excitix ticketing platform. The tickets were a special edition of the Respack Mask featuring the UiTM logo.

The Muzikas 2022 showcase was kick-started with a special showcase from our very own music faculty Associate Professor, Dr. Soo Wincci. She performed using a circus hoop while singing live. Her act amazed the crowd, which was then followed by a speech from the CEO of Respack Sdn.Bhd, CK Wan. He said, “Respack being one of the new leading mask companies in Malaysia, is willing to support the arts for the future of the younger generation”.

Afterwards, a band from UiTM led by Dian Hashim performed three different songs. This was then followed by a group performance by UiTM Alumni, Margasatwa. Besides the music performance, there were also aerial silk and aerial hoop performances by Viva Vertical. The highlight of the event was the final section of the show, when the famous independent band Budak Nakal performed together with Viva Vertical aerialists.

It was a great opening showcase in Publika, and the audience enjoyed the unique combination of music and circus show immensely.

“One of the most unique showcases I have ever been to!” commented an online local independent media.

This showcase had significantly shown the Music Business’s student’s hard work in organizing and putting together a huge showcase comprising numerous artists and performers to entertain the crowd. The faculty gave support and guidance to perfect the event, yet it proudly acknowledges the capabilities and creativity of its students in broadening their skills in the industry.

Author: Dr. Nur Izzati Jamalludin

Continuous professional development and awareness have always been one of the efforts to provide information and allow two-way communication between various fields of medicine and healthcare professionals. Amidst the pandemic, the past two years have been a challenging battle for conferences and talks to be done face to face. However, as we enter the endemic phase in Malaysia, the Clinical Pathological Conference (CPC) Team of Universiti Teknologi MARA has taken the step to conduct the CPC session via a hybrid method, physical and online.

On the 21st of September 2022, the Faculty of Dentistry Universiti Teknologi MARA, represented by the Centre of Periodontology Studies, was invited to present a talk. It was held at the newly launched state-of-the-art Hospital Al-Sultan Abdullah in Puncak Alam, Selangor. The CPC talk was held at its auditorium, which allows social distancing whenever necessary. There were close to 120 participants who attended the talk physically and online from all backgrounds, such as medical students, dental students, medical, pharmacy and dental specialists in various fields of specialities, and other supporting medical healthcare professionals.

The topic highlighted during the CPD talk was Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and its Relation to Periodontal Disease, with a presentation entitled: “Gum and Glucose: The gloomy truth”. The topic was chosen to be showcased during the CPC talk to create awareness and encourage healthcare professionals at various levels regarding the existence of the bidirectional relationship between these two “silent diseases” that was also one of the causes of the current global economic burden in healthcare.

Centre for Periodontology Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA was represented by the Head of Department, Dr Mohd Faizal Hafez Hidayat, and two other senior members; Dr Farha Ariffin and Dr Muhammad Hilmi Zainal Ariffin; who firstly provided the information on what is the periodontology speciality, that involves in the care of the gum and its supporting structure, the information regarding stages of periodontal disease development, how it occurs in an individual, followed by the sharing of two clinical cases that presented with both diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease.

The presenters also highlighted the input on the latest Clinical Practise Guideline 2020 by the Ministry of Health Malaysia on managing DM. The evidence that dental and periodontal problems are common in patients with DM with a long-established bi-directional influence was also shared. Thus, paying attention to addressing one disease may produce a benefit to the other. The session summarises an important point regarding the value of referral from medical peers for DM patients seen, as well as the advice to have regular oral examinations.

Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) hosted a visit from the University of Sydney on the 5th of September 2022, aimed to explore opportunities for bioinformatics research collaboration and post-graduate student mobility between UiTM & University of Sydney.

Professor Dato’ Dr. Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed, Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy welcomed Jake Chen, representative from University of Sydney, and member of Australian Molecular Modellers Association. The session was also attended by Dr. Norkasihan Ibrahim, Deputy Dean (Industry, Community, Alumni & Network), Professor Kalavathy Ramasamy, Head of Collaborative Discovery Research Group, Dr. Gurmeet Kaur Surindar Singh, Head of Brain Degeneration and Therapeutics Research Group, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sadia Sultan, Head of Biotransformation Research Group, Dr. Mohd Nadzri Mohd Najib, Head of Department (UiTM Bertam Campus) and fellow academicians from the faculty.

Representatives from the UiTM Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Advanced Medical and Dental Institute took part in the session via virtual platform.

The visit started with sharing session by Jake Chen on laboratory simulation software for teaching and learning as well as research activity. During the hybrid session, he highlighted the benefits of Peppy software which has advanced programming capability and the ability to provide personalised student experience during the conduct of chemical experiments. This software has benefited students during the COVID-19 pandemic online learning period and according to Professor Gareth Denyer, creator of the virtual laboratory data generator, it is available for free with the possibility to customise practical needs for a small fee.

Following that, Dr. Ruzianisra Mohamed, served as the representative of Bioinformatics Unit, UiTM presented the expertise of the unit members and ongoing bioinformatics research works at the faculty. The meeting then discussed on research grants for Southeast Asia, postgraduate student mobility grants, and areas of research collaboration. It is anticipated that the exchange of knowledge and expertise at this meeting will foster closer and more strategic ties between both institutions, as well as open new and expanded opportunities for future collaboration.

Strategic partnership and internationalisation are the key factors to produce holistic, dynamic, and competitive faculty members in achieving Globally Renowned University by 2025. This makes everyone in Faculty of Applied Sciences (FSG) a major and sought-after asset. The direction and scope of FSG Internationalisation Strategy is determined by priorities outlined in UiTM2025 Strategic Plan and takes into consideration a global trend that shape the current international education and research environment. Internationalisation was encouraged via staff and student mobility programmes such as exchange programmes, summer programmes and sabbaticals, a collaborative network involving academic programmes, research, and consultancy activities as well as through an increase in international academic staff.

The faculty always strive to enhance our international research and funding through international joint publications, acquiring international grants, and establishing university and industrial research partnerships.

In 2021, the faculty recognises that the international landscape has significantly changed due to COVID-19 pandemic, thus we promote virtual-based internationalisation activities during travel restrictions. We were fast to adapt with the virtual Mobility Student Exchange Programme, Conference, Summer Programmes and Lecture Series which enable students to receive international education and experiences without having to leave home, both outbound and inbound.

FSG has received a total of 45 inbound and 174 outbound students from ASEAN countries, Japan, UK, Austria, Qatar and Portugal, making it the highest mobility throughout the history of FSG. The virtual mobility amongst staff members were also escalating through joint webinar and lecture series, research co-supervision and meetings to initiate international collaborations. FSG has successfully organised joint events such as EnvChem2021, InSoFoST2021 and FB UKSW-FSG UiTM2021 to strengthen the relationship between universities.

In facing the challenge brought by the pandemic, FSG adopted proactive global engagement strategies by deepening the existing and exploring new partnerships with universities and industries. To date, FSG has established partnerships with 22 international universities through MoU/MoA in which 4 of them are from Top 300 QS World University, and 4 partnerships with international industries through MoU/LoA.

Series of programmes were executed to guide our staff to write papers or applying grants. Through the Ace-Pub Series Programme, incentives were given for articles published in indexed journals, proceedings and chapters in books. In 2021, a total of 194 Scopus indexed publications were produced of which 99 involved international collaborators. Under Ace-Grant Series Programme, webinars and workshops were conducted in which grant recipients were given a platform to share tips on writing high quality research proposal papers.

Consequently, FSG has received more than double the number of internationally funded grants in 2021 than the previous year. FSG also succeeded to earn a spot for Chemistry as one of the 13 subjects listed in UiTM by QS World University Ranking (WUR) by subject 2021. This achievement has granted UiTM to be recognised as the 8th best institution that offers Chemistry subject in Malaysia. FSG will thrive on going above and beyond and with this momentum, it is not impossible that FSG, together with the people of UiTM will reach GRU2025 in style.

Datuk Dr. Mohd Radzi Md Jidin, the education minister of Malaysia emphasized, “The current decreasing of younger generations’ interest in the science and technology field is worrying”.

This generation can be seen to be more interested in public relations, business, social careers, becoming social media influencers, and digital-related careers. Experts in the science and technology (S&T) field are important and consistently needed for the development of the world for the better of our future generations. One of the possible ways to solve this declining interest is to diversify the methods of conducting scientific experiments right from the primary school level. There is nothing wrong with the conventional way, however, with the vast propagation of technology, the skill set, and interests of the younger generations have evolved tremendously. Teaching methods must also evolve to match the interest of the younger generations in order to conduct more efficient teaching and learning activities.

In realizing this mission, a group of senior lecturer researchers from the Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan branch (UiTMCNS), Malaysia, has developed a scientific experimental kit named “Let’s Science Up Kit” to approach primary school students and to investigate how this kit can aid in increasing their interest in S&T field. The group of researchers comprised of the group leader, Ts. Dr. Aslizah Mohd Aris, members, Dr. Muhammad Aidil Ibrahim, Dr. Amirul Adli Abd Aziz, Dr. Mu’adz Ahmad Mazian, Dr. Wahidah Mohd Zain, Mdm Wan Admiza Wan Hassan, Mdm Siti Hajar Md Jani, and the facilitator, Mdm Norshamsina Daud.

Through questionnaires, the researchers discovered that the primary schools, especially in the rural area of the Kuala Pilah district in Negeri Sembilan are lacking scientific instruments. This led to minimal scientific experimental exposure for the students leading to a decrease in interest in this field of concern. Additionally, the younger generations preferred more visualization, practical and hands-on activities. They preferred a more personal practical approach, more visualization in their reference books, and the integration of technology during learning activities. All of the demands were taken into consideration during the development of the experimental kit.

The “Let’s Science Up Kit” comprised of four sets of microbiology experiments including algae, environmental microscopic organisms, yeast, and virus. The experiments are based on the scientific experiments listed in the syllabus set by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. This will allow students to have fun with the experiments while still abiding by the syllabus. The kit was aimed to increase the understanding of the students in a very fun and enjoyable way. On top of that, integrating the element of instructional education, reference book, lab manuals, and practical videos were also included inside the kit that can be assessed through the scanning of QR codes. The practical manual and videos were incorporated so that students could perform the experiments individually in the comfort of their homes. To satisfy the demand for more visualization in teaching and learning, the kit was incorporated with a very colorful reference book, filled with images of the microorganisms that they are learning, and the practical video was also included to maximize the practical experience where the video was made professionally showing an easy step by step procedure of how to conduct the experiments by professional instructors. The materials included are very safe, which can allow the students to conduct the experiments at home while involving younger siblings to perform the experiments for early exposure to the S&T field. This will eventually have the potential to elevate the interest of the primary school students in S&T.

The researchers are very confident that the kit developed can effectively increase the understanding of the students on the microbiology subject through a fun practical approach and eventually increasing their interest in S&T. Feedback from the students after using the kit was remarkable, proving that fun practical activities as such can increase students’ interest in a particular subject.

The “Let’s Science Up Kit” was awarded the gold medal and the team was crowned the champion of the Malaysian southern region, Innovative and Creative Group Convention 2022, and is soon to compete in the National Innovative and Creative Group Convention 2022. The kit has obtained numerous supports from the local authorities in the development of teaching and learning activities. Mr. Mohd Mulub Mohd Yusuf, the deputy of School Management sector, Education Office of Kuala Pilah district mentioned, “The ‘Chalk and Talk’ teaching method cannot bring the real experience (of conducting experiments) to students. This kit is interesting and can give that experience the students deserve”.

It is hoped that more fun scientific experimental kits like the “Let’s Science Up Kit” can be developed in the future to increase the interest of the younger generations. This can influence the increasing enrollment of students in the S&T field and eventually, more S&T experts can be made that can ensure the propagation of the world’s modernization for future generations.